
	 BOOK OF SHADOWS 


	BOOK THE SECOND

	PP. 453 - 906


	
	 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

       TOWARD A CELTIC NUMEROLOGY
       ==========================
             by Mike Nichols


'...I have been a word among letters.'
          --the Book of Taliesyn, VIII


    What's in a word?  Or a name?  What special power resides in a word, connecting it so intimately to the very thing it symbolizes?  Does each word or name have its own 'vibration', as is generally believed by those of us who follow the Western occult tradition?  And if so, how do we begin to unravel its meaning?  Just what,
exactly, is in a word?  Well, LETTERS are in a word.  In fact, letters
COMPRISE the word.  Which is why Taliesyn's remark had always puzzled
me.  Why didn't he say he had been a 'letter among words'?  That, at least, would seem to make more logical sense than saying he had been a 'word among letters', which seems backwards.  Unless...

    Unless he was trying to tell us that the word is NOT the important
thing -- the critical thing is the LETTERS that make up a word!  The
Welsh bard Taliesyn was, after all, a pretty gifted fellow.  He certainly put all the other bards at Maelgwyn's court to shame.  And over the years, I've learned never to take his statements lightly -- even his most enigmatic statements.  Perhaps he was really suggesting that, in order to understand the true meaning of a word or name, one must first analyze the letters that comprise it.  Of course, this is certainly not a new theory.  Any student of arcane lore would at
once recognize this concept as belonging in the opening remarks of
any standard text on numerology.  But to read the same meaning behind a line of poetry penned by a 6th century Welsh bard may be a bit surprising.  Is it possible that the Celts had their own system of numerology?

    Let us begin the quest by asking ourselves what we know about
numerology in general.  Most of our modern knowledge of numerology has
been gleaned from ancient Hebrew tradition, which states that the true
essence of anything is enshrined in its name.  But there are so many names and words in any given language that it becomes necessary to reduce each word to one of a small number of 'types' -- in this case, numerological types from 1 to 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.).  This is easily accomplished by assigning a numerical value to each letter of the alphabet, i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on.  Thus, to obtain the numerical value of any word, one simply has to add up the numerical values of all the letters which comprise the word.  If the sum is a two digit number, the two digits are then added to each other
(except in the case of 11, 22, etc.) to obtain the single digit numerical value of the entire word, which may then be analyzed by traditional Pythagorean standards.


    The problem has always been how to be sure of the numerical value of each letter.  Why SHOULD A equal 1, or B equal 2, or Q equal 8?  Where did these values come from?  Who assigned them?  Fortunately, the answer to this is quite simple in most cases.  Many ancient languages used letters of the alphabet to stand for numbers (Roman
numerals being the most familiar example).  Ancient Hebrew, for
instance, had no purely numerical symbols -- like our 1, 2, 3, etc. --
so their letters of the alphabet had to do double duty as numbers as well.  One had to discern from the context whether the symbol was meant as letter or number.  This was true of classical Latin, as well.  Thus, in languages such as these, it is easy to see how a number became associated with a letter:  the letter WAS the number.

    It is a bit more difficult to see how the associations in 'modern'
numerology came into being.  The modern numerological table consists of the numbers 1 through 9, under which the alphabet from A through Z is written in standard order:


   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
   ---------------------------------
   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I
   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R
   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z


This arrangement seems somewhat arbitrary, at best.  At the very
least, it is difficult to sense any 'intrinsically meaningful'
relationship between a letter and its numerical value.  After all, our
modern alphabetical symbols and our modern numerical symbols (Arabic) come from  two completely different sources and cultures.

    For this reason, many contemporary numerologists prefer the ancient Hebrew system because, at least here, there is a known connection between letter and number.  However, when we attempt to adapt this system to the English language, a whole new set of problems crops up.  For one, the entire alphabet is arranged in a different order and some of our modern letters have NO Hebrew equivalents. 
Thus, based on the Hebrew alphabet, the only letters for which we have
numerical values are the following:


  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8
  ------------------------------------
  A    B    G    D    H    V    Z    P
  Y    K    L    M    N    W
  Q    R    S    T


    Obviously, a modern numerologist wouldn't get very far with this table.  In order to compensate for the missing letters in the Hebrew system, most modern textbooks on numerology 'fill in' the missing letters by 'borrowing' numerical values from the Greek alphabet, thus mixing cultural symbols in an eclectic approach that is not entirely convincing.


    Another problem is the exclusion of the number 9 from the table --
which modern textbooks often 'explain' by saying that the Hebrews did not use the number 9, since it was a 'sacred' and 'mystical' number.  The real truth, however, is far less esoteric.  The fact is, the Hebrew alphabet DID have letters with the numerical value of 9 -- the letters Teth and Sade.  But, since Teth and Sade do not have equivalents in our modern English alphabet, the 9 value must be left
out.

    And finally, it is once again difficult to see any INTRINSIC
relationship between a Hebrew letter and the number it represents.  Why should one symbol stand for 1, or another for 2, or yet another for 3, and so on?  The whole superstructure seems somewhat shaky.

    But let us now turn our attention to a Celtic alphabetic system called the 'Ogham'.  This alphabet is written by making a number of short strokes (from 1 to 5) below, above, or through a 'base line' (which in practice tended to be the edge of a standing stone).  Thus, A, O, U, E, and I would be written, respectively:


 ---/----//----///----////----/////---


Of course, in this system it is easy to see how a letter becomes associated with a number, since the numerical value of each letter is implicit. Thus, A=1, O=2, U=3, E=4, and I=5.  (It is true there is much disagreement and confusion among modern scholars as to how the Ogham alphabet should be rendered.  Further, a number of different Oghams seem to have been employed at various times by different
Celtic cultures.  But this confusion usually centers on whether the strokes should be above, below, or through the base line -- NOT on the number of strokes used.  On that point, there is general agreement.  And though orientation to the base line is important, it is not essential to our discussion of numerology, since we need only concern ourselves with the NUMBER of strokes used.)

    Thus, based on the work of such scholars as P.C. Power, S. Ferguson, D. Diringer, I. Williams, L. Spence, and D. Conway, I have synthesized the following table of Celtic numerology:


   1       2       3       4       5
   ---------------------------------
   A       D       T       C       I
   B       G       U       E       N
   H       L       V       F       P
   M       O       W       J       Q
           X               K       R
                           S       Y
                                   Z



Using this table, the student of Celtic numerology would then proceed
to analyze any word in the generally accepted manner.  One should not be concerned that the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do not appear in this system, as the Ogham alphabet had NO letters with these values (as opposed to the Hebrew alphabet which DID have letters with the missing 9 value, as mentioned earlier).  Another consideration is that the Ogham alphabet is just that -- an alphabet.  It never represented
any particular language, and historically it has been employed by
many different languages.  Again by contrast, the Hebrew alphabet was
structured for a particular language -- Hebrew -- and many problems arise when we attempt to adapt it to a language for which it is not suited.

    Although the Ogham alphabet only has letter values from 1 through 5, all of the numbers from 1 through 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.) will be used in the final analysis (just as in the Hebrew
system).  To understand how this works, let us try an example.  We will use the name of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon:


   R + H + I + A + N + N + O + N     
   5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 29
                           2 + 9 = 11


    Most numerologists will agree that
11 is a 'master number' or 'power number' and therefore it is not
further reduced by adding the two digits (although, if one does this, 1 + 1 = 2, and 2 is considered the first even and feminine number in the numerical sequence, certainly appropriate for a Welsh Mother
Goddess).  Viewed as an 11, the analysis is usually that of someone
who is on a 'higher plane of existence' (certainly appropriate for
a goddess), someone who brings 'mystical revelation'.  Often this is
someone who feels slightly distant from the people surrounding him or
her, and who has trouble feeling any real empathy for them (which seems to fit a faery queen who has come to live in the land of mortals).  Also, this is sometimes the number of the martyr,
or of someone unjustly accused (which is certainly true of Rhiannon's story as told in the 'Mabinogi', in which she is falsely accused of destroying her own son).

    By way of contrast, the 'modern' system would have Rhiannon be a 3, a somewhat inappropriate masculine number (not that all feminine names should always yield a feminine number -- but one would at least expect it to do so in the case of an archetypal mother goddess).  The Hebrew system would yield an even more inappropriate 4, that being the number of the material world and all things physical (and since Rhiannon hails from faery, she is definitely not of this material
plane.)


    By now, some of my more thoughtful readers may think they see some
inconsistency in my approach.  Why have I gone to so much trouble to
point up the flaws in traditional systems of numerology (even going so
far as to suggest an entirely new system), only to fall back on interpretations of the numbers that are strictly traditional?  The reason is this:  all of my objections thus far have been limited to METHODOLOGY.  When it comes to interpreting the meaning of the numbers, I have no quarrel with the traditional approach, since here we enter the field of universal symbolism.  All systems of
numerology, be they Hebrew, modern, Oriental, or whatever, tend to attach the same interpretive meaning to the numbers.  When Three Dog Night sings, 'One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know...', it is a statement which is immediately understood and agreed upon by people from widely diverse cultures.  And the same holds true for all other numbers, for we are here dealing with archetypal symbols.

    It is worth repeating that, although I believe this system to have
a firm theoretical basis, it is still in an embryonic state -- highly
tentative, highly speculative.  To the best of my knowledge, it is also an original contribution to the field of numerology.  While some writers (notably Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess') have dealt with the numerical values of Ogham letters, I believe this article is the first instance of employing it specifically as a system of numerology.  I have spent many long hours working with Celtic numerology -- putting abstract theory to use in practical application -- but much work remains to be done.  For this reason, I would be happy to hear from readers who are interested in the subject and who would like to
share their own experiences and thoughts.

                       NLP:  APPLIED MAGIC
                                             by Brandy Williams       
One:  Matching Representations                    
                                                 
     In  studying  magic I've been exposed to a  lot  of  related 
fields--history,  mythology, music--which enrich my understanding 
of  my vocation.   One of the most helpful series of  books  I've 
encountered  is a set of five volumes starting with The Structure 
of Magic I. and II. which focus on... psychology.     

     John  Grinder and Richard Bandler developed the  field  they 
called  Neuro  Linguistic Programming,  or  NLP.   One  reason  I 
suggest  everyone I know become familiar with it is that  they've 
taught this stuff to salespeople, managers, Pentagon employees... 
I  see their techniques on television commercials and read  about 
them  in  seminar descriptions.  NLP is a people manipulator  par 
excellence,  and I think it's important others are made aware  of 
this. 

     Another  reason  is that it's so incredibly  useful.

     Consider  this:   "The  meaning of a  communication  is  the 
response  you  get." In their terms,  an  elegant  phrase.   It's 
changed  my  entire relationship with others.   If I  don't  make 
myself  clear,  I don't blame the listener.   I restate my  case, 
maybe  trying a different body language,  a different representa-
tional system, a little pacing... 

     Representational  system?  Well,  what senses do we  use  to 
explore the world?  Sight--hearing--touch, and taste and smell to 
a much lesser extent.  So how do we think?  In images, sounds and 
feelings--or,  in NLP terms,  in visual, auditory and kinesthetic 
representational systems.  

     What's interesting is that we all make images and sounds and 
feelings to store experience, but we're usually only conscious of 
using  ONE  system.   The words we choose to describe our  experi 
ences reflect that:   "I'm not very focused and I can't see what 
you're  saying."  Or,  "I've got a handle on the  feeling  that's 
been  bugging  me."  Or,  "I hear that,  it sounds like  it  will 
work."

     Spend  one hour listening to people and you can verify this.  
Now,  if  I  say,  "I just can't feel good about that,"  and  the 
person I'm talking to says "I don't see what's wrong with it," my 
communication hasn't received the response I want.   If I  switch 
to  my  partner's most favored representational system  and  say, 
"Let  me  make  that clear to you.   It looks like a  really  bad 
situation,"  that's  one  way  to  match,  or  pace  my  partner.

     See  what I mean?   Or maybe that gives you a feel  for  the
power of this particular "psychology".

What  does  any of this have to do with paganism  or  magic?  
For starters,  I wonder how many circle conflicts could be solved 
by  something as simple as accommodating each other's most favored 
rep. system.

     In a working circle, is someone having trouble visualizing a 
goal?   Is someone else very good at constructing mental temples, 
but totally unable to feel when to release the energy?   Put them 
together,  get  them to trade notes and teach  each  other;  both 
skills are part of the same experience.

     When you direct rituals,  do you always include something to 
see or imagine, hear or sing, feel--in the body or tactually?  Do 
your  rituals  work for some people and not  others?   You  might 
check  to be sure you're satisfying everyone's most favored  rep. 
system.    

     The   function   of   magic  is  the   response   you   get.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 
     Works by John Grindler and  Richard Bandler:
     The Structure of Magic I.
     The Structure of Magic II.
     Frogs into Princes
     Reframing
     Trance-formations

                       NLP:  APPLIED MAGIC
                       by Brandy Williams
TWO-  Inside/Outside

     Remember  representational  systems?   The idea that  humans 
think in images, sounds, and feelings?

     While we're calling up images (a process called  accessing), 
we're not able to look at what's going on in front of us.   While 
we're listening to music, we're not able to remember our favorite 
song.   While we're feeling our shoulders for tension,  we're not 
aware  of the touch of cloth against our skin.   Seeing with  the 
mind's eye and the physical eye are mutually exclusive processes.

     In Neuro Linguistic Programming, accessing -- thinking -- is 
called  downtime,  and  observing  with the  senses  is  labelled 
uptime.

     I run uptime as a meditation.   Try this: for three minutes, 
look  at  the colors in front of you,  the textures of  surfaces, 
shapes...  listen  to the volume and pitch of all sounds in  your 
vicinity...  feel  the  surface  you're  sitting  on,  your  hand 
touching something in front of you...

     The  next  time  you generate an  internal  image,  talk  to 
yourself,  feel your stomach tightening -- notice the difference.  
It's the difference between accessing and observing, downtime and 
uptime, external and internal reality.

     One thing that I notice about uptime is that it links to the 
concept 'sacred'.   When I take a walk by the river,  I watch the 
water  rippling  over rocks,  listen to the white  noise  of  the 
current, feel the moist air touching my skin.  I bring myself out 
of  my  own  internal creations and allow myself to live  in  the 
world.

     Another  thing  I notice about uptime is  that  some  people 
don't  do  it very much.   Most of us drop into internal  reality 
when  our  environment is unpleasant,  and that's a  very  useful 
thing to be able to do.   But then a lot of people forget to come 
back out-- come to their senses,  literally -- and experience the 
world again.

     Such  people are very difficult to talk to.   When I have  a 
conversation,  I  like my partner to be listening to what I  say, 
and watching my body language.   More often, my partner is access
sing some internal meaning for,  or response to, what I'm saying.  
That  internal  meaning may or may not have anything to  do  with 
what I'm communicating.

     It isn't possible to observe someone (with all senses)  when 
we're  accessing.   It  isn't possible to achieve rapport with  a 
person  we're not observing.   One of the bases of magical  group 
workings is rapport between the participants.


     Try this: the next time you have a conversation about magic, 
observe  your partner.   Watch for:  body position and  gestures.  
Often  people I talk to demonstrate what they feel when  they  do 
magic.  [A woman describing her circle method moved her hand from 
her forehead down toward her feet, from shoulder to shoulder, and 
from  her  heart straight in front of her -- gesturing the  three 
energy poles a circle creates.]

     Listen for: sensory descriptions --"I saw, I heard, I felt."

     Learning  to go into uptime at will,  and differentiate  our 
representations of reality from our observations,  is perhaps the 
most useful magical skill we can possess.   It provides the  basis 
for a reality check; it helps us communicate our experiences more 
effectively to others, and to help them duplicate what we do; and 
it is one of the most profound alterations of consciousness.

                       - Brandy Williams

                           ~~~~~~~~~~
                          BIBLIOGRAPHY
            Works by Richard Bandler & John Grinder:
                    The Structure of Magic I.
                   The Structure of Magic II.
                        Frogs to Princes
                            Reframing
                        Trance-formations

                                   Bare Bones

                         Third Degree Elevation (spoof)

              (Emphasis on action with minimal vocal requirements.)

                                    by Orion

1. Ritual Bath - Both play in water for an inappropriately long time.

2. Casting of Circle - Cast in the usual manner with items at hand.

3. Reason and Challenge - "You're here for Thirds. Are you ready for the test?

4. Response - "Ready, willing and able!"

5. The Mystery - Perform Great Rite multiple times until sated or worn out.

6. Cakes and Wine - Required in order to continue.

7. Reprise - Repeat step 5 if desired.

8. Closing of Circle - Must be done before falling asleep.


			BELTANE

   This a Pagan Ritual file, of interest to Neo-Pagans, specifically Wiccan based religions.




	Equipment- see standard list

	Set up 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 music and begin the ritual.
	The Beltane ritual should start before sunrise or in the evening of April 30th. This is to welcome the sun in and to make effective use of the bonfire. The party or the ritual should finish some time after sunrise.


                     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 water on 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 hencefrom, 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:

	"Blessed 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:

                         1,6

                      4       3
           
                     
                        2 7 5

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 counter-clockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and then repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.

In this part of the ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast.  The High Priest stands in front of her and says:

	"Diana, queen of night
	In all your beauty bright,
	Shine on us here,
	And with your silver beam
	Unlock the gates of dream;
	Rise bright and clear.

	On Earth and sky and sea,
	Your magic mystery
	Its spell shall cast,
	Wherever leaf may grow,
	Wherever tide may flow,
	Till all be past.
	O secret queen of power,
	At this enchanted hour
	We ask your boon.

	May fortune's favor fall
	Upon true witches all,
	O Lady Moon!

The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priest kneels again and invokes:

        "I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy 	servant and priestess."

During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says:


        "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
         Pour forth thy store of love;
         I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
         With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
         Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot)
         my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense smoke;
         then spend  Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
         To aid me, who without thee
         am forlorn."

The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:

        "Of the Mother darksome and divine
         Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
         The five point star of love and bliss
         Here I charge you in this sign."

The High Priest says:

	"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also
        called among man Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names."

The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess:

	"Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am 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 I 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; dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.  Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my  worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
        And thou who seekest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; and if that	which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

This declamation can be said by the High Priestess, the High Priest or the Coven as a whole.

        "Hear now the words of the witches,
         The secrets we hid in the night,
	    When dark was our destiny's pathway,
         That now we bring forth into the light.
         Mysterious Water and Fire,
         The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
	    By hidden quintessence we know them,
         And will keep silent and dare.
	    The birth and rebirth of all nature,
         The passing of winter and spring,
	    We share with the life universal,
         Rejoice in the 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,
         When sun is at greatest and least,
	    The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
         Again witches gather in feast.
         Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
         Thirteen is the Coven's array.
	    Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
         For each golden year and a day.
         The power was passed down the ages,
         Each time between woman and man,
	    Each century unto the other,
         Ere time and ages began.
         When drawn is the magical circle,
         By sword or athame of power,
         It's compass between the two worlds lies,
         In the land of shades that hour.
         This world has no right to know it,
         And the world beyond will tell naught.
         The oldest of gods are invoked there,
         The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
         For two are the mystical pillars,
        That stand at the gate of the shrine,
	   And two are the powers of nature,
        The forms and the forces of the divine.
        The dark and the light in succession,
        The opposites each unto each,
	   Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
        This did our ancestors teach.
	   By night he's the wild wind's rider,
        The 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,
	   They dwell in the deeps of the main,
        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 Elphames's fair land shall receive us
        In peace at the end of our days.
        And Do What Thou Wilt
        shall be the challenge,
	   So be it in love that harms none,
        For this is the only commandment,
        By magic of old, be it done!
        Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
        If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!




The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says:
        "Bagabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi achababe
         Karellyos
         Lamac lamac
         bachalyas
         Cabahag sabalyos
         Baryolos
         Lagaz atha cabyolas
         Samahac atha
         famolas
	 Hurrahya!"

The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:

	"Hurrahya!" 


The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest continues:

        "Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!
         Come to my call and show thy self to men.

        Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
        Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.

        Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night 
        Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.

        Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee.
        Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"



The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:

        "Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"

And lower their hands on the second phrase.

This is a ring dance as usual. This can be replaced or others added as desired. Everyone should take part. Use what music you feel comfortable with.

        Walpurgis Night, the time is right,
   	The ancient powers awake.

	So dance and sing, around the ring,
	And Beltane magic make.

	Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
	Upon the eve of May,

	We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
	Forever and a day.

	New life we see, in flower and in tree,
	And summer comes again.

	Be free and fair, like earth and air,
	The sunshine and the rain.

	Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
	Upon the eve of May,
	
     We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
	Forever and a day.

	As magic fire be our desire
	To tread the pagan way,

	And our true will find and fulfill,
	As dawns a brighter day.


	Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
	Upon the eve of May,

	We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
	Forever and a day.

	The pagan powers this night be ours,
	Let all the world be free,
 
	And sorrow cast into the past,
	And future blessed be!

	Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
	Upon the eve of May,

	We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
	Forever and a day.

The Coven spread themselves out around the Circle. They start a soft rhythmic clapping. The High Priestess says:

	"Now it is time for the Oak King to impregnate Our Lady. No longer will she be the Virgin Huntress and Maiden. She is now to be Hecate, the Queen of Elphame. But first she must catch him."

This song is from Robert Graves "White Goddess". It is an old Scottish Craft song. In it, the High Priest turns into a variety of animals and the High Priestess chases him. Starting with the High Priest and Priestess, then followed by the other couples in the Coven, the men are chased by the women.  The ladies use a scarf to signify the capture at the end of the song. The dancers should try to imitate the animals they are playing. The dance and the tune should be slow. After all the couples have done so, the High Priestess and Priest repeat it. 

High Priest:    

         "O, I shall go into a hare
	 With sorrow and sighing and mickle care,
	 And I shall go in the Devil's name
	 Aye, till I be fetched hame."


High Priestess: 

         "Hare, take heed of a bitch greyhound
	 Will harry thee all these fells around,
	 For here come I in Our Lady's name
	 All but to fetch thee hame."

Coven:

         "Cunning and art he did not lack
	 But aye her whistle would fetch him back."


High Priest:

         "Yet I shall go into a trout
	 With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt,
	 And show thee many a merry game
	 Ere that I be fetched hame."

High Priestess: 

        "Trout take heed of an otter lank
	 Will harry thee close from bank to bank,
	 For here come I in Our Lady's name
	 All but for to fetch thee hame."

Coven:

        "Cunning and art he did not lack
	 But aye her whistle would fetch him back."

High Priest:   

        "Yet I shall go into a bee
	 With mickle horror and dread of thee,
	 And flit to hive in the Devil's name
	 Ere that I be fetched hame."

High Priestess: 

        "Bee, take heed of a swallow hen
	 Will harry thee close, both butt and ben,
	 For here come I in Our Lady's name
	 All but to fetch thee hame."

Coven:		 

        "Cunning and art he did not lack
	 But aye her whistle would fetch him back."

High Priest:    
 
        "Yet I shall go into a mouse
	 And haste me unto the miller's house,
	 There in his corn to have good game
	 Ere that I be fetched hame."

High Priestess: 

        "Mouse take heed of a white tib-cat
	 That never was balked of a mouse or a rat,
	 For I'll crack thy bones in Our Lady's name:
	 Thus shall thee be fetched hame."

Coven:		 

        "Cunning and art he did not lack
	 But aye her whistle would fetch him back."




The High Priestess finally catches the High Priest at the last refrain. She drapes a scarf over his neck to signify her catching him. The Maiden and the Coven say:

        "The Queen of Elphame has caught her Son who is also her Consort. They must mate so that the Earth may bear it's fruits and that man and animal may live. "

The High Priest and High Priestess, and the rest of the couples in the Coven, kiss with vigour. The men should wilt and fade back to the edge of the Circle.  The women gather around the unlit bonfire or the cauldron with the candle in it. The High Priestess says:


	"The Oak King is dead. He has died of his love for the 	Lady that the Earth may live. So has it been for year after year, since time began.  But the Oak King, the God of the Waxing year, must live so the crops in the Earth can come forth. "

The Coven shouts:

        "Kindle the Beltane fire. May the Oak King live again. May the Earth bring forth her fruits, may the animals bear their young and the land be fruitful again."

The High Priestess lights the bonfire using a taper lit from the altar candle.  She then says:

        "Come back to us, Oak King, that the land may be fruitful."

The men gather around the fire, next to their partners, and the say in unison:

	"I am the stag of seven tines;
	I am a wide flood on the plain;
	I am a wind on the deep waters;
	I am a shining tear of the sun;
	I am a hawk on a cliff;
	I am fair among flowers;
	I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke."

The High Priestess and High Priest lead a ring dance around the bonfire. Start out with "A Tree Song" from Rudyard Kipling's "Weland's Sword" story in "Puck of Pook's Hill". The dance should be joyful.

"Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art,
	 Or he would call it sin;
	 But we shall be out in the woods all night,
	 Aconjuring summer in!
	
	 And we bring you news by word of mouth
	 For women, cattle and corn
	 Now is the sun come up from the South
 
	 With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!"



Continue the dance with this song and/or any others that sound appropriate. 
This chant goes to the tune of the old folksong,  "The Lincolnshire Poacher":

	Come join the dance, that doth entrance,
	And tread the circle round.
     Be of good cheer, that gather here,
	Upon this merry ground.

	Good luck to we that faithful be,
	And hold our craft so dear,
	For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year.

	Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year.

	While stars do shine, we pledge the wine
	Unto the Gods of old,
	Nor shall there fail the witch wassail,
	Nor shall their fire grow cold.
	Good luck to we that faithful be,
	And hold our craft so dear,

	For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year.

	Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year.

	Throughout, about and round about,
	By flame that burneth bright,
	We'll dance and sing, around the ring,
	At witching hour of night.
	Good luck to we that faithful be,
	And hold our craft so dear,

	For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year.

	Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
	In the season of the year. 



Near the end of the dance, the High Priestess should call out the name of either a person or a couple. They should then jump over the fire while making a wish. They should then rejoin the ring and another couple or person do it.  When ready, stop the dance and sit down about the fire. After a break, perform the Great Rite.

	The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman
alternately as far as possible, facing the center.  The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his  back to the South.
 The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards, with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram.

The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet.

	The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her
hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.

The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.  The High Priest  delivers the invocation:

	"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all
        worshipped;  The altar of all things.
 For in old time, Woman was the altar.	Thus was the altar made and placed,  And the sacred place was the point within the center of 	the Circle.  As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is the origin of all things,

	Therefore should we adore it;
	Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.

	O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger
     brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, 
     Before  whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the      understanding dark,

	Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
	Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and      fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
     Continuous on of the heavens;  Let it be ever thus

 That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;  And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous.
 For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;  The point of life, without which we would not be.

 And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;  In beauty and strength were they erected  To the wonder and glory of all men."



The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body, and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame.  The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest, and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings over are done without the customary ritual kiss. The High Priest continues the invocation:

	   "Altar of mysteries manifold,
        The sacred Circle's secret point
	   Thus do I sign thee as of old,
        With kisses of my lips anoint."

The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:

	"Open for me the secret way,
      The pathway of intelligence,
      Beyond the gates of night and day,
	Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
     Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...."

The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues:

	"All life is your own,
	All fruits of the Earth
	Are fruits of your womb,
     Your union, your dance.
     Lady and Lord, We thank you for
     blessings and abundance.
     Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
	Blessed Be.

Then, draw the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate with the athame.

	"Here where Lance and Grail unite,
     And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." 

The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while they do this.

	The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess, and they both rise to their feet.

	The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss, and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once.

The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss,he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors.


	The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The High Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind them. If any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;	we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart	to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and	farewell....Hail and farewell."

As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in front of her thus, each time:

           
                          2 7

           
                       4        5

            
                       6 1    3               

The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces the south and the High Priestess says:

        "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of 	Fire; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant  and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell."

She turns to the West and says:

        "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell."



She turns to the North 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, Thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart for your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell." 



This ends the Circle. The party following this should be a loving one. If there is a May Pole available, circle the May Pole. Beltane is also a time for forfeits.  The High Priestess picks out the people and their forfeit, except the High Priest picks out the last one to play on the High Priestess. Beltane is also a time for "green wood marriages" and other unbridled sexuality and such.

          (Distributed in the public domain via Seastrider)


                   WITCHCRAFT: Some Answers for the Curious
                             prepared and released
                                  by Ka'l El
                                    of the
                             Grove of the Unicorn
                                   07/07/88

What is a Witch?

Contrary to many widely-held myths, witches are quite normal, engaged in the sorts of activities that are common to people in any culture or civilization.  We work in a variety of professions, we live in all climates, we drive cars, raise families, tell jokes, and in most ways come across as perfectly normal people.  This, however, doesn't answer the question, so let's approach it from a different angle:

Technically, witches are initiated members of a Celtic-style nature religion.  In this sense (which is, strictly speaking, the proper one), a witch is a person who has demonstrated a firm understanding of the principles of the Craft, has been trained in the meaning and purpose of ritual and the performance of ritual, and in all ways seeks to live a life that is in harmony with Nature and the cycles of the universe.

What are Warlocks, then?

The term 'warlock' specifically means 'oath-breaker'; it is used to describe one whose word cannot be safely trusted.  To call someone a warlock is a serious matter in Pagan circles, as we hold integrity and trustworthiness in very high regard.  Warlocks are generally outcasts, and may be either male or female.  Just so, the term 'witch' is correctly applied to both male and female.

You've mentioned Paganism twice; I thought Pagans were godless heathens!

'Pagan' comes from the Latin pagani, which means 'country-dweller'. During the Middle Ages, when the Roman church began to consolidate its influence in northern Europe (and specifically in the British Isles), they concentrated their efforts around the noble courts, which were generally centers of population.  As members of the court began to accept the new Way of Christianity, others began to see advantage in  being on  the new  team, and followed those with money and power into the fold. 

The new religion was not so popular among the common people, who were more inclined to tend their flocks and crops than to curry favor with the nobility in town.  The courtiers, educated by Latin-speaking clergymen, referred to these un-Converted masses as pagans, or 'hicks', as might be said today.

'Heathen', that all-purpose accusation, is just the old English translation of 'pagan'; both terms simply mean that the fashionable people of the Dark Ages didn't think much of the arrogant rubes who wanted to hang on to their own ways rather than disbelieve the evidence of their lives and experiences.

As far as 'godlessness' is concerned, only repetition has given these words that connotation.

That doesn't tell me much about Paganism.

Paganism is a broad group of traditions that share a more-or-less common world-view, and in that way is similar to Christianity. This world-view is marked by several elements:
   -  Creation as an on-going process (as distinct from an event);
   -  Time as an ever-repeating cycle or spiral (no start or
   finish);
   -  Universe as an organism becoming conscious (as distinct from a
   machine produced by a celestial engineer);
   -  Love as the essential nature of the Universal organism;
   -  Experience as the means by which the Universe becomes
   conscious;
   -  Incarnation as the means by which experience is forged into
   wisdom;
   -  'God' as a description (as distinct from a name or title).

Although there are differences between them, Wicca, Shintoism, Hinduism, Polynesian Kahuna, Taoism and American Indians are among those groups who substantially share this world-view.  Many of these concepts are espoused as well by some 'New Age' groups. In essence, Pagans hold that spirituality and divinity are inherent in the Universe, that we live to experience, and through that experience we gain wisdom and increased awareness.

Do witches Believe in Jesus?

Some witches believe in a historical Jesus while others believe in the symbolic or mythic Jesus; others believe in neither, and for many, the question of Jesus is irrelevant.  I have heard many of my brothers and sisters voice the opinion that Jesus was a genuine Divine Being who taught a path of love and service, and who in his role as the Sacred King gave his life that the lives of the people would be renewed.  For these things we honor him, yet we do not believe in messiahs, and I know of no Witch who worships him as the 'only son of god'.

Then how do Witches propose to Escape Hell and Attain Salvation?

This dual question has no real meaning for us; we see life as a school, not a lottery.  In this school, we learn from the mistakes we make as we thread our ways through the world, and the lessons we learn are of love, tolerance, humility, understanding and joy.  We believe that we learn these lessons, in common with all life every-where, through face-to-face interaction with the 'way things are'; and we believe that, though these lessons are often accompanied by feelings of sorrow or loss, they are worth the learning. On the subject of salvation, we believe that Hell (so-called) is the result of
becoming attached to things and people (being 'of the world', as Christians might say), taking the lessons of life personally and perceiving them as troubles and blaming ourselves and others for the problems in our lives.  On the same note, the closest we get to an idea of Heaven is through accepting the pains and frustrations of day-to-day life as lessons, and learning how we have caused ourselves and others pain through our errors, thereby freeing us to go on with our lives stronger, wiser, and more balanced.

Where do you think you go when you die, then?

We tell stories of a place we call Summerland, which we think of as a place of welcome rest after the rigors of life on Earth.  We expect to be rejoined with friends and loved ones who went before us, to digest and understand the lessons we have learned during our time 'incarnate'.  From there, we will return to life on Earth after a time, to learn and teach until we achieve perfect knowledge and understanding of this cycle of existence.  Honestly, we don't much occupy ourselves with thoughts about afterlife, as we believe there
is nothing to fear.

I guess you don't believe the Bible is the 'word of god'...

No we don't; the ways it  teaches  are  not  our  ways,  although we respect them as we respect all the many ways that people use to 'touch the heart of God'.

What do you use, then, for a Bible?

The world is our 'bible' (Latin for 'book'), and all that is on it, in it, and around it.  For us, the Earth is our mother, our teacher and our provider.  From her, we learn to survive, to sing, to create, to rest and to believe.  The Sun for us is a symbol of the father, from whom we learn to dare, to question, to heal, to dance and to dream.  The seasons teach about birth, death and rebirth, and about the need to live in harmony and balance with the rest of creation. For us, the Divine is all about us, befriending us, teaching and guiding us.

Are Witches Pantheistic or Polytheistic?

Both.  Yet the truth is not reached by so simple an answer.  We are pantheist in the sense that, for us, the gods are everywhere. This is essentially what Judeo-Christianity refers to in speaking of God as omnipresent.  The gods are also within us (the Kingdom of God within, as Christians would say), because we contain the Divine Spark ('Holy Spirit') in common with all that exists.  Because we perceive this ever-present spiritual manifestation around us, we are also polytheistic, meaning that the attributes or characteristics of
perfection and divinity take on many forms; therefore, they can be understood in many different senses and deepen our comprehension of the Truth that is behind and beyond all Ways and all religions. To put it another way, we are Polytheist because (for us) the Absolute (which roughly equates to the Christian concept of 'God') manifests as male and female, and so we worship both God and Goddess.  We are Pantheist because this primary dual manifestation is reflected throughout creation and so, everything that is tells us about some aspect of the Absolute (and is therefore holy). Tell me something about the Gods you worship.


Please bear with me on this, as the question requires some groundwork.
In common with the monotheistic religions, we believe that there is a single Source of all things, beyond our observation and comprehension.  In our conception, the Source is neither a thing nor a Being, but instead transcends such limited human concepts.  It serves the same role, conceptually, as that of a 'Supreme Being'. We do not worship the Source (also referred to as 'the All' and as 'the Absolute'), as such, because in our view, one can only approach a  relationship   with  the   Source  by  becoming  mindful  of  its characteristics and qualities as they manifest themselves in the world in which we live.  These characteristics and qualities, over the years, have become personified as 'gods'.  In such forms, they appear in the myths and
teachings of many cultures, including the antique world of Greece, Rome, Egypt, etc.

The names of these gods are not of particular importance, because the gods themselves are only important as symbols of various aspects of existence.  Through them, we are able to see ourselves as part of the universe, as manifestations of the Source in our own rights. We believe it is the destiny of all things to return to the Source through true understanding.  Having said all this, let me now show you how it all comes about for us.

We believe that the Source is made manifest in the Creation that surrounds us;  and we see this manifestation as being made up of dualities, which are linked in a meaningful way.  The most obvious of these polar pairs are male/female, heat/cold, light/dark, sky/earth, and sun/moon; there are, literally, thousands of such pairs of complementary opposites, and each plays its own role, but for our purposes here, these are enough.

This profusion of paired opposites suggests to us that duality is the essential character of creation, and to humans, the most significant of these pairings is that of male and female.  From this primal pair emerges the concept of god and goddess.  In this light, the pairs we listed just now are categorized by their apparent natures:
         God - male, light, heat, sky, sun;
         Goddess - female, dark, cold, earth, moon; and from these categories, it is derived that the overall character of god is active, and that of goddess is passive.  At the risk of oversimplifying, I will leave this part of the discussion, with a word that these qualities of god and goddess are archetypal, rather than literal absolutes.

We refer to god and goddess, generally, as the Lord and the Lady. The Lord is the Father of all, and his qualities of light, warmth, and energy are most often symbolized by the sun, and whose nature is most often represented by the sky.  The Lady is the Mother of all, whose patience and receptivity is symbolized by the earth, and whose adaptability and steadfastness is represented by the moon.  Our bodies are the sign of her love and creativity.


We see this endless chain of dualities reflected in our interactions with the world in which we live, and with our fellow creatures, who are also the children of the Lord and Lady.  We see this chain in the eternal cycles which move the universe around its unknown center.  There is more to male and female than mother and father: the Lord also represents our Brother, our Friend; and likewise is the Lady Sister and Friend to us.  Like each  of us,  they have many names, many faces, many roles, yet they remain themselves. Our gods have grown, in a sense, as our understanding of ourselves and the creation around us has grown; and yet they are just as they have always been.  "As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be" is true to us, as well.

As we learn more about the divine creation around us, we learn to move in harmony with it and with the creatures that share it with us, just as sailors learn to work in accord with the winds, the currents and the tides in order to reach their destination.  As we learn about ourselves, we learn to rise above the fear and frustration that can accompany life, and learn to accept ourselves and others as we are, to experience joy and love in our lives.  As we learn about the gods, we draw closer to them and learn under-standing, tolerance, humor, and thankfulness.  And, for us, doing any one of these is doing all of these.

Do Witches worship the Devil?

NO!  In fact, for many centuries, Wicca (as we call the indigenous paganism of northern Europe) and Christianity co-existed peacefully: the Christians did not claim to be the sole access to God, and the Wicca offered sincere reverence to Jesus as a great Sacred King whose sacrifice touched everyone.  However, as the Roman church grew in power and influence, it became jealous of the very large number of Wiccans who - though acknowledging the divine role of Jesus and respectful of the Path walked by those devoted exclusively to his
message - still steadfastly refused to render obedience, wealth and land to Rome (and its emissaries); for northern Europe was almost entirely inhabited by those who held to the 'Old Religion'. This jealousy was the beginning of the Roman church's deliberate attempts to discredit the old ways.  These attempts included the creation of a 'devil' that was deliberately designed as a caricature of the Horned God worshipped (though not exclusively) by the Old Religion; the attribution of any and all natural calamities, and any source of
distress, to the practices of the Wicca, which, it was claimed, invoked this 'Power of Evil' the church had created; and by accusing women (who lacked sufficient maleness to have been created in 'God's' image) of being inherently demonic temptations, drawing men away from the church and into the natural world of life and death.


In this light, it is hardly accidental that the whole-sale persecution of the Old Religion began during the time of the Black Death.  This plague did much of the church's work for it:  by killing off one fourth to one third of the population, the black death eliminated an enormous number of adherents to the Old Religion.  That done, and the Wiccan civilization still disorganized from the  imperial  Roman  extermination of the Druids years before (the Druids were masters of history, ritual, poetry and law), it became a simple matter to convince the survivors  that the natural world was their enemy, and women the wanton agents of the 'Enemy'. The stage had been set for the Inquisitions, whose victims were overwhelmingly women and persons of wealth and influence in the lives of the decimated pagan community.

Since those times, the Roman church and it's successors (such as the 'PTL' and '700' clubs) have used this manufactured association with an artificial Arch-BadGuy as a means of justifying the CONTINUED persecution and murder of those who still follow the Wiccan Way.

In "The Satanic Bible", it says that Witches ARE devil-worshippers but are ignorant of the fact.

The Satanic Bible was written by a man who worships 'Satan', who is supposed to be the 'father of lies'.  This suggests to me that his commitment to the truth may not be trustworthy.  Essentially, by declaring his belief in the church's own image of their created Enemy, he has declared his acceptance of the medieval Christian character of the game they play; he has chosen the 'Party Line', and his place of the side of the imagined Adversary. We do not define the world in Christian terms, for we have essentially nothing to do with Christian beliefs and practices. (This is not to say that these is no common
ground between Christianity and the Craft, for there is much that we share.)  Not so the Satanists, whose every practice is either a perversion or a violation of some Christian form (e.g., the 'Black Mass', which Witches would still consider a foolish and irreverent waste of time and energy, even if it were otherwise harmless), or the more-or-less self-conscious pursuit of evil, which cannot be seriously defended.

Though we are not believers in 'Satan', we do have a concept of evil, which I will attempt to delineate:  most of the problems we experience in life can be thought of as arising from the four qualities of attachment, greed, fear, and ignorance.  These "qualities" cause us all great pain in life as they warp our under-standing of events and cause us  to respond in ways that hurt and confuse.  This is 'sin' in it's original meaning  of error and mistake, and often it is quite innocent of any desire or intent to hurt, mislead or abuse.  Evil is the result of adding a fifth quality to the others, that of self-
centeredness. When self-centeredness enters the picture, then the seeds of evil truly exist.  Self-centeredness allows the self-centered one to discount, or even ignore, the feelings, the rights, and even the humanity of anyone outside that narrow focus.  It is just such 'object'-ifcation that allows truly horrendous crimes to be committed, that creates characters such as Jim Jones, Idi Amin, Josef Stalin, Torquemada, Cromwell, and Hitler.  The same self-centeredness, moved from the individual self to the group self, allows war, slavery, torture, terrorism, profiteering, persecution and genocide.  I
ask you to remember that this is my formulation of a Pagan concept of evil, and may not be agreed to by others. Regarding the idea that Witches are ignorant of the focus of their spirituality, I can only say that this is both false and flatly insulting, much as it would be to state that Christians do not worship Jesus, but a shoe salesman from New Jersey who they think is Jesus.

What about these reports of Ritual murder, Sacrifices, and Cannibalism?

These things have nothing to do with us, and we have nothing to do with such practices.  We find the reports of such things disgusting and horrifying, for we have and maintain a deep respect and reverence for all life; the suggestion that we are involved in such things causes us great pain, for to be so involved would run counter to everything we hold sacred.  It would be, quite literally, "against our religion".

Episodes of such anti-human, anti-life behavior are attributable to
derangement and insanity, or to Satanists, who make no pretense of their worship of Christianity's manufactured 'prince of darkness'.

So much the worse for us:  because of the original program of opposition against Wiccan (and by that extension, all) Paganism, all Satanists are assumed to be Witches by definition.

It is interesting to note that, in the days when Christianity was new, the Romans accused them of many of the same vileness: blasphemy, killing and eating of children, trafficking with demonic spirits, ritual sacrifice.  It is also interesting that in the hey-day of the Roman church, Jews were subjected to these appalling charges, which fuelled anti-Semitism right up to the Nazi exterminations.  Indeed, such accusations seem almost to be a 'traditional' means of discrediting and destroying political/economic enemies (witness the
naming of the USSR as "an evil empire"). Perhaps the day will come when peoples of different ways can live together without accusing each other of abominations.

Why do you call Wicca a Religion, rather than a Cult?

Religions arise from principles and understanding and teach a way of life; cults are based upon charisma and fascination, and are motivated by profit and ascendancy.  Religions thrive on independent conscious participation; cults thrive on manipulation and obedience.

Wicca teaches a way of life based upon the perfection and perfectibility of the spirit, closeness to the gods, right action, the gaining of wisdom, and the Oneness of all life.  In token and celebration of this, we come together at our appointed times to worship and to share the love, joy and 'fellowship' that life holds for us, and to take note of the lessons that the events of the
seasons, and of our lives, have to teach us.


Our religion is the wellspring of our joy; it is the sharing of the knowledge that we are endlessly in the radiant presence of all that is holy, all that is sweet and uplifting.  It warms us and fills us and makes us whole, strengthens our minds and clears our spirits. It is the knowledge of the love of our Mother the Earth, who provides for us even in our thoughtless and destructive ecological folly, and who is more beautiful and more patient than praise can express. It is the knowledge of the guidance of our Father the Hunter, who quickens us, who teaches us love and laughter, wisdom and prudence.  It is the
awareness that we share this world, this life with countless others; that each of us both deserves the respect of, and owes respect to, the other children of the Lord and the Lady.

Why does this Religion seem so strange to us?

It has been suggested that there are two kinds of religion: Type One, which has been called 'primitive', believes in a cyclic, ever-renewing concept of time, and a belief in reincarnation frequently accompanies this view. This type encourages a sense of appreciation and oneness with Nature, and of personal responsibility both practical and spiritual. Typically, a Type One religion will have a dualistic and complementary images of Godhead, representing polar aspects of Creation as male and female. The Pagan religions are Type One.

Type Two, which has been called 'revealed', believes in a literal beginning and ending of Creation- a linear concept of time, with life considered as a one-shot ordeal.  Type two religions encourage a detachment from the world of Nature and a reliance on authority (beyond the initial choice of whether or not to follow orders); they will have a dualistic and antagonistic images of Godhead, representing polar aspects of Creation as good and evil.  Monotheistic religions such as Christianity are Type Two religions. Type One and Type Two are so called because they are the first and second types, respectively and sequentially, to show themselves in human affairs.

The typical American is raised Christian, has virtually no contact with members of Type One religions, and little meaningful inter-action with members of the other monotheisms (Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism).  As a  result, most opinions are  formed based  on the images that are provided by the culture, and today this means the images provided by movies and television.  From the beginning, these images have been selected to amuse and shock, rather than to enlighten or inform.  Truly, after nearly 2,000 years of exceptionally bad press, Pagans of any sort from the 'superstitious' Hindu to the 'savage' native American to the 'wicked' Witch, are notoriously easy targets for caricature.  One can only say, 'Please don't believe everything you see and hear!'
 
Why do Witches go off into the woods at night to worship?

First, we prefer to worship out-of-doors; as we are a nature religion, we believe that no building can give us the sense of contact we feel when our bare feet rest upon the Mother Earth, or the sense of blessing we feel when a breeze caresses our skin.  To worship is to enter the presence of God or the Gods or Universe; so for us, worshipping inside a building is more like leaving the Divine Presence.

Given that, the best place to do this would be in a quiet spot, not frequented by picnickers, traffic, or smog; a place remote enough to minimize the distractions of the man-made world.  These days, there are few areas that offer much along these lines, but there are still woods to be found, and when we can, we worship there.  The fact that trees are important symbols for us only enhances the appeal of the woods.

So, why at night?  There are several reasons: after dark, people go indoors & get quiet - this enhances the peacefulness (as almost everyone knows) and the serenity of our outdoor communion, which is important to us; also, the moon for us is a symbol of the Goddess, and our rituals are synchronized with the lunar phases - this makes nighttime appropriate to us, for night is when the moon is most prominent.

There is one more reason we hold Circle (our worship) in the woods at night - in practice, the more isolated we are, the safer we are. In our Circle site in Lithonia, we were too close to go unheard, and too far to be understood; the sad result of that incident was that we were driven away by wild rumors and fears of the unknown.

If Witches are all the good things you say, what are you afraid of?

We are afraid of ignorance and of the violence that too often accompanies it.  To draw an example from history, the church-inspired inquisitions caused the murder of 9,000,000 people. These people met their ends through torture, starvation, burning, drowning and hanging; their property was seized by the church, and their families were  scattered.   Many of  them were forced to watch loved ones suffer agonies while they awaited their turns. The only accused who survived were those who 'confessed' to the most loathsome crimes and outrageous - even nonsensical - acts, and recanted their 'heresies'.  All
who protested their innocence died.

Today in the 20th Century, members of the Craft have been fired from their jobs, have been beaten, harassed, and sometimes murdered. Some have lost their children in ugly legal battles, homes have been looted and burned, and perfectly wholesome people have been declared anti-social and a menace to the community.  Yes, all these things do go on now, today, often perpetrated by "well-intentioned" Christians in a state of great fear and utter ignorance.

This is the reason for this pamphlet: to bear a lamp in the darkness so that this holocaust may finally come to an end, and innocent people may go about their lives unafraid.

As an example of why we're afraid, the next question is pretty good:
 
The Bible says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"; Why should we?

The 'King James Version', on which virtually all English-language translations are based, was begun and completed during the Burning Times (our term for the anti-Pagan holocaust in Europe).  Several terms were rendered as "witch" in the final version.  These terms were, roughly, "evil-doer", "poisoner", "one who works harm in secret".  We shall probably never know whether this substitution was a matter of political calculation or honest error.  I think it likely that there was a healthy portion of each at work. Further, the context of this passage is significant.  At the time, the Israelites were
preparing to invade and conquer the land of Canaan.  In this light, it is highly possible that the original warning was against Canaanite saboteurs and/or infiltrators, partisans working against the Israeli occupation.  It would take a deliberate decision to apply such a stricture against a different people of another time in another land. It may be interesting to note, in this context, that the warning (often quoted) against soothsayers, magicians, etc. was specifically aimed at foreign practitioners.  Jewish soothsayers, etc. were not mentioned.

Are there any guidelines a Witch might be expected to live by? There are many precepts that help us learn how to live in harmony. One of the most important of these is personal responsibility.  We hold that each of us is responsible for choosing any and all words, deeds, opinions,  thoughts,  feelings  and responses.    Another is called the Law of Three-fold Return.  This teaches us that we directly experience the results of our choices, deeds and behavior. It works much like the 'golden rule'.

From these two, arises one that almost might be called 'the Witch's Motto': An it harm none, do what ye will.  This one carries much of the weight that the Ten Commandments carries for Christians.  It means that we are free to act as we see fit, providing that no other person suffers injury, pain, anguish, loss, or corruption, as a result of our actions.

Also, there are the 13 Wiccan Virtues, which also guide us in our growth and spiritual development.  These virtues are Tolerance, Charity, Humility, Devotion, Patience, Kindliness, Forbearance, Sincerity, Courage, Precision, Efficiency, Discrimination, and Wisdom.  These are taken to a rather highly developed point in application, but not changed from the qualities one would assume. I would like to point out that 'discrimination' refers to the skill of recognizing the fine points that make one person/place/situation/ moment different and unique from any other.  It has nothing to do with segregation, or with injustice.

What does the number 13 mean to Witches?

Simply, it represents the 13 lunar months in a year; we celebrate the passage of these months, or 'moons' in our rituals.

What are Wiccan rituals like?

In substance, they are no different from any other religion's observances, though they do look different.


We begin by preparing ourselves with prayer and meditation; we then 'cast the circle'.  The Circle is our temple, and it is built and purified for each ritual; it usually has no overt form or structure, not even a chalk boundary, but is always circular in shape. Every participant must declare themselves free of malice, and ready to celebrate in a spirit of harmony and good-will before they can be allowed to enter the Circle.  Once all have gathered, we use a group prayer (chanted by all, usually) to further unite us and elevate
our hearts, and to turn our minds toward the gods.

The priest and priestess (our clergy) then call upon the Lord and the Lady, asking them to be with us - to receive our love and blessings, and to share their love and blessings with us.  We share lessons and moral exercises at this time, which serve to emphasize the spiritual focus and the significance of the occasion.  Through chanting  and  exaltation,  we  internalize  these lessons and this significance so that we may be in harmony with the unfoldment of the Divine Purpose.

We then share bread and wine as a sign that, as children of the Gods, we share in the bounty of nature and receive our nourishment from them.  Thanksgiving is then offered to the Lord and Lady, and to the Creation in which we take part, and we receive their bene-diction.  A ritual is frequently followed by food and fellowship. Most of our rituals are for worship, for spiritual focus and development, and to harmonize with the Divine Purpose ("the Path").  We also perform rites of passage and sanctification: namings (christening/baptism), handfastings (marriage), and memorials (funeral rites), among others.

What about Magic?

We do use magick for a variety of purposes (we spell 'magick' with a 'k' to distinguish what we do from stage magic, with its connotations of illusion and trickery): healing, behavior change (a witch only works on his or her own behavior), and general self-improvement.  These are the primary aims of magick, as practiced by a witch who knows what she's doing!  It is sometimes true that someone will say, "I am a witch", and then do things that no witch would do, just as some have claimed to follow Jesus, yet have done things in his name that would never have gained his approval.

In this context, let me share something with you: no true witch will employ magick to harm another; or to manipulate or influence another without the knowledge and permission of the person to be affected.It is standard to get a person's permission even before attempting to heal that person.  This means that love spells, hexes, curses, and "the evil eye", whatever that is, are specifically out of line and out of the question for a true witch.

Other uses of magick include seeking guidance, protection, finding lost persons or articles, to harmonize with the gods and with the natural life and cycles of the planet Earth.

Magick is a way of approaching situations that allows one to bring all one's abilities and internal resources into play.  It is similar to Positive Thinking, combined with self-awareness and a clear understanding of exactly what one hopes to achieve.  All this is done from within a focussed, prayerful attitude to ensure that the effort is in harmony with the Divine Purpose.
Magick, done properly, does work; and harmlessness is a major part of doing it properly.  It can be powerful, which is why no true witch will attempt to teach magick to a person who is unstable or immature (remember, we consider ourselves responsible for our acts and choices!); nor will any true witch use magick to impress others, nor to enrich herself or himself at another's expense.

How can I recognize a true Witch?

Witches are human, like anyone else; therefore, they are not perfect.  A true witch, however, will be actively involved in becoming the best, most complete and well-balanced person that she or he can become.  As a result, you should be able to see all 13 of the Wiccan Virtues active in the person, though you may not see them all at once, and perhaps not in their perfect expression.  A true witch tends to be active, good-humored, perceptive of her own faults, and tolerant of faults in others.  There may in fact be no clear way of recognizing a witch as a witch; but if you know a witch, or someone who claims to be a witch, my advice would be "By their fruits shall ye know them; for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, neither can a good tree bear evil fruit."

On the off chance that I wanted to know more, where could I look?

Larger cities sometime have a group or two that are more or less "public". This may give you a starting point if you actually want to talk to someone. Try meeting with current and former members, if possible.  For those with a more academic interest, there are several books one can read:

Drawing Down the Moon            by Margot Adler
   This book is available at B.Dalton Booksellers, Waldenbooks and others.  A national journalist, Ms Adler has done a commendable job of sampling the diversity of Wiccan/Pagan activity in the U.S. today.

Witches                          by T.C. Lethbridge
   An older book, it provides some good historical data, along with some fascinating speculations.

Witchcraft from the Inside       by Raymond Buckland
   This was the first book I read, and I still think it gives a good picture of the roots and history of Wicca as a religion.

The ABCs of Witchcraft           by Doreen Valiente
   This book comes highly recommended by my friend and priestess, Lady
Galadriel, who suggests that I read it. For a general understanding of non-monotheistic religions:

The Masks of God, in 4 volumes   by Joseph Campbell
   When Mr. Campbell died earlier this year, he left behind a treasure-house of researches and reflections on the nature and essence of religion on planet Earth.  This massive work is well worth the time taken to read it, as there is brilliance on nearly every page.  While he does not deal with the Craft as such, he provides superb insight into the world-view we share with other pagan and monotheistic religions.


                                   AFTERWORD

I have tried in this article to give respect to religious faiths other than my own.  Some of the historical facts regarding the relationship between the Craft and Christianity are not pleasant to relate, and they may not be flattering to hear; yet these things are matters of record, and they are crucial to an understanding of a Wiccan position, so I have included them.  I have also, at times, used a 'voice' that is basic and direct, at the expense of formal correctness, in an effort to give as clear and unambiguous a picture of the Wiccan 'side' as possible.  I have done so without malice, and I intend only real communication; if you find some of this offensive, therefore, I ask
you to consider the 'gentleness' with which we have been treated over the centuries, and find it in your heart to forgive me.

                                  disclaimer 
I speak for no-one but myself;  however many witches might agree with me, I assume no right to speak for any others;

I am the sole author of this work, relying on my training and experience and the reading and research of a lifetime in writing this work; 

I am under no influence, nor working at the request of any other person;  therefore I am responsible for the contents;

I am indebted to the Grove of the Unicorn for my long and rich association with the Craft, and for the training and practical experience I have received; they share what virtue is here - any mistakes are my own.

If you feel moved to respond to this effort in some way, please contact me in
writing at:   PO Box 13384,  Atlanta, GA      30324.

	 LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT

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

	 THE LANDMARKS 

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

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

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

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

	THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT 

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

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

	THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

	 THE COVEN 

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

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

And two or three Fellows shall have the right
	To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
		And to help each other along
			On the Way to Perfection,
				Except that Craft ceremonies
					Must be done by the Priesthood.
Any five fellows who shall desire
	To form a Coven may do so,
		And they shall apply for a charter
			To any High Priest or Priestess,
				And they shall then select and choose
					A man and a woman to lead them.

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

	 THE COVEN 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	 THE COVEN 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


	 THE COVEN 	(continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	 THE BOOK OF SHADOWS 

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

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

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

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


	 THE PRIESTHOOD 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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


	 THE PRIESTHOOD 	(continued)

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

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

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

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


	 FINIS 

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC:
Getting Specific about Magical Ethics


     Sometimes a cliche just wears out. It loses meaning or, worse, begins to say things we never meant. I think it's time to retire the phrase "black
magic."

     Saying "black" when we mean "evil" is nasty nonsense. In the first place, it reinforces the racist stereotypes that corrupt our society. And that's not all. Whenever we say "black" instead of "bad," we repeat again the big lie that darkness is wrong. It isn't, as people who profess to love Nature should know.

     Darkness can mean the inside of the womb, and the seed germinating within the Earth, and the chaos that gives rise to all truly new beginnings. In our myths, the one who goes down to the underworld returns with the treasure. Even death, to the Wiccan understanding, is well-earned rest and comfort, and a preparation for new birth. Using "black" to mean "bad" is a blasphemy against the Crone.

     But even if we no longer speak of magic as "black" or "white," we still need to think and speak about the ethics of magic. Although black is not evil, some actions are evil. It simply is not true that anything a person is strong enough or skilled enough to do is OK, nor should doing what we will ever be the whole of the law for us. We need a clear and specific vocabulary that enables us to choose wisely what we will do.

     We need to replace the word "black," not simply to drop it. Some Pagans have tried using "negative" as their substitute, but that turned out to be confusing. For some people, "negative" means any spell to diminish or banish anything. Some things - tumors, depression, bigotry - are harmful. There's nothing wrong with a working to get rid of bad stuff. "Left-handed" is another common term for wrongful practice, very traditional, but just as ignorant, superstitious and potentially harmful as the phrase "black magic" itself. So in Proteus we tried using the word "unethical."  That's a lot better - free of extraneous and false implications - but still too vague.

     Gradually, I began to wonder whether using any one word, "black" or
"unethical" or whatever, might just be too general and too subjective. Perhaps all I really tell a student that way is "Judy doesn't like that."

     I won't settle for blind obedience. If ethical principles are going to
survive the twin tests of time and temptation, people need to understand just what to avoid, and why. Even more important, they need a basis for figuring out what to do instead. Especially when it comes to projective magic.

     Projective magic means active workings, the kind in which we project our will out into the world to make some kind of change.  This is what most people think of when they use the word magic at all. Quite clearly, magic that may affect other people is magic that can harm. This is the basis of the proverb "a Witch who can't hex can't heal." Either you can raise and direct power, or you can't. Your strength and skill can be used for blessing or for bane. The choice - and the karma - are yours.


     Just as some people feel that strength and skill are their own
justification, others feel that any projective magic is always wrong - that it is a distraction from our one true goal of union with the Divine or a willful avoidance of the judgments of Karma. I think these attitudes are equally inconsistent with basic Wiccan philosophy.

     We are taught that we will find the Lady within ourselves or not at all, that the Mother of All has been with us from the beginning. We can't now establish a union that was always there. All we can do, all we need to do, is become aware. Knowing what it feels like to heal and empower, again and again till you can't dismiss it as coincidence, is one of the most powerful methods for awakening that awareness. It makes no sense to say that the direct experience and exercise of our indwelling divinity distracts from the Great Work.

     Indeed, it is this intimate connection between our magic and our
self-realization that our ethics protect. Wrongful use of magic will choke the channel. No short term gain could ever compensate for that.

     The karmic argument against practical workings seems to me to arise from a paranoid and defeatist world view. Even if we assume that the hardships in this life were put there by the Gods for a reason, how can we be so sure that the reason was punishment? Perhaps instead of penance to be endured, our difficulties are challenges to be met. Coping and dealing with our problems, learning magical and mundane skills, changing ourselves and our world for the better - in short, growing up - is that not what the Gods of joy and freedom want from us?

     One of the most radically different things about a polytheistic belief
system is that each one of us has the right, and the need, to choose which
God/desses will be the focus of our worship. We make these choices knowing
that whatever energies we invoke most often in ritual will shape our own
further growth. Spiritual practices are a means of self-programming. So we are responsible for what we worship in a way that people who take their One God as a given are not.

     Think about this: what kind of Power actively wants us to submit and
suffer, and objects when we develop skills to improve our own lives? Not a
Being I'd want to invite around too often!

     So it will not work for us to rule out projective magic completely; nor should we. Total prohibitions are as thoughtless as total permissiveness or blind obedience. Ethical and spiritual adults ought to be able to make distinctions and well-reasoned choices. I offer here a start toward analyzing what kinds of magic are not ethical for us.


     Baneful magic is magic done for the explicit purpose of causing harm to another person. Usually the reason for it is revenge, and the rationalization is justice. People who defend the practice of baneful magic often ask "but wouldn't you join in cursing another Hitler?"

     For adults there is no rule without exceptions. If you think you would
never torture somebody, consider this scenario: in just half an hour the bomb will go off, killing everybody in the city, and this terrorist knows where it is hidden.... 


     It's a bad mistake to base your ethics on wildly unlikely cases, since
none of us honestly knows how we would react in that kind of extreme.
Reasonable ethical statements are statements about the behaviors we expect of ourselves under normally predictable circumstances.

     We all get really angry on occasion, and sometimes with good cause. Then revenge can seem like no more than simple justice. The anger is a normal, healthy human reaction, and should not be repressed. But there's no more need to act it out in magic than in physical violence. Instead of going for revenge - and invoking the karmic consequences of baneful magic - identify what you really need. For example, if your anger comes from a feeling that you have been attacked or violated, what you need is protection and safe space. Work for the positive goal, it's both more effective and safer.

     The  consequences of baneful magic are simply the logical, natural and
inevitable psychological effects. Even in that rare and extreme situation when you may decide you really do have to use magic to give Hitler a heart attack, it means you are choosing by the same choice to accept the act's karma. Magical attack hurts the attacker first.

     The only way I know how to do magic is by use of my imagination, by
visualizing or otherwise actively imagining the end I want, and then projecting that goal with the energy of emotional/physiological arousal. All the techniques I know either help me to imagine more specifically or to project more strongly. So the only way I can send out harm is by first experiencing that harm within my own imagination. Instant and absolute karma - the natural, logical and inevitable outcomes of our own choices.

     I would think, also, that somebody dumb enough to do such workings often would soon lose the ability to imagine specifically, as their sensitivity dulled in sheer self-defense. That callusing effect is the reality behind the pious proverb that says "if you abuse it, She'll take it away." 

     But not every other magician is ethical. Psychic attacks do happen. Should we not defend ourselves? Of course we should. Leaving ourselves open to psychic attack is no good example of the autonomy and assertiveness our chosen Gods expect. But first, how can we be sure what we are experiencing really is psychic attack?

     The fantasy of psychic attack is often a convenient excuse that allows us to avoid looking at our own shortcomings. When lack of rest or improper
nutrition is the cause of illness, or a project isn't completed on time because of distraction, it's a real temptation to put the blame outside ourselves.  Doing this too easily betrays our autonomy just as badly as meek submission to attack does. Then, to compound matters, projected blame becomes an excuse for unjust revenge -- and that is baneful magic without excuse.

     Once in a rare while, some fool really does try to throw a whammy. It's hard to predict when you might be targeted. Passive shields are always a good idea. Like a mirror, these are totally inactive until somebody sends unwelcome energy. Then a shield will protect you completely and bounce back whatever is being thrown. You may not even know consciously when your shield is working, but the result is perfect justice.


     Perfect justice; elegant and efficient. You won't hurt anybody out of
paranoia or by mistake. And perfect protection, even though we do not have
perfect knowledge.

     Bindings, according to some, are completely defensive. They do not harm, only restrain. But imagine yourself being bound - perhaps by someone who believes themselves justified - and notice the feeling of impotence and
frustration. Binding is bane from the viewpoint of the bound.

     Even if restraint were truly not harm, bindings are just plain poor
protection. They target a particular person or group. What if you suspect the wrong person? Somebody harmless is bound and your actual attacker is not bound.  Shields, which cover you, not your supposed enemy, will cover you against any enemy, known or unknown.

     So, baneful magic, besides being painful in the short run and crippling in the long run, is never necessary. There are better ways of self protection, and retribution is the business of the Gods.


     Coercive magic is magic that targets another person to make them give us something we want or need. When most people think of the "Magic Power of
Witchcraft," this is what they have in mind.

     The spell to make the teacher give you a good grade, or the supervisor
give you a good evaluation, the spell to make the personnel officer or renting agent choose you, the spell to attract that cute guy, all are examples of coercive magic.

     So, what's wrong with high grades, a good job, a raise, a nice apartment and a sexy lover? There's nothing at all wrong with those goals.  An it harm none, do what ye will. As long as nobody is hurt, go for it! But don't strive toward good ends by coercive means.

     Although there is no deliberate intent to do harm or cause pain in
coercive workings, other people are treated as pawns. Their autonomy and their interests are ignored.

     For Pagans, to do this is total hypocrisy. We profess to follow a religion of immanence, one that places ultimate meaning and value in this life on this Earth, here and now. We claim to see every living thing, humans included, as a sacred manifestation. To do honor to this indwelling divinity, we place great value on our own personal autonomy. How can we then justify treating other people as objects for our use?

     Nor is it harmless. Forcing the will, controlling the independent
judgement of another human being, is harm. Once again, empathy leads to
understanding. Just imagine you are the person whose will and judgement is
being externally controlled. How does puppethood feel? From the viewpoint of the target, the harm is palpable.


     The Pagan and Wiccan community as a whole is also hurt by coercive magic.  One of the main reasons people fear and hate Witches is our reputation for controlling others. This is an old, dirty lie, created by the invading religion in an attempt to discredit the indigenous competition. Today, that reputation is mostly perpetuated by people who claim to be "our own," who teach unethical coercive magic by mail order to strangers whose ethical sensitivity cannot be evaluated long distance. May the Gods preserve the Craft!

     People who are connected to the situation, but invisible to us, may also be seriously hurt: the cute guy's fiancee, the other applicant for that job.  What you think of as a working designed only to bring good to yourself can bring serious harm to innocent third parties, and the karma of their pain will be on you.

     That isn't the only way an incomplete view of the situation can backfire.  There's a traditional saying that goes, "be careful about what you ask for, because that's exactly what you will get." What if he is gorgeous, but abusive?  What if the apartment house is structurally unsound? Better to state your legitimate needs (love in my life, a nice place to live) and let the Gods deal with the details.

     Finally, remember this: asking specifically limits us to what we now know or what we can now imagine. But I remember a time when I could not have imagined being a priestess. What if the cute guy in the office is perfectly OK, but your absolutely perfect soul-mate will be in the A+P next Wednesday? The more specifically targeted your magic is, the more you limit yourself to a life of tautology and missed chances.

     And beyond all the scenario spinning lies the instant karma, the natural, logical and inevitable consequence of the act. It's more subtle than in the case of baneful magic, since you are not trying to imagine and project pain, but the damage is still real.

     Every time you treat another human being as a thing to be pushed and
pulled around for your convenience and pleasure, you are reinforcing your own alienation. The attitude of being removed from and superior to other people takes you out of community. As the attitude strengthens, so will the behavior it engenders. The long term result of coercive magic, as with mundane forms of coercion, is isolation and loneliness.

     Are you beginning to think that magic is useless? Did I just rule out all the good stuff: love charms, job magic, spells for good grades? Not at all. It is not only ethical but good for you to do lots of magic to improve your own life. Whenever it works you will get more than you asked for - because along with whatever you asked for comes one more experience of your own effectiveness, your power-from-within.

     Work on yourself and your own needs and desires without targeting other people. Then feel free! Ask for what you want. Visualize it and raise power for it and act in accordance on the material plane. "I need a caring and horny lover with a good sense of humor." "I want an affordable apartment near where my coven meets with a tree outside my window." "I need to be at my best when I take that exam next week." Fulfill your dreams, and sometimes let the Gods surprise you with gifts beyond your dreams.



     Manipulative magic is magic that targets another person for what we think is "their own good," without regard for their opinions in the matter. In the general culture around us, this is normal. As you read this, you may have some friend or relative praying for you to be "saved" from your evil Pagan ways and returned to the fold of their preference. These people mean you well. By their own lights, they are attempting to heal you. We work from a very different thealogical base.

     As polytheists, we affirm the diversity of the divine and the divinity of diversity. If there is no one, true, right and only way in general, do we dare to assume that there is one obvious right choice for a person in any given situation? If more than one choice may be "right," how can one person presume they know what another person would want without asking them first?

     No life situation ever looks the same from outside as it does to the
person who is experiencing it. Are you sure you even have all the facts? Are you fully aware of all the emotional entanglements involved? Perhaps that illness is the only way they have of getting rest or getting attention. Perhaps they stay in that dead end job because it leaves them more energy to concentrate on their music. How do you know till you ask?

     And, to further complicate the analysis, it's possible that the person you are trying to help would agree with you about the most desirable outcome, but fears and hates the very idea of magic. They have as much of a right to keep magic out of their own life, as you have to make it part of yours!

     Our religion teaches that the sacred lives within each person, that we can hear the Lady's voice for ourselves if we only learn to listen. "... If that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without."  In behavioral terms, when you take another person's opinion about their own life seriously, you are reinforcing them in thinking and choosing for themselves. The more you do this, the more you encourage them to listen for the sacred inner voice.

     Conversely, whenever you ignore or override a person's feelings about
their own life, you are discounting those feelings and discouraging the kind of internal attention that can keep the channels to wisdom open. Although well-intentioned meddling may actually help somebody in the short run, in the longer run it trains them to dependency and indecision. Few intentional banes damage as severely. This is especially true because even the untrained and unaware will instinctively resist overt ill-will, but in our culture we are trained to receive "expert" interference with gratitude.

     Check by asking yourself, "who's in charge here?" The answer to that will tell you whether you are basically empowering or undermining the person you intend to help. 

     And, as usual, the effects go both ways. The same uninvited intervention
that fosters passivity in the recipient will foster arrogance in the "rescuer."  It's control and ego-inflation masked as generosity. It's very seductive.


     If you make this a habit, you will come to believe that other people are incompetent and powerless. Then what happens when you need help? Your contempt will make it impossible for you to see what resources surround you.  Manipulative magic is ultimately just as alienating as coercive magic - and it's a much prettier trap!

     The way to avoid the trap is to do no working affecting another person
without that person's explicit permission. Proteans are pledged to this, and I think it's a good idea for anybody.

     You don't need to wait passively for the person to ask. It's perfectly all right to offer, as long as you are willing to sometimes accept "no" for your answer. For the person who believes s/he is unworthy or who is simply too shy, offering help is itself a gift. Taking their opinion seriously is an even greater gift: respect.

     The rule is that whenever it is in any way physically possible to ask, you must ask. If it's not important enough to pay long distance charges, it
certainly isn't important enough to violate a friend's autonomy. If asking is literally not possible, then and only then, here are a few exceptions:

     Sometimes an illness or injury happens very suddenly, and the person is unconscious or in a coma before you could possibly ask them. If you know that this person is generally comfortable with magic, you may do workings to keep their basic body systems working and allow the normal healing process the time it needs. If they are opposed to magic, for whatever reason, back off!

     Traditionally, an unconscious person is understood to be temporarily out of their body. Maintaining their body in habitable condition is preserving their option, not choosing for them. Doing maintenance magic requires a lot of sensitivity. At some point, the time may come when you should stop and let the person go on. Be sure to use some kind of divination to help you stay aware.

     This is a hard road. It may be your lover, your child, lying there
helpless. Any normal human being would be tempted to drag them back, to force them to stay regardless of what is truly best for them, regardless of what they want. Don't repress these feelings, they do no harm, even though your actions might. It takes great strength and non-possessive love to recognize that your loved one knows their own need. You may be calling them back to a crippled body, to a life of pain. You may be calling them back from the ecstasy of the Goddess. And this is no more your right than it would be to murder them.

     If a person is temporarily not reachable, you may charge up a physical
object, such as an appropriate talisman or some incense. When you present it to them, give them a full explanation. It is their choice whether to keep or use your gift. By interposing an object between the magic and the target in this way, you can work the magic in Circle, with the coven's power to draw on, and still get the person's permission before the magic is triggered.


     With all these rules about permission, perhaps it would be safer to work only on ourselves? Safer, yes, but not nearly as good. If you have permission, you may do any working for another person that you might do for yourself.  Coercive magic is just as unacceptable when somebody else asks for it, and you may not do manipulative magic on your friend's mother, even at your friend's request. The permission must come from the magic's intended target and from nobody else. With proper permission, working magic for others is good for all concerned.

     Every act of magic has two effects. One is the direct effect, the healing or prosperity working or whatever was intended. The other is a minute change in the mind and the heart of the person who does the working. Everything we experience, and especially everything that we do in a wholehearted and focused way - the only way effective magic can be done - changes us. Each experience leaves its tiny trace, but the traces are cumulative. They mold the person we will become. Our karma is our choice.

     Instant karma can also be good karma. Logical, natural and inevitable
outcomes can be desirable. When you send out good, what you send it with is
love. Love is the driving force. When you let love flow freely, the channel
down to love's wellspring stays clear and open. When you send out good, you
direct it along the web of person-to-person connection, and awareness of that web is reinforced. The totality of that web is the basis of community.

     When you send out good it feels good. In the same way that sending out
bane requires imagining pain, sending out blessing requires imagining pleasure, strongly and specifically. And, when you send out good, just the same as when you call it to yourself, you reinforce your sense of effectiveness in the world. Blessings grow in the fertile ground of mutuality, to the benefit of all.


     A pattern is becoming visible. In baneful magic, the magician intends to harm the target. In coercive magic, the intent toward the target is neutral. In manipulative magic, the magician actually means the target well. But no matter how different the intent may be, in all three cases magic is done to affect another person without that person's permission. In all three cases, the target, the practitioner and ultimately the community are all hurt. And in all three cases, there are safer and more effective ways to reach the valid goals that we mean to aim for.

     So, perhaps there is a descriptive word that covers all wrongful magical workings after all.  How about "non-consensual" or "invasive" magic?


     There's one thing left to examine: the paradox of making rules to protect personal autonomy.

     If we make some of our choices as a community, by discussing things
together and arriving at a common understanding about what magical behaviors are acceptable among us, then we choose and shape the kind of community we become.

     Or we could give up our right to choose, because we feel we shouldn't tell each other what to do. Some people believe that a refusal to set community standards promotes personal autonomy. It never has before.

     Appeals to individual rights can be real seductive. None of us wants Big Brother looking over our shoulders, telling us what to do "for our own good."  For Witches in particular - members of a religious minority with bad image problems - this is a very legitimate fear. But make sure when somebody talks about "rights" without specifying something like "religious practice rights" or "the right to consensual sex," that you find out just what "rights" they mean.

     Rhetoric about "rugged individualism" has been used in recent history to fast talk us into letting the rich or strong dominate all our lives. Without anything to stop them, they can destroy the forestland, or deny jobs or apartments to "cultists." Personal autonomy for most of us is diminished when we allow that.

     Magic can be used for dominance, just the same as muscle or money. There is no difference, ethically, between the magical and the mundane. We are not obligated to tolerate power trippers among us. We are not obligated to run our own community by the slogans and ground rules of the dominator culture.

     Thinking about "rights," or about "laws" for that matter, in the abstract leads to "all or nothing" thinking - immature and slogan driven. I don't think we should ever "just say" anything. We need a deeper and more mature analysis.  We need to ask questions like "right to do what?" and "law against what?" We need to get away from absolutes and to look in practical terms at the advantages or disadvantages of our choices.

     Once more, our religion itself shows us the way to steer between the false choices. "An it harm none, do what you will."  What a person does that affects only herself - magical or mundane - is truly nobody's business but her own. For example, consensual sexual behavior affects only the participants. But toxic waste dumping affects everybody in the watershed.

     As long as we look at behavior in terms of private choices or individual will, we obscure the distinction that really makes a difference. If we're serious about wanting to give each of us the most possible control over our own lives, then decisions should be made by all the people affected by the behavior - not just by the people acting.

     As soon as another person is magically targeted, that other person is
affected. If we allow such targeting without consent, we are not supporting
personal autonomy, we are subverting it!

     When the behavior begins to affect us all - for example when real estate development threatens the salt marshes, and ultimately the air supply - or, very specifically, when invasive magic erodes the trust we need to work together - then we have a right to protect ourselves as a community. No ideology should turn us into passive victims when something we hold precious stands to be destroyed.

     Invasive magic hurts the target first, and soon the actor, but in the long run it hurts all of us. It's been so long since we've been able to meet together, share our knowledge, help one another in need. Pagan community is very new, and still very fragile. It can only grow in safe space.


     The People of this Land forbade skirmishes around the pipestone quarries, keeping that sacred source open to all. Otherwise, no sane person would go there, and the Old Ways would wither. For much the same reason, we cannot tolerate poppets in our council meetings.

     An atmosphere of coercion and manipulation and magical duels does not
nurture community. Eventually, for self protection, the gentle will either
change or go away. We could lose what we have misguidedly refused to protect.

      As within, so without: our karma is our choice.


                              Judy Harrow


	THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND
	by Dick Sutphen 
	Persuasion & Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today


SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

The Birth of Conversion/Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735. The
Pavlovian explanation of the three brain phases. Born-again preachers:
Step-by-Step, how they conduct a revival and the expected physiological
results. The "voice roll" technique used by preachers, lawyers and hypnotists.  New trance-inducing churches. The 6 steps to conversion. The decognition process. Thought-stopping techniques. The "sell it by zealot" technique. True believers and mass movements. Persuasion techniques: "Yes set," "Imbedded Commands," "Shock and Confusion," and the "Interspersal Technique." Subliminals. Vibrato and ELF waves. Inducing trance with vibrational sound.  Even professional observers will be "possessed" at charismatic gatherings. The "only hope" technique to attend and not be converted. Non-detectable Neurophone programming through the skin. The medium for mass take-over.

    I'm Dick Sutphen and this tape is a studio-recorded, expanded version of a talk I delivered at the World Congress of Professional Hypnotists Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the tape carries a copyright to protect it from unlawful duplication for sale by other companies, in this case, I invite individuals to make copies and give them to friends or anyone in a position to communicate this information.

    Although I've been interviewed about the subject on many local and
regional radio and TV talk shows, large-scale mass communication appears to be blocked, since it could result in suspicion or investigation of the very media presenting it or the sponsors that support the media. Some government agencies do not want this information generally known. Nor do the Born-Again Christian movement, cults, and many human-potential trainings.

    Everything I will relate only exposes the surface of the problem. I don't know how the misuse of these techniques can be stopped. I don't think it is possible to legislate against that which often cannot be detected; and if those who legislate are using these techniques, there is little hope of affecting laws to govern usage. I do know that the first step to initiate change is to generate interest. In this case, that will probably only result from an underground effort.

    In talking about this subject, I am talking about my own business. I know it, and I know how effective it can be. I produce hypnosis and subliminal tapes and, in some of my seminars, I use conversion tactics to assist participants to become independent and self-sufficient. But, anytime I use these techniques, I point out that I am using them, and those attending have a choice to participate or not. They also know what the desired result of participation will be.


    So, to begin, I want to state the most basic of all facts about
brainwashing: IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MAN, NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN BRAINWASHED AND REALIZED, OR BELIEVED, THAT HE HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED. Those who have been brainwashed will usually passionately defend their manipulators, claiming they have simply been "shown the light"  . . . or have been transformed in miraculous ways.

The Birth of Conversion

   CONVERSION is a "nice" word for BRAINWASHING . . . and any study of
brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in Northampton, Massachusetts.  By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative. He would tell them, "You're a sinner!  You're destined for hell!"

    As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted suicide.  And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they, too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their own lives. 

    Once a preacher, cult leader, manipulator or authority figure creates the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open. New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous ideas.  Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired to act, upon them.

    Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same
techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The
techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults,
human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States Armed Services . . . to name just a few. 

    Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most of the orthodox religions are declining.

The Three Brain Phases

    The Christians may have been the first to successfully formulate
brainwashing, but we have to look to Pavlov, the Russian scientist, for a
technical explanation. In the early 1900s, his work with animals opened the
door to further investigations with humans. After the revolution in Russia,
Lenin was quick to see the potential of applying Pavlov's research to his own ends.

    Three distinct and progressive states of transmarginal inhibition were
identified by Pavlov. The first is the EQUIVALENT phase, in which the brain
gives the same response to both strong and weak stimuli. The second is the
PARADOXICAL phase, in which the brain responds more actively to weak stimuli than to strong. And the third is the ULTRA-PARADOXICAL phase, in which conditioned responses and behavior patterns turn from positive to negative or from negative to positive.

    With the progression through each phase, the degree of conversion becomes more effective and complete. The way to achieve conversion are many and varied, but the usual first step in religious or political brainwashing is to work on the emotions of an individual or group until they reach an abnormal level of anger, fear, excitement, or nervous tension.

    The progressive result of this mental condition is to impair judgement and increase suggestibility. The more this condition can be maintained or
intensified, the more it compounds. Once catharsis, or the first brain phase, is reached, the complete mental takeover becomes easier. Existing mental programming can be replaced with new patterns of thinking and behavior.

    Other often-used physiological weapons to modify normal brain functions
are fasting, radical or high sugar diets, physical discomforts, regulation of breathing, mantra chanting in meditation, the disclosure of awesome mysteries, special lighting and sound effects, programmed response to incense, or intoxicating drugs.

    The same results can be obtained in contemporary psychiatric treatment by electric shock treatments and even by purposely lowering a person's blood sugar level with insulin injections.

    Before I talk about exactly how some of the techniques are applied, I want to point out that hypnosis and conversion tactics are two distinctly different things--and that conversion techniques are far more powerful. However, the two are often mixed . . . with powerful results.

How Revivalist Preachers Work

    If you'd like to see a revivalist preacher at work, there are probably
several in your city. Go to the church or tent early and sit in the rear,
about three-quarters of the way back. Most likely repetitive music will be
played while the people come in for the service. A repetitive beat, ideally
ranging from 45 to 72 beats per minute (a rhythm close to the beat of the
human heart), is very hypnotic and can generate an eyes-open altered state of consciousness in a very high percentage of people. And, once you are in an alpha state, you are at least 25 times as suggestible as you would be in full beta consciousness. The music is probably the same for every service, or incorporates the same beat, and many of the people will go into an altered state almost immediately upon entering the sanctuary. Subconsciously, they recall their state of mind from previous services and respond according to the post-hypnotic programming.

    Watch the people waiting for the service to begin. Many will exhibit
external signs of trance--body relaxation and slightly dilated eyes. Often,
they begin swaying back and forth with their hands in the air while sitting in their chairs. Next, the assistant pastor will probably come out. He usually speaks with a pretty good "voice roll."

Voice Roll Technique

    A "voice roll" is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when
inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats per minute, maximizing the hypnotic effect.

    Now the assistant pastor begins the "build-up" process. He induces an
altered state of consciousness and/or begins to generate the excitement and
the expectations of the audience. Next, a group of young women in "sweet and pure" chiffon dresses might come out to sing a song. Gospel songs are great for building excitement and INVOLVEMENT. In the middle of the song, one of the girls might be "smitten by the spirit" and fall down or react as if possessed by the Holy Spirit. This very effectively increases the intensity in the room. At this point, hypnosis and conversion tactics are being mixed. And the result is the audience's attention span is now totally focused upon the communication while the environment becomes more exciting or tense.

    Right about this time, when an eyes-open mass-induced alpha mental state has been achieved, they will usually pass the collection plate or basket. In the background, a 45-beat-per-minute voice roll from the assistant preacher might exhort, "Give to God . . . Give to God . . . Give to God . . ." And the audience does give. God may not get the money, but his already wealthy representative will.

    Next, the fire-and-brimstone preacher will come out. He induces fear and increases the tension by talking about "the devil," "going to hell," or the forthcoming Armageddon.

    In the last such rally I attended, the preacher talked about the blood
that would soon be running out of every faucet in the land. He was also
obsessed with a "bloody axe of God," which everyone had seen hanging above the pulpit the previous week. I have no doubt that everyone saw it--the power of suggestion given to hundreds of people in hypnosis assures that at least 10 to 25 percent would see whatever he suggested they see.

    In most revivalist gatherings, "testifying" or "witnessing" usually
follows the fear-based sermon. People from the audience come up on stage and relate their stories. "I was crippled and now I can walk!" "I had arthritis and now it's gone!" It is a psychological manipulation that works. After listening to numerous case histories of miraculous healings, the average guy in the audience with a minor problem is sure he can be healed. The room is charged with fear, guilt, intense excitement, and expectations.


    Now those who want to be healed are frequently lined up around the edge of the room, or they are told to come down to the front. The preacher might touch them on the head firmly and scream, "Be healed!" This releases the psychic energy and, for many, catharsis results. Catharsis is a purging of repressed emotions. Individuals might cry, fall down or even go into spasms. And if catharsis is effected, they stand a chance of being healed. In catharsis (one of the three brain phases mentioned earlier), the brain-slate is temporarily wiped clean and the new suggestion is accepted.

    For some, the healing may be permanent. For many, it will last four days to a week, which is, incidentally, how long a hypnotic suggestion given to a somnambulistic subject will usually last. Even if the healing doesn't last, if they come back every week, the power of suggestion may continually override the problem . . . or sometimes, sadly, it can mask a physical problem which could prove to be very detrimental to the individual in the long run.

    I'm not saying that legitimate healings do not take place. They do. Maybe the individual was ready to let go of the negativity that caused the problem in the first place; maybe it was the work of God. Yet I contend that it can be explained with existing knowledge of brain/mind function.

    The techniques and staging will vary from church to church. Many use
"speaking in tongues" to generate catharsis in some while the spectacle
creates intense excitement in the observers.

    The use of hypnotic techniques by religions is sophisticated, and
professionals are assuring that they become even more effective. A man in Los Angeles is designing, building, and reworking a lot of churches around the country. He tells ministers what they need and how to use it. This man's track record indicates that the congregation and the monetary income will double if the minister follows his instructions. He admits that about 80 percent of his efforts are in the sound system and lighting.

    Powerful sound and the proper use of lighting are of primary importance in inducing an altered state of consciousness--I've been using them for years in my own seminars. However, my participants are fully aware of the process and what they can expect as a result of their participation.

Six Conversion Techniques

    Cults and human-potential organizations are always looking for new
converts. To attain them, they must also create a brain-phase. And they often need to do it within a short space of time--a weekend, or maybe even a day.  The following are the six primary techniques used to generate the conversion.

    The meeting or training takes place in an area where participants are cut off from the outside world. This may be any place: a private home, a remote or rural setting, or even a hotel ballroom where the participants are allowed only limited bathroom usage. In human-potential trainings, the controllers will give a lengthy talk about the importance of "keeping agreements" in life.  The participants are told that if they don't keep agreements, their life will never work. It's a good idea to keep agreements, but the controllers are subverting a positive human value for selfish purposes. The participants vow to themselves and their trainer that they will keep their agreements. Anyone who does not will be intimidated into agreement or forced to leave. The next step is to agree to complete training, thus assuring a high percentage of conversions for the organizations. They will USUALLY have to agree not to take drugs, smoke, and sometimes not to eat . . . or they are given such short meal breaks that it creates tension. The real reason for the agreements is to alter
internal chemistry, which generates anxiety and hopefully causes at least a
slight malfunction of the nervous system, which in turn increases the
conversion potential.

    Before the gathering is complete, the agreements will be used to ensure
that the new converts go out and find new participants. They are intimidated into agreeing to do so before they leave. Since the importance of keeping agreements is so high on their priority list, the converts will twist the arms of everyone they know, attempting to talk them into attending a free introductory session offered at a future date by the organization. The new converts are zealots. In fact, the inside term for merchandising the largest and most successful human-potential training is, "sell it by zealot!"

    At least a million people are graduates and a good percentage have been
left with a mental activation button that assures their future loyalty and
assistance if the guru figure or organization calls. Think about the potential political implications of hundreds of thousands of zealots programmed to campaign for their guru.

    Be wary of an organization of this type that offers follow-up sessions
after the seminar. Follow-up sessions might be weekly meetings or inexpensive seminars given on a regular basis which the organization will attempt to talk you into taking--or any regularly scheduled event used to maintain control. As the early Christian revivalists found, long-term control is dependent upon a good follow-up system.

    Alright. Now, let's look at the second tip-off that indicates conversion tactics are being used. A schedule is maintained that causes physical and mental fatigue. This is primarily accomplished by long hours in which the participants are given no opportunity for relaxation or reflection.

    The third tip-off: techniques used to increase the tension in the room or environment.

    Number four: Uncertainty. I could spend hours relating various techniques to increase tension and generate uncertainty. Basically, the participants are concerned about being "put on the spot" or encountered by the trainers, guilt feelings are played upon, participants are tempted to verbally relate their innermost secrets to the other participants or forced to take part in activities that emphasize removing their masks. One of the most successful human-potential seminars forces the participants to stand on a stage in front of the entire audience while being verbally attacked by the trainers. A public opinion poll, conducted a few years ago, showed that the number one most-fearful situation an individual could encounter is to speak to an audience. It ranked above window washing outside the 85th floor of an office building. So you can imagine the fear and tension this situation generates within the participants. Many faint, but most cope with the stress by mentally going away. They literally go into an alpha state, which automatically makes them many times as suggestible as they normally are. And another loop of the downward spiral into conversion is successfully effected.

    The fifth clue that conversion tactics are being used is the introduction of jargon--new terms that have meaning only to the "insiders" who participate.  Vicious language is also frequently used, purposely, to make participants uncomfortable.

    The final tip-off is that there is no humor in the communications . . . at least until the participants are converted. Then, merry-making and humor are highly desirable as symbols of the new joy the participants have supposedly "found."

    I'm not saying that good does not result from participation in such
gatherings. It can and does. But I contend it is important for people to know what has happened and to be aware that continual involvement may not be in their best interest.

    Over the years, I've conducted professional seminars to teach people to be hypnotists, trainers, and counselors. I've had many of those who conduct
trainings and rallies come to me and say, "I'm here because I know that what I'm doing works, but I don't know why." After showing them how and why, many have gotten out of the business or have decided to approach it differently or in a much more loving and supportive manner.

    Many of these trainers have become personal friends, and it scares us all to have experienced the power of one person with a microphone and a room full of people. Add a little charisma and you can count on a high percentage of conversions. The sad truth is that a high percentage of people want to give away their power--they are true "believers"!

    Cult gatherings or human-potential trainings are an ideal environment to observe first-hand what is technically called the "Stockholm Syndrome." This is a situation in which those who are intimidated, controlled, or made to suffer, begin to love, admire, and even sometimes sexually desire their
controllers or captors.

    But let me inject a word of warning here: If you think you can attend such gatherings and not be affected, you are probably wrong. A perfect example is the case of a woman who went to Haiti on a Guggenheim Fellowship to study Haitian Voodoo. In her report, she related how the music eventually induced uncontrollable bodily movement and an altered state of consciousness. Although she understood the process and thought herself above it, when she began to feel herself become vulnerable to the music, she attempted to fight it and turned away. Anger or resistance almost always assures conversion. A few moments later she was possessed by the music and began dancing in a trance around the Voodoo meeting house. A brain phase had been induced by the music and excitement, and she awoke feeling reborn. The only hope of attending such gatherings without being affected is to be a Buddha and allow no positive or negative emotions to surface. Few people are capable of such detachment.


    Before I go on, let's go back to the six tip-offs to conversion. I want to mention the United States Government and military boot camp. The Marine Corps talks about breaking men down before "rebuilding" them as new men--as marines!  Well, that is exactly what they do, the same way a cult breaks its people down and rebuilds them as happy flower sellers on your local street corner. Every one of the six conversion techniques are used in boot camp. Considering the needs of the military, I'm not making a judgement as to whether that is good or bad. IT IS A FACT that the men are effectively brainwashed. Those who won't submit must be discharged or spend much of their time in the brig.

Decognition Process

    Once the initial conversion is effected, cults, armed services, and
similar groups cannot have cynicism among their members. Members must respond to commands and do as they are told, otherwise they are dangerous to the organizational control. This is normally accomplished as a three-step Decognition Process.

    Step One is ALERTNESS REDUCTION: The controllers cause the nervous system to malfunction, making it difficult to distinguish between fantasy and reality. This can be accomplished in several ways. POOR DIET is one; watch out for Brownies and Koolaid. The sugar throws the nervous system off. More subtle is the "SPIRITUAL DIET" used by many cults. They eat only vegetables and fruits; without the grounding of grains, nuts, seeds, dairy products, fish or meat, an individual becomes mentally "spacey." INADEQUATE SLEEP is another primary way to reduce alertness, especially when combined with long hours of work or intense physical activity. Also, being bombarded with intense and unique experiences achieves the same result.

    Step Two is PROGRAMMED CONFUSION: You are mentally assaulted while your
alertness is being reduced as in Step One. This is accomplished with a deluge of new information, lectures, discussion groups, encounters or one-to-one processing, which usually amounts to the controller bombarding the individual with questions. During this phase of decognition, reality and illusion often merge and perverted logic is likely to be accepted.

    Step Three is THOUGHT STOPPING: Techniques are used to cause the mind to go "flat." These are altered-state-of-consciousness techniques that initially induce calmness by giving the mind something simple to deal with and focusing awareness. The continued use brings on a feeling of elation and eventually hallucination. The result is the reduction of thought and eventually, if used long enough, the cessation of all thought and withdrawal from everyone and everything except that which the controllers direct. The takeover is then complete. It is important to be aware that when members or participants are instructed to use "thought-stopping" techniques, they are told that they will benefit by so doing: they will become "better soldiers" or "find enlightenment."

    There are three primary techniques used for thought stopping. The first is MARCHING: the thump, thump, thump beat literally generates self-hypnosis and thus great susceptibility to suggestion.


    The second thought stopping technique is MEDITATION. If you spend an hour to an hour and a half a day in meditation, after a few weeks, there is a great probability that you will not return to full beta consciousness. You will remain in a fixed state of alpha for as long as you continue to meditate. I'm not saying this is bad--if you do it yourself. It may be very beneficial. But it is a fact that you are causing your mind to go flat. I've worked with meditators on an EEG machine and the results are conclusive: the more you meditate, the flatter your mind becomes until, eventually and especially if used to excess or in combination with decognition, all thought ceases. Some spiritual groups see this as nirvana--which is bullshit. It is simply a predictable physiological result. And if heaven on earth is non-thinking and non-involvement, I really question why we are here.

    The third thought-stopping technique is CHANTING, and often chanting in
meditation. "Speaking in tongues" could also be included in this category.

    All three-stopping techniques produce an altered state of consciousness.  This may be very good if YOU are controlling the process, for you also control the input. I personally use at least one self-hypnosis programming session every day and I know how beneficial it is for me. But you need to know if you use these techniques to the degree of remaining continually in alpha that, although you'll be very mellow, you'll also be more suggestible.

True Believers & Mass Movements

    Before ending this section on conversion, I want to talk about the people who are most susceptible to it and about Mass Movements. I am convinced that at least a third of the population is what Eric Hoffer calls "true believers."  They are joiners and followers . . . people who want to give away their power.  They look for answers, meaning, and enlightenment outside themselves.

    Hoffer, who wrote THE TRUE BELIEVER, a classic on mass movements, says,
"true believers are not intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but are those craving to be rid of unwanted self. They are followers, not because of a desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy their passion for self-renunciation!" Hoffer also says that true believers "are eternally incomplete and eternally insecure"!

    I know this from my own experience. In my years of communicating concepts and conducting trainings, I have run into them again and again. All I can do is attempt to show them that the only thing to seek is the True Self within.  Their personal answers are to be found there and there alone. I communicate that the basics of spirituality are self-responsibility and self-actualization.   But most of the true believers just tell me that I'm not spiritual and go looking for someone who will give them the dogma and structure they desire.

    Never underestimate the potential danger of these people. They can easily be molded into fanatics who will gladly work and die for their holy cause. It is a substitute for their lost faith in themselves and offers them as a substitute for individual hope. The Moral Majority is made up of true believers. All cults are composed of true believers. You'll find them in politics, churches, businesses, and social cause groups. They are the fanatics in these organizations.

    Mass Movements will usually have a charismatic leader. The followers want to convert others to their way of living or impose a new way of life--if necessary, by legislating laws forcing others to their view, as evidenced by the activities of the Moral Majority. This means enforcement by guns or punishment, for that is the bottomline in law enforcement.

    A common hatred, enemy, or devil is essential to the success of a mass
movement. The Born-Again Christians have Satan himself, but that isn't
enough--they've added the occult, the New Age thinkers and, lately, all those who oppose their integration of church and politics, as evidenced in their political reelection campaigns against those who oppose their views. In revolutions, the devil is usually the ruling power or aristocracy. Some
human-potential movements are far too clever to ask their graduates to join
anything, thus labeling themselves as a cult--but, if you look closely, you'll find that their devil is anyone and everyone who hasn't taken their training.

    There are mass movements without devils but they seldom attain major
status. The True Believers are mentally unbalanced or insecure people, or
those without hope or friends. People don't look for allies when they love,
but they do when they hate or become obsessed with a cause. And those who
desire a new life and a new order feel the old ways must be eliminated before the new order can be built.

Persuasion Techniques

    Persuasion isn't technically brainwashing but it is the manipulation of
the human mind by another individual, without the manipulated party being
aware what caused his opinion shift. I only have time to very basically
introduce you to a few of the thousands of techniques in use today, but the
basis of persuasion is always to access your RIGHT BRAIN. The left half of
your brain is analytical and rational. The right side is creative and
imaginative. That is overly simplified but it makes my point. So, the idea is to distract the left brain and keep it busy. Ideally, the persuader generates an eyes-open altered state of consciousness, causing you to shift from beta awareness into alpha; this can be measured on an EEG machine.

    First, let  me give you an example of distracting the left brain.
Politicians use these powerful techniques all the time; lawyers use many
variations which, I've been told, they call "tightening the noose."

    Assume for a moment that you are watching a politician give a speech.
First, he might generate what is called a "YES SET." These are statements that will cause listeners to agree; they might even unknowingly nod their heads in agreement. Next come the TRUISMS. These are usually facts that could be debated but, once the politician has his audience agreeing, the odds are in the politician's favor that the audience won't stop to think for themselves, thus continuing to agree. Last comes the SUGGESTION. This is what the politician wants you to do and, since you have been agreeing all along, you could be persuaded to accept the suggestion. Now, if you'll listen closely to my political speech, you'll find that the first three are the "yes set," the next three are truisms and the last is the suggestion.


    "Ladies and gentlemen: are you angry about high food prices? Are you tired of astronomical gas prices? Are you sick of out-of-control inflation? Well, you know the Other Party allowed 18 percent inflation last year; you know crime has increased 50 percent nationwide in the last 12 months, and you know your paycheck hardly covers your expenses any more. Well, the answer to resolving these problems is to elect me, John Jones, to the U.S. Senate."

    And I think you've heard all that before. But you might also watch for
what are called Imbedded Commands. As an example: On key words, the speaker
would make a gesture with his left hand, which research has shown is more apt to access your right brain. Today's media-oriented politicians and
spellbinders are often carefully trained by a whole new breed of specialist
who are using every trick in the book--both old and new--to manipulate you
into accepting their candidate.

    The concepts and techniques of Neuro-Linguistics are so heavily protected that I found out the hard way that to even talk about them publicly or in print results in threatened legal action. Yet Neuro-Linguistic training is readily available to anyone willing to devote the time and pay the price. It is some of the most subtle and powerful manipulation I have yet been exposed to. A good friend who recently attended a two-week seminar on Neuro-Linguistics found that many of those she talked to during the breaks were government people.

    Another technique that I'm just learning about is unbelievably slippery; it is called an INTERSPERSAL TECHNIQUE and the idea is to say one thing with words but plant a subconscious impression of something else in the minds of the listeners and/or watchers.

    Let me give you an example: Assume you are watching a television
commentator make the following statement: SENATOR JOHNSON is assisting local authorities to clear up the stupid mistakes of companies contributing to the nuclear waste problems." It sounds like a statement of fact, but, if the speaker emphasizes the right word, and especially if he makes the proper hand gestures on the key words, you could be left with the subconscious impression that Senator Johnson is stupid. That was the subliminal goal of the statement and the speaker cannot be called to account for anything.

    Persuasion techniques are also frequently used on a much smaller scale
with just as much effectiveness. The insurance salesman knows his pitch is
likely to be much more effective if he can get you to visualize something in your mind. This is right-brain communication. For instance, he might pause in his conversation, look slowly around your living room and say, "Can you just imagine this beautiful home burning to the ground?" Of course you can! It is one of your unconscious fears and, when he forces you to visualize it, you are more likely to be manipulated into signing his insurance policy.


    The Hare Krishnas, operating in every airport, use what I call SHOCK AND CONFUSION techniques to distract the left brain and communicate directly with the right brain. While waiting for a plane, I once watched one operate for over an hour. He had a technique of almost jumping in front of someone.  Initially, his voice was loud then dropped as he made his pitch to take a book and contribute money to the cause. Usually, when people are shocked, they immediately withdraw. In this case they were shocked by the strange appearance, sudden materialization and loud voice of the Hare Krishna devotee.  In other words, the people went into an alpha state for security because they didn't want to confront the reality before them. In alpha, they were highly suggestible so they responded to the suggestion of taking the book; the moment they took the book, they felt guilty and responded to the second suggestion:  give money. We are all conditioned that if someone gives us something, we have to give them something in return--in that case, it was money. While watching this hustler, I was close enough to notice that many of the people he stopped
exhibited an outward sign of alpha--their eyes were actually dilated.

Subliminal Programming

    Subliminals are hidden suggestions that only your subconscious perceives.   They can be audio, hidden behind music, or visual, airbrushed into a picture, flashed on a screen so fast that you don't consciously see them, or cleverly incorporated into a picture or design.

    Most audio subliminal reprogramming tapes offer verbal suggestions
recorded at a low volume. I question the efficacy of this technique--if
subliminals are not perceptible, they cannot be effective, and subliminals
recorded below the audible threshold are therefore useless. The oldest audio subliminal technique uses a voice that follows the volume of the music so subliminals are impossible to detect without a parametric equalizer. But this technique is patented and, when I wanted to develop my own line of subliminal audio cassettes, negotiations with the patent holder proved to be unsatisfactory. My attorney obtained copies of the patents which I gave to some talented Hollywood sound engineers, asking them to create a new technique. They found a way to psycho-acoustically modify and synthesize the suggestions so that they are projected in the same chord and frequency as the music, thus giving them the effect of being part of the music. But we found that in using this technique, there is no way to reduce various frequencies to detect the subliminals. In other words, although the suggestions are being heard by the subconscious mind, they cannot be monitored with even the most sophisticated equipment.

    If we were able to come up with this technique as easily as we did, I can only imagine how sophisticated the technology has become, with unlimited government or advertising funding. And I shudder to think about the propaganda and commercial manipulation that we are exposed to on a daily basis. There is simply no way to know what is behind the music you hear. It may even be possible to hide a second voice behind the voice to which you are listening.

    The series by Wilson Bryan Key, Ph.D., on subliminals in advertising and political campaigns well documents the misuse in many areas, especially
printed advertising in newspapers, magazines, and posters.


    The big question about subliminals is: do they work? And I guarantee you they do. Not only from the response of those who have used my tapes, but from the results of such programs as the subliminals behind the music in department stores. Supposedly, the only message is instructions to not steal: one East Coast department store chain reported a 37 percent reduction in thefts in the first nine months of testing.

    A 1984 article in the technical newsletter, "Brain-Mind Bulletin," states that as much as 99 percent of our cognitive activity may be "non-conscious," according to the director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Psychophysiology at the University of Illinois. The lengthy report ends with the statement, "these findings support the use of subliminal approaches such as taped suggestions for weight loss and the therapeutic use of hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming."

Mass Misuse

    I could relate many stories that support subliminal programming, but I'd rather use my time to make you aware of even more subtle uses of such
programming.  

    I have personally experienced sitting in a Los Angeles auditorium with
over ten thousand people who were gathered to listen to a current charismatic figure. Twenty minutes after entering the auditorium, I became aware that I was going in and out of an altered state. Those accompanying me experienced the same thing. Since it is our business, we were aware of what was happening, but those around us were not. By careful observation, what appeared to be spontaneous demonstrations were, in fact, artful manipulations. The only way I could figure that the eyes-open trance had been induced was that a 6- to 7-cycle-per-second vibration was being piped into the room behind the air conditioner sound. That particular vibration generates alpha, which would render the audience highly susceptible. Ten to 25 percent of the population is capable of a somnambulistic level of altered states of consciousness; for these people, the suggestions of the speaker, if non-threatening, could potentially be accepted as "commands."

Vibrato

    This leads to the mention of VIBRATO. Vibrato is the tremulous effect
imparted in some vocal or instrumental music, and the cycle-per-second range
causes people to go into an altered state of consciousness. At one period of English history, singers whose voices contained pronounced vibrato were not allowed to perform publicly because listeners would go into an altered state and have fantasies, often sexual in nature.

    People who attend opera or enjoy listening to singers like Mario Lanza are familiar with this altered state induced by the performers.

ELFs

    Now, let's carry this awareness a little farther. There are also inaudible ELFs (extra-low frequency waves). These are electromagnetic in nature. One of the primary uses of ELFs is to communicate with our submarines. Dr. Andrija Puharich, a highly respected researcher, in an attempt to warn U.S. officials about Russian use of ELFs, set up an experiment. Volunteers were wired so their brain waves could be measured on an EEG. They were sealed in a metal room that could not be penetrated by a normal signal.
    Puharich then beamed ELF waves at the volunteers. ELFs go right through
the earth and, of course, right through metal walls. Those inside couldn't
know if the signal was or was not being sent. And Puharich watched the
reactions on the technical equipment: 30 percent of those inside the room were taken over by the ELF signal in six to ten seconds.

    When I say "taken over," I mean that their behavior followed the changes anticipated at very precise frequencies. Waves below 6 cycles per second caused the subjects to become very emotionally upset, and even disrupted bodily functions. At 8.2 cycles, they felt very high . . . an elevated feeling, as though they had been in masterful meditation, learned over a period of years. Eleven to 11.3 cycles induced waves of depressed agitation leading to riotous behavior.

The Neurophone

    Dr. Patrick Flanagan is a personal friend of mine. In the early 1960s, as a teenager, Pat was listed as one of the top scientists in the world by "Life" magazine. Among his many inventions was a device he called the Neurophone--an electronic instrument that can successfully program suggestions directly through contact with the skin. When he attempted to patent the device, the government demanded that he prove it worked. When he did, the National Security Agency confiscated the neurophone. It took Pat two years of legal battle to get his invention back.

    In using the device, you don't hear or see a thing; it is applied to the skin, which Pat claims is the source of special senses. The skin contains more sensors for heat, touch, pain, vibration, and electrical fields than any other part of the human anatomy.

    In one of his recent tests, Pat conducted two identical seminars for a
military audience--one seminar one night and one the next night, because the size of the room was not large enough to accommodate all of them at one time.  When the first group proved to be very cool and unwilling to respond, Patrick spent the next day making a special tape to play at the second seminar. The tape instructed the audience to be extremely warm and responsive and for their hands to become "tingly." The tape was played through the neurophone, which was connected to a wire he placed along the ceiling of the room. There were no speakers, so no sound could be heard, yet the message was successfully transmitted from that wire directly into the brains of the audience. They were warm and receptive, their hands tingled and they responded, according to programming, in other ways that I cannot mention here.

    The more we find out about how human beings work through today's highly
advanced technological research, the more we learn to control human beings.
And what probably scares me the most is that the medium for takeover is
already in place! The television set in your living room and bedroom is doing a lot more than just entertaining you.

    Before I continue, let me point out something else about an altered state of consciousness. When you go into an altered state, you transfer into right brain, which results in the internal release of the body's own opiates:  enkephalins and Beta-endorphins, chemically almost identical to opium. In other words, it feels good . . . and you want to come back for more.

    Recent tests by researcher Herbert Krugman showed that, while viewers were watching TV, right-brain activity outnumbered left-brain activity by a ratio of two to one. Put more simply, the viewers were in an altered state . . . in trance more often than not. They were getting their Beta-endorphin "fix."

    To measure attention spans, psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland of the
Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, attached young viewers to an EEG machine that was wired to shut the TV set off whenever the children's brains produced a majority of alpha waves. Although the children were told to concentrate, only a few could keep the set on for more than 30 seconds!

    Most viewers are already hypnotized. To deepen the trance is easy. One
simple way is to place a blank, black frame every 32 frames in the film that is being projected. This creates a 45-beat-per-minute pulsation perceived only by the subconscious mind--the ideal pace to generate deep hypnosis.

    The commercials or suggestions presented following this alpha-inducing
broadcast are much more likely to be accepted by the viewer. The high
percentage of the viewing audience that has somnambulistic-depth ability could very well accept the suggestions as commands--as long as those commands did not ask the viewer to do something contrary to his morals, religion, or self-preservation.

    The medium for takeover is here. By the age of 16, children have spent
10,000 to 15,000 hours watching television--that is more time than they spend n school! In the average home, the TV set is on for six hours and 44 minutes per day--an increase of nine minutes from last year and three times the average rate of increase during the 1970s.

    It obviously isn't getting better . . . we are rapidly moving into an
alpha-level world--very possibly the Orwellian world of "1984"--placid,
glassy-eyed, and responding obediently to instructions.

    A research project by Jacob Jacoby, a Purdue University psychologist,
found that of 2,700 people tested, 90 percent misunderstood even such simple viewing fare as commercials and "Barnaby Jones." Only minutes after watching, the typical viewer missed 23 to 36 percent of the questions about what he or she had seen. Of course they did--they were going in and out of trance! If you go into a deep trance, you must be instructed to remember--otherwise you automatically forget.

    I have just touched the tip of the iceberg. When you start to combine
subliminal messages behind the music, subliminal visuals projected on the
screen, hypnotically produced visual effects, sustained musical beats at a
trance-inducing pace . . . you have extremely effective brainwashing. Every
hour that you spend watching the TV set you become more conditioned. And, in case you thought there was a law against any of these things, guess again.  There isn't! There are a lot of powerful people who obviously prefer things exactly the way they are. Maybe they have plans for?

        A NEO-PAGAN FILMOGRAPHY 
           An Annotated List 
        of Recommended Viewing 
        ======================= 
            (compiled 3/89) 
            by Mike Nichols 
 
 
     Although this list is a long one, it could easily have been much longer.  In fact, the hard part was deciding which of many good movies had to be left out, due to limitations of space.  So I used a few rules to guide me.  First, I gave preference to movies that had a strong Pagan message, as opposed to films that are 'merely' entertaining.  Thus, a film like 'Never Cry Wolf', though it has no supernatural elements, made the list; whereas superbly crafted atmospheric entertainments like 'Gothic' and 'Eyes of Fire' didn't.  Second, in dealing with the supernatural, I concentrated on films that informed, or at least stayed within the realms of possibility.  Hence, I include 'The Haunting', but not 'Poltergeist'.  Inevitably, I will have left out some of your favorites, for which I apologize in advance.  But I had to stop somewhere. 
 
 
APPRENTICE TO MURDER, 1988, C-94m 
D: R.L. Thomas.  Donald Sutherland, Chad Lowe, Mia Sara, Knut Husebo, Rutanya Alsa. 
     Intriguing fact-based story of a man who was a 'hex-meister' in the 
Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.  His practice of folk medicine lands him in 
trouble with the law, and a final confrontation with a rival sorcerer leads to a charge of murder.  Sutherland is appealing in the lead role, and the story unfolds mainly through his eyes.  Mia Sara does a nice job in a supporting role.  There's a lot of authentic folk magic to lend atmosphere. 
 
THE BELIEVERS, 1987, C-114m 
D: John Schlesinger.  Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Wilson, Lee Richardson, Harris Yulin, Richard Masur, Carla Pinza, Jimmy Smits. 
     After the death of his wife, Sheen and his son move to New York City, where they become involved in a grisly series of cultish human sacrifices.  Although the religion of Santeria is unfortunately shown in a negative light, there is enough authenticity to lend lots of interest.  A gripping thriller. 
 
BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE, 1958, C-103m 
D: Richard Quine.  James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovaks, 
Hermione Gingold. 
     Yes, I'm well aware that this movie, based on the John Van Druten play, is responsible for more misinformation about Witchcraft than anything outside the 'Bewitched' TV series.  Still, I hardly know a Pagan who doesn't love it.  For many of us, it was the first time we'd encountered the idea of Witchcraft alive and well in a modern metropolis.  And Kim Novak is STILL my idea of what a Witch OUGHT to look like.  And none of us will ever forget Kovak's reading of the line 'Witches, boy!  Witches!'  Or Stewart's offhand comment that it feels more like Halloween than Christmas.  Lots of fun. 
 

BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON, 1973-Italian-British, C-121m 
D: Franco Zeffirelli.  Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Alec 
Guinness, Valentina Cortese, Kenneth Cranham 
     For most Pagans, St. Francis of Assisi is usually considered an honorary Pagan, at the very least.  His insistence on finding divinity in nature is exactly what Paganism is all about.  This film biography portrays his extreme love of and sensitivity to nature with poignant beauty.  And the musical score by Donovan is such a perfect choice that, having heard it, nothing else would ever do.  This is also a visually stunning film, as those who remember Zefferelli's 'Romeo and Juliet' might expect.  If ever Christianity could be made palatable to the sensibilities of Neo-Pagans, it would have to be through the eyes of a nature mystic like Francis.  The Catholic Church came close to naming him a heretic but, at the last minute, the Pope (played by Alec Guinness) sanctioned him.  (Old Obi Wan comes through again!) 
 
BURN, WITCH, BURN!, 1962-British, 90m 
D: Sidney Hayers.  Janey Blair, Peter Wyngarde, Margaret Johnston, Anthony Nicholls. 
     Based on the Fritz Leiber classic 'Conjure Wife' and scripted by Richard Matheson, this is an interesting view of Witchcraft.  Granted, this has as many misconceptions as 'Bell, Book, and Candle', yet the premise is 
intriguing: that ALL women are secretly Witches, and ALL men don't know about it.  This is mainly about one woman's use of magic to advance the career of her schoolteacher husband. 
 
DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, 1959, C-93m 
D: Robert Stevenson.  Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy O'Dea, Kieron Moore, Estelle Winwood. 
     Simply the best fantasy ever filmed.  No kidding.  This is a PERFECT 
little movie, and (along with 'The Quiet Man') the ultimate St. Patrick's Day film.  Sharpe is sensational as Darby O'Gill, who likes to sit in the pub telling stories about his adventures with the King of the Leprechauns.  Unbeknownst to everyone, they are TRUE stories!  Every tidbit of Irish 
folklore, from banshees to the crock of gold to the costa bower (the death coach) is worked into the plot.  The music and songs are great.  So is the cast, many of whom were brought over from the Abbey Theater in Dublin!  Sean Connery makes his screen debut, in a SINGING role!  The subsequent untimely death of Janet Munro robbed the screen of one of its brightest actresses.  (Her character's combination of willfulness and femininity is a textbook study.  Compared to her, Princess Leia's character is not 'strong-willed' -- it's just snotty!)  The special effects are miraculous for 1959!  When Darby walks into King Brian's throne room, we walks THROUGH a crowd of Leprechauns, and I defy anyone to find a matte line!  In fact, the special effects are so good throughout, that you FORGET that they're special effects, and end up deciding that they must have rounded up some real Leprechauns from somewhere. 
 

THE DARK CRYSTAL, 1983-British, C-94m 
D: Jim Henson and Frank Oz.  Performed by Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Brian Muehl, Jean Pierre Amiel, Kiran Shaw. 
     The creators of the Muppets come up with an entire fantasy world, where even the flora and fauna are original.  And this world is in grave peril unless the missing shard of the Dark Crystal can be found and restored to it.  This is a  hero-quest in the classic mold, with art stylings by Brian Froud.  Although wonderfully imaginative and entertaining, it has a very strong message of mysticism, all about universal balance and the synthesis of opposites.  (One wonders if the entire quartz crystal fad of the late 1980's had its origins here!) 
 
DON'T LOOK NOW, 1973-British, C-110m 
D: Nicolas Roeg.  Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia 
Matania, Massimo Serato. 
     Based on a so-so occult thriller by Daphne du Maurier, this becomes a brilliant film in the hands of Italian director Nicolas Roeg (famed for 'The Man Who Fell to Earth).  Shortly after their daughter has drowned, Sutherland (who restores mosaics in old churches) and his wife go to Venice where they meet two sisters who are spiritualists.  They begin to receive messages from the daughter, who keeps warning Sutherland to leave Venice because he is in mortal danger.  If ever a film captured the real feeling of how psychic ability operates, this is it.  The use of subjective editing, and the symbolic use (and total control of!) color throughout the film is masterful.  (This film also contains one of the most stylish love scenes ever filmed.)  Squeamish people need to be warned about the violent ending, however.  

THE DUNWICH HORROR, 1970, C-90m 
D: Daniel Haller.  Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley, Sam Jaffe, Lloyd 
Bochner, Joanna Moore, Talia Coppolia (Shire). 
     Nice adaptation of an H. P. Lovecraft story, with a wonderful cast.  Dean 
Stockwell is the quintessential ritual magician, both mysterious and 
compelling.  He steals the original 'Necronomicon' from a library in order to 'bring back the Old Ones', a race of powerful but dark beings that inhabited the earth before humans.  Sam Jaffe is wonderful as his crazed grandfather.  (What happened to the father is part of the mystery!)  And Sandra Dee is perfect as the innocent virgin chosen to be the unwilling host mother for the rebirth of these demons.  (Some versions of the film cut the last scene short, which shows a developing fetus superimposed over Dee's abdomen.  'Nuff said.)  By the way, no film has ever shown the raw power of otherworldly beings as well as this.  No 'latex lovelies' here.  Just pure, unadulterated elemental force.  Nice job! 
 
THE EMERALD FOREST, 1985, C-113m 
D: John Boorman.  Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman, Dira Pass. 
     A look at our own culture through the eyes of the aboriginal tribes of the Amazon.  (They call us the 'termite people', because of the deforestation and industrial development we have brought to their homeland.)  The director's son, Charley, is totally convincing as a young boy raised by aborigines.  Great music by Junior Homrich. 
 

THE ENTITY, 1983, C-115m 
D: Sidney J. Furie.  Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Jacqueline Brooks, David Lablosa, George Coe, Margaret Blye. 
     The truly frightening thing about this movie is that it's based on a true story, about a woman who is repeatedly violently raped by an invisible presence.  Initially, she seeks the help of a psychologist, who is a strict behaviorist and thinks that it is all 'in her mind'.  It is not until a chance encounter with a team of parapsychologist  from the local university that she finally finds people who understand her problem.  One of the film's great strengths is its portrayal of the professional rivalry that develops between the psychologist (who has begun taking a personal interest) and the parapsychologists, who are interested in investigating the phenomena.  The final scene in the gymnasium is the only part of the film based on speculation only.  At last report, the case was still active. 
 EXCALIBUR, 1981-British, C-140m 
D: John Boorman.  Nicol Williamson, Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Corin Redgrave, Paul Geoffrey. 
     A stylish adaptation of Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte D'Arthur'.  Boorman knew exactly what he was doing in combining certain key characters and keeping the spirit of the legends.  The Grail Quest is especially well handled.  Williamson's Merlin and Mirren's Morgana are both brilliant performances.  Great music.  Try to see this one on the big screen. 
 
HARVEY, 1950, 104m 
D: Henry Koster.  James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Victoria Horne, Jesse White, Wallace Ford, Ida Moore. 
     Imagine a movie that chooses as its main theme a Welsh animal spirit 
called a pooka (or 'pwcca' in Welsh)!  That would be improbable enough by 
today's standards.  But the fact that it happened in a 1940's Pulitzer 
Prize-winning play and subsequent movie boggles the mind!  The pooka in 
question is a 6-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey, who manifests himself only to a gentle tippler named Elwood P. Dowd, played to perfection by Stewart.  Jesse White (the lonely Maytag repairman) made his film debut here.  Few movies are as much fun as this. 
 
THE HAUNTING, 1963, 112m 
D: Robert Wise.  Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Lois Maxwell, Fay Compton 
     Based on Shirley Jackson's masterpiece 'The Haunting of Hill House', this is probably the ultimate ghost movie.  A parapsychologist and a team of student assistants investigate a haunted house.  Based on the premise that no ghost ever hurts anyone physically; the damage is always done by the victim to himself, psychologically.  Julie Harris is marvelous. 
 
INHERIT THE WIND, 1960, 127m 
D: Stanley Kramer.  Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Florence 
Eldridge, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Donna Anderson, Elliot Reid, Claude Akins, Noah Beery, Jr., Norman Fell. 
     This should be required viewing for every Pagan.  For many of us, there came a time when our own ideologies simply collided head-on with fundamental Christian faith, and we knew we could no longer accept it.  Never has a movie embodied this theme so well.  Based on the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it deals with the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 in Tennessee, where a high school teacher was arrested for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution.  The debate that ensued was between two of the most brilliant minds of their day, the great trial lawyer Clarence Darrow for the defense, and two-time Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution.  Kelly's character is based on acid-tongued columnist H. L. Mencken.  This is riveting, from first to last. 
 
JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, 1973, C-120m 
D: Hal Bartlett.  Many seagulls. 
     Although the film is flawed and drags a little toward the end, it is 
nevertheless well worth seeing.  The photography is beautiful, and Neil 
Diamond's score (including 'Skybird') is marvelous.  It is, of course, based on Richard Bach's marvelous tale of a little seagull that refuses to fit in with his flock, preferring to follow a higher, more mystical, calling.  This is yet another one you should try to see on the big screen. 
 
LADYHAWKE, 1985, C-124m 
D: Richard Donner.  Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, Alfred Molina. 
     Whoever decided on the music for this film should be shot!  Think what a nice soundtrack by Clannad would have been like.  That reservation aside, this is a great medieval fantasy concerning two lovers who have been separated by a curse, and a young thief who becomes their ally, an unusual but charming role for Matthew Broderick.  (If anyone ever gets around to filming Katherine Kurtz's 'Deryni' books, this is the team that ought to do it.) 
 
THE LAST UNICORN, 1982, C-84m 
D: Rankin & Bass.  Voices of Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Tammy 
Grimes, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lee. 
     Based on the incomparable fantasy novel by Peter S. Beagle, this is very adult animation.  And because Beagle himself wrote the screenplay, this film contains spiritual one-liners that hit you right in the gut.  Example: 'Never run from anything immortal.  It attracts their attention.'  Though this is NOT classic Disney animation (in fact, it looks like limited animation), the voice-work, screenplay, and art stylings are all so good, you're inclined to overlook it.  Angela Lansbury's character voice for Mommy Fortuna is marvelous.  And there's a lovely lyrical score by the group America. 
 
THE LAST WAVE, 1977-Australian, C-106m 
D: Peter Weir.  Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, (David) Gulpilil, 
Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nanjiwarra Amagula. 
     Chamberlain plays an Australian lawyer defending an aborigine accused of a murder that was actually done by magic.  This is a rare and wonderful 
glimpse into the tribal religion of the native Australians, their myths, and their belief in the Dream Time.  Peter Weir (famed for 'Picnic at Hanging Rock') directs this atmospheric thriller. 
 
LEGEND, 1985-British, C-89m 
D: Ridley Scott.  Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice 
Playten, Billy Barty. 
     One of the most visually luscious films ever created.  Every frame is gorgeous.  The plot is nearly archetypal, with evil (Curry) attempting to 
seduce innocence (Sara).  Though it's hard to accept Cruise as the hero of this Grimm's-like fairy tale, Curry and Sara turn in good performances.  The European version runs 20 minutes longer and retains the original (and, in my opinion, superior) musical score by Jerry Goldsmith.  The American score is by Tangerine Dream. 
 

THE LORD OF THE RINGS, 1978, C-133m 
D: Ralph Bakshi.  Voices of Christopher Guard, William Squire, John Hurt, 
Michael Sholes, Dominic Guard. 
     This ambitious but flawed animated feature covers half of J.R.R. 
Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, ending much too abruptly.  But for all the 
criticism usually heaped upon this film, there ARE moments of absolute genius.  Such as the Dark Riders attempting to kill Frodo and friends in their beds at the Prancing Pony Inn.  Or Gandalf and Frodo's moonlit walk through the Shire.  Or the first time Frodo puts on the ring.  These moments alone make the movie well worth seeing. 
 
NEVER CRY WOLF, 1983, C-105m 
D: Carroll Ballard.  Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnaq, Samson Jorah. 
     A brilliant performance by Smith (based on author Farley Mowat) as a 
young man sent to study wolves in the Arctic.  Again, we are treated to the insights of the native culture (the Innuit), and are shown how it has been debased through contact with our own greedy culture.  This film contains some of the most spectacular nature photography ever put on film.  Ballard was chief nature photographer for Disney Studios for years.  Try to see this one on the big screen. 
 
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, 1979-West German, C-107m 
D: Werner Herzog.  Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor.      For vampire lovers, this film is the creme de la creme.  Werner Herzog is a leader of modern German Expressionist cinema, and here he is operating at the top of his form.  The spooky atmosphere is so thick you could peel it off the screen in layers.  (Try to see this one in the theater.)  The creepiness of Kinski's Dracula is equaled only by the classic beauty of Adjani's Lucy.  This is the perfect film for Halloween night.  The German language version with English subtitles is far superior to the English version, and slightly longer.  (The SOUND of the German dialogue actually fits the mood of the film better.) 
 
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, 1970, C-129m 
D: Vincente Minnelli.  Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Bob Newhart, Larry 
Blyden, Simon Oakland, Jack Nicholson.  Alan Lerner & Burton Lane score. 
     Probably inspired by the case of Bridey Murphy, this musical is all about hypnosis, past life regression, ESP, reincarnation, and other 'New Age' topics (though 20 years too early).  (One wonders how Shirley MacLaine missed starring in this.  Yet, one is thankful for small favors.)  Streisand is wonderful, especially in the lavish flashback sequences.  Montand should have been replaced.  Still, the plot's surprising turns are well within the realm of supernatural possibility. 
 

THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, 1988, C-98m 
D: Wes Craven.  Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield, Brent Jennings, Theresa Merritt, Michael Gough. 
     Directed by Wes Craven (famed for his 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series), this is the true story of Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist who is sent to Haiti to bring back the secret of the so-called Zombie drug, tetrodotoxin.  But the local practitioners of 'Voodoo' don't yield their secrets too easily and, before it's all over, Davis finds himself a victim of the drug -- which gives Craven carte blanche for the wonderful special effects he's famous for.  Like 'The Believers', this film unfortunately shows the native religion (Voudoun) primarily in a negative light.  Still, at times it manages to capture its beauty, mystery and innocence, especially in the festival scenes when the entire village spends the night asleep in a candle-lighted forest. 
 
7 FACES OF DR. LAO, 1964, C-100m 
D: George Pal.  Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Arthur O'Connell, John Ericson, Kevin Tate, Argentina Brunetti, Noah Beery, Jr., Minerva Urecal, John Qualen, Lee Patrick, Royal Dano. 
     For people who think that decent fantasy films are a recent development, this movie is going to come as a delightful surprise.  The special effects and gentle magic of director George Pal was the perfect means of bringing the Charles Finney classic 'The Circus of Dr. Lao' to the screen.  Randall, in a tour de force performance of six roles, is the mysterious Chinese guru, Dr. Lao, whose travelling circus changes the course of history for a small Western town.  For the better.  A lovely and funny film with a spiritual dimension that would appeal to every Pagan.  Nice musical score by Leigh Harline combines Western and Oriental music. 
 
SILENT RUNNING, 1971, C-89m 
D: Douglas Trumbull.  Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint. 
     Should be subtitled 'Druids in Spaaaaace!!!'  Aboard the deep space ship Valley Forge, the very talented Bruce Dern (in his most likable film role ever) battles to save the last vestiges of the Earth's forests.  Special effects by the team that created '2001'.  And a brilliant musical score by Peter Schickele (whose better-known comic persona is P.D.Q. Bach), sung by Joan Baez. 
 
SLEEPING BEAUTY, 1959, C-75m 
D: Clyde Geronimi.  Voices of Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Elinor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy. 
     The all-time masterpiece of the animator's art, this is the most lavish and most expensive (by contemporary standards) animated feature ever done by Disney studios.  The uninitiated may babble about 'Fantasia', but the true cognoscente of animation know that THIS is the apogee of the art form.  From the lush color stylings (heavy use of greens and purples), to the elegantly stylized backgrounds, to the figure of Maleficent (designed by Marc Davis), to a fire-breathing dragon that wasn't equaled until 'Dragonslayer', this film is superb.  Voice work by Audley and Felton is outstanding.  The film should also serve as a textbook example of how to adapt a classical score (Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty Ballet') to a movie soundtrack.  Never has it been done better.  See it.  One last consideration: this was filmed in the extra-wide-screen Technerama process, and naturally loses a lot when transferred to video.  Try to see this in a theater.  One with a BIG screen and a state-of-the-art sound system.  You will be amazed. 
 

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, 1983, C-94m 
D: Jack Clayton.  Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier, Royal Dano, Shawn Carson, Vidal Peterson, Mary Grace Canfield, James Stacy, narrated by Arthur Hill. 
     Ray Bradbury's fantasy novel is brought to the screen by a director who understands it.  This is a mood piece, and it's done to perfection.  It all takes place in that strange twilight halfway between children's make-believe and the world of the supernatural.  You're never quite sure which it is.  Jonathan Pryce is utterly mesmerizing as the sinister Mr. Dark, leader of a mysterious travelling carnival.  He has so much screen presence you can barely take your eyes off him.  I haven't seen an actor in such total control of a role since Gene Wilder did 'Willy Wonka'.  An added bonus is that Bradbury himself wrote the screenplay, and it shows.  It's a real cut above the insipid screenplays we're all used to. 
 
STAR WARS, 1977, C-121m 
D: George Lucas.  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, voice of James Earl Jones (as Darth Vader) 
     Despite the spaceships and high-tech doodads, this is really more fantasy than science fiction.  And the reliance which director George Lucas placed in the theories of Joseph Campbell help shape a story that is very near to myth.  The other two movies in the trilogy, 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' are also important.  The main interest to most Pagans lies in the mystical sub-motif of 'the Force', a kind a 'mana' that is ethically neutral, but may be used in magic for either good (as evidenced by Obi Wan Kenobe) or evil (as evidenced by Darth Vader).  In the second film, it is the great Jedi Master, Yoda (created by Muppet masters, Jim Henson and Frank Oz), who teaches us most about the Force.  This is pure magic. 
 
THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS, 1980, C-84 
D: John Hough.  Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Lynn-Holly 
Johnson, Kyle Richards, Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco. 
     What I wouldn't give to have seen this as a teenager!  Johnson stars as a girl whose family has just rented an old English country house, where she is haunted by the image of a young girl who disappeared years ago.  During a strange seance-type initiation ritual.  In the ruins of an old chapel.  During a freak lightning storm.  During an eclipse.  The subtext is so thick you could cut it with a knife.  Even though such elements remain unstated, for those of us interested in power points, ley lines, and astronomical alignments, this movie is a real treat.  Someone Knew Something!  Sadly, the end is badly flawed.  But no matter, because the fun is in the getting there.  A delightful cast, and great atmosphere throughout, make this film special. 
 
THE WICKER MAN, 1973-British, C-95m 
D: Robin Hardy.  Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane 
Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp. 
     Based on the Anthony Shaffer thriller, this movie is a favorite of most Pagans.  The plot concerns a police sergeant (Woodward) sent to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, on a small island off the coast of Scotland.  There he finds a completely Pagan society.  Local color and beautiful folk music enhance the most loving portrayal of a Pagan society ever committed to film.  Unfortunately, in the end, the Pagans are 'revealed' to be the requisite bad guys.  If you can overlook the ending, however, this is fine movie.  Every Pagan I know who's seen it wants to move to Summer Isle immediately. 
WILLOW, 1988, C-125m 
D: Ron Howard.  Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh, 
Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Gavan O'Herlihy. 
     Despite the story by George Lucas, this is NOT the 'Star Wars' of the fantasy genre.  Too derivative (especially Mad Martigan, who is a Han Solo clone).  Still, the film has a lot to say about magic, and Davis gives a 
delightful performance.  Jean Marsh is terrific as the evil Queen Bavmorda (in a role that almost parallels her role as Queen Mombi in 'Return to Oz').  And the scene in which Chirlindrea appears to Willow in the forest is as close to an epiphany of the Goddess as I've ever seen on film.  That scene alone is worth the admission price. 
 
WINDWALKER, 1980, C-108m 
D: Keith Merrill.  Trevor Howard, Nick Ramus, James Remar, Serene Hedin, Dusty Iron Wing McCrea. 
     This is the best cowboy-and-Indian movie I've ever seen.  Mainly because there are no cowboys in it.  It is pure Native American.  Trevor Howard is incredible as the old Indian chief who returns from the dead in order to protect his family, and restore to it a lost son, a twin who was stolen at birth by an enemy tribe.  This film FEELS more like genuine Native American than any other I can think of.  The Utah mountain scenery is breath-taking.  Costuming (mostly furs) is authentic.  And dialogue is actually in the Cheyenne and Crow languages, with English subtitles.  And there's enough mysticism (especially in the old Indian's relationship with his horse) to please any Pagan audience. 
 
WIZARDS, 1977, C-80m 
D: Ralph Bakshi.  Voices of Bob Holt, Jesse Wells, Richard Romanus, David 
Proval, Mark Hamill. 
     Post-holocaust scenario with the forces of evil technology led by the wizard Blackwolf arrayed against the forces of benevolent magic led by the wizard Avatar.  With background stylings a la Roger Dean, and character design that borrows from Vaughn Bode, this is tongue-in-cheek wizardry at its finest.  The character of Elinor, a faery nymph, is a complete success -- a milestone in adult animation.  Great voice work and nice music.  And who is that wonderful (uncredited) narrator??? 
 
XANADU, 1980, C-88m 
D: Robert Greenwald.  Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, Gene Kelly, James 
Sloyan, Dimitra Arliss, Katie Hanley. 
     Yeah, yeah, I know.  On one level, it's just Olivia Newton-John on 
roller-skates.  But on another level, it is the story of how one of the nine muses of classical mythology (Terpsichore) comes down from Olympus to inspire a young artist.  On yet a third level, it is the biggest Hollywood musical produced since the golden years of MGM.  And it works well on all counts.  The brilliant musical score (including several chart-toppers) is provided by the Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne, and Olivia does them up proper.  Gene Kelly might not dance as well as he once did, but he can still charm as well.  And did anyone notice that's Sandahl Bergman leading the muses in dance?  As if that weren't enough, the film includes a delightful animated segment that marked the debut for Don Bluth studios, which later gave us 'The Secret of NIHM' and 'An American Tail'. 

	C A N D L E M A S  
	by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin


     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 
capital 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 (this year, February 6th). 
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.  Once again, this shows the resultant confusion of calendar 
changes and "lost days" that have accumulated down the centuries.  
For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may 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 1), 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 and all, this is certainly one of the 
prettiest holidays celebrated in the Pagan seasonal calendar.


OPENING 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, 
	Merry meet, and merry part. 
	And merry meet again.  Blessed be. 

	Ritual of Casting Sacred Circle
Many times we are asked "how do you cast a circle ?"  There are so many different was that this can be done.  Differs from each Tradition to the next.  Even within our own Avaloian Tradition we make improvisions on this.  
The main factor is to cast a sacred space.  A space that separates this world from the other.  A space that we ourselves make holy.  And that is what is important.  A space that you set aside from all else, to glorify and exalt.  For you are the one casting, cleansing, purifying, and setting it aside from all else.

Before you cast, one should make sure of the intent of casting.  Ask yourself why you are doing it.  Once you have this the gathering is made easier.  If you are doing this with a group of people One must be chosen to be the Lord or Lady.  The Lord or Lady usually has one person who waits them.  This is not to say the Lord or Lady is higher than they, but the fact that they shall be the God/dess incarnate.  You may also do this solitary.  Depending on the amount tending.

The Lord/Lady has the sword brought to them.  All else are standing outside where the circle is to be cast.  The Lord/Lady takes the sword and walk deosil (clockwise) around the space to be cast.  The wait has a small bell with them.  Beginning at the East, the sword, in a non-threatening manner, is raised.  The wait rings the bell.  All fill fall silent.  Moving clockwise the Lord/Lady salute each direction.  If there are four novices present each will stand to the directions as the Lord/Lady passes.

Lord/Lady:  Let all those that wish to partake enter ye now !  (the bell is rung)

Everyone enters by stepping forward (no actual circle has been cast yet)

Wait:  My Lord/Lady all those that wish to partake in this Magickal Rite are now present.  I pray you, cast the Sacred Circle.

Lord/Lady:  What thou doth sees makes here this night, shall be forever within this circle.  So Mote It Be !

(When anyone speaks the So Mote It Be or Blessed Be, all shall repeat it)

Again at the East, the Lord/Lady takes the sword and draws within the ground or upon the floor the circle saying as the pass...

 "I draw this magick circle let no evil or ill will cross its mark." 

Once the Lord/Lady has reached the East again, They take the sword and place it upon the shoulders of the novice, and says...
	"be thou the guardian of this gate... I call I summon I stir oh ye spirits of Air, come forth now I pray thee and witness our Rite.  So Mote It Be !"

The Guardian answers:  I am he/she the guardian, no evil or ill will shall pass by  me, My Lord/Lady.

the Wait rings the bell 

The Lord/Lady goes to each quarter and perform the same, on each guardian.  The Wait will ring the bell as each guardian answers.
Once the quarters are called the Lord/Lady goes to the center of the circle as the Wait preforms the cleansing of the circle with salt and water.  Incense can be used instead of salt and water mixture. The Lord/Lady summons the spirit of the Great Lady and the Great Lord by saying....

Great Lady witness now your children who stand before you in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.  

Standing East, with the censer  the Lord/Lady says....
   Great Maiden Come To Us.....

All repeat....

Standing South, with the torch or candle the Lord/Lady says....
   Great Mother Come To Us....

All repeat...

Standing West, with chalice of wine or water, the Lord/Lady says...
   Ancient Queen of Wisdom Come To Us....

All repeat...

Standing North, with the salt, the Lord/Lady says....
   Brother Come To Us...

All Repeat...

Drumming, rattles, any form of music making can be added to this.  As you can take note there really isn't any particular God or Goddess called, this is the Avaloian Tradition.  All Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess.

So there is the very basic beginnings of Magical Workings... you can take it from here..... Do What Thou Wilt, Save Harm None, Shall Be the Whole.

Bright Blessing...
Lord OberRon
Knight of the Sacred Light

	 LOOKING AT YOURSELF 

before you go a step further,  take a  good  long  look  at  your 
desires,  motivation  and  skills.  What role do you see yourself 
playing  in  this  new  group?   "Ordinary"  member?   Democratic 
facilitator?  High Priestess?  And if the last -- why do you want 
the job?  

The   title  of  High  Priestess  and  Priestess  are  seductive, 
conjuring up exotic images of yourself in  embroidered  robes,  a 
silver crescent (or horned helm) on your brow, adoring celebrants 
hanging on every word which drops from your lips...  

Reality  check.  The  robes  will be stained with wine and candle 
wax  soon  enough,   and  not  every  word  you  speak  is  worth 
remembering.  A  coven  leader's  job is mostly hard work between 
rituals and behind the scene.  It is not always a good  place  to 
act  out  your  fantasies,  because  the  lives and well-being of 
others are involved,  and what is flattering or enjoyable to  you 
man not be in their best interest.  So consider carefully.  

If  your  prime  motive is establishing a coven is to gain status 
and ego gratification,  other people will quickly sense that.  If 
they are intelligent,  independent individuals,  they will refuse 
to play Adoring Disciple to your Witch  Queen  impressions.  They 
will  disappear,  and  that vanishing act will be the last magick 
they do with you.  

And if you do attract a  group  ready  to  be  subservient  Spear 
Carriers  in  your  fantasy drama -- well,  do you really want to 
associate with that kind of personality?  What are you  going  to 
do  when you want someone strong around to help you or teach you, 
and  next  New  Moon  you  look  out  upon  a  handful  of  Henry 
Milquetoasts  and  Frieda Handmaidens?  If a person is willing to 
serve you, the they will also become dependent on you, drain your 
energy,  and become  disillusioned  if  you  ever  let  down  the 
Infallible Witch Queen mask for even a moment.  

Some other not-so-great reasons for starting a coven:  a) because 
it seems glamorous,  exotic,  and a little wicked;  b) because it 
will shock your mother, or c) because you can endure your boring, 
flunky  job  more easily if you get to go home and play Witch at 
night.  

Some better reasons for setting up a coven,  and even  nomination 
yourself as High Priest/ess,  include:  a) you feel that you will 
be performing a useful job for yourself and others;  b) you  have 
enjoyed  leadership  roles  in  the  past,  and  proven  yourself 
capable;  or c) you look forward to learning and growing  in  the 
role.  

Even  with the best motives in the world,  you will still need to 
have -- or quickly develop -- a whole range of skills in order to 
handle a leadership role.  If you are to be a facillitator  of  a 
study  group,  group  process  insights and skills are important.  
These include: 


     1) Gatekeeping,  or  guiding  discussion  in such a way that 
        everyone  has  an  opportunity  to  express   ideas   and 
        opinions; 

     2) Summarizing and clarifying;

     3) Conflict resolution,  or helping  participants understand 
        points of disagreement and find potential solutions which 
        respect everyone's interests; 

     4) Moving the discussion toward consensus,  or at  any  rate 
        decision,   by  identifying  diversions  and  refocussing 
        attention on goals and priorities; and 

     5) Achieving closure smoothly when  the  essential  work  is 
        complected, or an appropriate stopping place is reached.  

In addition to group  process  skills,  four  other  competencies 
necessary  to the functioning of a coven are:  ritual leadership, 
administration,  teaching,  and counseling.  In a study group the 
last  one  may  not  be considered a necessary function,  and the 
other three may be shared among all participants.  But in a coven 
the leaders are expected to be fairly capable in all these areas, 
even if responsibilities are frequently shared or delegated.  Let 
us look briefly at each.  

Ritual  leadership involves much more that reading invocations by 
candlelight.  Leaders must understand the powers they  intend  to 
manipulate:  how  they are raised,  channeled and grounded.  They 
must be adept at designing rituals which involve all the  sensory 
modes.  They should have a repertoire of songs and chants, dances 
and gestures or mudras, incense and oils, invocations and spells, 
visual  effects  and symbols,  meditations and postures;  and the 
skill to combine these in a powerful, focused pattern.  They must 
have  clarity  of  purpose  and  firm  ethics.   And  they   must 
understand  timing:  both where a given ritual fits in the cycles 
of the Moon, the Wheel of the Year, and the dance of the spheres, 
and how to pace the ritual once started, so that energy peaks and 
is channeled at the perfect moment.  And they must understand the 
Laws of Magick,  and the  correspondences,  and  when  ritual  is 
appropriate and when it is not.  

By  administration,   we  refer  to  basic  management  practices 
necessary to any organization.  These include  apportioning  work 
fairly, and following up on its progress;  locating resources and 
obtaining  them   (information,   money,   supplies);   fostering 
communications  (by  telephone,  printed  schedules,  newsletters 
etc.);   and  keeping  records  (minutes,  accounts,  Witch  Book 
entries,  or ritual logbook).  Someone or several someone's has to 
collect the dues if any, buy the candles, chill the wine,  and so 
forth.  


Teaching is crucial to both covens and study groups.  If only one 
person has any formal training  or  experience  in  magick,  s/he 
should  transmit  that  knowledge  in  a  way  which respects the 
intuitions,  re-emerging past life skills,  and creativity of the 
others.  If several participants have some knowledge in differing 
areas,  they  can  all share the teaching role.  If no one in the 
group has training and you are uncertain where to begin, they you 
may need to call  on  outside  resources:  informed  and  ethical 
priest/esses who can act as visiting faculty, or who are willing 
to  offer  guidance  by  telephone or correspondence.  Much can be 
gleaned from books,  or course -- assuming you know  which  books 
are  trustworthy  and at the appropriate level -- but there is no 
substitute for personal instruction for some things.  Magick  can 
be  harmful if misused,  and an experienced practitioner can help 
you avoid pitfalls as well as offering hints and  techniques  not 
found in the literature.  

Counseling  is  a  special  role  of  the High Priest/ess.  It is 
assumed that all members  of  a  coven  share  concern  for  each 
other's physical,  mental,  emotional and spiritual welfare,  and 
are willing to help each other out in  practical  ways.  However, 
coven  leaders  are  expected  to  have a special ability to help 
coveners explore the roots of their personal problems and  choose 
strategies  and tactics to overcome them.  This is not to suggest 
that one must be a trained psychoanalyst;  but at the least, good 
listening  skills,  clear  thinking  and  some insight into human 
nature  are  helpful.  Often,  magickal  skills  such  as  guided 
visualization,  Tarot counseling and radiasthesia (pendulum work) 
are valuable tools as well.  

Think  carefully  about  your skills in these areas,  as you have 
demonstrated them in other organizations.  Ask  acquaintances  or 
co-workers,  who can be trusted to give you a candid opinion, how 
they see you in some of these roles.  Meditate,  and decide  what 
you  really  want for yourself in organizing the new group.  Will 
you be content with being a catalyst and contact person -- simply 
bringing people with a common interest together, then letting the 
group guide its destiny from that point on?  Would you rather  be 
a facillitator, either for the first months or permanently: a low-
key  discussion leader who enables the group to move forward with 
a minimum of  misunderstanding  and  wasted  energy?  Or  do  you 
really want to be High Priestess -- whatever that means to you -- 
and  serve  as  the  guiding  spirit and acknowledged leader of a 
coven?  And if you do want that job,  exactly how much  authority 
and  work do you envision as part of it?  Some coven leaders want 
a great deal of power and control;  others simply take  an  extra 
share  of  responsibility  for setting up the rituals (whether or 
not they actually  conduct  the  rites),  and  act  as  "magickal 
advisor"  to  less experienced members.  Thus the High Priest/ess 
can be the center around which the life of the coven revolves, or 
primarily an honorary title, or anything in between.  


That is one area which you will need  to  have  crystal-clear  in 
your  own  mind before the first meeting (of if you are flexible, 
at least be very clear that you are).  You must also be clear  as 
to your personal needs on other points:  program emphasis,  size, 
meeting schedule,  finances,  degree of secrecy,  and affiliation 
with  a  tradition or network.  You owe it to prospective members 
and to yourself to make your minimum requirements known from  the 
outset:  it can be disastrous to a group to discover that members 
have major disagreements on these  points  after  you  have  been 
meeting for six months.

                            BLOOD SACRIFICE 
                          by Althea Whitebirch

     We  have all moved through periods of crisis in our  lives;  things
ranging  from the sublime to the ridiculous,  from the death of  someone
close to us to final exams.  Events which are extremely stressful--which
threaten  our lives,  home,  future or security--would seem t  call  for
strong  measures of assistance.   There have been many times that I have
felt that the course of events required swift and strong intervention of
a deity. Blood sacrifice is, to my mind, one of the more powerful magics
one could perform,  and so seemed particularly suitable for  this.   But
it's rather ethically sticky.

     I  may feel that the kind of energy contained in the outpouring  of
blood would be most efficacious in a serious situation, but I'm dead-set
against the use of an unwilling victim for the purpose.  So, in the past
I've spilled my own blood with an athame,  at the same time  offering up
prayers;  it  just  didn't seem to work as well as I thought  it  would.
Perhaps,  I thought, one needs lots of blood to generate any appreciable
amount of energy.

     Then  a  friend suggested what seemed the  perfect  solution--blood
donation!   I'd been giving blood for several years and the thought just
never had occurred to me before.  So the next time I went in to donate, I
approached it as ritual sacrifice for a particular purpose, and both the
process and results seemed to be much improved.  Since then I've gone to
donate  blood  many times,  each time with a prayer for healing for  the
recipient of my blood,  and a request for aid from the deity that  seemed
most appropriate.

     For those of you who've never donated blood before, I can provide a
few details of the process.   It's not very frightening, and it can be a
very spiritually moving experience,  I'll tell you!   As well,  remember
that you don't sell blood (at least not in Puget Sound), you donates it.
You  can sell plasma--the straw-colored fluid that makes up the bulk of
your blood--but not blood itself.

    The  first  time you go in you'll fill out a medical  questionnaire:
the  Puget Sound Blood Bank doesn't want your blood if you're ill  right
then (or just getting over something),  taking certain medications, ever
had hepatitis or malaria, or are in a high-risk category for contracting
AIDS (Haitian,  homosexual,  needle-using drug user or prostitute).   If
you have any questions, they'll be happy to answer them.

     After  you  fill out the questionnaire,  they'll  take  your  blood
pressure  and  a blood sample (like sticking your finger with a pin)  to
test  your hemocrit (% of hemoglobin) as well as determining  what  type
your  blood is.   If your hemocrit count isn't high enough they'll  send
you  home.     Nowadays,  all  blood is sent to a lab to be  tested  for
presence  of  AIDS  anti-bodies as well;  if you test  positive  they'll
notify  you by mail.   You'll be asked if you've eaten in the last  four
hours, and if not, sent to the canteen for cookies and juice.


     Then comes the fun part--you go lie down on a table where a phlebo-
tomist  (who  draws the blood) asks you some  questions,  verifies  your
name, and then sets you up to donate. They tie a rubber hose around your
arm,  so  the vein will stand out and be easy to find.   They  use  cold
liquid ethyl chloride on your arm,  to numb it where the needle goes in.
I  won't  say that it doesn't hurt when the needle is inserted--it  does
but it's tolerable--when it's in place though,  you'll hardly know  it's
there.   (You  may get the idea from all this that I'm a  stoic--hardly!
I'm a wimp when it comes to pain,  but this I can handle.)  At this time
they'll  leave  you  there for up to five minutes while you  clench  and
relax  your hand (to keep the blood from clotting) and the  blood  flows
into  a little plastic bag.   It's warm and red,  and rather reassuring,
really.   At this time you can get into some really serious  prayer,  or
hum  a  little healing chant for the person your blood's going  to.   (I
once  was  doing  this and got a flash image of a  little  boy,  a  burn
victim.   I  always  wondered who got my blood that  day.)   I  wouldn't
recommend getting too spaced-out though;  remember you've got to be able
to  return  to yourself when you want to,  and the physical  effects  of
giving blood can make some people light-headed or slightly woozie.  When
they ask you how you're feeling,  be honest,  not macho.  You don't want
to embarrass yourself by fainting.

     Afterwards they'll ask you to have some juice and cookies.   By all
means,  do!   For one thing, you've earned them; for another it's impor-
tant  to  replace the fluid and blood sugar you just gave  up.   Working
magic really takes it out of you, too (at least it does me).

     In my experience, there are several good reasons to use this parti-
cular method of blood sacrifice: a)  It doesn't require the death of one
of  the Gods' children.   b)  It is giving of yourself--for the good  of
others as well as your own.  c)  It is safe--the Blood Bank uses sterile
instruments and never  re-uses needles, so you can't catch anything.  d)
You have the added benefit of being able to see the blood as it's  being
given  (somehow  that adds to my experience),  and a pint is a lot  more
than I've ever been able to get with a knife!  Next time you want to get
the Gods' attention, try it!


                  The Grove of Phoenix Rising 
*
                         FOUR WEEK FAST 
*
FIRST WEEK
*
If you normally eat meat, begin to eliminate it from your diet
during this first week. If you feel you must eat it, eat a small
amount and no more than 3 times during the week.
*
Eliminate all alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages (except for
bottled waters such as Artesia, etc.), and diet drinks. Substitute
fruit juices or fruit drinks.
*
Refrain from smoking (anything), or using any other intoxicants.
*
Cut way back on any other stimulants, such as coffee or tea or
cocoa. No more than three cups a day if you are a heavy coffee or
tea drinker.
*
Use as little salt as possible and no other spices.
*
Refrain from sweets - cakes, pies, candy.
*
Drink large amounts of fluids, especially water.
*
*
SECOND WEEK
*
Eliminate meat entirely. Substitute dairy products - IN MODERATION.
*
Continue to limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa),
cutting back to no more than two cups a day.
*
Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, spices,
and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible.
*
Continue to drink large amounts of water.
*
Your diet should consist largely of vegetables and grains, with
large amounts of liquids.
*
*
THIRD WEEK
*
Limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa) to one cup a day.
*
Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, meat,
spices, and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible.
*
Do not use meat in seasoning vegetables.
*
Your diet should consist of vegetables and fruits only. Raw
vegetables and fruits are best (nuts can be included). Drink large
amounts of water and substitute fruit or vegetable juices for meals
as often as possible.
*

FOURTH WEEK (first four days)
*
Fluids only. Fruit and vegetable juices in desired quantity,
cutting back each day. Drink large amounts of water. If you feel
you must have coffee, limit it to a cup a day (a half cup if
possible).
*
If you feel you must have something the first day or so of this
week, a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit may be taken.
Nibble slowly. As the week progresses, continue to cut back on
nibbles and the amount of juice taken. A spoonful of honey added
to hot water helps satisfy the craving for hot beverages and gives
you an energy boost.
*
*
THE FAST
*
The fast should last for three days. It is best to do this on a
weekend and if possible, alone and in the woods. (Go camping!)
*
Drink lots of water and if you feel the need for an energy
stimulant, a small amount of honey may be added to hot water.
*
Spend as much time as possible in meditation. This period should
sooth your spirit as well as cleanse your body. RELAX!
*
You will probably want to sleep a lot. Do so. Allow yourself to
drift with your thoughts. Do not attempt to solve your problems
during this time. They will solve themselves later, for your mind
will be clearer after the fast is over.
*
Most people feel great the first day, a little weakness the second
day, and great again on the third day.
*
*
AFTER THE FAST
*
Eat lightly for your first meal after the fast. It is best to begin
by returning to fruit and vegetable juices and working your slowly
into solid foods over a few days.
*
*
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO DRINK LARGE AMOUNTS OF
WATER ALL THE WAY THROUGH! This flushes out toxins the body is
releasing.



                         THE ANCIENT ART 


Once upon a time, a long time ago, there were people who believed 
in laughter,  joy and love.   They believed in many deities,  but 
the most important to them was their Great Mother Goddess.   They 
believed in and lived with the powers of Nature.  They reveled in 
the Wind,  the Rain, the Snow and the Sunlight.  They marveled at 
and  revered  the changing of the seasons and saw  therein  great 
excitement  and  wisdom to be gained.   They knew  that  if  they 
tended,  cared  for  and  loved the Earth,  in return  She  would 
provide for,  care for and love them.   They saw that all  around 
them  the  world was filled with Life,  much as their own but  in 
many  different and wonderful forms.   They felt the life of  the 
flowers,  plants  and  trees  and respected them  for  that  life 
essence.   They  looked about and observed all the many types  of 
animals  and saw that they were kindred to them and  loved  them.  
They  felt  and observed the great Love of the Goddess all  about 
them  and knew kinship with the Moon.   They were practioners  of 
The Old Religion, worshipers of The Great Mother.

Witch!   The  very word instantly invokes visions for each of us, 
visions which vary greatly from individual to  individual.   Many 
of these visions, however, are quite false, brought about by many 
centuries of severe persecutions,  misrepresentations, prejudice 
and,  in recent years, lack of knowledge. Witchcraft!  What is it 
really?

Witchcraft  is the oldest,  most irrepressible religion  in  the 
world  because it stimulates the intellect,  promotes a  simple, 
practical  way  of life and,  most importantly,  is  emotionally 
satisfying.  Its roots lie in the ancient Matriarchal systems of 
Goddess  worship.   A  religion of Nature in which  the  primary 
deity  is female (The Essence of Femininity,  The Earth  Mother, 
The Great Mother, etc.).

It  was  easy for the Wise Ones to look at the world around  them 
and see the great importance of Feminine Principle.   The  female 
was,  indeed,  the  one  who  bore the young,  perhaps  the  most 
magickal of all events to ancient man.   Then,  she played by far 
the  most  important role in rearing  the  young,  being  totally 
responsible  for feeding,  for without her milk there was no life 
past birth.   She was responsible for the teaching and early care 
of the young.   In all youths the greatest comfort and  nurturing 
love  were  connected  with the mother.   These  revelations  and 
experiences could hardly lead to any other choice than the  total 
reverence and deification of the female.

Although  The Great Mother is the most important  deity,  Witches 
do,  generally,  recognize  many Goddesses and/or Gods and  are, 
therefore,  polytheistic.   The tenets of Witchcraft are few  but 
all-encompassing,  for  with three simple Universal  Observations
all of life can be explained and understood:


                1)  Reincarnation  - Mortality
                2)  Cause & Effect - Magick
                3)  Retribution    - Morality

Reincarnation  enlightens the Witch to the fact that,  as we come 
to  this  material world over and over in a  series  of  learning 
periods,  or lifetimes, we will eventually have to experience all 
things,  be  all things,  understand all things.   This creates a 
great tolerance for other viewpoints in the Witch.

Cause & Effect,  and an understanding of it,  allows the Witch to 
see  what makes the world work and how to live most  efficiently.  
It  gives them a great advantage in that it explains the  working 
of Magick.

Retribution shows the Witch, in graphic terms, that every thought 
one might have,  every action one may take,  is returned in  like 
kind.   This realization forms the basis of the Moral Code of the 
Witch.

The  Patriarchal  Societies which evolved in later times  had  no 
tolerance for the Goddess religions and systematically set out to 
destroy the material vestiges,  kill or convert the adherents and 
wipe  out all knowledge of them.  They destroyed the temples  and 
other  places  of  worship,  desecrated  the  sacred  groves  and 
magickal places,  attempted to pervert the old deities, mutilated 
and totally suppressed sacred art, tore down libraries and burned 
books,   tortured  and  killed  the  practitioners  of  the   Old 
Religions,  demeaned,  persecuted  and oppressed women in general 
and  passed  strictly enforced laws which made theirs  the  State 
Religion and forbade all other viewpoints.  

Despite  the  centuries  of  insidious  persecution,   deliberate 
destruction  and  perversions  at  the  hands  of  the  Christian 
Conspirators, Witchcraft has survived.



                        COMMON INQUIRIES



I've  heard the terms 'White Witch' and 'Black Witch'.   Can  you 
explain?

In  this connotation,  white is referring to Positive,  Black  is 
referring to Negative.   A White Witch then is someone who  tries 
to do Positive or Good things.   Black Witch could be a term used 
to describe someone who deliberately does Negative or Bad things.  
A  True Witch believes in the Law of Retribution and would  never 
deliberately  harm anyone or anything or participate in  Negative 
or Destructive acts.



Is  it  possible  for  me to practice  Witchcraft  and  remain  a 
Christian?

No.    The   Christian  Doctrine  states,   unequivocally,   that 
Christians  shall  have no other Gods before the  Christian  God.  
Christian  Doctrine  says to believe in any other deities  or  to 
practice  any  other  religion is not only  evil  but  should  be 
punished by death, specifically naming Witchcraft.  The Christian 
Doctrine  also denies Reincarnation and prescribes punishment for 
those who practice Magick.


Devil worship?

Witches   do  not  worship  the   Devil.    Witchcraft   predates 
Christianity  and does not incorporate a belief in the  Christian 
Devil.

The  Wise Ones did deify the Masculine Principle and quite  often 
He  was depicted as The Great Horned God;   Pan,  Cernunnos,  the 
Great  Stag,  The Green Man.   To the  Traditional  Witch,  the 
Masculine Deity (the Goddess' Consort) is very important, revered 
and loved.   He is the perfect Father,  the Lord Protector.   The 
Horned God of the Witches is loving, kind and good.


Don't men have difficulty with a supreme female deity?  There are 
some  groups  which  give equal status to  the  female  and  male 
deities.

Neo-Pagans are,  by definition,  people who attempt to live  with 
the Old Country Ways in a new,  modern day manner.  And while, in 
this modern era,  equal status for the deities may be popular, as 
it   relates   to  Witchcraft  it  is   historically   incorrect.  
Therefore,  a  group  which  does not recognize  the  Goddess  as 
primary  deity is not practicing The Ancient Art.  Indeed,  they, 
generally,  know  very  little about  Witchcraft,  despite  their 
claims.   Traditional  Dualistic  Witches  do  most  emphatically 
believe  that  women  and  men are equal,  but  have  no  trouble 
relating to the Goddess.   The Male Witch finds great comfort and 
solace in his Great Mother.


Do I have to join a Coven?

No.   It  is not necessary nor is it desirable for a  great  many 
people.   Some people enjoy the support and companionship a Coven 
provides,  others enjoy solitary worship.  The Coven, which is an 
extremely close knit worship group,  may not be possible for some 
because of location, family climate, availability, etc. 



Why is Witchcraft secretive?

The horror of the 'Burning Time' is still very real to the Witch.  
The  past persecutions were severe.   Even so,  in today's  more 
enlightened  society the need for complete secrecy  has  lessened 
and  many  are  able to share their beliefs  openly.   Very  few, 
however,  are  willing to expose their very personal and  private 
religious expressions to others who may not understand.


What do I have to do to become a Witch?

The  answer to this question is very simple.   To become a  Witch 
one must follow the religion of Witchcraft.   To do this one must 
believe  in  the Goddess as primary deity and  follow  the  three 
basic  tenets.   How  simple!   How  uncomplicated!   How  Pagan!  
Everything  else  concerning witchcraft is simply minor  details.  
Details  that  vary from Aspect to Aspect,  Coven  to  Coven  and 
individual  to individual.   The details are relatively personal.  
They should not become more important than the basic tenets.   If 
you do not understand,  believe and practice Witchcraft,  you are 
not a Witch.   No one can make you a Witch.  Reading about it can 
not  make you a Witch.   An Initiation can not make you a  Witch.  
Saying you are a Witch, one thousand and fifty two times, can not 
make you a Witch.

In  the search for your individual path beware of those who would 
take  advantage  of you.   Do not fall prey to  the  unscrupulous 
charlatans who would swindle you in a monetary sense  (mail-order 
courses,  charges  for teaching or initiations,  vows of poverty, 
etc.),  exploit  you  sexually or manipulate you  for  their  own 
personal ego-trips.




'Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true  happiness.' -- Bertrand Russell    
 
   
           CHARMED, I'M SURE    
       The Ethics of Love Spells    
       =========================    
            by Mike Nichols    
  
    
  *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    
     
To gain the love of someone:  On a night of the full moon, walk to a spot 
beneath your beloved's bedroom window, and whisper his/her name three times to the nightwind.   
                                 
                  --Ozark love spell   

  *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    

     

     It seems to be an immutable law of nature.  You are interviewed by a local radio or TV station, or in some local newspaper.  The topic of the interview is Witchcraft or Paganism, and you spend the better part of an hour brilliantly articulating your beliefs, your devotion to Goddess and nature, the difference between Witchcraft and Satanism, and generally enlightening the public at large.  The next day, you are flooded with calls.  Is it people complimenting you on such a splendid interview?  No.  People wanting to find out more about the religion of Wicca?  Huh-uh.  People who are even vaguely interested in what you had to say???  Nope.  Who is it?  It's people asking you to do a love spell for them!   This used to drive me nuts.  I'd take a deep breath and patiently explain (for the thousandth time) why I won't even do love spells for myself, let alone anyone else.  This generally resulted in my caller becoming either angry or defensive, but seldom more enlightened.  'But don't you DO magic?', they ask.  'Only occasionally,' I answer.  'And aren't most magic spells love
spells?', they persist.  That was the line I really hated, because I knew they were right!  At least, if you look at the table of contents of most books on magic, you'll find more love spells than any other kind.  This seems as true for the medieval grimoire as for the modern drugstore paperback.  

      Why?  Why so many books containing so many love spells?  Why such an
emphasis on a kind of magic that I, personally, have always considered very
negative?  And to make matters even more confusing, the books that do take the trouble of dividing spells between 'positive' and 'negative' magic invariably list love spells under the first heading.  After all, they would argue, love is a good thing.  There can never be too much of it.  Therefore, any spell that brings about love must be a GOOD spell.  Never mind that the spell puts a straightjacket on another's free will, and then drops it in cement for good measure.  


      And that is why I had always assumed love magic to be negative magic. Years ago, one of the first things I learned as a novice Witch was something called the Witch's Rede, a kind of 'golden rule' in traditional Witchcraft.  It states, 'An it harm none, do what thou will.'  One uses this rede as a kind of ethical litmus test for a spell.  If the spell brings harm to someone -- anyone (including yourself!) -- then don't do it!  Unfortunately, this rule contains a loophole big enough to fly a broom through.  It's commonly expressed, 'Oh, this won't HARM them; it's really for their own good.'  When you hear someone say that, take cover, because something especially nasty is about to happen.  

      That's why I had to develop my own version of the Witch's Rede.  Mine
says that if a spell harms anyone, OR LIMITS THEIR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT OR ACTION IN ANY WAY, then consider it negative, and don't do it.  Pretty strict, you say?  Perhaps.  But there's another law in Witchcraft called the Law of Threefold Return.  This says that whatever power you send out, eventually comes back to you three times more powerful.  So I take no chances.  And love spells, of the typical make-Bobby-love-me type, definitely have an impact on another's free will.  

      So why are they so common?  It's taken me years to make peace with this, but I think I finally understand.  The plain truth is that most of us NEED love.  Without it, our lives are empty and miserable.  After our basic survival needs have been met, we must have affection and companionship for a full life.  And if it will not come of its own accord, some of us may be tempted to FORCE it to come.  And nothing can be as painful as loving someone who doesn't love you back.  Consequently, the most common, garden-variety spell in the world is the love spell.  

      Is there ever a way to do a love spell and yet stay within the parameters of the Witch's Rede?  Possibly.  Some teachers have argued that if a spell doesn't attempt to attract a SPECIFIC person into your life, but rather attempts to attract the RIGHT person, whomever that may be, then it is not negative magic.  Even so, one should make sure that the spell finds people who are 'right' for each other -- so that neither is harmed, and both are made happy.  

      Is there ever an excuse for the make-Bobby-love-me type of spell? 
Without endorsing this viewpoint, I must admit that the most cogent argument in its favor is the following: Whenever you fall in love with someone, you do everything in your power to impress them.  You dress nicer, are more attentive, witty, and charming.  And at the same time, you unconsciously set in motion some very powerful psychic forces.  If you've ever walked into a room where someone has a crush on you, you know what I mean.  You can FEEL it.  Proponents of this school say that a love spell only takes the forces that are ALREADY there -- MUST be there if you're in love -- and channels them more efficiently.  But the energy would be there just the same, whether or not you use a spell to focus it.  

      I won't attempt to decide this one for you.  People must arrive at their own set of ethics through their own considerations.  However, I would call to your attention all the cautionary tales in folk magic about love spells gone awry.  Also, if a love spell has been employed to join two people who are not naturally compatible, then one must keep pumping energy into the spell.  And when one finally tires of this (and one will, because it is hard work!) then the spell will unravel amidst an emotional and psychic hurricane that will make the stormiest divorces seem calm by comparison.  Not a pretty picture.  
      It should be noted that many spells that pass themselves off as love
spells are, in reality, sex spells.  Not that there's anything surprising in that, since our most basic needs usually include sex.  But I think we should be clear from the outset what kind of spell it is.  And the same ethical standards used for love spells can often be applied to sex spells.  Last year, the very quotable Isaac Bonewits, author of 'Real Magic', taught a sex magic class here at the Magick Lantern, and he tossed out the following rule of thumb: Decide what the mundane equivalent of your spell would be, and ask yourself if you could be arrested for it.  For example, some spells are like sending a letter to your beloved in the mail, whereas other spells are tantamount to abduction.  The former is perfectly legal and normal, whereas the latter is felonious.  

      One mitigating factor in your decisions may be the particular tradition
of magic you follow.  For example, I've often noticed that practitioners of
Voudoun (Voodoo) and Santeria seem much more focused on the wants and needs of day-to-day living than on the abstruse ethical considerations we've been
examining here.  That's not a value judgement -- just an observation.  For
example, most followers of Wicca STILL don't know how to react when a Santerian priest spills the blood of a chicken during a ritual -- other than to feel pretty queasy.  The ethics of one culture is not always the same as another.  

      And speaking of cultural traditions, another consideration is how a
culture views love and sex.  It has often been pointed out that in our
predominant culture, love and sex are seen in very possessive terms, where the beloved is regarded as one's personal property.  If the spell uses this
approach, treating a person as an object, jealously attempting to cut off all other relationships, then the ethics are seriously in doubt.  However, if the spell takes a more open approach to love and sex, not attempting to limit a person's other relationships in any way, then perhaps it is more defensible.  Perhaps.  Still, it might be wise to ask, Is this the kind of spell I'd want someone to cast on me?  

      Love spells.  Whether to do them or not.  If you are a practitioner of magic, I dare say you will one day be faced with the choice.  If you haven't yet, it is only a matter of time.  And if the answer is yes, then which spells are ethical and which aren't?  Then you, and only you, will have to decide whether 'All's fair in love and war', or whether there are other, higher, metaphysical considerations.  

	 DRAWING DOWN THE MOON 

In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast.  The High Priest stands in front of her and says:    

	"Diana, queen of night
	In all your beauty bright,
	Shine on us here,
	And with your silver beam
	Unlock the gates of dream;
	Rise bright and clear.
	On Earth and sky and sea,
	Your magic mystery
	Its spell shall cast,
	Wherever leaf may grow,
	Wherever tide may flow,
	Till all be past.
	O secret queen of power,
	At this enchanted hour
	We ask your boon.
	May fortune's favor fall
	Upon true witches all,
	O Lady Moon!"

The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priest kneels again and invokes:

	"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us	all,
         bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root,
         by bud	and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit,
         by life and love do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this,
         thy servant and priestess."



During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says:

	"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
	Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
	Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
	With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
	Thy foot is to my lip
	(he kisses her right foot)      
	my prayer up borne
	Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
	Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
	To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."

The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:

	"Of the Mother darksome and divine
	Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
	The five point star of love and bliss
	Here I charge you in this sign."

The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the Charge or the Witches' Creed.

When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed. It is bad magical practice not to do so.

The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:

	"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell till 
         next we call you. Blessed Be."


Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983 and dismissal added by Seastrider. Distributed over various BBS systems via Ravensong.




	 CALLING ALL CRONES 
	by Grey Cat
 
Into  the  dark, the pale light of the waning moon  brings  forth 
shapeless shadows; bushes, a wandering stone fieldwall,  nameless 
areas  of blackness.  Some still, some moving; no night for  good 
folk  to stray from cot or castle.  Black hares amove across  the 
moors,  black cattle idly gossip together, one old woman  dressed 
in black searches the grass for secret herbs.  And there  amongst 
the standing stones, age heavy upon their backs, three hags  dare 
all the mercy of God's Holy Mother Church to make the magic of an 
older race. 
 
``Call  old  Mother  Piggot,  she  knows  the  proper  words  for 
warts.''...   ``Tis  Goody  Nurse you'll need if it's  a  son  ye 
want.''...   ``Tis  naught but an Old Wives  Tale.''...   ``Don't 
mind  Mother, she hasn't been herself since she went through  the 
Change of Life.'' 
 
Looming high over the imagination of humankind, the shadow of the 
Crone casts a miasma of fear and uselessness, power and casting-- 
out, across the myths of our race and society. 
	I  have  talked and talked to women who either  have  arrived  at 
crone  time or who are preparing themselves for  this  transition 
and  we  have found much to talk about.  And I think that  it  is 
important  that  we  keep right on talking after  the  season  of 
Gatherings  has  passed  for  the year.   I  have  absolutely  no 
interest  in trying to start a newsletter for Crones, nor  really 
of  founding  OWL (Old Woman's League), SOW  (Salty  Old  Women), 
CRONE (Clearly Rational Older Natural Energy), nor HAG (Honorable 
Aged Geniuses). 
	However, I, no more than many of you, want to have to wait  until 
next  year  to  get a chance to  discuss  all  these  fascinating 
topics.   So how about some suggestions, and perhaps some  offers 
of  help.   Would  we  like to cooperate  in  an  APAZine*  which 
dispenses  with an editing and layout burden, leaving some  low-- 
level  bookkeeping which I don't mind doing.  Does  someone  feel 
like  working  on  a  Newsletter?  Do we want  to  form  a  loose 
organization as part of or instead of the above?  Or are most  of 
us too busy to do anything about this between gatherings? 
	I'll  be sending this letter to people I know personally  and  to 
many  Pagan publications; you'll probably see it often enough  to 
be  sick  of  the  whole idea.  But there  is  a  lot  of  magick 
available  in  the  Time  of  the  Crone.   There  is  a  lot  of 
sociological pressure to understand, combat or accept.  And there 
is  a whole lot of our lives left for us to function  as  Crones. 
If we don't figure out what it is and what to do with it,  nobody 
else will. 
	So  write me at the address below (SASE appreciated) and  let  me 
know  what  you  think about the whole idea, what  you  might  be 
willing  to  do, what insights you may have about Crone  Time  -- 
let's figure out what has been left out of all the books.   We're 
already ``Uppity Women'' and we've nothing to lose but a bad rap. 
(Crones  are  assumed  to be women more or less  at  the  age  of 
menopause or past it.  Baby Crones are any who realize that  this 
time is not far away.) 
		Grey Cat P.O. Box 181 Crossville, TN  38555 
 

                                                      THE ELEMENTS

                            Air                 Fire               Water               Earth               Akasha        

Characteristics     Transparent, light  Force of motion     Clear, Heavy        Massive             Essence
                    Reflective          Animator            Reflective, Insula. Insulator           Multi dimensional
                    Insulator           Weightless          Absorptive          Resists motion      Transformative
                    Compressible &      Radiative           Non-compressible    non compress/Expand  Compr/Expandable
                    Expandable          Compr/Expandable    Expandable          Endurance           Endurance, mobile
                    Moveable, Mutable   Non-mutable         Smooth flowing      Stable, solid       Highly mutable
                    Malleable           Storable            Malleable/mutable   Non-mutable         malleable, balanced,
                    Male, Penetrating   Male,Penetrating    Female,Receptive    Receptive-to water  Transcends E,A,F,W
                    Mediator            Evaporates water    Mediator            Female              yet immanent
                    Reacts to Energy     for movement by    Carries Fire        Renews and
                    Carries Fire         air                  Air & Earth       nourishes
                    
  Non-local Essence Logos, switching    Power, force        Act of choosing     Underlying          Underlying,
                    mechanism           prime mover         Intuitive           Stability           connecting all

       Energy Flow  Crown down          Spine behind        Front to heart      Base of spine up    Non local
                                        heart to hands      with love energy

           Feeling  Free                Enthusiastic,       Love                Centeredness        Ecstasy & Bliss
                                        energized
Correspondences
                   
         Direction  East                South               West                North               Center
 Direction of view  Outward             Forward/Future      Inward              To past             Holistic

    Part of Person  Mind                Will, lifeforce     Emotions,intuition  Body                Spirit
                                        (spirit)                                                    
     Consciousness  Intelligence        Will                Wisdom              Memory              Enlightenment
   Physical action  Thinking            Asserting will      Making love         Sleep, experiencing 
                                        Breaking barriers   Partying,           unity 
  Spiritual aspect  Enlightenment       Life-force          Compassion          Serenity/beingness  Om tat sat

            Colors  Clear/White/Blue    Red/Yellow          Silver/blue/purple  Green/gold/brown    Ultraviolet

              Time  Dawn                Noon                Sunset              Night               Now and all time
            Season  Spring              Summer              Fall                Winter              Kalpas
      Astrological  Libra, Aq., Gemini  Ares,Leo,Sagitar.   Cancer,Scorp,Pices  Capr.,Taurus, Virgo
                    3,7,11 House
                    Mercury
             Tarot  Swords (esp. Queen) Rods                Cups                Disks

    Physical state  Gas                 Plasma/Energy       Liquid              Solid               Singularity

           Spirits  Sylph               Salamander          Undine              Gnome               Demigods,God(ess)s

           Deities  Zeus, Urania,       Ares, Hestia,       Poseidon, Aphrodite Gaia, Pan, Hera     Isis, Buddha, Ahura
                    Athena, Aradia      Brigid, Hermes      Tiamat,Isis         Demeter, Rhiannon   Mazda, Quan Yin, True
                    Thoth,              Pele, Vulcan,Agni                       Adonis, Dionysus    will, Zeus, Hera

     Power Animals  Eagle/hawk          Dragon, lion        Fish, seal          Buffalo, stag       Any
                                                                                Otter

            Symbol  Circle              Triangle            Crescent            Square              Infinity Sign, white
                                                                                                    egg, equal arm cross

             Tools  Incense             Red Candle          Chalice             Pentagram           Wand, Athame, Crystal
                                                                                                    cauldron, ankh

      Incense/Odor  Sandlewood/mellow   Frankincense/spicy  Rose/flowery        Musk/Goaty/earthy   Combination incense
           Feeling  cool & fresh        Warm                Tingles like spray  Rigidity, Centered  
             Taste                                          Salty               Bitter
   
            Image   Billowing clouds    Erupt. Volcano      Waterfall           Mountain/landscape  Blue-white light
                                                                                plants & animals

     Word of Power  YOD-EH-VAV-HE       ADNI(add dough nay) AHIA (Aiy Hey Yeh)  AGLA (ah gal lah)   OM

Kabbalistic action  Movement            Expansion           Contraction         Stability           Underlying essence


       Wind Spirit  Eurus               Notus               Zephyrus            Borus               Tornado of power
                                                                                                    manifesting deities
              Bija  Yam (Yaungg)        Ram (Raumgg)        VAM (Vaungg)        Lam (Laung)         Hum (Haumgg)/Om
   
      Affirmation   I am intelligent    I am powerful       I am creative       I am strong,        I am balanced
                                                            & intuitive         centered & know     I am all
                    
         Posture    Arms raised         Arms above head     Arms extended       Arms extended       back straight
                    Parallel            forming triangle    palms up            palms down          arms sweep then 
                                                                                                    at side

         Virtues    Intelligence,       Courage,            Love, compassion    Centeredness        Beyond
                    practical, joy      enthusiasm,         receptivity,flexib. Patience, truth
                                        willpower           forgiveness         thorough, dependable

           Vices    Impulsive,frivolous Anger, jealousy     Indifference,       Dullness, laziness  Beyond
                    boasting,           hatred, bullying    depression          inconsiderateness
                    easily fooled                           unstable            hang-ups
                                                            
          Chakra    Heart               behind waste        Behind sex organ    Base                Crown/third eye


           Other    Quick response                                              Brigid
                    Networking
                    communicative
                    linking people
                      into social 
                      unit
                    active
                    
                    Dawn, day, drive
                    heat, yellow
                    plants expression
                    of DNA              
   
                    Benevolent 
                     dictator
                    Purple
                    Billowing clouds    


	 THE AUTARCHIC CREED 
 
We of the Old Religion have our own particular compact with our
deities that charges simply, "An it harm none, do as ye will."
And our gods do not despise us for being human but delight in our
celebrations of life and love. We are ageless souls, only for a
while within bodies - merely visitors upon this plane. We are
brothers to the gods and only temporarily cousins to the ape,
and our lives belong to us, not to this world nor to its earthly
governors. We are not doomed to shame and decay; not lost; not
indentured to perish with earthly manifestations; not disposed
to eternal misery for any past or present lapses of courage or
wisdom. We are as children in the school of life who must learn
our lessons, on life at a time, before we graduate. Our lives
span the march of time, striving upward, subordinate only to our
individual probity and growth.
 
But in this mortal life, greedy, trivial hierophants and mundane
rulers have perpetrated a fraud upon humanity. They have purloined
for profit and temporal power, our legitimate heritage, and that of
all society, and have substituted for it shame, despair, and fear,
inventing evil deities to terrify and to constrain mankind from the
exercise of his own native conscience.
 
Still we take our uncertain portion time and again, joining with the 
species on this plane, only to meet with earthly disunity and distress;
only to be told by bogus, uncelestial shepherds that we are deficient
and fundamentally iniquitous; constantly rebuked that our natural
birthright is insubstantial or even sinful, and that we must cleave
to the pious injunctions of reigning mortals, no matter how oppressive,
or suffer beyond measurable time, yearning for some mythical golden
glory just out of reach, but somehow never quite worthy of it.
 
That is the apocryphal hell and the fabled satan; they are of mortal
creation; they are now, not in some remote bye-and-bye; and those who
choose to believe in them perpetuate them in this earth. But nevertheless,
by sublime design, despite narrowness, folly or fear, we all, each
and every one, possess this wondrous legacy:
 
 that each of us sustains a singular covenant with the cosmic, in that
the soul is and ever was, one with the universe, conducting itself in
concordance with the absolute. And whatever paths it may walk, or 
whichever faith it may follow, on sojourn at a time, each shall as a
consequence of that oneness, and attuning with its destiny, eventually
return on its own to its source to again be part of that totality,
atoned, aware and unshackled.
                                                      "JUSTIFICUS"

	 Dealing with psychic attack 
	Zhahai Stewart


What to do if you think you are being attacked. 
 
 1 - Question if it is really either imagination, or coming from within
yourself.  Something may be trying to get your attention, but it may not be
external, and by focussing on an external "enemy" you may be missing the
point. 
 
 2 - Check to see if you are yourself inadvertently sending something out;
maybe someone is just reflecting some energy back!  Nothing is gained if you
get into adversarial mode in that case.  Many people have been taught that
reflecting is the proper response. 
 
 3 - Put up a grounding shield.  Ground it out, send it to the Mother who
can recycle the energy.  Grounding is usually taught to every student. If you
don't feel you can be a "conduit" safely, ground it by reflecting  it
downward to the Earth; that is a big target and easy to hit.  By  grounding
it out, you are protecting yourself, yet not being caught up in it. 
 
 What not to do. 
 
 1 - Figure out who is sending it and counter attack.  You might be wrong,
and may be starting a feud.  You might be right, but they may not realize
that they are "sending" so you may start a feud or cause unnecessary harm.
Even if you are right, you are escalating a feud, of which we have too many.
This is commonly discussed as a bad idea. 
 
 2 - Put up a reflective shield which will return the energy to the sender.
This is commonly discussed as a good idea, but we disagree.  We think this is
unwise. 
 
 For one thing, it is not necessary; if you can make an accurate return
reflection, you can certainly reflect it to Earth instead (where it can be
recycled).  There is no reason you should not be able to ground out more
energy than you can accurately reflect to the sender, if viewed properly. 
 
 For another, your accuracy in returning it may be less than perfect.  You
might hit close but not close enough; if you can't reflect it to earth, you
are going to have trouble reflecting it to an unknown person. 
 
 Sometimes this is discussed as if once you return it, the sender will just
stop; because they will awaken to what they are doing, or because the
returning energy will be too much to handle. The thing which is seldom
mentioned is that if the sender (assuming there is one) was consciously
attacking, they will likely already be prepared with their own mirrors, etc. 
Great, if we put near perfect mirrors at each end and pump in energy, maybe
we can get a psychic laser effect; guess who is just on the other side of the
mirrors to catch the intensified leakthru? 
 

 If they weren't aware of sending, they will probably just assume they are 
being attacked and take countermeasures.  If they follow the 3 steps above,
fine, nothing is damaged.  But many of them will immediately think they  have
to put up a defensive mirror, or maybe worse (see below; they may decide to
teach you a lesson for attacking them).  Few people naturally respond to
perceived attacks positively (especially if they are in such a bad mood
already as to be sending without even realizing it). 
 
 Another serious concern is getting drawn into a unacknowledged feud by your
 own weaknesses.  It is often agreed that one should reflect back exactly
what is received, without adding anything of one's own.  But the same people
who advocate that may use terms implying "returning it with enthusiasm".
There appears to be an easily tapped source of self-righteousness in most
people feeling attacked, and it is _very hard_ not to get drawn into
imagining, at some level, the satisfying effects of the energy going back to
the attacker; that draws one into a "counter-attack" even without realizing
it.  Grounding it does not. 
 
 Watch for yourself when people are discussing "returning to sender"; see if
there isn't very often a hidden desire for revenge or retribution lurking
there grasping for their "control panel" - and deflecting their normal
attempts at staying centered by claiming to do no more than is "justified".
Justified is not the question; self knowledge and balance are. 
 
 There is another thread which shows up often in discussions like these; the
need to "teach the sender a lesson".  In some cases, I have even heard this
justified as "protecting the community".  This way lies many (+_D did
the goddess give you an "agent of threefold return" marshall's badge, that
exempts you from any consequences "because you are just an agent"?  That 
hubris is gonna teach some hard lessons, but the self appointed marshall may
be the major recipient.  It would be a little bit healthier to just shed the 
self-righteousness and call it an ego driven feud.  "Teaching them a lesson"
gets filed under the pitfalls of righteousness, the ways that one's own 
weaknesses seduce one. 
 
 Also consider, what if despite your initial impression, the negative energy
is really coming from inside, from part of you?  Are you going to be better
off "reflecting it back" (maybe with additional conscious or  unconscious
oomph) or grounding it?  "Gee, I returned it but good, and now  they have
stepped it up; the sender really needs a lesson!".  That may be more true
than you know, bucko. 
 
 Notice that nowhere do we say that one has no "right" to put up a
reflective shield; of course one does, and is fully justified.  Also,
possibly, unwise. There is a distinction between what one has a "right" to do
in "self defense", and what is wise to get drawn into.  Reflecting it is
neither necessary, nor likely to produce positive results, but if _that
itself_ is the lesson to  be learned, what can I say?  Each chooses their own
path, and that is as it should be.  At least if one has considered the above,
one should know what they are stepping into. 
 

                       ETHICS OR ETIQUETTE 
                            by Ellen

     Recently  in  conversation with friends in a small  intimate 
gathering,  I  mentioned outer-court names and passed on  gossip.  
Later I was told that I had "violated etiquette."  Had I?

     Etiquette  is socially accepted forms  of  behavior,  agreed 
upon  by the  members of a community.   Ethics involves morality, 
the  nature of right as determined by a group or an  individual.I 
believe there is a great deal of confusion of these terms in  the 
"Pagan Community."

     Going  by  fairly traditional rules there are the  "Laws  of 
Wicca."   Among these there is a very firm one saying one  should 
never  reveal another person as a Witch without their permission.  
However  a  person who has revealed themselves  publicly  as  a 
witch  shouldn't  complain.   And is it a violation of ethics  to 
tell of a person by their outer-court name?   Only insiders could 
know the legal name of the person, so what is the danger? 

     Ethics can be fairly easily agreed upon in the general pagan 
community.  Anything that puts someone else in an embarrassing or 
dangerous position is unethical.   We all make mistakes at times, 
but we try to act in a manner consistent with our ethical code.  
Etiquette, on the other hand, is very deceiving.  We assume, 
since  we  are all members of the "Neo-Pagan Community"  that  we 
have the same etiquette.  But the only etiquette I have ever been 
explicitly told about involves greetings to be exchanged  between 
members  of a group and their high priestess or between two  high 
priestess of different groups.  What about a more common meeting?  

     Say a friend of mine is tired of being a solitary and wishes 
to  come to a group celebration.   What etiquette should I follow 
to  bring this person to such a circle?   I could either  contact 
the group beforehand and ask permission,  or tell them I will  be 
bringing  a  guest,  or I could simply bring a guest  -  with  no 
warning at all.   In the first situation,  the responsibility and 
decision is theirs; in the second I am responsible for my guest's 
behavior;  in  the third I am a boor and will never be invited to 
their circles again.

     No  one has covered all the possible conflict situations  in 
the Pagan Community.   So there is no way I could agree to follow 
an  "etiquette."  My general code is simply to use common  sense, 
and give the other person an easy out.  For example, if you think 
someone else is a Witch and wish to find out, you might tell them  
that you are one.  To receive trust you have to give it first.


     A secondary problem in this situation is how does one keep a 
secret?  Should  one only speak in whispers,  or when no  one  is 
within 100 paces?  I think that looks furtive and produces suspi-
cion in the mind of outsiders. Or do we follow Poe's lead and put 
the secret out in the open and disarm the opposition? 

     I  know several people who studiously "maintain secrecy" but 
everyone knows that they are "witches." Worse,  because of  their 
secrecy,  their  colleagues don't know what a witch is except  it 
must be nasty since they won't speak of it.  I do not proclaim my 
religion,  nor do I hide it, and I have never had any problems. I 
hear  3rd  hand horror stories but would like to hear first  hand 
experiences, good or bad. Please write me c/o Panegyria.

Dream News
----------


NUCLEAR NIGHTMARES:  With the threat of nuclear war hanging overhead, it is not
surprising that our dreams might reflect this source of anxiety.  In fact,
reports peace psychologist Randy Morris, PhD, many children in our country, not
to mention in other nations, have had nuclear imagery in their dreams.  Are
such dreams simply another example of how daily anxieties are reflected in our
nighttime ruminations?  Possibly, but Dr. Morris offers another explanation. 
"Could it be some kind of collective survival mechanism to come as close as
possible to experiencing, in order to reject, our self-destruction?"

.    "I believe," he states, in answer to his question, "that nuclear
nightmares represent an impulse on the part of this collective psyche to
confront directly the horror of nuclear war, literally, to 'imagine the
unimaginable,' and by so doing to take the first step toward healing this
festering rupture in the family of man.  These dreams, as expressions of pure
emotion, have the power to motivate people to work in new ways for peace
movement."  Dr. Morris notes that the threat of nuclear war is increased by the
number of people who simply cannot imagine that it would ever happen.  Nuclear
nightmares tend to be very "real" in their feeling, and thus may be a natural
counterbalance to the ostrich syndrome.

.    Anyone who has had a nuclear nightmare, or any kind of dream involving
nuclear imagery, is invited to write a letter to Randy Morris, PhD, Hiroshima
International School, 2-2-6 Ushita-naka, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima 730, Japan,
leave a message in ANECDOTAL PSI or PREMONITIONS REGISTRY.


SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME:  SUICIDE BY NIGHTMARE:  A healthy adult goes to sleep at
night but then never wakes up.  The medical examiners can find no cause of
death?  What happened.  No one knows, but it happens enough to have earned a
name, "sudden death syndrome," and to warrant having the Atlanta Center for
Disease Control monitor the incidence of such cases.  One population group,
Laotian refugees, has a higher than average mortality from sudden death
syndrome.  Dr. Joseph Jay Tobin, reporting in the American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry (July, 1983), presents a case study that leads him to suggest
that this phenomenon may be suicide by nightmare.

.   The patient was a male refugee from war-torn Laos, who had been recently
relocated with his family to their own apartment in an American city.  Shortly
thereafter, the man complained of difficulty sleeping.  He reported nightmares
in which something (once a cat, once a dog and once a woman) came to him in his
bedroom, sat on his chest and tried to prevent his breathing.  Dr. Tobin
arranged for a Laotian healer to perform a "spirit cure," which was consistent
with the patient's world view.  Afterwards, Dr. Tobin investigated further into
the patient's background.


.    Examination of the patient's history revealed that he was suffering from
"survivor's guilt."  This post-traumatic malady, first identified in survivors
of the Holocaust, combines depression and paranoia with the nagging feeling,
"why was I saved when so many others died?"  Dr. Tobin also discovered that
among South Asian persons there is the belief in something akin to "voodoo
death," called banqunqut, or "Oriental nightmare death," in which a person is
believed to be killed during sleep by a spirit which squeezes out the breath. 
Apparently a similar belief was held in Europe during the Middle Ages.  At that
time, the name, "incubi" was given to the presumed spirit, from the Latin word
for nightmare, incubus.

.    Previous medical research has indicated that heart attacks can be
precipitated in dreams and that certain psychosomatic disorders can be
dangerously aggravated during the sleep state.  Other research focussing on the
healing potential of dreams, nevertheless receives indirect support for the
physical potency of dreams by the suggestion that they might also be a vehicle
of death.


DREAM AFTER SURGERY RESTORES INTEGRITY OF PERSONALITY:  Major surgery is a
harrowing experience, a trauma to the personality, for the person submits their
life, while unconscious under anesthesia, to the operation of other people's
hands upon their vital organs.  The most critical aspect of the surgery
experience--the operation itself--seems beyond the reach of the patient's
personality to integrate, as would be needed following any traumatic
experience, because of the anesthesia.  Patient's occasional reports of
"witnessing" their operation, and statements, by psychics such as Edgar Cayce
or philosophers such as Alfred North Whitehead, that the mind never sleeps,
that it registers everything, would suggest that despite the anesthesia, it
should be theoretically possible for the post-operative patient to regain
access to the surgery experience so that it could be digested and the recovery
made more complete.  Dr. Paul W. Pruyser, of the Menninger Foundation,
reporting in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic (June, 1983) suggests that
such an integration of the surgery experience may occur through a dream!

.    Dr. Pruyser writes about his experience undergoing emergency, triple
coronary bypass surgery and how his recuperation was helped by a dream he had
five days after the operation.  In his dream, he visits a little-known,
secluded part of the hospital grounds, a ruins site from the 19th century,
where he encounters a heavy metal door.  The door opens with eerie creak and he
enters a dimly lit cave.  He finds three strange, two-story, cubical habitats,
each with leaky and rusty pipes meant to furnish heat to the inside from a
centrally located, old-fashioned wood-burning cook stove that was very
dilapidated.


.    When he awoke from this dream, he reports that he felt elated and
immensely satisfied, because, in his own words, "my mind had found access to an
experience I was not supposed to have undergone at all because of the total
anesthesia."  He believes, for example, that the creaking of the door was
actually the sound of his rib cage when it was opened by the surgeon.  He
provides background information to develop an interpretation of the details of
the dream, which in essence refers to his confrontation with his heart and its
clogged arteries and with his ancestral history of coronary deficiency.  More
generally, he ascribes to his dream an act of restoration of the integrity of
his personality--"a guarantee of the continuity of selfhood"--after being the
threatened by his near brush with death.  The ability of dreams to spontaneously
provide this otherwise missing ingredient to total recovery deserves further
investigation.  (Author's address:  Menninger Foundation, P.O. Box 829, Topeka,
KS  66601).


GROUP DREAMING:  What happens when a group of people attempt to dream about the
same thing?  The December, 1983 issue of Omni Magazine reports the work of
Henry Reed (DreamNet Sysop) on an intriguing approach to studying the psychic
potential of dreams.  A group of dreamers would be gathered together, he would
introduce them to a stranger said to be suffering from an undisclosed problem,
and ask the group to dream for this person, to see if they could dream up a
solution to the person's problem.  In the morning the dreams were analyzed, the
person's problem was revealed, and the pieces of information from the several
dreams were pieced together to develop a solution.  Most of the dreams
evidenced psychic information in the dreams.  Pooling the dreams enhanced the
visibility of the psychic effect.  Having a good reason for dreaming
telepathically seems to increase the probability of psychic material in the
dreams.  For further reading:  "Dreaming for Mary, "Sundance Community Dream
Journal, #3  (See Mail Order Services).


EXPLORING YOUR DREAMS:  For a "hands-on" guide to the "New Dreamwork" see the
October, 1983 issue of New Age Journal.  It has a comprehensive special section
on what's happening in the world of the new dreamworker.  It gives several
different approaches to dreamwork, has articles on some of the prominent
dreamworkers, as well as general discussion of current developments and
controversies.



NEW LUCID DREAM INDUCTION TECHNIQUE:  Robert Price and David Cohen, of the
University of Texas at Austin, report that they have accidentally discovered a
method for inducing lucid dreams.  It happened while they were researching the
ability of a subject to control, while asleep in the dream state, the sounding
of a tone being played in the dream laboratory.  A biofeedback setup was used,
such that whenever the sleeping subject entered the dream state, with rapid eye
movements (REM), a loud tone would be played.  This tone would interrupt sleep,
but if the subject could increase the amount of rapid eye movements, he could
terminate the tone, and sleep in peace.  They found that their research subject
could learn this task.  Then the subject began to report lucid dreaming, that
is being aware in the dream state that he was dreaming, and reported that he
tried to move his eyes as a means of signalling to the experimenter.  A
"communication" system was thus set up between the experimenter and the
dreaming subject.  The researchers suggest that such a biofeedback situation
may be an effective way to learn lucid dreaming.  Reported in Lucidity Letter,
November, 1983 (See Mail Order Services).


TELEPATHIC DREAMS IN COUNSELING:  A counselor whose dreams provide psychic
information about clients has a powerful addition to his kit of clinical tools.
Kenneth Orkin, Ph.D., has written an article entitled, "Telepathic Dreams: 
Their Application During the Counseling Process," describing his experiences
with psychic dreaming about clients.  He is in private practice in Miami,
Florida.  He recounts several types of psychic dreams, including precognitive
dreaming about the problems of a client who would be coming for a consultation
in the future, with the dream providing information about the source of that
person's problem.  He also recounts a story about a dream that provided
past-life information about a client.  His article appeared in the November,
1983 issue of A.R.E. Journal.  You may write to the author c/o A.R.E., P.O. Box
595, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.




Dream Life & Waking Life: Both are Creations of the Person 
 
There is a growing appreciation for the variety of dream phenomena, such as the creativity in dreams and their sometimes transpersonal aspects.  Older theories that generally ignored such facts are being replaced by newer ones that attempt to account for such phenomena.  Most recently, Gordon Globus, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine, has taken a stab at integrating such perspectives as psychoanalysis, transpersonal psychology, cognitive science, and phenomenological philosophy in a pleasantly person- able statement of a view of dreams that readers of Perspective can live with.  
 
That dreams are a creative experience is one of the main factors that he wishes to explain.  The author rejects the notion, in existence before Freud made it law, that dreams are merely rearrangements of past memory experiences.  Instead, the author claims that dreams are created "de novo," meaning from scratch.  In defending this position, he finds himself arguing that our waking life is also an experience that we create, thus placing his work close at hand to the metaphysical perspective that claims that we "create our own reality."  Both realms are created "in the image" (meaning "in the imagination") of the person, in the same way God has been said to create the world.  The symmetry between the creative aspect of both dream existence and waking existence, and the "divine" role given to the person, is pleasing both to the ancient Buddhist and modern spiritual metaphysician.  
 
The question is, how does this modern, scientifically grounded theoretician justify such a metaphysical basis to dreams and waking life?  He does so by reference to both the leading edge theories of perceptual psychology and 
certain philosophical traditions.  Perceptual psychology has long abandoned the camera analogy to explain how we see things.  Plato's concept of the archetype, the transpersonal, non-material "ideas" that govern the actual ideas and things that we experience, has gained new favor in modern thinking about the perceptual process.  Instead of theorizing that our perceptual mechanisms "photograph" what is out there, modern work has forced the theory that we already "know" or "suppose" what it is that we are trying to perceive, and then we search and analyze data bits according to their significance and fit to what we are attempting to "perceive."  Meaning and intention are more significant to perception, in modern theory, than light waves and photo-sensitivity.  In other words, the creative and subjective processes in perception are given more central prominence, and the physics of perception are accorded more the status of tools than primary determinants.  Similarly, the philosophy of science has been arguing that facts, as such, do not exist; rather theories--in other words, intentional approaches to creating meaning--are what determine which data bits constitute facts, and determines whether or not the data bits will even be noticed.  


Perhaps such philosophical abstractions seem cloudy or irrelevant, but the mechanistic, sensory-based, objective approach to perception (whether in visual perception or scientific knowing) has been 
undergoing radical changes.  Fans of the transpersonal dimension of life who assume that the eye sees like a camera have an unnecessarily tough time trying to justify as scientific their views on ESP.  Realizing how scientific and philosophical views on perception have evolved makes ESP seem more natural than supernatural.  Thus the author's work does us a great service.  It provides a readable  treatise on how one can argue, on the basis of both scientific and philosophical grounds, that dreams, not to mention our lives, are pregnant with meaning (sometimes transpersonal meaning), and deserve our attention. 

Source: Dream life, waking life: The human condition through dreams.  Published by the State University of New York Press, 1987.  
 

Taken from AMERICAN HEALTH July/August 1987.

How to problem-solve in your dreams
-----------------------------------

  Your dreams are "written" in your own private vocabulary; that's why
their meaning is often unclear (and why dream books you buy at the corner
newsstand won't explain your own visions). Moreover, the language of dreams
is sensory and visual, whereas the language of daily life is verbal. You
need to translate a dream much as you would a foreign language.

Unfortunately, the same force s that make us disguise problems in our
dreams are likely to hinder our recognizing them when we're awake. Even
Freud had trouble with self-analysis. So an impartial listener - attained
therapist - can help. "It's a collaborative process," says New York
psychoanalyst Walter Bonime, author of the classic text, THE CLINICAL USE OF DREAMS (Da Capo Press, $29.50)

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't explore your dreams alone or with a
partner. People who keep dream journals say that over time, patterns often
emerge.
  To put your dreams to work solving problems, try this routine:

 o Program yourself to wake up after every REM period. I did it while
   writing this article simply by telling myself I wanted to at bedtime.    But don't make it a regular habit. "The ability to maintain    consciousness during sleep can backfire," says Dr. Neil Kavey, director    of the Columbia-Presbyterian sleep lab. "If you can't shut it off, you    may have trouble remaining asleep, or you may sleep so poorly that you    feel you didn't sleep at all."

 o Put a notebook and pen or tape recorder at your bedside.

 o At bedtime, select a problem and sum it up with a question, such as
   "Should I take this new job?" Write it down and list possible solutions.

 o Turn off the lights and reflect on these solutions. Stick with it until
   you drift off to sleep.

 o When you wake up - during the night or in the morning - lie still. To    jog your memory, pretend you're a detective interviewing an eyewitness.
   What's the last thing you remember? Before that? Going backward can help
   you more easily reconstruct a dream.

 o Write down or tape record all that you remember. Do it before you shower
   and have breakfast.

 o If you have trouble catching dreams, try sleeping late on weekends
   The longest dreams occur in the last part of sleep and many of us cut
   sleep short on week nights.



Once you've recorded your dream, how do you decode it? Tell it to yourself
in the third person, suggest psychologist Lillie Weiss in DREAM ANALYSIS IN
PSYCHOTHERAPY (Pergamon Press, $11.95). This may give you some distance from the dream and help you see the actions more clearly. Then look at the part of the dream that is the most mysterious. "Frequently the most incongruous part provides the dream message," Weiss says.

In her dream-therapy study, Cartwright asks participants to examine and
try to change repetitive, troublesome dreams along seven dimensions:

 o Time orientation. Do all your dreams take place in the past? Try
   positioning them in the present or future.

 o Competence to affect the outcome. Try finding a positive way to resolve    a dream.

 o Self-blame. In your dreams, do you hold yourself responsible  when things
   go wrong? Must you?

 o Relation to former role: If your divorced, do you still dream of    yourself as married? If you have lost your job, do you still see    yourself at work?  Consider alternatives.

 o Motivation. Do you dream of being nurtured? Can you think of a way to
   take care of yourself?

 o Mood. What would make a dream more pleasant?

 o Dream roles: Do you like the part you play in your dreams? What role
   would you prefer?

.    This following is an excerpt from "Psi Notes", prepared by William Braud, Ph.D., of the Mind Science Foundation in San Antonio, Texas.

Question:  What percentage of a person's dreams are precognitive (foretell the future) and how can we recognize the difference between a precognitive dream and an ordinary dream?

Answer:  A large proportion of precognitive experiences occur during dreams.  One survey indicates that as many as 65 percent of precognitive experiences occurred during sleep.  Precognitive dreams also seem to provide more complete and more accurate information than do waking psychic experiences.

.   There's no way to know with certainty what percentage of our dreams are
precognitive.  The content of the majority of our dreams is probably quite
mundane, involving replays of experiences of the day, perhaps some wish
fulfillment, and maybe even "random" content.  But now and then, dreamers do have accurate glimpses of the future as they sleep.

.   The only way to know with certainty which dreams are precognitive and which are not is to keep a dream diary of all dreams and check to see which come true and which don't.  Some persons are able to associate certain feelings of confidence in connection with psychic dreams - but these are very subtle feelings which are difficult to put into words and which may differ from person to person.

.   Let me describe a program of research in which we are more certain about what's going on.  This research program was initiated by a New York
psychiatrist, Dr. Montague Ullman, as a result of his observation that he and his patients were sharing telepathic dreams in the context of psychotherapy.  A dream laboratory was set up at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.  Ullman, along with his associates Stanley Krippner and Charles Honorton, designed experiments in which persons spent the night in the dream lab.  They were monitored electro-physiologically in order to detect physiological indications of dreaming - these indications include:  an activated EEG, rapid eye movements, and reduced muscle tension.  When these indications of dreaming occurred, the sleeper was awakened and asked to describe his dream.  These descriptions were tape-recorded and later transcribed.  The next day, a target experience was randomly selected and the subject then went through some waking sensory experience.  What was discovered was that the sleeper was able to have accurate dreams about events of which no one was as yet aware at the time of the dream, but which were randomly selected the next day.




DREAM BIBLIOGRAPHY
==================


Appreciation is extended to Kathy Seward of the University of New England, in Biddefored, Maine for providing this information.


2  ALLEN-R-MICHAEL/ATTENUATION OF DRUG-INDUCED ANXIETY DREAMS AND PAVOR
NOCTURNUS BY  BENZODIAZEPINES./JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 MAR VOL
44(3) 106-108.

3 ANON-/AN APPARENTLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM.    1969, DEC, VOL.  45(742), 170-171.

4  ARENA-R.  MURRI-L.  PICCINI-P.  MURATORIO-A/DREAM RECALL AND MEMORY IN BRAIN LESIONED PATIENTS/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.1984 VOL 9(1) 31-42.

5 ATWAN-ROBERT/IVORY AND HORN: DREAMS AND BILATERALITY IN THE ANCIENT
WORLD/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.    1984 VOL 9(1) 177-189.

6 BADALAMENTI-ANTHONY-F/TIME IN THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH.    1983 WIN VOL 22(4) 334-339.

7 BELOFF-JOHN/A NOTE ON AN OSTENSIBLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1973 DEC VOL.  47(758) 217-221.

8 BENDER-HANS/THE GOTENHAFEN CASE OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMS AND FUTURE EVENTS: A STUDY OF MOTIVATION/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 398-407.

9 BERTINI-M.  VIOLANI-CRISTIANO/CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES, REM SLEEP, AND DREAM
RECALL/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.    1984 VOL 9(1) 3-14.

10 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES, LUCID DREAMS, AND IMAGERY: TWO SURVEYS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1982 OCT VOL 76(4) 301-317.

11 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN OBE?  THE WORDING OF THE
QUESTION/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 292-302.

12 BLECHNER-MARK-J/CHANGES IN THE DREAMS OF BORDERLINE PATIENTS/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS.   1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 485-498.

13 BLICK-KENNETH-A.  HOWE-JOAN-B/COMPARISON OF THE EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF DREAMS RECALLED BY YOUNG AND ELDERLY WOMEN/JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY.   1984 JAN VOL 116(1) 143-146.

14 BRAKEL-LINDA-W/THE FATE OF THE DREAM AFTER AWAKENING: STAGES TOWARD ANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING/JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY.    1984 MAR VOL 5(1-2) 97-108.


15 BUCK-LUCIAN-A. GEERS-MARGARET-B/VARIETIES OF CONSCIOUSNESS: I.
INTERCORRELATIONS/JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY.    1967, 23(2), 151-152.

16 CARPINTER-PAUL-J.  CRATTY-BRYANT-J/MENTAL ACTIVITY, DREAMS AND PERFORMANCE IN TEAM SPORT ATHLETES/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY.  1983 VOL 14(3) 186-197.

17 CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D.  LLOYD-STEPHEN.  KNIGHT-SARA/ BROKEN DREAMS: A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE AND DEPRESSION ON  DREAM CONTENT/PSYCHIATRY.    1984 AUG VOL 47(3) 251-259.

18 CAVALLERO-CORRADO.  CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/COMPARING REPORTS OF THE SAME DREAM:  PROPOSALS FOR A STRUCTURAL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.    1983 OCT VOL 57(2) 339-356.

19 CERNOVSKY-ZACK-Z/DREAM RECALL AND ATTITUDE TOWARD DREAMS/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.   1984 JUN VOL 58(3) 911-914.

20 CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/RESTRUCTURING DREAM-RECALL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.  1983 OCT VOL 57(2) 629-630.

21 CLYNE-JACKSON-SHEILA-A/DEFENSIVENESS IN DREAM RECALL IN RESPONSE TO A
PROVOCATIVE DAY RESIDUE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1983 SEP VOL 44(3-B) 906.

22 COMARR-A-ESTIN.  CRESSY-JEFFREY-M.  LETCH-MICHAEL/ SLEEP DREAMS OF SEX AMONG TRAUMATIC PARAPLEGICS AND QUADRIPLEGICS/SEXUALITY & DISABILITY. 1983 SPR VOL 6(1) 25-29.

23 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L.  BRACKEN-DUANE-D/THE LOSS OF TEETH IN DREAMS: AN
EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION/PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS.    1984 JUN VOL 54(3) 931-935.

24 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L.  FISH-CYNTHIA-E/DREAMS OF THE DYING/OMEGA: JOURNAL OF DEATH & DYING. 1983-84 VOL 14(1) 1-8.

25 COVELLO-EDWARD/LUCID DREAMING: A REVIEW AND EXPERIENTIAL STUDY OF WAKING
INTRUSIONS DURING STAGE REM SLEEP/JOURNAL OF MIND & BEHAVIOR.    1984 WIN VOL 5(1) 81-98.

26 CRICK-FRANCIS.  MITCHISON-GRAEME/THE FUNCTION OF DREAM SLEEP/NATURE.    1983 JUL VOL 304(5922) 111-114.

27 DEVEREUX-GEORGE/PATHOGENIC DREAMS IN NON-WESTERN SOCIETIES/IN G. E. VON
GRUNEBAUM AND R. CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN SOCIETY.  213-228.

28 DIMIDJIAN-VICTORIA-J/SEEING ME, BEING ME, BECOMING THE ME I WANT TO BE: THE IMPORT OF THE DREAM IN IDENTITY FORMATION DURING WOMEN'S EARLY ADULT
YEARS/WOMEN & THERAPY. 1983 WIN VOL 2(4) 33-48.

29 DOMINO-GEORGE/ATTITUDES TOWARDS DREAMS, SEX DIFFERENCES AND
CREATIVITY/JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR.    1982 VOL 16(2) 112-122.

30 DOYLE-MARIE-C/ENHANCING DREAM PLEASURE WITH SENOI STRATEGY/JOURNAL OF
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 MAR VOL 40(2) 467-474.

31 EBON-MARTIN/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL DREAM STUDIES/IN G. E. VON GRUNEBAUM AND R.CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN    SOCIETY.  (SEE 43:10), 163-177.

32 EICHELMAN-BURR/HYPNOTIC CHANGE IN COMBAT DREAMS OF TWO VETERANS WITH
POSTTRAUMATIC  STRESS DISORDER/1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 112-114.

33 EIGEN-MICHAEL/ ON TIME AND DREAMS/PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1983 SUM VOL 70(2) 211-220.

34 EISENBUD-JULE/CHRONOLOGICALLY EXTRAORDINARY PSI CORRESPONDENCES IN THE  
PSYCHOANALYTIC SETTING/ PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW.    1969, 56(1), 9-27.

35 EISER-ALAN-S/A LABORATORY STUDY OF DREAMING IN ENDOGENOUS
DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 DEC VOL 44(6-B) 1957.

36 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/  SIMMONS-NINA-N/APHASIA WITH REPORTED LOSS OF
DREAMING/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY.    1983 JAN VOL 140(1) 108-109.

37 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE CONTRIBUTION OF CEREBRAL HEMISPHERIC DISEASE TO THE
UNDERSTANDING OF DREAM TYPE AND CONTENT/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.    1984 VOL 9(1) 15-30.

38 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE WAKING EVENT-DREAM INTERVAL/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHIATRY. 1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 123-124.

39 FABER-P-A.  SAAYMAN-G-S.  PAPADOPOULOS-R-K/FANTASY, ITS EFFECTS UPON THE
ARCHETYPAL CONTENT OF NOCTURNAL DREAMS/ JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1983 APR VOL 28(2) 141-164.

40 FARRELL-RONALD-A/SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DREAM
CONTENT OF HOMOSEXUALS/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY.    1983 FAL VOL 29(3) 183-189.

41 FENWICK-PETER ET AL/LUCID DREAMING: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMED AND
ACTUAL EVENTS IN ONE SUBJECT DURING REM SLEEP/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY.    1984 JUN VOL 18(4) 243-267.

42 FIERZ-H-K/ANALYTICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY AND DREAM, RESISTANCE AND
WHOLENESS/ANALYTISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE. 1976 VOL 7(4) 275-285.

43 FISCHMAN-LAWRENCE-G/DREAMS, HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG STATES, AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPARISON/SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN.    1983 VOL 9(1) 73-94.

44 FISS-HARRY/TOWARD A CLINICALLY RELEVANT EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY OF
DREAMING/HILLSIDE JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY.   1983 VOL 5(2) 147-159.

45 FOSSHAGE-JAMES-L/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF DREAMS: A REVISED
PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE/PSYCHOANALYSIS & CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT.    1983 VOL 6(4) 641-669.

46 FOULKES-DAVID ET AL/LONG-DISTANCE, 'SENSORY-BOMBARDMENT'  ESP IN DREAMS: A FAILURE TO REPLICATE/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.    1972 DEC VOL.  35(3)
731-734.

47 FOULKES-DAVID.  SCHMIDT-MARCELLA/TEMPORAL SEQUENCE AND UNIT COMPOSITION IN DREAM REPORTS FROM DIFFERENT STAGES OF SLEEP/SLEEP.    1983 SEP VOL 6(3)
265-280.


48 FURST-KATHRYN-A/ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF WOMEN'S DREAMS IN EARLY
ADULTHOOD/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B)
2242-2243.

49 GACKENBACH-JAYNE.  SCHILLIG-BARBARA/LUCID DREAMS: THE CONTENT OF CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF DREAMING DURING THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY.    1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 1-13.

50 GERSHAM-HARRY/CURRENT APPLICATION OF HORNEY THEORY TO DREAM
INTERPRETATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS/    1983 FAL VOL 43(3)
219-229.

51 GLOBUS-G. KNAPP-P. SKINNER-J/AN APPRAISAL OF TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION IN
DREAMS/PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1968, 4(3), 365.

52 GOLLUB-DAN/DREAM INTERPRETATION/PSYCHOLOGY: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN
BEHAVIOR.    1983 VOL 20(2) 30-33.

53 GUNTER-P-RICHARD/RELIGIOUS DREAMING: A VIEWPOINT/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JUL VOL 37(3) 411-427.

54 HALL-CALVIN-S/""A UBIQUITOUS SEX DIFFERENCE IN DREAMS'' REVISITED/JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY/   1984 MAY VOL 46(5) 1109-1117.

55 HALL-JAMES-A/TOWARD A PSYCHO-STRUCTURAL THEORY: HYPNOSIS AND THE STRUCTURE OF DREAMS/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS.    1984 JAN VOL 26(3) 159-165.

56 HALL-JAMES-A/DREAMS AND TRANSFERENCE/ COUNTERTRANSFERENCE: THE
TRANSFORMATIVE FIELD/CHIRON.    1984 31-51.

57 HARALDSSON-ERLENDUR/SOME DETERMINANTS OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL
PHENOMENA/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1981 OCT VOL 75(4) 297-309.

58 HARTMAN-FRANK-R/A REAPPRAISAL OF THE EMMA EPISODE AND THE SPECIMEN
DREAM/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION.   1983 VOL 31(3)
555-585.

59 HASTINGS-ARTHUR-C/DREAMS OF FUTURE EVENTS: PRECOGNITIONS AND
PERSPECTIVES/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY &
MEDICINE. 1977 VOL 24(2) 51-60.

60 HEARNE-KEITH-M/THREE CASES OF OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION FROM A SINGLE
PERCIPIENT: 1. SADAT ASSASSINATION; 2. REAGAN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT; 3. S.S. ACHILLE LAURO INCIDENT/ JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 288-291.

61 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN AUTOMATED TECHNIQUE FOR STUDYING PSI IN HOME ""LUCID''
DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 303-304.

62 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION OF THE ACCIDENTAL SINKING OF
H.M/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1982 JUN VOL 51(791)
283-287.


63 HEARNE-KEITH-M/""LUCID'' DREAMS AND ESP: AN INITIAL EXPERIMENT USING ONE
SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1981 FEB VOL 51(787)
7-11.

64 HEARNE-KEITH-M/LUCID DREAM INDUCTION/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY.    1983 SPR VOL 7(1) 19-23.

65 HERMAN-JOHN-H ET AL/EVIDENCE FOR A DIRECTIONAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN EYE MOVEMENTS AND DREAM IMAGERY IN REM SLEEP/SLEEP.    1984 MAR VOL 7(1) 52-63.

66 HIMELSTEIN-PHILIP/DREAM SYMBOL OR DREAM PROCESS?/ PSYCHOLOGY: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.    1984 VOL 21(1) 9-11.

67 HONE-VALERIE/DREAMS AS PREPARATION FOR DEATH: A STUDY OF THE MANIFEST AND LATENT DYING CANCER PATIENTS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B) 3528.

68 HONORTON-CHARLES/SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT
DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 JAN VOL. 66(1) 86-102.

69 HONORTON-CHARLES. STUMP-JOHN-P/A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.  1969, 63(2), 175-184.

70 HONORTON-CHARLES/REPORTED FREQUENCY OF DREAM RECALL AND ESP/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 OCT VOL.  66(4) 369-374.

71 HOWE-JOAN-B.  BLICK-KENNETH-A/EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF DREAMS RECALLED BY
ELDERLY WOMEN/SO PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.    1983 FEB VOL 56(1) 31-34.

72 INGMUNDSON-PAUL-T/DREAMING, REM SLEEP, AND MEMORY/ DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1985 JAN VOL 45(7-B) 2342.

73 JACKSON-M-P/SUGGESTIONS FOR A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT TO TEST PRECOGNITION IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1967, 61(4), 346-353.

74 JOHNSON-MARCIA-K.  KAHAN-TRACEY-L.  RAYE-CAROL-L/DREAMS AND REALITY
MONITORING/JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: GENERAL.    1984 SEP VOL 113(3) 329-344.

75 KAUVAR-ELAINE-M/BLAKE'S INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS: ""MENTAL FORMS
CREATING.''/AMERICAN IMAGO.    1984 SPR VOL 41(1) 19-45.

76 KIRTLEY-DONALD-D.  SABO-KENNETH-T/AGGRESSION IN THE DREAMS OF BLIND
WOMEN/JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS.    1983 JUN VOL 77(6) 269-270, 295.

77 KOH-JUSUCK/DESIGN FOR FANTASY AND FANTASY FOR DESIGN: USING FANTASY AND
DREAM FOR CREATIVITY AND SYMBOLISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN/EDRA: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION.    1983 NO 14 36-47.

78 KOLB-GISELA-E/THE DREAM IN PSYCHOANALYTIC GROUP THERAPY/ INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JAN VOL 33(1) 41-52.

79 AU KOUKKOU-M.  LEHMANN-D/DREAMING: THE FUNCTIONAL STATE-SHIFT HYPOTHESIS: A NEUROPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MODEL/ BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY.    1983 MAR VOL 142 221-231. 

80 KRAMER-MILTON.  KINNEY-LOIS.  SCHARF-MARTIN/EXPERIENCES IN
DREAMS/PSYCHIATRIC JOURNAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA.  1983 MAR VOL 8(1) 1-4.

81 KRIPPNER-S ET AL/A LONG-DISTANCE ''SENSORY BOMBARDMENT'' STUDY OF
EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971, OCT, VOL.  65(4), 468-475.

82 KRIPPNER-S/INVESTIGATIONS OF ''EXTRASENSORY'' PHENOMENA IN DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY &    MEDICINE.    1969, 16(1), 7-14.

83 KRIPPNER-S. ULLMAN-M. HONORTON-C/A PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH A SINGLE SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971 APR VOL. 65(2) 192-203.

84 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS: A CONTROLLED
EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM-ELECTRO-OCULOGRAM MONITORING/JOURNAL OF NERVOUS & MENTAL DISEASE. 1970, DEC, VOL.  151(6), 394-403.

85 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/NORMAL DREAM AND MAN'S PLIABLE FUTURE/ PSYCHOANALYTIC
REVIEW.    1969, 56(1), 28-43.

86 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF ESP IN DREAMS: SEX
DIFFERENCES IN SEVENTY-FOUR TELEPATHY SESSIONS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1970, JUL, VOL.  64(3), 277-285.

87 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. HONORTON-CHARLES. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/A SECOND PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH MALCOLM BESSENT/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1972 JUL VOL.  66(3) 269-279.

88 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHIC PERCEPTION IN THE DREAM STATE: CONFIRMATORY STUDY USING EEG-EOG MONITORING TECHNIQUES/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.    1969, DEC, VOL.  29(3), 915-918.

89 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATES/JOURNAL OF
COMMUNICATION. 1975 WIN VOL 25(1) 173-182.

90 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATES/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA.    1981 DEC VOL 2(2) 18-34.

91 KRISHNAN-RANGA-R.  VOLOW-MICHAEL-R.  CAVENAR-JESSE-O.  
MILLER-PATRICIA-P/DREAMS OF FLYING IN NARCOLEPTIC PATIENTS. SO PSYCHOSOMATICS.  1984 MAY VOL 25(5) 423-425.

92 KUPER-ADAM/THE STRUCTURE OF DREAM SEQUENCES/CULTURE, MEDICINE & PSYCHIATRY. 1983 JUN VOL 7(2) 153-175.

93 LAMBERT-KENNETH/REFLECTIONS ON A CRITIQUE OF HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE DREAM BY WA. SHELBURNE/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY.    1984 JAN VOL 29(1) 57-66.


94 LANG-RUDIE-J.  OCONNOR-KIERON-P/PERSONALITY, DREAM CONTENT AND DREAM COPING STYLE/PERSONALITY & INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES.    1984 VOL 5(2) 211-219.

95 LEBOEUF-ALAN.  MCKAY-PATRICIA.  CLARKE-KEITH/LATERAL EYE MOVEMENTS AND DREAM RECALL IN MALES: A RE-APPRAISAL/ COGNITION & PERSONALITY.    1983-84 VOL 3(1) 61-68.

96 LEHMANN-HERBERT/FREUD'S DREAM OF FEBRUARY 1918/ INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF
PSYCHO-ANALYSIS. 1983 VOL 10(1) 87-93.

97 LEVITAN-HAROLD/DREAMS WHICH CULMINATE IN MIGRAINE HEADACHES/PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHOSOMATICS.    1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 161-166.

98 LEWIN-ISAAC/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF DREAMS IN THE BIBLE/JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY & JUDAISM. 1983 SPR-SUM VOL 7(2) 73-88.

99 LOTHANE-ZVI/REALITY, DREAM, AND TRAUMA/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS.    1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 423-443.

100 LYNCH-VINCENT-J/WORKING WITH DREAMS: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THERAPIST AND PATIENT/PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE.    1983 JAN-MAR VOL 21(1) 21-25.

101 MALAKOFF-CHERYL-A/DREAM RECALL AS A FUNCTION OF SELF CONCEPT AND PERSONAL VALUES/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 SEP VOL 45(3-B) 1021.

102 MANLEY-FRANCIS-J/THE EFFECT OF INTENTIONAL DREAMING ON
DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 JUN VOL 43(12-B) 4154.

103 MARTIN-JAY/THREE STAGES OF DREAMING: A CLINICAL STUDY OF HENRY MILLER'S
DREAM BOOK/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS.    1984 APR VOL 12(2) 233-251.

104 MARTINETTI-RAYMOND-F/DREAM RECALL, IMAGINAL PROCESSES AND SHORT-TERM
MEMORY: A PILOT STUDY/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.    1983 DEC VOL 57(3, PT 1) 718.

105 MAYKUTH-PATRICIA-L/INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT IN DREAMS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 3- TO 8-YEAR OLDS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 DEC VOL 45(6-B) 1941-1942.

106 MELSTROM-MARGARET-A.  CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D/EFFECTS OF SUCCESSFUL VS. 
UNSUCCESSFUL PSYCHOTHERAPY OUTCOME ON  SOME DREAM DIMENSIONS/PSYCHIATRY.   
1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 51-65.

107 MEZENTSEV-V-A/ARE THERE MIRACLES IN NATURE?/MOSCOW, USSR: MOSKOVSKII2
RABOCHII2, 1967.  240 P.

108 MONTRELAY-MICHELE/ON FOLDING AND UNFOLDING: AN EXAMPLE OF DREAM
INTERPRETATION IN ANALYSIS/PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY. 1984 VOL 4(2) 193-219.

109 MURRI-LUIGI ET AL/DREAM RECALL IN PATIENTS WITH FOCAL CEREBRAL
LESIONS/ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY. 1984 FEB VOL 41(2) 183-185.


110 MYERS-ROBERT-K/THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DREAMS AND DREAMERS IN MODERN
PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1985 JAN VOL 45(7-B) 2316.

111 MYERS-WAYNE-A/AN ATHLETIC EXAMPLE OF THE TYPICAL EXAMINATION
DREAM/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1983 OCT VOL 52(4) 594-598.

112 NAROTRA-R-S/A STUDY OF DREAM ANALYSIS/ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY &
EDUCATION.    1983 VOL 11(2) 14-18.

113 PALESKI-ZBIGNIEW/PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF BELIEF IN ''PROPHETIC''
DREAMS/PSYCHOLOGIA WYCHOWAWCZA. 1970, SEP, VOL.  13(4), 523-527.

114 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE GENIUS OF THE DREAM/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 WIN VOL 43(4) 301-313.

115 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE POET AS DREAMER/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 12(1) 59-73.

116 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/RECOVERY OF EARLY MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTED DREAM IMAGERY/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1984 DEC VOL 141(12) 1508-1511.

117 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/DECONSTRUCTING THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION.    1984 VOL 32(2) 405-420.

118 PARKER-A.    BELOFF-J/HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS: A PARTIAL REPLICATION AND ATTEMPTED CONFIRMATION/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.    1970, OCT, VOL.  64(4), 432-442.

119 PATALANO-FRANK/COLOR IN DREAMS AND THE PSYCHOANALYTIC SITUATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 183-190.

120 PERLMUTTER-RICHARD-A.  BABINEAU-RAYMOND/THE USE OF DREAMS IN COUPLES
THERAPY/PSYCHIATRY. 1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 66-72.

121 PEROLD-ETIENNE-A/ON EXPLANATION IN PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE
DREAM/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 NOV VOL 44(5-B) 1603-1604.

122 PETERS-LARRY-G/THE ROLE OF DREAMS IN THE LIFE OF A MENTALLY RETARDED
INDIVIDUAL/ETHOS.

123 POTTINGER-JOSEPHINE-S/THE EFFECT OF POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION ON DREAM
RECALL/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B) 2257.

124 RANDALL-JOHN-L/CARD-GUESSING EXPERIMENTS WITH SCHOOLBOYS/JOURNAL OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.   1974 SEP VOL 47(761) 421-432.

125 RENIK-OWEN/THE CLINICAL USE OF THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(1) 157-162.

126 ROBBINS-PAUL-R.  HOUSHI-FARZANEH/SOME OBSERVATIONS ON RECURRENT
DREAMS/BULLETIN OF THE MENNINGER CLINIC. 1983 MAY VOL 47(3) 262-265.

127 RUIZ-KAY-N/AN EXPERIMENT USING AN IMAGING METHOD BASED ON SENOI-DREAMWORK WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITICS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1983 JUL VOL 44(1-B) 324.

128 SABO-KENNETH-T/EMOTIONS IN THE DREAMLIFE OF PARAPLEGICS: A QUANTITATIVE
APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1983 APR VOL 43(10-B)
3374-3375.

129 SALTZMAN-NOLAN/ELICITING EMOTIONS OF DREAMS AND MEMORY FRAGMENTS IN BIO
PSYCHOTHERAPY/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECLECTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY.    1984 SEP VOL 3(1) 1-6.

130 SARGENT-CARL-L. HARLEY-TREVOR-A/THREE STUDIES USING A PSI-PREDICTIVE TRAIT VARIABLE QUESTIONNAIRE/JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1981 SEP VOL 45(3) 199-214.

131 SARGENT-LARRY/DREAMS IN THE NUCLEAR AGE/JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 SUM VOL 24(3) 142-156.

132 SARLIN-M-BRUCE/THE USE OF DREAMS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH DEAF
PATIENTS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 12(1) 75-88.

133 SCHAPIRO-S-A/A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR OUT-OF-BODY PHENOMENA/JOURNAL OF ALTERED STATES OF CONCIOUSNESS. 975-76 VOL 2(3) 259-265.

134 SCHROER-THOMAS/ARCHETYPAL DREAMS DURING THE FIRST PREGNANCY/PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES. 1984 SPR VOL 15(1) 71-80.

135 SCHUHL/SOCIETE MOREAU DE TOURS: IS THE PROBLEM OF SORCERERS ONE THAT IS
PURELY PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL?/ANNALES MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGIQUES. 1968, 2(4), 592.

136 SECHZER-PHILIP-H/DREAMS WITH LOW-DOSE KETAMINE IN OBSTETRICAL
PATIENTS/CURRENT THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH. 1984 MAR VOL 35(3) 396-404.

137 SHELBURNE-W-A/A CRITIQUE OF JAMES HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL 29(1) 35-56.

138 SHEPARD-ROGER-N/ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON INTERNAL REPRESENTATION: RESONANT KINEMATICS OF PERCEIVING, IMAGINING, THINKING, AND DREAMING/PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW.    1984 OCT VOL 91(4) 417-447.

139 SIEGEL-RONALD-D/A COMPARISON OF FREUD'S AND JUNG'S APPROACHES TO DREAM
INTERPRETATION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JUL VOL 45(1-B) 366.

140 SILBER-AUSTIN/A SIGNIFICANT ""DREAM WITHIN A DREAM.''/  JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1983 VOL 31(4) 899-915.

141 SLOCHOWER-HARRY/FREUD'S DEJA VU ON THE ACROPOLIS: A SYMBOLIC RELIC OF
''MATER NUDA.''/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1970, 39(1), 90-102.

142 SMITH-ROBERT-C/A POSSIBLE BIOLOGIC ROLE OF DREAMING.  PSYCHOTHERAPY &
PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 167-176.

143 SPARROW-GREGORY-S./AN EXPLORATION INTO THE INDUCTION OF GREATER
REFLECTIVENESS AND ""LUCIDITY'' IN NOCTURNAL DREAM REPORTS. DISSERTATION
ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 SEP VOL 45(3-B) 1050.

144 SPERO-MOSHE-H./A PSYCHOTHERAPIST'S REFLECTIONS ON A COUNTERTRANSFERENCE
DREAM./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 191-196.

145 STEIN-MARTIN-H./RATIONAL VERSUS ANAGOGIC INTERPRETATION: XENOPHON'S DREAM AND OTHERS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(3) 529-556.

146 STERN-DEREK-A.  SAAYMAN-GRAHAM-S.  TOUYZ-STEPHEN-W./ THE EFFECT OF AN
EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DEMAND ON NOCTURNAL DREAM CONTENT./JOURNAL OF MENTAL
IMAGERY. 1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 15-31.

147 TART-CHARLES-T.  FADIMAN-JAMES./THE CASE OF THE YELLOW WHEAT FIELD: A
DREAM-STATE EXPLANATION OF A BROADCAST TELEPATHIC DREAM./PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1974-1975 WIN VOL 61(4) 607-618.

148 TART-CHARLES-T./THE CONTROL OF NOCTURNAL DREAMING BY MEANS OF POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION./INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1967, 9(3), 184-189.

149 THACKREY-SUSAN-E./THE TROPICS OF THE DREAM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF
CLASSICAL DREAM THEORY IN THE LIGHT OF THE STRUCTURALIST APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.    1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B) 3512.

150 THALBOURNE-MICHAEL-A./SOME CORRELATES OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA: A PARTIAL REPLICATION OF THE HARALDSSON FINDINGS./PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 1984 MAR-APR VOL 15(2) 13-15.

151 THOLEY-PAUL./RELATION BETWEEN DREAM CONTENT AND EYE MOVEMENTS TESTED BY
LUCID DREAMS./PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 JUN VOL 56(3) 875-878.

152 THOLEY-PAUL./TECHNIQUES FOR INDUCING AND MANIPULATING LUCID DREAMS./1983 AUG VOL 57(1) 79-90.

153 TOLAAS-JON./DREAMING: A PSI MODALITY?./ PSYCHOENERGETIC SYSTEMS. 1976 JUL VOL 1(4) 185-195.

154 TRENHOLME-IRENE. CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND. GREENBERG-GLEN./ DREAM DIMENSION
DIFFERENCES DURING A LIFE CHANGE./ PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 1984 MAY VOL 12(1)
35-45.


155 TYSON-PAUL-D.  OGILVIE-ROBERT-D.  HUNT-HARRY-T./ LUCID, PRELUCID, AND
NONLUCID DREAMS RELATED TO THE AMOUNT OF EEG  ALPHA ACTIVITY DURING REM SLEEP. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1984 JUL VOL 21(4) 442-451.

156 ULLMAN-M.  KRIPPNER-S.  HONORTON-C./A CONFIRMATORY STUDY OF THE TELEPATHIC
DREAM WITH EEG-REM MONITORING/ PSYCHOPHYSICS.  1968, 5(2), 218.

157  ULLMAN-MONTAGUE./KRIPPNER-STANLEY.    FELDSTEIN-SOL.
EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED TELEPATHIC DREAMS: TWO STUDIES USING EEG-REM MONITORING
TECHNIQUE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 1966, 2(5), 420-437.

158 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TI RAPID EYE MOVEMENT DREAM-MONITORING TECHNIQUES IN
CURRENT ESP RESEARCH./TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 1967, 30(2), 265-270.

159  ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/PSI COMMUNICATION THROUGH DREAM SHARING. PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 1981 MAR-APR VOL 12(2) 1-8.

160 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ESP IN THE NIGHT.  PSY 1970, JUN, VOL. 4(1), 46-50, 72.

161 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO DREAMS AND TELEPATHY: II.  REPORT OF THREE STUDIES./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1970,
126(9), 1282-1289.

162 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS./EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE & SURGERY.
1969, VOL.  27(1-2), 19-38.

163 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE.    KRIPPNER-STANLEY/A LABORATORY APPROACH TO THE NOCTURNAL DIMENSION OF PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE: REPORT OF A CONFIRMATORY STUDY USING THE REM MONITORING TECHNIQUE/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY.  1969, JUL, VOL.  1(3), 259-270.



                               FESTIVALS
                               ---------
   Within the Pagan community there are many holidays and Sabbats celebrated for various means, and not all celebrate each holiday/Sabbat in the same exact way or for the same reasons. The following is a general list of the Holidays most common between all the Sects within Neo-Paganisim.


YULE   (Winter Solstice, December 20-23 (varies according to the particular
        date on the standard calendar according to when the Solstice will
        occur astronomically)). Longest night of the year, the turning      	   point when the days shall afterwards grow longer as winter begins           its passage into the coming spring. It is, in the Goddess worship, 	   the time when she gives forth again to the birth of the Divine Sun 	   child who shall be both child and eventually lover and father of 	  	   the next child in the cycle. Winter Solstice for pagans is a time 	  	   of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original Holiday 	   that the Christian religions modified into their own Christmas, 	  	   even upto the birth of the child (Most theologians who have spent 	  	   time studying the birth of Jesus admit he was born in either March 	  	   or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know from the 	  	   standard calendar - it was moved to this date to help induce Pagans 	   to give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the 	   spread of Christianity thru Europe and the British Isles). 	   	  	   Traditional adornments are a Yule Log, usually of oak, and a 	  	   combination of mistletoe and holly (also all later plagiarized into 	   Christian ways).

CANDLEMAS (Brigid's Day, February 2nd) Not common to all pagans, this is 	very popular with Wiccans and various Celtic sects. Brigid is the 	Celtic goddess of fire and inspiration (Poetry, smithcraft and 	healing) as well as yet another representation of the Fertility of 	Femininity and Love.  Brigid had such a strong following among the 	Celtics that the Christian church decided it was easier to assimilate 	her into their own system, and so there came about the making of Saint 	Brigit and all the stories they created about her so that her 	followers would leave their old beliefs enough so they would not side 	with the Druids, who were known at that time as 'the snakes' because 	of their tendency to have tamed snakes that were used to help produce 	various healing mixtures via their venom, and who were violently 	opposing the Catholic church. In History, of 
	course, the druids lost against the overwhelming odds presented by the 	church, led by a man who would then be himself sainted by the church, 
	their Saint Patrick (who was no clergyman but a warrior). Thus 	Christian rule of various sorts came into Ireland. Handcrafts are 	often sacrificed to Brigid or dedicated to her as they are started on 	this day. Its celebration is done with many candles and as usual much 	feasting.  The Christians also took, moved slightly and used this 	date by creating St. Valentine and using the day for one of chaste 	love reflections.


Eostar Ritual (Spring Equinox, March 20-23 dependant on actual astronomical 	event) This is the start in the pagan year of spring, at least among
     Wiccans and Celtics. The first flowers are praised and the Gods and
     Goddesses thanked for the true return to happier times for all. Eostar
     is one of the more colorful holidays, not one of the somber colors 	found in Yule and Candlemas. Feasting and socializing are the 	important factors in this holiday as well as the celebration of the 	return of color to the natural world. In the Christian  calendar, 	again to draw early worshipers, they marked this as the final days and 	rebirth of Jesus (when according to history he died in June!)
Beltane (May Eve, April 30th-May 1st) Most important to pagans, save 	for 	Samhain, I don't know of any Pagan group that doesn't celebrate 	this 	holiday in some way. Beltane is the great Fertility rite of life,      	starting at dusk on the 30th and continuing until the dawn of the 1st.       The union of the God and Goddess to conceive the sun-child to be takes       place upon this holiday, no matter which tradition of paganisim is 
     involved. Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged by the 	Christians, who didn't even use it as a point for a holiday of their 	own because the power and nature of the day involved. Still, even in 	Christianized Ireland the May day dance of the Maypole remained, as 	did the giving of flowers to those you loved or cared for as friends. 	The Maypole is a symbol of the union of the God and Goddess to create 	life, the pole itself a phallic symbol while the dancers and their 	streamers or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb of the goddess 	as it takes in the Phallus of the god and takes in his seed. Besides 	the Maypole often a bonfire is present, and members of the group are 	encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own fertility. Food, 	drink and love are the order of the evening. In most sects the 	celebration of Beltane will become one large orgy as the participants 	are encouraged to enact their own unions of love. Beltane is the time 	of many marriages/handfastings in the pagan community (in some it is 	the point where one chooses to begin and end relationships of a 	physical nature). Clothing is very optional in most get togethers on 	this holiday, and mostly it is sensual and colorful. Even those sects 	that are prudish about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, 	as it is the holiday of free love. It is said that a child conceived 	on this day will grow up to wield great power and knowledge and to be 	healthier than upon any other.
Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event)
     Held on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is the celebration 
     of lights triumph over darkness and that of the bountiful beauty that
     light brings into life. Flowers are common in the circle, roses and
     bright cheerful wildflowers are upon the altar and usually worn by 	all.  It is the changing point of the year, and the celebration of the 	spiral dance of the year is common among Wiccans. It a celebration 	with much joy, and much feasting. Many wiccans will attire themselves 	in bright colors and equally bright adornments of flowers. Litha' 	usual food fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not 	celebrated by all sects nor in the same way.

Lughnasad (August 1st) The great corn ritual of Wiccan belief (in Celtic 	realms this is the celebration of the wheat god, corn is an 	Americanization and it is possible there is an American Indian 	traditional holiday near this date that was borrowed by the American 	Neopagans). THis is the big celebration of the harvest (Sort of a 	Pagan Thanksgiving, but the time clock is different as is that of the 	Celtics). Much feasting and dancing occur, thou it is a bit more 	somber than many of the other holidays.  Some Pagans celebrate this 	day as merely the day to bake their bread and cakes for the coming 	winter and do no actual rituals save that of blessing the foods 	prepared.
Mabon (Fall Equinox, Sept. 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event)
	A lesser holiday, this is not widely celebrated and is most come with
     Pure wiccan groups, especially those who are based in the works of 
     Starhawk and other Dianic sects. This is the weavers festival, and a
     braiding of cords are done in the process of casting a spell to
     add to ones life from what it is, each person weaving unto themselves
     what they wish and the coven as a whole weaving all the cords together
     to unite the power and efforts symbolically.
SAMHAIN (Halloween Oct 31st) THe year ends traditionally in Wiccan beliefs 	with this holiday. Samhain is said to be the period of time when the 	gates between the worlds are least guarded and the veils their 	thinnest. It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, and 	also the celebration of the death of the year king. It is a somber 	holiday, one of dark clothes and thoughts for the dead, it is said to 	be the time when those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead 	and it is	certainly a time to remember ones dead. It is a time of 	endings of relationships and bad situations and it is the time when 	one can see the glimmer of hope in the future. THere are as many 	concepts attached to this holiday as any other.

        
 

 
 

 
                      THE HOLY FOOL: 
                The Third member of the Triad 
                 -some musings by: the Bard 
 
                              * 
 
"Remember, the Moon is only half as big as the Earth, but it's twice as 
 far away." 
                                                             -Anonymous 
                              * 
 
        After some time musing on the concept of Goddess/God that is  
 common in Wiccan (and most Neo-Pagan groups) and seeing the common theme  of "things come in threes" in these belief systems, I fell to wondering  
"Why only the God and Goddess? If all things come in threes, where is  
the Third Aspect that should be there?"  

        So what is this Third Aspect? I feel it is the Holy Fool; the  
Prometheus who is the Trickster, the God (neuter) that rolls the dice. 
This also fills in certain holes in neo-Pagan Theology that have bothered me for some time, too.  

        First, we need to have a quick look at the Holy Fool in religious 
and/or cultural beliefs, both primitive and modern:  
 
      American Indian: 
               Aztec: Ueuecoyotl 
               Caddo: Coyote 
               Chinook: Coyote 
               Coos: Coyote 
               Haida: Raven 
               Hopi: Mudhead Kachina, Clown Kachina 
               Kiowa: Coyote 
               Navaho: Coyote 
               Nez Perce: Coyote 
               Omaha: Coyote, Rabbit, Iktinike, Orphan 
               Pueblo: Koshare 
               Sioux: Spider 
               Tillamook: Coyote 
               Tinglit: Raven 
               Winnebago: Rabbit         
               Zuni: Coyote 
      African: Spider, Tortoise, Rabbit, Jackal 
      Graeco/Roman: Pan, Dionysis 
      Celtic: Phooka and the like (see Irish: Fear Dearg, and a host of 
              others. The Fool must love Ireland very much...He made so 
              many of Itself there!) 
      Norse: Loki...-and- Balder 
      Banks Island: Clat 
      Micronesia: Nareau 
      England: Puck, Black Jack Davy 
      Christianity: "Doubting" Thomas, and The Christ Himself, in many 
                    ways....and Judas, too. 
      20th Cent. North American: Bugs Bunny, The Joker, Mr. Mxyzpltk,  
                                 Murphy, ("And Pooh is a -good- example, 
                                 too!" said Eeyore) 

      Neo-Paganism: Discordians 
      18th thru 20th Cent. Appalachian: Jack (from British Isles) 
      18th and 19th Cent. N.A. Black: Br'er Rabbit, Long John, &c. 
      German: Tyl Eulenspiegel 
      Italy: Harlequin (check out Agatha Christie's stories about 
             "Harley Quinn." VERY interesting!) 
      Islamic: Juha, Abu Nawwas, Mullah Nasruddin, Nasreddin Khoja, 
               Nasreddin Hodja 
      Japanese: Fox, Hotei, and the whole concept of Zen...... 
 
        And the many, many instances of the Hero figure and his Friend in  
most people's mythology....Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Robin Hood and Little 
John, the Mythic Hollywood Western Hero and his ridiculous sidekick, Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza.....and many times you see the recurrent theme of
the Great Betrayal of the Hero, which leads to His death...and to His
Resurrection! 

        One immediately sees that the Fool is a universal constant in  
folk belief, just as the Goddess and God are!  
        (NB: I have not gotten more specific for two reasons: one, for  
limitations of space, and two, to encourage others to do a little reading 
on their own!)  

        As most things, the Fool is Personified in three basic Aspects  
that (of course) overlap with each other and with the God and Goddess.  
The first is that of the Saviour God, the Prometheus, the Culture Hero, who brings Knowledge (and -occasionally- Wisdom) to Mankind. This Aspect loves Mankind with all His Being, and only wishes Good. His Good Intentions sometimes fall short of His (or Mankind's) expectations,  however.
 
        The second is that of the Clown, the Nerd, the Jerk, that teaches by his own mistakes (and who usually comes out ahead because of His own 
Innocence.) This Aspect is mostly neutral, and is how He seems to mostly 
manifest Himself.  

        But let us not forget the third, and darker, side of the Fool, best exemplified by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker in the film version of "Batman." Just as the Goddess has Her Dark side (the Crone,  the
Morrigan, &c) and the God has His (Odin as Death-God) so does the  Fool have a terrifying Aspect (at least, from the human point of view): Chaos
Personified.  
 
        This is not an Aspect to invoke, as It does not care. Period. It  
 is the ultimate psychopath, the ultimate Spoiled Brat, the quintessence  of Ego-centric self-love. In some circles, it could be quite nicely named 
Ahriman, or Shaitan, or Satan, because it fits all concepts of that 
Middle-Eastern deity....except one: It does not care if Man worships It  or
not. It is not in -conflict- with the God and/or Goddess, It is -not-  on the kind of power-trip that the Judeo-Christian Satan is represented  as having, it just -is-. It should be considered as neither "good" nor  
"evil," though it can personify both or either....or neither! This is  
confusing, but with a little thought the concept will (hopefully) come 
clear.  


	(And, just in passing, the film version of "Batman" is perhaps a very good metaphor for the eternal struggle between the Fool-as-Prometheus  (Batman) and the Fool-as-Chaos (the Joker). 

     Are you confused? If you are, GOOD! If you are not, keep thinking by not-thinking. (wha-a-a-a-a-t?) 

     Some of the best examples of the three Personifications are found in the Navaho and Zuni tales of Coyote, or the Br'er Rabbit tales, or the 
older Bugs Bunny cartoons, or even Walt Disney's Goofy. And, while speaking
of classic animation, if you can see any of the cartoons of the  Cannibal Boy and the Mynah Bird, do so! It shows not one, but TWO Aspects  in action!  

     For a look at His more serious (?) side, try J.R.R. Tolkien's 
wonderful evocation of Tom Bombadil.....who is described as "the oldest."
Prof. Tolkien came very close to the core of the truth with that one! 

	The Fool is your slightly daffy Uncle, that comes to visit at  
 Christmas and is such fun to be with, but who seems to have a sadness  about him too, that you found out later, when you were all grown up, was  his slide into alcoholism. The Fool is the American sit-com "Daddy" who  never seems to get anything right, but wins out in the end anyway. The  Fool is the classic scene of Bugs Bunny, floating in a washtub in the  middle of the Pacific Ocean, happily singing "As Time Goes By,"  blissfully uncaring about his obvious predicament...one which would send  a human into sheer despair....knowing that something will turn up, some  scam that he can pull that will get him out of the washtub and into  clover again. The Fool is the Tarot's Fool, of course....but He is also the Hanged Man. 
 
	Do -not- invoke the Fool unless you are ready for literally ANYTHING to happen! He just might turn you into a Large Green Frog just  to observe what happens......He is capricious. He is unpredictable. He is  what He is, and nothing you can do will turn Him from His Purpose,  whatever that may be at any given moment. He is "Murphy," and whatever  can go wrong, WILL
go wrong...or right. Unless you have an uncommonly flexible mind, you -might- not be able to handle it! 

	He has no Festival, unless it is the Lupercal, or perhaps April Fool's Day, or even New Year's Eve, for every day is His, as He chooses.  Some have inquired about the seeming overlap of functions in the Goddess/God/Fool triad, and this should be addressed here. The modern 
Western mind tends to "pigeonhole" things, and rigidly excludes other things
from these pigeonholes. This, I feel, is in some ways an error in thinking,
especially about the Triad.  


	One cannot and should not "compartmentalize" the God/Fool/Goddess  
into three rigidly separate Beings, but rather think of them as three 
separate sources of ripples in the same Pond: the ripples interact and 
intersect, and act on each other, but move within the same Source,  whatever
That may be.  
 
                                        -the Bard 
                                         at Samhain, 1990 CE 
 
 I wish I could list all of my sources, but if I did, it would add several 
pages to this text, and I am trying to keep it short. I -will- recommend
reading one book, however, that will give a great insight into the Holy Fool:
 
   CONTRARIWISE 
   Zohra Greenhalgh, Ace (paperback) April 1989 
   0-441-117112-2 
   (it has a sequel, but I can't remember the title offhand....) 
 
                                 * 
 
                         "Rimble, Rimble!" 
 
                                 * 
 
 Permission is granted to reprint this article, both in electronic and in
print. Any copy of this article must include the WHOLE article, and any
comments should be sent net-mail to "the Bard" at FIDOnet 1:114/29 (602)
439-7080. Copies of any printed reproduction of this article should be 
forwarded to "the Bard" c/o DEUS EX MACHINA BBS, PO Box 35190, PHOENIX,  AZ
85069. Thanks! 

               PSYCHIC SELF-DEFENSE                     by =Carlin=
	
	One of the problems which faces the aspiring witch or magician is an increased sensitivity to and awareness of the "unseen" forces of the world.  Usually this sensitivity is a delight, but occasionally it becomes a nightmare -- in the most literal sense of the word.  In particular, this article deals with what spiritualists and shamans would refer to as spirit obsession -- a cluster of "symptoms" that differ from possession, but that still can destroy the integrity of the victims <AND ALSO> gives some background information on obsession, and then outlines a few "generic" techniques that will benefit those subject to this form of "psychic harassment."

                  DEFINING OBSESSION

	Obsession occurs in every nation and subculture,and as a result every magical subculture has had it's own way of defining and dealing with the phenomena involved.  Modern medicine, with the exception of Jungian and "New Age" psychiatry/psychology, tends to dismiss obsession as either hysteria or budding schizophrenia.  The major religions, for the most part, now agree with this evaluation.  Of course, the "New Right" fundamentalists are likely to see a demon in every corner....  Either of these approaches tends to disempower the afflicted person by destroying her/his trust in his own inner processes and making him dependent on the "expert" who will control the attempt to cure him/her.  Spiritualists will warn you against psychic attack or unprotected dealings with the Dead.   Work <?> will tell you that the problem is either openness to astral influences or rebellion within the psyche <OR "ALL OF THE ABOVE">.  There is more to being human than the conscious mind, and unintegrated and unrecognized "complexes" within the psyche will sometimes have separate agendas that can lead to "attack from within" if those needs are continually ignored.   My own tendency <PERHAPS  "BIAS" OR "APPROACH" IS A BETTER WORD> is philosophically Jungian-to-agnostic,but practically Shamanic.  I tend to view such"entities" as psychological.  However, the techniques I use are more effective if the problem is "projected" outward and treated as if it were the result of attack by a sentient being.  Even if obsessions are caused by "complexes", a truly well established complex takes on enough "life" to be regarded as a "secondary personality" demanding of respect.  If someone is having to live with obsession, chances are that the person is more interested in resolving the problem than debating metaphysics.  The methodology outlined below is designed to work, whether you agree with the philosophy behind it or not.  These techniques are "homeopathic" in nature, contrived with the idea of strengthening the victIm's "psychic immune system" to the point where s/he no longer can be victimized. Without this increase in inner power, the person can be temporarily freed from the obsession, but remains vulnerable to "evil influence" in the future.


              THE BEGINNINGS OF OBSESSION

	Checking a person's personal history, one will usually find that obsessions begin during periods where stress,negative emotions, or injury have impaired that person's natural self-protective abilities. Or where the person has been unprepared or confused and has intentionally or unintentionally "dropped his/her guard" around someone already disturbed.  Or where the person has been abused and degraded since early childhood and is consequently continually open to negative influences<LAST THREE SENTENCES NEED TO BE "SMOOTHER">. In psychological terminology, old "complexes" are cathected during periods when the ego is foundered in depression, weakening the "auric shield" that normally will protect against "outside influences," as well as the physical body.  This auric shield can also be "pierced" during "psychic attacks," leaving a "hole" through which invading astral-organisms can pass freely. In the same way, "evil spirits" are contagious. Emotional, sexual, or magical intimacy with someone already obsessed can allow the entity to pass over to oneself. And an extreme period of rage or vengefulness can attract like to like, bringing one to the attention of "vengeful creatures" in the "lower astral."

                 SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION

	Among the most common symptoms of obsession is a brooding fixation upon some negative thought or act.  The obsessed person being unable to "turn off" the voice that urges her/him on to self-destructive or vindictive acts. The idea that one is the Messiah or the rightful ruler of the universe, or too low to continue to live may repeatedly intrude upon consciousness.  To consider much addictive behavior to be the result of obsession by "earth-bound spirits" or elementals<???>.  No longer having physical bodies, the "astral low-lifes" push susceptible living humans into overindulging in whatever the discarnate entity still craves.   In other cases, the symptoms take other forms.  Sleep can be disrupted by repeated nightmares or night terrors.  The individual may awaken with no memory of the contents of the dream, but over time will develop insomnia or a fear of sleep.  Especially in children,the shadows of night can resolve themselves into terrifying images, and there can be an overwhelming sense of being constantly watched.  Visual "hallucinations" may force themselves onto the physical plane or may manifest themselves solely upon the "mind's eye."  At times the obsession can be relatively benign. Budding magicians can "pick up hitchhikers" during their initial workings, and these "creatures" may well content themselves with acting as Guardians of its cases the "entities" will only "act out"when the magician re-enters trance or attempts to work on the astral levels<PATCH IT UP>.  People who work with divinatory techniques without proper training and grounding are especially vulnerable, with the Ouija board being the worst offender.  This is one reason that the traditional religions, which do not want the general populace trained in magical techniques,urge people away from divinatory practices.  Obsessions that strike those not trained to magick are usually not so courteous.  In the more entrenched cases,physical symptoms other than insomnia can manifest. Especially when one is very tired or ill, the obsession attempt can escalate and begin to unbalance the homeostatic mechanisms of the body.  Constipation,sinusitis and migraine headaches are the more usual manifestations, along with extreme pallor, edema, and mental confusion and memory loss.  Poltergeist activity is also sometimes reported.The obsessing entity can also color the impressions of others.  One can suddenly find oneself being accused of unsavory attitudes or persistently misunderstood.  At the same time, truly unsavory characters will be attracted to the new image and will begin to pop up out of the woodwork.

                THE MAGICAL APPROACH

	There are many things that one can do if one suspects that obsession has occurred.  One can treat it as a demon and turn to spiritual authority for help.  One can treat it as mental illness and turn to psychiatric explanations.  One can ignore it as much as possible, or begin to avoid the activities that call it forth.  One can also "raise one's energies" using self-help techniques such as those outlined in following paragraphs.Any one of the above reactions cripples one as a magician, however.  From a ceremonial viewpoint, one must pass the "Guardian on the Threshold" before one can pass on to the next level of development.From a Jungian standpoint, one must develop rapport with and "reintegrate" the rejected portion; from a Shamanic standpoint, one must "turn" the entity and either dismiss it or convert it into a spirit helper<?>.

  THE INNER DIALOGUE

	Step one, using the magical approach, is to become acquainted with the "entity" and engage it in dialogue.In some instances the entity will turn out to be malevolent, in other's only "immature" or confused and angry at being ignored.  Before engaging in this activity, one is advised to ground and center, and to shield in whatever manner one's tradition suggests. One is also advised to begin/continue in whatever other spiritually protective exercises one has faith in.If there is someone available to work with the afflicted person, have that helper prepare a list of non-leading(Not "are you a demon?," but "what are you?") questions.  Then drop into light trance and Then let the other person ask the questions while the victim answers with the first thing that pops into his/her head.  In effect, s/he will be voluntarily "channelling" for the entity's unconscious and perhaps "denied" (officially) circumstances.If there is no other person, then the victim must do whatever form of divination or trance work he/she have developed to contact his/her subconscious.  Those with vivid imaginations can simply find a quiet moment and ask "are you there?," personifying the "entity" in the same way that children create imaginary friends.  Afterwards, no matter what the technique used, the obsessed person is to be certain that his/her aura is closed and that s/he is grounded and centered. AFTER "CONTACT" At this point s/he may have failed to make contact.In which case there is nothing to him/her to do but repeat the exercise until either it works or s/he is sure it isn't going to work.  If real contact does not occur, then s/he might attempt to simply banish "it".  It is possible that the entity will not answer directly, but will begin to up<INCREASE> its activity level or bring a string of unusual circumstances into the obsessed person's life.


     It is more likely, however, the<Y> have begun a dialogue.  Sometimes "complexes"are immature parts of our own personalities that will calm down and begin to behave themselves once "they" no longer feel that they are being ignored.If the obsessing image is that of an animal, or even an ugly humanoid being, then it may simply be time to intensify one's spiritual quest and face down one's power animal or dark side.  Frequently, these allies will attempt to come to the aid of someone undergoing psychic attack, and because of the general atmosphere of fear,will be perceived as threats and turned away themselves.Eventually, in either case the "entity" can either be"reintegrated" into the personality, or "kept" as a spirit-helper by those with shamanic leanings.  If one is ALSO under psychic attack, the ally will probably help in the defense once asked and properly recognized.

	"LOST SOULS" AND WORSE 

	On the other hand, "it" may claim to be a spirit or other entity that requires help.  If the request is not ridiculous <d>o consider honoring it. The author has personally dealt with a "poltergeist" who claimed to be a woman who had died of yellow fever over a century ago.  When questioned, the "spirit" was confused at first, then admitted that she had died in delirium and had not realized that she was dead until "awakened" out of her stupor by some young people using a Ouija board.  When asked what she wanted, the reply was "Pray for me."  The poltergeist activity ended as soon as prayers were begun, and the last message received from the spirit was "Thank God, I'm free."  Not being able to make herself understood on the material plane by any other means, the "spirit" had resorted to knocking physical objects around to attract attention.  If someone of "mediumistic" nature had been about, she might have obsessed that person instead in her bid to gain attention.  The obsession would have become malevolent only if the obsessed person repeatedly blocked her out or otherwise caused her to <?>become cases of obsession in relatively "normal"persons will fall into one of the first few categories.In rare cases, the obsessed may have had his/her attempt at contact met with a voice screaming "DIE, DIE, DIE."  Or something similar and profane.  This is where the spiritual practices suggested in the following paragraphs will be of greatest benefit, followed by professional help or even exorcism, if necessary.  (Even where an entity seems totally hostile, it is sometimes possible to "turn" it through raising "light"as described below.)


               SELF-HELP WITH OBSESSION

	Not everyone is a magician and not everyone wishes to open the "can of worms" of the subconscious.The following activities are very useful in "uprooting"spiritual obsession by increasing "light".  In cases of "mild" obsession only a few of these measures,or a simple ritual of dismissal, will be sufficient to be rid of the problem.In more entrenched cases, these techniques should be continued for the healing period, accompanied by Inner Work, depth psychology, or other techniques that promote self-understanding.  Those suffering from physical symptoms should also work to strengthen their immune system and improve their diet and lifestyle.  If possible, the severely afflicted individual should have a counselor, teacher, or trusted friend monitor his/her progress "just in case."

                  EXAMPLE TECHNIQUES FOR "RAISING THE LIGHT"

	For a period of three months, the obsessed  should "cleanse" him/herself daily in whatever manner her/his spiritual tradition decrees.  Grounding and centering are excellent techniques, as is renewing oneself through visualizing the aura as strong and untainted.  One can draw pictures of oneself expelling all darkness or meditate on the same image.Prayer is useful, as is catching oneself thinking the old negative thoughts and declaring that one has "taken that out of the Law" or "averted" the consequences.  If the afflicted has friends who engage in spiritual pursuits, send him/her mental support and positive energy.  The individual is also advised to spend time in sacred places where evil is barred from entering, and to refrain from the company of persons s/he knows are bad for her/him.If already attuned to ritual work, the victim can"cleanse" his/her home or have it cleansed by someone trusted.  Those who have faith in Holy Water should sprinkle and apply it liberally.  Afterwards, if the obsessed is truly serious about being rid of a persistent fixation, s/he can burn white candles constantly while awake and at home.  This will act as a symbol of the"light" one wishes to draw into one's life.  The most seriously affected are advised to surround their beds with a protective circle and never to sleep in a darkened room.  Other religious/protective symbols can be placed in sight and called upon, and protective incenses such as sandalwood may be burned.  The important thing is to keep one's spiritual goal constantly in mind and the"entity<?> one's determination to improve. This may seem like a great deal of effort, but the effect will be to "open" the individual to positive influences, even if s/he doesn't believe in "demons".The individual will be "raising his/her energy" level to the point where something "dark" cannot even bear to approach her/him, and keeping the energy "high"for a long enough period that "it" will become "discouraged" and fade from sight.At the end of the three months, the "entity" should either be weakened severely from being "starved" or should be gone.  If it is gone, then a ritually adept person can do a rededication wherein the formerly obsessed is declared sealed against recurrences. If the problem still exists, then the cause may actually be mental illness brought on by a brain imbalance or early trauma.  In any case, entrenchment of that degree of severity is beyond the scope of any self-help article to deal with.  In every case the author has seen or dealt with however, vast improvement over the three month period<?>.

	 DIANISM IN A NUIT-SHELL 

     Recently, I got back in touch with my teacher after nearly two years and dropped a couple of bombshells on her:  I had changed gender identity and had come together with two other women to form a Dianic coven.  When the initial shock wore off, Rita sent me a complete run of Protean Synthesis and a solicitation for this article.

     Several years ago I subscribed to several stereotypes regarding "those peculiar Dianics".  They were thealogically unbalanced, they hated men, they denied that men had souls, they were all lesbians, they couldn't spell (in the orthographic sense; no one has yet accused Dianics of inability to work magick), etc. etc.  When I came together with my covensisters, I realized that these notions were at most partially true and some cases were patently false.

     I believe there are only three valid generalizations that can be made about Dianics:  1) We are all feminists.  2) We all look to the Goddess(es) far more than to the God(s).  3) We are all eclectics.  Note well that there are plenty of non-Dianic feminist Witches, non-Dianic eclectics, and non-Dianics who are primarily Goddess-oriented.  There are also doubtless a good many feminist, Goddess-oriented eclectics who do not choose to call themselves
Dianic.  In my own case I use the "If it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck" argument, as well as the fact that my HPS learned the Craft as a Dianic and runs Dianic rituals.

     Some of the stereotypical generalizations I can dismiss out of hand.  I don't know of a single Dianic who denies that men have souls.  Even Z Budapest doesn't believe that piece of tripe anymore!  It is true that Dianism is particularly attractive to separatists, and many separatists actually hate men.  Many Dianics are lesbians.  Some misspell words like "woman", women", "egalitarian", and "holistic" on purpose.  Not all fit these, however, and I think that Z Budapest in her younger, or spiritual bomb-throwing, days represents an extreme and a small minority.  There are a number of males involved in Dianism, and some of those are men [NB:  I use the terms "man" and
"woman" to indicate gender identity, that is, how one's heart, mind, and/or soul are configured.  I use "male" and "female" to indicate physical sex, that is, how one's plumbing is configured.  I hope this dispels confusion.].

     Thealogical and magickal imbalance is not so easily dismissed and needs to be addressed further, as that is the most valid objection that thoughtful Witches have to Dianism.  The apparent imbalance comes from the Dianic emphasis on Goddess-worship, often to the complete exclusion of God-worship.  This upsets many Witches' sense of polarity balance.  The resolution of this apparent imbalance lies in the consideration of other polarities than sexual and/or gender as the primary polarity.  There are indeed many other polarities to consider:  true-false, life-death, dark-light, rational-mystical, creation-destruction, order-chaos, and good-evil, to name but a few.
One problem with the masculine-feminine polarity is that there is a strong tendency to express all other polarities in terms of it.  The Chinese were particularly fond of this, and mapped everything they liked into the yang side, and everything they disliked or feared into the yin side, the patriarchal no-accounts!  

     One thing I have discovered is that if you look hard enough, you can find goddesses to fit both ends of most polarities.  Some even occupy both ends simultaneously.  Inanna, my matron goddess, is a good case in point.  She is the Sumerian goddess of love, war, wisdom (which she won in a drinking bout!), adventure, the heavens, the earth, and even of death (in the guise of her dark aspect, Ereshkigal).  A very busy lady indeed is Inanna.  At this point it 
becomes largely a matter of personal preference rather than of polarity, whether one chooses a god or a goddess to occupy a particular place in a ritual.  

     No Dianic I know of denies the existence of the God.  Indeed, He gets mentioned as the consort of the Goddess with some frequency in Z Budapest's HOLY BOOK OF WOMEN'S MYSTERIES, which is close a thing as there is to a Dianic version of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows.  He is there, and sometimes we will invoke Him, when it is appropriate.  He makes His own path, and we follow our own, and when they cross naturally we honor Him and do not avoid Him.  We also do not force the paths to cross simply to lend an artificial balance to a ritual where none is really needed.

     Now that I have spilled a good deal of ink over what Dianism is not, I should now say a few words about what it is:  a movement of feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches.  

     Feminism:  This covers a vast multitude of virtues and sins.  I do not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is as common as is believed.  Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far more common, even among Dianics.  Certainly my own coven contains no separatists!  There are too many nice men out there, even though surveys have shown that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists.  The nice ones are found among those who are not in that repulsive majority; you just have to look to find them.  One of the places you might find such nice men is in Dianic covens!  Some are mixed groups, at least some of those of the branch founded by Morgan McFarland.  My 
own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose.  While we do not currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of us were born male and still have original-equipment plumbing.  The Goddess and our HPS accept us unreservedly as women.  

     Eclecticism:  If there is one dictum of Z Budapest's that bears repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets followed by many, it is "When in doubt, invent."  Dianics tend toward creative ritual, drawing from any and all possible sources.  I have yet to see a Dianic equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I ever hope to see one.  


     Goddess Orientation:  I've discussed this at some length while talking about polarity.  There are some wags who have said that Dianics are nothing but matriarchal monotheists.  I tell you three times:  The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag!  The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag!  The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag!  A much closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the Classical pantheon and reclaimed most of the roles.  This, too, is oversimplifying, but it is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual
criticism.  At some point I may write up a long exegesis on the Dianic Goddess, but not here.  My own personal involvement with Her comes from a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere.  She feels right.  I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists (most of the Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and Pan!) into my personal pantheon.  I also feel a personal vocation from the Mother; it is rather incongruous to me to embrace a male deity wholeheartedly when the Goddess comes to me and calls me Her daughter.  This goes doubled, redoubled, in pentacles, and vulnerable for lovers of women.

     I hope this little discussion of Dianism-in-a-Nuitshell has proved enlightening to you.  It is not a path for everyone, but it is a valid path for some, and in considering it I hope that you can now ignore the garbage that has been put forth in the past as "data" regarding it.

                              Inanna Seastar
                              Birdsnest Coven

	 DIVINATION 
        This seems like a fairly good time of year to be talking
about divination.  What is it, why do we do it, and what's in it
for us?  Lots of people think it's a way of avoiding
responsibility - if the future is preordained, we might as well
go back to bed.

        Of course, that's not it at all.  Divination is the use of
any one of several methods to obtain information which is not
directly accessible to the conscious mind of the person asking
the question.  Whether you use cards, crystals, a pendulum, ink,
lead, dice, the flight of birds or anything else, what you are
really doing is opening your end of a channel to higher wisdom. 
I consider the "actual" source of that wisdom irrelevant and
immaterial; it could be one's own subconscious, the collective
unconscious, the Gods' will, telepathic insight, or a big
computer buried in the Balkans.  It's still additional
information which is not as tainted by ego and intellect's
limitations as most.

        So what do we do with it?  The same things we do with any
other information; add it to what we already know and develop a
synthesis that can help us do our decision-making.  The easiest
way to analyze the process is with a concrete (well, maybe jello)
example:

        A young man has been between relationships for some time. 
He wants very much to link up with the great love of his life,
but is not aware of anyone on the horizon.  He is putting himself
in a position to meet new people, presenting himself as
attractively as he can, and generally taking care of business,
but no results.  He has to decide whether to take a work-related
course at night or not.  It will take a lot of time and there are
not likely to be any women attending.  His progressed horoscope
is neutral.  He gets his cards read.  They say:
[PAUSE]       
1.Nothing at all about love, but a lot about skilled craftsman-
ship and satisfaction through work.  He decides to relax and wait
for a better time, takes the course, and is rewarded with a
modest promotion which enhances his satisfaction with his job.

2.A lot about increasing social activities, leading to the start
of a new romance, leading to great happiness and satisfaction
after some difficulties are resolved.  He does not take the
course, and meets a really nice interesting lady at a party given
by a friend (which he couldn't have attended had he taken the
course).



3.That he is overlooking sources of emotional gratification in
his current situation.  Given the information, he starts looking
around and discovers that one of his quieter friends is a really
thoughtful and insightful person who helps him learn to know
himself better, and that a young cousin needs a mentor and this
relationship gives him a lot of pleasure and fulfillment.  He
begins to feel much more ready for a good relationship, and much
less impatient to have one start.

        These examples illustrate the point made above; divination
provides you with choices, and you take the consequences, no
matter what the oracles say.  Treat them with respect, not
adoration or blind compliance, and may they always show you the
truth.

Blessed Be,
The Spinster Aunt  ...from RMPJ 12/86

	 Divination Bibliography  
TAROT 
 
Butler, Bill.  Dictionary of the Tarot.  (Schocken Books, 1975). 
  
Campbell, Joseph and Richard Roberts.  Tarot Revelations.  (Vernal 	Equinox Press, 1979). 
  
Case, Paul Foster.  The Tarot.  (Maccy Publishing, 1947). 
  
Cavendish, Richard.  The Tarot.  (Harper & Row, 1975). 
  
Connelly, Eileen.  Tarot - A New Handbook for the Apprentice.  (Newcastle Publishing, 1979). 
  
Crowley, Aleister.  The Book of Thoth.  (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1984).                      The Egyptian (Golden Dawn) Tarot by The Master                     Therion. 
  
Douglas, Alfred.  The Tarot.  (Taplinger Publishing, 1972). 
  
Gettings, Fred.  The Book of Tarot.  (Triune Books, 1973). 
  
Gray, Eden.  A Complete Guide to the Tarot.  (Bantam Books, 1970). 
  
Gray, Eden.  The Tarot Revealed.  (Signet Books, 1960). 
  
Greer, Mary K.  Tarot for Yourself.  (Newcastle Publishing, 1984). 
  
Hargrave, Catherine Perry.  A History of Playing Cards.  (Dover 	Publishing, 1966). 
  
Hutton, Alice.  The Cards Can't Lie.  (Hippocrene Books, 1983). 
  
Kaplan, Stuart R.  The Encyclopedia of Tarot.  (U.S.Games Systems, 	1978). 
  
Konraad, Sandor.  Classic Tarot Spreads.  (Para Research, 1985). 
  
Leland, Charles Godfrey.  Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling.  	(University Books, 1962). 
  
* Nichols, Sallie.  Jung and Tarot.  (Samuel Weiser Inc. 1980).  Good 	but lengthy examination of the Jungian aspects of the Tarot. 
  
Noble, Vicki.  Motherpeace.  (Harper & Row, 1983). 
  
* Pollack, Rachel.  Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part I: The Major 	Arcana.  (Aquarian Press, 1980).  Excellent explanation of the 
     Tarot, using the Rider Waite deck.  Highly recommended. 
  
* Pollack, Rachel.  Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part II: The 	Minor Arcana and Readings.  (Aquarian Press, 1980).  Good 	explanations of various reading methods and extensions. 
  
Roberts, Richard.  Tarot and You.  (Morgan and Morgan, 1975). 
  

* Walker, Barbara G.  The Secrets of the Tarot.  (Harper & Row, 1984).         Examination of the origins and symbolism of the Tarot. 
        Beautifully done. 
  
* Wang, Robert.  The Qabalistic Tarot.  (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1983). 
        Good reference for the Golden Dawn system of Tarot. 
 
 
THE I CHING 
  
Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril.  The Astrology of the I Ching.  (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976.) 
  
Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril.  An Anthology of I Ching.  (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977.) 
  
Legge, James.  I Ching, Book of Changes.  (University Books, 1964). 
  
Ni, Hua-Ching.  Tao, The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of         Life.  (Shrine of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1979). 
  
Ni, Hua-Ching.  The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth.  (Shrine 	of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1983). 
  
Pattee, Rowena.  Moving With Change.  (Arkana, 1986).  Interesting 
        approach to oriental divination.  Cards also available. 
  
Ponce, Charles.  The Nature of the I Ching, Its Usage and 	Interpretation. (Award Books, 1970). 
  
Trosper, Barry R. and Gin-Hua Leu.  I Ching: The Illustrated Primer. 
        (KGI Publications, 1986). 
  
Walker, Barbara G.  The I Ching of the Goddess.  (Harper & Row, 1986). 
  
Waltham, Clae.  I Ching.  (Ace Books, 1969).  Adaptation of the work 		by James Legge. 
  
Wilhelm, R. and C.G. Jung.  The Secret of the Golden Flower.  		(Harcourt, Brace and World, 1931). 
  
 
RUNES 
  
Blum, Ralph.  The Book of Runes.  (St. Martin's Press, 1982).  Set 		comes with a set of runestones. 
  
Osborn, Marijane and Stella Longland.  Rune Games.  (Routledge & Kegan         Paul, Ltd. 1982). 
  
 
CARTOUCHE 
 
Hope, Murray.  The Way of Cartouche.  (St. Martin's Press, 1985). 
        Set comes with cards. 

	 Deity Engineering Worksheet 
 
 
1.  What qualities or aspects of reality does your Goddess, God or  
    Spirit embody? 
 
  
2.  What special abilities of powers does s/he have? 
 
  
3.  Describe Her or His appearance: 
 
	Body build & special attributes (tail, wings etc.): 
 
 
	Facial features & hair: 
 
 
	Apparent age: 
 
 
	Clothing, if any: 
 
 
	Jewelry & objects carried any: 
 
  
4.  How does s/he move? 
 
  
5.  what is Her/His voice like? 
 
  

6.  What correspondences are appropriate for each of the following? 
 
 
animals: 
 
Herbs, flowers: 
 
Trees: 
 
Colors: 
 
Elements: 
 
Direction: 
 
Mudra: 
 
Sacred objects: 
 
Season: 
 
Day of the week: 
 
Time of night or day: 
 
Gem or stone: 
 
Features of the natural environment: 
 
Smell and taste: 
 
 
7.  Describe Her/His temple or sacred space: 
 
 
8.  Does s/he have any special relationships to other Deities or  
Spirits, or to humans? 
 
 
9.  Name this Entity: 
Deity Engineering 
 
Worksheet 
 
 
1.  What qualities or aspects of reality does your Goddess,  
God or Spirit embody? 
 
 
2.  What special abilities of powers does s/he have? 
 
 

3.  Describe Her or His appearance: 
 
Body build & special attributes (tail, wings etc.): 
 
 
Facial features & hair: 
 
 
Apparent age: 
 
 
Clothing, if any: 
 
 
Jewelry & objects carried, if any: 
 
 
4.  How does s/he move? 
 
 
5.  what is Her/His voice like? 
 
 
6.  What correspondences are appropriate for each of the  
following? 
 
 
animals: 
 
Herbs, flowers: 
 
Trees: 
 
Colors: 
 
Elements: 
 
Direction: 
 
Mudra: 
 
Sacred objects: 
 
Season: 
 
Day of the week: 
 
Time of night or day: 
 
Gem or stone: 
 
Features of the natural environment: 
 
Smell and taste: 
 

7.  Describe Her/His temple or sacred space: 
 
 
 
8.  Does s/he have any special relationships to other  
Deities or Spirits, or to humans? 
 
 
 
9.  Name this Entity: 
 
 
 

 
     Ever  notice  how  many  cars you  see  today,  bearing  the 
Christian  fish symbol on their trunk?  Feel left out?   Want  to 
compete  and  brag about your religious affiliations?   Well,  we 
did, and you can, too, quite easily at that! 
 
     The "fish" symbol is the oldest of Christianity's symbology. 
Unlike  most of the other symbologies which have their  roots  in 
Paganism,  the fish was a sort of "secret sign" to  identify  the 
members of the heretical Jewish sect of followers of the man from 
Nazareth.    The  secrecy  was  because  of  persecution   (sound 
familiar?)  and  I believe the symbolism had to do  with  several 
things  - the disciples occupation as fishermen, and the  hidden 
meaning in the letters which spelled "fish" in Greek. 
 
     Want to identify yourself, although somewhat obscurely?   Go 
out  and buy one of those fish emblems - the plain ones,  without 
the letters inside the oval.  Better if the package contains  two 
such molded plastic stick-on emblems, if you are into the duality 
of Goddess/God.  If you are only into Goddess, one will do. 
 
     First, we will make one into one of the oldest known Goddess 
symbols  -  the yoni!  With a very sharp knife  or  fine  toothed 
hacksaw  or hobby saw (a razor saw used by railroad modelers  is 
what  I used), cut off both "tail fins" of the fish at point  "X" 
on the diagram. Save the pieces - we'll use them later.  (Dianics 
may discard the pieces now. 
 
     You  may also melt them off with a hot tool or knife if  you 
are  working on plastic fish, and clean it up with a nailfile  or 
emery  board.  Turn this pointy-ended oval on end (points up  and 
down),  and VOILA! A YONI! The very first goddess figure  devised 
in  ancient times.  Stick it upright on your trunk (or the  trunk 
of  your  car, if it interferes with your clothing) and  get  the 
second "fish" to work on next. 
 
     To  represent the Horned God, all you really have to  do  is 
up-end  the  remaining  uncut  "fish",  fins  up,  and  stick  it 
alongside  the Goddess yonic figure - it looks like  the  classic 
horned circle, though it is a bit pointed at the ends.  If  you'd 
like to emphasize the "fish fin" horns a bit, glue the pieces you 
cut  off  the  other  one,  onto  the  ends  of  these,   thereby 
lengthening  them.   Now stick this emblem  right  alongside  the 
other  one, and you have Goddess and God, side-by-each where  all 
can see, and probably confuse a lot of those folks who are  still 
displaying them as fish. 
 
     Don't  pass  up this chance to steal a symbol  or  two  from 
them-  they  stole  quite  a few  of  ours.   A  little  friendly 
competition is good to ease tensions.  Perhaps we can start a new 
rage  in auto kitsch.  The Aquarian Tabernacle's church bus,  the 
Blessed  Bee, sports a large size, gold colored  plastic  Goddess 
and God right there (you guessed it) on the left hand side of the 
rear of the vehicle, for all to see and ponder! 
 
     Just another helpful household hint from Habondia. 

                       12 Exercises Nobody Needs 
 
      1.  Jumping to conclusions 

      2.  Running around in circles 

      3.  Wading through paperwork 

      4.  Pushing your luck 
  
      5.  Passing the buck 

      6.  Throwing your weight around 

      7.  Jumping on the bandwagon 

      8.  Spinning your wheels 

      9.  Dragging your heels 

     10.  Adding fuel to the fire 

     11.  Climbing the walls 

     12.  Grasping at straws 

	OLD MAGIC EXORCISM 
 
Power of wind have I over thee. 
Power of wrath have I over thee. 
Power of fire have I over thee. 
Power of thunder have I over thee. 
Power of lightning have I over thee. 
Power of storm have I over thee. 
Power of moon have I over thee. 
Power of sun have I over thee. 
Power of stars have I over thee. 
Power of the heaven's and the worlds have I over thee. 
 
(lift sword over head with both hands and chop down.) 
 
Eson! Eson! Emaris! 
 
Garner, Alan;  "The Moon of Gomrath"; Ballantine  
 

                           E C O M A G I C 
                           --------------- 
    The following is excerpted from  an article, Making Magic For Planet Earth, written by Selena Fox for Circle Network News (Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 ) and presented here as being of public interest to the pagan community at large. Selena, I didn't have time to ask your permission, I presume that by the very nature of your writings you want them to be shared with as many people as possible, and so they are presented here. This is submitted with this statement and not to be edited, by Shadowstar of Boston MA. 
 
   "There are many things that can be done in spiritual realms to help bring about solutions to the world's problems: 
 
   * We can kindle spiritual friendships with other lifeforms through communication with Nature Spirits, who can be teachers for us and allies in bringing about planetary healing. 
 
   * We can do daily meditations in which we creatively visualize the spiritual body of the planet glowing with radiant healing light. 
 
   * We can organize and/or take part in ecumenical planetary prayer services and rituals with practitioners of other spiritual paths and cultures. 
 
   * We can honor Mother Earth as an aspect of the divine in our solo and group rituals. 
 
   * We can send Mother Earth our love and pray for planetary health each time we visit a stone circle, sacred grove, place of power, temple, shrine or other sacred site. 
 
   * We can do spiritual healing magic for the planet in our circles. 
 
   It is important to reinforce whatever spiritual work we do with physical action.  There are a variety of ways to do this and you should decide on at least one approach and then carry it out.  Here are a few examples: 
 
   * Recycle trash from your household, take paper, plastics, glass, aluminum cans, and other recyclables to recycling centers. 
 
   * Recycle clothes and no longer needed household items by donating them to charities to distribute to the needy. 
 
   * Join and actively participate in environmental action groups. 
 
   * Write government officials and urge them to take specific actions on specific environmental issues, such as stopping all ocean dumping. 
 
   * Write letters and articles for publications about the need for environmental preservation. 
 
   * Plant trees as part of reforestation efforts. 
 
   * Compost food scraps. 
    
   * Stop buying and using non-bio-degradable detergents. 
   
   * Boycott products from companies that are destroying the Amazon rainforest. 
 
   * Pick up cigarette butts and other non-biodegradable litter from parks and other wilderness areas. 
 
   * Donate money to nature preserves. 
 
   * Give talks at schools, civic groups, churches and in other places in your area about ecological issues. 
 
   * Read publications, view films, and attend presentations in order to keep informed about ecological conditions and to learn about additional ways you can work for planetary healing. 
 
   * Conserve electricity, water and other resources on a daily basis. 
   * Network with others. 

                   The Fundamental Laws of Human Ecology

1. We're all in it together. Everything is connected to everything else.  You can't do just one thing. <Law of Interrelatedness>

2. The Earth and its resources are finite. or You can't get something for nothing. <Law of Conservation of Energy>

3. As energy and other resources  are used, there is an overall decrease in the amount of usefulness. (Second Law of Thermodynamics>

4. Everything must go somewhere-there is now away. <Law of Conservation of Matter>

5. Up to a point, the bigger the better; beyond that point, the bigger the worse. or To everything there is an optimum size. <Brontosaurus Principle>

6. Everything is becoming something else. <Law of Continuous Creation>

7. In most cases, the greater the diversity of a system, the greater its stability. <The Diversity Principle>

8. Nature frequently but not always "knows" best. Note: People use
antibiotics to counter nature. <Nature knows best>

9. We shape our buildings <environment> and afterwards our buildings
<environment> shape us. - Winston Churchhill <Your Environment is You>

10. As human beings, one of our inalienable rights is the right to live in a clean environment. <The Environmental Bill of Rights>

11. Our environment does not belong to us alone. It was used by our
forefathers, passed on to us, and we are charged with the responsibility of passing it undamaged to all future generations. <the Rights of the Unborn>

12. All persons must be held responsible for their own pollution. <the
Responsibility of the Born>

13. All persons are created with an equal right to live in dignity and
peace and to work out a meaningful existence. Everyone is entitled to a fair share of the world's resources-provided one is carrying one's own share of the responsibilities for maintaining an orderly world. <The Law of Equity>

14. Comfortable living, in harmony with nature, should be each society's goal. <the Goal of Society>

15. Our dependence on technology is, today, so strong and widespread, that we are compelled to use technology as a means for getting out of our environmental dilemma. <Technology-Part of the Problem, Part of the Solution>

16. No national purpose however urgent, no political or economic necessity however pressing can possibly justify the risk of bringing all human history to an end. <Give Earth a Chance>
 	 The Posture of Ecstasy 

The nature of ecstatic states of consciousness may be encoded in their
postures.  The types of visions, prophecies or healing abilities that accompany ecstatic states may have less to do with the religious content surrounding the ceremonies of ecstasy than with the posture assumed by the people undergoing the ecstatic experience.

This unusual hypothesis is being proposed by psychological anthropologist Felicitas D. Goodman, PhD, based on observation of people in ecstatic states and her experiments training people to enter such states of consciousness.  In some of her earlier re- search, Dr. Goodman learned that she could induce an ecstatic state in a subject through the use of a gourd rattle similar to that used in many primitive shamanistic ceremonies.  While a subject, alone, or in a
group, walked in a circle, or simply sat, Dr. Goodman would shake this rattle in a steady manner for 15 minutes.  The use of the rattle was based on the hypothesis that "acoustic driving" affects the functioning of the brain, blocking the verbal left hemisphere and opening access the intuitive right hemisphere.  Within five minutes, most subjects were giving indications of being in an altered state of consciousness.  At the end of the experiment, their verbal reports confirmed that they had been experiencing something resembling an ecstatic state, including visions and variations in body image. 
Noting that the content of these visions seemed to vary as a function of which subjects had remained standing and which had become seated, Dr. Goodman ran a series of experiments to specifically test the effect of posture.

To obtain experimental postures, she went to ethnographic resources to locate either photographs of shamans in ecstasy, or artistic renditions of this state.  She found five different postural positions.  In her subsequent experiments, she would ask her subjects to assume a particular posture, commence the rattle playing for 15 minutes, then obtain their reports.  She found that these
reports were highly consistent for a given posture, but differed between various postures.

For example, one posture was similar to sitting in meditation, except that the legs are both tucked under the body and turned toward the right.  Subjects experienced color sensations, spinning and strong alterations in mood.  This posture was that assumed by Nupe Mallam diviners.  According to the literature, the divination experience begins by alterations in moods.


In another posture, subjects stood erect with their heads back and their hands clasped at the abdomen.  Subjects reported warmth, a flow of energy rising, and a channel opening at the top of the head.  According to the ethnographic literature, this posture had been associated with healing, involving the flow of energy.  In a similar manner, the other postures tested produced experiences resembling the reports of native shamans who assume the posture in their trance
work.

The author can only speculate concerning the mechanism by which posture affects the content of ritualized trances.  We know that posture affect mood states.  It is perhaps by their effect upon a wide variety of psychophysiological variables that posture affects the course of ecstasy.


(Source: "Body posture and the religious altered state of consciousness: An experimental investigation," Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Summer, 1986, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 81-118.  Author's address: Cuyamungue Institute, 114 East Duncan St., Columbus, OH 43202.)


                               The Men's Circle 
                          Copyright 1987 by R.M.P.J. 
 
 
    Those of you who attended the "Opening the Sky" ritual at Dragonfest this year probably realized that a large part of it was a Creation Myth.  At the Manhood Ritual on Friday night, Thomas's Circle Invocation was also a Creation Myth, although a very brief one.  Perhaps it is in the stars, but I have been 
thinking about a Pagan Creation Myth for several months now and perhaps this is as good a time as any to publish it.  The basic idea  originally came when some people complained that science didn't have any mystery or poetic power in its formulations.  That is not really true, it is just that not enough scientists are trained to write well, or encouraged to present new knowledge in a form that will appeal to all levels of our minds.  Well, I decided to have a go at it, and the following myth is based pretty closely on modern cosmology and evolutionary theory. 
.................................. 
 
    In the beginning there was neither matter nor energy, neither was there space nor time, force and form were not.  Yet there was Something.  Poised between Spirit and Void, without form or qualities, pure potentiality, the first physical manifestation had existence.  Scientists call it the Primordial Singularity, occultists call it the Cosmic Egg.   
 
    It changed, and the first moment of time came to be.  It         expanded, and space was born.  Not the space we know, but one of many dimensions, and that space was filled with the first Force.  So intense was that Force that space itself altered. Dimensions folded back on themselves, while others expanded mightily.  The first Form came to be.  As the infant universe expanded it changed subtly, and as naturally as snowflakes forming in the air, the first material manifestation precipitated out of nothingness.  Neither matter nor 
energy as we know them, but yet both.  The Element Fire was born.  The universe continued to expand, and the one Force became two forces, then three and finally four.  Matter and energy became distinguishable, and the Element Earth was born from Fire.  A hundred thousand years went by, and the universe continued to expand and cool until, quite suddenly, the fire died, space became transparent to light, and there were great clouds of cool gas, moving freely.  
The Element Air was born.  The clouds began to draw together, then break apart into smaller clouds, and smaller still, until a limit was reached, and a hundred thousand clouds collapsed inward upon themselves, swirling and twisting, flattening and smoothing, rippling, and organizing themselves.  The Element Water was born. 
 

    One cloud, like many of its siblings, took on a structure like a great pinwheel, with spiral arms stretching out from its center.  It was Galaxias, our Milky Way.  Within its turbulent swirling, smaller eddies formed and contracted, tighter and tighter.  At the center of one a spark grew bright then another and another.  The first stars were lighted, and shown in a universe grown dark.  Many of them burned prodigally for a time and then exploded, hurling the ashes of their burning outward, ashes such as oxygen and carbon and 
nitrogen; star stuff, life stuff.  Generations of stars came and went over the billions of years, and out in one of the spiral arms a cloud of gas and dust began to collapse like so many others before.  It contracted, and a new star lighted, with a disc of dust and gas circling it.  The disc became lumpy as grains of dust and crystals of ice collided and stuck together.  The lumps touched and merged, ever growing in the light of the young star.  Finally, nine bodies circled the new star, which would one day be called Sol, or simply, the Sun.  Third out from the sun a rare event had happened.  Two young planets had collided and merged violently, forming a single planet.  In the violence of that collision, part of the surfaces of both had been ripped off and hurled out to form a ring of molten rock which quickly drew together to form a giant satellite.  The Earth and the Moon had been born in a passionate joining.   
 
    As the young Earth cooled, great volcanos belched forth gases from its still hot interior.  An atmosphere of steam and carbon dioxide formed and then clouds appeared.  The first rains began, pouring down on the rocks and washing down into the low places.  The oceans were born.  Water evaporated from the oceans and fell again as rain, dissolving minerals from the rocks and carrying them into the sea.  The early ocean became richer and richer in dissolved minerals and gases.  Lightning in the young atmosphere formed new substances 
which added to the complexity of the mix.  The dissolved substances in the oceans became more and more complex, until one day a complex molecule attracted simpler compounds to itself, and then there were two, then four.  Life was born.    
 
From its simple origins, Life grew in complexity, until one day a patch of green appeared, drawing energy from the Sun, and exuding oxygen.  Within a short time the atmosphere changed radically.  The sky became blue, the air clear and rich in oxygen.  As the Earth had shaped Life, so Life began to shape the Earth.   Delicately balancing and ever re-balancing between the furnace heat of her sister Venus, and the icy cold of her brother Mars, Gaia, the Living Earth, had come to be. 
 
    The first animals appeared and swam in the oceans.  Then venturesome ones crawled onto the land.  The forms taken by life changed.  Fish appeared, and dragons walked the land.  Tiny furred creatures supplanted the great dragons, whose descendants now flew through the skies, clothed in feathers.  By and by some of the furred creatures came down from the trees and began to walk about on their hind legs, and then they started picking things up.  Soon they were 
using the things they picked up.  Then they started talking to each other.  After they had been talking for a while, they started thinking.  Some of them even started thinking about where they had come from and where they were going.  And they began to wonder how everything had come to be - and why. 
.................................. 
 
    Well, there it is.  Now that it's written I'm wondering what it all means.  You who read this have as much right to interpret it as the author, who after all is mostly gathering the thoughts and conclusions of other men and women and putting them into a hopefully attractive package.  Creation myths are supposed to tell us something about the world we live in and our relationship with that world, and perhaps about ourselves.  This one seems to be telling us that the 
world in which we live was not made, like a clock, it grew, like an embryo in an egg.  We humans are as much a part of our world as the eye of an embryo is part of the embryo.  We are the part of the world that "sees".  And what about the Gods?  Where do they fit into all this?  Well, eggs generally have a mother and a father, and newborn chicks aren't aware of either until they open their eyes.  We are the eyes of our world, and one of our functions is to see the Mother and Father. 
                                                                       ___Robin 
 
 

From: ROWAN MOONSTONE 
To: ALL 
Subj: CHRISTIANITY AND WICCA 
The following is the comparison listing of Christianity and Wicca that I mentioned in a previous message. It was prepared by Kerr Cuchulain, who is the Canadian Chapter Head for the Witches League for Public Awareness, in response to a request from a Christian minister who contacted the League. 
 
Christianity                               Wicca 
Patriarchal/Paternalistic             Duotheistic (Goddess/God)* 
Dualistic: divinity separate          Monistic: Divinity inseparable 
from everyday world                     from everyday world 
Resurrection                          Reincarnation 
Heaven: destination of Christian      Summerland: resting place 								between souls incarnations 
Hell                                  No equivalent 
Satan                                 No equivalent 
Original Sin                          No equivalent 
Redemption/Atonement/Confession       Karma/Threefold Law(evil returns 							   upon the perpetrator three-fold) Hierarchy/Authoritarian               No hierarchy/ Autonomy 
Bible( scripture)                     No equivalent ** 
Sabbats based upon Biblical           Seasonal and Lunar Sabbats 
and Christian historical events 
Prophets/Saints/Messiahs              no equivalent 
Generally daylight worship            Some worship nocturnal(lunar                                                                 esbats) 
Churches/temples                      Circles case where convenient                                          usually no formal temple no size                                        restrictions on small groups                                           (covens) 3-13 people usual                                             though congregations may be 
							   larger.
10 Commandments                       Wiccan Rede Harm none 
Psychic phenomena generally           Psychic abilities encouraged 
discouraged except for                (magick) 
"miracles" 
* Names vary from tradition to tradition. lDifferent aspects of the 
Goddess/God have different names creating the impression that Wicca may be pantheistic. 
** Wiccans use a book called the "Book of Shadows". This is a working notebook rather than a scriptural text. 

	 DEGREES OF INITIATION 
	SPARROW SONG

What do the three ( or four ) degrees of Wicca entail?         

	Well, as I see it, the (in my case) three degrees reflect levels of competency.  You have to know and maybe even be able to teach various things to be upped a degree.  Also, I see the degrees as much like Church hierarchy.  First degree makes you a priest/priestess, and makes you responsible for a small part of the lay community.  Second   degree is kinda like being a bishop -- that's also when you become an "Elder" -- and makes you responsible for lay community and what first degrees are in your group.  In other words, 2nd degree has more and greater attendant responsibilities (which is as it should be, no?).  In  my tradition, 3rd degree is given when it looks like the person is ready to go off and found a coven of his/her own (preferably with his/her mate -- they like to give thirds in pairs), which the person then should do (cause there shouldn't be more than one set of 3rds in a coven).  3rd is rather closer to 2nd than 2nd is to 1st, as I see    it.  And in the way of what one must know, well, it seems to consist of memorizing a basic ritual and knowing why it works, plus various other things too numerous and eclectic to mention here.  Ultimately, I think, advancement is according to the whim of the High Priestess & Priest.  Yea, it's a pain, but if you don't like it you can always     "invent yer own grandmother" and start off on your own.<grin>  After all, that's one of the good things about this religion: its flexibility.  And as long as you don't dismember animals and children, you may even be recognized and acknowledged! (mostly joking)                   Seriously, I've been finding the whole degree system a pain lately, a source of unfair manipulation along the carrot-and-stick lines, so I'm somewhat bitter about it all.  Brighit (are you out there?) may be better able to explain it, since she's a HPs herself,   and of a very formalized tradition...                          
	Seems that while I've been gone there have been one or two     
requests for me to comment on things ... First, on degree systems:     Yes, SeaHawk is right, we Gardnerians do have a fairly rigid system although each coven interprets it slightly differently.  In Tobar Bhride [my coven] our first degree is NOT considered clergy nor is it eligible for CoG credentials because it is considered an acknowledge-  ment of one's commitment to the Craft and the Coven, but not necessarily a commitment to clerical responsibility.  First degrees are considered competent to do a circle for themselves only -- and given only that part of the Book which is relevant to that scope of practice.              
	Second degree Priest/ess/es are considered teachers, and in our particular coven must have taught us, as a coven, something before elevation to that degree is considered.  They are eligible to lead group celebrations and also eligible for CoG Ministerial Credentials.  Elders, Third Degree Witches, in Tobar Bhride, are those with direct   experience of deity through a formalized ritual of possession.  This experience, and a year of service to Tobar Bhride, are the requirements for Third Degree.           

	I agree with SeaHawk about the sometimes arbitrary forces at work in initiation and elevation.  Unfortunately in many covens the HP & HPs feel themselves oathbound to be arbitrary, authoritarian and autocratic, and absolutely not subject to any constraint or needing    any consensus whatsoever.  Or in some covens they will agree to consensus on the little things and arbitrarily disperse the big ones <listening, SeaHawk? *wink*>.  In Tobar Bhride, to avoid this, we have made a rule for ourselves:  if a person fulfills all the paper requirements for initiation/elevation and does not receive that degree within two Sabbats' time, the Council of Elders is FORCED to explain why to the petitioner.  This seems to curb the temptation to such authoritarian use of power ...                                          

                       Full Deck Tarot Star Spread
                              by Unicornis


   There are very few Tarot spreads which use the entire deck in a
single unified pattern.  What follows is a description of such a spread.  It is best suited for situations in which a great deal of complexity is present, and for 'general' readings.  The steps for creating the spread are:

   1: Thoroughly shuffle the deck until it 'feels' right.  While I personably do not allow another person to shuffle my cards, if the reading concerns another it is acceptable to allow that person to hold the deck while concentrating upon the matter in question.  This is a personal preference, but I am convinced that the relationship between reader and deck is a very personal one and that contact with the deck by another may 'confuse' the reading.

   2: Dealing from the 'bottom' of the deck (i.e. with the cards face down and dealing from the topmost position), create thirteen piles of six cards each.  The first pile is in the center and the other twelve are in a circle around it.  Each pile should be dealt consecutively (all six cards at once). Although it is not necessary to actually place them so, at least understand that the first card dealt in a pile (Card 0) is in the center of a circle of five cards (Card 1 through Card 5).  This circle is, in actuality, a Star. When laying them out in a Star, use the following spread for each pile:

   
                          1
                 
       
                         
                                             
           3                               4        
                           0
         
            
               
                            
                 5                    2


Note that if you trace the numbers from 1 to 5 you will trace a five-pointed star, always moving clockwise around the circle to reach the next point.
              
   3: Interpret the spread.
   
   Interpretation of this spread is based upon the astrological
symbolism of the twelve houses.  The first pile of cards in the circle of twelve piles is House 1, the second is House 2, etc..

   The individual piles delineate the specific factors at work in each
of the twelve basic areas.  Card 1 represents the matter in question (the 'problem', question, etc.).  Card 2 represents the 'source' (cause of the problem, inception of a project, etc.).  Card 3 represents factors which bear upon the matter, but which are external to it (and probably out of the control of the querant).  Card 4 represents actions taken with regard to the matter.  Card 5 represents the outcome of those actions.   Card 4 is the most difficult to interpret, since 'action' could here represent several different things.  First of all, it might represent an action which has already been taken.  If so, then Card 5 will represent the probable outcome, unless counter actions are taken.  Secondly, it might represent the action which the querant is asking about (i.e. 'Should I ...'.
Card 5, again, represents the probable outcome.  Thirdly, it might represent the suggested course of action (answer to the question 'What should I ...'). In this case, Card 5 is the suggested goal.  It is quite possible that Card 5 will relate to a past outcome (i.e. everything has already transpired).  If this seems to be the case, then it is possible that all five cards must be interpreted as relating to another person, instead of the querant.  Most of the time the sense of Card 4 should be apparent from the context of the reading.

   Card 0 always represents the 'heart' of the individual Star spread.
Usually, this relates to the querant's own relationship to the matter which is germane to the house in question.  It can also, however, represent the underlying ('behind the scenes') factors which precipitated the matter, not to be confused with the 'cause' of a problem.  In this sense, it will usually represent motivations, rather than actions.  In some cases Card 0 will represent a person, other the querant, to which the Star actually relates.  In such a case, an attempt should be made, based upon the situation and the nature of the card to identify that person, since this implies that the matter is either out of the hands of the querant or the querant is only an 'ambient' factor (and will then be represented by Card 3 for that particular Star.

   In a similar manner, Pile 0 (the one at the center of the circle),
represents the 'heart' of the entire reading.  This will always pertain to the reasons (motivations) of the querant, and interpretation of this Star spread must be used to modify all of the others.

   This is not the place to delve into the meanings of the twelve
houses in detail.  There are many good books in print which deal with this.  I highly recommend the following, which give excellent interpretations of the twelve astrological houses (coinciding with the twelve 'Stars' of this Tarot spread):

   The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience
   by Dane Rudhyar
   
        The Astrology of Personality
   by Dane Rudhyar
   
        A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer
   by Michael R. Meyer

   The full deck star spread lends itself admirably to an in-depth
study of any matter.  The human condition is far too complex to use a
simple yes-no approach to any matter of importance.  More so than spreads which involve only a small number of the total factors which could come into play, the full deck star spread allows detailed analysis of all of the options and avenues which are available.  It will also show how the outcome of an action might affect areas of the querant's life which were not specifically part of the reason for consulting the Tarot in the first place.

   It might take a little longer to use, and might require a little
more effort on the part of the interpreter, but the extra work will be
repaid many-fold in the certainty that no stone was left unturned.

	 Self-defense and Banes 
	Judy Harrow 

 
I surely agree that we have every right to protect ourselves and our  "own folk" from attack. But I do believe that shield and mirror workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the goal of self-protection. Consider this - a mirror working is perfect justice. If I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at all or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and (if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any mistaken paranoia that I may occasionally get, does nothing at all until and unless an attack happens, and then sends the bad energy directly back to the exactly deserving person or group in exactly the proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice. 

    A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and  
dissipating it harmlessly. I think I already said this but I recently  talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would  have been perfectly entitled to use a mirror. The situation is an ongoing battle between my student's lover and his former wife. While the ex-wife did an entirely unjustifiable attack, and would fully deserve to have it returned full force, all this would really accomplish would be to perpetuate the craziness, hostility and tension in the situation -  and both the couple's innocent children and my student are being hurt.  Better for all concerned to ignore justice and drain as much of the tension as possible, to make room for the healing that all of them need.  A grounding shield is perfect mercy. 

    But banes and bindings, while they may give short term protection,  risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if  
misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're  
entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender. 
            warmly / Judy 

From: Hugh Read 
	You have a gentle way.  For myself, I love Minerva who I feel is a Being unto Herself.  The concept of the Grounding Shield is clear to me...would you care to share the practice with me.  Justice has little interest for me.  That takes care of itself in the process of time.  We are all amply repayed for our varies deeds simply by wearing this body of ours. Healing is far more to the point.  The word Justice makes me cringe a bit, though long ago I came to peace with Justice.  One of my more angry prayers is May he/she have perfect Justice, NOW!  Instant karma, NOW...and I always add, and so may it be with me. 
I remember telling this to a New Age teacher a few years ago.  He turned pale and promised me auto accidents, fire, theft and robbery if I did that.  Well, I am still bopping along with my share in the chancier aspects of life affirming perfect Justice for my self and every now and then in those very rare (!) moments of anger instant Karma for me and whoever.  I love the idea of a shield that will ground and disperse any nasties send grovelling in my direction.  Let Healing Be the Way!!!  Tender bliss and explosive ecstacy be yours as the days pass softly! 
 
 
From: Judy Harrow 
	It's visualization either way. For the grounding shield, it is velvety, absorptive black (Oops, I should say that MINE is - you may alter this to whatever will convince your Younger Self). Every so often along it's length, for me every 2-3 yards, there is a post somewhat like a fence post that extends deep into the ground and is conductive like a lightening rod. Trust mother Earth to filter any kind of energy back into simple, pure, undifferentiated energy and recycle it to wherever it is most needed. So the shield catches incoming energy and channels it down through the purifying rocks. I don't know exactly how to describe physically how the shield can be 
semi-permeable, allowing in the well-wishes of your friends, but, as semi permeable membranes exist in Nature, helping each cell maintain its water/salt balance, so can this shield. Can you conceive of a substance both velvet and mesh? That's how it is with me. 

    On the justice end of the spectrum, my own Younger Self is a bit of a literalist. A flat mirror will not work for me, since the angle of incidence is complementary to the angle of reflection, which means that bad energy is actually diverted from the sender and bounced onto innocent parties. My mirror looks like a waffle, and is optically designed to send stuff back exactly where it came from. It's also semi-permeable, and that is even harder to explain. I guess Younger Self is not altogether consistent. 

    On the issue of choosing between the two modes. Justice is a tautology. It will do no better - and no worse - than getting you back to where you began. It protects and maintains, but does not allow for growth. Perhaps you've read Diana Paxon's wonderful book "Red Mare, White Stallion." At the beginning, the women of the tribe have a ritual opportunity to make a wish for the coming year. But the heroine does something even better. When her turn comes, she tells the Goddess "Mother, You choose." Had she chosen, she could not possibly have received anything more than she was capable of imagining. Taking the risk of not choosing was opening herself to surprise and transformation. 

    Reading that was a mind-blow for me. Since then, I have tried to take Diana's dare as much as possible, and not limit myself to tautology. I don't do it all the time, but I stretch toward it. The mirror/shield question resonates with that for me. 

    Minerva/Athena wears a shield and helmet, and carries a spear. My Sister is a Warrior, but always in defense of the community and always for justice. Never for greed or domination. It is worthy to protect what you have, and worthy to reach beyond.
    warmly / Judy 

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.!

The Way it Looks from Here

	Hello again.  Lots of changes the last couple of months,
both for me and for relatives, friends, acquaintances...  This
time I think I'd like to talk about "harvest season" for a bit.  

	There are times in the various rites and ceremonies that
have to do with the `gathering in' time of the year, when we feel
that we need to offer up the "fruits of the harvest" to the Gods. 
We carefully select the best examples of what we have grown and
nurtured since planting-time, polish our apples and scrape the
mud off the squash and pumpkins, shuck a few ears of corn
perhaps, and bring it all to the altar to offer in solemn ritual
to the Lord and Lady, hoping to justify the time and labor we've
spent.   

	It is certainly not my purpose here to be skeptical of that
pursuit, rather to expand our horizons a bit.  For a great many
years I followed this "custom", and I must say I never thought
much about it all.  

	Two years ago, my father was diagnosed as having cancer. 
The doctors toiled mightily over him for the past two years, but
to no avail.  My father passed into Summerland on October 14th, a
week short of his 81st birthday, just a few months shy of 50
years of marriage.  

	I couldn't say that Dad was a Pagan in most senses of the
word.  He did, however, have some interesting views on my
religious practices.  This last spring, I was trying to explain
to Dad why we have harvest celebrations; something he said jarred
me out of a rut, as it were, and got me thinking on a parallel,
if different track.  

	If, he said, you believe that the Goddess and God are
responsible for everything being here, why do you make a big deal
out of the harvest offering?  The Gods already "own" everything
you're trying to give them...  Dad pointed out to me that, given
a modicum of rain and sun, most plants will grow and flower and
fruit entirely on their own, untouched by human hands.  Well,
that set me to thinking.  I've been mulling this over for a few
months, and I'm still a bit confused.  However, let me have a go
at explaining what my thoughts are at this point on the
"offering".



	When I select fruits and vegetables from the garden to offer
up to the Gods, the offering I make is not just the produce I lay
on the altar.  As Dad said, things will grow without, and
sometimes in spite of what we do.  What I'm doing is offering the
fruits of my labor, not the produce itself.  I've taken what the
Gods gave me, and hopefully increased the yield by watering,
fertilizing, hoeing, weeding.... Am I not saying, "I thank you
for the raw materials, see what I've accomplished with your
gift"?  

	Is life not a gift of the Gods?  Every time I step up to the
altar in circle, should  I not offer up the best of myself in
Their service?

	A little child will pick up a stick or a rock off the
street, and give it to you because he loves you.  It's all he has
to give.  We have so much more.  The Gods gave us life; they gave
us the tools to mold it.  By intellect, willpower, emotion, we
become who and what we are.  If we use those tools, what we offer
to the Gods is surely a more acceptable thing to give.

	My Dad didn't have the easiest or the best of life.  Yet,
though he had to work six days out of seven most of his life to
make a home for Mom and me, he did it with a right good will.  He
learned everything he could; he did what he had to and a good
deal extra; he loved life, nature and his family.  He left a leg-
acy in the hearts and minds of those who knew him that will not
soon be forgotten.  I can only hope that when it's time for my
final "harvesting", I can make as acceptable an offering as he.

And that's the way it looks from here.
___Gary Dumbauld, editor.
..........from RMPJ 12/86

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.!

                     CONCERNING THE HEYOKAH
                   Copyright 1987, T. W. Moore

     Hello, people!  Before I get to the subject of this little
piece, let me give you a bit of information as to its roots.

     Recently I have been doing a lot of writing, horror stories
for the most part, and this article grew out of that.  It is also
derived from a dream that I had not too long ago and something
that has puzzled me until recently.  Now, with all that out of
the way, let's get to it.

     Those of you who are familiar with Native American beliefs
already have an idea of what a heyokah is.  For the benefit of
those who aren't, I'll try to briefly describe him for you.  Who
knows?  There may well be a counterpart in your own tradition.

     The word heyokah comes from the Lakotah (Sioux) and is used
in reference to a particular type of shaman.  According to
tradition, the heyokah is one who has "dreamed of the Thunder
Spirits."  This dream bestows great powers upon the medicine
man/medicine woman, one of which is reputed to be an ability to
influence storms.  However, these powers have their price in that
the shaman becomes a "contrary/"  If you've seen the movie Little
Big Man, then you have seen a sample of the heyokah's antics.  Of
course, this was a parody of the real thing, but our subject does
do a lot of clowning around in reverse.

     Now I've read quite a bit on the subject (there's a lot out
there, too), but still couldn't put it together.  There seemed to
be something missing!  It's only in the last month or so that
it's become clear to me and I'd like to share my insights with
you.


     Probably the greatest barrier to my understanding was the
one created by language.  Not being able to speak Lakotah, and
additionally not knowing the culture, I lost something in the
translation.  Here's the whole picture, as I see it anyway.

     In his vision, the heyokah comes into direct contact with
the life-force itself.  This is symbolized by the Thunder Spirits
that he dreams of.  When this occurs, a death/rebirth sequence is
begun, which gives the shaman the capacity to control some of the
manifestations of life-force.  This would include an ability to
influence storms and, as is typical of the shamanic experience,
the power to heal.  He also becomes a very potent teacher.  This
last is where the "contrariness" comes into focus, in two ways. 
The first is that the heyokah is teaching us about our selves. 
By "mirroring" all of our doubts, fears, hatreds, weaknesses,
etc. he forces us to examine what we really are.  For example, if
you have any self-hatred (a common malady in our society) this
sacred teacher will make you look at it.  The second aspect of
his mirroring is that, as we are taught, the heyokah heals us of
our hurts.  This is the most important and remarkable part of the
holy man's clowning.  For this wonderful shaman takes our pain
and transforms it into laughter.  And what can heal a human
beings faster than to laugh at ourselves?

     As you can see, these "sacred clowns" had a very important
role in traditional societies.  And personally, I think we could
use a few more of them in today's world.


                        Suggested Reading


SEVEN ARROWS, Hyemeyosts Storm .

SONG OF HEYOKAH, Hyemeyosts Storm .

LAME DEER: SEEKER OF VISIONS, Richard Erdoes and Lame Deer.

SHAMANIC VOICES, Joan Halifax.

     If anyone would like to respond to this or has anything to
share with me, please write to me c/o Post Office Box 11125,
Englewood, CO  80110

..........  FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987

		FULL MOON RITUAL  GROUP

The Esbat takes place on the nights of the New Moon and the nights of the Full Moon. On these nights, the Coven usually does any kind of magical work and business they need to. It is enacted, hopefully every Full Moon.

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 music and 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 water on 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 with 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 hencefrom, 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:
                          2 7    
                       4       5 
                                 
                       6 1    3  
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, agate 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.
In this part of the ritual, the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says:    

	"Diana, queen of night
	In all your beauty bright,
	Shine on us here,
	And with your silver beam
	Unlock the gates of dream;
	Rise bright and clear.
	On Earth and sky and sea,
	Your magic mystery
	Its spell shall cast,
	Wherever leaf may grow,
	Wherever tide may flow,
	Till all be past.
	O secret queen of power,
	At this enchanted hour
	We ask your boon.
	May fortune's favor fall
	Upon true witches all,
	O Lady Moon!"

The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priest kneels again and invokes:
 

	"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us	all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love	do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy	servant and priestess."

During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says:

	"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
	Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
	Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
	With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
	Thy foot is to my lip
	(he kisses her right foot)      
	my prayer up borne
	Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
	Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
	To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."

The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says as the Goddess:

	"Of the Mother darksome and divine
	Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
	The five point star of love and bliss
	Here I charge you in this sign."

The High Priest starts off by saying:

	"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among man Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names."


The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess:

	Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am 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 I 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; dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep	pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon	Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with	those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the earth. I who am the white Moon	among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the	desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life	to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me	all things must return; and before my face, beloved of	Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my  worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and	pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who seekest to	seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail	thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; and if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with	thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire." 


The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:

	"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell 
         till next we call you. Blessed Be."


The Witches' Creed should be said by the entire Coven. 

	"Hear now the words of the witches,
	The secrets we hid in the night,
	When dark was our destiny's pathway,
	That now we bring forth into the light.
	Mysterious Water and Fire,
	The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
	By hidden quintessence we know them,
	And will keep silent and dare.
	The birth and rebirth of all nature,
	The passing of winter and spring,
	We share with the life universal,
	Rejoice in the 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,
	When sun is at greatest and least,
	The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
	Again witches gather in feast.
	Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
	Thirteen is the Coven's array.
	Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
	For each golden year and a day.
	The power was passed down the ages,
	Each time between woman and man,
	Each century unto the other,
	Ere time and ages began.
	When drawn is the magical circle,
	By sword or athame of power,
	It's compass between the two worlds lies,
	In the land of shades that hour.
	This world has no right to know it,
	And the world beyond will tell naught.
	The oldest of gods are invoked there,
	The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
	For two are the mystical pillars,
	That stand at the gate of the shrine,
	And two are the powers of nature,
	The forms and the forces of the divine.
	The dark and the light in succession,
	The opposites each unto each,
	Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
	This did our ancestors teach.
	By night he's the wild wind's rider,
	The 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,
	They dwell in the deeps of the main,
	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 Elphames's fair land shall receive us
	In peace at the end of our days.
	And Do What Thou Wilt shall be the challenge,
	So be it in love that harms none,
	For this is the only commandment,
	By magic of old, be it done!
	Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
	If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!

The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says:
	"Bagabi lacha bachabe
	Lamac cahi achababe
	Karellyos
	Lamac lamac bachalyas
	Cabahagy sabalyos
	Baryolos
	Lagaz atha cabyolas
	Samahac atha famolas
	Hurrahya!"

The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:

	"Hurrahya!"  

The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest continues:

	"Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!
	Come to my call and show thy self to men.
	Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
	Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.
	Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night
	Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.
	Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee.
	Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"

The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:

	"Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"


This invocation can be said by anyone or everyone. 

	"Diana of the rounded moon,
	The Queen of all enchantments here,
	The wind is crying through the trees,
	And we invoke thee to appear.
	The cares of day departed are,
	The realm of might belongs to thee;
	And we in love and kinship join
	With all things wild and free.
	As powers of magic round us move,
	Now let time's self dissolve and fade.
	Here in the place between the worlds
	May we be one with nature made.
	Thy consort is the Horn'd One,
	Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet.
	Old Gods of life and love and light,
	Be here as merrily we meet!
	For ye the circle's round we tread,
	And unto ye the wine we pour;
	The sacred Old Ones of this land,
	Ye we invoke by ancient lore
	By magic moon and pagan spell,
	By all the secrets of the night,
	Dreams and desires and mystery,
	Borne on the moonbeams' silver light.
	Now may we hear, or may we see,
	Or may we know within the heart,
	A token of true magic made,
	Ere from this circle we depart."

Pause and wait in silence. There may come a sound, an outward sign or inner vision. When you feel the time is right, end the period of silence by bowing towards the altar and saying:

	"O GoddessQueen of Night,
	O Horn'd One of might,
	In earth and sky and sea
	May peace and blessing be!"

Relax. You can also do any other magic craft at this time.
	The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center.
	The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South.
	The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram.
	The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet.
	The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.
	The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.
	The High Priest delivers the invocation:

        "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past		
         all worshipped;
	The altar of all things.
	For in old time, Woman was the altar.
	Thus was the altar made and placed,
	And the sacred place was the point within the center of the		
        Circle.
	As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is the
        origin of all things,
	Therefore should we adore it;
	Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
	O Circle of Stars,
	Whereof our father is but the younger brother,
	Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
	Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the		
        understanding dark,
	Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
	Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud,
	And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee,
	O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
	Continuous on of the heavens;
	Let it be ever thus
	That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;
	And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art		
        continuous.
	For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;
	The point of life, without which we would not be.
	And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;
	In beauty and strength were they erected
	To the wonder and glory of all men."

The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body,and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame.
	The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest,and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest continues the invocation:

	"Altar of mysteries manifold,
	The sacred Circle's secret point
	Thus do I sign thee as of old,
	With kisses of my lips anoint."

The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:

	"Open for me the secret way,
	The pathway of intelligence,
	Beyond the gates of night and day,
	Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
	Behold the mystery aright
	The five true points of fellowship...."

The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues:

	"All life is your own,
	All fruits of the Earth
	Are fruits of your womb,
	Your union, your dance.
	Lady and Lord,
	We thank you for blessings and abundance.
	Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
	Blessed Be.

	Then, either the High Priestess or one of the other women draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate with the athame. The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while they do this.
	The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess, and they both rise to their feet.
	The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss, and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss.the chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. the chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once.
	The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field,when you leave if you are working outdoors.
The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The High Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind them. If any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says:


	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
	we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart
	to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and	farewell
        ....Hail and farewell."

As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in front of her thus, each time:
                          2 7    
                       4       5 
                                 
                       6 1    3  
The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces the south and the High Priestess says:
 
	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
         we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your 
         pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and 
         farewell." 

She turns to the West and says:

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water;
	ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending our 
        rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you 
        hail and farewell....Hail and farewell."

She turns to the North 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, Thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you for attending 
         our rites; and ere ye depart for your pleasant and lovely realms, we 
         bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." 
 
This ends the Circle.   Bless Be.

 (Via Seastrider, responsible for the typing and Ravensong for editing into ASCII)



	 THE WISE GOODWIFE 


    "Gramma, I feel hot."   
    "Lands, child, on a cool fall day like this?  Come here and let me
feel of your forehead.  Tsk!  Feels like fever.  Off to bed with you!" 
    "Gramma, I don't feel good."   
    "I know, child, I know.  I reckon it's time to ask Goody Hawkins
to help us."   
    "Who's Goody Hawkins?"   
    "Hush, now, try to sleep.  I'll come back soon."   
    "Gramma, where did you go?"   
    "Out into the woods back of the farm, child."   
    "Why, Gramma?"   
    "To get Goody Hawkins' help."   
    "Who's Goody Hawkins?"   
    "Well, that's a long story."   
    "Tell me a story, Gramma."   
       
    Well, you know 'bout the pilgrim days, Thanksgiving and all. 
Those people way back then, that first time, were giving thanks that
they'd lived a whole year in a whole new country, without too many of
'em dyin'.   
    Lotta times you see pictures, drawings, with lots of Indians
standin' there to welcome them folks.  Well, 'taint so.  Weren't
nobody there when they got off that boat, not but one Indian, all
alone.  Hist'ry books say it was him, Squanto, as taught them first
folks how to live through one of our winters -- ice 'n sleet 'n snow
'n all, not like they had back in England, where they come from.  But
that ain't rightly so, neither.  Squanto, and a few other friendly
Indians as wandered in later, they taught the menfolk.  But the women,
those days, well, they weren't s'posed to be important, even though
they did most o' the work, so we don't hear 'bout them much.   
    Well, a woman come off'n that boat, not quite yet old as your
mamma, and her name was Grace Hawkins, but ever' one called her Goody
Hawkins.  "Goody" is short for "good wife", and it's like callin' a
lady "Missus" today.   
    Goody Hawkins was young and pretty, though you couldn't tell that
very well, 'cause in those days the womenfolk wore long skirts and
long sleeves and bonnets to tuck in and hide their hair.  So Goody
Hawkins had beautiful long brown hair, though you couldn't see it, and
skin soft as the skin of a peach.  But she had a nice young husband
who loved her very much, and he knew how pretty she was.   
    And Goody Hawkins was one more thing that made her very special:
she was a wise woman, who knew plants and herbs and roots and barks to
make sick people feel better.  They didn't have doctors like we do
now, just a lot of men who figured if you were sick your blood was bad
and so they'd make you bleed.  That got people sicker, more often than
not.  They thought they were real smart, them old doctors, and maybe
they were smart about gettin' money from folks.  But they weren't
smart 'bout the folks themselves, mostly 'cause they were too busy
listening to each other talking 'bout high-falutin' doctor things in
big words than listening to the sick bodies of the sick people.   

    But Goody Hawkins was different.  She listened to the people
talking 'bout what hurt them, and she felt of their heads and wrists
and looked into their eyes and ears and mouths.  And sometimes she
didn't seem to look at them at all.  She just closed her eyes and
looked at them with her heart.  And then she'd go into big clay pots
and little wooden boxes in her house, and pick out just the thing a
sick person needed.  And do you know how she knew just the right
thing, how Goody Hawkins could see with her heart and not just her
eyes?   
    Goody Hawkins was a witch.   
    No, not like you dress up at Halloween.  A real witch, a real wise
woman.  No warts, no wire hair, remember I told you she was pretty. 
And no flying broom, neither.  She didn't need to fly, 'cause she
could see ev'rything.   
    Well, no, she didn't have a crystal ball.  But they way my granny
told me, and her granny told her, was that she had a big silver bowl,
a real treasure.  And she'd pour clear rainwater in that bowl, and
look into it in the nighttime, with just a candle for light.  And they
say she could see miles away, and even years away.  Into yesterday,
say, or last year, or ten years ago.  And sometimes, she could see
tomorrow.   
    A cauldron?  Why of course she had a cauldron.  Ever'one did,
those days, just like we have pots and pans today.  But she only had a
little one at first--remember, they were poor in them first few years
in America, and iron costed a lot of money.  Goody Hawkins had just
the little cauldron she brought with her from home, only as big as my
big soup pot.   
    What did she boil up in her cauldron?  Well, not babies, I can
tell you that!  It was herbs, mostly, tree bark and roots and such. 
Anise and coltsfoot, simmered with a little sugar or honey, as good a
cough syrup as you can find nowadays, and even better than some. 
That's a recipe my granny's granny knew, and likely Goody Hawkins as
well.  Goody Hawkins made ointments from herbs and grease, she made
soaps for fleas and lice, she brewed teas, she made mashes for cuts
and bad hurts to make them heal clean and fast.   
    But I haven't told you the best part: Goody Hawkins could do
magic.  Not like making scarves disappear in her fist or pulling
quarters out of your ear.  I mean spells, oh yes, and special little
bundles of things in little bags to keep in your pocket or put under
your pillow.  These had herbs in 'em, yes, and besides that she could
put in a special rock, maybe, or a little short twig from a certain
tree, or a piece of paper with secrets written on it, or any such
small thing.  You could wear one for good luck, sleep on one to have
good dreams.   
    In the nighttime, often, you could see a light shining in Goody
Hawkins' cottage, warm and bright, and if you listened real hard, you
might hear words, strong and beautiful, or singing so soft and sweet
it might have come out of a fairy hill.   
    And in the daytime, oh, the smells that came out of that cottage! 
You could tell what was brewing by the smells of the herbs in the
breeze.  Rosemary, mint, clove and cinnamon, lemon-leaf, basil,
horehound and lavender.   
    And hanging from the ceiling in one corner of the cottage were
always bunches of drying herbs, filling the whole room with spicyness
and sweetness.  She brought the little boxes special from her home in
England, but the rest she got right here, from the meadows and
forests.   

    One day she was in the forest, gathering plants for medicines. 
Some of the plants were just like at home, she knew them right away. 
Others she didn't know, and them she would look at, and smell, and
taste of--it was right dangerous, that, but weren't no other way to
find out about 'em.  This spring day, after their first long hard,
winter had passed, Goody Hawkins went to pluck a leaf off'n a plant,
to taste it.   
    Suddenly, she heard a crashing in the bushes and a woman's voice
crying out to her.  She turned around and who should she see but an
Indian woman, near her own age, come runnin' toward her, talkin' words
she couldn't understand.  This Indian woman, she snatched that leaf
from Goody Hawkins and shooed her away from that plant quick as she
could.  The Indian woman pulled out a thin stick, rounded at one end,
and waved it so that Goody Hawkins thought the other woman might hit
her with it, so she backed up, afraid.   
    But the Indian woman turned to the plant and commenced to digging
it out of the ground with her stick, digging up the roots.  The Indian
woman pulled off the roots and pushed them into Goody Hawkins' hands,
keeping some for herself.  She put the roots into a deerskin bag, and
'twas then that Goody Hawkins saw other herbs and things in that bag,
and figured out that t'other woman was in the woods for just the same
job as herself, namely, getting herbs.   
    Even though they didn't speak each other's language, by
pantomiming and pointing they could understand each other, and Goody
Hawkins learned that the leaf she'd been about to eat was deadly
poison.  But the roots were good eating, roasted or boiled just like a
potato.  How 'bout that!  Plants are funny that way.   
    Goody Hawkins realized she owed her life to the Indian woman, for
warnin' her off'n them leaves.  But she didn't know just how to thank
her new friend.  Still, they spent the rest of the day walkin' in the
woods, an' Goody Hawkins learned more about the new world's plants in
one day than she could've in weeks if she'd had to figure things out
for herself.   
    And by the end of the day, Goody Hawkins knew some Algonquin, and
the Indian woman, Namequa, knew some words in English.  Namequa saw
Goody Hawkins back to the little town and then faded into the trees
almost like magic.   
    Well, the seasons came and went, and Goody Hawkins had her hands
full trying to keep people well, what with the snakes and unfriendly
Indians and poisonous plants all around.  The folks couldn't get none
of the plants they brought with 'em to grow very well, 'cause the
weather was so different from England's.  That mean that folks weren't
eatin' right, and 'specially with the children that was bad.  But
Namequa showed Goody Hawkins plants that were good eating, and Goody
Hawkins showed the other womenfolk, and for a time the folks there
lived like Indians, what with the menfolk learnin' to hunt and fish
from Squanto and the women learnin' to gather wild plants to eat from
Goody Hawkins and Namequa.   
    That first thanksgiving feast, they didn't eat just the corn and
squash and beans that Squanto showed the men how to grow, they also
had roasted-seed mush and lamb's-quarters gathered by the women.  All 
those, and the deer the neighboring Indians brought, well, that was 
some dinner!   

    Well, little by little, them folks got settled.  Other ships came,
with more people, and, later, with cows and other stock.  And then
Goody Hawkins was busier than ever, 'cause she was s'posed to take
care of sick animals, too.  Back then, if a cow didn't give milk,
folks were apt to think the fairies had stolen the milk in the night,
so 'twas only natural they should ask their wise woman for help.   
    Before long, there were babies, too, human and animal, and mothers
needed Goody Hawkins' help to bring 'em into the world.  Somehow,
though, through all of this, Goody Hawkins kept time to visit with her
good friend, and to keep learning, and to look into her silver bowl
every now and again.   
    Well, the years went on, and ever'body got older, and some folks
just died from getting old.  Goody Hawkins' husband died too, and they
hadn't any children, so Goody Hawkins should have been alone in the
world.  But she had her friend Namequa, and every little child in the
town called her "Aunt Grace"--she wasn't their real aunt, you know, but they loved her like she was, 'cause she made them things, like
sweet-scented pillows, and spicy cookies, and she always listened to
them when they told her things.  Goody Hawkins had learned a lot from
Namequa's tribe, and now that she had no husband to take care of, she
spent more time visiting with her Indian friends, and they learned
from her too.   
    Indian magic is full of drums and dreaming.  Goody Hawkins' magic
was full of words and wishing.  But she was careful not to let the
rest of the folks know she was learnin' and teachin' magic.  Why not? 
Well, folks don't like what they don't understand, is all.  People
were afraid of lots of things in them days, 'specially in a strange
new place.   
    And as more o' them Puritan preachers come over from England, the
folks would be more secret 'bout visiting Goody Hawkins, not wanting
the preachers to know they was holding to the old ways.  And the
preachers, 'specially one Pastor Langford,  looked sidewise and never
straight on at Goody Hawkins, bein' afraid she might hex 'em or some
such nonsense.  Well, Pastor Langford thought she was workin' for the
devil, but he didn't want to say it outright, 'cause folks liked her.   
    But even that was changing as Goody Hawkins spent more time with
Namequa's tribe, and folk got to whispering about it.  There was a
number of men interested in marryin' to her, after her husband died,
saying it wasn't right for a woman to live alone, but she didn't care
'bout any of 'em.  She said no to all of 'em, and some of 'em went
away mad.  And folk got to saying things outright.   
    One lady said she seen Goody Hawkins dancing naked with all them
Indians.  Another said there was a demon keeping Goody Hawkins
company, which was why she wasn't wanting to marry again.  Somebody
else said that it was that demon that killed Goody Hawkins' husband. 
All round town words buzzed like stinging wasps.  Now, when a cow
wasn't giving milk, it was Goody Hawkins, not the fairies, who they
thought had stolen it.  Folks began to keep their children away from
her.  And Pastor Langford came right out and made fiery sermons about
witches and the devil and sin and punishment.   
    Goody Hawkins saw and heard all of this, but what could she do? 
It was her word against the words of respectable folk, and nobody was
going to believe her.  So she kept silent, kept to herself, and
waited.   

    She didn't have to wait long.  One evening, she came home from a
visit to her Indian friends and found her cottage in ruins.  Jars were
smashed, boxes thrown all over.  The herb-bunches had been torn down
from the ceiling, her cauldron overturned, Bible verses scrawled all
over the walls with charcoal from her fireplace.  "Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live", they said, and Goody Hawkins felt cold in her
heart because she knew that the people wanted to kill her.   
    And worst of all, her beautiful silver bowl was all bent and
crushed, like someone had hit it with a hammer.  Goody Hawkins sat
down at the table in the midst of the mess, and cried.   
    She felt helpless and angry.  She wished she really could turn
people into toads.  She made half-hearted tries at cleaning up, but
gave it up.  Her heart burned with wanting to hurt the people who'd
done it, and froze with knowing her life wasn't worth a straw to 'em.   
    My granny said, that in that hour the devil did come to her,
offerin' to kill the townsfolk for her, if she'd give up her soul to
him, but Goody Hawkins chased him out with her broom.  I think more
likely, she thought about putting poison in the well-water, but knew
that not only would that poison the townsfolk, it'd poison the water
and the earth, and the water and earth hadn't hurt her.  And she knew
that killing all those folks would poison her soul, too, forever, make
her sour and angry as a real wicked witch.   
    So instead, she gathered all her power to her, all her love and
strength; she threw down her hiding bonnet, and shook out her hair,
which was getting grey by now, and walked proud and tall out into the
town square.  The folks began to gather round, saying hateful things. 
But Goody Hawkins lifted up her arms and began to sing, strong and
sweet, in the old tongue that nobody but wise folk could speak
anymore.  And when the folks saw that their words couldn't hurt her,
they commenced to pick up stones to throw at her.   
    But before they could throw their stones, the preachers came and
said she'd have to have a proper trial.  So soldiers took Goody
Hawkins away with them, away from the shouting people, and she was
still singing as they locked her up.   
    They tried to get her to tell them things, like was she partners
with the devil, and had she hexed people and animals, and did she have
a demon helper, and did she change into a cat to steal milk, but she
never did nothing but close her eyes and sing softly, smiling like she
saw something beautiful.  So finally they gave up and took her to the
courthouse.   
    There all kinds of people told stories about Goody Hawkins and
things she'd never really done.  And all through it, Goody Hawkins
stood tall, and looked straight in the faces of the folks as was doing
the telling.  When ever'one was through with their lyin', the judge
asked Goody Hawkins had she anything to say.   
    Goody Hawkins looked round at the folks, looking like your momma
when she's gonna scold you, and began tellin' each one what she'd done
for them.  This one wouldn't be alive if Goody Hawkins hadn't helped
his mother with the birthing.  That one's daughter was deathly sick
with fever, and Goody Hawkins cured her.  The other one's cows were
dropping down dead before Goody Hawkins found out they were eating
poisonous leaves.  There wasn't one person in that courtroom Goody
Hawkins hadn't helped somehow over the years.  And folks were looking
like you do when you're getting a scolding and you know you've been
wrong.   

    But Pastor Langford butted in and said that Goody Hawkins must
have led the cows to the poison leaves, she must have made the little
girl sick, she must have put a hex on the mother so her baby had
trouble being born.  And even though some folks still looked
uncertain, the rest of 'em started howling for Goody Hawkins to die,
and that was that.   
    They took her out to the town square where there was a big oak
tree, to hang her onto it.  Some soldiers held the crowd back, while
two of the others tied Goody Hawkins up, tied a rope around her neck,
and threw the other end over one of the branches of the tree.  Goody
Hawkins wasn't scared to die, but she was scared of the pain, though
she didn't let the people see that.  She looked out at them and
smiled, and was glad to see some people quit their shouting and look
worried.   
    Pastor Langford come up, looking nervous, and said, "Do you wish
to confess your sins?  You may yet be forgiven and reach Heaven."   
    Goody Hawkins just smiled and said, "I have nothing to confess or
be forgiven for, nothing I am ashamed of.  I want no part of your
heaven."   
    The preacher fairly threw a fit right there, choking and
stuttering, he wanted so bad to cuss and swear at her but couldn't in
front of the townsfolk.  So he just pointed to the soldier holding the
end of the rope, and he commenced to hauling on it.   
    Goody Hawkins felt the rope tighten and her ears started to ring,
and she took what she was sure was her last breath.  But suddenly
there was a scream, and the rope went loose.  Her head cleared, she
looked around, and saw the soldier who'd been pulling her up holding
onto his arm, where there was an arrow sticking out of it.   
    Folks was shouting and running all over the place, and Goody
Hawkins saw that a whole tribe of Indians had come out of the woods
like magic with bows and arrows and spears and all.  The soldiers
couldn't get a clear shot at none of the Indians, what with folks
running round like ants when their hill gets kicked over.  And in the
middle of all that hollerin' and confusion, Goody Hawkins felt a sharp
blade between her wrists, cutting the ropes that tied her.   
    There was two Indians there, a big young man and Goody Hawkins'
friend Namequa who held a finger to her lips to shush her.  The young
man scooped Goody Hawkins up in his arms, and ran into the woods
carrying her.   
    All of a sudden, the Indians disappeared like morning mist, and
when the folks looked round, Goody Hawkins was gone too.   
    The folks never saw her again, and Namequa's tribe were never as
friendly to them.  Goody Hawkins' cottage was just left to fall down
and rot, and nothing in it was ever touched.  But some folks was sorry
Goody Hawkins was gone, 'specially when they got sick, or their
children or animals.  And one day a mother whose little baby was sick
as could be and nobody could help her, she went into the woods by
herself, carrying an iron pot.  She walked into a clearing, and
waited, listening.  The woods got quiet, like they were listening too,
and the lady commenced to talking about the baby's problem and asking
for help of whoever was listening.   
    She put the pot down, turned around, and walked out of the woods
without looking back.  The next day, she came back, and where she'd
left the pot, there was a little bundle of herbs, wrapped up in a soft
deerskin.  She ran home with it, and made it into tea for her baby,
and the baby got better.   

    Well, word of the cure got round among the womenfolk.  Real quiet
like, it got round, not like the lies 'bout Goody Hawkins had gotten
round before.  They kept it a secret from the preachers, and after a
while the preachers forgot about Goody Hawkins.   
    And ever' once in a while, a woman would slip away from the town,
out into the woods, carrying some small thing, that she thought Goody
Hawkins might be able to use, knowing that Goody Hawkins was out there
somewhere, and would hear them.  And always there would be an herb
packet there the next day, or a little charm, or some such.   
    As the years went by, the herb packets stopped appearing, but the
woman who turned back would see a shaft of light fall on some plant,
and would take of that back home with her.  And finally, even that
stopped, but somehow the help always came, somebody got better.  There
was a song, too.  My granny's granny taught her this song, and my
granny taught it to me, to sing to Goody Hawkins when we needed help:  
   
    
    With heavy heart I come and stand   
                The oak and bonny ivy,
           A gift to offer in my hand.
                   The hazel, ash and bay tree.   

        How can I hope for any good 
                  The oak and bonny ivy,
           By standing in the empty wood?           
                The hazel, ash and bay tree.   

        But I will trust and dry my tears,   
                The oak and bonny ivy,
           And know that the Wise Goodwife hears.  
                The hazel, ash, and bay tree.   

Tsk!  Asleep already.  Good.   
       
       
    "Child, what are you doing out of bed?"   
    "I feel better, gramma!"   
    "Let me feel of your forehead.  Well, that's fine."   
    "Gramma, can I have my coat?"   
    "Where are you going, child?"   
    "Out to the woods, gramma."   
    "What's that you have there?"   
    "It's a picture, gramma, look."   
    "Well, that's right nice.  I think I can guess who that is.  And I
see you've given her back her silver bowl!  She'll be happy.  Off you
go, then."   
    "Bye, gramma.  I'll come back soon."   


(c)copyright 1986, Leigh Ann Hussey.  Used with permission.

If you enjoyed this story, send $5 to: Leigh Ann Hussey, 2240 Blake St. #308, Berkeley, CA  94704, and I'll send you a nicely typeset copy for your  library!

   There is a volume by the title of: 
     
		The Gnostic Gospels 
    		Elaine Pagels 
    		-1981 Vintage Books  
 
	 
    Dr. Elaine Pagels is one of many who worked on translating a cache     of codices found near Jabal al-Tarif, a section of cliff on the 
    right bank marking the limit of the Nile valley and the arable     land between Chenobskeia and Pabau. The fruit of that effort is     recorded in a volume entitled: 
     
    		The Nag Hammadi Library in English 
    		James M. Robinson, General Editor 
    		- 1978 Harper & Row 
 
    I believe, however, that it is the Infancy Gospels of "The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden" that contain the relating of the events that you have described in your note. As far as I know all three of these works are currently available or orderable 
through most booksellers. 
     
 
What follows is a listing of the contents of "The Lost Books of The Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden", "The Nag Hammadi Library", and "The Apocrypha". 
     
Please feel free to extract this for your own reference. 
     
     

"The Lost Books of The Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden"  Total of 35 Works 
------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
       (The Lost Books of the Bible) 
 
	1	The Gospel of the Birth of Mary 
	2	Protoevangelion 
	3	1 The first Gospel of the INFANCY of Jesus Christ 
	4	2 Thomas's Gospel of the INFANCY of Jesus Christ 
	5	Epistle of Christ & Abgarus 
	6	Gospel of Nicodemus (formerly Acts of Pontius Pilate 
	7	The Apostles' Creed 
	8	Epistle of Paul to Laodiceans 
	9	Epistles of Paul & Seneca 
	10	Acts of Paul & Thecla 
	11	1 Epistle of Clement to Corinthians 
	12	2 Epistle of Clement to Corinthians 
	13	Epistle of Barnabus 
	14	Epistle of Ignatius to Ephesians 
	15	Epistle of Ignatius to Magnesians 
	16	Epistle of Ignatius to Trallians 
	17	Epistle of Ignatius to Romans 
	18	Epistle of Ignatius to Philadelphians 
	19	Epistle of Ignatius to Smyrnaeans 
	20	Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp 
	21	Epistle of Polycarp to Philippians 
	22	1 Hermas Visions 
	23	2 Hermas Commands 
	24	3 Hermas Similitudes 
	25	Letters of Herod & Pilate 
	26	The Lost Gospel of Peter  
 
       (Forgotten Books of Eden). 
	27	1 The conflict of ADAM & EVE w/Satan 
	28	2 The 2nd book of ADAM & EVE 
	29	The Book of the Secrets of Enoch 
	30	The Psalms of Solomon 
	31	Odes of Solomon 
	32	Letter of Aristeas 
	33	4th book of MACCABEES 
	34	Story of Ahikar 
	35	Testament of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulum,  
		 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin  
 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
 

The Nag Hammadi Library		Total of 52 Works  
----------------------- 
 
	1	The Prayer of the Apostle Paul 
	2	The Apocryphon (secret book) of James 
	3	The Gospel of Truth 
	4	The Treatise on Resurrection 
	5	The Tripartite Tractate 
	6	The Apocryphon of John 
	7	The Gospel of Thomas 
	8	The Gospel of Phillip 
	9	The Hypostasis of the Archons 
	10	On the Origin of the World 
	11	The Exegesis on the Soul 
	12	The Book of Thomas the Contender 
	13	The Gospel of the Egyptians 
	14	Eugnostos of the Blessed 
	15	The Sophia of Jesus Christ 
	16	The Dialogue of the Savior 
	17	The Apocalypse of Paul 
	18	The First Apocalypse of James 
	19	The Second Apocalypse of James 
	20	The Apocalypse of Adam 
	21	The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles 
	22	The Thunder, Perfect Mind 
	23	Authoritative Teaching 
	24	The Concept of Our Great Power 
	25	The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth 
	26	The Prayer of Thanksgiving 
			(+ scribal note) 
	27	Asclepius 
	28	The Paraphrase of Shem 
	29	The Second Treatise of the Great Seth 
	30	Apocalypse of Peter 
	31	The Teachings of Silvanus 
	32	The Three Steles of Seth 
	33	Zostrianos 
	34	The Letter of Peter to Phillip 
	35	Melchizedek 
	36	The Thought of Norea 
	37	The Testimony of Truth 
	38	Marsanes 
	39	The Interpretation of Knowledge 
	40	A Valentinian Exposition 
	41	On the Anointing 
	42	On Baptism A 
	43	On Baptism B 
	44	On the Eucharist A 
	45	On the Eucharist B 
	46	Allogenes 
	47	Hypsiphrone 
	48	The Sentences of Sextus 
	49	The Gospel of Truth 
	50	Trimorphic Protennoia 
	51	The Gospel of Mary 
	52	The Act of Peter 
	**	A section of Plato's "Republic" was also found together 
    		with the above works. 
 
    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
 
The Books of the Apocrypha	Total of 15 works 
-------------------------- 
 
	1	1 Esdras 
	2	2 Esdras 
	3	Tobit 
	4	Judith 
	5	Remaining Chapters of the Book of Esther 
	6	Wisdom of Solomon 
	7	Ecclesiasticus (Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach) 
	8	Baruch 
	9	A Letter of Jeremiah 
	10	The Song of Three 
	11	Daniel and Susanna 
	12	Daniel, Bel, and the Snake (or Dragon) 
	13	Prayer of Manasseh 
	14	1 Maccabees 
	15	2 Maccabees 
 
Total of 102 non-canonical works in three collections. There are still other works than these! It should be noted here that some of the Apocrypha are recognized as canon by some and are contained in some translations of Bible, usually included between the Old and New Testaments. 

                        THE GREAT RITE (SYMBOLIC) 
 
        Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at 
least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue, 
green, silver, or white. 

        The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange 
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. 

        The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the 
center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South. 

        The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards, with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. 

        The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High 
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. 

        The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. 

        The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, 
about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. 


        The High Priest delivers the invocation: 
 
       "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all 
        worshipped; 
        The altar of all things. 
        For in old time, Woman was the altar. 
        Thus was the altar made and placed, 
        And the sacred place was the point within the center of 
        the Circle. 
        As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is         the origin of all things, 
        Therefore should we adore it; 
        Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. 
        O Circle of Stars, 
        Whereof our father is but the younger brother, 
        Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, 
        Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the 
        understanding dark, 
        Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. 
        Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, 
        And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, 
        O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, 
        Continuous on of the heavens; 
        Let it be ever thus 
        That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; 
        And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. 
        For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; 
        The point of life, without which we would not be. 
        And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; 
        In beauty and strength were they erected 
        To the wonder and glory of all men." 
 
        The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body, and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame. 

        The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest,and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings-over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest continues the invocation: 
 
       "Altar of mysteries manifold, 
        The sacred Circle's secret point 
        Thus do I sign thee as of old, 
        With kisses of my lips anoint." 
 
        The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: 
 
       "Open for me the secret way, 
        The pathway of intelligence, 
        Beyond the gates of night and day, 
        Beyond the bounds of time and sense. 
        Behold the mystery aright 
        The five true points of fellowship...." 
 

        The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues: 
 
       "Here where Lance and Grail unite, 
        And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." 
 
        The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands around the chalice while they do this. 

        The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess, and they both rise to their feet. 

        The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss, and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once. 

        To consecrate the cakes, the woman picks up her athame, and the man, kneeling before her, holds up the dish. the woman draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says: 
 
        "O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies; 
         bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, 
         and that fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness." 
 
        The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors. 
 
 
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 
(Transcribed onto computer file by Seastrider) 
 
	THE GREAT RITE ACTUAL 
 
	Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue, green, silver, or white. 

	The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. 

	The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his  back to the South. 

	The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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 High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. 

	The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. 

	The High Priest delivers the invocation: 
 
	"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days	past all  
         worshipped; 
	 The altar of all things. 
	 For in old time, Woman was the altar. 
	 Thus was the altar made and placed, 
	 And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle. 
	 As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is the        origin of all things, 
	 Therefore should we adore it; 
	 Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. 
	 O Circle of Stars, 
	 Whereof our father is but the younger brother, 
	 Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, 
	 Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the       understanding dark, 
	 Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. 
	 Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, 
	 And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, 
         O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, 
	 Continuous on of the heavens; 
	 Let it be ever thus 
	 That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; 
	 And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art	continuous. 
	 For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; 
	 The point of life, without which we would not be. 
	 And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; 
	 In beauty and strength were they erected 
	 To the wonder and glory of all men." 
 
	The Maiden fetches her athame from the altar and ritually opens a gate way in the Circle. The Coven file through and leave the room. The Maiden is the last one through and reseals the Circle.  The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body. 


	The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest. The High Priest continues the invocation: 
 
	"Altar of mysteries manifold, 
	The sacred Circle's secret point 
	Thus do I sign thee as of old, 
	With kisses of my lips anoint." 
 
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: 
 
	"Open for me the secret way, 
	The pathway of intelligence, 
	Beyond the gates of night and day, 
	Beyond the bounds of time and sense. 
	Behold the mystery aright 
	The five true points of fellowship...." 
	"Here where Lance and Grail unite, 
	And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." 
 
	The High Priest and High Priestess now have intercourse.This is a private matter between them and none of the Coven can question them about it. When they are done, one of them ritually opens the Circle and calls the rest of the Coven. When they are back in the Circle, it is again sealed. The wine is now consecrated.  

	A male witch kneels in front of the altar before a female witch. He holds up a chalice of wine and she holds her athame point down and lowers the athame into the wine. The man says: 
 
	"As the athame is to the male, so the cup is to the female; 
         and conjoined, they become one in truth." 
 
	The woman lays down her athame on the altar and kisses the man who remains kneeling and she accepts the chalice from him. She sips the wine, kisses him again and he sips, rises, and gives it to another woman with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once.              

	To consecrate the cakes, the woman picks up her athame,and the man, kneeling before her, holds up the dish. The woman draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says: 
 
	"O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies; 
	bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that      fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness." 
 
	The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors. 
 
 
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983 
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider. 
	WORLD HEALING MEDITATION  By John Randolph Price
In the beginning
In the beginning God
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And God said Let there be light; and there was light.
Now is the time of the new beginning.
I am a co-creator with God, and it is a new Heaven that comes.
as the God Will of God is expressed on Earth through me.
It the Kingdom of Light, Love, Peace, and Understanding.
And I am doing my part to reveal its Reality.
I begin with me.
I am a living Soul and the Spirit of God dwells in me, as me.
I and the Father are one, and all that the Father has is mine.
In Truth, I am the Christ in God.
What is true of me is true of everyone, for God is all and all is God.
I see only the Spirit of God in every Soul.
And to every man woman and child on Earth I say:
I love you, for you are me. You are my Holy Self!
I now open my heart.
and let the pure essence of Unconditional Love pour out.
I see it as a Golden Light radiating from the center of my being.
and I feel its Divine Vibration in and through me, above and below me.
I am one with the Light.
I am filled with the Light.
I am illumined by the Light.
I am the Light of the world.
With purpose of mind, I sends forth the Light.
I let the radiance go before me to join the other Lights.
I know this is happening all over the world at this moment.
I see the merging Lights.
There is now one Light. We are the Light of the world.
The one Light of Love, Peace, and Understanding is moving.
It flows across the face of the Earth,
touching and illuminating every soul in the shadow of the illusion.
And where there was darkness, there is now the Light of Reality.
And the Radiance grows, permeating, saturating every form of life.
There is only the vibration of one Perfect Life now.
All the kingdoms of the Earth respond, and the Planet is alive with
 Light and Love.
There is total Oneness, and in this Oneness we speak the Word.
Let the sense of separation be dissolved.
Let mankind be returned to Godkind.
Let peace come forth in every mind.
Let Love flow forth from every heart.
Let forgiveness reign in every soul.
Let understanding be the common bond.
And now from the Light of the world.
the One Presence and Power of the Universe responds.
The Activity of God is healing and harmonizing Planet Earth.
Omnipotence is made manifest.
I am seeing the salvation of the planet before my very eyes.
as all false beliefs and error patterns are dissolved.
The sense of separation is no more; the healing has taken place,
and the world is restored to sanity.
This is the beginning of Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all,
as Love flows forth from every heart, forgiveness reigns in every soul,
and all hearts and minds are one in perfect understanding.
It is done. And it is so.
	 How I "Heal" 
by Matrika of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network

You asked what forms of healing people do and included things that might
not be considered healing in the usual sense.  Well, one of my special
interests is Pagans in Recovery.  This is a group of Pagans who are in
12-step recovery programs - Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help groups
that are based on A.A. such as Gamblers Anonymous, Al-Anon, Narcotics
Anonymous, Overeater's Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Emotions
Anonymous etc. etc. etc.   If you can think of an obstacle in your life or
somebody else's, chances are that someone somewhere has started a 12-step
program to deal with it.

The problem is that many Pagans, Feminist Priestesses, Shamans, Druids, and
any other type of Magickal folk you can think of, often don't feel
comfortable in AA and these related groups.  WHY?  THe meetings CLOSE with
the Lord's prayer or the "our father" and have many Christian overtones
taken from the general culture, although they are technically supposed to
be non-sectarian in their spiritual approach.  Many Pagans in these groups
find that they have trouble applying the steps of recovery in the context
of what they believe to find recovery for their specific problems.  This is
particularly difficult in cases of Alcoholism and Drug addiction - and
these problems DO exist to a great degree in the Pagan/Magickal communities
- in which A.A. and Narcotics Anonymous are often the most successful
treatment approaches available to the average person and that feeling
excluded from them can mean death, insanity or jail to the person who does
not find the help they need.

While living in New England I wrote a series of articles on how to apply
the steps of recovery in a Pagan/Magickal context in HARVEST - a popular
newsletter for the Craft in that region, that is now becoming nationwide.
THe last of these was printed in Yule of 1989, just before I left to move
here.  At the same time I discovered PAGANS IN RECOVERY had been formed on
a national basis in Ohio and had a list of a large number of people, as
well as nationwide contacts for networking.  (Pagans in Recovery is
published for $8.00 a year  - address Pagans in Recovery Newsletter c/o
Bekki  6500 S.R. 356 ,   New Marshfield OHIO 45766)

An interesting note is that we both started doing this work separately and
originally I also had a network called PANTHEISTS IN RECOVERY.  Neither of
us had known of the others existence at the time of starting the work and
taking these names.  Pantheists in Recovery has since merged with the
national network, as I saw no need to duplicate their excellent efforts.
Another interesting note is that, in my case, doing this was inspired by
J.A.C.S. - an organization for Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically dependent
people and their Significant others.  It had been founded for the same
purpose by some Jewish folks in A.A. in New York City and has now spread
across the country, to Canada, and to Israel with several thousand names on
their mailing lists.  These people also felt the need for support to
integrate their recovery program with their religion because they were
non-Christians.

A very special part of this extended "healing" work for me is that I have
the support of my partner Koren, the sysop of PAN, who is my partner both
in the Craft and in our lives together.  Although he is not himself in any
of these recovery programs, he has been very helpful and supportive of my
work in reaching out to other Pagans who are also in these groups.

                      HOME BLESSING MAGICK

A home blessing meditation for charging a room:
o    Sit Straight with palms on lap, take deep breaths, relax,
     and move into a mental space where you activate your
     intuitive senses, 
o    Imagine a cord of energy from your spine connecting you to
     the Earth, and channel energy from the Earth through it,
o    Silently ask for divine protection, guidance, and blessing,
o    Direct your psychic sensing outward, and feel lines of
     force coming out of your aura, 
o    Note where the strongest energy is (check out the
     floor,ceiling, directions, etc), Note spots that feel empty
     or dead, note places that feel full alive, focus on where
     you are sitting and how you feel at that particular spot,
o    Imagine a sphere of light and love energy at your heart,
     feel it pulsing outward with every breath. 
o    Feel the radiance increase with every breath, feel your self
     as a star, continue to breathe deeply and send out the
     energy, letting it pulsate in the room, 
o    When ready, start making power sounds representing the love
     and light you are channeling; use it to amplify the light
     you are weaving; and fill the room with the energy, 
o    Then shift focus to sending a probe out into the room, and
     note the differences in the quality of energy and how you feel
     about it,
oRepeat if necessary,
oWhen done, feel the completeness of the work.

A room blessing involving elemental quarter invocations:
oFace each direction (with arms out in appropriate elemental
invoking gesture), and say, while channeling and visualizing
elemental power:
-    Powers of (say direction),
-    Powers of (say corresponding element),
-    We great you, we honor you, we welcome you here!
-    Watch over and bless and protect this place.
oAfter each invocation, shape the energy into columns of light
by sweeping ones arms together until they are parallel and
sweeping them up and down while channeling and shaping the
energy,
oWhen the energy is properly shaped, say so "mote it be."

oAfter you have done all four quarters, channel in spirit
energy.

To return the energy to a more mellow state while energizing
yourself, put your hands out and take in a bit of the energy into
your self from each direction, going widdershins, hold hands to
your heart and take in the energy (techniques also exist for
bringing it into a stone and retrieving it when needed).

The above was taught by Selena Fox at Esotericon V, in January
1988.

SOLITAIRE IMBOLC RITUAL
by Micheal Hall
distributed by PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network -
1703-362-1139

Note - by Matrika, co-sysop - this ritual was written by someone I knew
from the Boston MA. area a couple of years back.  It is based on a
combination of the lore of the Wicca and some of the afro-caribbean
diaspora traditions of Paganism and Magick.
	==================================================================
On your altar should be placed a circle of 13 stones and, within the circle
of stones, a circle of 13 candles.  Within the circle of candles should be
spread some maize - i.e. corn meal - and in that a waxen female candle to
symbolize the Goddess on your altar. On the eastern side of the altar
should be placed a small sheaf of grain with a candle inserted inside it.

You should dress in your usual ceremonial garb for Magickal rites or
skyclad, as you prefer.

Retire to bathe in salt-water (use sea salt) before the ritual.  As you do
so picture the water cleansing the soul and spirit, just as it cleanses the
body.  When you have dressed, anoint yourself with a holy oil.  When you
have prepared yourself, sit in a dim quiet place and light a candle - ONE
THAT IS NOT BEING USED IN THE RITES - and meditate on how at this time of
year the Goddess in her fiery aspect AS LIGHT was welcomed back into the
Temples and the Homes of the land.

Take this candle and walk slowly to your altar.  Place it in the circle of
the 13 candles.   Then light the two altar candles, which are separate from
the circle of lights also, and the incense.  (Incense should be stick or
powdered incense on charcoal in a swinging burner.)  Then light all the
quarter candles in the 4 directions, starting in the east and going
clockwise.

cast your circle in the usual manner, but Invoke the Goddess with the
following:
"Sacred womb, giver of the secrets of Life,  Mother of all that exists in
the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance
in my work.  I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most
holy. SO MOTE IT BE"

and Invoke the God in the following manner:
"Fire of the sky, guardian of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your
guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work.  I am
gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy.  SO MOTE IT
BE"

(continue with the circle casting if it is not already finished)

Light the 13 candles and then the Goddess candle in the center and say:
"Warm and quickening Light
awaken and bring forth beauty
for thou art my pleasure and my bounty
LORD and LADY
OSiRIS AND ISIS"  (or you may substitute whatever names your circle uses
for the God and the Goddess - or those you personally prefer)


Reflect a moment on the coming of the light and offer up the incense.
say
"O ancient Ones
Timeless Goddess and Sacred King who art
the heralds of springtime and it's bounties
be with me now in celebration
 Hail to Osiris and Isis
 Harvest giver and blessed Lady
 Let this be a time and a place sacred to your power and your beauty
 SO MOTE IT BE"

Light the candle in the sheaf of grain and hold it up with the loaf of
bread in the other hand and say
(or the cakes - whatever you or your tradition uses for the cakes and
wine/juice ceremony)
"My Lord and Lady, as the seed becomes the grain, so the grain becomes the
bread, Mark the everlasting value of our seasons and their changes. "

Break a piece of the bread or cakes off and burn it as an offering in the
central candle.

Then say
" IN the deepest Icy Winter the seed of the Earth lies deep within the womb
of the Great Mother.  The Spring brings the heat of the Father and with
their joining comes new life.  The completion of the cycle brings
food to the children of the world.  As I taste the food I shall know the
wisdom of the cycles and be blessed with the food of wisdom throughout my
life"
consecrate cakes and wine/juice in the usual manner and partake of them,
but first raise your chalice or drinking horn and say

"Hail to thee ISIS
 Hail to thee Osiris
 For thou art blessed"

After this commune in meditation with the Lord and lady for a while, then
close the circle in your usual manner.

GOOD IMBOLC


  The Perridwyn School of Hypnosis presents ...

-HYPNOSIS 101-

     Hypnosis is a state of focused awareness.  It is something everyone has experienced countless times;  among instances of it are waking up or getting absorbed in a good book.   The characteristics of the state vary; it cannot be pinpointed on an EEG and the experience is different for everyone though there are common elements.  A person can be hypnotized and while that state be having a great time at a party; no zombie eyes no intonations of Yeesss Massterr no wandering about with arms outstretched.   Hypnosis does not have a unique and unmistakable insignia indicating its presence.

      This is generally not the case with the PROCESS of hypnosis.  Patterns of hypnosis have been written up and used for decades.   You can find books depicting the process in bookstores and libraries.  The process is intended to create that state of focused awareness.  It is this process 
I wish to discuss in the remainder of this post. [Hypnosis and being
hypnotized will refer to the process should there be any confusion.]

General Considerations


   Hypnosis can be thought of as a game that is binding.  The rules are
initially defined by the expectations of the subject which encompasses all
their experiences with it everything they've seen on TV and old movies and
what the subject has been told about hypnosis.   These rules dictate what
will and will not be effective; which inductions will and will not work; and the conduct of the subject while in the state of hypnosis.  The rules are mutable.  Debunking misconceptions demonstrations and providing more
information -- accurate or not -- will affect the rules of the game.
     A professor at Stanford illustrated how greatly expectations dictate
results.  The gentleman told one of his introductory psychology classes that an unfailing indication of a hypnotized subject was that their right arm would float upwards.  The professor told another class the same thing only in this case he specified it was the left hand that would rise.  When he hypnotized members of both classes he discovered that students responded in accord with their expectations.  The right arm of the members of the first class did indeed rise while with members of the second class only the left hand rose. 
     In hypnosis the subject calls the shots.  Their expectations outline the manner in which the game is to be played.   The hypnotist wields no mystical power;  she and the subject have an agreement that the process of hypnosis is conducted in a certain manner and each player behaves in a particular way.  The level at which the game is played is defined by the rules and the degree of trust the subject feels for the hypnotist.   A mistrustful subject will be paying far more attention to what you are doing and what you might be scheming than to what you are saying. 


     Hypnosis is useful as a catalyst.  As seen above the state itself is
not too exhilarating in and of itself.  The process and the applications are what make it fun and useful.   You can call on your mind's abilities to
control pain [useful]; you can play the most intense imagination game of D&D of your life [fun]. 
     The function of the hypnotist is to provide a focal point and talk their partner through evoking the intended result.  The process usually begins with a discussion of hypnosis.  This is to determine the purpose of a session debunk misconceptions get a sense of the subject's expectations and
generally make things go easier later.   The induction consists of bringing
the subject's awareness to something and keeping it focused.   The hypnotist gives suggestions to bring about the determined purpose including any post-hypnotic suggestions.  Then she guides the subject back to a normal state of awareness. 

WHAT HYPNOSIS IS NOT

- It is not sleep.  The participant is thoroughly aware of their
surroundings.  They may choose to ignore them.  The hypnotist may ask the
subject to ignore things or to focus all attention on one idea.

- You can not get stuck in hypnosis.   Either you will awaken on your own or the state will become one of natural sleep.  Sometimes a subject requires a few more moments to return.  Sometimes the subject refuses to return.  This is particularly true of stage hypnosis; if a subject feels pissed off at the hypnotist it can be mightily gratifying to unnerve said offending hypnotist by not responding.  Even if this is the case the subject will still either return on their own or fall asleep. 

- A hypnotized person will not knowingly violate their code of ethics.
Milton Erickson messed around with this a bit and found it to be particularly true if he made it clear that the subject was responsible for the consequences of their actions.   There are three twists here;
  1. A person may do something seemingly unethical if it is o.k. according to their moral standards especially if they believe being hypnotized at the
time is sufficient excuse.
  2.  Stage hypnotists evoke some silly behavior which might ordinarily be
contrary to the subject's code of conduct.   This is a result of group
pressure of the forgivability of stage hypnosis and of the
streak of hamming it up in each of us.
  3. A person can be tricked.  If I am told I am in a blazing hot 
desert sweating buckets and the only way to get cool is to take my shirt off I might do that.  I will not do that because I am an exhibitionist.  If I am directly told to take off my shirt first I will snap back to the here and
now and next I will drop-kick the lech out of my house.   Furthermore once such a maneuver is recognized the hypnotist has utterly destroyed the
subject's trust and will have no further success with them.



NITTY GRITTY STUFF

  First some things concerning speaking.  The hypnotist ought not speak in a monotone; not only is it unnecessary it is an annoyance.  Rather she should
make her voice congruent with what she's saying.  If she is describing a
soothing walk on the beach under a restful sunset she ought not sound hyper.
It is useful to use a particular tone of voice when hypnotizing people.  This is helpful because soon there will be an association between The Voice and the state.  In addition it means you will not inadvertently trip an
association  if you use your normal speaking voice with someone whom you see primarily for hypnosis you are apt to zone them out just by saying Howzit goin   The Voice comes with practice and you can pick it out after a
while. 

  There are definite reasons behind word choices.    Sense words make things more vivid;  describe the colors textures and sounds associated with that soothing walk on the beach.    Repeating words and phrases helps things sink in and adds rhythm to your patter.   You may opt to say things in a permissive way  [in a moment you may picture yourself walking upon a
soothing beach; perhaps there is a glorious sunset coloring the sky crimson
and purple]  or in an authoritative way  [ You are walking on a beach.  The
beach is soothing; it makes you more and more relaxed.  Notice the glorious
sunset].   The choice of words is based on the situation the hypnotist's
style and most of all upon the personality and rules of the subject.  Make
them fit. 

LEVERAGE

  Synonyms for this word include credibility and rapport.  Leverage makes
suggestions more effective.   Things that generate leverage are accurate
descriptions of present experience and accurate descriptions of future
events. 
   An accurate description of your present experience may be that your eyes
are moving across these words and you feel the keyboard beneath your waiting
fingers and you feel the chair beneath you and you hear noises in the
background that you have not been paying much attention to until now.
  An accurate description of future events can be that as you read these
words you will become aware of your left earlobe.  Another is that when you
take your next really deep breath your hand may feel somewhat lighter. 
I base my estimation of your awareness of your earlobe on the fact that
mentioning it almost inevitably makes you think about it.  The second
assertion is much shakier in this context but stronger if you were being
hypnotised.  Relax your hands on your lap for a moment and inhale deeply. 
Notice how your shoulders rise a little and tug your arm up a little bit

   Things that are bad for credibility are ability tests and blatant
contradictions of present experience.   When you use an ability test you run the risk of it not working.  They do work for many people and sometimes
providing useful information but it is very difficult to recover
gracefully from an unsuccessful ability test.   The participant may reach
the conclusion that they can not be hypnotized or that you are incapable of
hypnotizing them.  Blatant contradiction of present experience as you
carefully scrutinize the upper left corner of your monitor you can become
aware of the little picture of a pink-and-purple hippopotamus.  Riiight.

   Now to tie these together.  If you have been correct in the past few
descriptions you increase the probability you will be in the next one. 
As an example presume I am being hypnotized right now.  I am told about how
I feel the keyboard under my hands as my fingers dance from key to key 
(correct)I glance at my scribblings to help me clarify this thought
(correct)and I hear muffled music in the background (also correct)and as
I notice these things I can feel myself becoming more and more relaxed. 
The last assertion is pure speculation; there is no reason that those things
should make me feel more relaxed and no real indication that I'm mellowing
out noticing these things.  However the hypnotist has been right on three
counts so far.  He has acquired a little credibility.  My response is going
to be Sure he's been right so far why not now  
   This point is somewhat esoteric; if it makes sense fine.  If it doesn't or even if it does read Trance-Formations listed at the end of this post.
The authors go over this in detail and in a very skillful and clear fashion. Let this stand the more accurate you are, so much the better; a really incorrect statement or blatant failure is apt to be disruptive. 

INDUCTIONS


  The purpose of an induction is to focus awareness on something and
gradually move through to evoking the intended results.  The methods are many and varied.
   Very often the focal point is relaxation.  Progressive relaxation consists of deliberately tensing and relaxing  (sometimes just relaxing) each part of the body paying attention to releasing every bit of tension.   Descriptions of soothing surroundings or experiences are also used to produce relaxation. 
   Trance-Formations describes an induction utilizing points mentioned
above.  It consists of sets of six statements.  The first set contains five
accurate descriptions of present experience and one abstract or unverifiable statement  (... and these things make you feel more and more relaxed ...and while you notice them you feel a sense of security  ... and strangely enough these remind you of wrecking Aunt Milllie's car).  The next set contains four present-experiences and two abstracts; then three
present-experiences and three abstracts and so on until you're dealing with
just the abstracts. 
   Confusion inductions consist of confusing the hell out of someone and then providing them with an understandable option.  This confusion often consists of ambiguous statements or plays on words.  Take the words right write rite and  Wright.  As you right about the right brothers you realize you have violated the rights of those whose right this is by righting with your right instead of your left.  The intended response is a huge HUH at which point you offer an understandable option ... and that makes you feel really silly!  The option is an escape route from all that unpleasantness and ambiguity and therefore desirable.

    Inductions take time.  It is common for an induction to take ten or
twenty minutes with a participant who has not been hypnotized much before or is unused to your style.   Signs of effectiveness the participant's
responses match your description.  ... and that makes you feel really silly
may be met with a smile; depictions of relaxation are matched with visible 
decreases in tension.   Requests to picture scenes usually evoke rapid eye
movement.   If you ask your partner to do a lot of talking you will notice
changes in their manner of speaking; it becomes quieter slower perhaps a
little less well enunciated.  Depending on what you ask them to say and
how familiar you are with their normal speech patterns you may notice
differences in word choices.   Subjectively you or the participant may feel
more lethargic and may experience dissociation.  For me that means that I
could do a lot of things like move my hand up a few inches but it would
require so much energy and I do not think it important enough at the time to expend that energy.  Also I tend to start loosing track of where I left my limbs (tee hee); I know they're there somewhere but don't think it important enough to bother to relocate them. 

  It is desirable to make series of suggestions flow as smoothly as possible.  Choppy sentences are more apt to create tension than soothe them.  Flowing sentences  encourage relaxation have better rhythm to them and can possess more leverage.
  Take these three phrases   You feel the chair beneath you.  You see the
text on the screen.  You are becoming more relaxed than ever before. 
   The simplest way to connect them is with plain old conjunctions.  You feel the chair beneath you AND you see the text on the screen AND you are becoming more relaxed than ever before.
   Next step up simultaneous words.  AS you feel the chair beneath youyou 
see the text on the screen AND AT THE SAME TIME you are becoming more relaxed than ever before.
   The most powerful way to hook up phrases is with causal words.  SINCE you feel the chair beneath you AND BECAUSE you see the text on the screen you are becoming more relaxed than ever before. 


SUGGESTIONS CENTRAL

   This is the portion of the process where you accomplish the stated
purpose; the part of the game that is binding.  Suggestion styles include the following:

- Direct suggestion.  This is where you flat-out say such and such is going
to happen.   When you are going to bed tonight you will feel compelled to
think of purple hippos.  As soon as your head touches the pillow purple
hippos will occupy your every thought.


- Indirect suggestion.  Comprised of visualization and storytelling.
    Visualization is just mentally creating the event.  It is not restricted to just pictures; whichever senses make it more real are the ones you should appeal to.  If you know the person is oriented to one sense more than another, describe with them.  ( See the purple hippos dancing on your quilt.  Hear them thundering up the hallway.  Feel the floor shake with their every step. )  If in doubt it can't hurt to use all of them.  [ Most people favor either vision hearing or kinesthics so you needn't necessarily go into how it tastes to chow down on purple hippo.   If you were visualizing walking in a flower garden however it makes sense to include smell.  Use what is appropriate.]  Picture yourself preparing for bed.  Your teeth are brushed; the sounds of traffic are hushed; and the pillow feels delightfully cool against your cheek.  As you snuggle down under the pillows your mind turns to thoughts of purple hippos.

   Storytelling is more subtle than both direct suggestion and visualization.  You relate an event or anecdote which provides a sort of framework for conduct. 
    When I was a child every night as I went to sleep I would conjure up a
rainbow zoo dancing on my bed covers.  First there would be the lions as
yellow as lemons. Following them were orange alligators... [blah blah blah through blue ostriches..]  And last and best of all were the purple hippos.  They were my favorite part of the procession; I looked forward to them as soon as my head touched the pillow.  And the last thoughts on my mind were of those purple hippos cavorting on my quilt. 
    If it's something really strange like the above you probably wish to
attribute it to a weird cousin or obscure newspaper clipping.   Lead into
these gracefully; this example might start off with bedtime rituals in
general and in the present then remembering back to bedtime rituals as a
child then into your story.  ( How many people will think of purple hippos
the night after they read this) 
     These should be related in an appropriately serious manner.  If it's
silly sound a little silly but present it as if it's important as if you
were sharing it with a friend.  If you make it sound important it will be
received as such.  Go gently with them too; don't holler PURPLE HIPPOS
CAVORTING ON THE QUILT.  Just weave it into its surroundings.  Storytelling
is best for going sideways at something for attending to integral
corollaries of the purpose.  Their power is in subtlety. 

- Subliminals.  It is possible to mark out certain words as you say them. 
You may make a certain unobtrusive gesture change pitch or loudness
slightly glance off in a certain direction -- something small enough not to
require the participant's full-blown attention but designed so they will
be able to perceive it.  This is the hardest thing for me to give an example of because it's something I have not begun to master.  If you could possibly string the words purple hippo and bedtime together in a few sentences that make enough sense so the listener doesn't get confused and go back to review them then you'd mark out those particular words with a perceivable and unique action.   You'd also probably want to throw in similar words -- lavender going to sleep late-night thoughts -- to be sure the point gets across.   Trance-Formations goes over this too; if you read it you may find it interesting to observe your own behavior during the subliminals chapters. 

   Phrase suggestions as positively as possible.  Don't think of purple
hippos is an utterly futile idea.   Eating less is better put as being
content with smaller portions.  Pain is a loaded word; use discomfort or
the presence of comfort instead.  You get the idea.
   Participants tend to take suggestions literally.  One lady was told to
picture herself leaving the office then turning out the lights.  When she
acted on this she left work.  She then turned the lights off via the
circuit box.  Telling someone .. and your husband is being a big pain in the neck can translate into a nasty headache.  If you're doing hypnosis at
night be careful with words about being wide awake when you're bringing
your partner back.  Be as unambiguous as possible; be aware of literal
translations. 
   This is a good place to mention trance logic and literal mindedness. 
Trance logic appears when the participant is really into it.  Presume they
believe they speak only French.  If you ask if they understand English the
reply will be Non.  Do they know only French  Oui.    Literal mindedness
is illustrated by asking your partner if they can raise their right hand and getting a response of Yes.   Will they  Yes.  Now Yes.  
   Suggestions should be given at a pace that matches the participant's
breathing.  It enhances rapport and is an acceptably leisurely pace.
   Appeal to preferred senses.
   If you're using hypnosis for habit modification when you're determining
the purpose of the session learn what is motivating the participant.  If the purpose were keeping up interest in exercise and the participant liked
jogging because it created a feeling of independence don't sell the virtues
of those neat suits and funky sneakers.  Unless of course s/he likes them too.
   If you are confused by a response ask.  Doesn't hurt a bit. 
   If something unexpected happens stay calm.  If it's an unusual action like drumming fingers you can ask about it.  You can also incorporate it which
acknowledges and accepts that action.   And the drumming of your
fingers makes you more and more relaxed.   If someone bursts into tears
  suddenly stay calm.  Ask why this is happening.  Ask if the participant
wants to continue and respect their reply.   You can incorporate that too;
... and you feel those tears washing through you cleaning away your 
anger leaving you calm and serene.   Unexpected interruptions and noises 
are better incorporated than ignored unless you discern from a total lack of response that they were not important enough for the participant to pay
attention to.  


THERE AND BACK AGAIN

   Bringing your partner back to the here-and-now is easy. 
   First undo any unusual suggestions that would make life unpleasant.  If
you suggested numbness in a hand be sure feeling is restored.  If you're
unsure do a general banishing.
   Next make it clear you are concluding.   And before you return to the 
here and now allow yourself to bask in this feeling of relaxation.
If you look down the hall you will see a door marked EXIT.
   Then conclude.    When you're ready you can return to the here and now
feeling perfectly fine in every way.  1starting to return2feeling
more alert3half way there4feeling fine in every way5awake!
( Snap if you feel really showy.)

   If your participant doesn't sit up and rub their eyes blearily within a
reasonable amount of time  ( a couple minutes or as soon as you get to
awake! ) determine if they fell asleep.  If they did it's a credit to
your ability to help others feel relaxed.   Make certain they heard you and
know what the deal is.   Restate it; if you do a count-up the best maneuver
is to leave the ball in their court and let them come back when they're
ready.  If that seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time give
suggestions about feeling more alert prepared to come back.  And as usual if
you're uncertain ask!
     A nice reinforcer is to gradually switch back from The Voice to your
regular voice as you conclude.  With the 1-to-5 set up you might be speaking
very quietly at one and graduate until at five your voice is somewhat louder than usual. 
      Now is an excellent time to ask for feedback.  Feedback will tell you
if you forgot to undo anything  [ bring them back in, negate it, ask if
anything else needs undoing, bring them back out].  It will tell you how you
can make your style more effective in general or with just this person.  It
also acknowledges their part in the proceedings.  If they're pissed off at
you for some inconsideration it is a good time to clear the air and
acknowledge the validity of their complaint. 

REINDUCING HYPNOSIS

   If you both desire to create a word, gesture, mental image, whatever
that will bring the participant back to a state of deep relaxation between
the main set of purpose-suggestions and the return is the place to do it.
Select an appropriate item; state that when this item is done AND the
participant consciously desires to return to this state of deep relaxation
that it will happen.   Conscious intent prevents accidentally triggering it.
You do NOT want it to be inadvertently activated while the participant is
driving.  It might not be in their rules that they can realize the deal and
correct it; it may take vital moments for that realization to arrive; it may take time to brush away those cobwebby feelings of deep relaxation -- don't put it to the test. 

MISCELLANY

  Pre-induction chats not only let you become more aware of the participant's rules it prevents problems by letting you debunk.   You might not discover that this person believes they can reawaken only if you say
Ah-La-Peanut-Butter-Sandwiches; telling them they'll just fall asleep is a
nice margin to have. 
  Be trust-worthy and honorable.  A gentleman tried to induce me to swig a
beer.  I would not.  He has been unable to hypnotise me since then; he has
lost my trust utterly.  I will not risk a second chance.  Not many people
will. 

   This is intended to be an overview of general hypnosis.  There are really weird variants that I don't know enough about to write up.  [  F'rinstance --
inducing hypnosis like as in zoning people waaaaay out without formal
inductions just talking with them.  NEAT!]   I left out a bunch of stuff you will find in most books on hypnosis -- history depth categories (not
necessarily useful and specifics on applications.  Go to your bookstore.
Supplement this.   
  These are my rules of the Game.  If you find them useful, keep them.

GOOD BOOKS


Hypnosis A Journey Into The Mind  by Anita Anderson-Evangelista.  The most
thorough beginning book on hypnosis the library possesses.  Good stuff!

Trance-Formations  by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.  Kind of esoteric, but really neat techniques and approaches. 

Frogs Into Princes, also by Bandler and Grinder.  Provides information on
sense preferences, keywords, and rapport.  Does not deal with hypnosis per
se but the information within applies.

Tapes or live sessions are useful for helping you pick up the pattern of
patter.  They can provide new approaches and effective ways to say things.

THINGS I THOUGHT TO ADD IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT

  Presuppositions also possess leverage.  A presupposition offers a choice on the surface and at the root of it is a fundamental Given.  Would you prefer to go into a light or deep trance -  the given is that the state will manifest and it is also presumed that the participant is capable of deeper degrees.  
  An induction related to the Confusion technique is overloading.  Direct
the participant's awareness to as many things as possible.  The human mind
can only attend to so many things; given too many it will start to withdraw
or cut down.  Offer suggestions regarding relaxation along with pointing out that they can perceive X while thinking of K.  Kind of the same
principle as the confusion technique.
  Another way to reinduce a hypnotic state is to ask the participant to
recall one.  To answer your questions especially very specific questions your partner re-accesses that state goes into it a little bit.  Or a lot. 
Depends on the person and memory.   If you're working with the same person you can ask them to review the last session.  If your partner has been hypnotised before you can ask questions about what the hypnotist said how they were seated or lying down did the hypnotist talk in a slow drawling manner or in an intense steady one what did s/he say what did the
participant find most effective -- anything pertaining to recreating the
experience is fine.  Then you can gracefully start an induction.  Ok while
you're still recalling how pleasant it was to be so deeply relaxed why don't
you just let your eyes close.


ADDENDA

  When you're giving the main set of suggestions repetition of the main
points is helpful.  Drives the ideas home.  You may wish to ask if the
suggestions were well understood from time to time. 

  When you're giving suggestions in general watch the participant carefully especially if you're describing something.  You want to be on the alert for a negative response  (handy word comes fastest to mind).   If you're describing something that's really loaded, unpleasant, or plain too weird you can see it by the participant's responses.   Clenched hands tension around the jaw hunched shoulders tensing up in general; these and anything you recognize as a negative response are things to look out for.  If you are describing the participant as swimming in the ocean and they are phobic of water or if Jaws is on their mind you will know it by these indicators.  Your choices are to gracefully offer alternatives   (... or if you prefer you can find yourself in a forest glade) or to inquire.

Taliesin
Subject:witchcraft & Prayer
  Jrohr states that"Magic to a witch is the same thing as prayer to
a Christian" Then jrohr goes on to say"A witch would use magick in
the form of a spell or a circle to focus the power of mind that is
within us all."
  Magick is not the same thing as prayer!Prayer is not used to focus
the power of mind that is within us all.Prayer is sent to outside
forces.The benefits are attributed to whatever god or gods the
supplicant believes in.It is also used without much hope of success.
It is considered "God's will",no matter whether your god is benevolent
or a zealous tyrant.I'm speaking in general about religions,not just
christianity.
  If a ritual{such as the one's described}were being used to augment
the psychic abilities of us all,given that they exist,I fail to see
in what way it would be related to prayer,religion,or any sort of
spirituality.
 If a spell or circle were being used to achieve the desired results
by calling on gods or goddesses in a carefully proscribed way,intending
to enforce their aid,willing or not,to enforce you will,I would not
call that prayer either.
  I have read the Mists of Avalon.I thought it was a very interesting
book,both for her ideas on religion and feminism.I think it helps
make witchcraft very attractive as a religion.But is it really a religion?
Is it a science based on natural abilities?What is the role of magic
in witchcraft?
  Many people object to witchcraft from a religious point of view.It
doesn't fit their beliefs or cultural biases.Others object to it
from a scientific point of view because they don't believe in magic.
Is a belief in magic necessary to embrace witchcraft as a religion?
Is a belief in religion {i.e.faith,mysticism,enlightenment}necessary
for the practice of the craft{magick}?


Subject: What the occult is (or may be)

  As a practicing witch (and I do need the practice!) I simply cannot allow
a charge (as I saw it) of Satanism to go unanswered.  I don't know if
the guy was trying to be funny or what, but it did get some discussion
going, so that's something.
  What I was trying to get at (reading it back) was just how little
the occult has to do with religion.  Most of the occult is tied
up in religious beliefs, true, but then so was most of science back
before the Renaissance and Copernicus.  Before then, the greatest
.  If we begin to treat the occult the same
way we would treat investigations int o physics or biology, then we
Parapsychologists are studying
occult and psychic phenomena, and coming up with some very interesting
results.  True, they have not been able to definitively prove or dis-
prove anything, but please keep in mind that they are working under
a tremendous social attitude that "there's some reasonable explanation
for all of this."  I think, that given the nature of this particular
conference, we can make the assumption that occult and psychic phen-
omena exist, and can be worked with at a practical level., and therefor
we can go from there.  (Something I picked up from religion class...
to keep people from nit-picking over minutiae, you list your assumptions
at the top of the page.)
  So there we are.  THE OCCULT EXISTS.  The next step is to come up
with a satisfactory definition.  To me, the occult consists of the
entire set of ritual and ritualized behaviors intended to promote
a particular psychic or psychological result.  This can range from
ritual magic (Beltaine gatherings and the Catholic mass) to personal
rituals intended to help you get through an ordeal (sports figures
preparing to go into a game, or me preparing to receive a shot.).
to receive a shot).
These rituals (for lack of a better word, forgive) result in a
change in state, of the people involve as well as possibly a
d and possibly in the world
around (if such was the intent.)
  That may not satisfy you.  Remember that at this stage, definitions
are a highly personal thing., rather like your own personal philosophy.
I also write this under trying circumstances (a friend is loudly
championing her views as I type).
  A word about bookstores.  Remember, bookstores cater to the public,
and try to keep anything controversial off the shelves.  Unless they
are occult bookstores, DO NOT TRUST THE SUBJECT HEADINGS.  Be careful
what you buy.  Flub and bunnies Shirley McLaine is next to The Necro-
nomicon is next to 1400 Ways to Read Your Future in an  Ordinary Deck
of Playing Cards is next to...  You get my meaning.  Your best bet
is to find a book someone else has read and liked and to special
order it.  It may be more expensive, but you know what you are getting.


It seems that throughout history different words have been given meanings that are not really what they mean. The word "occult" is one of them. The word as Jezebel pointed out means "hidden" or "secret".  In fact early christianity was a "occult religion" (I find it interesting and sad that a religion that was so persecuted in its infancy has turned around and in its power persecuted other victim of bad press. The word "witch" and "faggot" are other examples. Did you ever wonder where that word fag come from?? Well its because they used to burn the homosexuals before that witches (hence "flaming faggot") To a Brit the word means " a small thatch of kindling" I could go on but I will spare you all.... Please keep in mind that language is a powerful thing.

Enough of my babblings..end note.. I personally hope for the day when people can reach a level of open mindedness that no positive religion must be hidden or secret and must spend all this time and energy saying what they are NOT.

By the way speaking as a future librarian, most bookstores need to have a
intensive course in cataloging. I, who can find my way around Watson with
no problem get lost at Town Criers!!

Subject: witchcraft
I hope this helps to clarify a few points. Magick to a witch is basically
the same thing as prayer is a christian..again evidence of language. A witch
would use magick in the form of a spell or circle to focus the power of the
mind that is within us all. For example I have a object that when I feel some real negative energy I concentrate that energy and "put" it into the object then I ground out the object... another example is the burning of loveletters after the relationship has gone away. This is a way of purging the focusing.  What I want to stress is that Wicca is the religion and witchcraft is the  practice. A good book to read is Marion Zimmer Bradleys "The Mists of Avalon".  It is basically a retelling of the Arthurian Legend though the eyes of the women. It gives a good feel of the spirit of Wicca and its conflict with the church (notice I said church not Christ) In fact Morgaine says "I have no quarrel with the christ only his priests" Please keep in mind that the book descriptions of the rituals are what it might have been like in the 6th century Witches celebrate the holidays in a more modern manner. Just as the christians celebrate edited versions of the original mass.

Subject: RE:What occult is

   I don't think that I can leave Jezebel's basic assumptions unchallenged.
I don't think that they are the minutiae but rather the basics of this
discussion.
   I still think that you are stirring religion,mysticism,parapsychology,
and magic into one large cauldron of ideas and beliefs.It's rather more clear to me that your definition of "occult"is closer to my definition of magic.  I'm not at all sure that you can give magic {or magic}the categorization of a science.
   Let's start with parapsychology.Parapsychologists do not consider their
field as having anything to do with the occult.They feel the same way about
being confused with magic or witchcraft{or ufology or cryptozoology or
fortune-telling,etc.}as witches do about being confused with Satanists.
They're having a difficult enough time being accepted as a legitimate
science as it is,due to the subjective and elusive nature of "psi"and
it's inability to be reconciled with what we know to be true of"normal"
laws of nature.
   Their are three main areas of paranormal study.Informational psi
{telepathy,clairvoyance,precognition,retrocognition},expressive psi
{psychokinesis and related effects}and survival-related experiences.
These are rather arbitrary divisions since it is often impossible
to determine which category of psi may be in effect.
 If we have the given that people have psi experiences in all cultures
and that they are a common and normal part of human experience although
difficult to understand,it still requires a large conceptual leap to
conclude that one could influence their world through the use of magick
or ritual.
  Witchcraft also has much to do with religion.Many religions have promoted
and accepted the inborn psi abilities of people,often without the trappings
or belief system associated with ritual magic.In fact,one anthropological
division made between magic and religion is the idea that religions use
prayer{politely asking the god or gods to intercede on their behalf]and
magic uses ritual designed to coerce or persuade the gods to act{or,if
you prefer,the universe to change itself to suit you.}Either way,both of
these things are quite different from the idea that people can sometimes
know or do things in ways that are as yet inexplicable,but will someday
be known.
   If you accept the presence of psi as an innate human ability,it still
doesn't prove the existence of any god or gods,the efficacy of magic or
magical laws or rules.It doesn't justify one belief system over any others
although I can understand the temptation to point to PK and say,"see,people
can move things with their minds,therefore magic works."
What would be a good example of proof that their is something to"the
craft"in witchcraft?I don't know.Maybe jezebel or jrohr can answer that.
Does the acceptance of the existence of magic justify a belief in witch-
craft as a religion?I don't think so.I think that is an entirely
different concept.If witchcraft is a religion at all,a belief in magic
would just be another part of that religion,although it may be necessary
to it.

RE: what do we worship?
No, we do not worship Satan!  The occult (the word means "hidden")
was a perfectly legitimate field of study among the Magi before and
during the Renaissance.  But with the birth of "science", notably
physics and chemistry (from alchemy), the study of the occult fell
into disfavor because it couldn't be "proved" in the same way that
the "hard" sciences can.  Remember, the driving quest of the alchemists
was to discover how to turn lead into gold.  That is now possible.
It's not easy, but it's now possible.  the study of the occult has
been revived and renamed "parapsychology", and there are serious,
documented cases of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, the
existence of ghosts, etc..  So there is some scientific (unless
you don't consider psychology to be science) evidence of "supernatural"
phenomena, which may prove to be a set of very natural occurrences
after all.

If you are studying the occult as a non-scientist, you are probably
studying ways in which a person can expand her own psychic powers.
Religion has little to do with it!  Admittedly, the Christian church
attempts to discourage people from experimenting, but the Jewish
tradition has a splendid tradition of occult study in the Caballah.
It is important to realize that the occult is a tool by which many
things can be accomplished.  THE OCCULT IS NOT EVIL IN AND OF ITSELF!
A hypodermic needle, for instance, can cause great harm, by being used
to inject poison or intravenous drugs (and helping the spread of such
diseases as hepatitis and AIDS.)  But a needle can also be used to
inject vaccines, and antibiotics, and none considers banning needles
simply because of the potential harm they can "do".  The same is true of
the occult.  It is not the fact of its use that is important, it is
rather the use to which it is put.  An evil action is an evil action,
whether it is by spell or by physical means.  The Wiccans have but one
law: An it harm none, do as you will.  The Wiccans are also great users
of positive magic.
  For a good, non religious look at the occult and its potential, I
suggest Marian Weinstein's book POSITIVE MAGIC.  I found it at
Adventure here in lawrence, and I understand it can also be gotten
through Lamplighter Books.

Subject: What is the "occult"?
  I'm sorry,jezebel,but your reply to "guest"left me a bit confused.
Are you trying to define occult,or defend and rationalize belief
in the paranormal,or give a discourse on the ethics of the use of
ritual magic?
   It seems to me that there are several issues here{admittedly,none
of which have anything to do with devil worship}."Occult" is a very
catch-all term.It seems to have been used for everything from
the Necronomicon to Shirley McClaine.{Have you ever looked in the "occult
section"of your local bookstore?"}
  I"d really be interested in seeing more conversation on these
subjects.

Subject: occult
Well, Melisande beat me to it - I too felt that jezebel had magic and the
occult confused. The occult concerns those forces/phenomena not explained
by science (if/when they are explained they won't be "hidden" anymore,
right?). Magic is the ritual manipulation or use of these forces.  Psi is a group of related forces (which may or may not be used in a magical sense). Religion is not necessarily associated with any of the above. HOWEVER, belief in "supernatural" forces is just that, *belief*, and if you believe that when you practice magic, you affect people/the world about you, then you are accepting belief in these "supernatural" forces. I feel that this belief presupposes a "religion" of sorts. I.e. if you hold an unfounded belief (not supported by science) then you have "faith" and "faith" begets "religion". So, can there be such a thing as an atheistic witch?

Go ahead, blast away. This was intended to provoke some comment!
All of the  above represent my own opinions which are subject to change
without notice.


Subject: inspection
There is a world of difference between a little inspection and outright
dissection. It seems to me that people must have "proof" in order for
something to be considered valid. That is the point that I am trying to
get across.  Education is a good tool for showing people every side of
an issue. But if their faith (not some half-baked preacher) tells them
that something is wrong or right that also is valid. The issue is
freedom of choice (sound familiar??) Although this person may feel one
way, he/she has no right to impose that on another person. The country
that we live in is based on the separation of church and state. Period.
Is a person truly believes that witches are evil and after been presented
with our point of view still believes this that is his right. But that
person does not have the right to take the freedom from another person
I guess that what i am trying to say in a long-winded fashion is TOLERANCE
is needed on both parties. Why can't we live and let live as long as
there is no harm being done.

Subject: 'occult' -- religion vs prayer vs magick

I, and several other posters, have thus far been playing in the shallows of
this interest area;  I'm not the only one who's been avoiding the deeper
issues here set afloat.   I understand the relevance of getting the basics
out in the open, where we may discuss them;  I admire honest curiosity;  and I respect most sincerely the desire to understand each other's points of view.  So:  All right, Melisande!  I'll swim out to meet your questions
trusting to some of that faith in Providence that I'll not stray too far off the course of logic nor yet be caught by the undertow of over-reaction.  But help me out if I start to stray *too* far from solid ground, hey?

jrohr is quite right in pointing out that language is a powerful tool.  It
can be a powerful nuisance also, at times.  I doubt that any two or three of us share precisely the same definitions -- both in denotation and connotation -- for any randomly chosen set of words.  That is in the nature of human thought, and thus of human language;  and I think it is no bad thing, in itself.  I would find it very boring to see the world always through the same eyes as everyone else, with no more sudden surprises nor the delicious strangeness of another's way of seeing.  I've always preferred predictability in moderate doses only.   Generally our definitions have enough common ground that we can communicate well enough;  when we fail to quite understand what is meant, we certainly ought to ask!  And indeed we have some slippery terms before us -- religion, magick, prayer.  I've thought on my own meanings for these, and reached somewhat of the premises and beliefs underlying them.  I do feel them to be separate and different things.  Sam, your input regarding faith, belief in the irreproducible and unprovable, strikes a very loud chord.  And by my definition, to be 'religiously' scientific is to accept the results and some of the method of science on faith -- as those who believe that psi cannot exist 'scientifically', considering not the difficulties of proving a negative hypothesis.  But to me faith is a necessary but NOT sufficient condition;  I've put off entering this discussion largely because the other half of my understanding of religion is difficult to articulate.  To me, religion must have also an element of worship, of appreciation or love
for the object of that faith, removed from all expectations of gain or
profit.  Prayer can be an act of worship -- but "Oh Deity or Deities, in your infinite wisdom and grace and general wonderfulness, could you possibly assist your humble servant?" is not in that category, while "Hey, nice universe you got here, God(ess)(es), really awesome work, like wow" is.

Prayer to me is essentially an attempt to communicate with the object of
faith and worship.  (By the bye, I'm sorry if 'object of etcetera' is
beginning to wear on you all, but I do believe that the object of worship and subject of religion may take any number of forms for any number of people.) Prayer can attempt to communicate only faith or worship, or it can attempt to communicate a desire or request.  But as a purely communicative, not an active, phenomenon, prayer cannot guarantee results, nor promise miracles.  If there really are a bunch of Christian pro-lifers out there praying for the death of a pro-choice judge (I read that somewhere, but I've no idea if it's a real-world example), they may be disappointed if s/he doesn't die off soon, but it is an outcome they are prepared to accept.  

Magick, on the other hand, is an attempt to DO something.  A properly
structured spell performed under the right conditions is expected to have
certain results.  Granted that there's more art than science to it, it has
still that element of expected repeatability, and of action.  Magick may
certainly have a place in religion, and it may play an important role.  For
example, when a clergymember of a faith that takes the literal view of the
sacrament of the eucharist performs that rite, he or she is indeed performing a magickal act.  I'll grant you freely that I have my doubts about the cookies and grape juice really truly transubstantiating themselves into flesh and blood, and frankly I'd not care to partake if I did believe it.  (Just squeamish, I suppose!).  But that's not the issue.  The issue is that it is real to the person doing this, and that he (or she) expects it to happen -- nay, KNOWS that it will happen, if the thing is done correctly.  The rationale for this expectability can vary -- to said clergymember, it's a matter of right, and a promise made, and a covenant agreed to.  All perfectly reasonable reasons to expect it to work, in the framework of that belief.

It can just as well be rooted in a belief that the operator is exercising
some natural ability, just as s/he might push a car or dial a telephone on
a more mundane level -- although in the latter case, the magick need not be
part of a religion.  (By this definition, psi may be treated as magick -- my apologies to any parapsychologists out there, in advance!)  It could be
derived, to the practitioner, from a bargain or from some aspect of the laws of the universe that allows him/her to coerce a power to act.  I follow beliefs that do somewhat concern me regarding the source of the expectability in magick;  but we should perhaps discuss that separately, if anyone wishes to, after we have agreed on definitions of terms.  The current point, for me, is that the rationale behind it doesn't make it magick;  it's the presence of that rationale, whatever it is, combined with the fact that the operator expects results.

Now, then.  Here are my definitions, and several of my precepts, as best I
understand them.  What do the rest of you think concerning them?  Do you
differ on some points?  Which ones, and why, and precisely how?  Do you feel that I've missed something?  And again, where, in what manner, and why?   Do you found your definitions from other lines of thought entirely?  Once more, what are those lines of thought, exactly how do they treat the subjects to hand, and why do you feel that way about it?


Whether you agree or disagree, I would like to read of it.  I would like to
know if we are stymied by essentially different views on how the world works, or merely each by our own assumptions of what the other means.  If any feel threatened by this invitation to investigate further, my apologies:  I intend none, nor do I perceive any in this request (or Melisande's, or Sam's).  The one who does not care to examine his beliefs is trapped is as narrow a world as he who declines to dream of anything intuitive and irreproducible in his philosophy:  a world view that can't stand to be looked at once in a while makes a very poor window indeed to view the world through!  Some of you have said you are active in Wicca or the craft;  I'm curious to know if you were raised in the craft?  If not, what belief system did you grow up in?  Didn't you look at those beliefs, new and old both, before you chose your path?  Don't be afraid to continue thinking, then, and to continue to examine what you believe and why.

Subject: witchcraft
     I really must stick to my statement that a spell is very much like a
prayer. The diffusion of stems from magick bringing about a altered state
of consciousness.  I would not say that they are identical. Each form fits the needs of the population that uses it.

There are some who say that science is a religion..If I could answer why people need that facet in their life i would win the Nobel...I can answer only for myself. Why must we dissect things in order to understand them?? I have seen more things torn apart because of human fear. Why can't we as Starhawk says "dare to dream the dark" Living in such a technological and hard scientific world (as I sit a terminal <GRIN>) i find some solace in that there are things that man can not define to his(or her) satisfaction. Thus perhaps the basis for the place of religion.


	 Magick Vs. Prayer 
   One of the questions brought up on MagickNet was the difference between
Magick and prayer, and how this ties into the scheme of things in general.
Well, I feel that prayer and magick are only loosely connected.  In prayer,
a person pleas with their deity for assistance.  Energy wise, the person
praying is asking that something be changed, and believes that the request
will result in a change.  
   In magick, we use our inner energy, combined with earthly and elemental energy and Deity energy, and send this forth do accomplish the goal of our spell.  I think it's like "breaking" in the game of pool.  We are controlling stick (our spell), while we gather the energy to push the stick/spell.  Our Cone Of Power is like the cue ball, and the racked balls are the target, which effects a change (breaks, or the goal of our spell) from the force of our energy.  There may be a point where prayer becomes a type of magick (or, a psychic event) if the person knows of the personal energies involved, and releases them with the prayer.
   I feel that a prayer works the opposite way.  The prayer is a request to effect a change in the ambient energy and invoke God (using the Christian form).  This change in energy is slower because it is "diluted" in the surrounding energy and depends solely on faith ("I believe it will happen, so it will"). 
   Am I out in left field or just being redundant?  I forgive if I'm "running at the mouth".  Now I'll try and tie in Parapsychology.  Magic and psi are very closely related in that (aside for leaving out the 'k' in magicK) the same form of energy is used.  It's just on a different 'frequency'.  When I do an object reading or empathic reading on someone/thing, I'm receiving a type of energy.  When I send a Cone of Power, I'm using the same type of energy, but on a (higher?) wavelength and with greater force and higher power.  Grounding negative feelings is an example of converting one form to the other.  Auric healing is the opposite.  So, I feel the energies are inter-changeable.     I ask, as Elsbeth has, "What do you think of THIS?"  As someone stated before, the definitions we are trying to define and clarify are our own, much like our beliefs- our own.  We are trying to find, I believe, common ground between the nuances of our definitions and beliefs.

Blessed Be!
Salgamma


                         The Sacrificial God man 
	Ammond Shadowcraft 

        How did the Christian mythos arise? Where did it come from? 
         
        The Christian myth is almost totally Pagan in origin. I used to 
    think that anything outside the Judeo/Christian/Moslem Belief System or 
    worldview was Pagan. Such is not the case. 
         
        The two main features of the CBS are the Eucharist and Sacrifice of 
    a God man. These two features were well known and well loved by Pagan 
    mystery cults centuries before the Christian Cults integrated them 
    into the Gospels. 
         
        The Eucharist goes way back into history and is based upon the 
    ritual consumption of the God man. Osiris, Dionysus, Attis and many 
    others were ritually consumed. The practice dates back to prehistory 
    when a human sacrifice was identified with the God (perhaps a 
    Vegetative God) and was sacrificed and eaten. Over the ages human
    sacrifice was found detestable. Animals were then substituted and 
    sacrificed as the ritual identifier of the God which was then followed 
    by grain offerings, breads shaped into the form of the God, sometimes 
    in the shapes of natural items (sun, moon, etc.). 
         
        The mythos of the Jewish Christ integrated this practice into it's 
    mysteries. There is strong reason for this. For some 200 plus years 
    before the time recorded for Jesus the Greeks and their mystery cults 
    invaded and changed Israel for all time. A war was instituted to 
    diminish or wipe out the Hellenizing influence. Part of the Hellenizing 
    influence was an effort to update or change the Jewish religion to 
    something more applicable to the times. After the Maccabbees War the 
    Hellenizing cultist were driven underground; right to the heart of the 
    Jewish mystical culture. Hence the Greek influence upon the myth of 
    Jesus.

        The sacrifice of the God man (Jesus, Attis, Adonis, Osiris) was a
    well known and well loved feature also. In fact it was necessary to
    have a willing sacrifice before a Eucharist could be performed. When
    the sacrifice was not willing the legs and sometimes arms of the
    sacrifice were broken to make it look like the sacrifice was willing
    (not struggling against the sacrificers). Jesus was a willing
    sacrifice.

        Images of Attis (Tammuz/Dummuzi) were nailed or impaled upon a pine
    tree. The Jews knew this and wrote "Cursed is he who hangs upon a 
    tree." A goat was substituted for a boy in sacrifice to Dionysus at 
    Potniae and a hart for a virgin at Laodicea. King Athamas had been 
    called upon to sacrifice his first born son by the Delphic Oracle, 
    Melenloas sacrificed two children in Egypt when stayed by contrary 
    winds; three Persian boys were offered up at the battle of Salamis. It 
    was only in the time of Hadrian that the annual human sacrifice to Zeus     was abolished at Salamis in Cyprus. The God man Jesus was hung upon a 
    tree; he was also the lamb of God. As such the sacrifice and Eucharist     of the God man Jesus is purely Pagan in origin.  
                

        Part of the older Pagan sacrifices was in the King sacrificing his 
    only begotten son. Jesus was the only begotten son of the King of 
    Israel, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. This practice 
    was overturned in the myth of Abraham and Issac when it was found 
    detestable and injurious to the tribe or kingdom. Yet the God man Jesus     was sacrificed in the flesh. This was done to appeal to the underground     Greek mystery cults who had much in common with the Jewish Christian 
    Cultist. 
 
        "During centuries of this evolution, the Jewish people tasted many 
    times the bitterness of despair and the profound doubt denounced by the     last of the prophets. In periods when many went openly over to
    Hellenism, it could not be but the ancient rites of the Semitic 
    race were revived, as some are declared to have been in earlier times 
    of trouble. Among the rites of expiation and propitiation, none stood     traditionally higher than the sacrifice of the king, or the king's son. 
    The Jews saw such an act performed for them, as it were, when the 
    Romans under Anthony, at Herod's wish, scourged, crucified [lit. bound 
    to stake], and beheaded Antigonous, the last of the Asmonean priest 
    kings in 37 B.C." _Pagan_Christs_ page 44,45 by J. M. Robertson 
         
        The mode of sacrifice was predetermined by previous Pagan doctrine. 
    The type of sacrifice was also predetermined by Pagan doctrine. Both 
    the sacrifice of the king, and the king's son were incorporated into 
    the Gospel myth. The God man Jesus is both the King of the Jews and the     son of God, the king of Israel.  
         
        As stated before the sacrifice of the king or king's son was found 
    injurious to the state. Before animal and grain sacrifices, criminals 
    and prisoners of war were substituted. Yet the criminal had to be 
    identified with the king. This was done by putting royal robes on the 
    sacrifice and parading the sacrifice around, calling it the king. 

        "The number three was of mystic significance in many parts of the
    East. The Dravidians of India sacrificed three victims to the Sun-god. 
    In western as in eastern Asia, the number three would have its votaries     in respect of trinitartian concepts as well as the primary notions of 
    'the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.' Traditionally, the Syrian     rite called for a royal victim. The substitution of a criminal for the 
    king or kings son was repugnant, however, to the higher doctrine that 
    the victim be unblemished. To solve this problem one of the malefactors     was distinguished from the other criminals by a ritual of mock-crowning     and robing in the spirit of 'sympathetic magic'. By parading him as 
    king, and calling the others what indeed they were, it was possible to 
    attain the semblance of a truly august sacrifice." _Pagan_Christs_, by 
    J.M. Robertson page 45 
 
        There is nothing in this mythos that did not originate in other 
    cultures. 
         
        "We can only conclude that the death ritual of the Christian creed 
    was framed in a pagan environment and embodies some of the most 
    widespread ideas of Pagan religion. the two aspects in which the 
    historic Christ is typically presented to his worshipers, those of his 
    infancy and death, are typically Pagan." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M 
    Roberts, page 52.    

        What about the man Jesus then? Was he divine? Did he exist? Is/was 
    he the Savior? 
         
        Most, if not all, of the Christian Belief System is Pagan in 
    origin.  It is indeed hard to force oneself to believe that Jesus is 
    the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God when such titles were readily 
    copied from Pagan doctrine. Perhaps the only item not borrowed from 
    Pagan sources was the Messiah concept. That, of course, was taken from 
    the Jewish hysteria of the time. In the siege of Jerusalem in 72 C.E. 
    there were some 18 Messiahs inside Jerusalem alone. Neither the God man     Jesus nor the self proclaimed militant messiahs saved Jerusalem. Such
    was the measure of hysterical superstition upon the nation of Israel.

        "There is not a conception associated with Christ that is not
    common to some or all of the Savior cults of antiquity. The title 
    Savior was given in Judaism to Yahweh; among the Greeks to Zeus, 
    Heilos, Artemis, Dionysus, Hercales, the Dioscurui, Ceybele and 
    Aesculapius. It is the essential conception of Osiris. So, too, Osiris 
    taketh away sin, is the judge of the dead and of the last judgment. 
    Dionysus, the Lord of the UnderWorld and primarily a god of feasting 
    ('the Son of Man commeth eating and drinking'), comes to be conceived 
    as the Soul of the World and the inspirer of chastity and self 
    purification. [J. M. Robertson may be referring to Attis here.] From     the Mysteries of Dionysus and Isis comes the proclamation of the easy 
    'yoke'. Christ not only works the Dionysiac miracle, but calls himself 
    the 'true vine.'" 
         
        "Like Christ, and like Adonis and Attis, Osiris and Dionysus also 
    suffer and die and rise again. To become one with them is the mystical 
    passion of their worshippers. They are all alike in that their 
    mysteries give immortality. From Mithraism Christ takes the symbolic 
    keys of heaven and hell and assumes the function of the virgin-born 
    Saoshyant, the destroyer of the Evil One. Like Mithra, Merodach, and 
    the Egyptian Khousu, he is the Mediator; like Khousu, Horus and 
    Merodach, he is one of a trinity, like Horus he is grouped with a 
    Divine Mother; like Khousu he is joined to the Logos; and like Merodach     he is associated with the Holy Spirit, one of whose symbols is fire."

        "In fundamentals, therefore, Christism is but paganism reshaped. It
    is only the economic and doctrinal evolution of the system--the first
    determined by Jewish practice and Roman environment, the second by         Greek thought--that constitutes new phenomena in religious history."        _Pagan__Christs_ by J.M. Robertson pages 52,53

        No religion develops in a vacuum. All religions are influenced not
    only by it's predecessors but by the contemporaries of the time also.
    Such is the nature of Christism yesterday and today.

        Now about Jesus the man, did he exist? I think not. All the
    teaching of Jesus can be attributed to other sources and grafted over
    the Gospel myth. Nothing he said was substantially different in any way
    from previous sayings. Jesus was not a man but a contrived myth.


        "The Christian myth grew by absorbing details from pagan cults. The
    birth story is similar to many nativity myths in the pagan world. The 
    Christ had to have a Virgin for a mother. Like the image of the 
    child-god in the cult of Dionysus, he was pictured in swaddling clothes     in a basket manger. He was born in a stable like Horus--the stable 
    temple of the Virgin Goddess, Isis, Queen of Heaven. Again , like 
    Dionysus, he turned water into wine, like Aesculapius, he raised men 
    from the dead and gave sight to the blind; and like Attis and Adonis, 
    he is mourned and rejoiced over by women. His resurrection took place, 
    like that of Mithra, from a rock tomb." 
         
        The man Jesus did not exist. There are however sources that speak 
    of others seeing him. These were secondhand sources. No direct 
    observations were made. At one time or another we have all had a vision     of Deity in our minds. Such is the sight of Jesus, a mental image. 
         
        What of the Gospels then? They are passion plays designed to be 
    read or acted out in front of an audience. Passion plays were a common 
    feature of pagan religion. Looking at the Gospels themselves one finds 
    a choppily written, scene by scene, display of the life of the God man. 
    Only the important aspects of his life are described. The minor events 
    and influences of the life of Jesus are not recorded, which leaves one 
    to think that the Gospels are indeed a play. 

        "When we turn from the reputed teaching of Jesus to the story of 
    his career, the presumption is that it has a factual basis is so 
    slender as to be negligible. The Church found it so difficult to settle     the date of its alleged founder's birth that the Christian era was made     to begin some years before the year which chronologists latter inferred     on the strength of other documents. The nativity was placed at the 
    winter solstice, thus coinciding with the birthday of the Sun-god. And 
    the date for the crucifixion was made to vary from year to year to 
    conform to the astronomical principle which fixed the Jewish Passover. 
    [The Passover is moon based, an already familiar pagan method of 
    cyclic, monthly dating.] In between the birth and death of Jesus, there     is an almost total absence of information except about the brief period     of his ministry. Of his life between the ages of twelve and thirty we 
    know nothing. There are not even any myths. It is impossible to 
    establish with any accuracy the duration of the ministry from the 
    Gospels. According to the tradition it lasted one year, which suggests 
    that it was either based on the formula 'the acceptable year of the 
    Lord', or on the myth of the Sun-god." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M. 
    Robertson, page 68 


	HERMETIC SOCIETY OF THE GOLDEN DAWN
	
	RA HORAKHTY TEMPLE



The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical order which began
in England in 1888, was the most famous and influential of the
modern era.  It successfully integrated various branches of the
Western Mystery Tradition into a workable system of enlightenment.
Its goal was to help each member to "become more than human", to
contact and live under the guidance of the higher self.  Some of the
areas of study included ritual magic, tarot, Egyptian god-forms,
Enochian magic, Kabala, and Astrology.  Among the original Golden
Dawn members were MacGregor Mathers, W.B.Yates, Aleister Crowley,
A.E.Waite, Dion Fortune, Dr. R.W. Felkin, Arthur Machen, Paul Foster
Case, and Dr. Israel Regardie.  Regardie, who died in 1985, was the
last great representative of the original Order.


To achieve this attainment the Golden Dawn brought the aspirant
through a calculated series of techniques, experiences or mental
exercises.  These exercises brought about progressively higher
states of consciousness.  Initiation occurs when a person passes
into a higher state of consciousness.  As Israel Regardie said,
"Initiation is the preparation for immortality.  Man is only
potentially immortal.  Immortality is acquired when the purely human
part of himself becomes allied to that spiritual essence which was
never created, was never born, and shall never die.  It is to effect
this spiritual bond with the highest that the Golden Dawn owes its
ritual and practical magical work.


The Ra Horakhty Temple of California was chartered in 1985 by
Patrick and Chris Zalewski, 7=4 Adepts and co-chiefs of the Thoth
Hermes Temple of New Zealand.  The following chart describes the
succession back to Mathers' original Golden Dawn temple in England.

ISIS URANIA:MacGregor Mathers,England,1888
                |
                |
STELLA MATUTINA:Dr.R.W.Felkin,England,1900
                |
                |
WHARE RA:Dr. Felkin,New Zealand,1912-1978
                |
                |
THOTH HERMES:Patrick Zalewski,New Zealand,1980-Present
                |
                |
RA HORAKHTY:Laura Jennings/Peter Yorke,Santa Monica,California 1985


Our temple is greatly honored to be working directly with Thoth
Hermes Temple as a conduit for the passage of material from the New
Zealand temples and from the Stella Matutina. Together we hope to
bring both the Outer and Inner Order information to people
throughout the world by teaching and publication.

TEMPLE DUES: $200.00 annually

TEMPLE INITIATION: $50.00


TEMPLE MEMBERSHIP includes:

Temple ritual once a month.
Neophyte and Elemental Grade Curriculums with guidance and direction
Attendance at Temple business meetings and other Temple events.
Initiation:Neophyte, Elemental Grades, and Inner Order work.
Tests for each level.

Temple Membership for students outside the L.A area includes:

Temple initiations in L.A. upon completion of required Grade work.
Attendance at monthly Temple meetings when in the L.A. area.
Neophyte and Elemental Grade curriculum with guidance and direction
by correspondence.
The same test requirements as local members;written,oral and
performance of ritual.


Laura Jennings, co-Temple Chief of the Ra Horakhty Temple, has been
practicing and teaching metaphysics for the past 20 years. She
received an anthropology degree from UCLA(1975) and is presently
working to complete a Ph.D in archeology. For the past 10 years her
efforts have concentrated on the Golden Dawn System of Magic. Under
Dr.Regardie's direction she was a co-founder of two Golden Dawn
Temples in Southern California. Her book on the creation and
administration of GD temples will be published next year.

Peter Yorke, co-founder of both Temples,was also a student of Israel
Regardie. He has a degree in botany from Cal State Long Beach. He is
presently co-Chief of the Ra Horakhty Temple and director of
alchemical studies and research.

David Stoelk, administrator director of the Outer Order curriculum
for the society, received his Bachelor of Arts in history and
architecture from ISU. He is in charge of a magical newsletter which
promotes GD studies and networking.


FOR FURTHER INFO. WRITE
Laura Jennings
c/o Hermetic Society of the Golden Dawn
PO Box 5461
Santa Monica CA 90405

           THE GOLDEN DAWN CORRESPONDENCE COURSE (OUTER ORDER)


The purpose of The Golden Dawn Temple and Society is to elevate the
knowledge of the student through The Golden Dawn Correspondence Course
as offered by the Inner Order of the New Zealand Order of the
Smaragdum Thalasses (Thoth-Hermes Temple).
The plan is simple and straightforward. Students desiring to become
initiated may complete the Correspondence Course, supplementing their
work with the already available materials. Having successfully
completed the course, they may apply for initiation to the grade of
5=6. Prior to the 5=6 Grade, Outer Order Grades based on completed
course work and examinations will be awarded.


                           M E M B E R S H I P

A minimum annual donation of $14.00 is requested for membership in the
Golden Dawn Temple and Society. This provides you with a membership
identification and Probationer certificate from the Society. After you have
received your identification we require that you use your I.D. number
in all future correspondence. Any additional donation funds is greatly
appreciated.
Your annual donation entitles you to a 20% discount on all Falcon Press
books and tapes, and on occasion, other featured material. Additionally,
a net-working service of other individuals or groups in your area
(if available) will be provided upon request among participating
individuals. No addresses will be released without permission.

                            T H E   C O U R S E

The Correspondence Course consists of 180 lessons and is provided in
groups of 2-10 lessons depending on their size. Lessons will be sent 
on the average every 4-6 weeks. The course is broken down into four,
9 group segments plus one four group period. After each 9 group segment
you may request examination for the appropriate certification.
Examinations will be given in the form of essay. Upon completion of
your examination, you are requested to return it along with a 
certification fee of $32.00. If the work is satisfactory, you will be
awarded the appropriate grade certificate. If unsatisfactory, your fee
will be refunded and you will be instructed as to what areas of study
require more attention.
We currently offer certification for the following Grades:
Probationer 0=0, Neophyte 1=10, Zelator 2=9, Practicus 3=8,
Philosophus 4=7, and Adeptus Minor 5=6.
For the Grade 5=6 there is an additional period of study and review,
after which you may petition for a final examination. In achieving this
grade, you will be awarded 5=6 certification and become eligible for
the Inner Order Correspondence Course.


                                  F E E S

Four methods of payment are available for The Golden Dawn Correspondence
Course. Please make check or money order payable to:
The Golden Dawn Temple and Society.
(A)  $27.50 per group.
(B)  $150.00 prepayment for 6 groups.

(C)  $265.00 prepayment for 12 groups.
(D)  $695.00 prepayment for entire course.


                 O U T L I N E      O F      C O U R S E

0. Introductory lecture
1. Hebrew Alphabet
2. Hebrew Calligraphy
3. Introduction to the Kabbalah
4. Gematria
5. Notariqon
6. Temura
7. Three Veils of Negative Existence
   The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
   YHVH - The Formula of Tetragrammaton
8. The Four Worlds
9. Kether - The Crown
10. Chokmah - Wisdom
11. Binah - Understanding
12. Chesed - Mercy
13. Geburah - Strength/Severity
14. Tipareth - Beauty
15. Netzach - Victory
16. Hod - Splendor/Glory
17. Yesod - Foundation
18. Malkuth - Kingdom
19. Middle Pillar (Tape)
20. The Eleventh Path
21. The Twelfth Path
22. The Thirteenth Path
23. The Fourteenth Path
24. The Fifteenth Path
25. The Sixteenth Path
26. The Seventeenth Path
27. The Eighteenth Path
28. The Nineteenth Path
29. The Twentieth Path
30. The Twenty-First Path
31. The Twenty-Second Path
32. The Twenty-Third Path
33. The Twenty-Fourth Path
34. The Twenty-Fifth Path
35. The Twenty-Sixth Path
36. The Twenty-Seventh path
37. The Twenty-Eight Path
38. The Twenty-Ninth Path
39. The Thirtieth Path
40. The Thirty-First Path
41. The Thirty-Second Path
42. The Four Color Scales
43. An Introduction To Alchemical Theory
44. Sceptre of Power (Book)
45. Energy, Prayer and Relaxation (Book & Tape)
46. Awareness (Tape)
47 - 50. Geomantic Divination
51. Introduction to The Tarot
52 - 130. Individual Tarot Cards
131. Divination
132. Tarot and Alchemy
133. Tree of Life Projected on the World
134. Convoluted Forces
135. Tattvas - Introduction
136. Glossary
137. Tattvas - Influence
138. Tattvas - Evolution
139. Tattvas - Mutual relation of Tattva and Principles
140. Tattvas - Prana
141. Tattvas - Mind
142. Tattvas - Cosmic Picture Gallery
143. Tattvas - Manifestation of Psychic Force
144. Tattvas - Yoga the Soul
145. Tattvas - Spirit
146. Tattvas - Science of Breath
147. Astrology Introduction
148. Astrology 1 (GD)
149. Astrology 2 (GD)
150. Astrology - Natal Calculation
151. Astrology - Planetary Hours
152. Astrology - Electional
153. Astrology - Horary
154. Astrology - Progressions and Transits
155. Astrology and Ceremonial Magic
156. Talismans
157. Voice in Magic
158 - 170. Shemhamephoresch - All 12 Zodiacs covered.
171. Full Ritual of The Pentagram
172. Full Ritual of The Hexagram
173. Pillars - Symbology and how to make
174. Banners and Altars - Symbology and how to make
175. Swords - Symbology and how to make
176. Lotus Wand - Symbology and how to make
177. Fire Wand - Symbology and how to make
178. Cup - Symbology and how to make
179. Dagger - Symbology and how to make
180. Pentacle - Symbology and how to make
__________________________________________________________________________

                                   A Shared Vision

                                         by

                                   D. M. DeBacker
	June 23, 1988  11:36 PM


               Gnosticism is a religious/philosophical tradition that began

          sometime in the last  century before  the present  era1. The word

          "tradition"  should  be  stressed  because  one  of the tenets of

          Gnosticism is that of a general disdain for authority or

          orthodoxy. The  Gnostics adhered  to a  belief in strict equality

          among the members of the sect; going so far as to chose  the role

          of  priest  by  drawing  lots  among  the participates at gnostic

          gatherings2. They also stressed direct revelation  through dreams

          and visions  and an  individual interpretation of the revelations

          of fellow Gnostics and sacred scriptures.

               The Greek word gnosis (from which we have  "Gnosticism") and

          the Sanskrit  bodhi (from  which we have "Buddhism") have exactly


               1 see  J.M.  Robinson,  Introduction,  in  The  Nag  Hammadi
          Library (New  York, 1977);  hereafter cited as NHL, for a general
          discussion of the origins of Gnosticism.


               2 Pagels, Elaine; The Gnostic Gospels;(New York, 1979); p 49


                                          1


          the same  meaning. Both  gnosis and  bodhi refers  to a knowledge

          that transcends  the knowledge  that is acquired through means of

          empirical  reasoning  or  rational   thought;  it   is  intuitive

          knowledge  derived  from  internal  sources.  To the Gnostic this

          knowledge is necessary for salvation3.


                               "I say, You are gods!"

                                                                -John 10:34


               The Gnostic sects were essentially eschatological; concerned

          with salvation,  with transcendence  from the  world of error (as

          opposed to sin) towards  a knowledge  of the  Living God,  who is

          knowable  only  through  revelationary  experience. The object of

          gnosis is God- into  which the  soul is  transformed monistcally.

          This notion  of assimilation  into a  divine essence  is known in

          Gnostic Circles as "immanentizing the Eschaton"4.





                   "Christ redeemed us from the Curse of the Law."

                                                                  -Gal.3:13


               3 Barnstone, Willis, ed.; The  Other Bible;  (San Francisco,
          1984); p 42


               4 Wilson, Robert A.; The Illuminati Papers; (Berkely, 1980);
          p 46



                                          2




               The Gnostic defiance towards authority took  on many levels.

          They developed  an elaborate  cosmogony, in defiant opposition to

          traditional  Jewish  and  Christian  beliefs.  For  the  Jew  and

          Christian, it  was a good, though authoritarian, god that created

          Adam and Eve. It was through  their own  sin that  they fell into

          corruption. Yet for the Gnostic, the creator was not good at all,

          rather he became  known  to  the  Gnostics  as  the  Demiurge1, a

          secondary god  below Sophia,  Mother Wisdom, and the unknown God-

          who-is-above-all-else.2 To the  Gnostics,  the  Demiurge-  who is

          also  known  as  Ialdabaoth,  Sabaoth, and Saclas- acted in error

          when he created the material universe  and mistakenly  thought of

          himself as the only god.

               In  Gnostic  literature,  Adam  and  Eve  are seen as heroic

          figures in their disobedience; aided  by  the  serpent,  who gave

          them knowledge  and who will later return in some sects as Jesus,

          to redeem humanity by teaching disobedience  to the  curse of the

          laws of Yahweh the Creator3.


               1 Greek for "craftsman", much like the Masonic "Architect of
          the Universe". From Plato's Timaeus.


               2 I  have  come  up  with  Greek  term  "Theoseulogetes"  to
          describe  "God-who-is-above-all-else"  which  I  found  in Paul's
          Epistle to the Romans  (9:5), but  I hesitate  to make  use of it
          because I am not sure how it should be pronounced.


               3 Hypostasis of the Archons 89:32-91:3 (NHL p. 155)


                                          3






               Many writers when discussing Gnosticism approach the subject

          with a scholarly morbidity. They tend  to look  upon the Gnostics

          as a cult of dreadful ascetics who shunned the world of error and

          delusion. Yet as a neo-gnostic, I can not help but  see a gnostic

          world-view  as  that  of  looking  upon  the universe not as some

          sinister mistake, but more  as a  complex and  complicated cosmic

          joke.

               When  one   first  begins  reading  the  Gnostic  literature

          contained in the pages of the  Nag Hammadi  Library (cf.  note p.

          1),  one  is  tempted  to  filter the language and the symbols of

          Gnosticism through a mindset  of  `hellfire'  fright  conjured by

          images brought from the Book of Revelations or Daniel. The key to

          reading the NHL is not to be frightened or distressed  by some of

          the images,  but to  realize that  the tractates  of the NHL were

          collected as consciousness raising  tools.  To  the  Gnostic, the

          pages  of   NHL  are   not  to  be  meant  to  be  taken  as  the

          authoritative, apostolic writings of  the Christian  bible or the

          prophetic and  patristic writings of the Jewish bible, but rather

          as visions shared with  fellow Gnostics.  The following discourse

          is meant to be just that- a Gnostic sharing his vision.










                                          4





                         "When the Elohim began to create..."
                                                                  - Gen 1:1

               As all religious thought has as its ultimate aim the thought

          of God, it is best that  I  begin  my  "vision"  by  imparting my

          perception of God.

               To  me,  God  is  indescribable,  inscrutable,  and ultimately

          "nonexistent". Any attempt  at  describing  God  invokes,  what a

          friend termed,  the "great  syntax catastrophe"2.  It is wrong, I

          believe, even to use the pronouns he or she when speaking of God;

          and it  seems better to speak of what God is "not" rather than to

          speak of what God "is". To paraphrase the Chinese philosopher, Lao

          Tse "The god that can be named is not the God"3.

               It is  best not to even attempt a description of God, but to

          think of God as inscrutable by  definition: that  which cannot be


               1 For a discussion on this translation of the opening verses
          of Genesis cf. Asimov, Issac; Asimov's  Guide to  the Bible; Vol.
          II; (NY, 1968); pp 16-17




               2 A  friend  tells  me  that  he picked up this term from an
          evangelical Christian in Georgia.


               3 "The Tao that can  be  trodden  is  not  the  enduring and
          unchanging Tao.  The name  that can  be named is not the enduring
          and unchanging name." Lao-Tse; Tao  teh  Ching  (I,1)-  trans. by
          James Legge




                                          5





          easily understood,  completely obscure, mysterious, unfathomable,

          and enigmatic; the "Mystery of the Ages"1.

               Many Gnostics speak of God as  being "non-existent";  not in

          the atheistic  sense, but in the sense that God does not exist in

          the same sense as you or  I  or  anything  else  in  the Universe

          exists.  In  some  Gnostic  writings    God  is referred to as the

          "unbegotten one"2.

               As  a  Gnostic  Christian,  one  who  emphasizes  the salvic

          influence  of  gnosis  (knowledge)  over  the influence of pistis

          (faith), it is not enough  for  me  merely  to  believe  that God

          exists; I must know that God exists.

               In  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  Paul  tells  us  that

          ignorance of God is a form of bondage3; and in his epistle to the

          Colossians, he  tell us  that man's purpose is to "be filled with

          the  knowledge  of  [God's]  will  in  all  spiritual  wisdom and

          understanding,.. and increasing in (gnosis) knowledge of God"4.

               Many Christian  sects teach that "faith" is an unquestioning

          belief that does not require  proof  or  evidence.  To understand


               1 Col 1:26


               2 Tripartite Tractate; 51.24-52.6; (NHL p. 55)


               3 Gal. 4:8-9


               4 Col. 1:9-10



                                          6




          "faith" properly  it requires knowing that belief and opinion are

          not one and  the  same.  A  mere  opinion  is  something  that is

          asserted  or  accepted  without  any  basis at all in evidence or

          reason1. Whereas, to believe  in something  is to  exercise one's

          faith  or  trust  in  something.  Faith  then could be said to be

          "trust"; and `faith in God' is, therefore, the same as  `trust in

          God'.

               The basis of any degree of trust must be a certain degree of

          knowledge  concerning  a  given  object  or  situation.  The more

          knowledge  one  has  concerning,  say,  a  person, determines the

          amount of trust allowed that person. For example,  if you  know a

          person  to  be  completely  unreliable,  you then have very little

          faith in that person. Conversely, You have a  great deal  of faith

          that  person is not to be trusted. If you know that a person

          is highly reliable, you then have built up  a degree  of trust in

          that person based on your knowledge of him.

               Therefore, knowledge  of God must parallel faith in God. Yet

          how can God be known when we are not even sure that he exists? If

          we  say  that  God  is  essentially  `unknowable and can only be

          spoken of in terms of what God is  not, then  how can  we come to

          have any knowledge of God?


               1 See Adler,  Mortimer J.; Ten Philosophical Mistakes; chap.
          4; (New York, 1985); for a  detailed discussion  of knowledge and
          opinion.




                                          7




               There are  basically two  ways to  know God. The first is by

          way of reason or logic and second, by way of  intuitive knowledge

          or gnosis.  We shall  see in  following paragraphs how the former

          method may  help us  in understanding  the problems  we are faced

          with in  our attempts  to know  God, and many will see, also, how

          severely lacking the path of logic can be compared to  that of the

          gnostic path.

               In  studying  the  problem  of  `logical  proofs'  of  God's

          existence I have  come  across  several  historical  arguments of

          which I  have grouped  into what  I call "The Seven Arguments and

          the General Argument for the Existence of the  Almighty." I have

          labeled these  arguments the  Ideological (ideo  as in idea), the

          Etiological ( `aetio' meaning cause), the  Teleological (`teleo'

          meaning  final   outcome),  the   Cosmological  (`cosmo'  meaning

          universal),  the   Ontological   (`onto'   meaning   being),  the

          Pantheological   (`pantheo'   as   in   `pantheism'),   and   the

          Psychological (`psyche' meaning soul) Arguments. I  will provide

          a brief discussion of each.



               1] The Psychological Argument

                   Before anything  can be  said concerning  the reality of

          God or  of  anything  else  for  that  matter.  One  must  take a

          skeptical stance.  A skeptical  stance would  be that of doubting

          the reality of absolute or universal  truths. In  other words one


                                          8





          could say  that the certainty of knowledge is impossible and that

          one can  achieve  only  `probable'  knowledge,  i.e.,  ideas whose

          validity is  highly probable.  An example of this would be to say

          that it is only highly probable that you  are reading  this page,

          but that neither you nor I can be absolutely certain of this.

                   Yet probable knowledge implies the existence of absolute

          knowledge.  For instance a skeptic could deny that the objects of

          his perceptions exist, but he could not deny that his perceptions

          exist. St. Augustine stated that the person who doubts all truths

          is caught  in a  logical dilemma, for he must exist in order that

          he may doubt. As Descartes, put it "I think, therefore I am.". In

          the act of doubting one establishes the absolute reality of one's

          own consciousness or "psykhei".

                 For  Augustine   the   "psykhei"   comprises   the  entire

          personality  of  the  living  being,  who  becomes  aware through

          self-consciousness not only that  he or  she is  a real integrated

          existing person  but also  that he  knows with absolute certainty

          his own activities and powers  of  memory,  intellect,  and will.

          Thus  the  being  `remembers'  what  it  is  doing  in the act of

          self-doubt; it understands or knows the immediate experience; and

          it can  will to act or not to act as it does. Hence three aspects

          of the individual "psykhei" may be described as powers of memory,

          intellect,  and  will,  or  as  activities of being, knowing, and

          willing.


                                          9





          2] The Ideological Argument

               Prior to the history of any object the ideal had to exist as

          the source  imparting reality  to the particular object. Humanity

          must exist as a universal ideal before any individual human being

          can possibly exist. An object's essence (ideal) must be a reality

          before the particular object can come into existence.

               Many people, when first confronted by this argument  fail to

          understand it.  One fellow thought the argument was preposterous,

          because  he  thought  it  somehow  denied  that  things  could be

          discovered by  accident. He gave a convoluted example involving a

          chemist seeking to  invent  a  glue  and  in  the  course  of his

          research  accidently  discovering  a  cure  for cancer. What this

          fellow failed to realize is that  the notion  of a  death dealing

          disease such  as cancer  and the idea of a needed cure for cancer

          existed long before this bumbling  chemist  started  on  his glue

          project.  Both  the  psychological  and ideological arguments are

          really not arguments for the existence  of God,  but are intended

          as an introduction to the following arguments.



          3] The Etiological Argument

               God,  by  definition,  must  have  existed  as a first cause

          because every  effect requires  a cause  and this  must have been

          true of entire universe.  The material world is contingent, unable


                                         10







          to create itself, hence  requires  something  else,  a necessary,

          spiritually uncreated  Being to bring it into existence and impel

          it to continue its progress.

               The same  fellow who  debated the  ideological argument said

          that  the  etiological  argument  "hurt  his  head"  and that it

          reminded him of "the old chicken and the  egg argument".  The key

          words in  this argument  are "contingent"  (meaning, "dependent on

          chance"; "conditional"), "necessary",  and  "uncreated"  (see the

          General  Argument  below).  The  cosmological  argument is almost

          identical to the etiological argument, yet the wording  is quite

          different.



          4] The Cosmological Argument

               There must have been a time when the universe did not exist,

          for all things in the universe  are mere  possibilities dependent

          on some  other objects  for their being and development; the fact

          that  the  universe  does  exist  implies  that  a  necessary  or

          noncontigent  Being  exists  who  was  capable  of  creating  the

          universe.



          5] The Ontological Argument

               Since we possess an idea of  a  perfect  Being  (and  we can

          think  of  nothing  greater  or  more perfect), such a Being must

          necessarily exist because perfection implies existence.  Any idea


                                         11





          that is  lacking in  reality (any  concept which has no objective

          reality of its  own)  would  be  imperfect,  whereas  one  of the

          attributes of  a perfect  Being is actual existence (not merely an

          idea in  any person's  mind, but  real existence  external to any

          mind which happens to conceive of it).

               The ontological argument is possibly the oldest argument and

          dates back to the 4th C.  of the  present era.  This argument has

          caused a  great debate  that rages  to this  day in  the pages of

          modern textbooks on philosophy  and  theology.  The  key  to this

          argument is  "perfection" and  the statement:  "any concept which

          has no objective reality of  its  own  would  be  imperfect" (and

          therefore not  exist) is  the thin thread upon which the validity

          of argument hangs.



          6] The Teleological Argument

               The presence of design in the  world, the  fact that objects

          are designed with a purpose, to function for a given end, implies

          the existence of an intelligent, competent  designer, who planned

          the purpose of each thing that exists.

               The teleological  argument posses  problems of  its own. The

          same fellow who debated the previous  arguments insisted  that he

          needed proof  of a  design to the world and that everything has a

          purpose. The problem in replying to  his argument  is that  I can

          not think  of one useless thing existing in the universe. My mind


                                         12





          draws a blank in this respect and I  would invite  anyone to show

          me one thing that exists in this universe which is without design

          or purpose.



          7] The Pantheological Argument

               God, the supreme unity, the original Being, and the Ideal of

          all  ideals, has caused all things to become manifest by means of

          a logical unfolding of particulars from their ideals. To speak of

          creation  is  to  speak  of    particularization,  a  process  of

          unfolding that makes individual objects out of ideals. Conversely,

          immortality is an opposite process whereby the particulars return

          to their universal essence  or archetypes.  Immortality means the

          return  of   things  to   God  (apocatastasis),   that  is  their

          deification, so  that there  is complete  unity of  all things in

          God; pantheism.

               The Pantheological  vision of  God is  negative in the sense

          that God can be characterized only in terms of comparison  on the

          ground that  the infinite  is beyond human comprehension; however

          not beyond human contemplation.  When speaking  of the  nature of

          God and  using the terms of argument #1 in speaking of the nature

          of the psyche as that which possess memory,  intellect, and will,

          one may  say that  God is  Omniscient, possessing absolute memory

          and intellect; Omnipotent, possessing  absolute will;  and in the

          terms  of  the  pantheological  argument, Omnipresent, possessing


                                         13





          pure randomness and non-localized in time and space.



               The General Argument for the Existence of the Almighty is as

          follows and derived in part from the argument as put forth in How

          to Think About God by Mortimer J. Adler:





          1. The existence of an effect requiring the  concurrent existence

          and action of an efficient cause implies the existence and action

          of that cause.



          2. The cosmos as a whole exists.



          3. If the  existence  of  the  cosmos  as  a  whole  is radically

          contingent, which  is to say that, while not needing an efficient

          cause of its coming to  be,  since  it  is  everlasting,  then it

          nevertheless  does  need  a  efficient  cause  of  its continuing

          existence, to preserve it in  being  and  prevent  it  from being

          replaced by nothingness.

               or

          3a. If  the cosmos  which now exists is only one of many possible

          universes that might have existed in the infinite  past, and that

          might still  exist in the infinite future, and if  a cosmos which

          can be otherwise is one that also can  not be;  and conversely, a


                                         14





          cosmos that  is capable of not existing at all is one that can be

          otherwise than it now is, then  the cosmos,  radically contingent

          in  existence,  would  not  exist  at  all were its existence not

          caused.



          4. If the cosmos needs an efficient cause of its  existence or of

          its continuing  existence to  prevent its annihilation, then that

          cause must be one  the existence  of which  is uncaused,  and one

          which has  reason for  being in  and of itself; i.e. The ultimate

          cause  and being of the cosmos.



          5. If the  ultimate cause and being of the  cosmos is  that about

          which nothing  greater can be thought, that being must be thought

          of  as   omnipotent,   possessing   absolute   will;  omniscient,

          possessing absolute  knowledge; and omnipresent; non-localized in

          time and space.



 

                                      PART TWO





               Intuition differs  from reason  in that  as man  is a finite

          being possessing  limited sensual contact with the universe; it is

          impossible for man to fully understand God through  his senses or

          by empirical  means. This,  therefore, involves the understanding


                                         15



          of abstract concepts. We  must understand  the universe  as being

          "conceptusensual"; that  parallel to the objective universe there

          is a  universe made  up of  abstracts. This  abstract universe is

          viewable to  us through  means of  symbols; objects not possessing

          objectivity. These symbols cannot be known by means  of empirical

          reasoning, but  by means of gnosis; without the conscience use of

          reasoning, immediate apprehension or understanding.

               It should be realized  that  while  this  abstract universe,

          that  sits  parallel  to  the material universe, and is sometimes

          referred to as the spiritual world  or heaven, is beyond logic and

          reasoning;  it  is  supported  by  logic  and reasoning. You will

          recall that imperfection or  "degrees of  perfection" implies the

          existence of perfection (cf. Arg #3 and Arg #5). Perfection is an

          abstract ideal having no analog in our material world, yet  it is

          intuitively known to exist.

               Just as  there are  degrees of  knowledge concerning mundane

          truths  in  the  material  world,  there  are  degrees  of gnosis

          concerning revealed truths in the spiritual world. Because man in

          his human form is by nature limited there  is a  certain limit to

          his  understanding  and  knowledge.  Yet  as  all things are in a

          constant state of flux and change, man's knowledge  is constantly

          growing.  For  everything  that  is  known objectively there is an

          abstract idea that precedes the object.

               The Scriptures speaks about angels and  devils, the creation


                                         16





          of  the  world  in  seven  days,  etc.,  and many Christian sects

          require of their followers acceptance of  these "revealed truths"

          by  way  of  faith  or  trust.  Many  speak of the Bible as being

          infallible and without error even when portions are contradictory

          or counter  to logic.  I, however, assert that the Bible is first

          and foremost an  anthology  of  religious/philosophical tradition

          compiled over the centuries from about 750 BCE to around 150 BCE.

          It should,  in no  way, be  advertised as  a "closed  canon" or a

          compilation of  the sum  of man's knowledge of truth, revealed or

          otherwise. The Bible was written by men and  is therefore subject

          to human  error. This does not, however, discount the presence of

          revealed  truths  within  the  Bible  or   within  any  scripture

          (religious writings).

               If any  of the  above arguments  fall short of convincing an

          individual of God's existence,  the one  argument that  cannot be

          denied is  the argument which provides for the proof of one's own

          existence (cf. Arg #1). Here  we  spoke  of  "taking  a skeptical

          stance";  one  of  doubting  one's  own  existence.   Through the

          process of  self-doubt we  become faced  with the  reality of our

          existence;  we   cannot  deny  the  object  of  our  perceptions-

          ourselves.

               The question, then, is  raised concerning  "life and death".

          One may wonder: "If I exist now, was there ever a time when I did

          not exist and will there be a time when I will not exist?" We can


                                         17





          limit this  by asking: "Did I exist before this lifetime and will

          I exist after this life?" Perhaps  before these  questions can be

          broached more should said concerning the subject of gnosis.

               As stated  above, the Apostle Paul spoke of ignorance of God

          as being a form of slavery; and told us that  it was  our purpose

          to know  (gnosis) and obey God1. This is reiterated in his first

          epistle to the Corinthians, when Paul gave "thanks to God... that

          in every way [they] were enriched in [Christ] with all speech and

          all knowledge"2.

               In John's first epistle,  we are  told that  we may  come to

          know (gnosis) God, if we keep God's Law and "walk in the same way

          in which [Christ] walked3. This echoed  in John's  Gospel chapter

          14, verses  20-21; and  at verse  26 he adds that the Holy Spirit

          will be sent  to  "teach  [us]  all  things,  and  bring  to [us]

          remembrance  all  that  [Christ  had]  said  to  [us]."  I  have

          emphasized the word "remembrance"  as an  important part  of the

          process of gnosis. This will be discussed in detail below.

               In  another  epistle  Paul  spoke  of the "riches of assured

          understanding and knowledge  (epi-gnosis)  of  God's  mystery, of


               1 See above p. 4



               2 1 Cor. 1:4-5


               3 1 Jn 2:3-4



                                         18




          Christ,  in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and

          knowledge"1. In the seventeenth chapter of  John's Gospel, Christ

          tells  us  that  gnosis,  knowing  God,  is equivalent to eternal

          life2; and in his epistle to the Philippians, Paul tells  us that

          gnosis supersedes all3.



               In  Matthew's  Gospel  we  are told that spiritual knowledge

          comes to us through Christ:

                        "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and  earth,

               that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent

               and revealed them unto the  little  ones;  yes,  Father, for

               such was  thy great pleasure. All things have been delivered

               to me  by my  Father; and  no one  knows the  Son except the

               Father, and  no one  knows the Father except the Son and any

               one whom the Son chooses to reveal him.4"



               When we read the thirteenth chapter of Paul's  first epistle


               1 Col 2:2-3


               2 Jn 17:3


               3 Phil 3:8-10


               4 Matt 11:25-27 & Lk 10:21-22





                                         19




          to  the   Corinthians,  we  learn  that  "love"  is  the  key  to

          maintaining spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and faith (pistis)1; and

          in John's  first letter  we are  told that "he who does not love,

          does not know God; for God is love"2.

               Besides the  necessity  of  loving  God,  we  are  told that

          knowledge of  truth equals  knowledge of God. In Paul's letter to

          Titus, Paul greets his  "child  in  common  faith"  by describing

          that, as  an apostle  of Christ,  his main purpose is to "further

          the faith of God's elect and their knowledge  of the  truth which

          accords with  godliness"3. In  John's Gospel we are told that the

          Holy Spirit is the  "Spirit of  truth, whom  the (material) world

          cannot receive,  because it  neither sees  him nor knows him; you

          know him, for he  dwells with  you, and  will be  in you"4. Jesus

          tells  us:  "If  you  continue  in  my  word,  you  are  truly my

          disciples, and you will know the truth, and  the truth  will make

          you free"5.


               1 1 Cor 13


               2 1 Jn 4:7-8


               3 Titus 1:1


               4 Jn 14:17


               5 Jn 8:31-32




                                         20




               At  some  points  this  saving  knowledge is referred to as a

          secret  knowledge.  In  his  closing  remarks  to  his  disciple,

          Timothy, Paul  tells him  to guard closely the knowledge that has

          been entrusted to him and  to  avoid  those  who  "chatter" about

          false knowledge1;  and in  first Corinthians,  he speaks of those

          who imagine  that they  know, yet  do not  know as  they ought to

          know2. In  second Corinthians,  Paul tells us that the mystery of

          the Gospel is "veiled" to those who have been blinded  by the god

          of this  world3. This  concept of  the "hardening the hearts" and

          "shutting the eyes" of the people can be found in  Isaiah4, Mark5,

          Luke6,  and  Acts7.  Paul  speaks  of  the  process  of gnosis as

          spiritual maturity when he tells the  Corinthians that  they were

          "fed with  milk, not  solid food;  for [they]  were not ready for


               1 1 Tim 6:20-21


               2 1 Cor 8:2


               3 2 Cor 4:3-6


               4 Isaiah 6:9-10


               5 Mark 8:17-18



               6 Lk 10:23


               7 Acts 28:26-27



                                         21




          it."

               We are told that Jesus  spoke  in  parables  because "seeing

          they do  not see,  and hearing  they do not hear"1; and that "not

          all men can receive this [knowledge] but only those to whom it is

          given (revealed)"2.  He said  that in  order that those who could

          not understand, be allowed to understand that they  would have to

          "turn  again"  and  be  forgiven3.  This "turning again" or being

          "reborn" will be discussed in greater detail below.

               In Colossians, Paul speaks  of this  mystery as  having been

          hidden  from  angels  and  men (aeons and generations)4. There is

          evidence in many of the books of the  Bible that  books which are

          known to authors have either been lost or intentional kept out of

          the Bible for a variety reasons. In his epistles, Paul  speaks of

          epistles  that  do  not  appear  in Bible. There is evidence of a

          third epistle to the Corinthians; perhaps  one that  went between

          the first and second epistles5; and in his closing remarks to the


               1 Matt 10:13-17


               2 Matt 19:11


               3 Mk 4:11-12


               4 Col 1:26



               5 1 Cor 5:9 & 2 Cor 2:3-9; 7:10



                                         22




          Colossians, Paul speaks of an Epistle  to the  Laodiceans1. First

          Chronicles speaks  of the  Book of  Nathan and  the Book of Gad2;

          while Second Chronicles, also, speaks of a Book  of Nathan  and a

          Book of Shemaiah the Prophet3. In Jude's Epistle there is a quote

          from the Book  of  Enoch!4    Could  these  books  have contained

          "secret knowledge" that could not be understand by all?

               Turning  to  the  "apocrypha",  those  books  which  are not

          considered by some Christian sects to  be a  part of  the "closed

          canon" of the Bible, we are able to discover a possible answer to

          our question. The Apocrypha, or "hidden" books, were never really

          hidden, but  were kept  apart from the Bible. Each Christian sect

          has a different "list" of books  that belong  in their individual

          "canon"  and  because  those  "lists"  overlap  each  other  many

          Christians today are quite familiar with a majority  of the books

          contained in the Apocrypha.

               One book  contained in  the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras, a book that

          is  found  in  many  Roman  Catholic  Bibles,  has  the following

          information to impart to us concerning "hidden books":


               1 Col 4:16


               2 1 Chr 29:29


               3 2 Chr 9:29; 12:15


               4 Jude 9 quotes Enoch 1:9



                                         23




               "Therefore write  all these  things that  you have seen in

               book, and put it in a hidden place; and you shall teach them

               to the  wise among  your people,  whose hearts  you know are

               able to comprehend and keep these secrets.1"



               (It is curious to  note that  this portion  of 2  Esdras was

               added to  original sometime in the third century AD; when at

               the same time  Gnostic  Christians  were  compiling  the Nag

               Hammadi in Egypt!)2



               Yet  it  seems  that  nothing  can remain hidden forever. In

          Luke's Gospel Jesus prophesies  that "nothing  is hid  that shall

          not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known

          and come  to  light"3.  Perhaps  this  prophecy  came  true when,

          following  the  dreadful  destruction  of  WW II, two astonishing

          discoveries of hidden works were made; the first  at Nag Hammadi,

          Egypt in  December of  1945, and the second at Q'umran, Palestine


               1 2 Esdras 12:37-38, cf. 2 Esdras 14:37-48


               2 see introduction to "The Second Book of Esdras" in the
          New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha; Apoc  p 23



               3 Lk 8:17




                                         24






          in 1947.



                                     PART THREE



               Even in  the Bible  itself there is found "secret knowledge"

          that is never spoken of amongst the christian sects that consider

          themselves to  be "orthodox".  The best example of this is in the

          creation account of the Book of Genesis. The opening line  of the

          first book of the Bible has been translated throughout history to

          read: "In the beginning God created the heavens  and the earth1."

          Yet if we translate the first verse literally we find it to read:

          "When the Elohim began to create the heavens and the earth2."

               The term "Elohim" should not be translated directly  to read

          "God" or  "god", because it is the feminine plural of god (Eloah)

          and should  probably be  translated "goddesses"  or "offspring of

          the Goddess" . Now, to many "orthodox" christians the notion that

          there exists "gods", in the polytheistic sense, most  likely is a

          bizarre notion.  Yet the  early Hebrews  were not "monotheistic",

          that is, a person who believes in the existence of one God, as is

          usually thought; but, rather, they were "henotheistic", and while

          believing in a multitude of gods, they focused  all their worship


               1 Gen 1:1


               2 Cf. p 3 note 1



                                         25




          on  their  "national  god".  Examples of Hebrew henotheism can be

          found in  throughout the  Old Testament.  In 1  Kings, chapter 18

          there  is  an  account  of  the  prophet Elijah, a prophet of the

          Israelite god Yahweh, engaged in a  contest with  the prophets of

          the  god  Ba'al  and  the  goddess Asherah (Ishtar)1. In 2 Kings,

          chapter 3 we are told that  when  Mesha,  king  of  the Moabites,

          sacrificed his son to the Moabite god Chemosh "there came a great

          wrath upon " the army of the Israelites2.  Further on  in 2 Kings

          there is  the story  of Naaman, a Syrian general who is afflicted

          with leprosy. Following a raid in Israel, Naaman  is told  by one

          of his captives that there is a prophet living in Samaria who has

          the power to cure leprosy. Naaman then visits Elisha, where he is

          told to  go and  bathe in  the Jordan  river. After bathing seven

          times in the Jordan, Naaman is cured of leprosy, and  as a result

          he  converts  and  becomes  a  worshiper  of  Yahweh,  god of the

          Israelites. He is now faced with a dilemma; as he  must return to

          Syria, he  must take  "two mule's  burden" of Israelite soil back

          with him. This is done so  that he  may have  a plot  of Yahweh's

          land upon  which to  offer sacrifice to the Israelite god. Elisha

          does not argue this matter with Naaman, but only tells him to "go

          in peace"3.


               1 1 Kngs 18:19


               2 2 Kngs 3:27


               3 2 Kngs 5:1-19
                                         26




               Perhaps  the  strongest  suggestion  of Hebrew henotheism is

          contained in line from  Ezekiel that  tells of  the women weeping

          for  the  Sumerian  harvest  god,  Tammuz1.  The  Jewish calendar

          contains the month of Tammuz (usually in the  summer) and  one of

          the titles  for Tammuz, "Adonai", was adopted by the Hebrews as a

          title for their god. The phrase "Adonai Elohim"  is translated in

          the  english  Bible  to  read  "Lord of Hosts". The Greeks, also,

          adopted "Adonai" and called  him "Adonis";  a term  used today in

          the english language to describe a good looking young man.

               In the  New Testament,  we are told by Saint Paul that there

          are "many gods and many lords"2. In Colossians, he refers to them

          as the  "elemental spirits of the universe" or Archons3. Could it

          be that the  Archons  and  the  Elohim  were  one  and  the same:

          "elemental spirits  of the  universe"? In Ephesians, he refers to

          them as the "world  rulers of  the present  darkness"4. In John's

          Gospel,  Jesus  puts  us  on  equal  footing  with the Archons by

          quoting Psalms5; and in Acts we are called "God's offspring"6.


               1 Ezekiel 8:14


               2 1 Cor 8:5


               3 Col 2:8


               4 Eph 6:12


               5 Jn 10:34 & Ps 82:6


               6 Acts 17:27-29

                                         27




               The scriptures  in  places  speak  of  the  concept  of pre-

          existence. God tells Jeremiah, "before I formed you in the womb I

          knew you"1. In Ephesians, we are told that  God "chose  us in him

          before the foundation of the world"2.

               Could it  be that  the "secret  message" that the Scriptures

          have to impart to us is that we  and the  Elohim are  one and the

          same? That  we were  present at the creation? That we created our

          own universe  under God's  guidance, but  because we  were not in

          harmony with  each other,  because a  few us tried to "lord" over

          the others, because we were not in agreement  on how  to go about

          making the universe, and instead of making the universe according

          to God's design, we made it  according  to  our  design,  in "our

          image";  could  this  be  why  the  universe is such an imperfect

          place?

                Between chapters 16 and 19 of the Book of Genesis  there is

          a curious exchange that deserves to be followed. In chapter 16 we

          are told the story of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. Hagar, one of

          Abraham's concubines, is sent out into desert by Sarai, the first

          wife of Abraham. At verse seven Hagar is met by an "angel  of the




               1 Jeremiah 1:4-5


               2 Eph 1:4




                                         28




          Lord". Later, after conversing with this "angel of the Lord", she

          refers to the angel as a "god of vision". She is shocked to think

          that  she  has  actually  seen  "God" and has lived1. In the next

          chapter, Abraham is visited by a  being who  describes himself as

          "El  Shaddai"2.  Most  english  language Bibles translate this to

          read "God Almighty", but  a literal  translation would  render it

          "El, one  of the  gods". In  chapter 18  Abraham, we are told, is

          visited again by the "Lord", and  upon looking  up he  sees "three

          men".  The  persons  that  appear  to  Abraham in this chapter of

          Genesis are usually described as being God and two of his angels,

          yet  strangely  enough  the  one  who  is  thought to be God, the

          Almighty (omniscient and omnipresent) does not  know what's going

          in a city on the planet Earth and remarks: "I will go down to see

          whether they have done altogether according  to the  outcry which

          has come  to me; and if not, I will know"3. After wrangling  with

          Abraham over whether or not he would destroy the cities  of Sodom

          and Gomorrah,  we are told that "the Lord rained... fire from the

          Lord out of heaven"4.


               1 Gen 16:7-14


               2 Gen 17:1


               3 Gen 18:21


               4 Gen 19:24



                                         29




               The "main of event" occurs in the first chapters of Genesis.

          Here is  where the  Elohim see  light for the first time1, and go

          about the process of  the first  creation2, that  of "calling and

          creating" the  material world3.  The Elohim cause a separation to

          be made between the spiritual world, "the waters which were above

          the  firmament,  and  the  material world, "the waters which were

          under the firmament"4. Genesis 1:9-31 details  this "ordering" of

          the material world.

               In Genesis  1:27, we  are told  that the  Elohim created, or

          developed the  idea  of  mankind  in  an  image  that  the Elohim

          perceived.  According  to  Rabbinic  tradition this image was the

          image of the Higher God that  the  Elohim  saw  reflected  in the

          firmament which  they took to be that of their own. In the second

          creation, that of "making and forming" the material  world in the

          "day that  the Lord made the earth and the heavens"5, we are told

          that the Elohim actually  "formed" man  out of  dust, but  it was


               1 Gen 1:4


               2 Gen 1:1 - 2:3


               3 Isaiah 43:7


               4 Gen 1:7


               5 Gen 2:4




                                         30




          only after the Elohim breathed into man's nostrils the "breath of

          life", did man become a living being1.

               Yet it seems that the Elohim had made a mistake.  In Genesis

          1:28,  we  are  told  that  the  Elohim  had  created  man  as an

          androgynous being,  "male and  female [they]  created them." Most

          Gnostic  Christians  take  this  to  mean that we were originally

          intended to posses both soul and spirit combined.  It appears the

          Elohim had made a mistake and formed a "sleeping" soul which they

          attempted to manipulate2, and when they  realized that  they were

          mistaken they  found it  necessary to pull the "spirit" (Eve) out

          of the soul (Adam) in order to bring it to life; hence Adam calls

          Eve "the Mother of the living"3.

               The  events  that  follow  in  the  third chapter of Genesis

          deserve to be looked at in detail. In chapter 2, verse 9  we have

          been told that there are two trees in the center of the Garden of

          Eden; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. In verse  17 of

          that same  chapter we were told that the Creator had ordered Adam

          not to eat of the tree of knowledge, for if Adam were to eat from

          that tree he would die. In chapter three a serpent appears to Eve


               1  Gen 2:7


               2 Gen 2:16-17


               3 Gen 2:21




                                         31




          and the following exchange takes place:



               Serpent: "Did [the Creator] say, `You shall not eat of  any

                       tree in the garden'?"



               Eve: "We  may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;

                     but [the Creator] said, `You shall not eat of the

                     fruit of  the tree which is in the midst of the

                     garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' "



               Serpent: "You will not die.  For  [the  Creator]  knows that

                         when you  eat of  it your eyes will be opened, and

                         you be like [the gods] knowing good and evil."



               Later, after eating from the  tree,  and,  by  the  way, not

          dying, Adam  and Eve  "heard the sound of the Lord God walking in

          the garden"1. It is curious to note that  from the  exchange that

          follows that  the Creator  does not  seem to  know what has taken

          place in their "absence", just as they did not seem  to know what

          was happening  in Sodom  and Gomorrah  or what  occurred to Cain's

          brother, Able2. Upon learning  what  has  transpired  the Creator


               1 Gen 3:8


               2 Gen 4:9



                                         32




          then put  a curse upon the serpent, Eve, and Adam.  We then learn

          that the Creator had  lied to  Adam and  Eve when  they told them

          that they  would die  and in  remarking  reveal: "Behold, the man

          has become like one of us, knowing good  and evil;  and now, lest

          he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat,

          and live forever..."1. This speaking in  the plural  is echoed in

          the  Tower  of  Babel  incident:  "Come, let us go down and there

          confuse their language"2.

               Throughout  time  the  serpent   has  stood   as  symbol  of

          immortality. Many  ancient cultures  upon seeing the shed skin

          of a snake believed that the snake never died; only  shedding one

          body  for  a  new  one.  In Greek mythology the god Prometheus is

          often depicted as a winged serpent bringing the  gift of  fire to

          man.  Later  Prometheus  was  replaced  by the image of the wing-

          footed Hermes holding aloft  the  caduceus  or  "serpent entwined

          staff" as he brought the secret knowledge of the gods to mankind.

               These images  of winged  and fiery  serpents can be found in

          the Old Testament. In Numbers "the Lord sent fiery serpents among

          the  people,  and  they  bit  the  people, so that many people of

          Israel died"3. To counteract this attack, Moses is  told to "make


               1 Gen 3:22


               2 Gen 11:7


               3 Num 21:6
                                         33




          a fiery serpent and set it on a pole" so that when the people see

          the "brazen serpent" they would not  die1. This  symbolic gesture

          of the  serpent lifted  up in  the wilderness  is reminiscent not

          only of the serpent in the  garden,  but  that  of  Jesus  on the

          cross2.   In Isaiah's  vision of  God, he describes the throne of

          God as being surrounded by "seraphim". Seraphim may be defined as

          "fiery winged  serpents". In 2 Kings we are told that the "brazen

          serpent" survived  down into  reign of  Ahaz, king  of Israel. It

          seems Ahaz did some house cleaning and broke the "brazen serpent"

          into pieces and threw  it  out.  Is  this  some  how  a prophetic

          gesture of Israel's rejection of the Messiah3?







                                     CONCLUSION





               It should be remembered that when approaching the subject of

          "hidden works" or "secret knowledge" that "there is  nothing hid,


               1 Num 21:8-9


               2 Jn 3:14-15


               3 2 Kngs 18:4




                                         34




          except to  be made  manifest; nor  is anything  secret, except to

          come to  light"1. In  other words,  there is  nothing hidden that

          cannot,  or  will  not,  be  found. Christ extols us to seek and

          find, and that when we knock at the  door of  mystery it  will be

          opened to  us2. It  can be  found that God has a "divine plan" in

          which God "desires all  men  to  be  saved  and  to  come  to the

          knowledge of  the truth"3.  In Acts  we are  told that the end of

          time will not come until all  things have  been restored  to God.

          This  "restoration  of  all  things"  became  known  to the early

          christians as the Doctrine of Apocatastasis4. Ephesians speaks of

          the "plan  for the  fullness of  time, to unite all things in him,

          things in heaven and things on earth"5.

               Yet what happens to us when  we die  in a  pre-gnostic state

          before the  Apocatastasis?  In Mark's Gospel, we are told to take

          heed of what we hear in  the message,  for "the  measure you give

          will  be   the  measure  you  get"6.  This  is  the  Doctrine  of


               1 Mark 4:22


               2 Matt 7:7-8


               3 1 Tim 2:4


               4 Acts 3:21


               5 Eph 1:10


               6 Mk 4:24

                                         35




          Metrethesis; the "measure for measure" spoken  of in  Matthew 7:2

          and the  "sowing" and  "reaping" in  Galatians 6:71.  This is the

          plan by which God allows all souls in the universe  to eventually

          redeem themselves in the prison of Metempsychosis.

               Metrethesis  and  Metempsychosis  are doctrines that are not

          unique  to  Christian  Gnosticism.  In  Buddhism  and  the  Vedic

          religions   these    doctrines   are    known   as

	          [The text is lost at this point.]

The Manifestation of Kali in Universe as an Astrophysical Anomaly
By Persona Navitae 353.
                There is no light, nor any motion.
                There is no mass, nor any sound.
                Still, in the lampless heart of the ocean,
                Fasten me down and hold me drowned
                Within thy womb, within thy thought,
                Where there is naught-where there is naught!
                   From "Kali", by Aleister Crowley
               
   In the beginning was the KAOS water, the pure creative force
of undivided being. Crowley called this "Nuit", which seems to be
the combination of the sky goddess "Nut" with the chaos God "Nu",
or "Nun". This was the potential for manifestation before the
dream of Siva, before the suffering of Sophia that coalesced into
the mist of dark reality. This primal force exits in a perpetual
state of non-being, always edging toward being. A binary movement
sets up from this tension of pre-creation, from a state of
collapsed oneness, to a state of open potential. This is the
struggle between Siva; the force of perfect order, and Sakti; the
force of pure chaos. In Siva is the need to collapse to stable
systems, the continual drive for one-ness that uni-fests as the
point monad of Kether on the Tree of Life. In Sakti is the need
for continual creation, the pure fertile need to populate
Universe with the divine sparks of mani-fested intelligence. From
these two forces arises the numinous Androgyne. This force exists
at the beginning of physical creation, from its parthenogenic
fullness it emanates across the Pleroma of the void, and down the
Tree to Malkuth.
   This mythos is at the core of the unconscious and of many
creation theories. From the bliss of Androgyny comes the
suffering of Maya, illusion. This is the illusion of multi-
verse. Sophia, the divine mother of the Gnostics, was conceived
of as Androgynous but she broke away from her partner and
conceived the physical universe as a polarized order. The result
was the creation of ignorance, the demiurge Yahweh. 
   From the primal Nuit is created Babylon, and from her is Isis, 
but what of Nepthys? She is hidden; present but unseen. Felt but
rarely named. In Indian theosophy divine Sakti exists as the
primal energy behind the static monad, Siva. She is  Nuit in
Thelema, and her creation on the mundane level is Kali. In many
systems they are considered one, which is rightly so. The job of
Kali is to devour the ignorance of static non-creation and re-
create Universe with new potential for mani-festation. Left to
its own, Siva would freeze up Universe in a cage of entropy. This
is known to physicists as the "Heat death of Universe". Heat is
not a substance, not an energy. It is a process, "The
transference of energy by virtue of a difference in temperature".
When all forms of energy, Sakti/Kali, have been equilibrated
then no more growth is possible. Any divine sparks left in such a
state would no longer develope, all life would stop. 

   The Heat Death is only one scenario. It would seem possible
that Universe could go on perpetually if there were some way to
re-create it. All matter/energy would have to be sucked back in
and thrust out in another "Big bang". This "devouring" is well
known to devotees of Kali. In early myths she is known to devour
the demons who would upset the balance of space-time. Kali is the
Goddess of time, Kala. In time all things die and are re-born. In
time all ignorance is replaced by divine Gnosis, if we accomplish
nothing else in life we cannot help but learn. Experience is the
great teacher. At the end of time there is no manifested
existence, just the Satchidananda of bliss-being-consciousness.
Kali offers the bliss of Gnosis with one hand which holds the
Sangrail, freedom from fear with another raised, with a third she
holds the sword that destroys Universe, and with a forth she
holds a head to remind us that all situations will change, death
is the constant force of new life. She is naked because she has
no veils of illusion, and to remind us that the secret of
re-creation is in sexual bliss. She is black because she is
beyond human comprehension, this also ties in with the freudian
devouring mother, who is in the realm of shadow, we all will be
swallowed by Kali in the little death and the greater ones. She
dances on the corpse of Siva, who has over extended himself in
the attempt for divine Order. However, her dance has aroused him
even in death and she stands over his erect penis to accept the
seed of new creation.
   In the early 1930's Edwin Hubble concluded that Universe is
expanding, and even in the 1920's evidence existed of such
expansion. It has been postulated that if there is not enough
mass in Universe then it will eventually suffer the heat death of
Siva. If there is enough however, then it is possible that the
expansion will slow down due to the drag of continual gravitational
forces that all matter possesses, and eventually return to a
single point where the explosive forces of the dynamic interplay
of matter/energy will cause a new expansion. 
   One method to determine if Universe has enough matter to halt
the expansion is to add up all the luminous matter. Matter exits
in particular, stable energy states. If extra energy is added to
a system, then the matter present would tend to jump to a higher
energy state. Every element has very particular states it prefers
and will not reside in any others. This is the rule of the Siva-
Order force in Universe. All chaotic energy states will either
jump to a higher state, and stay there as long as the extra
energy does, or it will ignore the extra force.  When there isn't
enough energy to maintain the element in this state, it drops to
a specific lower state and sheds the excess energy. When this
happens we see it as a burst of light which will be specific to
each particular element. By examining the luminous evidence,
astrophysicists can determine how much matter is shedding light.
According to older theories all matter radiates light, and this
could be used to determine how much matter was in Universe.
Through these studies, it was found that there is only about 2%
of the necessary amount for re- creation.  

   In 1933, Fritz Zwicky discovered that galaxies were moving
much faster than they should according to the accepted theories.
Speculating from the amount of matter found through the
luminosity present, he found that galaxies should be breaking up.
The obvious conclusion is that there is more matter present than
can be seen. This substance became known as Dark Matter. Since
then numerous experiments have been devised to test this theory.
Vera Rubin showed that galaxies rotate as fast at the outer rim,
or faster, as they do in the inner. If they are less dense at the
outer edges, as the luminosity indicates, then they should move
slower. Jeremiah Ostriker and James Peebles showed that without
extra matter, galaxies would develope gravitational anomalies
that would cause them to collapse into other forms than the
spiral we usually see. It seems likely that there is Dark Matter
in Universe, and estimates now indicate that it could make up as
much as 95% of all physical creation.
   What is this Dark Matter? Nobody knows, but there are many
theories. Sub-atomic particles, so small they don't radiate
visible energy, Neutrinos, Magnetic Monopoles (one sided
magnets), and Gravitinos (bundles of gravity, in the same sense
that Photons are bundles of light) are prime candidates. So far
neither Magnetic Monopoles, nor Gravitinos have been found. 
   Arcane knowledge provides some answers assuming we ask the
questions. If Isis is "Infinite Stars, Infinite Space", then
what is Nepthys? Being the opposite side of Isis we have to
assume she plays a part in Universe. And, if Kali's re-creation
of Universe is possible, then can we see it in the process? The
answer to both of these lies in the Dark Matter. In "Mumbo Jumbo"
Ishmael Reed referred to "Dark Isis". I found this very
intriguing at the time, and later found the connection in Isis's
dark twin, Nepthys. She is dark (like Kali) because she is
hidden, manifested but unseen. In his book, Reed speculated that
she became dominant when Isis was shedding lunar blood (sacred to
Kali), this is when the unfertile seeds are being discarded. For
the aspirant this is a time of great power, and danger. Nepthys
is the goddess of the night magicks, the red magick of Vamamarg
sometimes referred to as the "left hand path". Hers is the force of
re-creation which is so vital to the growth of the aspirant. IAO,
Isis-creator, Apophis (Set, husband of Nepthys)-destroyer, and
Osiris-re-creator. In Tantra, Kali is all three. She gives birth
to Universe, devours it when all life has expended its energy,
and re-creates it from the seeds of the old Universe. 
   It's uncertain whether there is enough Dark Matter to cause
the collapse of Universe, but clearly if there is a chance, it is
in this manifestation of the Dark Goddess. Her body is the body
of matter that lies "between" known spaces and stars, her power
is felt in the pull of matter itself, "Love is the law, love
under will" is the axion of gravity where all particles seek to
unite with all others. Her books are written in the night sky,
her rites are the rites of ancient humans awed by the power of
the Great Sleep, and equally awed by it's power of re-creation.
If Kali/Nepthys manifests at the end of time, it will be as the
mouths of numerous black holes, each larger one devouring the
smaller, uniting in one undifferentiated monad of space-time,
not only matter sucked in but the net of creation on which it
resides as well. In the Dark Matter is the new creation.       

A SAMPLING OF HIDDEN CODES IN THE TORAH
=======================================

Here is a sampling of some of the hidden words in the Torah. Since the
Hebrew cannot be uploaded, the transliteration is as follows:

Aleph = A     Bet = B     Gimel = G     Dalet = D     Hey = H     Vav = V
Zayin = Z     Chet = Kh     Tet = T     Yod = Y     Kaf = Ch   Kaf Sofit = Ch:
Lamed = L     Mem = M     Mem Sofit = M:     Nun = N     Nun Sofit = N:
Samech = $     Ayin = E     Pei = P     Phei = Ph     Phei Sofit = Ph:
Tzadi = Tz     Kuf = Q     Reish = R     Shin = Sh     Sin = S     Tav =Th


The chart below works as follows:
   The first column is the hidden word. Second column is the location of the starting letter. The third column is the word in the sentence which "houses" the starting letter of the hidden word. The letter enclosed <X> is the first letter of the hidden word. If the housing word appears more than once in the same sentence, the number of the correct word appears here in parentheses.
The fourth column indicates spacing, i.e., 49 indicates there are 49 letters BETWEEN the letters of the hidden word. An "R" in the fifth column indicates the hidden word is spelled out in reverse. The last column is just a transliteration of the first column for ease of comprehension.


."AMTh"      Genesis 1:1-5      BRAShY<Th>   50     R      Emet (Truth)
."ThVRH"     Genesis 1:1-5      BRAShY<Th>   49            Torah
."ThVRH"     Genesis 49:28-30   VZA<Th>      49            Torah
."ThVRH"     Exodus  1:1-7      ShMV<Th>     49            Torah
."ThVRH"     Exodus  39:8-13    ThChL<Th>    49            Torah
."ThVRH"     Numbers 1:1-3      MSh<H>       49     R      Torah
."ThVRH"     Numbers 34:9-12    Z<H>         49     R      Torah
."ThVRH"     Deut.   1:5-8      <H>ThVRH     48     R      Torah
."ThVRH"     Deut.   32:3-7     LAL<H>YNV    48     R      Torah
."ALHYM"     Genesis 1:7-9      <A>Th        26            Elokim
."Y-VH"      Genesis 1:8-9      AL<H>YM      26     R      The Name
."QYN"       Genesis 4:13-15    <Q>YN        49            Cain
."HBL"       Genesis 4:23-25    OD<H>        49            Abel
."MLACh"     Genesis 2:1-2      V<Ch>L       26     R      Malach
."ShBTh"     Exodus  34:35-     M<Sh>H (2)   49            Shabat
."ShBTh"     Exodus  35:3-5     A<Sh>        49            Shabat
."ABRHM"     Genesis 1:22-26    <A>LHYM      49     1      Avraham
."Y-VH"      Levit   1:1        V<Y>QRA       7            The Name
."Y-VH"      Levit.  1:2-3      <Y>QRYB      21            The Name
."Y-VH"      Levit.  1:3-       <Y>QRYBNV    13            The Name
."Y-VH"      Levit.  1:3        YQR<Y>BNV    34            The Name
."MThThYHV"  Deut.   34:5-10    <M>ShH       49            Matityahu
."YSRAL"     Genesis 1:30-2:3   E<L>         49     R      Yisrael
."YSRAL"     Genesis 1:31-2:1   HShSh<Y>      7            Yisrael
."LAH"       Genesis 28:2-6     <L>Ch:       49     2      Leah
."RKhL"      Genesis 28:5-6     A<R>M:       49     2      Rachel
."YHVDH"     Genesis 49:8-11    YHVD<H>      49    R,2     Yehuda
."MShH"      Genesis 50:24:25   V<H>ELH      49    R,2     Moshe
."MShH"      Exodus  13:18-19   ALHY<M>      49     2      Moshe
."ThVRH"     Genesis 28:13-16   A<Th>NNH     26            Torah
."MQDSh"     Genesis 28:15:16   VH<Sh>BThYCh:26     R      Mikdash(Temple)
."HMVEDYM"   Genesis 1:8-16     ShMY<M>      70     R      HaMoadim
."Y-VH(Y)"   Genesis 1:25-27    V<Y>ES       26            The Name
."(Y)-VHY"   Genesis 1:25-27    H<Y>M:       26     R      The Name
."ERBH"      Genesis 1:11-15    V<E>Tz:      49            Arava
."LVLB"      Exodus  2:7-11     HE<L>MH      49            Lulav
."HD$"       Numbers 4:28-32    ShN<H>       49            Hadas
."AThRG"     Deut.   1:32-37    L<A>MR       49            Etrog
."BRChH      Deut.   1:1-32     HD<B>RYM     613           Bracha
."RMBM"      Exodus  11:9-12:13 <R>BVTh      Init   3      Rambam
."MShNH"     Exodus  11:9-12:13 <M>ShH       49     3      Mishneh
."ThVRH"     Exodus  11:9-12:13 A<Th>V       49     3      Torah
."NTzY"      Deut.   28:63-64   V<N>$KhThM:  49            Nazi
."HShVAH"    Deut.   31:16-18   MSh<H>       49            HaShoah
."HYTLR"     Genesis 8:21       <H>ADMH      31     R      Hitler
."H$"        Genesis 8:1        BThB<H>      31            Hess
."RVML"      Genesis 8:20       HTHV<R>      31            Rommel
."BQ"        Genesis 8:22       V<Q>R        31     R      Beck
."DNYTz:"    Genesis 8:21       EV<D>        31            Danitz
."MVTh"      Genesis 8:3        H<M>YM:(2)   31     R      Mavet
."HShVAH"    Genesis 8:14       <H>ARTz:     62   2x31     HaShoah


1) "ABRHM" begins with the Aleph <A> of ALHYM and ends about 250 letters later on the Mem <M> of ALHYM.
2) Note the section of Torah this word is embedded in.
3) Rambam appears as the initial letters of "Rabos Mofsai B'eretz Mitzrayim. If one begins in the same pasuk on the Mem of Moshe, the Word "Mishneh" is spelled out. If one starts at the same Mem and counts 613 letters, one then Reaches a Tav, which is the first letter of the hidden word "Torah", thus completing Mishneh Torah, Rambam's famous work about the 613 Mitzvos.

             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 pseudoreligion 
that sees everything as dead matter and neglects its own method _v_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. 

The Henge of Keltria--a Neo-pagan Druidic organization

What is The Henge of Keltria?

The Henge of Keltria is a positive path Druidic tradition
dedicated to protecting the Earth, honoring our ancestors,
revering the spirits of nature and worshipping the Keltic
Deities.  Our focus is on spiritual development achieved through
the study and practice of the Druidic Arts and Keltic Magick.
Through training, networking, resources, ritual and
communications we strive to provide a religious and spiritual
framework through which each individual can reach his of her own
full potential.

What does the Henge offer?

Currently the Henge of Keltria Publishes "Keltria: A Journal of
Druidism and Keltic Magick" on a quarterly basis, and an
introductory 31 page booklet "The Henge: An Introduction to
Keltrian Druidism."  Classes in neo-pagan Druidism are offered
in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area on an ongoing basis.
Campouts and workshops are held on an irregular basis in
Northwestern Wisconsin.  Future plans include a book of ritual,
bardic songbook, correspondence courses, theological journal and
membership directory.

For more info, send a business sized SASE to:
The Henge of Keltria
P.O. Box 33284
Coon Rapids, MN 55433


               ISHTAR: IN HER PRAISE, IN HER IMAGE
               -----------------------------------
                    By Pauline Campanelli

(Originally published in Circle Network News, under the column PANTHEON; 



   She was called Ishtar by the Babylonians, Inanna by the Sumerians, Astarte by the Greeks, and Ashtoreth by the Hebrews.  She is a Goddess of Love and beauty, The Giver of All Life, The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone.  As the maiden hymns were sung to her beauty and her love:

   "Praise the Goddess, most awesome
       of the Goddesses,
    Let one revere the mistress of the
       people, the greatest of the Gods.
    Praise Ishtar, the most awesome of
       the Goddesses,
    Let one revere the Queen of Women,
       the greatest of the Gods.


    She is clothed with pleasure and
       love.
    She is laden with vitality, charm
       and voluptuousness.


    In lips she is sweet; life is in
       her mouth.
    At her appearance rejoicing
       becomes full.
    She is glorious; veils are thrown
       over her head.
    Her figure is beautiful; her eyes
       are brilliant."

        --from a First Dynasty Babylon text, circa 1600 BCE


   The Goddess has her dark side too.  In this portion of a Sumerian prayer to Inanna from Ur, circa 2300 BCE, she is the bringer of death.  In the following lines, "the Powers" refer to the powers and duties assigned to the various cosmic entities at the moment of creation:

    "My Queen, You who are guardian
       of all the great Powers,
    You have lifted the Powers, have
       tied them to your hands,
    Have gathered the Powers, pressed
       them to your breasts.
    You have filled the land with
       venom like a serpent.
    Vegetation ceases when you thunder
       like Ishkur.
    You who bring down the flood from
       the mountains,
    Supreme One who are the Inanna of
       Heaven and Earth."

   In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is the word of Ishtar that causes Enlil to bring the Deluge upon her Children, and in the same legend she brings death not only to her people but her lover too: "When the glorious Ishtar raised an eye at the beauty of Gilgamesh, she said, 'Come, Gilgamesh, be thou my lover! Do but grant me thy fruit.  Thou shalt be my husband, and I will be thy wife.'" But the hero refuses her, listing the fates of her other lovers:

   "For Tamuz, the lover of thy
      youth,
   Thou has ordained wailing year
      after year.
   Having loved the dappled
      Shepherd-bird,
   Thou smotest him, breaking his
      wing.
   In the grove he sits crying, 'My
      wing!'
   Then thou lovedst a lion, perfect
      in strength.
   Seven pits and seven didst thou
      dig for him.
   Then a stallion didst Thou love,
      famed in battle.
   The whip, the spur, the lash Thou
      ordainedst for him."

   And rather than marry Ishtar, Gilgamesh went in search of immortality on his own.

   Images of this Great Goddess from the land of the Tigris and Euphrates appear in many shapes and forms.  Some of the earliest may be the clay or limestone figures discovered at the site known as Mureybit in what is today Syria.  These figurines from hunter-gatherer villages of 8000 BCE range from the crude and stylized to the highly naturalistic.  Like later images of Ishtar, these female divinities are depicted with their hands to their breasts.  These ancient images of a goddess are not joined by a male God until a thousand years later and then he remains less important.

   One common characteristic of the early images of Ishtar is the bird-like facial features.  These features are also seen on images of the Goddess from the Thracian culture of what is today Bulgaria, the Vinca culture of the Central Balkans, and the Tisza culture of northeastern Hungary, circa 6000-5000 BCE.  This bird Goddess of ancient eastern Europe, and the closely related Snake Goddess are frequently associated with the baking of sacred bread.  Miniature temples made in the form of the Goddess contain scenes of baking bread being presided over by a priestess.  Later, miniature Minoan temples contain images of a Goddess with the same bird-like features.  The Greek Aphrodite is often associated with doves which are her symbol also.  Like Aphrodite's consort was the Grain God Adonis, Ishtar is the consort of Tamuz, God of Grain and of bread.  The "wailing year after year," in the above text refers to the annual death and subsequent resurrection of Tamuz the Grain God, the Mesopotamian equivalent of Adonis and Attis.

   The pierced crown and ears of figures are also reminiscent of images in bone and clay from Bulgaria that date to 5000 BCE (Similar piercing can be seen on bird-faced figures of the Machalilla culture of ancient Ecuador and some of the Chancay "Moon Goddess" figures of central Peru).  The pierced crown is repeated in the headdress of figures from Mycenae Greece.  When Dr. Heinrich Schleimann discovered figures like these, some had their arms upraised while others had their hands to their hips forming a circular outline.  He thought they might represent two phases of the moon.  Dr. Schleimann was probably right.  The arms of the figure from a tomb form the crescent of the New Moon rising, an ancient symbol of Ishtar in her aspect as the moon Goddess.  They also repeat the design of the Assyrian Moon Tree.  These upraised arms from ancient Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

   Like Cybele and Attis, Demeter and Persephone, Aphrodite and Adonis, and Isis and Osiris; Ishtar sought to retrieve her lover from the "house wherein the entrants are bereft of light, where dust is their fare and clay their food." When she arrived at the gate She demanded to be let in.  The Gatekeeper at the command of Allatu, Queen of the Underworld and sister of Ishtar, allowed her to enter.  As she passed thru the first gate, however, she was told she must remove her crown as "that is the custom of Allatu".  At the second gate she had taken the pendants from her ears; at the third the chains from her neck; at the fourth the ornament from her breast; at the fifth the Girdle of birthstones from her hips; at the sixth her bracelets and anklets; and at the seventh she had the garment removed from her body.

   Allatu imprisoned Ishtar in teh Underworld and because of her absence from the World of the living, "the bull springs not upon the cow, the ass impregnates not the jenny, the man lies in his own chamber and the maiden lies on her side."  Because of this, the God Ea sent a messenger to Allatu and caused Allatu to sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life.  As Ishtar passed thru each of the seven gates on her ascent, Her garments and her jewels were returned to her.

   As for Tamuz, her beloved, his fate is not known according to the Summerian myth because the last tablet of the text is missing.  In a Babylonian version of the myth, however, the Gatekeeper is told "Wash him with pure water, anoint him with sweet oil, clothe him with a red garment, and let him play on a flute of lapis." As the knowledge of her brought death, so death brought resurrection.

   "On the day that Tamuz comes up
       to me
    When with him the lapis flute and
       the carnelian ring come up to me,
    When with him the wailing men and
       the wailing women come up to me,
    May the dead rise and smell the
       incense!"

   She was worshipped as a Goddess of Love and Beauty, a bringer of death and the mother of all life:

   "She is sought after among the
       Gods, extraordinary is her station,
    Respected is her word, it is
       supreme over them.
    Ishtar among the Gods,
       extraordinary is her station.
    Respected is her word, it is
       supreme over them."

           --from a first Dynasty Babylonian text, circa 1600 BCE

   The priestesses of Her temples were "harlots" detested by the Hebrews, but, in the words of The Great Goddess, "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals."  Ishtar is one of the earliest manifestations of The Great Goddess and the geographic boundaries of her worship may be far greater than is currently believed.

		FIVE FOLD KISS FEMALE

	The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess 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.

			FIVE FOLD KISS MALE


	The High Priestess kneels before the High Priest and gives him the Five Fold Kiss; that is, she kisses him on both feet, both knees, phallus, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. she says, as she 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 phallus, without which we would not be.

		Blessed be thy breasts, formed in strength.

		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 she reaches the phallus, he spreads his arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.

	 


Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider


           +-------------------------------------------------------------+
           |                        RITUAL BATH                          |
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+

                 The purpose  of a  ritual bath  is to cleanse Yourself,
            from the  inside and  out, of  negative energies and prepare
            your Physical,  Mental and  Spiritual Self  for Circle.    A
            ritual bath is a rite in and of itself.  The rite is ideally
            done just  prior to Circle, but this is not always the case.
            [An example  of such is if you have to travel to the meeting
            place.]   After the rite is completed and you must travel to
            another place  for Circle,  try  to  keep  your  mind  in  a
            Spiritual frame as this will aid you in Circle.

                 The bath water should be infused with salts, herbs oils
            and colors  that are harmonious with the work to be done in
            Circle.  To prepare for the bath:

                 Select the  Herbs, [it  is best to have your herbs in a
            satchel for  easier clean-up]  oils and  salts [of  the same
            color as the candle] that you will be using.

                 Have a  censer and  charcoal  block  ready  to  burn  a
            corresponding incense on.

                 Anoint a  candle of  appropriate color [Possibly using
            the same  oil as  you are  using in the bath water.]  If you
            have a  shrine set  up in  your bathroom  there should  be a
            Goddess and God candle present.

                 Have some  Holy Water ready.  [Holy Water is made from:
            1/3 sea-water  {river-water with  sea-salt added  will do if
            sea-water is unavailable}; 1/3 river-water; 1/3 spring-water
            {store bought is OK}.]

                 Have a  tape recorder  with  meditation  music  in  the
            bathroom  with   you,  as   its  aid  to  visualization  and
            meditation is  invaluable.   [Be cautious  to have  the tape
            recorder far  away from  any water and DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE
            YOU ARE STILL WET.]

                 A glass  of wine  is also  needed for  consumption upon
            completion of  the rite.   And  your libation  dish for  the
            libation to the Gods.

                 To begin  turn out  the lights  and light the candle(s)
            and incense,  turn on tape, fill the tub with warm water and
            add herbs,  oils, salts and a cup or so of Holy Water.  With
            your  Athame   draw  and  visualize  a  Water  or  Banishing
            Pentagram over the bath water.  All of these tools represent
            the four  Elements; Air/the  incense and the scents from the
            bath, Fire/the  heat of  the bath,  Water/the bath  and Holy
            Water and, Earth/the herbs and oils.


                 Lower  yourself   into  the   water  and  visualize  it
            cleansing you  of all  negativity.  Know that these energies
            are flowing  from your  Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self
            into the  water.   Relax and  enjoy the warmth of the water,
            the scents  in the  air and the feeling of being cleansed of
            all negativity,  let yourself  drift.   Now concentrate  and
            visualize on  the purpose of the coming ritual and know that
            you are  truly prepared.   When you feel you are ready, pull
            the plug  and stay  in the  tub  until  all  the  water  has
            drained.   As the  water is draining visualize and know that
            the negative  energies that  are now  in the water are going
            into the Earth and are grounded.
                 Rise up  out of the tub and do a Self Blessing like the
            following:

            Anoint each area while saying aloud:


                    Blessed be my Mind, that learns of Your ways
                             [anointing your forehead]

                    Blessed be my eyes, that have seen this day.

                                Blessed be my lips,
                    That utter Your names and keep Your secrets.

               Blessed be my breast(s), formed in strength (Beauty).

                           Blessed be the phallus (Womb),
                         For without which I would not be.

             Blessed be my knees, that shall kneel at thy Sacred Altar.

              Blessed be my feet, that have brought me in these ways.


                 Pour a  libation to  the Gods and drink the wine.  When
            dried, robe,  clean-up the  bathroom and  take the  libation
            outside to return it to the Earth.  The rite is ended.


                                  So Mote it Be!


           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
           |                 The Triskelion Rite of Tea                  | 
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 
            Purpose:       The purpose  of this working is to pay homage 
                           to the Gods and to reflect on Their blessings 
                           upon this your life. 
 
            Tools:         * Herb(s) for tea 
                           * Container for herb(s) 
                           * Cup(s) and Tea Pot 
                           * Decanter of Pure Spring Water 
                           * Brewing dish with candle 
                           * Scrying Candle 
 
            Prepare By:    Placing a  small table  or  platform  in  the 
                           center of  your working  space and  arranging 
                           the Brewing  dish, herbs, cup(s), Tea Pot and 
                           spoon on  the table.  Also place the cauldron 
                           with scrying candle within for use during the 
                           meditation. (Use  the diagram, which follows, 
                           as a  guide  for  arranging  of  the  tools.) 
                           Prior to casting the Circle, light candle and 
                           fill the  Brewing dish with Spring Water from 
                           a decanter.   Keep  the Brewing  Dish covered 
                           during the  Casting, as  I  have  found  this 
                           helps the water to heat faster and hotter. 
 
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
           |                 The Blessing of the Herbs                   | 
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 
                 With the  tip of your Athame touching the Herbs, intone 
            this blessing: 
 
 
                        Thou has grown by favor of the Sun, 
                             The Moon, and of the dew. 
                         I make this intercession, ye herb: 
                 I beseech thee to be of benefit to me and my rite, 
                           For thy virtues are unfailing. 
                         Thou art the Dew of all the Gods, 
                                The Eye of the Sun, 
                               The Light of the Moon, 
                          The Beauty and Glory of the Sky, 
                               The Mystery of Terra. 
                               I purify thee so that 
                      Whatever is wrought by me with thee may, 
                                 In all its powers, 
                  Have a good and speedy effect with good success. 
                     Be purified by my prayer and be powerful! 
 
                                   So mote it be! 
 
 
                 When water  is hot  enough, place  the herbs in the Tea 
            Pot and add water from the brewing dish, give it a couple of 
            stirs. 
                 While the tea is steeping, intone this Prayer. 
 
 
                                    Earth Mother 
                                   Giver of life 
                     Strengthen me during my life-long strife. 
                        Teach me Your ways of perfect love, 
                              Peace, and wisdom true. 
                             Spawn from my purest heart 
                                 These words to You 
                         May this prayer help me to better 
                              Myself in word and deed, 
                         To a higher plane I shall succeed. 
                          Beautiful Light of Goodness Fair 
                            Lore of old we both do share 
                           A Witch's brew, I drink to You 
                         My love for You, by day, by night 
                              In thought and in sight 
                                 Will my soul learn 
                          The meaning of this life again. 
 
 
                 Pour out  a cup  for all present, including one for the 
            Gods, and enjoy. 
                 Sit before the table and meditate on the blessings that 
            the Gods  have bestowed  upon your  life.   You may  use the 
            scrying candle  here to  focus upon for your meditation.  If 
            the Gods  so choose  They may  give you  a Message or Vision 
            through the blessings of the Sight. 
                 You may  relax now and finish off the pot.  (Note: this 
            rite is  not to  take the  place of  The Feast, but is to be 
            used as a time of blessing and communing with the Goddess) 


           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
           |                     The Scorpio Dragon                      | 
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 
            I am  Scorpio and  I can  fly as  high as the noble eagle or 
            play it  down and  dirty, stinging as if a scorpion, both of 
            which symbolize  my zodiacal sign.  I have been told so many 
            times that I am passionate, intense, can be green with envy, 
            can be  vindictive that  I almost  begin to  believe some of 
            these appellations.   If  I took  seriously what is said and 
            written, I  would be  making love  all  night  and  planning 
            insurgencies all day. 
 
            I am drawn to the Occult, I am competitive, I desire victory 
            but I also insist on fair play.  It is not easy to defeat me 
            because, like  the  fabled  Phoenix,  I  rise  from  my  own 
            ashes...I come alive when most people would consider me dead 
            and buried.   I  adore secrets,  I am  sensual,  my  psychic 
            impressions usually  are accurate,  my dreams  are prophetic 
            and I am an incurable romantic. 
 
            I delve  deep, I  reject superficial  responses,  I  am  the 
            probing  editor,  psychoanalyst,  finder  of  lost  persons, 
            purveyor of  arcane aspects  of the law, knowledgeable about 
            taxes and various aspects of inheritance. 
 
            I can  be jealous,  will fight  for what is right, seldom do 
            anything halfway,  can fall  madly in love and I can also be 
            completely vulnerable.   Yes,  I can  be hurt,  but  I  also 
            possess retaliatory  weapons that  might  give  as  adversary 
            fits. I  tear down for the ultimate purpose of rebuilding on 
            a more  suitable base.   I  am creative,  rebellious, can be 
            fixed in  my views, am willing to take a gamble but prefer a 
            sure thing. 
 
            I am  tormented by the fact that evil exists.  Maybe that is 
            why I  seem to  be a  natural healer.  I abhor suffering and 
            will risk  my own  skin to  save others.  Oh, yess, I can be 
            evangelistic.   I am dynamic and dedicated when the cause is 
            right. 
 
            In the  Chinese Astrology,  I am  an unquenchable  fire, the 
            center of  all energy,  the stout  heroic heart.  I am truth 
            and light,  I hold  power and glory in my sway.  My presence 
            disperses dark  clouds.   I have  been chosen  to  tame  the 
            Fates.  I AM THE DRAGON! 
 
            Now, listen.    If  I  tell  you  anymore,  you  might  know 
            everything and then lose interest.  And that would devastate 
            me! 
 
                   Blessed Be!.........Sewna, The Scorpio Dragon 

           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
           |            The Legend of the descent of the Goddess         | 
           +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 
 
                 Now our Lady the Goddess had never loved, but She would 
            solve all  the Mysteries,  even the Mystery of Death; and so 
            She journeyed to the Underworld. 
                 The Guardians of the Portals challenged her: "Strip off 
            thy garments,  lay aside  thy jewels; for naught mayest thou 
            bring with the into this our land." 
                 So She  laid down  her garments and her jewels, and was 
            bound, as  are all who enter the Realms of Death, the Mighty 
            One. 
                 Such was  her beauty,  that  Death  himself  knelt  and 
            kissed her  feet, saying:  "Blessed be  thy feet,  that have 
            brought thee in these ways.  Abide with me; but let me place 
            my cold hand on thy heart." 
                 She replied: "I love thee not.  Why dost thou cause all 
            things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?" 
                 "Lady," replied Death, "tis age and fate, against which 
            I am  helpless.   Age causes  all things to wither; but when 
            men die  at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and 
            strength so  that they  may return.   But  thou!   Thou  art 
            lovely.  Return not; abide with me!" 
                 But She answered: "I love thee not." 
                 Then said  Death: "An thou receivest not my hand on thy 
            heart, thou must receive Death's scourge." 
                 "It is fate - better so," She said.  And She knelt, and 
            Death scourged  her tenderly.   And  She cried,  "I feel the 
            pangs of love." 
                 And Death said, "Blessed Be!" and gave her the Fivefold 
            Kiss, saying:  "Thus only  mayest thou  attain  to  joy  and 
            knowledge."  And he taught her all the Magicks. 
                 For there  are three  great events  in the life of man: 
            Love, Death,  and Resurrection  in the  new body; and Magick 
            controls them all.  For to fulfil love you must return again 
            at the  same time  and place  as the loved one, and you must 
            remember and love them again.  But to be reborn you must die 
            and be  ready for  a new  body; and to die you must be born; 
            and without  love you  may not  be born; and this is all the 
            Magicks. 

                              MY CRAFT ETHICS  
 
                   Copyright by James T. Crowley III 1986 
 
                 This article may be reproduced for personal 
                 use as long as it is complete and un edited 
 
        There are doubtlessly readers of this article that believe I have          no ethics.  Those readers are entitled to there opinion however  
        shallow I may feel that opinion is. 
 
        I am the High Priest of Covenant Of The Doves, the comments I make          here are necessarily my personal ethics and viewpoint and not that          of my High Priestess or members of the Coven.  Even as a leader  
        of a coven, I have no right or power to speak for another   
        person.  They do however necessarily govern my actions as a High  
        Priest. 
 
        The only way I know to state my ethical viewpoint is by a  
        annotated recitation of the Laws of the Craft of the Wise as they          pertain to ethics and have been revealed to me by my teachers,  
        the writings of others and that which the Lord and Lady have made          clear to me through their visions and actions. 
 
        I bear the mundane name Crowley that has a certain significance  
        in the craft community beyond my personal contributions.  Yes, I  
        am proved of the legacy of that name as members of my family have          played important parts in history.  Aleister Crowley was by no  
        means the most important of them nor the least.   
 
        Aleister Crowley, the Current Lord Crowley and myself all bear  
        common ancestors to Sir Ambrose Crowley, Lord Mayor of London (at          the time of Cromwell) and author of the 'Law Book of the Crowley  
        Iron Works' which is considered to be the bases of British  
        statutory law.  This, I hope  will clear up confusion about my  
        relationship to Aleister Crowley. 
 
        The name Hearth Witch is far more dear to me than Crowley, as it  
        represents a true understanding of what the WICCA is.  When an  
        astronaut looks out of the window of his space capsule and sees  
        the body of our Lady looking back at him.  The astronaut knows,  
        in that moment that technology, and the centuries of mans' labor  
        that put him there, are pale when compared to the wonders of our  
        Lady.  
 

              MY CRAFT ETHICS BY JAMES CROWLEY III 12/19/86 
 
 
        I feel that it is necessary to explain some of the structure of  
        the Covenant of the Doves.  We say that we have one degree but  
        that is not strictly true. There are 4 things that happen to a  
        person on the pathway.  We cannot call them degrees as they do  
        not happen in the same order to each person. 
 
             1.   Dedication to the coven. 
 
             2.   Initiation by the God and Goddess 
 
             3.   Worldly recognition of their Initiation by the Gods 
                  and their ability to act as a Priest or Priestess 
 
             4.   Birth or Adoption into the family which is as permanent  
                  and unrevokable as the Initiation of the Lord and Lady. 
 
        THE WITCH 'LAW' 
 
                 Do not what you desire - 
                    do what is necessary. 
                 Take all you are given - 
                    give all of yourself. 
                 "What I have - - - I hold." 
                 When all else is lost, and not until then, 
                    prepare to die with dignity.  
 
        There are two kinds of law, Law of Tribe and the Law of Goddess  
        (ie: natural law).  The Law of Tribe requires the services of a  
        Priesthood.  The Law of the Goddess require no Priesthood as they  
        are self-enforcing.  If you see an apparent violation of the law  
        of the Goddess, there are only two possible explanations.   The  
        law is not of the Goddess but of man, or you do not understand  
        that law of the Goddess.  If you see a ball fall up, either  
        someone is deceiving you, or you are in a spacecraft or similar  
        artificial  environment that is manifesting some of the "fine  
        print" in the law of the Goddess.  This partial telling of the  
        laws contain both the law of the tribe and that of the Goddess.   
        It is left to the wisdom of the student to learn which is which.  
 
        THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COVEN 
 
        The High Priestess must be an ordained Nymph or a Crone. 
        The High Priest must be an ordained Magician. 
 
        The High Priestess is the final word on the quality of Worship as  
        the High Priest is the final word on the quality of Magick within  
        the WICCA Circles. 
 
        The High Priest's relationship is:  Father, Brother, and Lover. 
 
        The Priestess's relationship is: Mother, Sister, and Lover. 

 
        THE PRIEST AND PRIESTESS ARE THE LEADERS OF THE COVEN IN THE  
        MUNDANE WORLD, NOT IT'S DICTATORS. MEMBERS MUST BE GIVEN A VOICE  
        IN THE ACTIONS OF THE COVEN. 
        The Covenant of the Doves is necessarily a theocracy not a  
        democracy.  Meetings are opened to all who are dedicated and  
        sometimes to concerned outsiders.  Whatever the business, it is  
        open to discussion by all.  There are no votes taken because when  
        it is all said and done, there are only two people in the coven  
        that bear the responsibility for the actions of this coven, the  
        High Priestess and the High Priest.  So, the final decision is  
        theirs ALONE.   
 
        When the Circle is cast by The Priest and Priestess, they are  
        necessarily the ABSOLUTE RULERS OF THE COVEN.  No witch shall  
        enter the Circle with out PERFECT LOVE AND PERFECT TRUST in all  
        members of the Circle.  The only question of the order of the  
        Priest or Priestess is: if told to jump, it is permissible to ask  
        how high -- on the way up.   
 
        IF ONE DISAGREES WITH THE DECISION OF THE LEADERS OF ANY COVEN OR          CIRCLE.  IT IS THERE RIGHT AND DUTY TO LEAVE THE COVEN.  THERE IS          NO OTHER LAWFUL RECOURSE. 
 
        LEADERS MUST BE EVER MINDFUL THAT MEMBERS WILL SOON LEAVE AN  
        UNJUST LEADER. 
 
        THE LAW OF THE COVEN 
 
        THE CIRCLE IS A PLACE THAT IS NOT A PLACE, BETWEEN THE WORLDS.   
 
        A COVEN IS A FULLY AUTONOMOUS UNIT ANSWERABLE TO NO POWER BEYOND  
        ITS OWN, SAVE THE LORD AND LADY. 
 
        IN ANY DISPUTE WITHIN THE FAMILY (COVEN) OR TRIBE, NO ONE MAY  
        INVOKE ANY LAW BUT THOSE OF THE FAMILY AND TRIBE. 
 
        It being known that the Circle is a "place that is not a place,  
        between the worlds", and that what is between the Worlds does not  
        concern the World.  Discussion of actions taking place within a  
        consecrated circle is appropriate for discussion only within that  
        Circle, or by Elders of the Craft in a Council of Elders Convened  
        by the High Priest and High Priestess of the coven involved as  
        only Elders can or should have any direct knowledge of actions  
        that take place within the Circle of another Coven.   
 
        With the fragmentation of the WICCA since the burning times, the  
        identification of Elders of the Craft is at best ambiguous.  The  
        only working definition that I can feel comfortable with is:   
        Those members of the WICCA community that the High Priest and  
        High Priestess of the Coven recognize as their peers regardless  
        of what rank they hold in other circles. 


        THE WORD OF A WITCH NEED NO BOND OR CONTRACT.  IT IS NECESSARILY  
        TRUE AND FREE OF EQUIVOCATION. 
 
        We make it clear to all around us that we do not tolerate lying.   
        If it is on the part of a friend or an acquaintance, we will  
        cease contact with them, if necessary.  If it is a member of the  
        craft, we do not willingly stand in the same circle with them.   
        If they are a student, this is one of the few areas that we will  
        invoke banishment as a punishment (or, if there are extenuating  
        circumstances and the person is of extreme value to the coven and          the Craft, we will consider corporal punishment or an equivalent  
        alternative proposed by the student to balance the wrong done to  
        the Coven, in lieu of banishment).  If they are an Initiate, it  
        is necessarily more harmful to the family, and therefore, more  
        serious.  
 
        PERFECT LOVE AND PERFECT TRUST (my fingers wanted to type love is          the law) 
 
        Perfect love and perfect trust are not words spoken in blind  
        faith. They do not mean a blanket trust.  Perfect love and  
        perfect trust are what was in the hearts of the few, and most  
        dear, that when they heard rumors, first came to us and said  
        "what are these rumors about...".  These people knew that as  
        fallible as we are, these rumors were not a reflection of our  
        will.  These people sought to know what happened, not to satisfy  
        any of their own devices or to judge us, but to share our pain  
        and the load.  These people are of different traditions and  
        levels of worldly Craft learning, but these people will always  
        hold a place in my heart second only to my brothers and sisters  
        that are literally of the My Family. 
 
        THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF SECRETS IN THE WICCA CIRCLE AND ALL ARE  
        INVIOLATE EXCEPT IN AN ELDER CIRCLE, AND THEN ONLY TO THE EXTENT  
        THAT THEY ARE RELATIVE TO CRAFT BUSINESS AND HELD IN THAT ELDER  
        CIRCLE. 
 
        1.   Secrets that are within the Circles that are private  
             to the members of that coven. 
          
             (ie: when Charlie has a few drinks he..... 
          
        2.   The secret held by the High Priestess and High Priest of  
             the inside and outside Circle affairs of the coven members,  
             due to their office. 
 
        3.   The social and magick practices of the Craft that cannot be 
             talked of outside of the Wicca without being taken out of  
             context and sensationalized. 

 
        THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO LOVE THE GODDESS AS SHE HAS NAMES.  
          
        All ways of loving the Goddess are correct.  None are Wrong as  
        long as they are based in love. 
 
        Say not "they are wrong" say "they are a different path from  
        mine". 
 
        Until you know in your heart that you have found your path, do  
        not deny any wicca path that you have not walked.   
          
        When you find your path, still walk other paths with your  
        brothers and sisters in joy and love. 
 
        "THE WICCA SHALL BE NAKED IN THERE RITE" 
 
        All mankind is naked before God and Goddess. 
 
        NO STRANGER NOT BORN IN THE FAMILY SHALL LEAD THE FAMILY OR A  
        TOTEM OF THE FAMILY. 
 
        NO ONE WHO RALLIES AGAINST HIS FAMILY OR TRIBE SHALL BE KEPT IN  
        BANISHMENT PAST 14 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT, IF THAT UNDO THE HARM  
        CAUSED. 
 
        NO ONE WHO EXTENDED THEMSELVES IN THE SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILY OR  
        TRIBE SHALL BE BANISHED FOR OLD AGE OR THE ACTIONS OF INFIRMITY. 
 
        IT IS NECESSARY THAT SCRYING, VISIONS, ASPECTING AND ALL OTHER  
        APPARENT VISIONS OF OUR LORD AND LADY BE QUESTIONED.  IT IS  
        ESSENTIAL TO OUR REBIRTH THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT OUR OWN  
        WISHFUL THINKING OR PRIDE, IF THERE BE THE LEAST DOUBT, THE  
        VISION MUST BE DENIED.   
 
        If a true vision is denied by the initiated, the Lady will  
        underline the truth in the vision in an unquestionable form.  If  
        this underlining comes as a punishment, it is still a small price  
        to pay when compared to the consequences of a false vision. 
 
        IF EVER ANY OF THE TRIBE NEED A HOUSE OR LAND AND NONE WILL SELL,          THEN CRAFT MAY BE USED TO INCLINE THE OWNERS TO SELL, PROVIDED IT          HARMETH HIM NOT, AND THE FULL PRICE IS PAID WITHOUT HAGGLING. 
 
        NEVER BARGAIN OR CHEAPEN ANYTHING YOU BUY BY THE ART. 
 
        NO MAN, WOMAN, HIGH PRIESTESS, OR HIGH PRIEST CAN SAY WHAT "HARMS          NONE". 
 
        The answer to this is for the Gods, not man.  A just action may  
        well harm someone in some way in the mundane world (every action  
        has an equal and opposite reaction).  It is always best to give  
        the action and the power to the Goddess, and abide by her will.   
        If it cannot be given to her after due consideration, then one  
        must act in the most just form that is possible, freely taking on          to our selves all adverse reaction of an error in judgment. 

 
        NO ONE MAY DO ANYTHING WHICH WILL ENDANGER ANY OF THE TRIBE OR  
        BRING THEM INTO CONTACT WITH THE LAW OF THE LAND. 
 
        THE ART MAY ONLY BE USED IN ERNEST AND NEVER FOR SHOW OR VAIN  
        GLORY. 
 
        NO PERSON MAY BE WARNED OF HIS FATE MORE THAN THREE TIMES. 
 
        MAIDEN: (Youngsters still new to the Craft, or older ones who do  
        ritual work and do not mind publicity.) Young people oriented to  
        cope with, and the ability to handle publicity.  Some knowledge  
        of occult and the Craft both in its practical and religious  
        aspects is necessary.  Childless women, virgins;  Warm friendly  
        people with good powers of projection. 
 
        NYMPHS - (Do the bulk of ritual work, young adults.) Creative  
        people, artists, dancers, singers, etc.  Very mature, rational  
        and responsible.  Intuitive and uninhibited.  Knowledge of Craft  
        and occultism, etc. necessary.  Dislikes publicity. 
 
        CRONES: (executive branch - teachers of neophytes, makes judg-  
        ments, etc.) Must be sober and serious, but with a sense of  
        humor, very mature in most all ways, intuitive of the true nature  
        and inner working of things. Older folks, intellectual, Masters  
        of there Craft, and dislike publicity. 
 
        No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses. 
 
        No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year,  
        nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time. 
 
        No woman shall have her ordination recognized unless she is in  
        her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a  
        nose.  Her generative organs and breasts must be complete.  The  
        honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following  
        ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. 
 
        No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled. 
 
        No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth. 
 
        No man shall be a Magician who has not healed. 
 
        No man shall be ordained unless he has passed his 33rd year, nor  
        shall he have his ordination recognized until that time. 
 
        No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the  
        father of a living child, has ten fingers and ten toes, two eyes,  
        two ears and a nose and generative organs complete.  The  
        honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following  
        ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. 
 
        In their youth, let those who cannot swing the axe till the  
        field.  Those who cannot till the field carry water.  Those who  
        cannot carry water, nor till the field, nor chase, nor battle,  
        nor be of service to their family or tribe, let them leave it. 
 
        None shall be kept as a child forever.  Better that they be  
        banished if they cannot grow in mind. 
 
        INITIATION 
 
        NO PERSON MAY BE CALLED TO INITIATION MORE THAN THREE TIMES. 
 
        NO PERSON MAY BE INITIATED WHO HAS LESS THAN 20 YEARS OF LIFE  
        LEFT TO THEM AT THE TIME OF INITIATION. 
 
        No High Priestess or High Priest of the WICCA can cause an  
        initiation to take place.  Initiation is in the hands of the Lord          and Lady.  The teacher can only provide the environment that will          aide in the initiation if the God and Goddess so will it. 
 
        If one questions the validity of their own initiation, there can  
        be but one answer, the initiation did not take place.  An  
        initiation by the Gods will be remembered. 
 
        Let your judgment on matters which you make be fit to the size of          the case, not to your feelings.  Let your heart not rule your  
        mind, nor mind your heart, but bear a balance as has been taught  
        you. 
 
        Not all are chosen for the tribe, nor are all in the tribe of one  
        family, nor are all in the family to be initiated, nor are all  
        the initiated to be ordained.  Your yoke is to be as strong as  
        you can bear, but no stronger.   
 
 
                       James Crowley 
                       P. O. Box 16025 
                       North Hollywood, CA  
                       91615-6025 

	 Computer Blessing  
  
  
 Blessings on this fine machine,   
 May its data all be clean.   
 Let the files stay where they're put,   
 Away from disk drives keep all soot.   
 From its screen shall come no whines,   
 Let in no spikes on power lines.   
 As oaks were sacred to the Druids,   
 Let not the keyboard suffer fluids.   
 Disk Full shall be nor more than rarity,   
 The memory shall not miss its parity.   
 From the modem shall come wonders,   
 Without line noise making blunders.   
 May it never catch a virus,   
 And all its software stay desirous.   
 Oh let the printer never jam,   
 And turn my output into spam.   
 I ask of Eris, noble queen,   
 Keep Murphy far from this machine.  
  
 1988  Zhahai Stewart  

	 Charge of The Phone Goddess  


Listen to the words of the Phone Goddess, who in days of old was 
called Mama Cass, Ma Barker, Moms Mabley, the last of the Red Hot 
Mamas, and by many other names not mentionable in mixed company. 
Whenever you have need to make a call, preferably long distance, 
and better it be when the rates are high, then shall ye assemble your 
funds in some convenient place to pay me, who am Queen of all Highway 
Robbery. These ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to bankruptcy yet 
have not sent me all your earnings. To these shall I send bills as are 
yet unheard of. Ye shall be free from bank accounts, as a sign that 
ye be truly free ye shall be naked from my rates. And ye shall sing, 
talk, shout, trade gossip and love, all at your own expense. Let your 
fingers do the walking through my yellow pages. Let none stop you or 
turn you aside, just call information. For mine is the dial tone that 
opens upon the busy signal of life, which is the princess phone of 
immorality. Mine is the poverty of the masses, and call now, pay 
later. For my law is profit before people. Today I give knowledge of 
facts you do not wish to have, and tomorrow calls that will sell you 
things you do not wish to own. For behold, I demand everything in 
sacrifice. I am the next best thing to being there, and my bills are 
sent out upon the earth.   (- Magenta G. and Steve P-C, 1982) 

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.!

THE MEN'S CIRCLE
(c)1986, by Robin

	The Rocky Mountain Men's Group has put in a good deal of
time the past two or three months working on a Manhood Ritual for
initiating young males into adulthood. We still don't have a
complete ritual that we are all satisfied with, but a good start
has been made.  Some of the approaches taken in creating this
kind of ritual have drawn upon traditional tribal rites of
passage.  Some of these tribal manhood rituals include taking the
young candidate abruptly away from his family to an isolated
spot, where he must remain for a long period of time, usually
blindfolded and bound in the dark.  Part of the ritual may
involve physical pain such as tattooing, circumcision or
ceremonial infliction of cuts that leave characteristic scars.
Even leaving out the physical cutting, these rites deliberately
put the young candidate through frightening, isolating and
painful experiences. 

	No one has seriously proposed any ritual that leaves
permanent scars on the candidate's body, but even so some feel
that putting an innocent youngster through a traumatic experience
is insensitive.  It seems to me that this attitude misses the
point.  It is not a lack of compassion that is being expressed. 
There is no single word for it in English, it is a willingness to
inflict (or at least allow) pain in order to teach a necessary
lesson that cannot be conveyed in any other way.  As sensitivity
is usually considered a light feminine quality, so this
complement is a dark masculine quality.

	Is this dark masculine quality desirable - or even ethical? 
I think it is.  There are elements of it in the Wiccan Initiation
Rituals and the symbolism of the Scourge.  It partially explains
some of the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess into the
Underworld - where the Goddess only learns to love the God after
being scourged by Him.  "Remember this - that you must suffer in
order to learn".  Although many people are put off by the dark
quality of this particular attribute of the Masculine, it is
important to remember that although not pretty, it is necessary. 
Perhaps the following story will illustrate this point.


	A boy around eight or nine years old once found a very large
caterpillar.  It was dark green, as long and thick as a man's
finger, and decorated with curious stalky and warty protuberances
in blue, red, and bright yellow.  Since it was nearly the end of
summer, he took it home and put it in a large open jar, and kept
it supplied with leaves of the type he had seen it eating.  After
a couple of months it began to spin a cocoon about itself.   He
watched this with fascination, and when the cocoon was complete,
he put the jar on a shelf of his screened back porch, where it
remained through the winter.  When the days began to lengthen and
the weather grew warmer he checked the jar every morning and
afternoon, waiting for a little miracle of rebirth.  One Saturday
morning his patience was rewarded.  There was movement within the
cocoon and a small hole had appeared.  The boy watched in
fascination as the hole became larger and the reborn creature
inside struggled to emerge.  The struggle went on for what seemed
to the boy a long time and he began to feel sorry for the trapped
insect.  Out of compassion, he ran off and returned with a pair
of his mother's smallest, finest, scissors.  Carefully he
enlarged the hole, and then stood back to watch a beautifully
patterned moth emerge into the light of day.  The moth spread its
folded wings, moving them gently to dry in the air.  Their tan-
and-gray markings seemed to the boy to be one of the most
beautiful things he had ever seen.  When the moth's wings seemed
dry, he carefully held the jar to the outside of the porch screen
so that it could crawl out.  He planned to watch it until it flew
away to find a mate.  The moth crawled onto the screen and
perched there.  It flapped its wings from time to time but did
not fly.  When evening came, several male moths came and
fluttered about the female clinging to the screen, but although
she seemed to be trying to fly off and join them, she never moved
from where she was.  She stayed where she was for three or four
days, and finally died and fell to the ground.  The boy later
learned that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon is so
prolonged for moths and butterflies because the long effort
serves to pump necessary fluids into their wings and strengthen
them for flight.  By shortening this process, to spare the moth
pain, he had prevented her wings from fully developing and so she
could never fly and mate and lay the eggs of the next generation.
......Robin
......from RMPJ Oct. '86

	 COVEN OFFICES 
 
 
 
Leadership in a mixed coven: 
 
1.  High Priestess - Coordinates ritual leadership, counseling,  
teaching, and administration duties, in company with the High  
Priest.  Chief representative of the Goddess energies at rituals.  
Badge of office:  crescent Moon crown or coronet of candles. 
 
2.  High Priest - See above.  Chief representative of the God  
energies at rituals.  Badge of office:  horned headdress or animal  
mask. 
 
3.  Maiden - Understudy to the High Priestess, and substitutes for 
her when necessary.  Badge of office may be a simple silver  
circlet or tiara. 
 
4.  Summoner - Understudy to the High Priest, who substitutes for  
him when necessary.  Main administrative deputy, passing out  
information, collecting dues, letting people know when to meet and 
what to bring, etc.  Also called the "Man in Black," "Black Rod,"  
or "Verdelet."  Badge of office may be a blackthorn staff. 
 
 
 
Leadership in an all-woman's coven: 
 
One pattern:  No hierarchy or titles at all:  ritual leadership  
rotates, other jobs are carried out by anyone capable and willing. 
 
 
Another pattern: 
 
 
1.  Maiden - Understudy to the Mother, and chief administrative  
deputy (see Summoner's duties above) 
 
2.  Mother - Coordinates ritual leadership and administration,  
guides coven projects and activities.  She does not necessarily do 
these jobs herself always, but has the responsibility to see that  
they are apportioned fairly and done effectively. 
 
3.  Crone - Chief counselor to the Mother, and does a large share  
of teaching and individual counseling.  May perform divination on  
questions of concern to the coven.  Possibly a former "Mother" or  
High Priestess, experienced and skilled in magick, herbalism, etc. 
 
 
 
For both mixed and single-sex coven: 
 
Council of Elders - A gathering of all the higher-rank initiates  
in the coven.  They may function as advisors to the coven leaders, 
or may actually set policy, establish the budget etc.  In the  
latter case, coven leaders are essentially executives responsible  
to the Elders. 
 Other possible officers in mixed or single-sex covens: 
 
 
1.  Scribe (secretary) - Keeps minutes of business meetings, handles correspondence under the direction of coven leaders. 
 
2.  Pursewarden (treasurer) - collects dues, keeps accounts, makes purchases, coordinates fund-raising projects. 
 
3.  Archivist (historian) - Keeps the coven Book of Shadows or "Witch Book" up to date, keeps files of coven projects and activities, rituals.  These functions may be combined with the  
Scribe's job. 
 
4.  Bard (music director) - Collects songs and chants, leads the coven in them, provides musical accompaniment;  collects ballads and legends, preserves the old lore and coven history in original songs. 
 
5.  Watchman (sergeant-at-arms) - Assists in initiation rituals; in charge of safety & security at meetings and rituals.  Indoors, checks locks and closes curtains;  outdoors, finds safe places for rituals and posts sentries to warn off strangers approaching.  Sets wards and arranges other magickal protection.  Knows laws regarding freedom of religion and assembly, trespass ordinances  etc. 
 
6.  Mistress-of, Master-of- (resource persons and teachers) - Any  
individual who has achieved great competency in a magickal skill may  
earn this title.  They serve as a resource for the coven, and teach  
others.  An initiate may choose to apprentice with any Mistress or  
Master.  Fields: 
 
*  Divinatory Arts (or sub-category, such as Tarot, Astrology, I  
Ching, Lithomony, Dreamcraft, Scrying, Radiesthesia etc.)  
 
*  Herbalism (for healing, amulets/talismans, oils, incense) 
 
*  Healing Arts (including herbal healing, psychic healing, aromatherapy, Bach remedies, polarity balancing, healing with stones, color therapy, chakras etc.) 
 
*  Familiar Arts (magickal work with animals, totems, elementals,  
shapeshifting) 
 
*  Talismanic Arts (designing & creating talismans & amulets) 
 
*  Ritual Toolcraft (designing & creating ritual tools) 
 
*  Runecraft (use of magickal alphabets) 
 
*  Necromancy (communication with, or evocation of, the dead) 
 
*  Psychic Skills (astral travel, telepathy, telempathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telekinesis, teleportation) 
 
*  Incantation (Words of Power, charms, chants, mantras) 
 
*  Fascination (trancework, hypnosis)  

	 ODINISM, WHAT IS IT? 
1.  What do you mean by Odinism?

    Odinism is the indigenous religious faith of the Scandinavian, British and other peoples of Northern Europe; it is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas and behavior, both a personal faith and a communal way of life. In its beginnings Odinism is probably as old as our race. Historically it may be
divided into three periods:

     A.   Before the coming of Christianity
     B.   Its gradual merging with Christianity and the ensuing Period of
          Dual Faith, and
     C.   Its efforts in the present century to free itself of Christian
          influences and to reassert its ancient independence.

 2. How have the tenets of Odinism been preserved? 
    Is there an Odinist holy book?

    The ancient oral traditions of Odinism were during the Middle Ages
embodied in writings, the Odinist books of wisdom, the principle of which
are the Eddas.  The poetic Elder Edda presents the Odinist cosmogony, the
mythological lays and the heroic lays, including the story of Sigurd and
Brynhild which were in later times moulded into the Lay of the Nibelungs.
The Younger Edda is a prose synopsis of the Odinist faith.

 3. When did Britain and the rest of Europe cease to be Odinist?

    The first of our Northern countries to succumb to the false promises of
the new religion were the Goths, in the fourth century of the Christian era; the Icelanders became Christians by official decree in the year 1000 CE, to be followed by the Scandinavian countries over the next two hundred years. England was "converted" between 597 and 686 CE and Scotland somewhat earlier (although some of the people of Ross-shire were still worshipping the old Gods as late as the seventeenth century). Ireland, when Patrick the Proselytizer landed there in the year 432, was described as "a heathen land";  Dublin and the other principal Irish towns were actually founded by Odinist Vikings, who dedicated the country to the god Thor.

 4. Well, the people were converted to Christianity.  
    Would you have denied them their freedom of choice?

    They had no choice. Most of those who were "converted" had little 
knowledge of Christian doctrine; the new religion was imposed on them by
sword and sermon. The Revd S. C. Olland's Dictionary of English Church
History is explicit:   "The adoption of Christianity generally depended
upon State action: the king and his nobles were baptized and the people
largely followed their example. . . . .The wholesale conversions. . . . .
could not have implied individual conviction."  On one day alone in the
year 598 more than ten thousand English "converts" were baptized in a mass
ceremony; it is unlikely that they had received a great deal of instruction in the Christian faith. Even in the twentieth century the vast majority of Christians are still quite ignorant of Christian doctrine. It was always so.



5.  Why do you say that Odinism was practiced in the Church
    during what you have called "the Period of Dual Faith"?

    We can see the evidence everywhere, even today. When the foreign
missionaries subverted Britain what they could they repressed and what     they could not they ignored or adopted. The ancient spring renewal festival of Summer Finding was transformed into the Christian feast of the resurrection; the Mid-winter festival of Yule became Christmas. Not only
the folk festivals connected with the great changes of season - May Day and Midsummer and Harvest - but numerous customs associated with life's milestones, birth and marriage and death, all showed that the old Gods lived on in the life and in the language of the people. Many of the external signs of the ancient faith were retained: water was consecrated
and wood was blessed. A Christian writer, Professor P. D. Chantepie de la
Saussaye DD, has said, "We recognize in this folklore a form of historical
continuity, the bond of union between the life of the people in pagan and
In Christian times." Even today when we say, "Touch wood!" we are recalling the sacred nature of an important symbol of our ancient religion; and how many people are aware that they are paying unconscious tribute to the Gods of Odinism when they light their Christmas or Paschal candles or their bonfire on the fifth of November? Or that the very "Christmas tree" is itself the World Ash of Odinism? Even the sign of the cross is really the sign of Thor's hammer!

6.  How long did the Period of Dual Faith last?

    The period during which Odinism was actually practiced within the Church extended in Britain from about the seventh century CE right down to the 1930's, when the purity of ancient worship was revived by a number of
groups working outside the Church for the first time for more than a     thousand years.  

7.  But the adoption of Christianity, a creed that preaches peace on earth
and the equality of all men was, surely you must agree, a step forward in the civilizing of our people?
    
    Odinists were happy enough to put up with the new doctrines so long as
they were allowed to go on practicing their own faith in peace. But the inherent contradiction at the heart of Christianity is that it denies in action the faith that it professes verbally. There is no history of religious warfare in Europe before the coming of Christianity. It is ironic indeed that the message of peace on earth has been propagated with so much bloodshed. As for the equality of all men, we just do not believe in it; and even the Christian god has his "chosen people".

8.  Why is it now necessary to reassert what you describe as Odinism's
ancient independence? Why can you not , in the present unsettled state
of society, leave well alone. Surely we should be getting together, not creating more divisions amongst ourselves?

    First of all it is necessary to state that because of its organic
origins and development Odinism is a religion of visual truth.  Nevertheless,for just so long as Christian and Odinist ethics coincided - even superficially - it was possible for Odinists to worship the Gods under their Christian designations; but only for so long as they remained adequate interpretations of the true divinities of Odinism (the nature of a god being of greater importance than his name).

    The Churches are today opposed to many of the things that Odinists hold
sacred:  they sin against nation and people by espousing causes whose
ultimate aim is our destruction; they condone legislation that has given statutory approval to unnatural sexual deviance and perversion; they encourage criminal activities by calling for the exemption from punishment, or even prosecution, of whole categories of lawbreakers; they provide financial aid for revolutionary propaganda and even terrorist activities against our own people; they remain totally indifferent to the rape of our countryside in the short-term interests of economic gain and technology; and they have successfully divided the people of our own islands against themselves (eg, in Ireland). Life in Northern Europe is today, after fifteen hundred years of Christianity, almost entirely concerned with material wealth and self-indulgence and the Christian clergy have largely forsaken their spiritual vocations in order to preach the causes of subversion and revolution.

         The people yearn for spiritual bread but have been offered by the
Churches only a political stone. It is no longer possible for anyone who is aware of his debt to our past or who has concern for the future of our nation and race to remain within the Christian Church. This must not, however be taken to imply that Odinists bear hatred towards Christians; we recognize that there are many good and sincere people within the Christian community from whose example Odinists themselves could not fail to profit. But the Church is itself largely responsible for the "present unsettled state of society". Odinists see it as their duty to oppose those who menace the things that they regard as holy. If we cannot in justice always blame the sheep we should and do attack the shepherds.

9.  But surely it would be preferable to have one god for all mankind?

    Why? One god or many Gods, it really does not matter. Our true Gods are
actually worshipped by peoples all over the world, using their own mythologies and adapting their worship to local cultures and conditions.
We prefer to worship the Gods in our own way with people of our own kind. And we respect the right of others to their own beliefs. It was an Odinist gothi (priest), Sigrith, who told the foreign missionaries, "I must not part from the faith which I have held, and my forefathers before me; on the other hand I shall make no objection to your believing in the god that pleases you best."

10. You have mentioned the "Gods of Nature". Does this mean that Odinists
    are nature-worshippers?

    Odinists recognize man's spiritual kinship with Nature, that within
himself are in essence all that is in the greater world, which perform
within him the same functions as in the world. Thus there are in man the
four elements, the vegetative life of plants, an ethereal body - the god-
soul - corresponding to the heavens, the sense of animals, of spiritual
things and reason and understanding. Because in this way man comprises
all the parts of the world within himself he is thus a true image of the
Gods.


    Also containing the essence of the universe within themselves, the Gods
are everywhere and in everything: they show themselves to us as fire, as a flower, as a tree. Odinists believe that all life should be lived in communion and in accord with the mind of the Gods. Christianity turned away from Nature and concentrated its adherents' attention on the human soul and became obsessed with the fall of man, by which it was implied that man had brought all Nature down into sin with him. Christian teaching encouraged man to see Nature only in her physical form whereas Odinists regard Nature as a true manifestation of the divine. "We and the cosmos are one," wrote D. H. Lawrence, "The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still part. The sun is the great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great gleaming nerve-centre from which we quiver forever. . . . Now all this is literally true, as men knew in the great past and as they will know again." Whoever shall properly know himself and all things in himself shall know the Gods. The Odinist, because of his awareness of his relationship with Nature, is able to feel a consanguineous kinship with plants and animals and the land - a complete oneness.

11. You speak of "the Odinist mythology". Do you really expect anyone to
    believe in a myth?

    Every religion is mythical in its development. Mythology is the knowledge that the ancients had of the divine; it is religious truth expressing in poetical terms mankind's desire for personal and visible gods.  The mythology of Odinism consists of a group of legends, fables and tales relating to The Gods, heroes, demons and other beings whose names have been preserved in popular belief. Our object must be to discover, with the help of our mythology, the Gods who manifest themselves throughout Nature:  in the streets and in the trees and in the rocks, in the running streams and in the heavy ear of grain, in the splendor of the sun by day and in the star-strewn sky at night.  But it is not the myth that Odinists believe in but the Gods whom that myth helps us to understand.

12. What, then, is the Odinist mythology?

    Briefly, our mythology unfolds in five acts (which may be compared to
the evolution of the seasons of the year):

      A.   the Creation (spring)
      B.   the time preceding the death of Balder (summer)
      C.   the death of Balder (summer's end)
      D.   the time immediately after the death of Balder (autumn)
      E.   Ragnarok, the decline and fall followed by the regeneration of
           the world (winter and spring)

    The first effort of speculative man has always been to solve the
    mystery of existence, to ask what was in the beginning. The condition
    of things before the world's creation is expressed in the Eddas
    negatively; there was nothing of that which sprang into existence:

                                   Nothing was
                                   Neither land nor sea,
                                   Nor cool waves.
                                   Earth was not ,
                                   Sky was not,
                                   But a gaping void
                                   And no grass.

    Ymir was a frost-giant, eg chaotic matter:

                                   From Ymir's flesh
                                   The world was made,
                                   And from his blood the sea.
                                   Mountains from his bones,
                                   Trees from his hair,
                                   And the welkin from his skull.

    There were as yet no human beings upon the earth when one day as the Gods Odin, Hoener and Loder were walking along the seashore they saw two trees from which they created the first human pair. Odin gave them life and
spirit, Hoener endowed them with reason and the power of motion  and Loder
gave them blood, hearing, and a fair complexion. The man they called Ask
ash)--and the woman Embla (elm). As their abode the newly-created pair
received from the Gods Midgarth and from them is descended the whole human
race.

    Balder is the god of the summer, the favorite god of all Nature and a son of Odin; he is one of the wisest and most eloquent of the Gods and his
dwelling is in a place where nothing impure can enter. The story of Balder, well-known in the Northern countries, finds explanation in the seasons of the year, in the change from light to darkness; he represents the bright and clear summer and his death is the impermanent victory of darkness over light, of winter over summer, of death over life. When Balder is dead, all Nature mourns. His death presages the disaster of Ragnarok, the consummation of the world, followed by its cleansing and return to the primal state.

    Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, represents a great conflict between
good and evil powers. The idea is already suggested in the story of the Creation in which the Gods are represented as proceeding from giants, that
is from an evil and chaotic force. And whatever can be born must surely die. In the seasons and activities of Nature we see a constantly recurring
picture of the necessity for death and the equal certainty of its being
overcome. At Ragnarok all the worlds of Nature will be destroyed and even
the giants must die. But from that catastrophe will emerge a renewed world
and the Gods themselves will be born again. We see this drama enacted
every year in miniature when autumn heralds the period of decline and decay
until with the spring we witness the magic of resurrection and new life.

    This, briefly told, is the myth that explained to our ancestors their
origin and the origin of the world, the creation of life from chaos and the mergence of evolution and harmony.

13.  Who is Odin?

    Odin is the first and eldest of the Gods, the all-pervading spirit of the sun, the moon, the stars, the hills, the plains and of man. With his help were made heaven and earth and the first man and woman. All knowledge came from him; he is the inventor of poetry and discovered the runes; he
governs all things, protects the social organization influences the human
mind, avenges murder and upholds the sanctity of the oath. He is well
named Allfather. And because he chooses to surround himself with a
bodyguard of those who have fallen in battle he is also known as
Valfather, Father of the Slain.


    In the mythology Odin's single eye (the other he sacrificed in exchange
for wisdom) is the sun, his broad-brimmed hat the arched vault of heaven,
his blue cloak the sky. A conspicuous passage in the Edda is Odin's sacrifice of himself to himself:

                                   I know I hung
                                   on the windy tree
                                   nine nights through:
                                   I know I hung
                                   I know I hung
                                   myself to myself,
                                   on the tree
                                   that springs
                                   from roots unknown.

    Order is the basis of Odin's government. Nature the garment by which he
manifests himself. Odinism says:  study the natural laws, conform to them
and you will prosper; ignore them or violate them and you must suffer.
Just so far as you study and obey Nature exactly so far will Nature reward
or punish you. For under Odin the government of Nature is harmonious and
unchangeable.

14. Who are the other Gods of Odinism? What kind of Gods are they?

    We have already spoken of Odin and Balder. Of the other Gods the best-
known is Thor, the most famous story concerning whom tells of this
Warrior-God crushing the powers of chaos. He rules over clouds and rain
and makes his presence known in the lightning's flash. He is the protector
of the farm worker, the chief god of agriculture, a helpful deity who makes the crops grow and who also blesses the bride with fertility. In the words of Professor P. V. Glob, " He wishes all men well and stands by them in face  of their enemies and against the new God, Christ."  Tyr is the God of martial honor, the most daring and intrepid of the Gods. He dispenses justice in time of peace and valor in war. He it was who sacrificed a hand when overpowering the evil Fenris Wolf, showing us that we ourselves must be prepared to make sacrifices in order to protect ourselves and our kin from those who seek to cast our society into anarchy and chaos.

    Frey is God of the harvest and is therefore also a God of fecundity and
growth; some authorities believe that he and Christ may have become blended, in England at least, in so a God of fecundity and growth; some     authorities believe that he and Christ may have become blended, in England
at least, in the new religion of Christianity. Freya is a Goddess of love
and the sister of Frey: barren women may invoke her and she is also the
Goddess of death for all women. Another God, Vali, is called he Avenger
because when he was yet only one night old he avenged Balder's death, thus
demonstrating the moral obligation we have of punishing society's enemies.
Other Gods include Brage, Heimdal, Vidar, Frigg and Forsete.


    The Gods of Odinism are the ordaining powers of Nature clothed in
personality. They direct the world which they themselves created. They are
referred to collectively as the Aesir, of whom every living thing forms  a
part (thus not all the Gods are necessarily good ones). Objects and
phenomena that are regarded as greater or lesser Aesir are qualities such
as thought and memory, and natural things such as the sun, rivers,
mountains and trees as well as animals and ancestral spirits. There are also the guardian Gods of the land, of skills and occupations and the spirits of national heroes, the Einheriar and other men and women whose
outstanding deeds and virtues have contributed to our civilization,
culture and well-being.

15. Is there a table of commandments that sets out the rules to be
    followed by Odinists?

    The main rules of Odinist conduct are listed in the Nine Charges which
    are:

    1.   To maintain candor and fidelity in love and devotions to the tried
         friend:  though he strike me I will do him no scathe.
    2.   Never to make a wrongsome oath:  for great and grim is the reward          for the breaking of plighted troth.
    3.   To deal not hardly with the humble and lowly.
    4.   To remember the respect that is due great age.
    5.   To suffer no evil to go unremedied and to fight against the          enemies of family, nation, race and faith:  my foes will I fight          in the field nor be burnt in my house.
    6.   To succor the friendless but to put no faith in the pledged word          of a stranger people.
    7.   If I hear the fool's word of a drunken man I will strive not: for
         many a grief and the very death groweth out of such things.
    8.   To give kind heed to dead men:  straw-dead, sea-dead or          sword-dead.  
    9.   To abide by the enactments of lawful authority and to bear with
         courage and fortitude the decrees of the Norns.

    The Charges are based on the rules of life indicated by the High Song of Odin and in the Lay of Sigurd in which the Valkyrie gives counsel to
Sigurd. They may be summarized as demanding in the struggle for life a
self-reliance which should be earned by a love of learning and industry, a
prudent foresight in word and deed, moderation in the gratification of the
senses and in the exercise of power, modesty and politeness in intercourse
and a desire to earn the goodwill of our fellow men.

16. The first four Charges seem fairly innocuous, but I must say the
    Fifth Charge sounds rather sinister! Isn't it all very violent and
    retributive?


    "To suffer no evil to go unremedied," does appear to run contrary to the trends of modern progressive thinking. And the idea of fighting "against the enemies of family, nation, race and faith" would be anathema to many people. Unlike the Christian, whose duty it is to "turn the other cheek" (advice that is more often observed ub tge breach than otherwise) and to be patient and long-suffering under the most grievous attacks, it is the duty of the Odinist to punish wrongs and above all those wrongs offered to his own family and kin. Society's enemies already know the basic law of
life:  that the race is to the strong and that the meek will inherit th
earth only when the earth inherits them dust to dust. Others should also
learn to recognize this truth.

17. What do you mean by "kinship loyalty"?

    We must of course give loyal service to anyone or any concept to whom or to which loyalty is due. But we owe our loyalty in the fullest degree to our immediate family and to those who are related to us by blood-ties or blood-brotherhood. A husband owes loyalty to his wife, for instance, and vice versa, just as a son owes loyalty to his parents to a greater extent than to anyone outside the immediate family circle. Beyond that we owe allegiance to our own country and racial kindred before we can even consider giving it to strangers who must therefore have the last call upon us. But there may be occasions when loyalty to nation and kin must transcend even our loyalty to our own family.

    This concern for kin is an essential part of Odinist teaching. More than twelve centuries ago the Christian proselytizer, Boniface, wrote of the Odinists, "Have pity on them, because even they  themselves are accustomed to say, "We are of one blood and one bone". Filial love, patriotism and kinship loyalty are religious principles still adhered to by Odinists. In the words of the Edda:

     We shall help our kinsmen as foot helps foot. . .
     If one foot stumbles then shall the other restore balance.

18. You seem to have an exaggerated respect for things like law and order!
    What about unjust laws?

    No, not an "exaggerated respect for law and order";  just regard for the rules by which civilized man must live. But laws, to be just, must apply equally to all citizens and groups without discrimination. Odinists
certainly have a duty to oppose what they regard as unjust laws but in
doing so they accept the consequences of their opposition and do not expect
to be given exemption or favorable treatment.

19. What view do Odinists take of modern, enlightened substitutes for
    traditional, repressive forms of punishment? Do you agree that the
    wrong-doer in our society is more often than not the victim of his
    environment and that we are thus all guilty?


    Odinists refuse to accept responsibility for the actions of others. Just as it would be wrong to accept credit for another person's merits so it is wrong to relieve the wrong-doer of responsibility for his actions. "Crime should be blazoned abroad by its retribution," wrote Tacitus. Punishment should be an unpleasant and memorable experience. Those in authority who neglect to punish the criminal adequately place themselves in the position of being accessories after the fact. Odinists believe that anyone who seriously or continually flouts the law should forfeit for a period of time his rights to protection under that law; enemies of the community should not be permitted to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds!


20. The Sixth Charge speaks about putting no faith in the pledged word of
    a stranger people. What is meant by "a stranger people"?

    By "a stranger people" we mean those from different cultures than our own.  It is a warning that words often mean different things to different
peoples, that their standards are not always the same as our own. It is
simply one of those things in life that ought to be widely known and
appreciated but does not seem to be!

21. Please explain the Ninth Charge, which speaks of "the decrees of the
    Norns". Who or where are the Norns?

    The Norns are the three Fates of Northern mythology, the Goddesses of
time. They are named Urd (the past), Verdande (the present) and Skuld (the
future). They watch over man; they spin his thread of fate at his birth
and mark out with it the limits of his sphere of action through life;
their decrees are inviolable destiny, their dispensations inevitable
necessity. Urd and Verdande, the past and present, may be seen as stretching a web from the radiant dawn of life to the glowing sunset,
while Skuld, the future tears it to pieces!

    Man's fate must be met but the way in which it is met rests with the
individual; and by the way in which he meets his fate man is able to
demonstrate his free will. This important principle shows a man that it is
worth while fighting life's battles courageously while at the same time
fate's inexorable nature allows no room for careful weighing of  arguments
for and against or for anxiety about the nature of things that are in any
case destined to happen.

22. What other aspects of human behavior are admired by Odinists?

    The Noble Virtues are held in high esteem.   They are:

                                   Courage
                                   Truth
                                   Honor
                                   Fidelity
                                   Discipline
                                   Hospitality
                                   Industriousness
                                   Self-reliance
                                   Perseverance


    The Odinist must do what lies before him without fear of either foes,
friends or the Norns. He must hold his own council, speak his mind and
seek fame without respect of persons; be free, independent and daring in
his actions; act with gentleness and generosity towards friends and
kinsmen but be stern and grim to his enemies (but even towards the latter
to feel bound to fulfill necessary duties);  be as forgiving to some as he
is unyielding and unforgiving to others. He should be neither trucebreaker
nor oathbreaker and utter nothing against any person that he would not say
to his face. These are the broad principles of Odinist behavior, features
of the spirit that made our Northern peoples great.

23. You call industriousness a Noble Virtue?  What is so spiritual about
    that?

    Industriousness is a virtue which, partly inherited, is nevertheless
acquired largely through training  and self-discipline; it is at once
something we owe to ourselves, to our family and to the community. There
is a time for relaxation as there is a time for most things but it is not,
for instance, during our working hours; neither should it be at the expense of other members of the community by way of the so-called welfare state.

24. What about material possessions?

    A principle of Odinism is the realization of the worthlessness and    fleeting nature of worldly possessions. Enough should be enough. Adam of   Bremen, a Christian, remarked how Odinists with whom he had come into contact "lack nothing of what we revere except our arrogance. They have no
acquisitive love of gold, silver, splendid chargers, the furs of beaver and
marten or any of the other possessions we pine for". One thing alone is
worth while in this life:  the stability of a well-earned reputation.
"Goods perish, friends perish, a man himself perishes," says the Edda "but
fame never dies to him that hath won it worthily."

25. You describe self-reliance as one of the Noble Virtues. Surely even
    you must admit that none of us is, or can be, self-reliant in these
    days?

    Self reliance does not, as you appear to suggest, imply selfishness or
mean that a man must live in isolation from his fellows. We recognize that
men are dependent upon Nature and on the community of which he forms part;
he has obligations to that community as well as to his employer (or
employees). He receives from society and he owes a debt to society.
Odinism teaches that people must be encouraged to stand on their own feet
and not to ask continually, "When is somebody going to do something for me?"


26. Do Odinists believe in prayer?

    Odinism is not a philosophy invented to ease mankind's comfort or to 
assuage his fears; that kind of religion acts against rather than in man's interests because it takes from him his independence and self-respect and 
makes of him a humble supplicant by encouraging him to shed his responsibilities. The person who prays to a saint or God asking for help 
or guidance is seeking to shift the responsibility from his own shoulders, 
surrendering his own faculties of thought and physical action, unless he 
also does something to help himself. To pray is to beg and plead; it is 
self-abasement ("we worms of the earth"). That is not the object of true 
religion which, as Carlyle has told us, is "transcendent wonder":  wonder 
without limit or measure, reverent admiration alike for the immensity of 
creation, the inspiration of the human heart and the capability of the 
human brain. 

    Odinists in their inveitan (praise); singular, inveita) call upon the Aesir to approach them in their thoughts as they themselves strive towards the  Aesir. Through increased understanding is achieved wholeness, a unity with the Gods that helps us to think out our problems and how they may be 
overcome. We project the Gods within ourselves and that, externally realized, speaks to the divine in others. Through their invetian Odinists 
express gratitude for life and the world they live in and resolve to try 
to make it better - not just to leave it to "someone up there" or hope for something better in the next world. 

27  How do Odinists regard good and evil?

    Evil of itself cannot originate in man but must always be regarded as an intruder, like an illness or an affliction; as such it must be opposed and expelled. Good and evil are relative:  there can be no absolute norm and actions must depend upon circumstances and motives as well as time and
place. The ethical standards relating to custom and tradition are flexible
and responsive to the specific demands of different ages, so that moral
judgments of what is right and wrong cannot be placed in a fixed system
of standards but must vary according to time and situation. Just as the
world is constantly changing so are values constantly changing, so that
nothing can be regarded as unconditionally good or evil in all ages. In
general, that which disturbs the social order and peaceful evolution and
causes unhappiness - including such natural disasters as floods and
earthquakes, disease and pollution - obstructs the natural development of
the world and must be regarded as evil. As for sin, Odinism knows but two
major sins -  perjury and murder:  that is sin against the Gods and sin
against one's fellow man.

28. Do you believe in Original sin?

    Man is inherently good and the world in which he lives is good. There is no sin in man which has been inherited from his first, or any other,
ancestor; it is enough that he should be held responsible for his own actions. But a lthough his spirit is good, his flesh and his senses may
succumb to evil, especially when by neglecting his own spiritual well-
being he has left his defenses weakened. So it is necessary for him to be
able to distinguish between what is good and what is evil.


29  What do Odinists believe about marriage - and divorce?

    Odinists support the institution of marriage and marital fidelity. But a broken marriage is and unhappy marriage and traditional Odinic law allows  great latitude to separation of husband wife, at the will of both parties, if a good reason exists for the desired change. It is recognized that the
worst possible service is rendered to those who are forced to live together against their will; but it must be borne in mind that marriage is basically a solemn exchange of vows between two people and as such can only be ended by agreement between the same two people.

30. Does Odinism offer salvation to those who believe?

    Odinism offers no salvation in the sense in which that term is used by
Christians. Instead, the Odinist seeks liberation by bringing the Aesir
into the world of man and into his daily life - whether at home or at work. Liberation refers to the human condition as we know it, which is subject to birth and death and decay. It is not, " the kingdom of God which is with in you," but the Gods themselves which exist within man.

31. Does man possess an immortal soul? Is there a life after death and
    will people go to Odin in heaven?

    Odinists believe that man consists of body (i.e. matter) and spirit or
soul. Physical man is born, produces young and eventually dies. But the whole of Nature shows us that death is not final: the material body decomposes and recombines, it is regenerated and lives again. As it was in
the beginning so it is now; every atom continues to exist and must exist
as in the beginning. There is nothing new under the sun and what we call
death is really nothing more than transformation.

    Spiritual man is divided into two distinct souls, one passive, the other active, the divine and the human, which we call God-soul and human-soul. The first is in the fullest sense a divine being, contemplating a past eternity and a future immortality, occupying itself in contemplation
rather than in action and to be regarded as a kind of guardian spirit.
Although the God-soul and the material body are associated in this life,
the former is not bound to man in the way that, say, a limb is (it may
indeed absent itself from his body during sleep or periods of unconsciousness). Without the spirit there can be no motivation:  when the
physical change (i.e. death) takes place the God-soul passes to another 
living  organism -a human being, a tree, an animal, perhaps a bird. This
is the element that gives man his mystical attachment to a particular
district or country (which is what we call patriotism):  because it is
where the God-souls of countless generations of ancestors dwell. It is
because of this that man is compelled to nurture, love and defend his country, which is, in the purest sense, a holy land. The philosopher
Fichte said, "Death is the ladder by which my spiritual vision rises to anew life and a new nature." This is also the reason why Odinists regard
all life as sacred and unnecessary violence as criminal.


    The human-soul (or self-soul), is essentially individual to a particular person. It may be likened to his personality, his fame or his infamy.  Because the whole of man's life is a continuing struggle of the good and light Gods on the one hand and the offspring of chaotic matter (the giants, Nature's disturbing forces) on the other, the human-soul is
extremely active. It is involved in a struggle that extends to man's
innermost being: both the human-soul and the God-soul proceed from the
Gods; but the body be longs to the world of giants and they struggle for
supremacy. If the human-soul conquers by virtue and courage then it goes
after death to Valhalla, to fight in concert with the Gods against the
evil powers. If on the other hand the body conquers and links the spirit
to itself by weakness then after man's death the human-soul sinks to the
world of the giants and joins itself with the evil powers in their warfare
against the Gods. Long after his individual identity has been forgotten a
man's human-soul, absorbed into the corporate spirit of the regiment, college, village, nation or other group, continues to demonstrate its
immortality by inspiring future generations to noble deeds - or to acts of
degradation.

32. If the God-soul migrates to other living things after death, how can
    you square this with, for example, the need to slaughter livestock in
    order to sustain human life? Isn't it rather like killing a God?

    The God-soul must not be confused with the being that it inhabits.
Animals, birds and trees have always been regarded by Odinists with
respect; it is indeed probable that the domestication of some creatures
arose from their former sacred character. Every living thing is a
manifestation of the divine and its spirit is immortal:  every time a tree
is felled or an animal slaughtered it is indeed a kind of sacrifice. But
the tree or the animal is only a temporary dwelling-place for the immortal
God. Everything in Nature has a purpose and it is necessary in order that
life may be sustained in others for such "sacrifices" to be made. Such an
attitude encourages consideration and reverence for Nature and discourages
its wanton despoliation. It is the unnecessary, cruel or unnatural killing
of animals (or of human beings), the unjustifiable destruction of trees or
landscape and the defiling of natural resources, that is wrong.

33. You have mentioned "ancestral spirits". Does this mean that Odinists
    believe in ancestor-worship?

    The human-souls of one's own family ancestors provide us with  moral
strength and inspiration. Just as we received our spirit from Odin, so we
received our physical being through our parents and our ancestors from
time memorial. Our respect for ancestors maintains the continuity of the
family, the kin and the race. We have a duty to try to attain the ideals
of our ancestors and an equal duty of cherishing our descendants so that
they in their turn will come to understand and realize our own hopes and
ideals. Life is continuing process:  we must try to visualize ourselves as
ancestors; for ancestors and descendants are genealogically one. Edmund
Burke once remarked that society was a partnership between those who were
living, those who are dead and those yet to be born; past and present and
future are seen as a continuing evolvement and must be looked upon as
complete being.


34. What kind of status do women have within the Odinist community?

    Odinists do not need reminding of women's rights! Our religion anciently held women in high honor: not only are Goddesses included in the Odinist pantheon, but, when the Odinist priesthood is restored, all offices will be open to women just as they were before the Christian usurpation
relegated them to permanent backbenches of religious life.

35. What are the chief festivals of the Odinic Rite?

    In ancient times there were three great festivals: Yule (the Mid-Winter
Festival), Summer Finding (or spring equinox) and Winter Finding (autumn
equinox). To these we nowadays add the Midsummer Festival.

    Yule, the popular Festival of Mid-Winter (sometimes called the Festival of Light), heralds the beginning of the Odinist year. It is the birthday of
the unconquered sun, which at this time begins to new vigor after its
autumnal decline when, having descended into darkness, it pauses, kindles
the fire of germination and ascends renewed with the fruit of hope. The
Mid-Winter Festival includes the Twelve Nights of Yule, encapsulating the
twelve months of the year in miniature, and culminates in the celebration
of Twelfth Night.

    Summer Finding, in March, is the Festival of Odin. It celebrates the
renewal, or resurrection, of Nature after the darkness of winter. It was
transformed by the Christians into their Easter (named after the Odinist
Goddess of the Saxons, Ostara), Rogation and Whitsun and was also recalled
in folk custom by the festivities of May Day.

    The Midsummer Festival, the Feast of Balder, is the great celebration of the triumph of light and the sun.

    Winter Finding mourns the death of summer and heralds the coming of
autumn. It is dedicated to the god Frey, patron of the harvest, and is
also sometimes called the Charming of the Fruits of Earth, when we render
thanks for the years supply of life-giving foods.

36. What other Odinist festivals are there?

    Besides the great festivals there are a number of secondary festivals and also some commemorations of local Gods or various aspects of life.

    The secondary festivals of the Odinic Rite are:
    The Charming of the Plough,  January 3
    The festival of Vali, Febuary 14, which commemorates the family and is an occasion for betrothals, the renewal of marriage vows and vows of kinshiployalty.
    The festival of the Einheriar on November 11, known as Heroes'  day, which honors the dead.


37. What is the Odinist Committee?

    The committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite (to give its full
title) was set up on April 23, 1973 with the limited objects of restoring
Odinist ritual and ceremonies, to define Odinist faith and doctrine and to
constitute a teaching order of gothar (singular: gothi, meaning priest of
teacher). When these immediate objects have been achieved the Committee
will  disband. In the past not a great deal of attention was paid to
systemizing the doctrinal aspects of Odinism and consequently the body of
writing on the subject has remained limited and uneven. The Odinist
Committee will place the worship of the Aesir on a more formal and
permanent basis.

38. How do I go about becoming an Odinist?

    First of all by understanding, then by believing. You do not have to "be born again" but you are  expected to live your whole life according to the Odinist precepts. There is a ceremony of reception (or initiation) into
the Odinist community for those who wish it. The secretary of the Odinist
Committee, 10 Trinity Green, London, E1, will be able to tell you whether
there is an Odinist group in your neighborhood or, if there is not one,
how you may form one.

39. Can the Odinist Committee supply me with a list of Odinist temples
    and shall I be permitted to attend some of the inveitan?

    There are at present no Odinist hofs (temples) in Great Britain open for public worship. Odinism starts with the individual and extends, through
the family, to the community and the world. So with worship, which is at
present practiced mostly at family level, the festivals of the Odinist
year being celebrated in the home, with friends and other Odinist
sometimes being invited to participate. But it is expected that various
regional meeting places will be authorized when eventually the ritual of
Odinist worship has been fully restored and gothar licensed by the
successor body to the Odinist committee.

	               These things are thought the best:
                              Fire, the sight of the sun,
                       Good health with the gift to keep it,
                             And a life that avoids vice.

                                           The High Song of Odin *

* The verse from The High Song of Odin is from Paul B. Taylor and W H
Auden's translation of The Elder Edda and is reproduced by permission of
Messrs Faber and Faber. Other quotations from the Eddas in the foregoing
pages are from the translation by Rasmus B. Anderson.

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                      STRINGS ON THE WINDS 
 
                      by Taliesyn map Avaon 
 
 
 
  ...And it came to pass that into this time of great turmoil, 
there came a man clad simply and carrying unto himself little 
else than a harp, the likes of which I have yet to see.His 
name was Ahrian and he made known that he was Bard.He went 
unto the house of a village elder, asked lodging, and was  
granted it.There he stayed and he sang from the green and 
played the songs which drifted into the air as if they were 
the air itself. 
 
    One afternoon I made to inquire of him his whereabouts and 
what was Bard.  He said unto me:  'You speak little else to me 
but nonsense.  Speak clearly and I shall answer as I can.' 
     
    He took the harp into his lap.  'What then is your trade?' 
 
    'I am Bard.  Mine is the way of music, song, and tale.  In 
this lies my being.' 
 
    'Then you are a minstrel or story-teller?' 
 
    'I am both and neither.  I am minstrel and story-teller in 
what I do, but I am Bard in what I am.' 
 
    'I do not understand.' 
 
    'Then listen and I shall make it known to you.  Music lies 
at the base of the world.  It is magick in itself, and it 
contains other things that are it's nature.  I am Bard and bound 
to the music, as it is my existence.  I work the music as a fine 
silversmith works the silver into a cup.  So I work the music 
into a fine remembrance of the past.  Or time hence.  Or man and 
woman present.  So the music works for me and does my bidding, 
as I in turn do its bidding in the working.' 
 
    'You speak of magick as the music and music as the magick. 
Which is it then?  Is music the cause of the magick, or is 
magick the cause of the music?' 
 
    'Both are true.  In playing the song I am working in the 
magick, and in working in the magick I am drawn to work a song. 
Such is my call.' 
 
    'What of tales then?' 
 
    'They are great and beauteous.  In splendor they cannot be 
equalled, for the Gods run thru them as the maids run through 
fields of grass in the Spring.' 
 
    'What Gods are these of which you speak?' 
 
    'All Gods to some, and none to others.  It is as you see. 
And then it is as it is.' 
 
    'What of these do you worship?' 
 
    'I worship none and I worship all.  I worship not, and 
devoutly pray unto the Muses.  Mine is not the way of the zealot, 
but of the song.' 
 
    'How then do you work your magick if the Gods are not yours?' 
 
    'Ahh, but they are mine.  I do not see the Gods as they appear 
to others, but as they are in the song of a bird in summer, or 
a stream in the Spring.  My magick is not of them, but is them of 
their essence.  It aids them to survive and pierces their 
nature as the light pierces the darkness.' 
 
     ...And so I bid him let me rest, that I might ponder and 
inquire further on the morrow.  As I left him, I heard a sweet 
melody drift into the hollows... 
 
 
                ******************************** 
 
    In this age of rebirth for many of the ways of the Craft, 
it has often come to my attention that there is not a similar 
revival of the Bardic arts in force.  However, as we move into 
a New Age, it is distressing to see so few wielding the candle 
to light the path.  Thus armed with this dearth of those 
practicing the Bardic Way, I have decided to set forth some 
illumination into the subject of Bardism. 
 
 
    In the classical concept, the Bard was many things: a 
musician, a songster, a story-teller, a historian, a collector 
of lore both magickal and mundane.  He also served the 
community in announcing through his arts the coming Circles. 
However, should he attend this Circle, he would be little else 
than a minion of the Watchtower's guardians. 
 
    Of all these things, I must point out that he was a magickal 
individual, whose concerns tended not towards ritual, but 
application.  His song was his work of magick, and could either 
be loving and compassionate or cold and harsh as the case 
warranted.  He was restricted in many ways in the expression 
of his duties inherent in the office and title he carried. 
The title 'Bard' was (and is) worn with pride for it was a  
religious indication and a general term for a way of life. 
 
 
    This introduction leaves us with one nagging question: 
What is the Bard of today?  It is this question that I shall 
address in full in coming articles.  Each will contain a 
conversation with Ahrian (an actual 15th century Scots Bard) 
and a discussion of the concepts involved.  Later, I will include 
samples of the Bard's art by my hand and that of Seamus Myrick, 
an Irish Bard I know personally. 
                                           Blessed Be! 
                                            
                                           Mike Nichols 

A Circle Purification that doesn't use Incense: 
for asthmatics, those with allergies, and those with other pulmonary 
disorders 
by Matrika, co-sysop of 
PAN- the Psychic Awareness Network, 300/1200/2400 baud at 1-703-362-1139 
 
This ritual was inspired when someone in our circle back in Central 
Massachusetts started dating a young woman who was a great herbalist, 
knowledgeable about crystal healing, a competent tarot-reader and a 
beginning astrologer.  She had read "Spiral Dance" by Starhawk on the Craft 
of the Wise (Wicca) and wore a pentagram around her neck, but couldn't try 
circle work because she was allergic to smoke and had a serious asthma 
problem. 
 
So, heres the rite.  You prepare your altar as usual, with the exception of 
the incense and incense burner.  5 non-electric pot-pouri burners filled 
with water and an appropriately scented pot-pouri should be on or near the 
altar with 5 candles.  Be sure that you use the correct type of candles for 
your pot-pouri burners, as other types can destroy the burners.  Put these 
on the altar, which should be at the center of the circle and facing North 
or East according to your custom.  If they do not fit without obstructing 
the work, place them in a semi-circle at the foot of the altar.  Have 
matches there to light the candles under them at the proper time. 
 
The rite 
(Leader 1 should be a male, if possible.  Leader 2 should be a female, if 
possible.) 
 
Leader 1 - blessing the water and herbal mixture in each pot-pouri burner 
with the wand.  a long-stem rose with the thorns removed can be used for a 
wand if you do not yet have one.  Of course, this must be replaced each 
time you do a ritual - 
"By Fire and By Air 
By Water and by Earth 
by the Lady and the Lord 
I conjure thee to purify our circle this night" 
 
all- " So mote it be" 
 
He takes one of the burners and the matches to the North where he lights 
it.  Leader 2 accompanies him with her wand, after he lights it she raises 
her wand and says 
 
Leader 2 - "By fire and air 
By water and by earth 
Let us purify the 
Northern Quarter of our circle" 
 

There is a pause during which everyone visualizes (vividly imagining in 
every detail from a relaxed, meditative state) an arc of rainbow light 
forming that quarter of the circle then, when she lowers the wand, everyone responds. 
all - "So Mote It Be" 
 
Leader 1 returns to the central altar and gets the next burner, placing it in the East and lighting it.  Leader 2 continues in the same way as above. This procedure is then repeated in the South and then in the West.  Each 
time the invocation is changed to reflect the direction they are in.  Each time the group visualizes the rainbow arc of light.  And after each 
direction,  Leader 1 returns to the center to get the burner for the next 
direction ready.  By constantly returning to the center each time, the 
emphasis is placed there.  After the Western quarter is lit, Leader 1 
places the final burner on the altar, between the candles, where the 
incense burner would be if there was one and lights it.  Leader 2 stands 
before the altar, raises her wand and says 
Leader 2 - "By Fire and by air 
By water and by earth 
Let us purify the sacred center of our circle 
where Heaven and Earth Unite 
and 
Where the Lord and Lady are joined in love." 
 
While her wand is raised, everyone visualizes the rainbow light from the 
outer circles flooding in to the center and filling the circle with 
harmonious vibrations and energies.  After a few moments, she lowers her 
wand and everyone responds. 
all- "SO mote it be" 
 
The circle casting is continued as usual with the invocations of the 
elements at the 4 corners, according to your tradition.  Then the actual 
circle-casting is done as usual.  After this do whatever rite and/or magick you would usually do and close in the usual manner.  Be sure to snuff the 
candles and not to blow them out.  Use a silver teaspoon to do this, if you don't have a snuffer.  This ceremony ONLY replaces the part of the rite 
where you sprinkle with salt-water and then cense the circle to purify it 
in PREPARATION for the actual circle casting.  It is NOT the full casting 
of the circle.  (Some traditions purify with all 4 elements separately, 
sprinkling salt on the floor for earth, water on the floor for itself, 
censing the circle for air, and carrying a candle around for fire.  Either way this rite replaces the elemental purification, as the burners embody 
all 4 elements - the water for itself, the candle for fire, the herbs for 
earth, and the scent the steam gives off for air.) 
 
OF course the pot-pouri burners used for this should only be used in your 
psychic work and should have been consecrated or smudged (by someone who 
can deal with the smoke) in preparation for this ritual. 
 

To prepare appropriate pot-pouri scents for the purpose of your rites, use the directions for making the various home-made herbal incenses traditional in Witchcraft and in Magick; however,  don't grind them with a mortar and 
pestle as you would in making incense.  If you do not know the recipes for these, any of the Scott Cuningham books on making incenses would provide 
them for you.  They are available from Llewelyn Publishing, box 64383 St. 
Paul Minnesota. (They will send you a free catalogue on request) 
 
Despite the initial cost involved in obtaining the 5 burners, it is highly suggested you do it that way for two reasons" 
1.  In anything but a very small and enclosed space, you will not get 
enough scent to represent the air element sufficiently for magickal and 
ritual working. 
and 
2.  To represent all 4 elements in EACH of the quarters and in the center 
of the circle is very important in establishing the traditional boundaries 
between the worlds (the ordinary and non-ordinary or shamanic realities) 
that is the purpose of casting the circle and creating sacred space. 
 
ALSO IF YOU TRY TO CARRY A POT-POURI BURNER THAT IS LIT AND HOT ENOUGH TO 
BE GIVING OFF THE SCENTED STEAM AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE CIRCLE, YOU 
WILL CERTAINLY BURN YOUR FINGERS BADLY.  (It is not appropriate to bring a pot holder into circle to carry it either! PLEASE!) 
 
I hope this is helpful to those who have breathing problems and wish to 
perform magick. 
 
(submitted to Harvest newsletter, under JUKNO) 

                    MONROE TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION 


              Note: After having studied many methods of Astral
         Projection, I have found that this is the easiest to do.
         Monroe teaches these techniques in a week, but they can be
         easily done in a day, with proper devotion. I feel that this
         technique is superior to others because it doe not require
         intense visualization, which many people cannot do. 
         enjoy! 


         (Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral
         Projection, D. Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press) 

         One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is
         fear.  Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some
         way as a result of their projection.  Nothing could be farther
         from the truth.  The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its
         occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving
         over 2,000 people.  None of them were hurt in any way by this,
         and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly
         arising problems. 

         Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting,
         you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step. 

         Step one: 
             Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax
         is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself"
         to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both
         physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a
         method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive
         Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises
         (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known
         to work well. 
          
         Step two: 
             Enter the state bordering sleep.  This is known as the
         hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't  recommend any
         method of doing this.  One way is to hold your forearm
         up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you
         start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken
         again.  With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic
         state without using your arm.  Another method is to
         concentrate on an object.  When other images start to enter
         your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state.
         Passively watch these images.  This will also help you
         maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition
         A. 

         Step three: 
             Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind.  observe your
         field of vision through your closed eyes.  Do nothing more
         for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the
         blackness in front of you.  After a while, you may notice
         light patterns.  These are simply neural discharges.  They
         have no specific effect.  Ignore them.  When they cease, one
         has entered what Monroe calls Condition B.  From here, one
         must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe
         calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose
         all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation.  You are
         almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will
         be your own thoughts. 
             The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D.
         This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a
         rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal
         fatigue.  To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you
         practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap. 

         Step Four: 
             Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important
         part of the technique, and also the most vague.   
             Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset
         of projection.  They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or
         as is electricity is being shot through the body.  /their
         cause is a mystery.  It may actually be the astral body trying
         to leave the physical one. 
         For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the
         following directions: 

         1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching
         your skin. 
         2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your
         eyelids, but do not shut out all light. 
         3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your
         head pointed toward magnetic north. 
         4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are
         slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable. 
         5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time  when,
         there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you. 
         6. Enter a state of relaxation 
         7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember
         all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be
         beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times. 
         8. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth. 
         9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you. 
        10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change
         your point of mental reference to six feet. 
        11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary
         line parallel to your body axis up and above your head.  Focus
         there and reach out for the vibrations  at that point and
         bring them back into your body. 

              Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you
         will know when you have achieved contact with them. 

         Step five: 
             Learn to control the vibrational state.  Practice
         controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down
         to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body,
         and producing vibrational waves from head to foot.  To produce
         this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally
         push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body.
         Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. 
             Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are
         ready to leave the body. 

         Step six: 
             Begin with a partial separation.  The key here is thought
         control.  Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving
         the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you
         to lose control of the state. 
             Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring
         the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body".
         Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in
         contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed.
         Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it
         back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the
         vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment.  Lie
         quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise
         will prepare you for full separation. 
             
         Step seven: 
             Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two
         methods for this.  One method is to lift out of the body.  To
         do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after
         entering this vibrational state.  Think about how nice it
         would be to float upward.  Keep this thought in mind at all
         costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will
         occur naturally at this point. 
            Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out"
         technique.  When you have achieved the vibrational state, try
         to roll over as if you were turning over in bed.  /do not
         attempt to roll over physically.  Try to twist your body from
         the top and virtually roll over into your second body right
         out of your physical self.  At this point, you will be out of
         the body but next to it.  Think of floating upward, and you
         should find yourself floating above the body. 
             Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but
         argues that both are equally efficacious. 

         If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend
         purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo.  It only costs
         $7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques.  Not all
         techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one
         that works for you in this book.  Good luck! 

                                       History 
 
                            (c) 1988, by Weyland Smith and 
                           The Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal 
 
               "Mommy, how old are we?"  Does our faith come down to us in 
          Apostolic succession from "that time whereof the memory of man 
          runneth not to the contrary", or was our religion dreamed up in 
          the nineteen forties by a retired British civil servant with the           collaboration of a dying heroin addict and poet?  Does it really           matter? 
 
               To what extent the modern practitioners of paganism may lay           a just claim to the mantle of their predecessors from the twelfth           century has been a matter of great debate both within and without           the Craft community almost from the moment Gerald Gardner 
          published _Witchcraft Today in 1954.*1*  Though the debate is 
          continued with somewhat less fervor today than it was in the 
          1960s, it has never wholly ceased and it continues to be a Crisis           of Faith which besets many practitioners of paganism every year. 
 
               It can be a troubling question to face, especially if one's           early teachers tried to justify their credentials by claiming 
          that what they taught had great antiquity.  The question isn't 
          any easier to answer with truth or objectivity when there is a 
          bunch of radical fundamentalists running around seeking to claim           that we aren't really a religion and so of course we aren't 
          entitled to protection under the First Amendment. 
 
               It is a sign of progress, I think, that there seems to be 
          less of that sort of teaching today than there was when I began 
          my studies.  Today most of the teachers that I know are secure 
          enough in their religion that they can face the staggering 
          thought that the ethical and philosophical system that guides 
          their lives may indeed be younger than some of them are.  The 
          plain fact is that we simply don't know. 
 
               Gerald Gardner and Charles Leland*2* may have tried to palm           fiction off on the world as fact.  It's certainly been tried 
          before--and since.  On the other hand, they may each have been 
          reporting the truth as they found it.  It certainly is a fact 
          that no one I know has ever come across any Book of Shadows that           dates before the beginning of this century.  Presumably, if one 
          exists, say in the British Museum, it would have become known to           scholars looking into the subject over the last half century.  
          Granted that there was less burning in England than elsewhere in           Europe, but there was enough that surely some physical evidence 
          would have survived in the hands of the government if nowhere 
          else. 
  
               The Vatican Library, of course may yet turn up such a relic.            Their failure to do so at this time can be explained as easily by           the lack of such a document as by a possible desire to suppress 
          it.  We may never know that one, but when push comes to shove, 
          does it really matter? 
 
               Thomas Jefferson, speaking on the question of whether black           colonial slaves were Americans or not is said to have remarked 
          "They're people and they're here.  If there's any other 
          requirement, I haven't heard of it."  Perhaps we might paraphrase           Jefferson a bit and remark that the modern practitioners of 
          Witchcraft are undeniably here and a large number of them are 
          sincere in their beliefs.  That in itself should qualify us as a           religion. 
 
               Perhaps as important as the legal question is our own self 
          image.  Would a "real witch" from the middle ages recognize or 
          disown one of her sisters of today?  Would she want to go with a           "New Age" circle, a Dianic grove, a Gardnerian coven, or would 
          she laugh hysterically at the bunch of us and walk off into the 
          sunset? 
 
               While the antiquity of our current practice of witchcraft 
          shouldn't be a matter of serious concern, to us _or to our 
          detractors, its authenticity should be.  The search for our roots           must continue to be pursued by serious scholars and magicians 
          alike in order that we may come as close as possible to the 
          ideals and purposes of our ancient predecessors. There is a very           practical reason why this is so.  That reason is tied up in 
          something called an _egregore.  On the subject of an egregore, I           would like to quote extensively from a recent article in _Gnosis 
          by Gaetan Delaforge: 
 
          ..."An egregore is a kind of group mind which is created when 
          people consciously come together for a common purpose.  Whenever           people gather together to do something and egregore is formed, 
          but unless an attempt is made to maintain it deliberately it will           dissipate rather quickly.  However if the people wish to maintain           it and know the techniques of how to do so, the egregore will 
          continue to grow in strength and can last for centuries.   
 
          An egregore has the characteristic of having an effectiveness 
          greater than the mere sum of its individual members.  It 
          continuously interacts with its members, influencing them and 
          being influenced by them.  The interaction works positively by 
          stimulating and assisting its members but only as long as they 
          behave and act in line with its original aim.  It will stimulate           both individually and collectively all those faculties in the 
          group which will permit the realization of the objectives of its           original program.  If this process is continued a long time the 
          egregore will take on a kind of life of its own, and can become 
          so strong that even if all its members should die, it would 
          continue to exist on the inner dimensions and can be contacted 
          even centuries later by a group of people prepared to live the 
          lives of the original founders, particularly if they are willing           to provide the initial input of energy to get it going again. 

 
          If the egregore is concerned with spiritual or esoteric 
          activities its influence will be even greater.  People who 
          discover the keys can tap in on a powerful egregore representing,           for example, a spiritual or esoteric tradition, will, if they 
          follow the line described above by activating and maintaining 
          such an egregore, obtain access to the abilities, knowledge, and           drive of all that has been accumulated in that egregore since its           beginnings.  A group or order which manages to do this can, with           a clear conscience, claim to be an authentic order of the 
          tradition represented by that egregore.  In my view this is the 
          only yardstick by which a genuine Templar order should be 
          measured."*3* 
 
               Mr. Delaforge was writing about the Knights Templar and the           various groups claiming to represent it in modern times, but the           parallel with ancient witchcraft and the many diverse groups 
          claiming to represent it today is obvious.  I hope the benefit to           be gained by reconstructing as faithfully as possible the 
          attitudes and goals of our ancient brethren is equally obvious. 
 
               In her books "The Sea Priestess" and "Moon Magic", Dion 
          Fortune was demonstrating this technique.  Vivien LeFay Morgan 
          was attempting nothing less than the reactivation of the egregore           of the Atlantean priesthood. 
 
               When Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", he 
          embarked upon the outward steps of his part of the reactivation 
          of the egregore of the old witch cult in western Europe.  The 
          inward steps were probably begun by one or more of the magical 
          lodges of the early twentieth century, most likely Dion Fortune's           Society of the Inner Light during its "pagan phase" in the late 
          twenties and thirties.*4*  Gardner's public works served to bring           the reactivated egregore into contact with an increasingly 
          receptive populace where it could gather unto itself the 
          additional psychic energy it needed to become once again a viable           force in the world.  How well it has achieved this end is to be 
          observed by anyone with the eyes to see.   
 
 
               I personally think that our job in this generation is to 
          deepen and strengthen our ties with this newly reawakened force 
          in the world; to learn from it and to draw inspiration from it, 
          and to bring the Craft back from the status of a "cult" to that 
          of a genuine religion.  To do this we must learn more of the 
          goals, ideals, and ambitions of our brothers and sisters who have           gone before--as they really were, not as we would like them to 
          have been. 

               Please note that the idea is not necessarily to recreate the           _practices of our predecessors, particularly if we are talking 
          about things like blood sacrifice.  One should note that this 
          practice was followed by the jews in biblical times, but that in           modern times they don't do it.  This does not keep the modern jew           from interacting with the egregore of his ancient faith.  Judaism           has surely progressed since the time of the Ceasars, so has the 
          Craft.  The idea, when activating and interacting with an 
          egregore is to re-create the _goals and _attitudes of the 
          founders.  That doesn't freeze the practitioner into practices 
          which have long since been outgrown. 
 
               What I think we need now is more real scholarship.  What did           Samhain really mean to our predecessors; or Beltane; or Imbolc?            Not only how did they celebrate it, but how did they _feel about           it?  Platitudes about "fruitfulness and fertility" are simply too           superficial.  This is not made any easier by the fact that these           observances were pastoral and agricultural while most of us are 
          city dwellers who do well to keep a potted plant alive through 
          one summer. 
 
               An attempt in this direction was made by the Holy Order of 
          Saint Brigit near Fort Morgan, Colorado about ten years ago.  The           farm is gone now and its residents are scattered, yet it cannot 
          be said to have entirely failed of its purpose.  Many of the 
          former participants in the experiments can be found today, 
          quietly practicing the Craft. 
 
          This is not to say that we all should sell our goods, quit our 
          jobs, and move out into communes somewhere, but we must at the 
          least establish close enough contact with the harsh realities of           this world that we can appreciate how frightening the onset of 
          winter must have been to those who had no central heating, food 
          stores or welfare to fall back upon.  When we have done this, we           will, perhaps, be able to recapture the mindset of the Priestess           at Samhain. 
 
 
               These truths are not to be found in the Fantasy fiction 
          section of B. Dalton's, but in the history and anthropology libr-           aries of our local universities.  The reading is much dryer and 
          less fun, but it talks about the people as they really were.  It           isn't a fantasy world to hide from reality in, but neither is it           a dead end.  It can take us back in time and forward in our 
          understanding so that we may really contact the ancient religion           of witchcraft as it was, learn from it, and pass it on, 
          rejuvenated and strengthened to our children. 


 
                                        Notes 
 
          1.   Gerald B. Gardner, _Witchcraft _Today, (London: Rider and 
               Company, 1954) reprinted (New York: Citadel Press, 1971) 
 
          2.   Charles Godfrey Leland, _Aradia, _or _Gospel _of _the 
               _Witches, (London: David Nutt, 1899; reprinted (New York: 
               Samuel Weiser, 1974) 
 
          3.   Gaetan Delaforge, _Gnosis, "The Templar Tradition: yesterday 
               and today", No. 6, (Winter 1988), pp 8-13. 
 
          4.   Alan Richardson, _Dancers _to _the _Gods, (London: The 
               Aquarian Press, 1985) 

                      History of Witchcraft 
 
As I am trying to put this all together, I hope to bring about an  
understanding  that Witchcraft, like any religion, has  undergone  
it's  changes  throughout  the  centuries.   It  is  my  personal  
feeling,  however, that the religion of Witchcraft has  undergone  
far fewer changes than any other in history. 
 
As the song sung by Neil Diamond starts: 
     " Where it began, I can't begin to knowin..." 
 
Witchcraft,  sorcery, magic, whatever can only begin to find  its  
roots  when we go back as far as Mesopotamia. With their  deities  
for  all  types of disasters, such as Utug - the Dweller  of  the  
Desert  waiting  to  take you away if you wandered  to  far,  and  
Telal  -  the  Bull  Demon,  Alal  -  the  destroyer,  Namtar   -  
Pestilence, Idpa - fever, and Maskim - the snaresetter; the  days  
of superstitution were well underway. 
 
It  was believed that the pharaohs, kings, etc. all  imbued  some  
power  of  the gods, and even the slightest  movement  they  made  
would cause an action to occur.  It was believed that a  picture,  
or  statue also carried the spirit of the person. This is one  of  
the reasons that they were carried from place to place, and  also  
explains  why  you  see so many pictures  and  statues  of  these  
persons with their hands straight to their sides.  
 
In  the Bible, we find reference to "The Tower of Babel"  or  The  
Ziggurat in Genesis 11. "Now the whole world had one language and  
a  common speech.  As men moved eastward, they found a  plain  in  
Shinar  (Babylonia) and settled there.  They said to each  other,  
`Come,  let's  make bricks and bake them thoroughly.'  They  used  
brick  instead  of stone, and tar instead of mortar.   Then  they  
said,  `Come,  let us build ourselves a city, with a  tower  that  
reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for  ourselves  
and  not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.' But  the  
Lord  came down to see the city and the tower that the  men  were  
building.   The  Lord said,`If as one people  speaking  the  same  
language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do  
will  be  impossible for them.  Come let us go down  and  confuse  
their language so they will not understand each other.'" It  goes  
on to say that the tower was never finished. 
 
In  other  references,  we  find that the  "Tower"  was  in  fact  
finished,  and that it was a tower that represented the  "stages"  
between earth and heaven (not a tower stretching to the heaven in  
the literal sense.) From this reference, it was a tower built  in  
steps.  A hierarchy on which heaven and hell were based.  It  was  
actually a miniature world representing the Mountain of Earth. 

Each stage was dedicated to a planet, with its angles symbolizing  
the  four corners of the world.  They pointed to Akkad,  Saburtu,  
Elam,  and the western lands.  The seven steps of the tower  were  
painted  in different colors which corresponded to  the  planets.   
The "Great Misfortune:, Saturn, was black. The second was  white,  
the  color  of  Jupiter.   The third,  brick-red,  the  color  of  
Mercury,  followed by blue, Venus; yellow, Mars, gray  or  silver  
for  the  moon.  These  colors boded good  or  evil,  like  their  
planets. 
 
For the first time, numbers expressed the world order.  A  legend  
depicts  Pythagoras traveling to Babylon where he is  taught  the  
mystery  of numbers, their magical significance and  power.   The  
seven  steps often appear in magical philosophy. The seven  steps  
are: stones, fire, plants, animals, man, the starry heavens,  and  
the angels.  Starting with the study of stones, the man of wisdom  
will attain higher and higher degrees of knowledge, until he will  
be  able  to  apprehend the sublime,  and  the  eternal.  Through  
ascending  these steps, a man would attain the knowledge of  God,  
whose  name  is  at the eighth degree,  the  threshold  of  God's  
heavenly dwelling.   
 
The  square  was  also a "mystical" symbol in  these  times,  and  
though divided into seven, was still respected.  This  correlated  
the  old tradition of a fourfold world being reconciled with  the  
seven heavens of later times.  
 
It is thought that here was the start to numerology, but for this  
to  have  developed  to  the point  where  they  had  taken  into  
consideration the square as the fourfold world, it would have had  
to have developed prior to this. 
 
From Mesopotamia lets move over to Persia. 
 
Unlike  the Mesopotamians, and Egyptians, who believed  that  all 
was  done with either the favor or lack thereof of the Gods,  the 
Chaldean  star  religion taught that luck and  disaster  were  no 
chance  events,  but  were controlled from  the  heavenly  bodies 
(planets/stars) which send good and bad according to mathematical 
laws.  It was their belief that man was incapable of fighting the 
will  of  the  planet divinities. Though, the  more  this  system 
evolved,  the  more the wise men read ethical values  into  man's 
fate.  The  will of the stars was not  completely  separate  from 
man's behaviors. The stars were important, but not omnipotent  in 
deciding  man's fate. It was believed that the star Sirius  would 
carry  messages  to the higher gods and he returned  to  announce 
their will. 

Around  the  7th Century B.C. Zoroaster, the Median  prophet  was 
preaching the doctrines that evil could be avoided and  defeated. 
He  brought  about the principles of the good and  evil  spirits. 
Below,  we will look at the beliefs and influences of this  man's 
life which created the religion named after him. 

The  first of the belief structure had to do with Ormazd  (Ahura-
Mazda) king of light, and his twin brother Ahriman  (Anro-Mainyu) 
prince of darkness.

Zoroaster  brought  about  the belief in  the  "holy  war"  (that 
between  good  and  evil.) In this  faith,  the  archangels  (the 
spirits  of  Divine Wisdom,  Righteousness,  Dominion,  Devotion, 
Totality, and Salvation) and the demons (the spirits of  Anarchy, 
Apostasy,   Presumption,  Destruction,  Decay,  and  Fury)   were 
constantly  at  battle  with one another.   The  archangels  were 
controlled by Ormazd and the demons by Ahriman.

This  religion  had it's belief that in the end, Ormazd  and  his 
demons would prevail, but until then, Ormazd would keep the world 
safe.  

It is interesting that the last of the demons (the demon of Fury) 
holds such a hard and fast thought that it was incorporated  into 
the  Hebrew and Christian belief structure. The last  archdemon's 
name is Aeshma Daeva also know to the Hebrews as Ashmadai and  to 
Christians as Asmodeus. 

Asmodeus was the "chief of the fourth hierarchy of evil  demons", 
called  "the  avengers of wickedness, crimes  and  misdeeds."  He 
appears  with  three heads, a bull's, human, and a ram.   He  has 
goose  feet, and a snake's tail. To appear more  frightening,  he 
also exhales fire and rides upon a dragon of hell.

It  is said that Asmodeus is not to be feared.  When you  say  to 
him:  "In truth thou art Asmodeus," he will give you a  wonderful 
ring.   He  will teach you geometry,  arithmetic,  astronomy  and 
mechanics. When questioned, he answers truthfully. 

The  other  demons  tempt people away from the  true  worship  of 
Mazda.   They  are  Paromaiti - Arrogance, Mitox  -  The  Falsely 
Spoken  Word,  Zaurvan - Decrepitude, Akatasa  -  Meddlesomeness, 
Vereno - Lust. 

Much  of the current day Christian beliefs were taken  from  this 
man's  religion.  (That of good and evil forces, the  redemption, 
the "savior" factor, etc.)

From  here, let us move on to Egypt where we will look  at  other 
mystical symbols and more history of magic and the craft.

The Sphinx was a mythological creature with lion's body and human 
head,  an important image in Egyptian and Greek art  and  legend.  
The  word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from  the  verb 
sphingein (to bind or squeeze), but the etymology is not  related 
to the legend and is dubious.

The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in  legend, 
was said to have terrorized the people by demanding the answer to 
a riddle. If the person answered incorrectly, he or she was eaten 
by  the sphinx.  It is said that Oedipus answered properly  where 
upon the sphinx killed herself.  


The  earliest  and  most famous example in art  is  the  colossal 
Sphinx  at Giza, Egypt.  It dates from the reign of  King  Khafre 
(4th king of 4th dynasty; c. 2550 b.c.)

The  Sphinx did not occur in Mesopotamia until around  1500  b.c. 
when  it was imported from the Levant.  In appearance, the  Asian 
sphinx differed from its Egyptian model mostly in the addition of 
wings  to the leonine body.  This feature continued  through  its 
history in Asia and the Greek world.  

Another  version  of  the sphinx was that of  the  female.   This 
appeared  in  the  15th  century  b.c.  on  seals,  ivories   and 
metalworkings.   They  were  portrayed in  the  sitting  position 
usually  with one paw raised.  Frequently, they were seen with  a 
lion, griffin or another sphinx.

The  appearance of the sphinx on temples and the like  eventually 
lead  to a possible interpretation of the sphinx as a  protective 
symbol as well as a philosophical one.

The Sphinx rests at the foot of the 3 pyramids of Khufu,  Khafre, 
and  Menkure.  It talons stretch over the city of the dead as  it 
guards its secrets.

The myth goes that a prince who later became Thutmose IV, took  a 
nap in the shadow of the half-submerged Sphinx. As he slept,  the 
Sun-god (whom the Sphinx represents, appeared to him in a  dream.  
Speaking  to  him  as a son, he told the  prince  that  he  would 
succeed to the throne and enjoy a long and happy reign.  He urged 
the prince to have the Sphinx cleared of the sand.

In his book on Isis and Osiris, Plutarch  (A.D. 45-126) says that 
the  Sphinx  symbolizes  the  secret  of  occult  wisdom,  though 
Plutarch  never unveiled the mysteries of the Sphinx. It is  said 
that  the magic of the Sphinx lies within the thousands of  hands 
that chiseled at the rock.  The thoughts of countless generations 
dwell  in it; numberless conjurations and rites have built up  in 
it  a mighty protective spirit, a soul that still  inhabits  this 
time-scarred giant. 

Another  well know superstition of the peoples of  Ancient  Egypt 
was that regarding their dead.

They believed that in the West lies the World of the Dead,  where 
the Sun-god disappears every evening.  The departed were referred 
to as "Westerners." It was believed that, disguised as birds, the 
dead  soar into the sky where in his heavenly barge Ra, the  Sun-
god,  awaits them and transforms them into stars to  travel  with 
him through the vault of the heavens.

The  cult of the dead reached it's height when it  incorporated 
the  Osiris  myth.   Osiris was born to  save  mankind.   At  his 
nativity,  a voice was heard proclaiming that the Lord  had  come 
into  the world (sound familiar?).  But his  brother/father  Seth 
shut  him  up  in  a chest which he carried to  the  sea  by  the 
Tanaitic mouth of the Nile.  Isis brought him back to life.  Seth 
then scattered his body all over the place.  It is said that Isis 
fastened  the limbs together with the help of the  gods  Nephtis, 
Thoth, and Horus, her son.  Fanning the body with her wings,  and 
through  her magic, Osiris rose again to reign as king  over  the 
dead.  

The  Egyptian  believed that a person had two souls.   The  soul 
known  as Ba is the one that progressed into the afterlife  while 
the  Ka  remains  with the mummy. The Ka is believed  to  live  a 
magical  life  within  the  grave.   Thus  the  Egyptians  placed 
miniature belongings of the deceased into the tomb.  Such items as 
images, statuettes, imitation utensils, and miniature houses  take 
the place of the real thing.  They believed that the Ka would use 
these  as  the real item because the  mortuary  priests  possessed 
magic that would make them real for the dead. 

The priests believed that the gods could be deceived, menaced and 
forced  into  obedience.   They had such trust in  the  power  of 
magic,  the  virtue of the spoken word,  the  irresistibility  of 
magic gestures and other ritual, that they hoped to bend even the 
good  gods  to their will.  They would bring retribution  to  the 
deities  who  failed  to  deal leniently  with  the  dead.   They 
threatened  to  shoot lightning into the are of Shu, god  of  the 
air, who would then no longer be able to support the sky-goddess, 
and  her star-sown body would collapse, disrupting the  order  of 
all things. 

When Ikhnaton overthrew the Egyptian gods and demons, making  the 
cult  of the One God Aton, a state religion, he  also  suppressed 
mortuary magic.  Ikhnaton did not believe in life after death.

As  Christianity  became  a part of this nation,  there  is  much 
evidence to show where the Christians of the time, and the pagans 
lived peacefully together.

In  theology, the differences between early Christians,  Gnostics 
(members  -  often  Christian - of dualistic  sects  of  the  2nd 
century  a.d.), and pagan Hermeticists were slight.  In  the  large 
Gnostic  library  discovered at Naj'Hammadi, in upper  Egypt,  in 
1945,  Hermetic writings were found side by side  with  Christian 
Gnostic  texts.   The  doctrine of the  soul  taught  in  Gnostic 
communities was almost identical to that taught in the mysteries: 
the soul emanated from the Father, fell into the body, and had to 
return to its former home.   

It was not until later in Rome that things took a change for  the 
worse.  Which moves us on to Greece.

The doctrinal similarity is exemplified in the case of the  pagan 
writer  and  philosopher  Synesius.  When the  people  of  Cyrene 
wanted  the  most able man of the city to be their  bishop,  they 
chose  Synesius,  a  pagan. He was able to  accept  the  election 
without  sacrificing  his  intellectual honesty.   In  his  pagan 
period,  he  wrote  hymns that follow the fire  theology  of  the 
Chaldean Oracles.  Later he wrote hymns to Christ.  The  doctrine 
is almost identical. 

To  attempt to demonstrate this...let's go to some  BASIC  tenets 
and beliefs of the two religions:

                        Christian Beliefs

The 10 Commandments 

1.) You shall have no other gods before me.

To the Christian, this means there will be no other God.  Yet, in 
the bible, the phrase is plural.  I does not state that you  will 
not  have another god, it says that you will have no  other  gods 
before the Christian God.

In  the case of the later, it could be interpreted to  mean  that 
whereas other gods can be recognized, as a Christian, this person 
should  place YHVH ahead of all gods recognizing him/her  as  the 
supreme being of all. 

2.) You shall not worship idols

Actually,  what it says in the New International Version is  "You 
shall  not make for yourself an idol in the form of  anything  in 
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You 
shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord  your 
God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of  the 
fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate  me, 
but   showing  love  to  thousands  who  love  me  and  keep   my 
commandments. 

3.) You shall not take the name of the lord in vain.

This one is pretty self explanatory.  When a person is calling on 
the lord he/she is asking the lord for guidance or action.  Thus, 
the phrase "God damn it!" can be translated into a person  asking 
the  lord  to condemn whatever "it" is to hell.  The  phrase  "To 
damn"  means  to  condemn to hell.   In  modern  society,  several 
phrases such as the following are common usage:
     "Oh God!", "God forbid!", "God damn it!", "God have mercy!"
Each  of these is asking God to perform some act upon or for  the 
speaker with the exception of "Oh God!" which is asking for  Gods 
attention. 


4.) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

Depending on which religion you are looking at (i.e. Jewish, from 
which  the 10 commandments come; or Christianity,  which  adapted 
them  for their use as well.) the Sabbath is either  Saturday  or 
Sunday.   You  may also take a look at the  various  mythological 
pantheons  to  correlate which is the first and last days  of  the 
week...(i.e. Sun - Sunday.. Genesis 1:3 "And God said, "Let there 
be  light,'  and there was light., Moon - Monday..  Genesis  1:14 
"And  God said,"Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky  to 
separate  the day from the night, and let them serve as signs  to 
mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the 
expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 
God  made two great lights - the greater light to govern the  day 
and  the  lesser  light to govern the night.  He  also  made  the 
stars."  Thus the Sun was created first.  With the day of the Sun 
being  the first in the week, then Saturday would be the  7th  or 
Sabbath. 

5.) Honor thy mother and thy father.

This  is  another that is fairly self explanatory.   It  is  any 
parent's  right  after spending the time to raise you  to  expect 
that you respect them.  

6.) You shall not murder.

This does not say "You shall not murder...except in my name."  It 
says YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. PERIOD. Out of the 10 commandments,  I 
have found that over the course of history, this one has been the 
most  ignored.   As we look as the spread  of  Christianity  from 
around 300 A.D. forward, we find that as politics moved into  the 
church  and  those  in charge of man's "souls"  were  given  more 
control that this one commandment sort of went out the window. 

We  see  such things as the Crusades, the  inquisition,  and  the 
dominating fear that was placed into the Christian "psyche"  that 
one should destroy that which is not like you.

Even  though  we here stories about the "witch trials",  and  the 
"witch  burnings" etc....There were actually very  few  "Witches" 
tried  or  burned.   Most  of  these  poor  souls  were  that  of 
Protestant  beliefs  (Against  the  Catholic  Church)  yet  still 
maintained that they were Christians. But...more on this later. 

7.) You shall not commit adultery.

You  can  look  up the meaning in the dictionary,  and  this  one 
becomes  pretty self-evident.  What it comes down to is  that  no 
person who has ever been divorced can marry again, and you  don't 
have sex with someone that you are not married to. 


8.) You shall not steal.

Again, enough said. However...don't go looking at Constantine  to 
be  obeying this one!  The Pagan temples were looted to make  his 
coinage.

9.) You shall not give false witness against thy neighbor

Again,  during the times of the inquisition, this also  went  out 
the window.  Such tools as torture were used to pull  confessions 
from  these  poor  people who then  signed  statements  that  the 
inquisitors  had written up saying that they freely  signed  this 
document.   Of course...the inquisitors stated that  this  person 
was  not tortured, but it was his clever wit that  had  extracted 
this confession.  

It  was  also  during this time that persons,  refusing  to  take 
responsibility  for their own actions or accept that nature  does 
in  fact  create strange  circumstances...(i.e.  drought,  flood, 
etc.)  and  the resulting illness and  bug  infestations.   Very 
often,  as the Witch-craze developed stronger, the  one  neighbor 
would  accuse another of Witchcraft and destroying the fields  or 
making their child sick, or whatever. 

10.)You shall not covet your neighbor.

On  the  surface, this one is pretty  self  explanatory.   Don't 
crave your neighbor's possessions.  Yes...I can relate this  back 
to  the inquisitional times as well since most of  the  accused's 
property   reverted   back  to  the  Catholic  church   at   this 
time...there  were  several accused and convicted  of  Witchcraft 
simply because they would not sell their property to the  church. 
However...How  does  this effect persons today?  How  far  do  we 
carry the "Thou shalt not covet..."?  This can be even so much as 
a want, however is it a sin to want a toy like your neighbor has?  
If so...we're all in trouble.  How many of us "want" that Porsche 
that  we see driving down the road?  Or how about that  beautiful 
house  that we just drove past?  Do we carry this commandment  to 
this extreme?  If so...I pity the person that can live by it  for 
what that would say is "Thou shalt not DREAM." 


                         Wiccan Beliefs

Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's 
beliefs,  I have included several documents here  that  encompass 
the majority of the traditions involved.  Again, this is simply a 
basis...NOT the be all and end all.

                           Wiccan Rede

                  Bide ye wiccan laws you must,
                in perfect love and perfect trust
                  Live ye must and let to live,
                   fairly take and fairly give
                   For the circle thrice about
                  to keep unwelcome spirits out
                To bind ye spell well every time,
                 let the spell be spake in rhyme
                 Soft of eye and light of touch,
                  speak ye little, listen much
                  Deosil go by the waxing moon,
                  chanting out ye baleful tune
                   When ye Lady's moon is new,
                  kiss ye hand to her times two
                 When ye moon rides at her peak,
                   then ye heart's desire seek
                Heed the north winds mighty gale,
                 lock the door and trim the sail
               When the wind comes from the south,
                love will kiss thee on the mouth
               When the wind blows from the east,
                expect the new and set the feast.
                 Nine woods in the cauldron go,
                burn them fast and burn them slow
                    Elder be ye Lady's tree,
                 burn it not or cursed ye'll be
                 WHen the wheel begins to turn,
                 soon ye Beltane fires will burn
                When the wheel hath turned a Yule
               light the log the Horned One rules
                 Heed ye flower, bush and tree,
                     by the Lady blessed be
                  Where the rippling waters go,
               cast a stone, the truth ye'll know
                  When ye have and hold a need,
                   harken not to others greed
                  With a fool no season spend,
                   or be counted as his friend
                   Merry meet and merry part,
              bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
                 Mind ye threefold law ye should
              three times bad and three times good
                    When misfortune is enow,
                   wear the star upon thy brow
                   True in love my ye ever be,
                 lest thy love be false to thee
           These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill;
                An harm ye none, do what ye will. 



  One of the Pagan Oaths recognized nationally here in the U.S.

                 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.
.pa  
*  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

In  the  Wiccan Rede above, and scattered in the  oath,  we  find 
words  such  as Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.  What  are  these 
strange words and what do they mean?

Before  one  can analyze the meaning behind the  phrase  "Perfect 
Love  and  Perfect Trust", one must first define the  words.  For 
this  purpose, I will use the Webster's New World  Dictionary  of 
the  American  Language  1982 edition. Perfect:  adj.  [L.  per-, 
through  + facere, do] 1. complete in all respects;  flawless  2. 
excellent,  as  in  skill or quality 3.  completely  accurate  4. 
sheer;  utter  [a perfect fool] 5. Gram. expressing  a  state  or 
action completed at the time of speaking - vt. 1. to complete  2. 
to make perfect or nearly perfect - n. 1. the perfect tense 2.  a 
verb form in this tense - perfectly adv - perfectness n.

Love: n. [<OE. lufu]  1. strong affection or liking of someone or 
something. 2. a passionate affection for one of the opposite sex. 
3. The object of such affection, sweetheart. 

Trust:  n.[ON,  traust]  1.  a)  firm  belief  in  the   honesty, 
reliability,  etc.  of  another;  faith b)  the  one  trusted  2. 
confident  expectation,  hope, etc. 3.  responsibility  resulting 
from  confidence  placed in one. 4. Care,  custody  5.  something 
entrusted to one....

Using  these  definitions,  we  come  up  with  "Flawless  strong 
affection and flawless faith.

Is this possible?  Those that follow the religion of Wicca  often 
give  excuses for this just being words.  When this is the  case, 
they are not obeying their faith....thus..they are not  following 
perfect love and perfect trust.  But to the rest...the answer  is 
a  resounding YES.  This does not ask that you "like"  a  person.  
It asks that you see the divine light and love within  individual 
whether you like them or not.  Can this be done...YES. As to  the 
perfect  trust...we  can always trust a fox to be  a  fox  right. 
Therefore,  when we are entering circle, we can  honestly  answer 
perfect  trust even if it is on shaky ground.  We may have  faith 
that this person will act like any other human. 

It  with these beliefs and doctrines that I state that  not  only 
was   the  doctrine,  or  teaching  almost  identical,  but   the 
vocabulary was extensively the same.

It's with these beliefs and doctrines that I state that not  only 
was   the  doctrine,  or  teaching  almost  identical,  but   the 
vocabulary was extensively the same.

Greek  life  was  characterized  by  such  things  as  democratic 
institutions,  seafaring, athletics theatre and  philosophy.  The 
mystery  religions adopted many expressions from  these  domains. 
The  word  for their assembly was Ekklesia of  the  mystai.  They 
spoke of the voyage of life, the ship, the anchor and the port of 
religion,  and the wreath of the initiate.  The  Christians  took 
over the entire terminology, but had to twist many pagan words in 
order  to  fit  into the Christian world.   The  term  Leitourgia 
(meaning  service of the state) became the ritual or  liturgy  of 
the  church. The decree of the assembly and the opinions  of  the 
philosophers  (dogma) became the fixed doctrine of  Christianity.  
The term for "the correct opinion" (or the doxa) became orthodoxy. 

The  mysteries  declined  quickly when  the  emperor  Constantine 
raised Christianity to the status of the state religion.  After a 
short period of toleration, the pagan religions were  prohibited.  
The  property of the pagan gods was confiscated, and the  temples 
were  destroyed.  The metal from which Constantine's gold  pieces 
were coined was taken from the pagan temple treasuries.

The main pagan "strong holds" were Rome and Alexandria.  In Rome, 
the old aristocracy clung to the mysteries and in Alexandria  the 
pagan Neoplatonist philosophers expounded the mystery  doctrines. 
In  394, the opposition of the Roman aristocracy was  crushed  in 
the battle at the Frigidus River (modern stream of Vipacco, Italy 
and stream of Vipava, Yugoslavia). 

According  to  the Christian  theologian  Origen,  Christianity's 
development  during the time of the Roman Empire was part of  the 
divine  plan.   The whole Mediterranean world was united  by  the 
Romans,  and  the  conditions  for  missionary  work  were   more 
favorable  than  ever before.  He explains  the  similarities  as 
natural considering the cultures etc.  The mystery religions  and 
Christianity had many features in common.  Some examples of  this 
are  found in their time of preparation prior to initiation,  and 
periods  of fasting.  Their were pilgrimages, and new  names  for 
the  new  brethren.  Few of the early  Christian  "congregations" 
would   be  called  orthodox  according  to  later  more   modern 
standards. 

Though for many years, the pagan "churches" of this area tried to 
bring  about  a  unity  among  their  "doctrines",  beliefs,  and 
practices  to  raise support for their practices,  the  Christian 
philosophies and doctrines were so organized and strong that this 
fell  as well.  Little did they know that a couple hundred  miles 
away, peoples were still worshipping in pagan temples.

Let's take a look up north.

The  worship of trees goes far back into the history of man.   It 
was  not until Christianity converted the Lithuanians toward  the 
close of the 14th century that tree worship was thought to be  in 
the  past.  The truth is...whereas they are not  worshiped,  they 
are  still  honored by society today in the burning of  the  Yule 
log, May Day bon-fires, Kissing under the Mistletoe, and the ever 
famous Christmas tree. 

The worship of the oak tree or god appears to have been universal 
by  all branches of the Aryan stock in Europe.  Both  Greeks  and 
Italians  associated  the tree with their highest  god,  Zeus  or 
Jupiter,  the  divinity of the sky, the rain,  and  the  thunder.  
Possibly one of the oldest and most famous sanctuaries in  Greece 
was  that of Dodona, where Zeus was revered in th  oracular  oak.  
The  thunderstorms  which  are  said  to  rage  at  Dodona   more 
frequently than anywhere else in Europe, would render the spot  a 
fitting  home  for  the god whose voice was heard  alike  in  the 
rustling of the oak leaves and in the crash of thunder.  

Zeus  of Greece, and Jupiter of Italy both were gods  of  thunder 
and rain, and to both the oak tree were sacred.

To  the  Celts,  or Druids, their worship was  conducted  in  oak 
groves.  The Celtic conquerors, who settled in Asia in the  third 
century b.c., appear to have carried with them the worship of the 
oak to their new home.  In the heart of Asia Minor, the  Galatian 
senate  met in a place which bore the Celtic name of  Drynemetum, 
"the sacred oak grove" or "the temple of the oak."

In  Germany, we find that the veneration for sacred groves  seems 
to  have held the foremost place.  According to Grimm, the  chief 
of their holy trees was the oak.  Again, here we find that it  is 
dedicated to the god of thunder, Donar or Thunar, the  equivalent 
of  the Norse Thor. Among the Slavs, the oak tree was  sacred  to 
the  thunder god Perun. Among the Lithuanians, the oak  tree  was 
sacred to Perkunas or Perkuns, the god of thunder and rain. 
 
The  Christmas  tree,  usually  a  balsam  or  douglas  fir,  was 
decorated  with  lights  and ornaments as  a  part  of  Christmas 
festivities.   The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and  garlands 
as  a symbol of eternal life was an old custom of the  Egyptians, 

Chinese,  and  Hebrews.   Tree worship, common  among  the  pagan 
Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity in the 
Scandinavian  customs  of  decorating the  house  and  barn  with 
evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting 
up a tree for the birds during Christmastide.  It survived in the 
custom  observed  in Germany, of placing a Yule tree  inside  the 
house in the midwinter holidays.

The  modern  Christmas tree originated in Western  Germany.   The 
main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir 
tree  hung  with apples (the tree of Paradise)  representing  the 
Garden  of Eden.  The Germans set up the Paradise tree  in  their 
homes  on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam  and  Eve.  
They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian  sigh 
of redemption).  In later tradition, the wafers were replaced  by 
cookies  of  various  shapes.  Candles were often  added  as  the 
symbol  of Christ, though they were also a pagan symbol  for  the 
light of the God.

As  we  can see, even though the pagan community  has  been  trod 
upon,  it  was  never  destroyed.   The  date  of  Christmas  was 
purposely  fixed on December 25 to push into the  background  the 
great  festival of the sun god, and the Epiphany on January 5  to 
supplant  an  Egyptian festival of the same day  and  the  Easter 
ceremonies were set to rival the pagan spring festival. 

Let's take a look at a few of the holidays and compare.

As  we  can see, even though the pagan community  has  been  trod 
upon,  it  was  never  destroyed.   The  date  of  Christmas  was 
purposely  fixed on December 25 to push into the  background  the 
great  festival of the sun god, and the Epiphany on January 5  to 
supplant  an  Egyptian festival of the same day  and  the  Easter 
ceremonies were set to rival the pagan spring festival. 

Let's take a look at a few of the holidays and compare.

Easter
On Easter Sunday, everywhere, the children hunt the many  colored 
Easter  eggs, brought by the Easter rabbit.  This is the  vestige 
of  a  fertility rite, the eggs and the rabbit  both  symbolizing 
fertility.  The  rabbit was the escort of  the  Germanic  goddess 
Ostara  who  gave her name to the festival by way of  the  German 
Ostern. 

The first day of Spring holds much in the way of folklore.  It is  
also  known  as the Spring Equinox, Ostara, Eostre's  Day,  Alban 
Eilir,  the  Vernal Equinox, or Festival of the Trees.  It  takes 
place  between March 19 and 22.  It marks the first day  of  true 
spring (verses the balmy weather that may precede it.)

The day and night is equal on this day, thus the name of Equinox. 
There is a story in one culture that says that the sun has  begun 
to  win it's race with the night and that the days get longer  as 
the sun pulls ahead. (Followed by the fact that the sun begins to 
lose  the  race at Mid-Summer, and loses the race  at  Mid-Winter 
just to start the race again the next day.)

It  is  a time of beginnings, of action, of  planting  seeds  for 
future grains, and of tending gardens. On the first Sunday  after 
the  first full moon following Eostre's Day (the name from  which 
the  Easter was derived), the Christian religion celebrates  it's 
Easter Day.

Spring  is  a time of the Earth's renewal, a  rousing  of  nature 
after the cold sleep of winter.  As such, it is an ideal time  to 
clean your home to welcome the new season.

Spring cleaning is more than physical work.  Some cultures see it 
as  a  concentrated  effort on their part to  rid  themselves  of 
problems  and  negativity  of the past  months  and  tho  prepare 
themselves for the coming spring and summer.  

To  do this, they approach the task of cleaning their homes  with 
positive thoughts.  They believe that this frees the homes of the 
hard  feelings brought about by a harsh winter. Even  then,  they 
have  guidelines that they follow such as any scrubbing of  stains 
or  hand  rubbing  the floors should be  done  in  a  "clockwise" 
motion.   It is their belief that this aids in filling  the  home 
with good energy for growth.

To the Druidic faith, this is a sacred day occurring in the  month 
of  Fearn (meaning, "I am the shining tear of the Sun"). Part  of 
their  practices  are to clean and  rededicate  outdoor  shrines, 
believing that in doing so they honor the spring maiden.  This  is 
a  time  of fertility of both crops and families.   In  promoting 
crops,  they believe that the use of fire and water (the sun  and 
rain)  will  reanimate all life on Earth.   They  decorate  hard- 
boiled  eggs, the symbol of rebirth, to eat during  their  rites, 
and  such foods as honey cakes and milk punch can also be  found. 
The  mothers and daughters give dinners for each other  and  give 
cards and gifts as a way of merging with the natural flow of life 
and  with each other. (The Druids consider this also as  Mother's 
Day.)

In Greek mythology, spring was the time when Persephone  returned 
from  the  underworld (where the seed was planted in  the  barren 
winter  months) and thus represents the seedlings of the  spring. 
Demeter, Persephone's mother represents the fertile earth and the 
ripened  grain of harvest since it is alleged that she is the  one 
that  created  the need to harvest crops when  her  daughter  was 
kidnapped  and  taken  to  the underworld.   It  was  through  an 
arrangement that her daughter could return for 1/2 the year  that 
Demeter allowed the crops to spring forth for that time until she 
again went into mourning for her daughter in the fall.

In some cultures, even today, the ones that continue to celebrate 
the  rites  of  spring rise on Easter morning to  watch  the  sun 
"Dance" as it rises.

The Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Christ, 
synchronized  with  the  Jewish Pesach,  and  blended  since  the 
earliest  days of Christianity with pagan European rites for  the 
renewed  season.   In all countries Easter falls  on  the  Sunday 
after  the  first  full moon on or following  March  21.   It  is 
preceded by a period of riotous vegetation rites and by a  period 
of  abstinence,  Lent (in Spain Cuaresma, Germany  Lenz,  central 
Italy, Quaresima) and by special rites of Holy Week.

Everywhere  Easter  Sunday is welcomed with  rejoicing,  singing, 
candle processionals, flowers in abundance, and ringing of church 
bells.   Many pagan customs survive, such as the lighting of  new 
fires  at  dawn, among the Maya as well as in Europe,  for  cure, 
renewed life, and protection of the crops.   

May Day
The first day of May: observed as a spring festival everywhere in 
Europe, the United States, and Canada, and as a labor festival in 
certain European countries.  

Rites such as the ever famous May Pole occur in the town  squares 
or  in the family's front yard.  The gathering of green  branches 
and  flowers on May Eve is the symbolic act of bringing home  the 
May, i.e. bringing new life, the spring, into the village.

The  May Queen (and often King) is chosen from among  the  young 
people, and they go singing from door to door throughout the town 
carrying  flowers  or the May tree, soliciting  donations  for  a 
merrymaking  in  return  for  the "blessing  of  May".   This  is 
symbolic of bestowing and sharing of the new creative power  that 
is stirring in the world.  As the kids go from door to door,  the 
May Bride often sings to the effect that those who give will  get 
of nature's bounty through the year.

In parts of France, some jilted youth will lie in a field on  May 
Day  and  pretend to sleep.  If any village girl  is  willing  to 
marry  him, she goes and wakes him with a kiss; the pair then  go 
to  the village inn together and lead the dance  which  announces 
their engagement.  The boy is called "the betrothed of May."

This  festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May  Day.  It 
officially  begins  at  moonrise on May Day Eve,  and  marks  the 
beginning  of  the third quarter or second half  of  the  ancient 
Celtic  year.   It is celebrated as an  early  pastoral  festival 
accompanying the first turning of the herds out to wild  pasture.  
The  rituals  were held to promote fertility.   The  cattle  were 
driven  between the Belfires to protect them from ills.   Contact 
with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun.  

The  rowan  branch  is hung over the house fire  on  May  Day  to 
preserve  the fire itself from bewitchment (the house fire  being 
symbolic of the luck of the house. 

In early Celtic times, the druids kindled the Beltane fires  with 
specific incantations.  Later the Christian church took over  the 
Beltane  observances, a service was held in the church,  followed 
by a procession to the fields or hills, where the priest  kindled 
the fire.

In some rituals, a King and Queen May symbolize the male and female 
principles of productivity. 

We  have looked briefly at the similarities of  the  philosophies 
and vocabularies, but is that all that they had in common?  Let's 
look at symbologies.

For  many years, the cross has been the symbol  representing  the 
death  of the Christian Christ.  It has represented that  through 
his  death, man could be reborn into God's grace.  Thus, we  have 
the  philosophy  of life in death being connected to  the  cross.  
Is  this the only time where this symbol was recognized as  such?  
Let's go back to Egypt and find out.

An upright piece of wood, tied to a horizontal beam indicated the 
height  of  the  flood waters on the Nile.  This  beam  formed  a 
cross.   If  the  waters  failed to rise  during  the  season  of 
planting,  it  meant a poor harvest for these people.   Thus  the 
cross was revered as a symbol of life and regeneration. 

The Ankh represents the genitals of both sexes.  The cross itself 
is  a  primitive form of the phallus, and the loop  that  of  the 
womb. Again, we continue the symbol of the cross as the giver  of 
life.

Oh  my gosh...did I use the word phallus in connection  with  the 
cross?  Oops!  

Yes...even  prior  to  this time was the cross a  symbol  of  the 
phallus  or  fertility.   This is not the  only  thing  that  the 
phallus has symbolized over the many centuries within and without 
the pagan world.  It has also been used as a symbol of strength.

Within the Bible, we find several references to the horn also  as 
a  symbol of strength.

2 Samuel 22:3 - He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation.
Luke 1:69 - And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us.
Psalm 18:2 - He is my shield and the horn of my salvation.

The move from horn to helmet is followed up also in the bible  as 
follows:
Isaiah 59:17 - For he put an helmet of salvation upon his head.
Ephesians 6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation.
1  Thessalonians  5:8  -  ...putting  on  faith  and  love  as  a 
breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 

In  Roman days a warrior would were horns on his helmet.   If  he 
came back defeated, he was said to have been dehorned.  There are 
several  references  where a soldier who lost his helmet  on  the 
field  was killed for this offense because it meant dishonor  for 
him to loose his horn.

Shakespeare had much knowledge of the use of horns as a symbol of 
protection  and victory as is evident in his works "As  You  Like 
It" (IV,2) and in "Measure for Measure" (II,4:16) when he writes: 
"Let's  write  good  angell on the devill's horne;  tis  not  the 
devill's crest." 

Even  in modern days, the Catholic Church uses this  symbol  when 
setting  the mitre upon the head of a newly  consecrated  bishop.  
The  words used at such a time are: "We set on the head  of  this 
Bishop,  O  Lord,  Thy champion, the helmet  of  defense  and  of 
salvation, that with comely face and with his head armed with the 
horns  of  either  Testament  he  may  appear  terrible  to   the 
gainsayers of the truth, and may become their vigorous assailant, 
through  the abundant gift of Thy grace, who didst make the  face 
of Thy servant Moses to shine after familiar converse with  Thee, 
and  didst adorn it with the resplendent horns of Thy  brightness 
and Thy truth and commandedst the mitre to be set on the head  of 
Aaron,  Thy high priest, Etc..." (Copies in Latin and  translated 
can be found in The Order Consecration of a Bishop Elect with the 
imprimatur  of H. Card. Vaughn, p. 14, Burns and Oates, 1893.)  


If  we are looking at protections and the like, we must  look  at 
the  use of stones and crystals within our lives.  Yes,  even  in 
the Christian bible, the powers and uses of stones is  mentioned. 
Exodus  28:15-21 - "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions  - 
the  work  of a skilled craftsman.  MAke it like  the  ephod:  of 
gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted 
linen.  It is to be square - a span (9 inches) wide - and  folded 
double.   Then mount four rows of precious stones on it.  In  the 
first  row  there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a  beryl;  in  the 
second  row  a  turquoise, a sapphire (or lapis  lazuli)  and  an 
emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in 
the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.  Mount them in 
gold  filigree settings.  There are to be twelve stones, one  for 
each  of  the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved  like  a 
seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."

Exodus  28:9-14  - Take two onyx stones and engrave  on  the  
names  of  the sons of Israel in the order of their birth  -  six 
names  on one stone and the remaining six on the other.   Engrave 
the  names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a  gem 
cutter  engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in  gold  filigree 
settings  and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod  as 
memorial  stones  for the sons of Israel.  Aaron is to  bear  the 
names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord.  Make  gold 
filigree  settings  and two braided chains of pure gold,  like  a 
rope, and attach the chains to the settings. 

Though it does not say as much, we might take the engraving as  a 
form of runes, again creating a similarity between the craft  and 
religions of old.

From  man's search for protection, we come to the telling by  the 
stars...Astrology, and the use of stars as protectors of man.

The  lore behind the star of David is an interesting  tale.   The 
easy interpretation is that of Zionism.  The more research you do 
on  this though, you will find that once again, depending on  the 
cultures  you  look at, it's interpretation  changes.   The  six-
pointed  star  formed  by the superimposing of  one  triangle  on 
another.  The symbol is a combination of the male (apex  upwards) 
and female (apex downwards) triangles;  it is said, in cabalistic 
writings, to comprise the signs of the four elements and the four 
letters of the Tetragrammaton, and thus it came to be the  symbol 
for God.  Since the Biblical commandment puts a taboo on the  use 
of  the Name of God and on the depiction of God, the  symbol  was 
inscribed as the graphic representation of God in synagogues  and 
wherever the Name was appropriate.  In alchemy, the star of David 
combined  the  symbols  for  fire  and  water;  hence,  it  meant 
distillation.   Until recently, therefore, it appeared  on  shops 
selling  brandy.  The star of David is the symbol of Zionism  and 
appears  on the flag of Israel.  As Solomon's seal, the  hexagram 
possessed  power to control demons of all kinds.  The stopper  on 
the  bottle containing the bottle imp or jinni was  stamped  with 
the  seal  of Solomon.  In the Nsibidi script of West  Africa,  a 
native  form  of  writing,  the symbol  means  ardent  love;  the 
universality  of  the  male-female content of the  sign  is  here 
apparent. 

Astrology also has interesting roots.  Though the word itself  is 
made  up of the Greek words meaning "star logic" (astra  -  star, 
Logos  - logic), the actual origin is yet to be  determined.   We 
read  in the Epic of Creation of Sumer - Akkad, or Early  Babylon 
(ca  2200-1900  B.C.)  that:  "The  Star  -  Jupiter  who  brings 
prophecies  to all is my Lord.  My Lord be at peace.  The Star  - 
Mercury  allows rain to fall. The Star - Saturn, the star of  Law 
and Justice..."

The  telling  of fortunes by the stars underwent an  avid  growth 
spurt during the times of the Roman Empire, and though with minor 
qualms with the Christian church, it co-existed peacefully  until 
the  time  of  Constantine  when  all  "pagan"  activities   were 
outlawed.  Though  outlawed within the  Roman  Empire,  Astrology 
continued to thrive within the Middle East.

I  realize that I said that I would touch on the inquisition  and 
such,  however, I think that it is common knowledge the  document 
used to persecute those involved was written by the Friars within 
the  Catholic  Church  at the time.  The  document,  The  Malleus 
Maleficarum,  was a document designed to bring about fear  within 
the  Christian community, and more power to the church.  What  is 
not widely realized is that the majority of the persons that were 
either burned, drowned, or hung were not witches, but Protestants 
within the Christian church.  (The ones that were Protesting  the 
Catholic church.)

I realize that, at this time, this is a rather sketchy  document. 
I hope in the near future to be able to take the time to  develop 
more  of  the depth that I would like to put into  bring  up  our 
roots.  I  hope to include in the expanded edition the  times  of 
burning,  modern witchcraft, more symbols, and famous persons  in 
the craft.

We've  changed...but  then as a good friend has told me  on  more 
than  one occasion..."When we cease to change, we cease to  grow.  
When we cease to grow, life ends."



                          Bibliography

The Golden Bough - Frazer, Sir James George, Macmillan Publishing 
          Co., NY, NY  c 1922

Witchcraft The Old Religion - Martello

Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and 
Legend

The History of Witchcraft - Russell, Jeffrey B., c 1980

Encyclopedia Britanica - 1986

The Holy Bible (New International Version)

Under the Spell of the Zodiac - Mark Graubard

Alchemy: Origin or Origins? - H. J. Sheppard, AMBIX, July 1970

Magic, Supernaturalism, and Religion - Seligmann c 1948


	MAGICK, Physics, and Probability


Now, as most of you may know, Magick is a somewhat controversial issue.  Even the spelling of the word is argued about!  I have picked up the habit (only the gods know where I picked it up ... possibly from my occasional perusals of Crowley) of using "Magick" for the real thing, and using "Magic" for what a stage magician does. 

Before I go any further, I guess that I had better define Magick.  One 
definition is: "the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity to Will" - A. Crowley.

Now, while Crowley himself, was quite controversial, I think we can all agree that this should serve as a generic definition of Magick. But, one of the differences between types of magicks is in the way of raising or calling energy to cause change.  Thus, such a change may be accomplished in one of a couple of ways:        

1. The magick may be caused by the action of only one person or group of 
people.

2. The magick may be caused by the intercession of some higher (or lower) being who was evoked or controlled by a person or group of people.        

3. The magick may be caused by the action of one person or group of people who is/are "borrowing" energy from some higher being (lower beings may sell energy, but seldom lend or give it).        

4. The magick may be caused by the person or persons use of an object or 
location which was previously charged with energy (ie. a Magickal Tool, 
Talisman, standing stones,  etc).

Note:  The use of a sacrifice (which can range from symbolic sacrifices of 
Grain, Wine, etc., all the way to Human Sacrifice [something which I, 
personally, am against]) is a combination of methods, in that a relative amount of energy is released at the sacrifice itself, and, a larger amount of energy is usually then given forth by a higher or lower being.  

In many ways, Magick is quite similar to the harder sciences.  In both, one must expend energy in order to effect a change, or, TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch).  Another difference between types of Magick is in the Focusing or Concentrating of the power being raised.  This may be accomplished through the use of chanting, singing, dancing, various types of meditation, and through formalized Ritual steps, which may or may not involve Magickal Tools.  Which brings us up to another controversial issue...  the use and meaning of the Circle in Wiccan and Ceremonial Magicks.  


Now, as some of you may know, a Magickal Circle serves a couple of uses, and, as far as I can see, the argument is really over which is the most important aspect of such a Circle.  Most modern Wicca types will say that a Circle's property of: "Holding and concentrating the energy being raised, until it is ready to be released" is the most important.  Many Ceremonial types cite the Circle's ability to keep out negative energies and influences as being most important.  While, some others say that a Circle relates the tie of spirit to body, and the ability of spirit to act on the body, with the tie of the people on the inside to the world(s) without, and a similar ability to cause change.  

As for my own position on this argument, while, in most areas, I tend to favor the Wiccan position (albeit, with a decidedly Discordian slant),in this case, I'll say:  "Who CARES which is most important!?!  A Circle does all of the above, and more, but, it's not worth arguing over!"  So, on to the heart of this article:  Explaining Magick in terms of Quantum Physics [{chuckle}, I knew a couple of Physicists who used to explain Quantum Physics in terms of Magick {grin}].  This covers the how and why Magick works.  PLEASE NOTE:  I do not claim to be infallible, this is not a laying down of the LAW.  Rather, this is simply a theory.  But then, E = MC(squared)is simply a theory.  However there exists lots of data which supports both theories.   Since I've already covered some basic Magickal Theory, it looks like time to start on the Physics end of things.  I'll start with the theories of Probability and Uncertainty.   

Probability can be likened to Voltaire's Theory that:  "Since this is the Only One of All Possible Worlds that we know, it must, therefore, be the Best of All Possible Worlds!".   While this may be an interesting concept, Voltaire's logic is slightly flawed.  A better statement would be: "This is the most Probable of All Possible Worlds".  Thus, the Theory of Probability is quite simple.  Everything we see or experience is due to probability.  An Apple, when dropped, will fall (as long as it's in a gravity well, like, the surface of a planet, and, no other forces are acting on it), because falling is the most probable course of action open to it.  Uncertainty comes into play when there IS no one most probable thing to happen.  Good examples of uncertainty in action are small things, like electrons in orbit around an atom.  Since there is no one most probable spot for that electron to be, it isn't in one place.  There is a locus of higher probability, where in a lower energy electron is more likely to be closer to the nucleus, and higher energy ones farther away.  Thus, scientists may either pin down where an electron is, or, where it is going, but, they CAN'T pin down both at the same time.  Also, electrons tend to vibrate in energy level, spontaneously bouncing up and down, seeking their most probable states.  


So, "Where does Magick come into play?" one may ask (assuming, that is, that one has made it this far).  Well, one of the tenants of the Theory of 
Probability is that: the possibility of an event occurring depends upon the events probability.  Thus, if said probability can be changed, one could, 
theoretically, either make such an event happen, or prevent such an event from happening.  And this is what Magick really is ... the Art of Changing 
Probability.  And, here's how that happens ... Einstein, as some may recall, was NOT happy with the theory of Probability. Since, who decides what is most probable, and, how can such decisions be altered?  Einstein said "God does not play dice with the universe!", and tried, for years, to come up with a better theory.  But, he failed, and so far, all the data collected tends to support the theory of Probability.  Some others have come up with possible answers to the above posed question.  One of which is that Chance determines probability (this is the theory that Einstein commented upon).  Another theory is that some sort of GOD decides probability.  Needless to say, whatever being who could alter probability at will, WOULD be a god!  And so, that brings us to the present state of affairs.  No doubt, even as I write, somewhere, there is someone trying to come up with some more theories governing the manipulation of probability, and thus, allowing the construction of a machine which does just that.  But, there are also some who have found that such a machine exists... 

PEOPLE!     There is already lots of evidence, some documented, most overlooked or kept hidden by the use of vows, that People CAN affect probability. 
Blessed Be... Hurn

                           Definitions

Some food for thought for those of us who are fond of the word
magic.

"... as the symbolic background of magical techniques as well as their deployment in official ceremonies shows, the transition between magic and religion is very fluid.  Since religious symbols are always a synthesis between the visible and the invisible, they may be looked upon as signposts in the search for religious meaning, or misinterpreted as ends in themselves.  In this sense each ritual may be either religious or magical,
conditional upon the intention of the participants.

     Distinctions can be made, as precise as the symbols and principles employed allow, among various types of magic.  Substitute Magic is based upon the idea that a part substitutes for the whole, thereby reversing the transcendental principle that the part may represent the whole.  Man seizes power over someone else by possessing parts of him, e.g. bones, hair, nails, etc.  Contagious magic obtains when the substitution of the part
for the whole is only partially realized and integrated into a scheme of causal connection.  By touching or wearing power-laden objects such as relics, fetishes, sacred stones, amulets, etc. or even by assimilating them as in the case of cannibalism, man integrates him-self and his deeds into the efficacy of an invisible power structure.  Sympathetic magic deals with symbols and their supposed unity or sympathy with that which is sympathized.  It differs from substitute magic by the ideational character of the substitution.  Examples are the anticipation of a successful hunt by striking a picture of the animal; the manipulation of pictures and figures in general; the use of curse figurines or dolls; the deployment of arcane formulas, both in connection with pictures and statues or independently from them.  In this latter instance, the practice of subjecting the godhead, a ghost, or an individual to one's will by means of a name or
proper formula should also be mentioned.  Gnoseological magic appears as a more or less autonomous type when the instrumental function of knowledge and reason becomes an end in itself.  The knowledge of the right time, the right setting, the godhead proper in a given situation, is in itself sufficient reason to achieve the desired goal.  The world of the sacred as a means of orientation for the growth and meaning of the person turns into a state of impersonal and mechanically effective anonymity.  Ascetic technique becomes its own end, effective by its very deployment.

     As a technique of reaching goals by means different from those required by these goals, magic is of particular significance for the social life of a community.  In this regard we have to distinguish between official and private magic.  Official magic obtains when public affairs are treated by help of magical techniques, e.g., when a drought is counteracted by the imitative act of sprinkling water, or when the office of a shaman
is a generally recognized institution.  Private magic on the other hand is a matter of individuals and/or exclusive groups who, often in deep secrecy, use their knowledge and techniques in order to pursue their particular goals....."
__________________________________

From the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion. 

..........  FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987

	 THE BASICS OF MAGICK 

I.  Ethics
	A.  The Wiccan Rede
	B.  The Law or Return (sometimes called the "Threefold Law")
	C.  Perfect Love and Perfect Trust (among partners in magick)

II.	The Witches' Pyramid
	A.  Faith in your abilities and powers.
	B.  Imagination to vividly create in your mind that which you desire            to manifest.
	C.  Will to achieve your goal despite all obstacles.
	D.  Secrecy to keep your magickal intention concentrated and pure.

III.	The four Qualities of the Mage
	A.  To know
	B.  To will
	C.  To dare
	D.  To keep silence

IV.	Preparatory Skills (hatha and raja yoga are good aids to developing 	                   these)
	A.  Cleansing, clearing and stilling
	B.  Grounding
	C.  Centering
	d.  Concentrating ieving one-pointedness)

V.	Defining the Goal:  Form vs. Essence

VI.  Working with the Power
	A.  Confining it (casting the Circle)
	B.  Raising it
	C.  Sending it (channeling it)... for immediate effect or into storage
	D.  Earthing the excess (grounding it)

VII.  Systems and Techniques

	A.  Spellcraft
	B.  Words of Power and affirmations, charms and 
         incantations
	C.  Dance, postures and mudras
	D.  Meditation, trancework and hypnosis, fascination
	E.  Stone magick
	F.  Candle magick
	G.  Amulets and talismans;  power objects or "psychic batteries"
	H.  Healing
		1.  Psychic (visualization, laying on of hands)
		2.  Herbal
		3.  Energy channeling iwht auras and chakras
		4.  Color therapy
		5.  Other systems listed above  


	I.  Divination
		1.  Scrying
		2.  Astrology
		3.  Tarot
		4.  Runesticks
		5.  Lithomancy (casting the stones)
		6.  I Ching
		7.  Other systems
		8.  Pendulum or radiesthesia

	J.  Astral travel
	K.  Thought forms;  wraiths, fetches, artificial elementals
	L.  Extra-sensory perception
		1.  Clairsentience
		2.  Clairvoyance
		3.  Clairaudience
		4.  Precognition
		5.  Telepathy
		6.  Telempathy
		7.  Psychometry
		8.  Telekinesis
		9.  Teleportation

	M.  Sympathetic magic (poppets and such)
	N.  Runes
	O.  Mediumship, necromancy, and spirit guides
	P.  Philtres and Poteins
	Q.  Cleansing, purification, protection and blessing;  exorcism;               ligature, binding
	R.  Power animals, totems and familiars;  shapeshifting
	S.  Tree magick
	T.  Dreamcraft
	U.  Ritual tool magick
	V.  Invocation, evocation and going into aspect
	W.  Symbols, sigils and images; Tattvic symbols; numerology
	X.  Conjuration or summoning;  banishing or exorcism
	Y.  Commemoration or linking
	Z.  Past life regression or recall
	AA. Pathworking on the Tree of Life
	BB. Ceremonial magic

VIII.  Timing
	A.  The lunar cycle
	B.  The Wheel of the Year
	C.  Astrological conjunctions
	D.  Planetary hours and days
	E.  Individual biorhythms

IX.  Creating your own reality, following your True Will

Prepared by:  Amber K
              Our Lady of the Woods

"Magick    is   the    Highest,   most    Absolute,   and   most   Divine   Knowledge   of    Natural   Philosophy;    advanced   in  its  works  and
wonderful   operations  by  a   right   understanding  of the  inward and
occult  virtue  of  things;  so  that true Agents being applied to proper
Patients,   strange   and  admirable   effects  will thereby be produced.
Whence   magicians    are    profound   and    diligent   searchers  into
Nature;  they,  because  of  their  skill,   know  how to  anticipate  an
effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle."

               The Goetia of the Lemegeton of King Solomon.
                                  *

  "Whenever  sympathetic   magic  occurs  in   its   pure   unadulterated
form,   it  is   assumed   that  in  nature  one  event  follows  another
necessarily  and  invariably  without the intervention of  any  spiritual
or personal agency.

  Thus  its   fundamental   conception  is   identical   with   that   of 
modern   science;    underlying    the    whole   system   is   a  faith,
implicit   but   real   and   firm,   in   the  order  and  uniformity of
nature.   The   magician  does  not  doubt  that  the  same  causes  will
always  produce  the  same  effects,   that  the   performance   of   the
proper   ceremony    accompanied   by   the   appropriate   spell,   will
inevitably  be  attended  by  the  desired  results,  unless, indeed, his
incantations should  chance  to  be  thwarted  and  foiled  by  the  more
potent  charms  of  another   sorcerer.    He   supplicates   no   higher
power:  he  sues  the  favor  of  no  fickle  and   wayward   being:  he
abases himself before no  awful  deity.   Yet  his  power,  great  as  he
believes  it  to  be,  is  by  no  means arbitrary and unlimited.  He can
wield  it  only  so  long  as  he  strictly  conforms to the rules of his
art, or to what may  be  called  the  laws  of  nature  as  conceived  by
him.   To  neglect  these  rules,  to  break  these  laws in the smallest
particular is to  incur  failure,  and  may  even  expose  the  unskillful
practitioner  himself  to  the  utmost peril.  If he claims a sovereignty
over  nature,  it  is  a constitutional sovereignty rigorously limited in
its  scope  and  exercised  in  exact  conformity  with  ancient  usage.
Thus   the   analogy   between   the    magical   and    the   scientific
conceptions   of   the   world   is   close.    In both   of   them   the
succession   of   events   is   perfectly   regular   and  certain, being
determined   by   immutable   laws,    the   operation   of   which   can
be   foreseen   and   calculated   precisely;   the   elements of caprice,
of  chance,  and  of  accident  are  banished  from the course of nature.
Both  of  them  open  up  a  seemingly  boundless  vista of possibilities
to  him  who  knows  the  causes  of  things  and  can  touch  the secret
springs  that  set in  motion  the  vast  and  intricate mechanism of the
world.  Hence  the  strong  attraction  which  magic  and  science  alike
have  exercised  on  the   human  mind;   hence  the   powerful  stimulus
that  both  have  given  to  the  pursuit  of  knowledge.   They lure the
weary enquirer,  the  footsore  seeker,  on  through  the  wilderness  of
disappointment  in  the  present   by  their  endless  promises   of  the
future:  they  take  him  up  to  the  top  of an exceeding high mountain
and shew him, beyond the dark  clouds  and  rolling  mist  at  his  feet,
a  vision  of  the  celestial city,  far off, it may be, but radiant with
unearthly splendor, bathed in the light of dreams."

                   Dr. J. G. FRAZER, "The Golden Bough".
                                  *


  "So  far,   therefore,  as  the   public  profession   of   magic   has
been   one   of   the   roads   by   which  men  have  passed  to supreme
power,   it   has   contributed   to   emancipate   mankind    from   the
thraldom of  tradition  and  to  elevate  them   into  a   larger,  freer
life,  with  a  broader   outlook   on  the   world.  This   is  no small
service     rendered    to    humanity.     And    when    we    remember
further   that  in  another   direction   magic   has  paved ther way for
science, we are forced to admit that if the  black  arts  has  done  much
evil, it has also been the  source of  much  good;  that  if  it  is  the
child   of   error,   it   has   been   the    mother   of   freedom  and
truth."

                                                                    Ibid.
                                    *


  "Prove  all  things;    hold  fast  that  which  is  good".
 
                                                                St. Paul.
                                    *


  "Also  the  mantras  and  the spells;   the  obeah  and the  wanga; the
work of the wand and the  work  of  the  sword:   these  he  shall  learn
and teach.
  "He must teach; but he may make severe the ordeals.
  "The word of the Law is THELEMA."

                     LIBER AL vel xxxi:  The Book of the Law.

                                   -----------


This book is for
                                ALL:
for every man, woman, and child.

  My  former  work  has  been  misunderstood,  and  its  scope   limited,
by   my  use  of  technical  terms.   It  has  attracted  only  too  many
dilettanti  and  eccentrics,  weaklings  seeking  in  "Magic"  an  escape
from reality.  I myself  was  first  consciously  drawn  to  the  subject
in  this  way.   And  it  has  repelled  only  too  many  scientific  and
practical minds, such as I most designed to influence.
  But
                               MAGICK
is for
                                ALL.
  I  have  written  this  book  to help  the  Banker,  the  Pugilist, the
Biologist, the Poet,  the  Navvy,  the  Grocer,  the  Factory  Girl,  the
Mathematician,  the  Stenographer,    the   Golfer,    the   Wife,    the
Consul--and   all   the   rest--to   fulfil  themselves  perfectly,  each
in his or her own proper function.


  Let  me  explain  in  a  few  words  how  it came about that I blazoned
the word
                               MAGICK
upon   the   Banner   that  I   have  borne  before   me   all  my  life.

  Before I touched  my teens,   I  was  already  aware  that  I  was  The
Beast  whose  number   is   666.   I  did  not  understand  in  the least
what that implied; it was a passionately ecstatic sense of identity.
  In my third  year  at  Cambridge,   I  devoted  myself  consciously  to
the   Great  Work,   understanding   thereby   the  Work  of  becoming  a
Spiritual Being, free from  the  constraints, accidents,  and  deceptions
of material existence.

  I  found  myself  at  a  loss  for  a  name  to designate my work, just
as   H.P.  Blavatsky   some   years   earlier.   "Theosophy",  "Spiritua-
lism",   "Occultism",   "Mysticism",   all  involved   undesirable   con-
notations.

  I chose therefore the name.
                               "MAGICK"
as  essentially  the  most  sublime,  and actually the most  discredited,
of all the available terms.

  I swore to rehabilitate
                                MAGICK,
to  identify  it  with  my  own  career;   and  to   compel   mankind  to
respect, love, and trust that which they scorned, hated and feared.
I have kept my Word.

  But  the  time  is now  come  for  me  to  carry  my  banner  into  the
thick of the press of human life.

  I must make
                                MAGICK
the essential factor in the life of 
                                 ALL.

  In  presenting  this  book  to  the  world,  I  must  then  explain and
justify   my   position   by  formulating  a  definition of
                                MAGICK
and setting forth its main  principles in such a way that
                                  ALL
may  understand  instantly  that  their  souls,  their lives,   in  every
relation  with   every   other   human   being  and  every  circumstance, 
depend upon
                                 MAGICK
and the right comprehension and right application thereof.


I.  DEFINITION.
                                 MAGICK
is  the  Science  and  Art  of  causing  Change  to  occur   in   confor-
mity with Will.

  ( Illustration:  It  is  my  Will  to inform the World of certain facts
within  my   knowledge.   I   therefore   take   "magical weapons",   pen,
ink,  and  paper;  I  write  "incantations"  --these sentences--  in  the
"magical language"  i.e.  that  which  is  understood  by  the  people  I
wish to instruct;  I call forth  "spirits", such as printers, publishers,
booksellers,  and  so  forth,  and  constrain  them  to convey my message
to those people.   The composition  and  distribution  of  this  book  is
thus an act of
                                  MAGICK
by  which  I  cause  Changes  to  take   place  in  conformity   with  my
Will) *By "intentional" I mean  "willed".   But  even  unintentional  act
so-seeming  are  not  truly  so.   Thus, breathing is an act of the Will-
to-Live.*

II.  POSTULATE.

  ANY    required   Change   may   be   effected   by   the   application
of   the    proper   kind   and   degree   of   Force   in   the   proper
manner  through the proper medium to the proper object.

  ( Illustration:  I  wish  to  prepare  an  ounce  of  Chloride of Gold.
I  must  take  the  right  kind of acid, nitro-hydrochloric and no other,
in sufficient quantity and  of  adequate  strength,  and  place  it, in a
vessel which will not break, leak,  or  corrode,  in  such  a  manner  as
will  not  produce  undesirable  results,  with  the  necessary  quantity
of Gold: and so forth.  Every Change has its own conditions.

  In  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge  and   power   some changes
are not possible in practice; we  cannot  cause  eclipses,  for instance,
or transform  lead into tin,  or  create  men  from  mushrooms.   But  it
is  theoretically  possible  to  cause  in any object any change of which
that  object  is  capable  by  nature;  and the conditions are covered by
the above postulate.)


III.  THEOREMS.

  (1)  Every  intentional  act  is  a  Magical Act.  *In one sense Magick
may be defined as the name given to Science by the vulgar.*
  (Illustration:  See "Definition" above.) 

  (2)  Every successful act has conformed to the postulate.

  (3)  Every failure proves that one or more requirements
of the postulate have not been fulfilled.

  ( Illustrations:  There  may  be failure  to understand  the  case;  as
when a doctor  makes  a  wrong  diagnosis,   and  his  treatment  injures
his  patient.   There  may  be  failure  to  apply  the   right  kind  of
force, as when a rustic tries  to  blow  out  an  electric  light.  There
may  be  failure  to  apply  the  right  degree  of  force,   as  when  a
wrestler has his hold  broken.    There  may  be  failure  to  apply  the
force  in  the  right  manner,  as  when  one  presents  a  cheque at the
wrong  window  of  the  Bank.   There  may  be  failure  to   employ  the
correct  medium,   as  when  Leonardo  da  Vinci  found  his  masterpiece
fade  away.   The  force  may  be  applied  to  an  unsuitable object, as
when one tries to crack a stone, thinking it a nut.)

  (4)  The    first    requisite    for    causing    any    change    is
thorough   qualitative   and    quantitative   understanding    of    the
conditions.

  (Illustration:  The  most  common  cause  of   failure   in   life   is
ignorance  of  one's  own   True Will,   or   of   the  means by which to
fulfil that Will.   A  man  may  fancy  himself  a  painter,   and  waste
his  life  trying  to  become  one;  or  he  may be really a painter, and
yet fail to understand  and  to  measure  the  difficulties  peculiar  to
that carrier.)

  (5)  The    second   requisite   of   causing   any   change   is   the
practical ability to set in right motion the necessary forces.

  (Illustration:  A   banker   may   have   a   perfect  grasp of a given
situation, yet lack the quality of decision,  or  the  assets,  necessary
to take advantage of it.)

  (6)  "Every  man   and   every   woman   is   a   star".   That  is  to
say,  every  human  being  is  intrinsically  an  independent  individual
with his own proper character and proper motion.

  (7)  Every   man   and   every   woman   has   a   course,    depending
partly   on   the   self,    and   partly   on   the environment which is
natural   and   necessary   for   each.   Anyone   who   is   forced from
his  own   course,   either    through    not    understanding   himself,
or  through   external  opposition,   comes   into   conflict   with  the
order of the Universe, and suffers accordingly.

  (Illustration: A  man  may  think it  his duty to act in a certain way,
through   having   made   a   fancy   picture   of   himself,  instead of
investigating  his  actual  nature.   For  example,   a  woman  may  make
herself  miserable  for  life  by  thinking  that  she  prefers  love  to
social consideration,  or  visa  versa.   One  woman  may  stay  with  an
unsympathetic  husband  when  she  would  really  be  happy  in  an attic
with  a   lover,   while   another  may  fool  herself  into  a  romantic
elopement  when   her   only  true   pleasures  are  those of presiding at
fashionable functions.  Again,  a boy's  instinct  may  tell  him  to  go
to  sea,  while  his  parents  insist  on his becoming a doctor.  In such
a case, he will be both unsuccessful and unhappy in medicine.)


  (8)  A man whose  conscious   will   is   at   odds   with   his   True
Will   is   wasting   his   strength.    He   cannot   hope  to influence
his environment efficiently.

  (Illustration:  When  Civil War  rages  in  a  nation,   it  is  in  no
condition   to   undertake  the  invasion  of  other  countries.   A  man
with  cancer  employs  his  nourishment  alike  to  his  own  use  and to
that of the enemy which is a part of himself.  He soon  fails  to  resist
the  pressure  of  his  environment.    In  practical  life, a man who is
doing what his conscience   tells  him  to  be  wrong  will  do  it  very
clumsily.  At first!)

  (9)  A  man  who  is  doing  his  True   Will   has   the   inertia  of
the Universe to assist him.

  (Illustration:  The  first  principle  of  success in evolution is that
the  individual  should  be  true  to  his  own  nature,  and at the same
time adaot himself to his environment.)

  (10)  Nature     is     a     continuous    phenomenon,    though    we
do   not   know    in   all   cases   how   things   are   connected.

  (Illustration:  Human  consciousness  depends  on  the   properties  of
protoplasm,  the  existence  of  which  depends  on  innumerable physical
conditions peculiar to this planet; and  this  planet  is  determined  by
the mechanical  balance  of  the  whole  universe  of  matter.    We  may
then  say  that  our  consciousness  is  causally   connected   with  the
remotest galaxies;  yet  we  do  not  know  even  how  it  arises  from--
or with--the molecular changes in the brain.)

  (11)  Science   enables   us   to   take   advantage   of  the  contin-
uity    of   Nature    by   the   empirical   application   of    certain
principles   whose   interplay    involves   different   orders  of  idea
connected with each other in a way beyond our present comprehension.

  (Illustration: We are  able   to   light   cities   by    rule-of-thumb
methods.   We   do   not   know   what   consciousness is,   or how it is
connected with muscular action;  what  electricity  is  or   how   it  is
connected   with   the   machines  that  generate  it;  and  our  methods
depend   on   calculation   involving   mathematical   ideas   which have
no correspondence in the Universe as   we   know   it.)  *For   instance, 
"irrational", "unreal", and "infinite" expressions.*


  (12)  Man   is   ignorant   of   the   nature   of  his  own  being and
powers.    Even    his    idea    of    his   limitations  is   based  on
experience   of    the    past,    and  every    step  in   his  progress
extends   his  empire.    There  is   therefore  no   reason  to   assign
theoretical limits to what he may be, or to what he may do.
*i.e.,  except--possibly--in  the  case  of  logically  absurd questions,
such as the Schoolmen discussed in connection with "God".*

  (Illustration:  A generation  ago   it   was   supposed   theoretically
impossible  that  man  should  ever  know  the  chemical  composition  of
the fixed stars.  It is known that our senses  are   adapted  to  receive
only an infinitesimal fraction of the possible rates of vibration.
Modern instruments have enabled us to   detect  some   of  these   supra-
sensibles by indirect methods,  and even  to use their peculiar qualities
in the service of man,  as in  the  case  of  the  rays  of   Hertz   and
Roentgen.   As  Tyndall  said,   man  might  at   any  moment   learn   to
perceive and utilize vibrations of  all  conceivable   and  inconceivable
kinds.   The   question  of   Magick   is  a  question of discovering and
employing hitherto  unknown forces   in  nature.   We   know  that   they
exist,  and  we  cannot   doubt  the   possibility  of mental or physical
instruments capable of bringing us into relation with them.)

  (13)   Every  man   is   more   or   less   aware   that  his individu-
ality    comprises    several  orders   of  existence,   even  when   he
maintains   that  his   subtler  principles   are   merely    symptomatic
of the  changes   in  his   gross  vehicle.    A  similar  order  may  be
assumed to extend throughout nature.

  (Illustration: One   does  not   confuse   the  pain  of toothache with
the decay  which  causes  it.   Inanimate   objects   are  sensitive   to
certain  physical  forces,  such  as electrical and thermal conductivity;
but   neither   in  us   nor  in   them--so  far as we know--is there any
direct conscious perception of  these  forces.   Imperceptible influences
are  therefore   associated  with   all  material   phenomena;  and there
is no reason  why  we   should  not   work  upon  matter   through  those
subtle  energies   as  we  do  through their material bases.  In fact, we
use   magnetic  force   to  move   iron, and solar radiation to reproduce
images.)

  (14)  Man   is   capable   of   being,   and   using,   anything  which 
he perceives,  for  everything   that   he  perceives  is  in  a  certain
sense  a  part  of  his  being.    He  may  thus  subjugate   the   whole
Universe of which he is conscious to his individual Will.

  (Illustration:   Man  has  used  the  idea   of  God  to   dictate  his
personal  conduct,   to  obtain  power  over  his  fellows, to excuse his
crimes,   and  for  innumerable   other   purposes,  including   that  of
realizing  himself  as  God.   He   has  used  the  irrational and unreal
conceptions  of  mathematics  to   help  him   in  the   construction  of
mechanical   devices.   He  has  used  his  moral  force to influence the
actions even of  wild  animals.    He  has  employed  poetic  genius  for
political purposes.)


  (15)  Every   force   in  the    Universe   is    capable    of   being
transformed   into   any   other   kind   of   force   by  using suitable
means.    There    is    thus    an    inexhaustible    supply   of   any
particular kind of force that we may need.

  (Illustration:    Heat   may  be   transformed  into light and power by
using   it  to   drive   dynamos.   The vibrations of the air may be used
to   kill   men   by   so ordering  them in speech as to inflame war-like
passions.   The   hallucinations   connected    with    the    mysterious
energies of sex result in the perpetuation of the species.)

  (16)  The   application   of   any   given   force   affects   all  the
orders of being  which   exist   in   the   object   to   which   it   is
applied, whichever of those orders is directly affected.

  (Illustration:  If  I  strike   a man with a dagger, his consciousness,
not  his  body  only,  is  affected  by  my  act; although the dagger, as
such,  has   no  direct   relation   therewith.   Similarly, the power of
my thought may so  work   on  the   mind  of   another   person   as   to
produce  far-reaching   physical  changes   in  him, or in others through
him.)

  (17) A   man   may   learn   to   use   any   force   so  as  to  serve
any purpose, by taking advantage of the above theorems.

  (Illustration:  A  man may use a   razor to   make   himself   vigilant
over   his   speech,   by  using it to cut himself whenever he unguardedly
utters  a  chosen  word.   He  may  serve  the same  purpose by resolving
that every incident of his life  shall remind him of  a particular thing,
making  every  impression  the  starting  point  of a connected series of
thoughts   ending   in   that  thing.   He  might  also  devote his whole
energies to some one  particular  object,  by  resolving  to  do  nothing
at  variance  therewith,  and  to  make  every  act turn to the advantage
of that object.)

  (18)  He  may  attract  to  himself   any   force   of   the   Universe
by   making   himself  a   fit   receptacle   for  it,   establishing   a
connection   with   it,    and   arranging   conditions   so   that   its 
nature compels it to flow toward him.

  (Illustration: If   I   want   pure   water to drink, I dig a well in a
place   where   there   is   underground water; I prevent it from leaking
away;   and   I   arrange   to  take advantage of water's accordance with
the laws of Hydrostatics to fill it.)

  (19)  Man's    sense    of    himself    as    separate    from,    and
opposed   to,   the   Universe   is   a   bar   to   his   conducting its
currents.  It insulates him.

  (Illustration:   A   popular   leader   is   most   successful  when he
forgets himself,   and   remembers  only   "The   Cause".    Self-seeking
engenders   jealousies   and   schism.   When   the   organs  of the body
assert their presence  otherwise  than by  silent  satisfaction,  it is a
sign   that   they   are  diseased.  The single exception is the organ of
reproduction.   Yet   even  in this case its self-assertion bears witness
to  its  dissatisfaction with itself, since it cannot fulfil its function
until completed by its counterpart in another organism.)

  (20)    Man   can   only   attract    and   employ   the   forces   for
which he is really fitted.

  (Illustration: You   cannot   make  a  silk purse out of a sow's ear. A
true   man   of   science   learns   from   every phenomenon.  But Nature
is dumb to the hypocrite; for in her  ther is nothing false.)
*It is  no objection  that the hypocrite is himself a part of Nature.  He
is  an "endothermic"  product, divided against itself, with a tendency to
break  up.   He  will see his own qualities everywhere, and thus obtain a
radical  misconception  of  phenomena.   Most  religions of the past have
failed  by  expecting  Nature  to  conform  with  their  ideals of proper 
conduct.*

  (21)  There   is   no   limit   to   the   extent   of the relations of
any man with  the   Universe   in   essence;   for   as   soon   as   man
makes   himself   one   with   any   idea   the   means   of  measurement
cease to exist.  But his power  to   utilize   that   force   is  limited
by   his   mental   power   and   capacity,   and   by  the circumstances
of his human environment.

  (Illustration:   When   a   man   falls   in   love,   the  whole world
becomes,   to him,   nothing   but   love   boundless   and immanent; but
his mystical state is  not  contagious;   his   fellow-men   are   either
amused   or   annoyed.   He   can  only extend to others the effect which
his   love   has   had  upon  himself by means of his mental and physical
qualities.  Thus,  Catullus,  Dante  and  Swinburne  made  their  love  a
mighty   mover  of  mankind  by  virtue  of  their  power  to  put  their
thoughts  on  the  subject  in  musical  and  eloquent  language.  Again,
Cleopatra  and   other  people  in  authority  moulded  the  fortunes  of
many  other  people  by   allowing  love  to  influence  their  political
actions.  The Magician, however well he   succeed   in   making   contact
with  the  secret  sources  of energy in nature, can only use them to the
extent permitted by his intellectual and moral qualities.
Mohammed's  intercourse   with   Gabriel   was   only   effective because
of  his  statesmanship,  soldiership,  and  the  sublimity of his command
of  Arabic.   Hertz's  discovery  of  the  rays  which  we  now  use  for
wireless  telepathy  was  sterile  until  reflected   through  the  minds
and  wills   of  people   who  could   take  his  truth,  and transmit it
to the  world  of  action   by   means   of   mechanical   and   economic
instruments.)

  (22)  Every individual is essentially sufficient to himself.
But   he   is   unsatisfactory   to   himself   until he has  established
himself in his right relation with the Universe.

  (Illustration:  A  microscope,  however  perfect,  is  useless  in  the
hands  of  savages.   A  poet,  however  sublime,   must  impose  himself
upon his generation if   he   is   to   enjoy   (and   even   understand)
himself, as theoretically should be the case.)

  (23)  Magick   is   the   Science   of    understanding   oneself   and
one's conditions.    It    is   the   Art   of   applying   that   under-
standing in action.

  (Illustration: A  golf  club  is  intended  to move a special ball in a
special way in  special   circumstances.   A  Niblick  should  rarely  be
used  on  the  tee,  or  a  Brassie  under  the  bank  of  a bunker.  But
also, the use of any club demands skill and experience.)

  (24)  Every man has an indefeasible right to be what he is.

  (Illustration:  To  insist  that any  one  else shall comply with one's
own standards is to outrage,  not  only  him,  but  oneself,  since  both
parties are equally born of necessity.)

  (25)  Every    man    must   do   Magick   each   time   he   acts   or
even   thinks,   since   a   thought   is   an   internal    act    whose
influence   ultimately    affects   action,   though   it  may   not   do
so at the time.

  (Illustration:   The   least   gesture   causes   in   a   man's    own
body and in the air around him;  it   disturbs   the   balance   of   the
entire  Universe,  and  its  effects  continue  eternally  throughout all
space.   Every  thought,  however  swiftly  suppressed,  has  its  effect
on  the  mind.   It  stands  as  one  of  the  causes of every subsequent
thought, and tends  to  influence  every  subsequent  action.   A  golfer
may  lose  a  few  yards  on  his  drive,  a few more with his second and
third, he may lie on the green six bare inches  too far  from  the  hole;
but the net result of these  trifling  mishaps  is  the  difference  of a
whole  stroke,  and  so  probably  between   halving   and   losing   the 
hole.)

  (26)  Every   man   has   a   right,   the   right   of  self-preserva-
tion, to fulfil himself to  the  utmost. *Men  of  "criminal nature"  are
simply  at  issue  with  their  True Wills.  The murderer has the Will-to
-Live;  and  his  will  to  murder  is  a false will at variance with his 
true  Will,  since  he  risks  death  at  the hands of Society by obeying  
his criminal impulse*

  (Illustration:  A   function   imperfectly   performed   injures,   not
only itself,  but  everything associated with it.  If the heart is afraid
to  beat  for  fear  of  disturbing  the  liver, the liver is starved for
blood, and avenges itself on the  heart  by  upsetting  digestion,  which
disorders respiration, on which cardiac welfare depends.)

  (27)  Every   man   should   make   Magick   the   keynote    of    his
life.  He should learn its laws and live by them.

  (Illustration: The Banker should   discover   the   real   meaning   of
his   existence,   the   real motive which led him to choose that profes-
sion.   He  should  understand  banking  as  a  necessary  factor  in the
economic   existence   of  mankind,  instead  of  as  merely  a  business
whose  objects  are   independent   of   the  general welfare.  He should
learn  to  distinguish  false  values  from  real,  and  to  act  not  on
accidental fluctuations  but on  considerations   of   essential   impor-
tance.   Such  a  banker  will  prove himself superior to others; because
he  will  not  be  an  individual  limited  by  transitory  things, but a
force of Nature, as impersonal, impartial and  eternal  as   gravitation,
as  patient  and  irresistible  as  the  tides.   His  system will not be
subject  to  panic,  any  more  than  the  law  of   Inverse  Squares  is
disturbed by Elections.  He will not  be  anxious   about   his   affairs
because  they will not be his;  and  for  that reason  he will be able to
direct   them   with   the  calm, clear-headed confidence of an onlooker,
with  intelligence  unclouded   by  self-interest   and  power  unimpaired
by passion.)

  (28)  Every   man   has   a   right   to   fulfil  his own will without
being   afraid  that   it   may   interfere  with  that   of  others; for
if he is in his proper place, it  is  the   fault   of   others  if  they
interfere with him.

  (Illustration:   If  a   man   like  Napoleon  were  actually appointed
by destiny to   control   Europe,   he   should   not   be   blamed   for
exercising   his   rights.    To   oppose   him   would be an error.  Any
one so doing would have made a   mistake   as   to   his   own   destiny,
except  in  so  far  as  it  might  be  necessary  for  him  to learn the
lessons of defeat.  The sun moves in space without interference.
The   order  of  Nature  provides  an  orbit  for  each  star.   A  clash
proves   that   one   or  the  other has strayed from its course.  But as
to  each  man  that  keeps  his true course, the more firmly he acts, the
less  likely  are  others  to  get  in  his  way.   His example will help
them  to  find  their  own  paths  and  pursue  them.    Every  man  that
becomes a Magician  helps   others  to  do  likewise.   The  more  firmly
and  surely  men  move,  and  the  more  such  action  is excepted as the
standard  of  morality,  the less  will  conflict  and  confusion  hamper
humanity.)
                              ---------- 
       
  I   hope   that   the  above    principles    will    demonstrate    to
                                 ALL
that their welfare, their very existence, is bound up in
                               MAGICK.
I trust that they will understand, not only the reasonableness, but
the necessity of the fundamental truth which I was the means of
giving to mankind:

         "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

I trust that they will  assert  themselves as individually absolute, that
they will grasp the fact that it is their right to assert themselves, and
to  accomplish  the  task  for  which their nature fits them.  Yea, more,
that this is their  duty,   and  that  not  only  to  themselves  but  to
others,  a  duty   founded   upon   universal   necessity,  and not to be
shirked on account of  any  casual  circumstances  of  the  moment  which
may  seem  to  put  such  contact  in  the light of inconvenience or even
of cruelty.

  I   hope   that  the  principles  outlined  above  will  help  them  to
understand   this  book,  and  prevent  them  from  being  deterred  from
its  study  by  the  more  or  less  technical  language  in  which it is
written.

  The essence of
                                 MAGICK
is  simple  enough  in  all conscience.  It is not otherwise with the art
of  government.    The  Aim  is  simply  prosperity;  but  the  theory  is
tangled, and the practice beset with briars.


  In the same way
                                 MAGICK
is  merely  to  be and  to do.   I  should add:  "to suffer".  For Magick
is the verb; and it is part of the Training to  use  the  passive  voice.
This is,  however,  a matter  of  Initiation  rather  than  of  Magick in
its ordinary sense.  It is not my fault if being is baffling,  and  doing
desperate!

  Yet,  once  the  above  principles  are firmly fixed in the mind, it is
easy  enough  to  sum  up  the   situation   very   shortly.   One   must
find  out  for  oneself,  and  make  sure  beyond doubt, WHO one is, WHAT
one  is,  WHY  one  is.   This  done,  one  may  put  the  Will  which is
implicit in the "Why"  into  words,  or  rather  into  One  Word.   Being
thus  conscious  of  the  proper  course  to pursue, the next thing is to
understand   the   conditions  necessary  to  following  it  out.   After
that,  one   must   eliminate   from   oneself   every   element alien or
hostile to success,  and  develop   those  parts  of  oneself  which  are
specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions.

  Let   us   make   an   analogy.   A   nation  must  become aware of its
own character before it can be  said  to  exist.   From   that  knowledge
it  must  divine  its  destiny.    It  must  then consider  the political
conditions of the world; how  other  countries  may  help  it  or  hinder
it.  It  must  then  destroy  in  itself any elements discordant with its
destiny.   Lastly,  it  must develop in itself those qualities which will
enable   it   to  combat   successfully   the  external  conditions which
threaten to oppose  its  purpose.   We  have  had a  recent   example  in
the  case  of   the   young  German  Empire,   which,  knowing itself and
its   will,   disciplined    and  trained itself so that it conquered the
neighbors  which   had  oppressed   it  for   so  many   centuries.   But
after  1866   and   1870,   1914!   It  mistook itself for superhuman, it
willed a thing impossible, it failed  to  eliminate   its   own  internal
jealousies,  it   failed  to understand the conditions of victory, it did
not  train  itself  to  hold  the  sea,  and thus,  having violated every
principle of
                                MAGICK,
it  was  pulled  down  and  broken   into  pieces  by  provincialism  and
democracy, so  that  neither   individual  excellence  nor  civic  virtue
has  yet  availed  to  raise  it  again to that majestic unity which made
so bold a bid for the  mastery  of  the  race of man.*At least it allowed
England to discover its intentions, and  so  to combine the world against
it.*


  The   sincere   student   will  discover,  behind  the symbolic techni-
calities   of   this  book,  a  practical  method  of  making  himself  a
Magician.   The  processes  described  will  enable  him  to discriminate
between  what   he   actually  is,   and  what  he  has  fondly  imagined 
himself  to  be. *Professeur  Sigmund Freud and his school have, in recent
years, discovered a part of this body of Truth,  which  has  been  taught
for many centuries in the  Sanctuaries of  Initiation.   But  failure  to 
grasp  the  fullness  of  Truth,  especially  that  implied  in  my Sixth 
Theorem (above) and its corollaries, has led him and his  followers  into
the error of admitting that the avowedly suicidal "Censor"  is the proper
arbiter of conduct.  Official psycho-analysis is therefore  committed  to 
upholding a fraud,  although  the  foundation  of  the  science  was  the 
observation  of  the  disastrous effects on the individual of being false 
to  his  Unconscious Self, whose "writing on the wall" in dream language
is  the  record of the sum of the essential tendencies of the true nature
of  the  individual.   The  result  has  been  that  psycho-analysts have
misinterpreted life, and announced the absurdity that  every  human  being 
is essentially an  anti-social,  criminal,  and  insane  animal.   It  is 
evident  that the  errors of the Unconscious of which the psycho-analysts
complain  are  neither  more  nor  less  than  the  "original sin" of the 
theologians whom they despise so heartily.*   He must  behold his soul in 
all its awful nakedness, he must not  fear  to  look  on  that  appalling 
actuality.  He must discard the  gaudy  garments  with  which  shame  has 
screened  him;  he  must  accept  the  fact  that  nothing  can  make him
anything but what  he  is.    He  may  lie  to  himself,   drug  himself,
hide himself;  but he is  always  there.   Magick  will  teach  him  that
his  mind  is  playing  him  a traitor.  It is as if a man were told that
tailors'  fashion-plates  were   the   canon   of    human    beauty,  so
that he  tried  to  make  himself formless  and  featureless  like  them,
and shuddered with horror at  the  idea  of  Holbein  making  a  portrait
of  him.   Magick  will  show  him  the  beauty  and  majesty of the self
which he has tried to suppress and disguise.

  Having discovered his identity, he  will  soon  perceive  his  purpose.
Another   process   will   show   him  how  to  make  that  purpose  pure
and  powerful.   He  may  then  learn  how  to  estimate   his   environ-
ment, learn how to make allies,  how  to  make  himself  prevail  against
all powers whose error has caused them to wander across his path.

  In  the  course  of  this  Training,  he  will  learn  to  explore  the
Hidden-Mysteries   of   Nature,   and   to   develop   new   senses   and
faculties  in   himself,   whereby   he   may   communicate   with,   and
control,  Beings  and  Forces  pertaining  to  orders  of existence which
have been hitherto  inaccessible  to  profane  research,   and  available
only to that unscientific and empirical
                                 MAGICK 
(of tradition)  which  I  came  to destroy in order that I might fulfil.


  I send  this  book  into  the  world  that  every  man  and  woman  may
take  hold  of  life  in  the  proper  manner.   It  does  not  matter if
one's present house of  flesh  be  the  hut  of  a  shepherd;  by  virtue
of my
                                 MAGICK
he  shall  be  such  a  shepherd  as David was.  If it be the studio of a
sculptor, he shall so chisel from  himself  the  marble  that  masks  his
idea that he shall be no less a master than Rodin.
  Witness mine hand:
TO MEGA THERION  (in Greek)  (zayin, vav, yod, resh tav):  The Beast 666;
MAGUS 9=2  A.'. A.'.   who   is   The   Word   of   the   Aeon   THELEMA;
whose   name   is   called   V.V.V.V.V.  8=3   A.'. A.'.  in  the City of
the Pyramids; OU MH 7=4; OL SONUF VAORESAGI 6=5,  and   ..... .....   5=6
A.'. A.'. in the Mountain of Abeignus:  but  FRATER PERDUABO in the Outer
Order or the A.'. A.'. and in the World  of men upon the  Earth, Alleister
Crowley of Trinity College, Cambridge. 

	 Laws of Magick 
	by
	Simon Magus

Magick, not unlike physics or chemistry, operates according to certain laws.  These laws, as well as those of the sciences, reside in reality
within the heads of those who use them.  However, the analysis of reality into artificial categories is useful at certain levels of investigation.  It is well to bear in mind, nevertheless, that such categories reflect more the contents of the human mind than they do of whatever "reality" might be out there.

For the following analysis we are indebted to REAL MAGIC by P.E.I. Bonewits.  Mr Bonewits, incidentally, holds the first Bachelor of Arts degree in magic(k) ever awarded.  He, much to the chagrin of some of the faculty of the University of California, was awarded the degree in June, 1970.

	LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
Anything done under EXACTLY the same conditions will always be associated
with exactly the same result.  This law is taken for granted in the sciences and in everyday life.  The whole concept of causation is now on shaky ground, thanks to developments in the field of quantum physics.  But for practical purposes, in magick as well as in our everyday lives, we ignore causality to our own peril.  We must assume, at least in dealing with things the size of human beings, that effects follow causes.  Even in the constantly flowing, changing astral realm we find the law of cause and effect in full operation.
     
	LAW OF KNOWLEDGE
This law tells us that "understanding brings control," that the more you know the more powerful you are.  If you know all about something, you have total control over it.  "Knowledge is power."

	LAW OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE
This is a sub-law of the previous law and follows from it.  If you know yourself, you control yourself.  The more you know about yourself, the
better you can control yourself.

	LAW OF NAMES
This law is related to the Law of Knowledge and to the Law of Association.  It states if one knows the whole and complete name of a phenomenon or entity, one has complete control over it.  This is one of the reasons the Mystery Religions (including Christianity) conferred a new name on the neophyte.  His new name was then his true name, but it was known only to his fellow members of the mystery.  The Law of Names also relates to the Law of Personification which will be explained later.  Two premises behind the present law are: (1) Names are definitions.  This is more obvious in simpler languages, but it is as true of English as of any other.  Sometimes
the definition is hidden in the origin of the word, as is often the case with those derived from Latin or Greek, but it is there.  (2) Names are mnemonic (memory) devices which trigger a range of associations.  (See the Law of Association).
                    

	LAW OF WORDS OF POWER
This is a sublaw of the Law of Names.  It states that certain words trigger
changes in the inner and outer realities of the person saying them.  Many of these words are corruptions of the names of ancient Gods.  Words like
"Abraxas," Osorronnophris," "Abracadabra" are examples.  They have no meaning to us today, but THEIR POWER LIES IN THE SOUNDS OF THE WORDS
THEMSELVES.

	LAW OF ASSOCIATION
If two things have something in common (anything!), that thing can be used to control both.  Bell's theorem in quantum mechanics indicates that every
particle in the Universe affects every other.  The following two sublaws,
which anthropologists think are the basis of "primitive" magick, are more
useful in practice.  These are the Laws of Similarity and Contagion.

	LAW OF SIMILARITY
Most people have heard of sympathetic magick, which is based on this principle.  Effects resemble causes.  To make something fly, put feathers on it and make chirping noises.  Wave it in the air.  The example is not
entirely absurd and serves to illustrate the principle.  Much of the magick of "primitive" people is of this nature.  For example, rain is made by (among other actions) sprinkling water on the ground (or by washing your car -- a modern example of the same principle!).

	LAW OF CONTAGION
This is the principle behind doll-sticking and such in "primitive" magick.  This directly relates to Bell's theorem and states that things once in physical contact continue to influence one another after they have been separated.  This relates more to our consciousness than to things as
they are in the physical world, but defining the two is more difficult than
they appear on the surface.  Thinking, feeling, and memory are associational functions of the human brain.  New data are related to existing knowledge and patterns are established which correlate particular elements of knowledge.  The overall pattern, which includes the "personality" and the "world view" is the METAPATTERN of all this.  This metapattern we may consider to be made up of the memories, fantasy images, beliefs, values, techniques, rules of behavior, attitudes, etc. which make up the individuality of the person.
                     
	LAW OF IDENTIFICATION
This law relates to those of Knowledge, Association and Personification.  It states that by complete association between your metapattern and that of
another entity, you can BECOME that entity.  You can then examine your own
metapattern from the point of view of that entity.  At full identification,
one "becomes" the entity.  All idea of distinctness vanishes and you are
empowered with all the attributes of that entity because you ARE that entity.  The danger here is that many people become lost in the new identity as the stronger metapattern submerges the weaker.  Proper training, practice and guidance will lessen the danger.


	LAW OF SYNTHESIS
Two opposing ideas or items of data will be resolved into a third idea that
is more valid than the first two.  This principle allows you to hold two
seemingly contradictory ideas (such as, "Electrons are particles," and
"Electrons are waves.") at the same time.  Reality is as it is, not as we
conceive it (or even as we perceive it, for that matter).  The wave-particle duality in physics is an example.  Physicists were nonplussed to observe in their experiments that light behaved (depending on the experiment) sometimes like a wave and sometimes like a particle.  Light striking a surface of copper, say, releases electrons from the surface.  This phenomenon, when examined closely, demonstrates that light is made up of particles (now called photons) which impart energy to the electrons,
allowing them to escape.  However, another experiment, in which we direct
a beam of light at some pinholes, "proves" that light is of the nature of
waves.  If we direct a beam of light at an arrangement of pinholes:

---------------------------------------
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
I          I               screen-->  I
I          I                          I
I                <--pinhole           I
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
           I                          I
LIGHT      I                          I
           I                          I
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
I                <--pinhole           I
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
I          I                          I
---------------------------------------

assuming that we have a beam  of "parallel" light (a plane wavefront),
we see the light projected onto the screen.  If we cover one of the
pinholes, we see a single illuminated spot on the screen.  If wwe uncover the first and cover the second pinhole, we again see a single spot projected onto the screen.  Now, if we uncover both pinholes, what do we see?  Two spots of light?  No!  We see a pattern of alternating light and dark bands on the screen.  This phenomenon is due to INTERFERENCE between the crests and troughs of the WAVES of light as they strike the screen.  When two crests occur together, or two troughs, the amplitude is doubled, and we get a bright area. But when a crest and trough coincide, they cancel each other, and the result is a dark spot of zero amplitude (no brightness).  The point of all this is that interference is necessarily a WAVE phenomenon.  The experiment demonstrates the wave nature of light.  How do we resolve the dilemma?  By realizing that we are dealing with something that is neither a wave nor a particle, but SOMETHING ELSE.

                     Mayan Deities 

                 From Sekhet Bast Ra Lodge

     The contents of this file is derived from the research
resources from within our lodge and is the sole property of
Sekhet Bast Ra Lodge.  Copyright 1987.


                            777
                         Column XXV
                       Mayan Deities


Key Scale  -  Mayan Deities  -  Explanation

 0  -  Itzam Na  -  This diety encompasses all deities yet this
                  Diety is beyond all comprehension.

 1  -  Itzam Na  -  "one" or "unique"  He is the greatest of
                    the Gods.
       Hunab Ku  -  "All powerful God of no Image"  I listed
                    this diety although information shows
                    this diety did not exist until after the
                    Spanish Conquest.  It probabily came
                    about due to christian influence.
  
  2  -  Ohoroxtotil  -  Father of the Sun.
        Ben Ich      -  "He of the Starry Sky"  He is a
                        great infinite Jaguar (his spots are
                        thought to be stars and planets).

  3  -  Ix Chebel Yax  -  Mother of the Sun.
        Ix Hun Zipit   -  Lady of the Sea.

  4  -  Kunku Chacs  -  'Kun' means "kindly" or "tender"
                        'Ku' means "God".

  5  -  Ah Hadz'en Caan Chacs  -  "Lash" The Sky God.

  6  -  Ah Kin  -  "He of the Sun".

  7  -  Ix Ahau  -  "Mistress"  She is the Mistress of
                    Creative Arts and the Master of Weaving
                    (she like Athene, in the Greek myths,
                    worked her magick on the loom).

  8  -  Ah Kin  -  as the Patron of Knowledge and Power.

  9  -  XAhau  -  "Lady Ahau"  Moon Goddess  Wife of Ah Kin
                  (the Sun God).

 10  -  Cobel Cab  -  Mistress of the Earth.
        Ix Tan Dz'onot  -  The Child of She who Sits in the
                           Mud, the Child of She who emerges
                           from the Sand.


 11  -  Acan  -  God of Wine (Actually he rules over
                 intoxicating drinks such as beer, wine,
                 Kola, etc.)  He is known for his loud
                 "bellowing" and his foolish behavior
                 He is Cacoch's aid (Cacoch is a God of
                 Creation).

 12  -  Ah Kin Xoc  -  'Ah kin' means "Priest".  'Xoc' means
                       "to count or read".  He is a great
                       singer, musician, and poet.  He won
                       the respect of the Sun God when he
                       took the guise of a Hummingbird and
                       wooed the Moon Goddess.  Husband of
                       the Plumeria, the sacred flower of
                       Itzam Na (this flower rules Divine
                       Sexuality, its colors are red and
                       white).  This Flower contained the
                       secret of Truth and Immortality.

 13  -  Ix Chel  -  Moon Goddess  She rules over Pro-
                    creation, birth, medicine, and wisdom.
                    She is a Virgin but she had a secret
                    cult which she is regarded as a Sacred
                    Mistress to Itzam Na.

 14  -  Ix Ahau Na  -  "Palace-Lady".

 15  -  Canan Chul Chan  -  Guardian of Holy Sky.  "Big
                            Star".

 16  -  Itzam Na Kinch Ahau  -  Old Sun God of balanced
                                judgement.  Ruler of the
                                Bacabs (Elements).

 17  -  Xbalanque & Hunahpu  -  Twin Heros Brothers who
                                heard the Divine Call of
                                Itzam Na which lead them to
                                destroy the False Ones who
                                had exalted themselves and
                                deceived some Mayas to
                                worship them; and defeated
                                the Lords of Death.

 18  -  Nucuch Chacob  -  "The Great Chacs"  Four horsemen
                          who are the Rain Gods.  They
                          bring Water of Life from the
                          Gods to the Maya.

 19  -  Balanke  -  "Jaguar-Sun"  This aspect of the Sun is
                    the essence of Strenght (warrior-type
                    strenght).  He is considered a Great
                    Breast.  All His Priests and Priestesses
                    are His harlots.

 20  -  Xob  -  Mother of Maize.  All Maize Deities sprang
                from Her seed (literally corn seed).


 21  -  Ek Chuah  -  He is the Merchant Diety, but most im-
                     portantly is ruled the cacao which was
                     the Mayan's biggest trade commodity.

 22  -  Itzam Na  -  as Great God who oversees Justice
                     between the Gods and the Mayan who
                     worships the Gods.
 


 23  -  Ku Kulcan  -  The Aztecs called Him "Quetzalcoatl". 
                     He is the God of Self-sacrifice which
                     was done so the Maya could survive
                     and gain acknowledgement of Itzam Na.
                     Some myths place Him as the Judge of
                     the dead (but I would take this with
                     a gain of salt).

 24  -  Yum Cimil  -  "Lord of Death".

 25  -  Zip  -  Protector of the Deer (according to myth
                the Deer created the Vagina of the Moon
                Goddess by stepping on Her abdomen and then
                she was able to bear children of the Sun
                God. Note the sole of deer's foot looks like
                a Vagina).  Zip would deceive hunters to
                believe he was shooting a deer when in fact
                it was a iguana (a sacred animal of Itzam
                Na; to kill one incites the Death penalty).
                To those who gained Zip's Favor meant a
                successful hunt.

 26  -  Ah Ahaah Cab  -  "Awakener"  He is associated with
                         the Morning Star (Venus).

 27  -  Cit Chac Coh  -  "Father Red Great Puma"  The Lord
                         God of War.
        Buluc Chabtan  -  The God of Human Sacrifice and War.

 28  -  Bolon Tzcab  -  The Ruling-Lineage Diety.  He kept the
                        Line of Itzam Na pure and made sure the
                        Nobility of the Maya was strong.

 29  -  XAhau  -  as Moon Goddess.

 30  -  Kinich Ahau  -  "Sun-Eyed Lord"   It is said He had
                        a golden Sun eye (some say it was
                        almond eye) at the place of His
                        Ajna Chakra.

 31  -  Hun Kak  -  "Unique Fire"  The Divine Fire that
                    consumes all what ever remains is
                    prepared for Divinity.

 32  -  Ben Ich  -  "He of the Starry Sky"

                         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
   
P.S.--I would be glad of any comments, corrections, additions, 
etc. regarding this article.  Please E-mail them to Mike Nichols 
(a.k.a. Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin) 73445,1074 

P.P.S.--A special thank you to "The Rune", Kansas City's premiere 
Pagan publication for permission to reprint this article, which 
originally ran in a somewhat condensed form there.  

P.P.P.S.--Please feel free to reprint this article wherever you 
see fit.  I ask only that I be given credit as the author.  Also, 
it would be nice if you could drop me an E-mail note and let me 
know where you are using it. Thanx!  

________________________________________________________________________

    Taken from the 1960 reprint of AN ENCLYCLOPAEDIA OF OCCULTISM
    by Lewis Spence, University Books, Hyde Park, New York. First
    published in 1920, it is considered to be one of the best
    sources on the subject.

    Submitted by Alan Wright, Atlanta GA, Illumi-Net 404-377-1141
________________________________________________________________________

NECROMANCY: Or divination by means of the spirits of the dead, from the
Greek work `nekos', dead; and `manteria', divination.  It is through its
Italian form nigromancia that it came to be known as the "Black Art".
With the Greeks it originally signified the descent into Hades in order
to consult the dead rather than summoning the dead into the mortal
sphere again.  The art is of almost universal usage.  Considerable
difference of opinion exists among modern adepts as to the exact methods
to be properly pursued in the necromantic art, and it must be borne in
mind the necromancy, which in the Middle Ages was called sorcery, shades
into modern spiritualistic practice.  There is no doubt, however, that
necromancy is the touchstone of occultism, for if, after careful
preparation the adept can carry through to a successful issue, the
raising of the soul from the other world, he has proved the value of his
art.  It would be fruitless in this place to enter into a psychological
discussion as to whether the feat is possible of accomplishment or not,
and we will confine ourselves tit he material which has been placed at
our disposal by the sages of the past, who have left full details as to
how the process should be approached.
  In the case of a compact between the conjuror and the devil, no
ceremony is necessary, as the familiar is ever at hand to do the behests
of his masters.  This, however, is never the case with the true
sorcerer, who preserves his independence, and trusts to his profound
knowledge of the art and his powers of command; his object therefore is
to 'constrain' some spirit to appear before him, and to guard himself
from the danger of provoking such beings.  The magician, it must be
understood, always has an assistant, and every article named is prepared
according to rules well known in the black art.  In the first place,
they are to fix upon a spot proper for such purpose; which must be
either in a subterraneous vault, hung around with black, and lighted by
a magical torch; or else in the center of some thick wood or desert, or
upon some extensive, unfrequented plain, where several roads meet, or
amidst the ruins of ancient castles, abbeys, monasteries, etc., or
amongst the rocks on the sea shore, in some private detached churchyard,
or any other solemn, melancholy place between the hours of twelve and
one in the night, either when the moon shines very bright, or else when
the elements are disturbed with storms, thunder, lightning, wind, and
rain; for, in these places, times, and seasons, it is contended that
spirits can with less difficulty manifest themselves to mortal eyes, and
continue visible with the least pain, in this elemental external world.
  When the proper time and place is fixed on, a magic circle is to be
formed, within which, the master and his associate are carefully to
retire.  The dimensions of the circle are as follow: - A piece of ground
is usually chosen, nine feet square, at the full extent of which
parallel lines are drawn within the other, having sundry crosses and
triangles described between them, close to which is formed the first or
outer circle, then, about half-a-foot within the same, a second circle
is described, and within that another square correspondent to the first,
the center of which is the seat of spot where the master and associate
are to be placed.  "The vacancies formed by the various lines and angles
of the figure are filled up with the holy names of God, having crosses
and triangles described between them.  The reason assigned by magicians
and others for this institution and use of circles, is, that so much
ground being blessed and consecrated by such holy words and ceremonies
as they make use of forming it, hath a secret force to expel all evil
spirits from the bounds thereof, and, being sprinkled with pure,
sanctified water, the ground is purified from all uncleanliness;
besides, the holy names of God being written over every part of it, its
force becomes so powerful that no evil spirit hath ability to break
through it, or to get at the magician and his companion, by reason of
the antipathy in nature they bear to these sacred names.  And the reason
given for the triangles is, that if the spirit be not easily brought to
speak the truth, they may by the exorcist be conjured to enter the same,
where, by virtue of the names of the essence and divinity of God, they
can speak nothing but what is true and right.  The circle, therefore,
according to this account of it, is the principal fort and shield of the
magician, from which he is not, at the peril of his life, to depart,
till he has completely dismissed the spirit, particularly if he be of a
fiery or infernal nature.  Instances are recorded of many who perished
by the means, particularly Chiancungi, the famous Egyptian
fortune-teller, who was so famous in England in the seventeenth century.
He undertook a wager, to raise up the spirit "Bokim", and having
described the circle, he seated his sister Napula by him as his
associate.  After frequently repeating the forms of exorcism, and
calling upon the spirit to appear, and nothing as yet answering his
demand, they grew impatient of the business, and quitted the circle, but
it cost them their lives; for they were instantaneously seized and
crushed to death by that infernal spirit, who happened not to be
sufficiently constrained till that moment, to manifest himself to human
eyes."
  There was a prescribed form of consecrating the magic circle, which we
omit as unnecessary in a general illustration.  The proper attire or
"pontificalibus" of a magician is an ephod made of fine white linen,
over that a priestly robe of black bombazine, reaching to the ground,
with the two seals of the earth drawn correctly upon virgin parchment,
and affixed to the breast of the outer vestment.  Round his waist is
tied a broad consecrated girdle, with the names Ya, Ya, - Aie, Aaie, -
Elibra, - Sadai, - Pah Adonai, - tuo robore, - Cintus sum.  Upon his
shoes must be written Tetragammaton, with crosses round about; upon his
head a high-crowned cap of sable silk, and in his hand a Holy Bible,
printed or written in pure Hebrew.  Thus attired, and standing within
the charmed circle, the magician repeats the awful form of exorcism; and
presently, the infernal spirits make strange and frightening noises,
howlings, tremblings, flashes, and most dreadful shrieks and yells, as a
forerunner of their becoming visible.  Their first appearance in the
form of fierce and terrible lions or tigers, vomiting forth fire, and
roaring hideously about the circle; all which time the exorcist must not
suffer any tremor of dismay; for, in that case, they will gain the
ascendancy, and the consequences may touch his life.  On the contrary,
he must summon up a share of resolution, and continue repeating the
forms of constriction and confinement, until they are drawn nearer
to the influence of the triangle, when their forms will change to
appearances less ferocious and frightful, and become more submissive and
tractable.  When the forms of conjuration have in this manner been
sufficiently repeated, the spirits forsake their bestial shapes, and
enter the human form, appearing like naked men of gentle countenance and
behavior, yet is the magician to be warily on his guard that they
deceive him not by much wild gestures, for they are exceedingly
fraudulent and deceitful in their dealings with those who constrain them
to appear without compact, having nothing in view but to suborn his
mind, or accomplish his destruction.  With great care also must the
spirit be discharged after the ceremony is finished, as he has answered
all the demands made upon him.  The magician must wait patiently till he
has passed through all the terrible forms which announce his coming, and
only when the last shriek has died away, after every trace of fire and
brimstone has disappeared, may he leave the circle and depart home in
safety.  IF the ghost of deceased person is to be raised, the grave must
be resorted to at midnight, and a different form of conjuration is
necessary.  Still another, is the infernal sacrament for "any corpse
that hath hanged, drowned, or otherwise made away with itself"; and in
this case the conjurations are performed over the body, which will at
last rise, and standing upright, answer with a faint and hollow voice
the questions that are put to it.
  Eliphas Levi, in his `Ritual of Transcendent Magic' says that
"evocations should always have a motive and a becoming end, otherwise
the are works of darkness and folly, dangerous for health and reason."
The permissible motive of an evocation may be either love or
intelligence.  Evocations of love require less apparatus and are in
every respect easier.  The procedure  is as follows: "We must, in the
first place, carefully collect the memorials of him (or her) whom we
desire to behold, the articles he used, and on which his impressions
remains; we must also prepare an apartment in which the person lived, or
otherwise, one of similar kind, and place his portrait veiled in white
therein, surrounded with his favorite flowers, which must be renewed
daily.  A fixed date must then be observed, either the birthday of the
person, or that day which was most fortunate for his and our own
affection, one of which we may believe that his soul, however blessed
elsewhere, cannot lose the remembrance; this must be the day for the
evocation and we must provide for it during the space of fourteen days.
Throughout this period we must refrain from extending to anyone the same
proofs of affection which we have the right to expect from the dead; we
must observe strict chastity, live in retreat, and take only modest and
light collation daily.  Every evening at the same hour we must shut
ourselves in the chamber consecrated to the memory of the lamented
person, using only one small light, such as that of a funeral lamp or
taper.  This light should be placed behind us, the portrait should be
uncovered and we should remain before it for an hour, in silence;
finally, we should fumigate the apartment with a little good incense,
and go out backwards.  On the morning of the day fixed for the
evocation, we should adorn ourselves as if for a festival, not salute
anyone first, make but a single repast of bread, wine, and roots, or
fruits; the cloth should be white, two covers should be laid, and one
portion of the bread broken should be set aside; a little wine should
also be placed in the glass of the person we design to invoke.  The meal
must be eaten alone in the chamber of evocations, and in the presence of
the veiled portrait; it must be all cleared away at the end, except the
glass belonging to the dead person, and his portion of bread, which must
be placed before the portrait.  In the evening, at the hour for the
regular visit, we must repair in silence to the chamber, light a fire of
cypress wood, and cast incense seven times thereon, pronouncing the name
of the person whom we desire to behold.  The lamp must then be
extinguished, and the fire permitted to die out.  On this day the
portrait must not be unveiled.  When the flame is extinct, put more
incense on the ashes, and invoke God according to the forms of the
religion to which the dead person belonged, and according to the ideas
which he himself possessed of God.  While making this prayer we must
identify ourselves with the evoked person, speak as he spoke, believe in
a sense as he believed; then, after a silence of fifteen minutes, we
must speak to him as if he were present, with affection and with faith,
praying him to manifest to us.  Renew this prayer mentally, covering the
face with both hands; then call him thrice with a loud voice; tarry on
our knees, the eyes closed and covered, for some minutes; then call
again thrice upon him in a sweet and affectionate tone, and slowly open
the eyes.  Should nothing result, the same experiment must be renewed in
the following year, and if necessary a third time, when it is certain
that the desired apparition will be obtained, and the longer it has been
delayed the more realistic and striking it will be.
  "Evocations of knowledge and intelligence are made with more solemn
ceremonies.  If concerned with a celebrated personage, we must meditate
for twenty-one days upon his life and writings, form an idea of his
appearance, converse with him mentally, and imagine his answers; carry
his portrait, or at least his name, about us; follow a vegetable diet
for twenty-one days, and a severe fast during the last seven.  We must
next construct the magical oratory.  This oratory must be invariably
darkened; but if we operate in the daytime, we may leave a narrow
aperture on the side where the sun will shine at the hour of the
evocation, and place a triangular prism before the opening, and a
crystal globe, filled with water, before the prism.  If the operation
be arranged for the night the magic lamp must be so placed that its
single ray shall be upon the alter smoke.  The purpose of the
preparations is to furnish the magic agent with elements of corporeal
appearance, and to ease as much as possible the tension of imagination,
which could not be exalted without danger into the absolute illusion of
dream.  for the rest, it will be easily understood that a beam of
sunlight, or the ray of a lamp, colored variously, and falling upon
curling and irregular smoke, can in no way create a perfect image.  The
chafing-dish containing the sacred fire should be in the center of the
oratory, and the alter of perfumes close by.  The operator must turn
toward the east to pray, and the west to invoke; he must be either alone
or assisted by two persons preserving the strictest silence; he must
wear the magical vestments, which we have described in the seventh
chapter (of Levi`s "Ritual of Transcendent Magic"), and must be crowned
with vervain and gold.  He should bathe before the operation, and all
his under garments must be of the most intact and scrupulous
cleanliness.  The ceremony should begin with a prayer suited to the
genius of the spirit about to be invoked and one which would be approved
by him if he still lived.  For example, it would be impossible to evoke
Voltaire by reciting prayers in the style of St. Bridget.  For the great
men of antiquity, we may see the hymns of Cleathes or Orpheus, with the
adjuration terminating the Golden Venus of Pythagoras.  In our own
evocation of Apollonius, we used the magical philosophy of Patricius for
the ritual, containing the doctrines of Zoroaster and the writings of
Hermes Trismegistus.  We recited the Nuctemeron of Apollonius in greek
with a loud voice and added the following conjuration:-

  "Vouchsafe to be present, O Father of All, and thou Thrice Mighty
Hermes, Conductor of the dead.  Asclepius son of Hephaistus, Patron of
the Healing Art; and thou Osiris, Lord of strenght a vigor, do thou
thyself be present too.  Arnebascenis, Patron of Philosophy, and yet
again Asclepius, son of Imuthe, who presidest over poetry.
          *             *           *             *
  "Apollonius, Apollonius, Apollonius, Thou teachest the Magic of
Zoroaster, son of Oromasdes; and this is the worship of the Gods."

  For the evocation of spirits belonging to religions issued from
Judaism, the following kabalistic invocation of Solomon should be used,
either in Hebrew, or in any other tongue with which the spirit in
question is known to have been familiar:-

  "Powers of the Kingdom, be ye under my left foot and in my right hand!
Glory and eternity, take me by the two shoulders, and direct me in the
paths of victory!  Mercy and Justice, be ye the equilibrium and
splendor of my life!  Intelligence and Wisdom, crown me!  Spirits of
Malchuth, lead me betwixt the two pillars upon which rests the whole
edifice of the temple!  Angels of Netsah and Hod, strengthen me upon the
cubic stone of Jesod!  O Gedulael!  O Geburael!  O Tiphereth!  Binael,
be thou my love!  Ruach Hochmael, be thou my light!  Be that which thou
are and thou shall be, O Ketheriel!  Tschim, assist me in the name of
Saddai!  Cherubim, be my strength in the name of Adonai!  Beni-Elohim,
be my brethren in the name of the Son, and by the power of Zebaoth!
Eloim, do battle for me in the name of Tetragrammation!  Malachim,
protect me in the name of Jod He Vau He!  Seraphim, cleanse my love in
the name of Elvoh!  Hasmalim, enlighten me with the splendors of Eloi
and Shechinah!  Aralim, act!  Orphanim, revolve and shine!  Hajoth a
Kadosh, cry, speak, roar, bellow!  Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Saddai,
Adonia, Jotchavah, Eieazereie: Hallelu-jah, Hallelu-jah, Hallelu-jah.
Amen.
  It should be remembered above all, in conjurations, that the names of
Satan, Beelzebub, Adramelek, and others do not designate spiritual
unities, but legions of impure spirits.
  "Our name is legion, and we are many" says the spirit of darkness in
the Gospel.  Number constitutes the law, and progress takes place
inversely in Hell - that is to say, the most advanced in Satanic
development, and consequently the most degraded, are the least
intelligent and feeblest.  Thus, a fatal law drives the demons downward
when they wish and believe themselves to be ascending.  So also those
who term themselves chiefs are the most impotent and despised of all.
As to the horde of perverse spirits, they tremble before the unknown,
invisible, incomprehensible, capricious, implacable chief, who never
explains his law, whose arm is ever stretched out to strike those who
fail to understand him.  They give this phantom the names of Baal,
Jupiter, and even others more venerable, which cannot, without
profanation, be pronounced in Hell.  But this phantom is only a shadow
and remnant of God, disfigured by their willful perversity, and
persisting in their imagination like a vengeance of justice and a
remorse of truth.
  "When the evoked spirit of light manifests with dejected or irritated
countenance, we must offer him a moral sacrifice, that is, be inwardly
disposed to renounce whatever offends him; and before leaving the
oratory, we must dismiss him, saying: "May peace be with thee!  I have
not wished to trouble thee; do thou torment me not.  I shall labor to
improve myself as to anything that vexes thee.  I pray, and will still
pray, with thee and for thee.  Pray thou also both with and for me, and
return to thy great slumber, expecting that day when we shall wake
together.  Silence and adieu."
  Christian, in his "Historie de le Magic" (Paris, 1871) says: "The
place chosen for the evocation is not an unimportant point.  The most
auspicious is undoubtedly that room which contains the last traces of
the lamented person.  If it be impossible to fulfill this condition, we
must go in search of some isolated and rural retreat which corresponds
in orientation and aspect, as well as measurement, with the mortuary
chamber.
  "The window must be blocked with boards if olive wood, hermetically
joined, so that no exterior light may penetrate.  The ceiling, the four
interior walls, and the floor must be draped with tapestry of emerald
green silk, which the operator must secure himself with copper nails,
invoking no assistance from strange hands, because, from this moment, he
alone may enter into this spot set apart from all, the arcane Oratory of
the Magus.  The furniture which belonged to the deceased, his favorite
possessions and trinkets, the things on which his final glance may be
supposed to have rested - all these things must be assiduously collected
and arranged in the order which they occupied at the time of his death.
If none of these souvenirs can be obtained, a faithful likeness of the
departed being must be procured, it must be depicted in the dress and
colors which he wore during the last period of his life.  This portrait
must be set up on the eastern wall by means of copper fasteners, must be
covered with a veil of white silk, and must be surmounted with a crown
of those flowers which were most lived by the deceased.
  "Before the portrait there must be erected an alter of white marble,
supported by four columns which must terminate in bull`s feet.  A five
pointed star must be emblazoned on the slab of the alter, and must be
composed of pure copper plates.  The place in the centre of the star,
between the plates, must be large enough to receive the pedestal of a
cup-shaped copper chafing-dish, containing dessicated fragments of
laurel wood and alder.  By the side of the chafing-dish must be placed a
censer full of incense.  The skin of a white and spotless ram must be
stretched beneath the alter, and on it emblazoned another pentagram
prawn with parallel lines of azure blue, golden yellow, emerald green
and purple red.
  " A copper tripod must be erected in the middle of the Oratory; it
must be perfectly triangular in form, it must be surmounted by another
and similar chafing-dish, which must likewise contain a quantity of
dried olive wood.
  " A high candelabrum of copper must be placed by the wall on the
southern side, and must contain a single taper of purest white wax,
which must alone illuminate the mystery of the evocation.
  "The white color of the alter, of the ram`s skin, and of the veil, in
consecrated to Gabriel, the planetary archangel of he moon, and the
Genius of mysteries; the green of the copper and tapestries is dedicated
to the Genius of Venus.
  "The alter and tripod must both be encompassed by a magnetized iron
chain, and by three garlands composed of the foliage and blossoms of the
myrtle, the olive, and the rose.
  "Finally, facing the portrait, and on the eastern side there must be a
canopy, also draped with emerald silk, and supported by two triangular
columns of olive wood, plated with purest copper.  On the north and
south sides, between the each of these columns and the wall, the
tapestry must fall in long folds to the ground, forming a kind of
tabernacle; which must be open on the eastern side.  At the foot of each
column there must be a sphinx of white marble, with a cavity in the top
of the head to receive spices for burning.  It is beneath this canopy
that the apparitions will manifest, and it should be remembered the the
Magus must turn to the east for prayer, and to the west for evocation.
  "Before entering this little sanctuary, devoted to remembrance, the
operator must be clothed in a vestment of azure, fastened by clasps of
copper, enriched with a single emerald.  He must wear upon his head a
tiara surrounded by a floriated circle of twelve emeralds, and a crown
of violets.  On his breast must be the talisman of Venus depending from
a ribbon of azure silk.  On the annular finger of his left hand must be
a copper ring containing turquoise.  His feet must be covered with shoes
of azure silk, and he must be provided with a fan of swan`s feathers to
dissipate, if needful, the smoke of the perfumes.
  "The Oratory and all its objects must be consecrated on a Friday,
during the hours which are set apart to the Genius of Venus.  This
consecration is performed by burning violets and roses in a fire if
olive wood.  A shaft must be provided in the oratory for the passage of
the smoke, but care must be taken to prevent the admission of light
through this channel.
  "When the preparations are finished, the operator must impose on
himself a retreat of one-and-twenty days, beginning on the anniversary
of the death of the beloved being.  During this period he must refrain
from conferring on anyone the least of those marks of affection which he
was accustomed to bestow on the departed; he must be absolutely chaste,
alike in deed and thought; he must take daily but one repast, consisting
of bread, wine, roots, and fruits.  These three conditions are
indispensable to success in evocation, and their accomplishment requires
complete isolation.
  "Every day, shortly before midnight, the Magus must assume his
consecrated dress.  On the stroke of the mystic hour, he must enter the
Oratory, bearing a lighted candle in his right hand, and in the other an
hour-glass.  The candle must be fixed in the candelabra, and the
hour-glass on the alter to register the flight of time.  The operator
must then proceed to replenish the garland and the floral crown.  Then
he shall unveil the portrait, and erect it immovable in front of the
alter, being thus with his face to the east, he shall softly go over in
his mind the cherished recollections he possesses of the beloved and
departed being.
  "When the upper reservoir of the hour-glass is empty the time of
contemplation will be over.  By the flame of the taper the operator must
then kindle the laurel wood and alder in the chafing-dish which stands
on the alter; then, taking a pinch of incense from the censer, let him
cast it thrice upon the fire, repeating the following words:- ~Glory be
to the Father of life universal in the splendor of the infinite
altitude, and peace in the twilight of the immeasurable depths to all
spirits of good will !"
  "Then he shall cover the portrait, and taking up his candle in his
hand, shall depart from the Oratory, walking backward at a slow pace as
far as the threshold.  The same ceremony must be fulfilled at the same
hour during every day of the retreat, and at each visits the crown which
is above the portrait, and the garlands of the alter and tripod must be
burnt each evening in a room adjoining the Oratory.
  "When the twenty-first day has arrived, the Magus must do his best to
have no communication with any one, but if this be impossible, he must
not be the first to speak, and must postpone all business till the
morrow.  On the stroke of noon, he must arrange a small circular table
in the Oratory, and cover it with a new napkin of unblemished whiteness.
It must be garnished with two copper chalices, an entire loaf, and a
crystal flagon of the purest white.  The bread must be broken and not
cut, and the wine emptied in equal portions into the two cups.  Half of
this mystic communion, which must be his sole nourishment on this
supreme day, shall be offered by the operator to the dead, and by the
light of the one taper he must eat his own share, standing before the
veiled portrait.  Then he shall retire as before, walking backward as
far as the threshold, and leaving the ghost`s share of bread and wine
upon the table.
  "When the solemn hour of the evening has at length arrived the Magus
shall carry into the Oratory some well-dried cypress wood, which he
shall set alight in the alter and the tripod.  Three pinches of incense
shall be cast into the flame in honor of the Supreme Potency which
manifests itself by Ever Active Intelligence and by Absolute Wisdom.
When the wood of the two chafing-dishes has been reduced to embers, he
must renew the triple offering of incense on the alter, and must cast
some seven times on the fire in the tripod; at each evaporation of the
consecrated perfume he must repeat the previous doxology, and then
turning tot he East, he must call upon God by prayer of that religion
which was professed by the person whom he desires to evoke.
  "When the prayers are over he must reverse his position and with his
face to the West, must enkindle the chafing-dishes on the head of each
sphinx, and when the cypress is full ablaze he must heap over it well
dried violets and roses.  Then let him extinguish the candle which
illuminates the Oratory, and falling on his knees before the canopy,
between the two columns, let him mentally address the beloved person
with a plenitude of faith and affection.  Let him solemnly entreat it to
appear and renew this interior adjuration seven times, under the
auspices of the seven providential Genii, and endeavouring during the
whole of the time to exalt his soul above the natural weakness of
humanity.
  "Finally, the operator, with closed eyes, and hands covering his face,
must call the invoked person in a loud but gentle voice, pronouncing
three times all of the names which he bore.
  "Some moments after the third appeal, he must extend his arms in the
form of a cross, and lifting up his eyes, he will behold the beloved
being, in a recognizable manner, in front of him.  That is to say, he
will perceive that ethereal substance separated from the perishable
terrestrial body, the fluidic envelope of the soul, which Kabalistic
initiates have termed the `Perispirit'.  This substance preserves the
human form but is emancipated from human infirmities, and is energized
by the special characteristics whereby the imperishable individuality of
our essence is manifested.
  "The departed soul will give counsel to the operator; it will
occasionally reveal secrets which may be beneficial to those whom it
loved on earth, but it will answer no question  which has reference to
the desires of the flesh; it will discover no buried treasures, nor will
it unveil the secrets of a third person; it is silent on the mysteries
of the superior existence to which it has now attained.  In certain
cases, it will, however, declare itself either happy or in punishment.
If it be the latter, it will ask for the prayer of the Magus, or for
some religious observance, which we must unfailingly fulfill.  Lastly,
it will indicate the time when the evocation may be renewed.
  "When it has disappeared, the operator must turn to the East, rekindle
the fire on the alter, and make a final offering of incense.  Then he
must detach the crown and the garlands, take up his candle, and retire
with his face to the West till he is out of the Oratory.  His last duty
is to burn the final remains of the flowers and leaves.  Their ashes,
united to those which have been collected during the time of retreat,
must be mixed with myrtle seeds, and secretly buried in a field at a
depth which will secure it from disturbance of the ploughshare."

  The last two examples are, of course, those of "white" necromancy. 
The procedure followed by savage tribes as of course totally different.
Among certain Australian tribes the necromants are called Birraark.  It
is said that a Birraark was supposed to be initiated by the "mrarts"
(ghosts) when they met him wandering in the bush.  It was from the
ghosts that he obtained replies to questions concerning events passing t
a distance, or yet to happen, which might be of interest or moment to
his tribe.  An account of a spiritual seance in the bush is given in
"Kamilaroi and Kurnai" (p. 251): The fires were let down; the Birraark
uttered the cry "Coo-ee" at intervals.  At length a distant reply was
heard, and shortly afterwards, the sound as of persons jumping on the
ground in succession. A voice was then heard in the gloom asking in a
strange intonation "What is wanted?"  At the termination of the seance,
the spirit voice said "We are going."  Finally, the Birraark was found
in the top of an almost inaccessible tree, apparently asleep.
  In Japan, ghosts can be raised in various ways.  One mode is to "put
into an andon" (a paper lantern in a flame), "a hundred rushlights, and
repeat an incantation of a hundred lines.  One of these rushlights is
taken out at the end of each line, and the would-be ghost-seer then goes
out in the dark with one light still burning, and blows it out, when
their ghost ought to appear.  Girls who have lost their lovers by death
often try that sorcery."
  The mode of procedure as practiced in Scotland was thus.  The haunted
room was made ready.  He , "who was to do the daring deed, about
nightfall entered the room, bearing with him a table, a chair, a candle,
a compass, a crucifix, if one could be got, and a Bible.  With the
compass he cat a circle on the middle of the floor, large enough to hold
the chair and the table.  He placed within the circle the chair and the
table, and on the table he laid the Bible and the crucifix beside the
lighted candle.  If he had not a crucifix, then he drew the figure of a
cross in the floor within the circle.  When all this was done, he rested
himself on the chair, opened the Bible, and waited for the coming of the
spirit.  Exactly at midnight the spirit came.  Sometimes the door opened
slowly, and there glided in noiselessly a lady sheeted in white, with a
face of woe and told her story to the man on his asking her in the name
of God what she wanted.  What she wanted was done in the morning, and
the spirit rested ever after.  Sometimes the spirit rose from the floor,
and sometimes came forth from the wall.  There was one who burst into
the room with a strong bound, danced wildly round the circle, and
flourished a long whip round the man's head, but never dared to step
into the circle.  During a pause in his frantic dance he was asked, in
God`s name, what he wanted.  He ceased his dance and told his wishes. 
His wishes were carried out, and the spirit was in peace."

  In Wraxall`s "Memoirs of the Counts of Berlin, Dresden, Warsaw, and
Vienna" there is an amusing account of the raising of the ghost of
Chevalier de Saxe.  Reports had been circulated that at his palace at
Dresden there was secreted a large sum of money, and it was urged that
if his spirit could be compelled to appear, interesting secrets could be
extorted from him.  Curiosity, combined with avarice, accordingly
prompted his principal heir, Prince Charles, to try the experiment, and,
on the appointed night, Schrepfer was the operator in raising the
apparition.  He commenced his proceedings by retiring into the corner of
the gallery, where kneeling down with many mysterious ceremonies, he
invoked the spirit to appear.  At length, a loud clatter was heard at all
the windows on the outside, resembling more the effect produced by a
number of wet fingers drawn over the edge of glasses than anything else
to which it could well be compared.  The sound announced the arrival of
the good spirits, and was shortly followed by a yell of a frightful and
unusual nature.  Schrepfer continued his invocations, when "the door
suddenly opened with violence and something resembling a black ball or
globe rolled into the room.  It was enveloped in smoke or cloud, in the
midst of which appeared a human face, like the countenance of the
Chevalier de Saxe, from which issued a loud and angry voice, exclaiming
in German,"Carl, was wollte du mit mich?" - "Charles, what would thou do
with me?" By reiterated exorcisms Schrepfer finally dismissed the
apparition, and the terrified spectators dispersed fully convinced of
his magical powers.
                        - end -  

               _REACTIVE_RESPONSE_AND_PROACTIVE_ENCOUNTER_
                       _Dealing_with_the_Media_
 
        This is a description of what WindFire Coven does to attract
positive media coverage:
 
        During the latest period of Satanism hysteria the energies were
flowing in a negative direction as far as Wicca is concerned. The media loves controversy and knows that to have controversy they must present more than one side of any given issue. Consequently when planning some report that may be negative in context they will go out of their way to present another view of that same issue.
 
        Reactive Response
 
        This, of course, is reactive not pro-active in nature. This is how
WindFire got the media exposure the last two times. I'll start with the     Denver channel first.
 
        It was a few weeks after File 18 was given to each member of WindFire that we dedicated a full moon ritual for magickal work toward a  solution.  WindFire is not structured so every member got to focus their power in their own way toward the solution. The solution was to promote a positive understanding of Wicca in the local mundane communities.
 
        The very next day, not 24 hours after the ritual, we got a call     from channel 7, Denver. They were in the Springs and wanted to talk to     some witches about ley lines and power spots.  The two person crew was at Celebration Book Store but the attendant didn't want to be on camera.  Fortunately the store attendant had our number and called us.  We talked with the camera crew and arranged an immediate interview.
 
        Two considerations are important here. The first is that just like  any other form of magickal work the magick takes it's own form.  So be ready for anything. And two, when the media calls they usually will not
wait around for interviewees. Be prepared for anything, at any moment.
    When the lightning strikes...
 
        Channel 7 told us that they were doing the interview to balance out
some of the reporting on Satanism, but they didn't stress the fact that the report was about Satanism. Further we didn't know enough to ask what the focus and content was for the report.  Always ask what the focus of the report is.  You may find yourself, just like WindFire, shocked that we are being visually, if not verbally, associated with Satanism.
 
        For the interview, be positive. I can't stress that enough. Smile   and let them see that you are sincere in your faith in the Goddess.  Laugh. All the reporters see in Satanism is somber faces, confessing their sins. Let them know that you are happy with your path. Stress the difference between patriarchal monotheism and pre-Christian, pre-Hebrew Goddess religion.  Have your resources ready for the reporter to look at if they need a quote for something. Trot out your tools and instruments if you feel comfortable with that.  They love to see the various tools. You don't have to show them all or any of your tools but it sure helps them get a picture of what is going on.
 

        The media people like robes so wear your best. Covert groups that
have fears about discovery of illegal activities will not don their robes or show their tools. By doing so you show that you are not aligned with covert, illegal, fearful groups. And by disassociation you show that you are doing nothing illegal or dangerous.
 
        There are three parts of the interview: the preview, the personal
interviews and the ritual. In some or perhaps most cases, the ritual can be left out. [Please note that these terms are descriptive of their function, not their technical names. The reporters may have a different technical name for them.]
 
        The preview is a time for the reporter to get to know the members
of the group, circle or coven. They will talk to you for a period of time. For WindFire that was about an hour for each camera crew. Please remember to be civil as a group and not blurt things out all at once.  Believe me it's hard not to do that in the excitement. During the preview the reporter will select who they want to interview.
 
        Personal interviews last about 10 minutes. The reporter will
generally select different questions for each interviewee. Be prepared for some hard and personal questions. At the end of the personal interview the reporter will sometimes ask if you have anything particular to say to the public.  Please don't waste this opportunity.  Have a personal message ready for the public.
 
        The ritual can be anything you feel comfortable with. We generally
choose a related focus such as increasing understanding in the mundane public. The camera crews seem to like this. Be patient, they may want you to duplicate some particular action for different camera angle.  accommodate them when you can.  We got through a partial ritual before the second camera crew ran out of tape. Don't forget to complete the ritual before them before you let them leave. Be complete.
 
        Remember that there are generally two people in a camera crew, the
reporter and the camera operator. When the reporter is previewing the coven have another witch talk to the camera operator, telling them what the tools are for and what incenses and crystals are used. Be discrete but talk to each and every camera crew member because they all have input into the editing of the tape. If the reporter has a good feeling about the coven but the camera person thinks you stink you may have visual problems later. Make sure each and every camera crew member goes away with a warm fuzzy feeling.
 
        Offer them refreshments. They will generally refuse alcohol but
water, sodas, coffee and fruit juices are welcomed.  Help the crew as much as they will let you. If they need cables or furniture moved, do so.
 
        Now for Channel 13 in Colorado Springs.  This reporter was doing a
report on Satanism alone. Unfortunately the ONLY resource she had was James McCarthy in Boulder. The reporter used the "S" word, the "W" word and the "P" word all in the same sentence without differentiating between the three. Admittedly the context of the sentence was ritual.  Still no differentiation was made. We started a telephone campaign and had about 15 people call the newsroom at the station and complain.
 

        Here it is especially good to not bitch unless you have a solution.
If you complain to a reporter do not leave them hanging with no way to clean up the mess. Talk to them, give them your phone number so they can call you back later. They are busy people. Try to make sure they can successfully reach you, not your children, not your message machine, not your dog. If you give them your number and they don't call you back, call them. Find out what the problem is.
 
        During the phone campaign we left the reporter numerous ways to     contact us.  She did and we scheduled a time for the interviews. We scheduled it for our regular weekly meeting time so that all the members could be there and a generic ritual could be filmed.  Members who didn't want to be on film were situated so that their faces were not on camera. The camera crew will do this for you. They don't want to inadvertently expose unwilling and innocent people to possible harassment.
 
        On the appointed day the camera crew showed up fashionably late.
We went through our usually horror story about being butchered by the media in the past and they (both crews) were sympathetic to our concerns.  Don't be afraid to stress how badly the media has treated witches, but don't bore them; everyone has a story to tell but boredom is out these days.
 
        Let them see a generic ritual with a generic focus. The immediate
focus was understanding in the local community. That works well so you might want to try that with your group or coven.  It impresses the camera crew so that they will be a little more interested.
 
        Proactive Encounter
 
        Proactive means acting before something happens and puts you in
reactive response mode.
 
        Perhaps the best thing to do is to put together a packet that you
can send to your local media: Tv. stations, radio stations, and newspapers, which also include your local neighborhood weeklies if you're brave enough.
 
        Send a well put together packet to these medias and be sure they
can get in touch with you on a few days notice. You might have more than one contact for your group, circle or coven. WindFire has three or four.
 
        I suggest for this packet that you include three or four brief
statements from willing coven members, a longer essay on Wicca with resources, the New Woman article, some artwork and poetry. Include also a reading list of your favorite Wiccan authors. Be sure to include names and numbers to call back.  While the reporters won't read everything they will probably read the brief statements from your coven members and look at the reading list. You might suggest book stores the reporters can find the reading list books at.
 
        The main time of the year for reactive procedures is Halloween.
Funnymentalist just love to hammer us during Samhain.  So be proactive and let the media know how you view Samhain. Send the media an article about Samhain about two weeks before. Let them know that there are other views and that the funnymentalist are slandering a perfectly good holiday.
 

        In fact you could emphasize any holiday/s that seems appropriate
for your area or group. Include your resources and/or xerox copies of other articles you may find, with copyright if needed, on any holiday you deem appropriate.
 
        Reactive Response Summary
 
        Be prepared to act at any moment if they should call you. Be
positive, smile and laugh a lot.  Talk to all the camera crew members.  Let them know your concerns, stress the problems of the past but don't offend the media people.  Make it a magickal time for all the people involved including the camera crews. Remember to augment your mundane activity (interviews) before hand with magickal work.
 
        Proactive Encounter Summary
 
        Prepare a good information packet. Sound like you know what you are
talking about. Don't be mousey. Be aggressive and call them if you feel the need.  Make sure they can return a call to you successfully. If you get an interview be positive and firm. Media people are strong people, they like other strong people. Be prepared to act at any moment when they call you.  Devote some personal and collective magickal time for magickal work to attract positive media attention.
 
        I'm sure that you will be challenged by the opportunities your
magick will bring you.  The Goddess will bring your efforts to full fruit if you are ready to support Her when the time comes. It's not an overused saying to state that we should be prepared for the effects of our own magick.

        AN UPDATE OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN
        
        Just before Halloween Channels 5/30 in Colorado Springs interviewed
WindFire Coven in the pro-active mode. The reporter was concerned that her boss wanted a sensationalized segment on witches to go with segments on Satanism and various local New Age groups and psychics. She told us that she would try to talk her boss out of sensationalizing the segment. No guarantees were given and we accepted her word that she would try her best to represent us fairly. WindFire Coven was filmed for four or five hours for the 3 minute segment and some promotional footage.
        
        Some problems arose in the promotionals and broadcast that we didn't anticipate. 

        In the promotionals various members were visually associated with
Satanism by default, that is, Wiccans and Satanists were shown together in the same promo without distinction. This caused quite a lot of concern when clients and associates of those involved either refused to speak to the involved or blamed them for some unspecified hardship in their lives.  To complicate the matter one members face was overdubbed with a hags cackling.  This hurt the member greatly as she is nothing like the voice indicated.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROMO IS YOUR OWN WITH NO VISUAL ASSOCIATION TO
    ANY OTHER SEGMENT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND PERMISSION. MAKE SURE THAT
    YOUR MEMBERS FACES AND VOICES REMAIN INTACT THROUGH THE PROMO AND
    BROADCAST. GET IT IN WRITING UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE THIS HAPPEN
    TO YOUR COVEN. REFUSE THE INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.
        
        During the broadcast and promos various tools, icons and artifacts,
including a piece of copyrighted artwork, were used in others segments without our permission.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TOOLS, ICONS, ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK ARE NOT
    USED IN ANOTHER CONTEXT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND PERMISSION. GET IT
    IN WRITING UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE YOUR TOOLS, ICONS, ARTIFACTS
    AND ARTWORK PROFANED BY USE IN AN INAPPROPRIATE CONTEXT.
        
        Another problem arose when the editors inserted a Christian into
our segment who said that Wicca was inappropriate because it is not Christian. When asked why such was done the reporter replied that it is good journalistic practice to offer two sides of an issue. WindFire Coven feels that should a contemporary religion be represented, such as the Jewish or the Mormon faith, the station would not be as quick to put in dissenting views. We feel that Channels 5/30 leaned toward promoting the stereotypical image of witches by having a Christian define what we are and are not. Such cannot be allowed to continue any longer.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SEGMENT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. DO NOT ALLOW
    THE EDITORS TO INSERT DISSENTING VIEWS IN YOUR SEGMENT. DISSENTING
    VIEWS CAN BE PRESENTED IN ANOTHER SEGMENT DEDICATED ENTIRELY FOR
    DISCUSSION OF DIFFERENCES. MAKE SURE THAT WICCA IS REPRESENTED BY
    WICCANS, NOT BY CHRISTIANS, NOT BY NEW AGERS, NOT BY LOCAL PSYCHICS.
    TAKE CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW BEFORE IT TAKES CONTROL OF YOUR COVEN.
        
        Blessed Be!
 
        Copyright (c) Ammond Shadowcraft Oct. 1988

        --------
        This is an sample form to be used when reporters come to your home
to interview your circle or coven.
    
        --------
        WRITTEN AGREEMENTS AND GUARANTEES FOR INTERVIEW WITH WINDFIRE COVEN
                      Dated: ________________________
 
        Note: For the purpose of this Agreement WindFire Coven is termed
the Interviewee and ______________________ is termed the Interviewer.
                
        
        The Interviewee agrees to accept reporters from the Interviewer into their homes and/or sacred space to witness and report seasonal and/or generic rituals, to photograph and film tools, icons, artifacts, artwork, poetry and songs, to interview the Coven and individual members, for a period not to exceed 24 hours, providing that the following agreements are made:

        
        The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video footage
filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this interview for any segment and/or report as a singular complete segment and/or report and in such a way as to retain the original context and atmosphere intended by the Interviewee.  No other individuals, religious faiths and/or religious groups will be included in this segment/report without the express permission of the Interviewee.
        

        The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video footage
filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this interview for any
promotion as a singular complete promotion and in such a way as to retain the original context and atmosphere intended by the Interviewee.  No other individuals, religious faiths and/or religious groups will be included in this promotion without the express permission of the Interviewee.
        
                        
        The Interviewer will treat all persons, tools, icons, artifacts,
artwork, poetry and music filmed, photographed or recorded as integral
parts of the interview and will not use any cassette, video or photographic representations of these persons/items in any other context or external segment, report or promotion without the express permission of the Interviewee.
        
       
        ____________________________________________________
        For WINDFIRE COVEN                     (Interviewee)
        
        ____________________________________________________
        For __________________________________ (Interviewer)

        ____________________________________________________
        Witness
        ____________________________________________________
        Witness
        ____________________________________________________
        Witness

                          QUANTUM MAGIC 


REALITY AS DESCRIBED BY QUANTUM MECHANICS

In quantum mechanics, reality is described by waves defining the
probabilities of different outcomes from the same interactions.
These waves manifest as what we have been taught to call matter,
energy, particles, and/or waves when observed.    

These probability waves overlap and continue forever.  The
interactions between different entities constitute a single
structure of linked wave patterns, so that the entire universe
can be thought of as an unbroken whole.  The waves form a matrix,
with all parts of the system affecting all other parts.  Non-
local relationships exist between parts of the system that are
distant from each other [1].  It is impossible to distinguish 
two particles of the same type in a region of space in which they
may be found simultaneously [2].  Particles loose their
individual identity in such regions.  Thus, the physical universe
is fundamentally unified.

The basic equation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics is
Schrodinger's Wave Equation  [2]:

                       2         2            
  i h (p)Q /(p)t  = - h /2m Delta Q + V(x,y,z) Q


satisfying the normalizing condition:

  Integral      2     
  over all   |Q|  dx dy dx = 1
  space               


where:

       h = 6.63E-34 joule sec / (2 pi)

      pi = 3.14...
 
V(x,y,z) = Potential energy, as a function of 
           coordinates x, y and z

       m = Mass

       t = Time
      
     (p) = Partial derivative of
                                           2  
       Q = Wave function of the particle, where Q dx dy dz is    
           the probability that the particle may be found in the 
           volume element dx dy dz at a particular time.  Values 
           of Q are components of the "state vector."



Values of Q are quantum mechanically defined states and
constitute components of the "state vector."  These quantum
mechanically defined states define the probabilities of various
results from quantum mechanically defined interactions [2].  In
one orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics, a system exists
simultaneously in all quantum mechanically possible states until
an observer (or apparatus outside the system) interacts to
"collapse" the state vector" and obtain an observation.

Quantum mechanical systems can go from one configuration to
another instantly, without passing through any states in
between.  Quantum mechanical movement is discontinuous, with all
actions occurring in discrete amounts (quanta).

Schrodinger himself discovered one of quantum mechanics' more
distinctive features:  whenever two systems interact, the
mathematical waves that represent the two systems do not separate
but remain linked.  The link does not drop off with distance and
the link acts instantaneously at both locations, but the
specificity of the link can be diluted through interactions with
other objects  [7].


WHAT UNDERLIES QUANTUM MECHANICS?

There are lots of hypotheses on the nature of the underlying
reality described statistically by quantum mechanics.

o Some scientists are content with the hypothesis that there is
  no more subtle structure than the probability waves described
  by quantum mechanics; and reality, at its most basic level, has
  a large amount of randomness whose limits are described by the
  quantum mechanical wave function, making the wave function
  itself the fundamental reality.  This is called the probability
  doctrine.  It asserts that such indetermination is a property
  inherent in nature and not merely a profession of our temporary
  ignorance, from which we expect to be relieved by a future
  better and more complete theory  [2].

o Einstein speculated that there must be some underlying
  mechanism, some hidden variables,  that uniquely determines
  the outcome of the interactions quantum theory can only
  statistically predict.  

o J.S. Bell showed mathematically that, if such a mechanism
  exists, and the math of quantum mechanics is strictly correct,
  hidden variables must not have any functional dependence on the
  separation of events in space and time [3].


o According to David Bohm, from both a consideration of the
  meaning of the mathematical equations and from the results of
  experiments, particles can be understood as projections of a
  higher-dimensional reality.  This reality can not be accounted
  for by any force of interaction between independent entities,
  but can be understood as a process of enfoldment in a higher
  dimensional space  [1].  Information within the quantum wave
  determines the outcome of the quantum process.  This
  information is potentially active everywhere but only actually
  active when and where it enters into the energy of an observed
  particle, implying that all particles have complex inner
  structures [10].

o Recently, superstring theory has been proposed, describing a
  ten dimensional webwork of space-time at an incredibly small
  scale (1E-33 cm) underlying the phenomenon described
  statistically by quantum mechanics, relatively, particle
  physics etc. 

Some scientists consider speculation about the nature of the
underlying reality to be irrelevant, since the predictions of
quantum mechanical equations match the statistics of the results
of experiments.  To the best of my knowledge, experiments have
not been performed that unambiguously distinguish between these
alternative world-views.  On the other hand, experiments have
been proposed; and some work is underway to check some
predictions of superstring theory.  Eventually, from the results
of experiments, some of these hypotheses may be screened out and
others elevated to the level of scientific theory.

We are one and the same as the structures that underlie the
matter and energy that we manifest as; and that structure is
continuous, interconnected, and non local in nature.  Whatever
the underlying structure behind the interconnected wave pattern
described by quantum mechanics (if any), we are that.  


QUANTUM MECHANICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Getting back to established scientific theory, normal waking
consciousness occurs when the nerve cell firing rate (synaptic
switching rate) is high enough to spread out the waves associated
with electrons to fill the gaps between nerve cells (synaptic
clefts) with  waves of probability of similar amplitude.  This is
described mathematically by the quantum mechanical mechanism of
tunneling.  These waves are interconnected throughout regions of
the brain through resonances, resulting in a large, complex,
unified, quantum mechanically defined resonance matrix filling a
region in the brain.  The waves are interconnected with each
other and with information storage and sensory input mechanisms
within these regions of the brain.  


The nerve cell firing rate (v') at which this occurs has been
modeled mathematically by Evan Harris Walker (at the U.S. Army
Ballistics Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground) and corresponds to
the threshold between waking and sleeping consciousness in people
and animals.  For normal waking consciousness to exist, the
synapse transmission frequency for the brain (v') must satisfy
the condition:

                                        2/3
  v' must be greater than or equal to  N    /T


where:

  N =  The total number of synapses in the brain (in humans,
       about 5E11)

  T =  Synaptic transmission delay time (the time interval
       required for the propagation of the excitation energy
       from one synapse to another)


This theory ascribes consciousness to an association of the
events occurring at any one synapse with events occurring at
other synapses in the brain by means of a quantum mechanical
propagation of information.  The sense of individual identity is
an aspect of the continuity of the wave matrix residing in the
brain [4].  



QUANTUM MECHANICS AND PSYCHOKINESIS

By merely observing a phenomenon (resonating ones brain with it)
one can affect the outcome, since the physical mechanisms in your
brain are part of the wave matrix described by quantum mechanics. 
The information handling rate in resonance determines the amount
of effect, along with the elapsed time of resonance and the
probability distribution of the phenomenon you are observing 
[5].  According to Evan Harris Walker, quantum mechanical state
selection can be biased by an observer if [5]:


  W te  is greater than or equal to  -Log  P(Qo-Qi)
   Q                                     2

where:


     P(Qo-Qi) = Probability that state Qi will occur by chance   
                alone

          W   = Information handling rate in process in brain
           Q    associated with state vector selection (bits/sec)
  
           te = Elapsed time

            Q = Overall state vector

           Qo = Initial physical state of system    

           Qi = State that manifests "paranormal" target event
 

The effect of consciousness is incredibly small on macroscopic
systems; but it can be measurable when it occurs on quantum
mechanically defined and divergent systems, where a slight change
can amplify itself as it propagates through the system.  The
effect is about 1E-17 degrees on the angle of the bounce of cubes
going down an inclined plane.  Changes in the angle of bounce
result in changes in displacement of the cubes that increase
about 50% on every bounce, and the effect is measurable after
many bounces [6].  The theory successfully and quantitatively
modeled the differing amounts of displacement observed in
experiments on cubes of different weights and weight
distributions  [5].  

Walker also modeled information retrieval in "guess the card"
experiments.  Simple, classical, random chance would predict a
smooth, binomial curve for the probabilities of getting the right
answer versus the number of subjects making successful
predictions at these probabilities.  Walker's model predicts that
the curve would have peaks at certain levels of probability of
getting the right answer above those predicted by chance alone. 
Experimental data showed peaks at the locations modeled. 
However, more people were successful at the higher probability
levels than Walker's model estimated.  This is considered to be
evidence of learning enhancement  [5].


SCIENTIFIC THEORY

Mr. Walker's ideas and equations would only be hypotheses if it
weren't for the fact that they have been tested experimentally
and found to predict the results of experiments with reasonable
accuracy [4,5].  The evidence meets the usual rules of proof for
scientific theory, and this makes Walker's equations legitimate
scientific theory.  

The non-local underlying wave patterns beneath manifestations of
matter and energy that we hold in common with our surroundings
allow us to influence reality and to obtain information about it
using the power of the mind.  This underlying interconnecting
pattern is the very stuff of consciousness  and manifests, not
only as matter & energy, but also as psychokinesis, precognition
and other phenomenon that are only now beginning to be recognized
and embraced by some theories of modern physics. 


IMPLICATIONS OF QUANTUM CONSCIOUSNESS THEORY

Deflections caused by consciousness are not caused by force or
energy in the conventional sense; but by something more subtle,
namely effects within the underlying wave structure out of which
matter and energy are manifestations (collapse of the state
vector) [5].  

To psychically obtain information about a target or to
psychically influence events, one has to have one's brain
resonating with aspects of reality interconnecting the brain with
the target.  The more one's brain resonates with non-local
aspects of reality connecting with a target, the more
communication and direct influence one can have on it.

The more fundamentally diverse the potential outcomes of a
process targeted are, the more effect one gets from resonating
ones brain with it  [5].  Also, the more small changes in the
system tend to amplify as larger changes in the end result, the
more effect one can get.  This provides an explanation of why
patterns exist within seemingly random events and why successful
magic often results in a chain of synchronicities.

For a given subject (performing under optimum conditions and
having no difficulty visualizing the nature of the experimental
target nor psychological aversions to the target), the
magnitudes of the results obtained in tasks to affect the
readings on measuring devices (such as magnetometers, radiation
detectors, Josephson effect devices, balances, etc.) can be
related to one another by calculating the probability of the
reading based on the standard physical principles of quantum
mechanics  [5].

The sporadic nature of psi phenomena can be explained as a
matter of outside observers randomizing the process, causing
dilution of will data channels and randomizing the results  [5]. 
Thus, the need for secrecy in magical operations.

One can no longer maintain the division between the observer and
observed or between consciousness and the physical world. 
Rather, both observer and observed, along with both consciousness
and the material world, are merging and interpenetrating aspects
of one whole indivisible reality  [1].  

Whatever the subtle level of reality underlying matter and
energy, we are that (including our consciousness).  If hidden
variables exist, we are the hidden variables.  It has been
theorized that consciousness is an inseparable aspect of this
underlying reality.  When our awareness connects with the deepest
layer of reality interconnecting everything, we may experience
the level of consciousness beyond time and form reported by many
mystics.  It is this non local structure that we share with
nature that makes it possible to "attune to nature," to
psychically participate in nature, and to live in accordance with
it. 

What we are usually aware of (normal waking consciousness) is a
relatively superficial movement in the order of things.  Behind
the things we are aware of in waking consciousness are a vast
array of less strongly linked phenomena.  This latter realm is
commonly called the unconscious (and parts of it the
subconscious).  The unconscious is not very accurate, since it
forms a kind of ground of consciousness  [8].  Our awareness can
link with this ground of consciousness to gain information and to
influence events.


THE GODS, GODDESSES AND NATURE SPIRITS

At this point, I diverge from theory and describe some plausible
hypotheses.  Consciousness, at a fundamental level, is associated
with the continuity of the underlying structures out of which
matter and energy manifest.  Everything shares this continuous
structure; therefore everything has consciousness to some degree
(though not necessarily normal waking consciousness).  

Quoting from Evan Harris Walker (4):  "Consciousness may exist
without being associated with either a living system or a data
processing system.  Indeed, since everything that occurs is
ultimately the result of one or more quantum mechanical events,
the universe is 'inhabited' by an almost unlimited number of
rather discrete, conscious, usually non-thinking entities that
are responsible for the detailed working of the universe.  These
conscious entities determine (or exist concurrently with the
determination) singly the outcome of each quantum mechanical
event, while the Schrodinger equation (to the extent that it is
accurate) describes the physical constraint placed on their
freedom of action collectively."

In shamanic and in religious practice, one resonates with other
intelligences to get their assistance, inviting them to join in
the work at hand.  These intelligences can be thought of as
consciousness resonance matrices.  Some may be localized, as we
are (such as other biological intelligences, plant divas, power
spot spirits, some deities, etc.); and some may be non localized
(spirit animals in the other world, some deities, etc.). 

The personalities of the Gods, Goddesses and spirits that many
practitioners of religion relate to can also be thought of as
consciousness resonance matrices.  They can be very non-specific
and disperse, or very specific (such as the Orishas and other
deities that can manifest in full possession of those who invoke
them).


QUANTUM MECHANICS AND MAGICAL RITUAL

Consider a typical structure of magical ritual and its quantum
mechanical explanation:

o Purify one's mind  and one's surroundings, freeing them of
  interfering resonances, quieting the static so that one can
  get a clear and strong resonance on the target desired.

o Achieve a non-localized state of consciousness, often by
  resonating ones mind with ones inner being, with the Earth,
  the sky, and ones surroundings. 

o Meditate on the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)
  representing non-local essences.  This helps your mind to
  resonate powerfully non-locally.

o After reaching out with one's mind and connecting its
  resonance pattern intimately with the non-local web of wave
  patterns connecting everything, invoke deities whose natural
  function is related to the purpose of your ritual.  If
  successful, this connects your mind to a powerful,
  established, non-localized, intelligent resonance matrix that
  (hopefully) joins in the magic.

o Focus on the target of the work, connecting with the target. 

o While connected with the target, visualize the end result
  desired, thus creating a resonant template for the phenomenon
  one wants to achieve.

o Energize the resonance through dance, drumming, chants, pure
  channeling of will power, or other means.

o Release the energy into the target while strongly visualizing
  the target achieved (energizing the resonance in the target).

o Ground,  removing ones mind from the direct, resonant link
  with the target, so that the patterns you have set in motion
  in the target can continue with minimum interference  (to
  throw a ball, one has to let go).

o Thank and say goodbye to the intelligences one works with, thus
  disconnecting ones mind further from other resonance matrices.


There are other forms of magic, and much more detail to the
forms I described.  There are also ethical considerations.  This
paper provides a description of some aspects of the integration
of quantum mechanics with magickal thinking, but it does not
cover everything.




SO WHAT?
 
To read about theories of magic is like reading about sports.
You may pick up a few ideas; but to become proficient, you must
participate and play the game.  People have been teaching and
performing magic for thousands of years, without the benefit of
quantum theory.  Many magicians have had to separate their
scientific training from their magical practice.  Now, magical
theory has been merged with scientific theory, and more of the
mind of those trained in science can resonate with magic.  Also,
critics of magic can be shown the scientific theory and data
validating it, to show that there is more to magic than
superstition.

I have not seen any other quantitative scientific theories that
explain the results of experiments on psychokinesis, extrasensory
perception, and consciousness as accurately as Walker's theory,
or that give as satisfying of an explanation of the
synchronicities that I, as a worker of magic and a scientist,
have observed from personal experience.  This is not to say that
these ideas represent ultimate truth, that alternative theories
no not exist, or that flaws will not be found and that
alternative theories will not replace them.  I would welcome
hearing from others who have additional information and insight
into the applicability and limitations of the theories of modern
Physics as applied to the occult.


MULTIPLE UNIVERSES?

One interesting hypothesis is that of multiple universes.  As I
understand it, this hypothesis states that all of the alternative
possibilities allowed by quantum mechanics actually occur, but in
different universes.  Magicians can interpret their magic as
moving their awareness between these alternative universes.  I
have never seen the multiple universe theory set up
mathematically in a way that would allow it to be quantitatively
tested, using physical measurements (like was done with Mr.
Walker's theory),

It  would be interesting to determine if and to what extent the
multiple universe hypothesis can be integrated with Mr. Walker's
theory.  Consciousness, acting at a gross level, seems to be
relativistic - something experienced by observers relative to
their frames of reference.  Consciousness, at its ultimate level,
seems to be subtler than time and location.  


When two observers see the same thing, they both may have certain
experiences in common, they both may affect the thing observed,
and they may report some of the events the same and some
differently.  Experience may be categorized in a multiple
universe mode and/or in a single universe mode.  If would be
interesting to know which mode is most useful for various
purposes.  

It is obvious that some people have such a different personal
perception of reality as to be seemingly out of touch with the
world we experience around them.  Their self-world image becomes
more important than anything, and they adjust their memories and
perceptions to meet whatever emotional needs they have at the
time  [9].  Delusions of personal reality and the high
probability that such realities are real for the person
experiencing that reality can result in interesting questions
about what is real and what is unreal.

Although the universe may be a seamless whole, most physicists
describe it in two different modes, depending on whether things
are being observed or not  [7]:
 
o A classical, mechanistic mode for the definite attributes of
  observation, and 

o A statistical, mathematical, quantum mechanical mode for the
  wave patterns described by quantum mechanics.

David Bohm has begun to develop new terminology that integrates
both the process of observation and quantum theory  [1].



REFERENCES

1.     Bohm, David.  Wholeness and the Implicate Order, ARK
       Paperbacks, London, 1983.

2.     Merzbacher, Eugene.  Quantum Mechanics, John Wiley and
       Sons, Inc., New York, 1967.

3.     Bell, J.S.  "On the Problem of Hidden Variables in Quantum
       Mechanics, Review of Modern Physics 38, 447-452, 1966.

4.     Walker, Evan H.  "The Nature of Consciousness,"
       Mathematical Biosciences 7, 1970.

5.     Walker, Evan H.  The Complete Quantum Mechanical
       Anthropologist. U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratories,
       Aberdeen Proving ground, Maryland, presented at the 73rd
       Annual American Anthropological Association Meeting,
       Mexico City, November 19-24, 1974.

6.     Walker, Evan H. and Nick Herbert.  "Hidden Variables:
       Where Physics and the Paranormal Meet," Future Science,
       edited by John White and Stanley Krippner, Anchor books,
       Garden City, New York, 1977.

7.     Herbert, Nick. "Notes Toward A User's Guide to the Quantum
       Connection," Psychological Perspectives 38,  Jung
       Institute of Los Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.

8.     Bohm, David. "Consciousness and Self-Consciousness-A
       Working Paper," Psychological Perspectives 38,  Jung
       Institute of Los Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.

9.     Bohm, David. "Beyond Relativity and Quantum Mechanics,"
       Psychological Perspectives 38,  Jung Institute of Los
       Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.

10.    Bohm, David and Peat, David. Science Order and Creativity,
       Bantam, 1987.




***************************************************************

I used WordPerfect to write this article, and I used CompuServe B 
protocol, Procomm 2.4.1 and an Everex Evercomm 24 modem to transmit it. 
I don't know how to transmit Greek and many mathematical symbols with 
this software and hardware.  As a result, I had to use non-standard 
symbols in the equations.  Any suggestions?

Note that "E" in numbers like 5E11 stands for five "times ten to
the" eleventh power.

	 Personal Effects of Magic Ritual 
	By Nihasa 
 
 LC> I am exploring the power of change, as applied to 
 LC> ritual. When I step out of my suit and tie and into my 
 LC> ceremonial robe, then step out of my rooms and into my 
 LC> temple, then leave behind my everyday life and enter 
 LC> into the sacred space, what is it that makes it 'work' 
 LC> for me? 
. 
One part of the effect seems to come from an unconscious pact 
you make with your many-faceted mind. When you remove your 
"street" clothes, you give your mind permission to likewise 
"put off" important thoughts about "mundane" life until you 
return to those clothes. Notice that I don't say "compel 
your mind" to avoid those thoughts...that generally doesn't 
work very well. Instead, you acknowledge the importance of 
the mundane thoughts and promise to return to them after the 
ceremony (gee, did you know you were being so polite to your 
self? <-;). 
. 
Likewise, when you don your ceremonial robes you invite your 
mind to start focusing on the ceremony ahead and the general 
context of such ceremonies and their associated mental 
states. For those who work 'skyclad', this effect is often 
achieved by tieing on a cord or putting on ritual jewelry. 
When you step into the ritual chamber, you reiterate those 
invitations while you step out of the transition and into 
the magick. 
. 
These dynamics are fairly universal...they are the same for 
a Christian priest and his vestments or a Toreador and his 
Suit of Lights; from an actor slipping into his costume and 
character to a couple slipping into those "special" night- 
things. The mechanics vary from a simple "change clothes and 
walk in" to elaborately formal vesting rituals with 
prescribed chants and gestures at each stage. In NLP we call 
the clothes and places "anchors", while others call them 
reminders, Mnemonics, or talismans. They can be constructed 
consciously or evolve unconsciously. 
. 

	 THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
	(c)1986, Buck Jump

	Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May the rain fall gently on your rhubarb.  May the hail
fall in a lake or on a parking lot.  May our little six-legged
friends develop an allergy to your pickle patch.

	Now is the sweet season of our year.  Our Mother the Earth
is pregnant with the harvest to come.  The days are long and the
thoughts of the season are long, long thoughts.  In the soft
afternoon sky the white thunderheads sail serenely on like ships
of dream in dreamland seas.  Surely even such as I can be
forgiven for dreaming a bit, for letting the fancy roam free.

	In dreams I see a world set free.  I see the human race
living in peace, with each one going his own way but with
courtesy to all who go another way.  I see us as one species,
which we are, and all of us acknowledging that fact.  I see each
walking in beauty, with dignity, and respecting the other
person's dignity.  I see us loving one another, helping our
fellow men along their way.  When I dream, I don't mess around -
I rear back and dream up a doozy!

	So much for dreams; back to the world we live in, back to
the life we know.  Before I spring my question for the day, a
little background, a few facts:

	Every one of us must come to terms with his environment and
his heredity.  We all live on one Earth.   That is the main part
of our environment, or at least the location of it.

	We are all human beings, homo occasionally sapiens.  That is
the basis of our heredity.  
	
	Anything that is done to one of us is done to all of us. 
Anything that happens in one place on this planet has some effect
on every place on the planet.

	We are, all of us, stuck with our whole species.  Here we
are with a bunch of people we wouldn't willingly walk down a
country road with.  Indeed, we are as ship- wrecked mariners in a
lifeboat with a bunch we wouldn't sit down to eat a free meal
with.  To jump out of the boat is to drown.  To try to toss those
_______________s out is very apt to upset the boat and drown all
of us.  	These facts are self-evident, axiomatic.

	I have always held that we should all walk the path of life
with our hands outstretched in fellowship with respect and love
for all.  Of course, I have a caveat - keep a Bowie knife handy
in case they haven't all heard the message.

	As the Ultimate is reported to have said when the mountains
were made, "Now for the background".  The present situation is a
mess.  Violence is everywhere.  Not even foolish violence, but
violence without reason.  Surely a leopard is in our streets and
a shark loose in our swimming pool.

	An armed bandit shoots down an unarmed clerk who is
cooperating.  A litigant in court shoots down an attorney.  A
parent beats a child to death.  A driver gets cut off coming onto
the freeway and guns down the chap in the pickup who did the
off-cutting.  An otherwise reasonable young man is annoyed by the
sounds of traffic on a mountain road and starts shooting at the
cars passing.  Those are only a few examples culled from the news
in recent months.  In truth, senseless violence is loose in the
land.

	As it is with the individual, so with groups.  From the
racist fringe movement on to great governments. Violence for the
sake of violence is epidemic.  Each age of history has had a
plague - the plague of this age is senseless violence.  I have
friends of the "born again" persuasion who tell me that it is the
Devil doing it.  I don't think so.  As far as I can determine,
devils are a disorganized bunch.  Satan Mekatrig Lord of Chaos is
a confusion in terms.  Seen another way, that's organized
confusion.  As I see it, the flow of the power of the Universe is
organized and rational.  So it seems to me that any force opposed
to that flow must be disorganized and irrational.  That is to say
nothing of the personal devils within us.  They must have a hand
in at least some of this senseless violence.

	I have other friends who blame it on some as yet
unidentified virus.  Could be, but it's a rare virus that has no
fever, nor nausea accompanying its onset....

	Others hold that it is all explainable by Sigmund Freud and
others of that ilk.  Again I say could be, but what mental
discomboomeration comes on suddenly with no sign of
disorientation nor disturbance until it suddenly manifests itself
in the acute stage?

	For all I know, none of the above are correct.  The fact re-
mains that a wild unreasoning violence is loose among us, a
danger to us all.  The fact is, we are all in the same boat, and
the boat is encountering some heavy weather.  Don't you think we
should do something about it?  I personally can think of a whole
lot of folks who I don;t really care to rescue, but being as we
are all in the same boat, I am sure going to do my best for
them....... But what?

	In case this is all some psychosis, maybe we should engage a
firm of head shrinkers to drag in a trainload of couches and get
everyone to undergo psychoanalysis.  I refuse to consider the
logistics of this.  The idea by itself causes my mind to boggle.

	Or, suppose it is a virus.  In that case when the
virologists and immunologists have a bit of spare time from their
search for the cause and cure of AIDS, they could do the same for
the senseless violence virus.  In view of the fact that we are
all at greater risk from senseless violence than from AIDS, it
might be a worthwhile task.

	Or, just in case the gnostics have some truth in their
ideas, and it is Auld Clootie, maybe a mass general exorcism is
in order.  Once again, my mind refuses to consider the logistics.

	In view of the fact that the cause of senseless violence is
still unknown, we might get a government grant to study the
problem.  Considering the speed that such grants usually get
results, I would expect a definite answer by the twenty-second
century.  Of course, such a grant would have the added advantage
of keeping a large number of researchers out of the pool halls
and off the streets.

	Now I am going to go against my usual custom and make a
suggestion; only a suggestion, mind, and not to be taken as a
dictum, but only as an idea to be considered.  It has been my
observation that there are only two occasions when magic is apt
to work.  One is after all other methods have been tried and
found ineffectual.  The other is when there is no other method. 
Now I believe that I have explored the other methods and found
them impractical if not impossible.  So I feel that I am safe in
saying it's going to take magic to stop this purposeless killing.

	So how to go about it?  What spell, what charm, what
ceremony shall we use?  What power shall we invoke?  What power
evoke?  Magic works, the proper ceremony at the proper time, done
for the proper reason, will work.  True for you, you may well
say, but which ceremony?  When?  Why?

	I just told you.  The proper one.  The one that is proper
for you is the one you yourself believe is proper.  This is not
an essay on morals and ethics, so I refrain from putting in my
two cents worth on what is in my estimation proper.  When you are
fighting a grass fire is no time to discuss what sort of shovel
to use.

	In my dream we were all walking each in his own way, each
helping the others as much as possible.  So here let us not try
to all walk in one path.  No point in the universe can be reached
from only one direction.  Let us rather each from where it seems
most right and comfortable, try by magic means to stop this
senseless violence.  Not-ice I said senseless violence, not just
violence.  Some who follow the old Norse way could hardly be ex-
pected to endorse some anti-violent intention, but I know of none
who do not deplore reasonless violence.  We have our differences,
but surely no one objects to improving all our chances of kissing
our grandchildren.

	So, what I propose is this.  Sometime in the next quarter
year, whenever it seems most proper, let us in our various ways
by whatever means one believes in, try by magic means to stop
this epidemic of senseless violence.


	I have noticed a few things about power on the unseen side. 
For a ceremony to be more than a mere charade, everyone involved
in it must believe in the ceremony and in whatever power is used
in it.  Everyone must believe that the ceremony can and will
work.  Everyone must want the ceremony to work.  If anyone
involved in the ceremony does not so believe and want, that
person will be a dead weight on the others that do.  When I say
everyone, I mean everyone, all, each one with one belief and one
resolve.  What can be done by a group acting in true spiritual
harmony is indeed amazing, but first you must have that true
spiritual harmony.

	That is why I suggest we go at this not as some sort of
super- coven ecumenical pagan group.  I have seen a few of these
"lets all get together" bunches back in the sixties, and they
couldn't even get drunk.

	I personally am in favor of any religion that don't practice
human sacrifice, interfere in the private lives of the
nonbelievers, or use force in conversion.  I love 'em all, but
I'm not fool enough to yoke the ass and the ox together.  So
let's all go, but let's not try to make it a parade.

	That is my suggestion, and my question is why not?  I'd
appreciate your ideas on this, I truly would.  If you have any
ideas on the subject, please communicate them to the editors of
the RMPJ.  Even if the ideas are along the lines of, "You're
Nuts!!", just say why you think so.  I'd appreciate it.

	May your dreams come true; may the wind cool without
chilling, and may you reap a harvest even richer than the seed
catalogue said you would.  May your shadow fall long on the
Earth.  Go in peace, remember your fellows, and with these words
I do part now from thee.
       ________Buck Jump.       ....from RMPJ 8/86

	 The Heretic's Corner 

	Greetings, my Pagan friends, may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May the sad and ugly in your lives be covered by the
blessing of beauty even as the trash of Autumn is covered by the
beautiful snow.  May all that is sad in your lives decompose
beneath the blessings even as the dry leaves decompose beneath
the snow; out of the dead past a living future.  The flower of
hope ever springs from the mulch and compost of dead regret. 
Remember, a curse may force its way into your citadel, but a
blessing only enters through an opened door.  In other words, my
blessings upon you, may your Gods bless you, but do your part
too.

	Samhain has come and past, the leaves of autumn have fallen
to the ground, the veil between the worlds is once more grown
thick.  It is winter now, early winter, but winter none the less. 
Our mother the Earth is now the old woman by the fire- side, past
all passion now, but also past regret.  She is the loving wise
woman, the old one who looks back in order to show us the path
ahead. Youth is the time for courage and hope, but courage
without caution is spectacular suicide and hope without wisdom is
gentle madness.  The  fruitful Mother Summer changes the snow-
baby's diaper, but Grandmother Winter shows her how.  The Romans
dedicated this quiet season to Janus who looks back into the past
and ahead into the future with good reason.  It is the season of
history and prophesy.  	The sound of the pipes dies in a wail,
the nimble fingers of the harper are still upon the strings, a
hush falls over the hall and the blind seer of things unseen
makes his way slowly up the length of the Ard Righ's great hall,
tapping with his staff before him.  It is the hour of telling the
King's fortune,  the tribe's fortune.  When the blind seer begins
to chant all tongues are stilled, all ears are straining to catch
every word.  So it was, so it still is, and my guess is, it will
be so as long as men walk the earth.

	Now for my questions.  A heretic without questions is a
confusion in terms.  I may be confusing and even [some say]
confused, but I am a bona fide heretic here to question any faith
- even my own.

	First question:  What do you see up the road before us? 
There are Tarot cards, there are Runes, there are crystal balls
and dark mirrors, peep stones and visions in the mind.  I can't
even begin to list all the ways of looking into the future, but
whatever method you use, won't you tell us what you see?  As a
voting member of the human corporation you owe it to your fellows
to share your vision with us all.  	So come on all you
astrologers, scryers, mystics and shamanic prophets, give us the
word.  Now I know how hard it is to go out on a limb, I lived in
a tree house for a while.  No one but a masochist or a publicity
hound wants to be proved wrong in public.  Even the delphic
oracle used to state her predictions in ambiguous terms.  The
fact that any prophet can at times be wrong tends to make serious
prophets a rather close-mouthed bunch.  I understand how that is,
no one's complexion is improved by egg on the face.


	Now I think I have a way for you to share your vision
without going out on a limb and falling like Lucifer if the limb
breaks.  Write your prediction to the editors of the R.M.P.J. and
ask that your name be kept confidential.  It will be.  I know
Kyri and Gary and I give you my word and oath, they are honorable
people who will respect your confidence.  A Pagan Priest or
Priestess is no more apt to break the seal of confession than a
Christian one.  In the case of astrologers this is hardly the
case.  The stars are a matter of public knowledge and any error
in an astrological prediction is a matter of interpretation
rather than false vision.  To some degree readers of cards and
runes are the same as astrologers - the error is more apt to be
in the reading than in what is read.  	Anyway, in these troubled
times [that is a redundancy] we all can use any guidance we can
get, so please pass on to the rest of us any vision you have. So
that is the first question.  What do you see, and that's a public
question.

	Here is the next question, and it is a private question -
that is, answer it, but don't pass the  answer on.  If you do, it
can only  lead to quarrels, argument and sorrow.  We have enough
trouble in the world without adding to it.  Answer, but keep your
answer where you found it.  The question is this:  Is the future
you saw the only future possible?

	The idea that the future is fixed, that the last day's
doings were inevitably programmed before the first day's dawn did
not begin with John Calvin.  If the future is fixed then it can
be known - however, if it's fixed, knowing it won't help.  In
fact in a totally known or knowable future even your finding out
is part of the programme.

	Now as for me, I'm a heretic.  I truly can't call myself a
Pagan and I'm sure not part of anything else either.  I wouldn't
try to get anyone to share my beliefs.  For one thing, being "a
poor seeker after the truth, whatever it may be" is lonely, for
another it is apt to give a person lots of shocks.  So if I toss
in a bit of private faith at this point don't think I'm trying to
make any converts.  I only bring this up for your consideration.

	If you see a coyote chasing a rabbit and the coyote is
gaining, you can predict rabbit dinner.  The odds are you will be
right unless...  You didn't see the hole one jump ahead of the
rabbit, or you may have overlooked the hawk already stooping on
the rabbit.  All of these, coyote, rabbit, and hawk, are living
creatures, self-directed by minds, so we must consider these
possibilities too.  The coyote may become a vegetarian, the
rabbit may take a quick course in judo and the hawk may become a
guru and announce that she has become a butterfly.  The future
will probably be a continuation of the past, what is in motion
will probably stay in motion, but so long as minds are a part of
the future, the future is changeable.  The ability to change is
the chief attribute of a mind.


	So, if I'm right any vision of the future, even if it cannot
be totally exact will be of value to me.  If I'm wrong and the
future is fore-ordained, prearranged, fated or kismet, I would be
wasting my time even considering it.  The worst part of that is
even my wasting my time must also be fated.  I don't believe
that, but it is a consoling thought when I've lost the rent money
shooting pool.

	Now the last question.  This one can be public or private as
you prefer.  I can't see how the answer or how you answer would
in itself cause any real trouble.  Oh, those who agree with your
answer will call you wise and those who disagree will call you a
blind fool, but that goes on all the time anyway.  The question
is this:  How did some of the old-timers in the game of
prediction roll up their impressive scores?
There was the oracle at Delphi, the Roman spurinna, St. Malachy,
and Coinneach Odhar the Brahan seer;  they all rolled, so far as
we know, a perfect score.  How did they do it?  Or did they?  It
may well be that their hits have been remembered and their misses
swept under the rug.

	Then there are others; Nostradamus, Homer Lee the hunch-
back, Roger Bacon and Robert Nixon the cheshire idiot, to name a
few.  These all proved quite accurate after the fact.  That is,
their pre-dictions have been seen to be accurate after the events
predicted have come to pass, but difficult to understand before
they happened.  This in spite of the fact that both Lee and Nixon
were quite plain spoken.  

	Some have had dream visions, some have been suddenly granted
knowledge, some have had visions in trance and some of them were
correct. Others by the same methods or means have been totally
wrong.  Is there a way to tell the true from the false before the
predicted event either comes to pass or passes beyond
possibility?  If so how?  Did they, the visionaries whose visions
were accurate beyond the laws of chance, see the real and only
future, or the most likely future?  Did they perceive the causes
in their times and follow them logically to their final efforts,
or did they physically go forward in time?

	No big deal, but something to while away the hours when the
snow keeps all but those employed outside (and brave fools)
isolated by the fireside with nothing but a bunch of books to re-
read and the idiot box to look at.  When the white blanket cuts
us off from society it is well to have something to occupy the
mind.  Figuring out the prophets of old ought to last even a busy
mind through a day of blizzard.

	Any way, let us have a bit of prophetic prediction from the
readers. I have no doubt that there is at least one Michel de
Nostredame out there and probably several William Millers. 
Miller, if you don't know, was the gent who predicted the end of
the world for Oct. 22, 1844.  If you haven't noticed, he was
wrong.  Let us hear a word from the future from these Rocky
Mountains.


	The snow grows deeper up in the hills; old Yuler skiis over
the mountains and through the canyons, his long red cap trailing
behind like the tail of a comet and his merry laugh ringing in
the crisp air.  Yuler of the winter stars, friend of wolves,
fools, drunks and children - enemy of armies, noble princes, and
"the brave of mouth, coward of heart", - may he take a liking to
you.  Even more, may you be the sort of person he likes,
cheerful, full of laughter, not boastful, simple of heart, open
of mind and blessed with a generous giving hand.

	Be of good cheer dear friends; listen to the voice of our
Mother.  The longest coldest winter will end one day in spring. 
However deep beneath the snow the seeds are buried, in time the
flowers will bloom again.  I don't need a crystal ball to see
some rough times ahead.  Times are hard and getting harder, but
we humans have weathered some bad times getting this far.  We can
make it.  My blessings on one and all, with which words I do part
now from thee.
__________Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ 12/86

	 THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                 Copyright (c) 1987 by Buck Jump

     Greetings my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May the smoke go lightly up your chimney, taking the
ills and sorrows of your house with it.  May your wood pile
diminish slowly and your fire kindle quickly.  May you not lack
for ale nor friends to share it with.

     Yule has come and passed, the sun has once more turned North
and the short winter days grow longer.  For all that, the wolf of
winter howls the louder around our doors.  The sky holds a
promise of spring; the wolf howls louder and prowls closer around
our doors for he knows his time is short.

     We people of the North Intemperate Zone are the children of
the seasons.  Our special magic is weather magic.  Out of the
cold hard winter and the hot blazing summer we have fashioned our
arts and our inventions.  All the strength under the sky is of no
avail without some-thing to push against.  Yet for all our clever
inventions we are still shaped by the seasons, ruled by the
weather.  here in the rockies, all our promises and our contracts
carry the unspoken clause, "If the road is open and the crick
don't rise."

     Our Mother the Earth speaks to us by the seasons, in the
ever changing, ever repeated weather.  Hereabout when Mother
speaks all men listen.  Now in the hard season be-tween the
winter solstice and the vernal equinox the lesson Mother teaches
is one of patience and introspection.

     Consider, my friends, how it is this time of year.  We walk
abroad in a world that seems dead, or at least dormant and
sleeping.  Yet out of this seeming death will spring the life of
the summer to come.  Life into death, death into life the seasons
roll on.  Under the frost the seeds of the plants to come are
waiting.  Deep in their roots the grass and the greenwood trees
are gathering strength for the green to come.  A person who won't
learn from nature won't long cast a shadow on the earth.

     Now is the time for planning and preparation.  Now, when
every thing is moving slowly is the time to set our minds for the
quick decisions to come.  The time to plan for a journey is
while the road is blocked with snow.  Perspiration without
preparation is a waste of effort.  Now in this quiet time we
should prepare for the busy season ahead.  In this life the quick
and the dead are judged.  Those who ain't quick are judged dead. 
True enough, but quick alone won't get it.  The frog that means
to survive must be ever ready to jump, but he has to jump in the
right direction.  Old Blue Heron gets many a meal from frogs who
jump the wrong way.  We live in a hard world where to do nothing
is to die, and to do the wrong thing is suicide.  The eyes that
look not ahead are soon stopped with grave dust.


     Look into the future to plan for the future, but don't
forget the past.  Old defects and mistakes are a better teacher
than old triumphs.  Remember what went wrong in the past, so it
won't go wrong again.  Anyone alive to read these words must be
at least fair at for-seeing the future, or have luck beyond the
ordinary.  Now is the time to get out the crystal ball, cast the
horoscope, shuffle the Tarot cards, consider the predictions of
sages and experts, read the record to establish a pattern, and
then meld them all into some sensible plan of action.  It's not a
bad idea to have a contingency plan or two on hand just in case.

     Enough of this, I am beginning to sound like a guru, and I
only meant to pass the time of day.  I have no certificate of
appointment signed by the ultimate and witnessed by our Mother
the Earth appointing me councillor to the human race.  No, I'm
just the asker of questions, and I don't need an appointment for
that.  Does a bird need an appointment to fly?

     Don't pay too much attention to me, or to any other tribal
elder.  We are all of us ever tempted to sit in the seat of the
oracle, and reveal to the young the words of the Gods, that we
heard in the age we call golden.  If the elder is really good at
it he can even recall an age when every goose was a swan and
every goat a gazelle.  The flower children who said "don't trust
anyone over thirty" had good reason for saying it.  I would add
"Don't trust anyone under thirty, either."  If you can't trust
your own observations and intelligence, you have a real problem.

     I trust you to know the difference between gold and bull-
plop.  I will propose questions, you will have to find your own
answers.  If I, or any other old crock,knew the answers to all of
life's questions, do you think we'd be here casting our pearls of
wisdom to the winds?

     When, and if you have a bit of time to consider general
questions, after considering your own specific problems, here are
a few good ones.

     What should our relations be with one who has gone wrong? 
We should love all life, even the self made mess, the scoundrel
who knows no law save his own appetites, the seeker after free
lunches, the T.V. evangelist and all the self proclaimed "great
leaders".  We should love them, but how close should we get? 
Holding hands with a fool who insists on standing under a tall
tree during a thunderstorm just isn't bright.  The laws of nature
have no pity, and being an innocent bystander is the most
dangerous employment known to man.  So the real question is, how
close should we get?


     Another to ponder, how far should we go in turning one of
our fellows from the wrong path?  "No effort to great to promote
the right" sounds good but is it?  Consider: When does a
friendly word of warning become a pack of alarmist lies?  How far
does friendly persuasion go, before it becomes `unfriendly
coercion?  It's all very well to be the dedicated teacher, but
when does the teacher become the demagogue?  How far can a
teacher go before he is interfering with the student's free will? 
Where does seduction end and rape begin?  Just how far can one go
in correcting a friend gone wrong without buying in to a real bad
deal?  I was once picking apples with a fellow who was color-
blind.  With the best intention he picked a small round hornets
nest.  We learn by observation.

     Here's one to ponder on long cold nights when old Fenris
howls outside the door, and ghost lights gleam in the northern
sky.  Can right ever be wrong?  At first glance, it looks like
the Old Heretic has drunk too deep from the good plum wine. 
Could be, but consider before you judge.  Take for instance the
statement "The Earth is our mother, we should all love, cherish
and protect her."  Now, I don't think you can find a sane person
anywhere who don't agree with that statement, at least in spirit. 


     Self-preservation demands that we try to save our home and
our heritage.  So far so good, but just how far should we go in
our protecting?  What weapons should we use, and how use them? 
Adolph Hitler had the idea that over-population was our big
problem, and he set out to fix it.  The laws of nature don't need
a bunch of petit bureaucrats to enforce them.  No judge and jury
are needed to sentence a fool to dismemberment for failing to
show the proper respect for high explosives.  It doesn't take the
hand of Lud to drown a fool who shoots a hole in the boat.  The
laws of nature have no pity, you who know better and are in the
boat with the armed idiot will drown along with him if he fires
the shot.  The trick is to save the boat.  In a case like that,
anything that works is right and proper--if it works.  Throwing
the armed lunatic overboard is fine if you can do it without
upsetting the boat.  
Anyone can cure a dog of running away by shooting him in the
head.  
It's a poor medicine that causes more pain than it cures.  It is
not enough to know right and defend it, you must still be right
after your defence triumphs.  The end would justify the means
always, except any end must reflect the means and be a part of
them.  So I lied a little, right can become wrong.  The real
question is how does one defend right without destroying the
right defended?  That's one we all damn well better have an
answer for every day.


     These grey days that keep me indoors have gotten me full of
questions; a house-bound heretic is a menace to man's peace of
mind.  Here is a question to discuss with friends by the fire
over a mug of ale.  I toss this in as a gift.  After you have
discussed the weather and displayed your knowledge of sports
you'll need a topic of conversation.  That boring lull in the
conversation is all too easy to fill with remarks about the
neighbors, and that leads all to often to digging a grave in the
frozen ground.  So here is my gift to the peace of the
neighborhood.  When is it proper to work weather magic?

     I won't bore you with a discourse on the ways and means of
weather magic, they are many and for the knowledgeable person
they all work.  I know that there are a few world-class weather
fixers in my audience.  Most of us are somewhere between poor and
fair at weather magic.  In terms of snow we range from a white
frost to an occasional ground hider.  The real adept can bring on
a real road-blocker at will.  The question is not "can it be
done?", the quest-ion is "When should it be done?"
Why? Before you answer it might be well to consider another one
of those laws of nature.  There is one that can be stated
`whatever you do by whatever means is your responsibility', or in
the vulgate "if you order it you have to take de-livery on it and
pay for it."

     My first three questions are intended for private answers, 
I don't want to know your answers, but I hope you do.  As long as
your personal moral code doesn't endanger me, I'm in favor of
you keeping it personal.  I have trouble enough with my own moral
code.  I'm not interested in yours, but I hope you are.  

     I'd like some input on the last question.  If you have any
ideas on the subject please pass them on to our ever-tolerant
editors.  We who love our Mother Earth, and practice a bit of
benign magic owe it to each other and to humanity generally to
share our ideas.  Some of the magi of the old times seem to have
worked out the morality of weather magic, but that was then, this
is now.  Or does that make a difference?

     I have done my best to give you something to think about,
something to keep boredom at bay and break the monotony of the
cold grey days.  If this doesn't work you can shovel snow and
keep your body so busy that your mind won't have time to grow
bored.  If you don't have any snow of your own to shovel I'll let
you come over to my house and have at the drifts with a shovel.

     My blessing to one and all; may the green grass of spring
know your shadow - with these words I do now part from thee.

P.S.  Women:  Please read mankind for man, and Hers or His for
his.  I respect all of you persons, but I plead `non culpa' to
the charge of male chauvinism - I did not invent the English
language, I only use it.

                      THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                          by Buck Jump

     Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you; may the bugs flee your patch as from a crow; may the
gentle rain fall softly on your flower beds; and may your lovers
be all you wish them to be.  Now at the season of long lovely
days and short passionate nights, when our Mother the fair Earth
is at her richest and most bountiful, it is hardly the season for
deep thinking.

     When nature is at its very best and the season most
enjoyable are we not all of us tempted to shut of	maymental
processes and enjoy life in a purely sensual mammalian way?  Of
course we are, to do less would be an insult to creation.

     At this glad time, here comes that old pest, the heretic,
like the ghost at Ceasar's feast.  Consider, dear friends, even
as the screech owl is put into this world to scare goose bumps on
our backs, the here-tic is put into the world to ask hard
questions and discomboomerate the quiet mind.  The only place on
this sweet earth where we can look for a quiet unchanging stay is
a graveyard.  It is so with me, even as with you.

     The other day when I was minding my own business [a most ha-
zardous occupation], a stranger came to me with a request.  He
wanted me to magically restore to him a lost love.  It seems that
he had, by his own actions, turned his lady's love if not to
hate, at least to an active dislike.  He was sorry.  He knew it
was all his own fault.  He agreed that she was justified in
leaving him.  He beat his chest and cried `mea culpa', but he
wanted her back, and he wanted me or someone to, as he put it,
"push the right button", and change the situation.  Before he
came to me he had been to a friend of mine.  The friend is a
scholar and practical magician who is rather more daring than
most- he had by magic means caused the lady to recall the best of
the past.  With that, the lady consented to talk with her ex-
inamorata, and discuss, in a civilized fashion, her decision to
be done with him.  At that, the magician bowed out.  He pointed
out to the petitioner that from there on, it was up to him.  My
friend maymagician can be, when he has to be, a most impressive
man, and I gather he dismissed the `lorn lover' with a definite
dismissal.

     Then he came to me.  I pointed out that there ain't no free
lunch in the universe and I had no intention o	making on a
karmic debt of considerable proportion for his possible benefit.
I told him that it is easier to move a mountain than to move a
human mind if it will not be moved.  I told him that he was
trying to find someone to do for him what could only be properly
done by himself.  I pointed out to him that his situation was an
effect of a cause, a cause that he was responsible for.  I told
him that magic is fine as a last resort, but hardly to be
considered as first aid.  I told him ......  I wasted my breath.
Such a one hears only what he wants to hear.


     The petitioner only said, "I just need someone to push the
right button - she used to love me.  I am not asking much, I just
want things to be like they were."

     I refrained from pointing out that Hitler could have said
the same thing in the bunker.  Then he said, "I am willing to pay
you.  Just tell me how much it's going to cost." Some things are
an insult from a knowledgeable person, and a joke from a fool.  I
laughed.  He was the sort who would ask "How much?", referring to
one's head.

     Now I am, I think, a reasonable sort, patient, and in my own
way polite, but enough is enough, and this chap was rapidly
becoming too much.  I told him flatly, that I was not about to do
any button pushing.  I gave him what I felt was good advice.
That is, I told him that if he was determined to further his
amours by magic means to learn to do it himself.  I referred him
to a most knowledgeable teacher.  I was in that way certain that
he would either learn what was involved in his request and give
it up, or more likely abandon the whole thing as too slow and too
difficult.  (The teacher informs me that he never bothered to
even go around to see what the teacher had to offer.  A case of
"Gimme my daily bread, I'm willing to wait with my mouth open".)

     Then he countered that if I wouldn't "push the button" could
I refer him to someone who could, or would.  I inquired around.
One col-league I know is willing to try just about anything.  He
once did a weather spell out on the high plains in tornado season
and another time worked a charm to rid a field of grasshoppers in
hail season.  I add, both were successful in a disastrous way.
When I contacted him with the case, his words were, "I'd like to
but I'm going on a trip to South America."  Surprised, I asked
about the trip, adding I hadn't known about it.  He replied, "I
didn't know about it either, but if that dude shows up here, I'm
going!"

     Failing to find a genuine scholar and practicing magician
to attempt the matter, I tried a couple of unethical charlatans.
In view of the fact that the petitioner was a large muscular sort
who would expect instant results, they regretfully declined.


     I was beginning to feel like Sinbad the Sailor when he
carried the old man of the sea piggyback around the island.  At
wit's end (where I have lived for years), I suggested that he try
religion.  I offered to introduce him to some nice Pagan folks,
or even get him in touch with some T.V. type evangelists.  He
refused on the grounds that they would be too slow and uncertain. 
He wanted instant gratification.

     At last, thanks be to the power that watches over well-
meaning fools like me, another lady hove into sight, and he took
off in her direction with deep breath and flashing eyes.  This
sad fellow is but one of many I've had my misfortune to meet.  I
am sure most of you could recount similar sad males.  We'll all
have to get together and I'll haul out the portable wailing wall,
and we can share a cup of tea and all sympathize with each other.

     I wouldn't have bored you with this all too familiar tale
except I have a question.  How does one deal with such people?
Is there some way to tell a person with a real problem who can be
helped from the person who has an endless amount of wants and no
energy to help himself?  That is, some way, without finding out
the hard way?  I can handle skeptics (I am one myself), I can
handle cynics, I can handle atheists and deal with convinced true
believers of all sorts, but how do I deal with a person who
believes that I can work miracles?

     One question leads to another.  I have a few more on the
same line.  How comes it that as soon as people, some of them at
least, find that one is not part of some main line orthodox
church, they straightway want you to work some magic?  Are Roman
Catholic and Episcopal priests pestered by miracle seekers?  Are
T.V.  evangelists?  If not, why not?  They deal in magic as much
as any Pagan or free thinker.  Is the prevalence of lazy
freeloaders the reason that Christianity for the last fifteen
centuries or so has been down playing the magical basis of the
early Church?  This is a topic worthy of our consideration.

     Another question comes to mind at this point.  A question
about magic in general.  I am sure you know what magic is, just
is I am sure I know what it is.  The definitions are many and
varied, but they all basically state in one way or another, that
magic is the practical side of religion, and the practice of
magic is the art of causing changes in the tangible by intangible
means.  Or, to put it another way, magic is a mental way of
changing the physical by means o	 the spiritual.  That is what
magic is, no question there.  The question is what does the
uninitiated, uninformed layman think magic is?
     If you are going to make a living repairing televisions and
radios, it is not enough that you know electronics.  You must
also know what your customers believe about electronics.  The
degree of success in the TV-Radio repair business is generally in
direct proportion to the amount of customer knowledge the
proprietor of the business has.  The rule is, if you deal with
the run of humanity, you must understand the general run of
humanity.  You must not know only what you know, but also what
people ignorantly suppose you know.

     I pass this bit of wisdom on to you, for I think it has
value to any serious student of matters intangible.  An old
doctor of medicine told me this some forty years ago.  The
occasion was a patient of his inquiring about an operation for a
then inoperable condition.  I, only an army medic, was astounded
at the fellow's ignorance and when the Doc and I were alone, said
as much.  "Son," the old doctor said, "Here is something to
remember  Anything that works that you don't understand is magic
 and a magician can do anything.  That's not the truth, but
ninety per cent of the human race believe it is." That is how
people who have never studied the arts of magic see it.  To them
it is a power without cost and without limit.


     Now, the final question for this time is, what should we do
about this situation?  How should one handle a request made in
good faith, to do something clearly impossible?  Don't tell me
the answer is nineteenth century elitist secrecy.  Even if one
is a member of The Mystic Confraternity of the Aureate, six
fifteen A.M. some well intentioned ill informed citizen is going
to crawl out of your woodwork either begging for a miracle or
demanding one.  Secrecy restricts the free flow of information
and the cross fertilization of ideas, besides which it don't
work.  I fear that people more or less like the chap I described
at the start of this will ever be with us.  What can we do about
them, how should we do it?  I am as always serious with my ques
tions.  If anyone has some idea on the subject please let us all
know.  Write the editorial staff of the RMPJ.  Don't hide your
light in this dark world.

     Now, having done my best to dispel the boredom of too much
of a good thing, I part now from you.  May the sunshine fall
softly on you, tanning but not burning.  May our sweet Mother the
Earth long know your shadow.  May you go ever with the current of
the power of the Absolute.  My blessings on one and all.
         (c)1986, by Buck Jump  .........from R.M.P.J. 8/86

                          THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                     Copyright 1987, Buck Jump & RMPJ

     Greetings, my Pagan friends--may your Gods be well-disposed to you. 
May the rain be sufficient unto the needs of your gardens but not so much
as to change the creek bottom geography.  May the fish be attracted to your
bait and the deer flies and mosquitos find you nauseating.  

     Now is the sweet season of our year when our sweet Mother the Earth is
at Her most satisfying, must nurturing aspect.  Ripe Summer just a moon to
come, Spring with her fickle teasing just a moon past.  Now the days are
long and our thoughts are longer.  The nights are short and our sorrows
even shorter.  To add my blessing to the blessing of being alive in this
glad season would be to lay a penny on a gold-piece.  Rejoice and be glad
that you are alive in this season.

     According to my Almanac, which holy writ I have so far found to be
true, on the night of June 25 the Sun and Moon will both be in Cancer. 
That night if the clouds are not intervening we will be treated to the
sight of the new moon with the old moon in her arms.  The earth light then
is so bright on the moon that we can see it from here.  

     The Teutons call it the geigenschine, and, in the old times at least,
believed it was the time when one might peer through the veil of time, to
see both past and future.  The Celts held that the new moon was pregnant
with the harvest to come on these nights.  Those who follow the seasons in
their doings hold it a grand time for beginnings.  A good time for marrying
and giving in marriage.  The Hebrideans hold it to be the luckiest of times
for launching a fishing boat.  Come to think about it those two things are
not very different.  

     Any way it's a fine night for a bonfire and a picnic.  I must confess
in my own case it's hard to think of a night that isn't good for a fire and
a feast, but when the new moon holds the old moon in her arms seems the
best of nights for partying and feasting.  It is a time without equal for
blessing ceremonies -- especially ceremonies to bless the beginning of
something.  
Most of you, I am sure, know more about this than I do, but I thought I'd
just give you all a gentle reminder.  Another thing -- it is generally said
to be ill luck to start the new cider in the fall with over half the old
cider still not drunk.  Party time, friends!!


     Now I may seem to change the subject.  I have found that only the
Absolute Ultimate Intelligence and the tables of mathematics can be trusted
totally.  That is why I trust the Almanac, the axioms of geometry, and the
equations of physics more than the revealed words of all the prophets.  Not
that I think prophets are liars, far from it, but one man's truth may be
another man's fairy tale.  If you don't think that is so, consider:  Three
honest, fair, sober citizens witness the same event, say a wreck on the
highway.  One is a farmer from the San Luis Valley, one a Denver truck
driver, and one a sheep herder from Craig; they tell their story in what
they all fondly believe to be standard English.  What do we hear?  Three
different stories that don't even seem to concern the same event.  Now take
three metallurgists, or chemists, or physicists - any three people all
knowledgeable in the same physical discipline.  Let one be a Swede, one a
Chinese and one an American; let them all make the same observation and
report on it each in his own language.  The equations they use explaining
the observation will be identical.  That is why I hold Almanacs and such to
be holy writ.

     Interesting, but what has that piece of information to do with a feast
by a bonfire or a ceremony under the new moon?  Music is what.  Music is
that form of mathematics that describes and evokes emotion.  A ceremony
without music is like a feast without food, a confusion in terms.

     I can't speak the highland Gaelic, but when a good piper blows "I will
see ye no the more" I understand what it is to go bravely into a battle
knowing you won't win, and can't win, but can't avoid either.  They had no
piper, but I wonder if someone didn't whistle that sad brave tune inside
the Alamo that morning when Santa Anna's trumpeter blew "Death and Glory." 
A native American blowing on a bone flute can tell you more about the Hopi
nation and what the coyote's song means than a whole library full of
anthropological studies.  A classic Chinese orchestra playing "Dragons
Crossing a River" will put you more in tune with China than a year spent
studying Kung Fu Tse in translation.  A drummer from the Congo banks and a
drummer from the Shetlands don't have the same beat, nor do they carry the
same message, but each can understand the other.

     Magic is at least in part emotion, a mood-thought or as we say in the
country `you have to hold your mouth right.'  So if you do plan some
ceremony for the night of the double moon, give a thought to the music.  It
is not enough that a ceremony "work" it has to "work right."

     Now for my question.  I am not just being silly with this, I ask it in
hope that we can establish some uniformity of terms.  At the night of the
new moon we who count time by moons begin a new count.  Different folk in
different places name the moons differently.  That is, the full moon
occurring when the Sun is in Cancer or first after the Summer solstice is
called Green Corn moon, Catfish moon, Strawberry moon, or First Heat moon,
to name only a few designations.  I am not trying to establish any
uniformity in these names.  As the heart feels let the mouth speak.  Any
way a list beginning with the Full moon next after the Vernal Equinox is
easily translated from one name system to another.   


     What I'd like to know is something else.  The other day I was playing
trivial pursuit and one of the questions was "what is the second full moon
in a month called?  I missed it.  The answer was a "blue moon."  I lost
fair and square, a game is played by the rules of the game and damn the
facts.  In fact, a blue moon occurs whenever there is a cloud of volcanic
dust in the stratosphere. We had several after St. Helens blew up.  There
were some emerald sunrises at that time too.  We had `blood on the moon'
some fifty years ago during the dust storms.  That red moon phenomenon
occurs during forest fires too.  Signs in the moon of impending doom and
disaster are too well known to warrant comment, so I won't make any.

     What I want to know is what does one call the second full moon
occurring in the passage of the sun through a single sign of the Zodiac? In
four full years there are 48 sun signs, but 49 full moons.  What does one
call that extra full moon?  For instance it happened now would it be
"second full moon", or "early currant moon", or "more catfish moon", or "If
you didn't catch 'em last time moon get 'em now moon"?  Being as I'm not
color blind I know it's not a "blue moon" but what is it?

     So dear friends the year rolls on.  Enjoy the good green days when
Summerland is here and not hereafter.  To look ahead at the cold to come
will spoil the enjoyment of Summer but it won't make Winter any less sharp. 
So enjoy the sweet days while you may.  May you so live that the Summer
days will live in your hearts throughout the whole cycle of seasons and be
with you even when you pass this way again.  May our Mother bless you and
guide you.  With these words I do now part from thee.
                                                                --Buck Jump
 

                      THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                      (c)1986, Buck Jump

	Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May your harvest be bounteous, may your winter meat be
fat and easily gotten, and may the autumn sun warm you for the
cold to come.

	Now is the time of the grand payoff when what we have worked
for throughout the long summer is at last laid in the granary.  A
little while to enjoy the sweet earth, the time between harvest
and wood chopping. Our Mother is especially sweet just now - past
bearing but not yet the wise old grandmother, our Earth is still
warm with passion, a lover of pleasure without consequence. 
Autumn is the year's reward.  May yours be rich and filled with
ecstasy. 

	The black birds flock for the long trip south; the wild
geese return from the arctic barrens.  The coyotes sing their
wild song of life and love.  A night wind rustles the drying
leaves under the Hunter's moon, and I hear the horn of the wild
hunt rushing over the land.  The veil between the worlds grows
thin and the past comes back into the present.

	There is a sweet nostalgia in the past.  Old loves still
warm the cooling blood; old triumphs still make the heart beat
faster; old mistakes still bring a blush to the cheek.  "Old
mistakes", as the English sailor said in the Japanese bath house,
"Aye, there's the rub."  
	I hope the wild hunt in passing your house, starts only such
game as you will want to see.  I fear that old Herne has started
a hare in my woods that I neither knew was there nor wanted to
see.

	My Pagan friends, forgive me... I goofed.  Mea Culpa, and I
should have known better.  At least I give thanks that I can
acknowledge my goof before it goes farther, and thanks too that I
haven't entirely dislocated my arm patting myself on the back.

	When last I wrote in these pages, I suggested that we all
work some magic to put an end to senseless violence.  I thought I
was being reasonable, I thought my idea would perhaps inspire an
outpouring of spiritual power that might well improve our common
environment.  It seemed like such a good idea.  I was proud of
myself.  Well, pride goeth before a forced landing.


	I have a friend with whom I've debated many an issue of
moral philosophy over many a cup of coffee. He shall remain
nameless here, but I can identify him as a Talmudic scholar who
has taken a post graduate course in human nature in the "second-
hand" business.  He is a master schooled in both theory and prac-
tice.  As soon as you issue of the R.M.P.J. came out, I
rushed down to the coffee shop to gloat and play `one-up' with my
friend.  I went in like a falcon and got shot down like a goose. 
He read my prose carefully, and re-read parts of it.  He is a
scholar and a gentleman.  The former kept him from agreeing, the
latter kept him from being nasty about it.  Every philosopher
should have such a friend, someone to keep our feet on the
ground.

	"I agree with your position", he told me, "I think you have
a noble idea, but your first premise is false.  There is no
senseless violence -- all violence seems sensible to the one who
does it.  Now you, I, and every well intentioned reasonably
intelligent person must agree the examples you cite are
senseless.  To us they are senseless, but to the people who did
them they were sensible."

	Then he proceeded to show how, from the warped viewpoint of
these violent people their actions were, to them, both sensible
and justified.  He convinced me that I was making a moral and
value judgement rather than a positive statement of natural fact. 
In order to achieve what I wanted, I now realize, would require
some drastic reshaping of a lot of minds, an overhaul of millions
of psyches.  I didn't realize what I was asking.  Well, when I
dream, I dream big....

	If all the moral philosophers, gurus, religious leaders,
prophets and shamans who have tried and failed to re-shape
humanity en masse were gathered together in a single place, it
would take a Texas wheat field to hold them.  In order to stop
senseless violence it will be necessary to get everyone to agree
on what is senseless.  I know what is right, you know what is
right, but that wierdo next door has some other idea.  Before we
can feel safe around him we have to get him to agree with us. 
I'm not too optimistic about a mass mind change even by magic. 
It is worth a try, but recall - in the past, some real eternity
class magicians have tried and failed.  Some of those old boys
could control the weather, transmute metals, turn juice or water
in to wine instantly and levitate, but they couldn't change the
mind set of mankind.  It's easier to move a mountain than a mind. 
To use force either real or implied, either physical or social,
is only to replay the inquisition, and we've already had too many
remakes and sequels to that.  Education seems to be the only
method that works, and that's as slow as evolution.


	Right and Justice are not to be had in job lots, even with
magic.  Every case must be approached individually one by o@e. 
To change minds in mass lots can be done magically; however
people who are so changed are not really changed, but only
suppressed -- what you get are a bunch of zombies.  So far as I
know this sort of thing is only done by magicians on the dark
side.  Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones are two examples that come
readily to mind.  For all I know both of the named examples may
well have started with the highest motives.  When you start
superimposing your mind o@ the mind of another or others, things
have a way of coming unglued.  History is full of examples of
groups that acted with one mind for a while and then unravelled
when the guru leader either died or ran out of gas.  No my
friends, it won't work, even with the noblest of motives it just
won't work.

	I knew all this from long ago, but I was misled as to what
was going on.  I thought the senseless violence I saw around me
was from some outside source.  A mad spirit, a virus or some sort
of "dis-harmonic vibration".  If that were the case my idea would
have been a good one.  On the off chance that something like that
is now afoot in our world a general intention for reason and
against violence can't hurt, and may well do some constructive
good.  I'm all for anyone who tries to clean up our environment,
seen or unseen.  Considering the sort of good folk who read the
R.M.P.J. I'm not too worried that anyone who read my last little
effort will be misled by it.  I fear that at worst, those of you
who followed my suggestion may have wasted both time and effort -
- I hope that at best, you may have done some good by promoting
reason and discouraging confusion.  Cleaning the house won't stop
a fire, but it will lessen the chances of spontaneous combustion,
and make a fire easier to fight if it does break out.  As I see
it, my mistake was in supposing we all have more or less the same
values and in externalizing he source of senseless violence.

	Enough of apology and explanation.  Breast-beating and
patting your back are both good exercises   .....in futility. 
One good bray from the donkey, o@e good hoot from the owl, and
then back to work.  We are still at risk from some angry fool
armed and dangerous.  What can be done?  What should be done?

	I can think of several things to do.  First, learn to
perceive the violent odes.  Some of us can see auras, some can
pick up on "bad vibes", some can "smell" trouble --  however,
whichever, my advice would be to use it.  An antelope don't long
survive in the veldt without looking, listening, smelling and
generally  keeping on the alert.  Second, surround yourself with
protection.  Some walk in a sphere of protection, some are guided
by some unseen force, I rely on my guardian spirit, guardian
angel or however you call her.  In any case, whatever protection
you have, use it.  Whatever ceremonies, prayers, incantations or
deep meditations you use, don't neglect them.  That is about it. 
We're back where we were when we wore fur bikinis and hunted with
stone-tipped spears, but haven't we always been there?  Safety
is, in this life, I fear only an illusion.


	One thing more we can do, and should do -- we can teach. 
Part of the debt we all owe to life is to clean the place.  Non
only should we pick up the trash, but we should also clean up the
vicious bull-shit wherever we find it.  Like it or not we are all
teachers.  	Whatever we do, whatever we say is part of the
lesson we teach.

	Before all the Gods I wish I had some magic formula to give
you that would clean up the world both seen and unseen, but I
don't.  The life of mankind is a hard road to travel, that is why
the ultimate designed a hard bunch to travel it.  My blessings on
you one and all.  May you find enlightenment.  You are smart, may
you find wisdom.  Let this subject now be closed between us.  If
you have any ideas on this subject pass them on to our long-
suffering editors.

	Now it may be that I can resume my clown suit and once more
arm myself with my gadfly stinger and get back to the heretic
business and leave metaphysics to those better equipped to deal
with it.  A silversmith shoeing a horse rarely does a good job of
it.

	In the spring the wild plums were a'blooming.  White
blossoms on the bough, lace for the bride.  In the long summer
the little green plums grew and changed to a lighter green color. 
When the first frost was still up in the high country the plums
grew sweet and turned a lovely purple-pink shade.  Then at the
time of the autumnal equinox, they were picked and crushed.  Now
the new wine works behind the air seals in the fermenter.  The
promise of spring blossoms is redeemed in the good strong wine of
winter.  What we learn in any one place we can use in another
place.  The wild plums are a part of life; from them we can learn
about other parts of life.  When the wine falls clear, a drink
all around, a toast to life.  May we all go our separate ways
bound for a common goal.  May the flowers bloom where we have
passed.  Go in peace, well disposed to your fellows.  With these
words I do now part from thee.____Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ Oct '86

                             THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                           Copyright 1987, Buck Jump
                     and the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal

    Greetings my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed to you.  May the breeze of Autumn cool your sun-browned skin while the heat of summer past still warms your heart.  May you find pinon nuts in plenty -don't forget to leave a few for our furry friends.  May the cider of your apples be finer than the best champagne.  May the sacred blue corn from your corn patch be enough to see you through the winter, enough to plant next spring, and still enough to make cornbread for all your friends when your next year's corn is as high as your knees.

    The full moon of Libra rides now in the sky.  The Blood moon, the Hunters' moon, time for such of us as are not vegetarians to go on the hunt.  Now is the time to make proper apologies and then lay in the winter meat.  The fine days of Autumn are upon us.  Enjoy the beauty of the season even as you work like one bailing a leaking boat in the middle of a large lake, to prepare for the cold to come.  These are fine days, these are hard days.  Our Mother the Earth loves us, but she is a stern parent.  It's work or die for us Her children.  Be glad that this is so; if Mother only gave what a bunch of spoiled brats we would be.  So dig your potatoes and while you dig remember the folks who held this land before us.  Bless them for the potatoes and the sacred blue corn.  Tread lightly on the ground -who knows whose graves we walk upon.

    The other day a lady inquired of me as to where to get some clear quartz crystals.  I referred her to a couple of rock shops that I have found to both reasonable and reliable.  In the course of our talk she began to question me about the ghostly and magic qualities of crystals generally.  I had to tell her that as to crystals, my knowledge was rather like my knowledge of electronics-- purely academic.  I know that both are useful in the hands of one knowledgeable about them, and I know that I am not so knowledgeable.  I advised her to get some of the good books on the subject and to enroll in a class to study that discipline.

    I wonder why it is that people assume that because I have some incomplete knowledge of magic sticks and enchanted rings that I would know about crystals. Some folks suppose that since I can play a mountain dulcimer I can also play an indian flute - I can't.  Do they also suppose that a stone mason knows the cabinet maker's trade?  Most of the definitions of magic I have read were written by magicians, from within as it were.  Here is one written by one not at all knowledgeable about magic, from without.  It is this, "Magic is anything that I don't understand that works."  It also has a corollary: "A magician can do anything."  That's another good reason to soft-pedal your pagan beliefs.  Besides the people who want to throw stones at you, you have to contend with a pack of nuts who expect you to turn their leaden lives into fine
gold with no effort on anyone's part.  I digress, but I feel this paragraph may be of use to you.

    So back to my conversation with the crystal seeking lady.  She next
remarked that I probably had never had a lucky piece nor a lucky stone.  Again, I surprised her.  I told her that I had several such.  That led to a discussion of lucky stones in general, and the difference in crystals, metals, and shapes that will work for any knowledgeable person, and special talismanic tokens that have power usable only by an individual or a small group of people.

    A true lucky stone has a value, at least to its owner, that has nothing to do with its price.  A natural crystal has a price fixed more or less in
relation to its value.  Such a stone is rather like any other tool or piece of equipment.  Personal lucky stones are another matter - I know a good deal about them, learned by both study and experience.  Any solid object may be a lucky piece.  Usually it is a natural object, but it can be something manmade.  There is extensive literature on the subject.  If you are interested you can look up talismans, mazels, gluckenstinen, destiny stones, Indian medicine rocks, lucky stones, they are all the same thing, no matter the language.  I personally prefer "lucky stone", the common American term, and why not?  I am a common American.  So much for nomenclature, how do they work and where can you get one?

    As for the first question, life is too short to give a good positive
answer.  I have a private guess, but for anything definite you'll need to study cosmology, physics, metaphysics, geology, psychogeology and "energyology."  If you should come up with a good positive answer, one that can be proved by demonstration, please let me know.  

    Now for where to obtain a lucky stone or lucky piece.  First, you can't buy one - oh, you might buy the stone, but the seller loses the luck and the buyer don't get it.  I guess it goes back to wherever it came from.  Second, you can't steal it.  True, a clever thief can lift any solid object, but the act of theft reverses the luck.  If you doubt that, I refer you to the history of the Hope diamond.  So, having forewarned you what not to do, I'll proceed to what you can do.  You can obtain a lucky stone by gift.  You can be given a lucky stone provided the gift is made in love, without fear nor hope of future favor.  I have one such, which I got by inheritance.  The best and cheapest way to acquire a lucky stone is to have it thrust upon you.  A gift from the hands of the Gods, as it were.  To put it another way, a lucky stone becomes a lucky stone at some moment in time when you and the stone come together in some, to you, great event.  For example, bringing down a deer when you are really starving; being near-missed by a bolt of lightning; a truly monumental moment of love.

    By way of illustration, here's how two of mine came to be lucky stones. The first is a sort of family lucky stone, the one I got by inheritance.  One day in early June some sixty years ago a gang of relatives were putting up the hay crop on my grandfather's farm.  Purely by chance, everyone there was a member of my mother's family.  You may wonder what a boy not ten years old was doing there.  In those days a kid to load the stacker pony was a regular part of most haying crews.  Suddenly there was a flash of greenish light, a sonic boom, the earth shook and a thin wisp of smoke or steam rising from the meadow.  One of my uncles took a shovel and ran over to investigate.  A wisp of smoke was rising from a hole in the ground.  He dug up a red hot meteorite, rare enough in its self, but this particular one is an isotropic form of copper.  It is somewhat cylindrical in shape, about the size of a large salt shaker.  That is the family lucky stone.  It has been handed down in the family ever since.  All I can say is, comparatively we have had better luck since then than most other families.  The keeper or custodian of the piece has always been favored with unusual good fortune.


    The other that I will describe is a piece of red and white Oregon beach
agate.  It is about the size of the first joint of my thumb, polished and
shaped by the random tumbling of the waves and sand - it seems to have a sort of Salvador Dali eye on one side.  What a certain lovely lady and I were doing in an Oregon beach cave at low tide I leave to your imagination; when we again returned to the world we usually live in I was gripping the stone in my hand.  My own personal love charm.

    I know a man who carries with him everywhere a watch, melted and fused into a worthless chunk of brass, but still recognizable as a watch.  He found it smoking in his pocket as he hastily shed his pants after being knocked off his feet by a bolt of lightning.  That is his lucky piece.


    So it is with all lucky stones, they are souvenirs of a great occasion. Magic sticks are made, the result of human intention.  Lucky stones are given or granted by power or powers outside the ken of man.  If you are fortunate enough to get one, you will know it.  We have an instinct about some things. If you have one, guard it well.  Remember, the difference between worthless and priceless is in that inner wisdom that only a superior person possesses.  

    My question this time rises from this: In the regalia and equipage of
Kings, the royal orb and scepter of royalty are second only to the crown itself in importance.  Now what I'd like to know is this... In the old time of "the simple rule and antique plan - of him to take who has the power and him to keep who can", was the scepter the head man's shillelagh and the orb his lucky stone?  Along the same line another related question.  Would kings still rule as well as reign if the scepter were cut with appropriate ceremony from a living tree and the orb of power was a true lucky stone?  I have noted in history that royal power began to wane about the time kings began to rely on courtiers and craftsmen for things they had better done them-selves.  

    It is well to have friends, it is well to be a part of a group, but when you inwardly begin to identify your self with some thing or person outside yourself, you begin to inwardly diminish.  Yours should be a part of you while you have custody of it, otherwise it's only trading stock and capital.

    So much for magic sticks, and lucky stones for history and kings, autumn is upon us.  The wild hunt rides the night wind, the veil between the worlds grows thin, it's time to prepare for the cold to come.  Now is the time when the long long thoughts rise in our minds unbidden.  

    May you have food and fire for the winter and thoughts to meditate upon
when your paths are blocked with snow.  May you be blessed, may neither boredom nor hard living trouble you, with which words I do now part from thee.
          ___ Buck Jump

                      THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                      (c)1986, Buck Jump

	Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May your harvest be bounteous, may your winter meat be
fat and easily gotten, and may the autumn sun warm you for the
cold to come.

	Now is the time of the grand payoff when what we have worked
for throughout the long summer is at last laid in the granary.  A
little while to enjoy the sweet earth, the time between harvest
and wood chopping. Our Mother is especially sweet just now - past
bearing but not yet the wise old grandmother, our Earth is still
warm with passion, a lover of pleasure without consequence. 
Autumn is the year's reward.  May yours be rich and filled with
ecstasy. 

	The black birds flock for the long trip south; the wild
geese return from the arctic barrens.  The coyotes sing their
wild song of life and love.  A night wind rustles the drying
leaves under the Hunter's moon, and I hear the horn of the wild
hunt rushing over the land.  The veil between the worlds grows
thin and the past comes back into the present.

	There is a sweet nostalgia in the past.  Old loves still
warm the cooling blood; old triumphs still make the heart beat
faster; old mistakes still bring a blush to the cheek.  "Old
mistakes", as the English sailor said in the Japanese bath house,
"Aye, there's the rub."  
	I hope the wild hunt in passing your house, starts only such
game as you will want to see.  I fear that old Herne has started
a hare in my woods that I neither knew was there nor wanted to
see.

	My Pagan friends, forgive me... I goofed.  Mea Culpa, and I
should have known better.  At least I give thanks that I can
acknowledge my goof before it goes farther, and thanks too that I
haven't entirely dislocated my arm patting myself on the back.

	When last I wrote in these pages, I suggested that we all
work some magic to put an end to senseless violence.  I thought I
was being reasonable, I thought my idea would perhaps inspire an
outpouring of spiritual power that might well improve our common
environment.  It seemed like such a good idea.  I was proud of
myself.  Well, pride goeth before a forced landing.


	I have a friend with whom I've debated many an issue of
moral philosophy over many a cup of coffee. He shall remain
nameless here, but I can identify him as a Talmudic scholar who
has taken a post graduate course in human nature in the "second-
hand" business.  He is a master schooled in both theory and prac-
tice.  As soon as the last issue of the R.M.P.J. came out, I
rushed down to the coffee shop to gloat and play `one-up' with my
friend.  I went in like a falcon and got shot down like a goose. 
He read my prose carefully, and re-read parts of it.  He is a
scholar and a gentleman.  The former kept him from agreeing, the
latter kept him from being nasty about it.  Every philosopher
should have such a friend, someone to keep our feet on the
ground.

	"I agree with your position", he told me, "I think you have
a noble idea, but your first premise is false.  There is no
senseless violence -- all violence seems sensible to the one who
does it.  Now you, I, and every well intentioned reasonably
intelligent person must agree the examples you cite are
senseless.  To us they are senseless, but to the people who did
them they were sensible."

	Then he proceeded to show how, from the warped viewpoint of
these violent people their actions were, to them, both sensible
and justified.  He convinced me that I was making a moral and
value judgement rather than a positive statement of natural fact. 
In order to achieve what I wanted, I now realize, would require
some drastic reshaping of a lot of minds, an overhaul of millions
of psyches.  I didn't realize what I was asking.  Well, when I
dream, I dream big....

	If all the moral philosophers, gurus, religious leaders,
prophets and shamans who have tried and failed to re-shape
humanity en masse were gathered together in a single place, it
would take a Texas wheat field to hold them.  In order to stop
senseless violence it will be necessary to get everyone to agree
on what is senseless.  I know what is right, you know what is
right, but that wierdo next door has some other idea.  Before we
can feel safe around him we have to get him to agree with us. 
I'm not too optimistic about a mass mind change even by magic. 
It is worth a try, but recall - in the past, some real eternity
class magicians have tried and failed.  Some of those old boys
could control the weather, transmute metals, turn juice or water
in to wine instantly and levitate, but they couldn't change the
mind set of mankind.  It's easier to move a mountain than a mind. 
To use force either real or implied, either physical or social,
is only to replay the inquisition, and we've already had too many
remakes and sequels to that.  Education seems to be the only
method that works, and that's as slow as evolution.


	Right and Justice are not to be had in job lots, even with
magic.  Every case must be approached individually one by one. 
To change minds in mass lots can be done magically; however
people who are so changed are not really changed, but only
suppressed -- what you get are a bunch of zombies.  So far as I
know this sort of thing is only done by magicians on the dark
side.  Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones are two examples that come
readily to mind.  For all I know both of the named examples may
well have started with the highest motives.  When you start
superimposing your mind on the mind of another or others, things
have a way of coming unglued.  History is full of examples of
groups that acted with one mind for a while and then unravelled
when the guru leader either died or ran out of gas.  No my
friends, it won't work, even with the noblest of motives it just
won't work.

	I knew all this from long ago, but I was misled as to what
was going on.  I thought the senseless violence I saw around me
was from some outside source.  A mad spirit, a virus or some sort
of "dis-harmonic vibration".  If that were the case my idea would
have been a good one.  On the off chance that something like that
is now afoot in our world a general intention for reason and
against violence can't hurt, and may well do some constructive
good.  I'm all for anyone who tries to clean up our environment,
seen or unseen.  Considering the sort of good folk who read the
R.M.P.J. I'm not too worried that anyone who read my last little
effort will be misled by it.  I fear that at worst, those of you
who followed my suggestion may have wasted both time and effort -
- I hope that at best, you may have done some good by promoting
reason and discouraging confusion.  Cleaning the house won't stop
a fire, but it will lessen the chances of spontaneous combustion,
and make a fire easier to fight if it does break out.  As I see
it, my mistake was in supposing we all have more or less the same
values and in externalizing he source of senseless violence.

	Enough of apology and explanation.  Breast-beating and
patting your back are both good exercises   .....in futility. 
One good bray from the donkey, one good hoot from the owl, and
then back to work.  We are still at risk from some angry fool
armed and dangerous.  What can be done?  What should be done?

	I can think of several things to do.  First, learn to
perceive the violent ones.  Some of us can see auras, some can
pick up on "bad vibes", some can "smell" trouble --  however,
whichever, my advice would be to use it.  An antelope don't long
survive in the veldt without looking, listening, smelling and
generally  keeping on the alert.  Second, surround yourself with
protection.  Some walk in a sphere of protection, some are guided
by some unseen force, I rely on my guardian spirit, guardian
angel or however you call her.  In any case, whatever protection
you have, use it.  Whatever ceremonies, prayers, incantations or
deep meditations you use, don't neglect them.  That is about it. 
We're back where we were when we wore fur bikinis and hunted with
stone-tipped spears, but haven't we always been there?  Safety
is, in this life, I fear only an illusion.


	One thing more we can do, and should do -- we can teach. 
Part of the debt we all owe to life is to clean the place.  Non
only should we pick up the trash, but we should also clean up the
vicious bull-shit wherever we find it.  Like it or not we are all
teachers.  	Whatever we do, whatever we say is part of the
lesson we teach.

	Before all the Gods I wish I had some magic formula to give
you that would clean up the world both seen and unseen, but I
don't.  The life of mankind is a hard road to travel, that is why
the ultimate designed a hard bunch to travel it.  My blessings on
you one and all.  May you find enlightenment.  You are smart, may
you find wisdom.  Let this subject now be closed between us.  If
you have any ideas on this subject pass them on to our long-
suffering editors.

	Now it may be that I can resume my clown suit and once more
arm myself with my gadfly stinger and get back to the heretic
business and leave metaphysics to those better equipped to deal
with it.  A silversmith shoeing a horse rarely does a good job of
it.

	In the spring the wild plums were a'blooming.  White
blossoms on the bough, lace for the bride.  In the long summer
the little green plums grew and changed to a lighter green color. 
When the first frost was still up in the high country the plums
grew sweet and turned a lovely purple-pink shade.  Then at the
time of the autumnal equinox, they were picked and crushed.  Now
the new wine works behind the air seals in the fermenter.  The
promise of spring blossoms is redeemed in the good strong wine of
winter.  What we learn in any one place we can use in another
place.  The wild plums are a part of life; from them we can learn
about other parts of life.  When the wine falls clear, a drink
all around, a toast to life.  May we all go our separate ways
bound for a common goal.  May the flowers bloom where we have
passed.  Go in peace, well disposed to your fellows.  With these
words I do now part from thee.____Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ Oct '86

	 THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
	(c)1986, Buck Jump

	Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you.  May the rain fall gently on your rhubarb.  May the hail
fall in a lake or on a parking lot.  May our little six-legged
friends develop an allergy to your pickle patch.

	Now is the sweet season of our year.  Our Mother the Earth
is pregnant with the harvest to come.  The days are long and the
thoughts of the season are long, long thoughts.  In the soft
afternoon sky the white thunderheads sail serenely on like ships
of dream in dreamland seas.  Surely even such as I can be
forgiven for dreaming a bit, for letting the fancy roam free.

	In dreams I see a world set free.  I see the human race
living in peace, with each one going his own way but with
courtesy to all who go another way.  I see us as one species,
which we are, and all of us acknowledging that fact.  I see each
walking in beauty, with dignity, and respecting the other
person's dignity.  I see us loving one another, helping our
fellow men along their way.  When I dream, I don't mess around -
I rear back and dream up a doozy!

	So much for dreams; back to the world we live in, back to
the life we know.  Before I spring my question for the day, a
little background, a few facts:

	Every one of us must come to terms with his environment and
his heredity.  We all live on one Earth.   That is the main part
of our environment, or at least the location of it.

	We are all human beings, homo occasionally sapiens.  That is
the basis of our heredity.  
	
	Anything that is done to one of us is done to all of us. 
Anything that happens in one place on this planet has some effect
on every place on the planet.

	We are, all of us, stuck with our whole species.  Here we
are with a bunch of people we wouldn't willingly walk down a
country road with.  Indeed, we are as ship- wrecked mariners in a
lifeboat with a bunch we wouldn't sit down to eat a free meal
with.  To jump out of the boat is to drown.  To try to toss those
_______________s out is very apt to upset the boat and drown all
of us.  	These facts are self-evident, axiomatic.

	I have always held that we should all walk the path of life
with our hands outstretched in fellowship with respect and love
for all.  Of course, I have a caveat - keep a Bowie knife handy
in case they haven't all heard the message.

	As the Ultimate is reported to have said when the mountains
were made, "Now for the background".  The present situation is a
mess.  Violence is everywhere.  Not even foolish violence, but
violence without reason.  Surely a leopard is in our streets and
a shark loose in our swimming pool.

	An armed bandit shoots down an unarmed clerk who is
cooperating.  A litigant in court shoots down an attorney.  A
parent beats a child to death.  A driver gets cut off coming onto
the freeway and guns down the chap in the pickup who did the
off-cutting.  An otherwise reasonable young man is annoyed by the
sounds of traffic on a mountain road and starts shooting at the
cars passing.  Those are only a few examples culled from the news
in recent months.  In truth, senseless violence is loose in the
land.

	As it is with the individual, so with groups.  From the
racist fringe movement on to great governments. Violence for the
sake of violence is epidemic.  Each age of history has had a
plague - the plague of this age is senseless violence.  I have
friends of the "born again" persuasion who tell me that it is the
Devil doing it.  I don't think so.  As far as I can determine,
devils are a disorganized bunch.  Satan Mekatrig Lord of Chaos is
a confusion in terms.  Seen another way, that's organized
confusion.  As I see it, the flow of the power of the Universe is
organized and rational.  So it seems to me that any force opposed
to that flow must be disorganized and irrational.  That is to say
nothing of the personal devils within us.  They must have a hand
in at least some of this senseless violence.

	I have other friends who blame it on some as yet
unidentified virus.  Could be, but it's a rare virus that has no
fever, nor nausea accompanying its onset....

	Others hold that it is all explainable by Sigmund Freud and
others of that ilk.  Again I say could be, but what mental
discomboomeration comes on suddenly with no sign of
disorientation nor disturbance until it suddenly manifests itself
in the acute stage?

	For all I know, none of the above are correct.  The fact re-
mains that a wild unreasoning violence is loose among us, a
danger to us all.  The fact is, we are all in the same boat, and
the boat is encountering some heavy weather.  Don't you think we
should do something about it?  I personally can think of a whole
lot of folks who I don;t really care to rescue, but being as we
are all in the same boat, I am sure going to do my best for
them....... But what?

	In case this is all some psychosis, maybe we should engage a
firm of head shrinkers to drag in a trainload of couches and get
everyone to undergo psychoanalysis.  I refuse to consider the
logistics of this.  The idea by itself causes my mind to boggle.

	Or, suppose it is a virus.  In that case when the
virologists and immunologists have a bit of spare time from their
search for the cause and cure of AIDS, they could do the same for
the senseless violence virus.  In view of the fact that we are
all at greater risk from senseless violence than from AIDS, it
might be a worthwhile task.

	Or, just in case the gnostics have some truth in their
ideas, and it is Auld Clootie, maybe a mass general exorcism is
in order.  Once again, my mind refuses to consider the logistics.

	In view of the fact that the cause of senseless violence is
still unknown, we might get a government grant to study the
problem.  Considering the speed that such grants usually get
results, I would expect a definite answer by the twenty-second
century.  Of course, such a grant would have the added advantage
of keeping a large number of researchers out of the pool halls
and off the streets.

	Now I am going to go against my usual custom and make a
suggestion; only a suggestion, mind, and not to be taken as a
dictum, but only as an idea to be considered.  It has been my
observation that there are only two occasions when magic is apt
to work.  One is after all other methods have been tried and
found ineffectual.  The other is when there is no other method. 
Now I believe that I have explored the other methods and found
them impractical if not impossible.  So I feel that I am safe in
saying it's going to take magic to stop this purposeless killing.

	So how to go about it?  What spell, what charm, what
ceremony shall we use?  What power shall we invoke?  What power
evoke?  Magic works, the proper ceremony at the proper time, done
for the proper reason, will work.  True for you, you may well
say, but which ceremony?  When?  Why?

	I just told you.  The proper one.  The one that is proper
for you is the one you yourself believe is proper.  This is not
an essay on morals and ethics, so I refrain from putting in my
two cents worth on what is in my estimation proper.  When you are
fighting a grass fire is no time to discuss what sort of shovel
to use.

	In my dream we were all walking each in his own way, each
helping the others as much as possible.  So here let us not try
to all walk in one path.  No point in the universe can be reached
from only one direction.  Let us rather each from where it seems
most right and comfortable, try by magic means to stop this
senseless violence.  Not-ice I said senseless violence, not just
violence.  Some who follow the old Norse way could hardly be ex-
pected to endorse some anti-violent intention, but I know of none
who do not deplore reasonless violence.  We have our differences,
but surely no one objects to improving all our chances of kissing
our grandchildren.

	So, what I propose is this.  Sometime in the next quarter
year, whenever it seems most proper, let us in our various ways
by whatever means one believes in, try by magic means to stop
this epidemic of senseless violence.


	I have noticed a few things about power on the unseen side. 
For a ceremony to be more than a mere charade, everyone involved
in it must believe in the ceremony and in whatever power is used
in it.  Everyone must believe that the ceremony can and will
work.  Everyone must want the ceremony to work.  If anyone
involved in the ceremony does not so believe and want, that
person will be a dead weight on the others that do.  When I say
everyone, I mean everyone, all, each one with one belief and one
resolve.  What can be done by a group acting in true spiritual
harmony is indeed amazing, but first you must have that true
spiritual harmony.

	That is why I suggest we go at this not as some sort of
super- coven ecumenical pagan group.  I have seen a few of these
"lets all get together" bunches back in the sixties, and they
couldn't even get drunk.

	I personally am in favor of any religion that don't practice
human sacrifice, interfere in the private lives of the
nonbelievers, or use force in conversion.  I love 'em all, but
I'm not fool enough to yoke the ass and the ox together.  So
let's all go, but let's not try to make it a parade.

	That is my suggestion, and my question is why not?  I'd
appreciate your ideas on this, I truly would.  If you have any
ideas on the subject, please communicate them to the editors of
the RMPJ.  Even if the ideas are along the lines of, "You're
Nuts!!", just say why you think so.  I'd appreciate it.

	May your dreams come true; may the wind cool without
chilling, and may you reap a harvest even richer than the seed
catalogue said you would.  May your shadow fall long on the
Earth.  Go in peace, remember your fellows, and with these words
I do part now from thee.
       ________Buck Jump.       ....from RMPJ 8/86

	 THE HERETIC'S CORNER 
                              by Buck Jump

     Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you; may the bugs flee your patch as from a crow; may the
gentle rain fall softly on your flower beds; and may your lovers
be all you wish them to be.  Now at the season of long lovely
days and short passionate nights, when our Mother the fair Earth
is at her richest and most bountiful, it is hardly the season for
deep thinking.

     When nature is at its very best and the season most
enjoyable are we not all of us tempted to shut off the mental
processes and enjoy life in a purely sensual mammalian way?  Of
course we are, to do less would be an insult to creation.

     At this glad time, here comes that old pest, the heretic,
like the ghost at Ceasar's feast.  Consider, dear friends, even
as the screech owl is put into this world to scare goose bumps on
our backs, the here-tic is put into the world to ask hard
questions and discomboomerate the quiet mind.  The only place on
this sweet earth where we can look for a quiet unchanging stay is
a graveyard.  It is so with me, even as with you.

     The other day when I was minding my own business [a most ha-
zardous occupation], a stranger came to me with a request.  He
wanted me to magically restore to him a lost love.  It seems that
he had, by his own actions, turned his lady's love if not to
hate, at least to an active dislike.  He was sorry.  He knew it
was all his own fault.  He agreed that she was justified in
leaving him.  He beat his chest and cried `mea culpa', but he
wanted her back, and he wanted me or someone to, as he put it,
"push the right button", and change the situation.  Before he
came to me he had been to a friend of mine.  The friend is a
scholar and practical magician who is rather more daring than
most- he had by magic means caused the lady to recall the best of
the past.  With that, the lady consented to talk with her ex-
inamorata, and dis-cuss, in a civilized fashion, her decision to
be done with him.  At that, the magician bowed out.  He pointed
out to the petitioner that from there on, it was up to him.  My
friend the magician can be, when he has to be, a most impressive
man, and I gather he dismissed the `lorn lover' with a definite
dismissal.

     Then he came to me.  I pointed out that there ain't no free
lunch in the universe and I had no intention of taking on a
karmic debt of considerable proportion for his possible benefit.
I told him that it is easier to move a mountain than to move a
human mind if it will not be moved.  I told him that he was
trying to find someone to do for him what could only be properly
done by himself.  I pointed out to him that his situation was an
effect of a cause, a cause that he was responsible for.  I told
him that magic is fine as a last resort, but hardly to be
considered as first aid.  I told him ......  I wasted my breath.
Such a one hears only what he wants to hear.


     The petitioner only said, "I just need someone to push the
right button - she used to love me.  I am not asking much, I just
want things to be like they were."

     I refrained from pointing out that Hitler could have said
the same thing in the bunker.  Then he said, "I am willing to pay
you.  Just tell me how much it's going to cost." Some things are
an insult from a knowledgeable person, and a joke from a fool.  I
laughed.  He was the sort who would ask "How much?", referring to
one's head.

     Now I am, I think, a reasonable sort, patient, and in my own
way polite, but enough is enough, and this chap was rapidly
becoming too much.  I told him flatly, that I was not about to do
any button pushing.  I gave him what I felt was good advice.
That is, I told him that if he was determined to further his
amours by magic means to learn to do it himself.  I referred him
to a most knowledgeable teacher.  I was in that way certain that
he would either learn what was involved in his request and give
it up, or more likely abandon the whole thing as too slow and too
difficult.  (The teacher informs me that he never bothered to
even go around to see what the teacher had to offer.  A case of
"Gimme my daily bread, I'm willing to wait with my mouth open".)

     Then he countered that if I wouldn't "push the button" could
I refer him to someone who could, or would.  I inquired around.
One col-league I know is willing to try just about anything.  He
once did a weather spell out on the high plains in tornado season
and another time worked a charm to rid a field of grasshoppers in
hail season.  I add, both were successful in a disastrous way.
When I contacted him with the case, his words were, "I'd like to
but I'm going on a trip to South America."  Surprised, I asked
about the trip, adding I hadn't known about it.  He replied, "I
didn't know about it either, but if that dude shows up here, I'm
going!"

     Failing to find a genuine scholar and practicing magician
to attempt the matter, I tried a couple of unethical charlatans.
In view of the fact that the petitioner was a large muscular sort
who would expect instant results, they regretfully declined.


     I was beginning to feel like Sinbad the Sailor when he
carried the old man of the sea piggyback around the island.  At
wit's end (where I have lived for years), I suggested that he try
religion.  I offered to introduce him to some nice Pagan folks,
or even get him in touch with some T.V. type evangelists.  He
refused on the grounds that they would be too slow and uncertain. 
He wanted instant gratification.

     At last, thanks be to the power that watches over well-
meaning fools like me, another lady hove into sight, and he took
off in her direction with deep breath and flashing eyes.  This
sad fellow is but one of many I've had the misfortune to meet.  I
am sure most of you could recount similar sad tales.  We'll all
have to get together and I'll haul out the portable wailing wall,
and we can share a cup of tea and all sympathize with each other.

     I wouldn't have bored you with this all too familiar tale
except I have a question.  How does one deal with such people?
Is there some way to tell a person with a real problem who can be
helped from the person who has an endless amount of wants and no
energy to help himself?  That is, some way, without finding out
the hard way?  I can handle skeptics (I am one myself), I can
handle cynics, I can handle atheists and deal with convinced true
believers of all sorts, but how do I deal with a person who
believes that I can work miracles?

     One question leads to another.  I have a few more on the
same line.  How comes it that as soon as people, some of them at
least, find that one is not part of some main line orthodox
church, they straightway want you to work some magic?  Are Roman
Catholic and Episcopal priests pestered by miracle seekers?  Are
T.V.  evangelists?  If not, why not?  They deal in magic as much
as any Pagan or free thinker.  Is the prevalence of lazy
freeloaders the reason that Christianity for the last fifteen
centuries or so has been down playing the magical basis of the
early Church?  This is a topic worthy of our consideration.

     Another question comes to mind at this point.  A question
about magic in general.  I am sure you know what magic is, just
is I am sure I know what it is.  The definitions are many and
varied, but they all basically state in one way or another, that
magic is the practical side of religion, and the practice of
magic is the art of causing changes in the tangible by intangible
means.  Or, to put it another way, magic is a mental way of
changing the physical by means of the spiritual.  That is what
magic is, no question there.  The question is what does the
uninitiated, uninformed layman think magic is?
     If you are going to make a living repairing televisions and
radios, it is not enough that you know electronics.  You must
also know what your customers believe about electronics.  The
degree of success in the TV-Radio repair business is generally in
direct proportion to the amount of customer knowledge the
proprietor of the business has.  The rule is, if you deal with
the run of humanity, you must understand the general run of
humanity.  You must not know only what you know, but also what
people ignorantly suppose you know.

     I pass this bit of wisdom on to you, for I think it has
value to any serious student of matters intangible.  An old
doctor of medicine told me this some forty years ago.  The
occasion was a patient of his inquiring about an operation for a
then inoperable condition.  I, only an army medic, was astounded
at the fellow's ignorance and when the Doc and I were alone, said
as much.  "Son," the old doctor said, "Here is something to
remember  Anything that works that you don't understand is magic
 and a magician can do anything.  That's not the truth, but
ninety per cent of the human race believe it is." That is how
people who have never studied the arts of magic see it.  To them
it is a power without cost and without limit.


     Now, the final question for this time is, what should we do
about this situation?  How should one handle a request made in
good faith, to do something clearly impossible?  Don't tell me
the answer is nineteenth century elitist secrecy.  Even if one
is a member of The Mystic Confraternity of the Aureate, six
fifteen A.M. some well intentioned ill informed citizen is going
to crawl out of your woodwork either begging for a miracle or
demanding one.  Secrecy restricts the free flow of information
and the cross fertilization of ideas, besides which it don't
work.  I fear that people more or less like the chap I described
at the start of this will ever be with us.  What can we do about
them, how should we do it?  I am as always serious with my ques
tions.  If anyone has some idea on the subject please let us all
know.  Write the editorial staff of the RMPJ.  Don't hide your
light in this dark world.

     Now, having done my best to dispel the boredom of too much
of a good thing, I part now from you.  May the sunshine fall
softly on you, tanning but not burning.  May our sweet Mother the
Earth long know your shadow.  May you go ever with the current of
the power of the Absolute.  My blessings on one and all.
                                            (c)1986, by Buck Jump
.........from R.M.P.J. 8/86
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