category
stringclasses 21
values | filename
stringlengths 3
191
| page
int64 1
4.42k
| text
stringlengths 1
49k
|
|---|---|---|---|
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,114 | flicted with the selective amnesia which is the hallmark of this
otherwise omnipresent condition. And that secondly there is no such
thing as free will; although we have the capacity to act randomly, or
perhaps one should say more precisely stochastically, and the propen-
sity to identify with whatever we find ourselves doing as a result.
1409
All the gods and goddesses are within us and non-materially about us
as well, in the form of non-local information.
I consider that all events occur basically by magic; the apparent
causality investigated by classical science is merely the more
statistically reliable end of a spectrum whose other end is complete
Chaos. However, I would like to end with a few words about how my
Chaoism affects my personal activity in what is ordinaryly called
magic.
There are for me two main aspects of magic; the parapsychological
and the psychological. In enchantment and divination I believe that
the magician is attempting to interact with nature via non-material
causality. He is basically exchanging information with his environment
without using his physical faculties. Austin Osman Spare precisely
identified the mental manoeuvres necessary to allow this to occur. The
manoeuvres are startlingly simple and once you have understood them
you can invent an unlimited number of spells and forms of divination.
The manoeuvres are sacred but the forms of their expression are
arbitrary; you can use anything at random. Bohr and Spare are for me
Saints of the Church of Chaos.
1410
I consider that when a magician interacts with those apparently
sentient sources of knowledge, inspiration and parapsychological
ability that used to be called spirits, gods, demons and elementals, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,115 | he is tapping into the extraordinary resources that each of us
already contains. When activated they may also receive some input
via non-material causality from outside. Yet since we all contain
such a rich multitude within our own unconscious or subconscious and
can also receive congruent information from the collective
unconsciousness as it were, then the possibilities are practically
limitless. Given the correct technique one can invoke or evoke
anything, even things which did not exist before one thought of
calling them. This may sound like complete Chaos, and I have to
report that my own researches confirm that it is !
Chaos Magic for me means a handful of basic techniques which must
be adhered to strictly to get results, but beyond that it offers a
freedom of expression and intent undreamt of in all previous forms
of magic.
1411
The Dark Night of the Soul
Fra.: Apfelmann
-------------------------------------------
"The Dark Night of the Soul" is the name given to that experience
of spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through
at one time or another. It is sometimes charcterised by feelings that
your occult studies or practises are not taken you anywhere, that the
initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months of
occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to give up
on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as nothing seems
to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian mystic, said of this
experience, that it; "...puts the sensory spiritual appetites to
sleep, deadens them, and deprives them of the ability to find pleas-
ure in anything. It binds the imagination, and impeeds it from doing |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,116 | any good discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect
become dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes
the will to become arrid and constrained, and all the faculties empty
and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud, which
afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good."
Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with
alarm (I know I did), the "Dark Night" is not something bad or destr-
uctive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which the
Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if you are
not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it is during
this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The Dark Night
of the Soul should be welcomened, once recognised for what it is (I
have always received an innate "warning" just before the onset of such
a period), as a person might welcome an operation that will secure
health and wellbeing. St.John of the Cross embraced the soul`s Dark
1412
Night as a Devine Appointment, calling it a period of "sheer grace"
and adding;
"O guiding Night,
O Night more lovely than Dawn,
O Night that has united the lover with his beloved
Transforming the Lover in her Beloved."
When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of
spiritual dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that
all such experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence,
shows up the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The
Dark Night is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep
psychic transformation may take place. All distractions must be set
aside, and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of
raw energy that from time to time may course through your being. This
inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer depres- |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,117 | sion, when nothing seems to excite.
1413
The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still,
waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night" heralds-
), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time of the
results of that inner change, but when the desire to work comes again
and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a moment) passed. No
one can help during this time, and in many cases there is hardly
anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the well-meaning advice
of family and friends to "snap out of it" this is no ordinary depres-
sion, but a deep spiritual experience which only those who have passed
through themselves (in other words to a magical retreat) but for many,
as the routines of everyday life prohibits this, all you can do is
cultivate an inner solitude, a stillness and silence of heart, and
wait, (like a chrysalis waits for the inner changes that will result
in a butterfly) for the Transformation to work itself out. There are
many such "Dark Nights" that the occult seeker must pass through
during the mysterious process of mitigation. They are all trials but
experience teaches one to cope more efficiently.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1414
Liber OZMA
Tim Maroney
----------------------------------------
OOOOOOO "There is no bond
O O that can unite the divided
O O but love:
O O all else is a curse." |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,118 | OOOOOOO Z M A:
-- AL I:41
"In their rules there was only one clause: DO WHAT YOU WILL"
-- Gargantua, 57
"For the cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave
his guard at the tree of life, and when he does, the whole of creat-
ion will be consumed, and appear infinite. and holy whereas it now
appears finite & corrupt" -- THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN & HELL, 14
"Every man and every woman is a star."--AL I:3
There is no god but humanity.
1. People have the right to live by their own law --
to live in the way that they will to do:
to work as they will:
to play as they will:
to rest as they will:
to die when and how they will.
1415
2. People have the right to eat what they will:
to drink what they will:
to dwell where they will:
to move as they will on the face of the earth.
3. People have the right to think what they will:
to speak what they will:
to write what they will: |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,119 | to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as they will:
to dress as they will.
4. People have the right to love as they will :-
"take your fill and will of love as ye will,
when, where, and with whom ye will." -- AL I:51.
5. People have the right to use force to secure their rights.
"For how should I be able to govern others,
when I don't know how to govern myself?" -- Gargantua, 52
"Love is the law, love under will." -- AL I:57
TIM MARONEY
1416
Sigil Magic for the Professional Magician
by Areosol
I will assume that you are already initiated into the secrets of
Austin Spare`s sigil magic. Consulting with my clients as a profes-
sional magician, I am always confronted with the same question: Is the
client`s will identical with my own ? If it is, there should be no
problem involved in charging the sigil in the client`s stead by
myself. (The client, one must remember, will usually not be familiar
with the basic tenets of sigil magic or even magic in general and will
probably hesitate to try it out for himself.) However, I believe as a
matter of principle that everybody should vaccinate his will for
himself. I do not feel happy with charging myself i.e. my subconscious
with other people`s desires. For example: if Mrs. X wants to be |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,120 | brought together with Mr. Y by a sigil (love spell), it could be
intersting to know what might happen if the pertinent sigil were
charged by myself.
Accordingly I had to find a means to implant sigils into my
individual clients in such a way that they are not aware of what they
are really doing. At first, talking with the client, I will try to
find the "smallest common denominator" out of a tangled mass of
multiple desires. This will continue until the client is able to word
his or her statement of will (henceforth to be termed "will sentence")
in plain and unambiguous language. Following this all contact between
the client and myself will be abandoned for two or tree weeks. In the
meantime I will construct the sigil, usually employing the word
method, and sketch it on a piece of parchment. Very often the clie-
nt`s name will be encoded applying the magical camea of the planet
1417
pertinent to the client`s desire. I may then supplement the sigil with
this personalised glyph. Then I will outline a short ritual for the
client in which will be hidden the charge proper of the sigil (employ-
ing either the mantric method or a variation of the so-called "death
posture").
After a while I will send the client this constructed sigil by
mail including instructions on how to charge it plus possible addit-
ional admonitions, if necessary. Most probably the client will have
forgotten the precise wording of his/her will sentence by now; neither
will he or she be able to draw any conclusions from these strange
glyphs. After having been charged the sigil can be sealed and con-
stantly worn in a locket, it can also be put permanently in view e.g.
as a wall decoration. Some of my clients have placed or hung their
sigils nicely framed in their office rooms. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,121 | To charge a sigil the following method is very effective. The
client arrives for consultation. In some cases has to bring along some
substance imbibed with his or her Od. During a small ritual client
must close his/her eyes and place the odic substance on the sigil
which will be lying open in front of him/her. Then I will take the
client`s finger and prick it quickly and sharply with a small chirur-
gical lancet. After the blooddrop has been smeared onto the sigil, the
latter will be folded and sealed immediately. I then admonish the
client to bear in mind that this talisman must never get into other
people`s hands. This charging method is especially effective in
working with protection or "antipersonnel mine" sigils.
1418
Here are some examples relating to client`s feedback:
30.04. Sigil as wall decoration
24.06. Business enterprises developed well.
12.07. Protection/defence sigil, charged employing chirurgical
lancet.
14.07. Client feels well and secure.
23.06. Sigil as a defense "antipersonnel mine" with codification of
client`s name by the magical camea of Mars, charged with
lancet.
09.10. "Mine" fully operative: sickness and accidents of 2-3
enemies.
11.10. Sigil employed as a wall decoration.
11. Business successful. Sale of real estate to a monastry (!)
has been agreed upon.
27.12. Sigil, mantric charge.
14.02. Client`s partner becomes more friendly and loving.
18.03. Partnership satisfactory. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,122 | 17.06. Sigil charged spastically by myself in client`s stead.
18.06. Shortly before the potential buyer arrived for inspection in
the afternoon, the last seat in the coffeehouse (sales
object) had been taken, suggesting excellent business;
immediately after inspection number of customers decreased
again.
07.12. Fast charge of a "combat sigil".
21.12. The idea incorporated by the sigil incarnates as a conscious
wish in the target person`s love partner.
1419
Drugs and Religion -- Snakebite Trips?
Loren Petrich
In Merlin Stone's book "When God Was a Woman", about early
goddesses, there is a strange hypothesis about the importance of
snakes in the early Middle East. MS notes that snakes are associated
with prophecy and wisdom -- and goddesses -- in several places, such
as Egypt, Sumer, Crete, and Greece. In Egypt, the female deity of
predynastic northern (Lower) Egypt was the cobra goddess Ua Zit.
Egyptian deities and royalty has a _uraeus_ emblem -- a head and hood
of a cobra. Some Sumerian goddesses, such as Inanna, were associated
with snakes. In Minoan-era Crete, we find some statuettes of goddesses
or priestesses with snakes. In one case, the snakes are cobras. In
Greece, in what is most likely a Minoan legacy, Hera and Athena were
associated with snakes, and the shrines of Delphi, Olympia, and Dodona
were originally associated with goddesses. However, they were taken
over by the followers of the male gods Zeus and Apollo, who were
depicted as snake-killers. Even then, the greatest wisdom was
associated with priestesses. Serpenticidal male gods also include
Marduk, who killed Tiamat, and Yahweh himself, who killed Leviathan. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,123 | MS suggests a connection to the Adam and Eve legend. The
Philistines had "snake tubes" nearly identical to some found on Crete,
which is consistent with them being Cretan refugees. So some "snake
priestesses" may have set up shop in Palestine when the Israelites
showed up. The Adam and Eve legend may have been an effort to
discredit these women, for it suggests that snakes are wicked, and
women who listen to snakes are wicked. This is all in keeping with the
Yahvist effort to discredit religions other than the worship of
Yahweh, which is a sordid story of religious persecution. This
persecution involved going so far as destroying a bronze snake kept in
1420
the Temple, the Nehushtan, which could supposedly cure snakebite. This
snake was probably associated with an earlier acceptance of this snake
cult.
Buthow didthissnake cultactuallywork? Itisdifficult to
say, but MS offers a strange hypothesis. She notes that we are told
that Cassandra and Melampus had acquired prophetic powers from having
their ears licked with snakes. So is there some snakebite connection?
MS suggests that there was, and tells of someone who had been
immunized against krait venom, but who had been bitten by a krait
[_Cobras in the Garden_, H. Kursh]
He had developed a sense of enhanced awareness and he had
visions. He reported himself making up verses, and said "My mind had
extraordinary powers."
This is evidently much like mescaline [from peyote] or
psilocybin [in certain mushrooms], used by some Native Americans for
similar purposes; those who take these two or LSD often feel as if
they are in touch with the basic forces of existence and a sensation
of perceiving the events and meaning of the past, present, and future |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,124 | with great clarity and comprehension. It could well be that some snake
venoms have components similar effects.
So could it be that early snake prophetesses (and male
prophets) were going on snakebite trips?
Oracles connected with snakes were consulted in Greece and
elsewhere for important decisions, which seems very trustworthy of
people with "highs".
1421
One does have to ask the question on how this type of
prophesying got associated with women instead of men or both sexes
equally in the ancient Middle East.
This only adds to the riddle of Minoan Crete. Since the
priestesses there were important citizens, and since they are
associated with snakes, then could some of the leaders of Crete back
then have been snakebite-tripping priestesses? The possibility of a
"feminist theocracy", rule by a largely female priesthood, seems
awesome enough (no prominent "kings"), but this is truly wild.
I confess I don't have much taste for theocracy, but I would
certainly prefer a Minoan-type theocracy (if that was what it was) to
the more familiar kinds -- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim -- which I
find absolutely disgusting.
1422
The Wishing Well -or - Releasing The Butterfly of Chaos
Frater Choronzon
The general function of a Wishing Well is understood from an early
age by most people. The user projects some required outcome of |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,125 | events, or "wish" into the well, perhaps accompanied by a symbolic
financial donation, and waits for events to take their course.
Similar properties are attributed in popular tradition to acts of
cutting a birthday cake and breaking a wish-bone while devouting
certain species of poultry.
In every sense, the act of making a wish using any of the above
ritual props is a magical operation though experience suggest that
Wells tend to be more effective than both chicken bones and all but
the most esoterically decorated cakes in achieving the intended
result.
As of late, many Wishing Wells have been withdrawn from public
access; and, moreover, recent opinion polls have indicated high
levels of dissatisfaction with the scarcity of wish-fulfillment
opportunities, particularly among vegetarians. This paper attempts
some analysis of the dynamics involved in successful wish-making,
and offers a ritual procedure which readers may find useful pending
the launch of another "Wishing Well Withdrawal" from the public eye.
1423
Anyone who has studied non-linear dynamics (or Chaos Mathematics) as
applied to the interaction of complex systems (for instance life-in-
general) will be aware of the extreme sensivity of such systems to
initial conditions. This is illustrated by the so called Butterfly
Effect; a model of the process by which a butterfly flapping its
wings on the Carribean Islands can set in train a series of
atmospheric interactions which may culminate, after some elapsed
time, in the occurence of a hurricane in London.
The hypothesis in this context is that the ritual act of making a |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,126 | wish sets up initial conditions for a Chao/dynamic process which
culminates, after some elapse time, in the occurrence of whatever
event was the original objective of the wish; hence the subtitle
"Releasing the Butterfly of Chaos". Atmospheric effects are often
synchronous with successful magickal operations as was observed, for
example, by those who were present for (or within earshot of) the
4,000 watt "Enochian Verse Recital" in South London, 17.30 Hrs,
Monday, 28 May, 1990; but where magic is concerned the atmospherics
are felt to be little more than by-products of casual sequence which
is primarily electromagnetic in character.
The actual process by which a successful wish is transformed into
its outcome is, of course, magic; at least in the sense that modern
TV receiver might be acknowledged as such by Agrippa or Abra-Melin
the Mage - Was there ever a more effective acrostic "for divers
visions" than an infrared remote control?
1424
A detailed explanation of how the magical process appears to work
would fill a book (reasonable offers from reputable publishers
accepted); suffice it to say that no rewrite of either the Laws of
Physics or the Axioms of Mathematics is required, and to mention
that the Astrological elements of the hypothesis will form the
substance of a paper to be presented to a forth coming meeting of
the "Talking Stick".
For the purpose of this exercise, the process may be appropriately
visualized by consideration of nothing more complicated than a
humble smoke-ring. In mathematical terms this is a Torus (a ring-
doughnut shaped structure) which has a clearly defined, coherent and
self-contained existence for an extended period within a
fundamentally chaotic matrix; ie. it can hung around for several
seconds retaining its structure in the turbulent air of a |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,127 | smoke-filled room. Such ordered structures fall quite naturally out
of the Chaos Mathematics which models the behavior of gases and
liquids (Fluid Dynamics for the technically inclined). Examples of
such ordered structures in a chaotic environment abound, and not
only on this planet. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter, for instance,
has been in existence at least since Galileo observed it in 1610,
though the chaotic nature of that planets atmosphere was not
appreciated until the flypast of the Voyager spacecraft of 1979.
1425
A perfect smoke-ring requires very little expenditure of energy to
be brought into existence, though that energy, in the form of a
controlled pulse of gas projected from its creator lips has to be
quite precise - ie. smoke-rings don`t always work, particular if
someone is watching, and the best ones of all usually happen quite
by accident! Significantly, the only way an observer can know if a
smoke-ring is there because it has smoke in it. If an identical
pulse of gas is projected from a non-smoker, the Toroidal ring
structure will be established in the just the same way within the
atmosphere, but its presence is almost impossible to detect, even
with the most sophisticated of scientific instruments.
The atmosphere is not the only chao/dynamic envelope surrounding our
planet; there also exists the magnetosphere, which we perceive at
ground level as the earths magnetic field. At present it exerts a
force which causes a compass needle to point approximately towards
the North Pole.
The magnetosphere extends out into so-called empty space well beyond
the atmosphere of the planet, and is anything but static in
character. Complete polarity reversals can occur. A record of these
is preserved in the sequence of North and South oriented volcanic |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,128 | rocks which have been mapped in the ocean floor extending outwards
from mid-oceanic ridges, such as that which runs the lenght of the
Atlantic. The magnetosphere exhibits its own "weather" patterns
which, like the atmospheric weather, are driven primilarily by
radiation from the Sun/Solar Winds. Magnetic and electric storms
which affect TV and radio reception are a phenomena of
magnetospheric weather, and interaction between the magnetosphere
and the atmosphere can result in phenomena such as the Aurora
1426
Borealis or Northern Lights. Other manifestations include ball-
lightning and St. Elmo`s fire.
The ritual procedure put forward here postulates a process whereby a
sudden pulse of electro-chemical energy, through an operators
nervous system, establishes a magnetic structure which is the
mathematical equivalent of a smoke-ring. It is suggested that this
can occur on the onset of orgasm or accompanying a powerful
martial-arts styled shout or KIAI, by a process akin to that of the
Faraday Induction described in any half-decent textbook. The
"magical" part of the process involves injecting a
flash-visualisation of the eventual desired outcome of the magneto-
smoke-ring as it is being established. The rest of the process of
wish fulfillment is left to the wondrous dynamics of Chaos. It may
be helpful for the operator to face towards the geographical
(magnetic) North Pole.
If performed as a solo working, this ritual may usefully be preceded
by a banishing and visualisation exercise. The ritual text is
written in the Enochian language of the angelic calls which were
devised or discovered by Dr. John Dee in the 16th Century. In the
sense that Enochian can be seen as a system of control (or cyber-)
language for "life, the universe, and everything" it has many of the |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,129 | characteristics of a computer programming language. Among such
properties would be those of recursive self-reference (ie. the
ability to modify itself), and some of the phraseology of the
preamble to the ritual is designed to apply ideas developed by
Douglas Hoffstadter in his book Godel, Escher, Bach to the Enochian
language. Specifically, the text of the ritual should increase its
own potency with repetition.
1427
After the Enochian preamble, the participant(s) should make a
vocalized statement of a "wish" or willed endpoint for the working,
at the same time strongly visualizing the desired outcome. This
"wish" may be of a benefic or malefic intent, but beware! the
Enochian preamble carries a force of personal honor, in wishes of a
dishonorable character they are likely to backfire.
The pre-climatic mantrum "Zarzas Zarzas Nasatanata Zarzas" is held
to be untranslatable. It is, by tradition, a formula which opens the
Gates of Hell or the Abyss; in this context it is used to invoke the
dynamic process of Chaos by which the wish can be fulfilled. Some
occult authorities, Crowley among them, assert that the Zarzas
formula is dangerous and advise against using it. Modern Chaos
magicians do not share that view and, besides having employed it for
years with no particular ills impacting the user, is consistently
been found to enhance the effectiveness of most categories of
magical working.
The final climatic KIAI may be shout such as that projected by a
martial arts practioner in the process of shattering a concrete
block (or someone`s sternum), or else an exaggerated cry of orgasmic
ecstasy. Prospective participants with orgiastic inclinations may
care to experiment with variant techniques to effect the final KIAI |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,130 | exclamation which sets the magical "butterfly effect" process in
motion. For example, the Enochian couplet following the statement of
the wish might be committed to memory by operator of either gender,
and repeated while other participants stimulate that operator to a
frenzied pitch of ecstasy, culminating in the final KIAI. Such
variants are for the more experimentaly inclined, but it is the sort
of experiments which magicians of an unhibited frame of mind (or
1428
body) may find it enjoyable to carry out as an end in itself. Any
feedback on results would be welcome!
1429
Ritual text / Enochian Invocation:
COMSELH I P MALPURG DSI
The circle with eight fiery darts which is
DRILPA EMETGIS DE CHAOS
the great seal of chaos
AS IOADAF DE TOL GLO
was in the of all things.
beginning
T I TA HUBAR BLIOR
It is as a continual of comfort
burning lamp
NONCA GMICALZOMA CRIP I CORAXO
to you of power & but is as thunders of judgement
understanding & wrath
CIAOFI DE PAR AG IAIADIX
to the of them of no honor
terror |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,131 | SOLPHETH BIEN:
hearken to my voice:
VOMSARG IADNAMAD GOHULIM:
unto every one of you of undefiled knowledge it is said:
"OI EMETGIS LONSHI OVOF SA
"This seal of power may be in
magnfied
MIAN I SAPAH DE OI
1430
continuancewith the mighty of this
sounds
LU IA HE BAHAL"
song of honor cried with a loud voice"
VLCININ DS I ZA ZAZ
Happy is s/he who has framed
ANGELGARD MANIN PRGE
thoughts in the mind with the fire
ANANAEL PI
of this secret wisdom, s/he
I VGEG T CAPMIALI FISIS
is become also successively to execute
strong
BUTMONA ATH OD AMMA EMNA:
By mouth the works and curses herein:
>> MAKE YOUR WISH HERE << |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,132 | SA CHAOS ANGELGARD HARG
Into chaos the thoughts are planted
OD IONAS AZIAGIAR.
and they will become like unto the harvest
ZARZAS ZARZAS NASATANATA ZARZAS
!!! KIAI !!!
1431
XXXI Hymns
Fr. Achad (Charles Stansfield Jones)
Key entry by Fr. Nachash
Ur‘us-Hadit Camp, OTO
Completed 11-21-90 e.v.
**********************************************************************
XXXI HYMNS
TO THE STAR GODDESS
Who is Not
BY XIII: which is ACHAD
I .ù. Invocation |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,133 | Mother of the Sun, Whose Body is White with the Milk of the Stars,
bend upon Thy servant and impart unto him Thy Secret Kiss!
Enkindle within him the Holy Ecstasy Thou hast promised unto them
that love Thee; the Ecstasy which redeemeth from all pain.
1432
Hast thou not proclaimed: All the sorrows are but shadows, they
pass and are done, but there is that which remains? That the
Universe is Pure Joy-that Thou givest unimaginable Joys on
Earth--that Thou demandest naught in sacrifice?
Let me then rejoice, for therein may I serve Thee most fully. Let
it be Thy Joy to see my joy; even as Thou hast promised in Thy Holy
Book!
Now, therefore, am I Joyful in Thy Love.
AUMN
II .ù. The Brook
I wandered beside the running stream, and mine eyes caught the glint
of Thy Starry Orbs in the swirling waters.
So is it with my mind; it flows on towards the Great Sea
of Understanding wherein I may come to know Thee more fully.
Sometimes, as it journeys, it threatens to overflow its banks in
its eagerness to reflect a wider image of Thine Infinite Body. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,134 | Ah! How the very stones, over which flow the life of my being,
thrill at the tender caress of Thy reflected Image.
1433
Thou, too, art Matter; it is I---Thy Complement---who am
motion! Therefore these very stones are of Thee, but the Spirit---the
Life---is the very Self of me; mine Inmost Being.
Flow on, O Stream! Flow on, O Life! Towards the Great Sea
of Understanding, the Great Mother.
III .ù. The Rose Garden
Long have I lain and waited for Thee in the Rose Garden of Life;
yet ever Thou withholdest Thyself from mine Understanding.
As I lay I contemplated Thy nature as that of an Infinite Rose.
Petals, petals, petals.. but where, O Beauteous One, is Thy Heart?
Hast Thou no Heart? Are Thy petals Infinite so that I may never
reach the Core of Thy Being?
Yet, Thou hast said: "I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or
purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and
drunkeness of the innermost sense, desire you: Come unto me!"
Yea! Mine innermost sense is drunken; it is intoxicated upon the Dew
of the Rose. Thy Heart is my Heart; there is no difference, O Beloved.
When I shall have penetrated to the Heart of Thine Infinite Rose,
there shall I find Myself. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,135 | But I shall never come to myself---only to Thee.
1434
IV .ù. The Fox Glove
Tall and straight as a Fox Glove do I stand before Thee, Mother
of Heaven.
The flower of my being is given over to a strange conceit; I grow
up towards the Stars and not towards the Sun.
Art Thou not Mother of the Sun?
Thus have I blasphemed the Lord and Giver of Life for Thy sake. Yet
am I not ashamed, for in forgetting the Sun I am become the
Sun--Thy Son--yet a thousand times more Thy Lover.
The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but now
I have nowhere to lay my head; for tall and straight as a Fox Glove
do I stand before Thee. My resting place is the Womb of the Stars.
Yet all that I may comprehend of Thine Infinite Body is but as
the Glove upon one of Thy soft sweet hands, touching the Earth, not
hurting the little flowers.
1435
V .ù. The Storm |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,136 | A Dark Night and the Storm. The lightening flashes between Thee and
me. I am dazzled so that I see Thee not.
So in the depths of my being flash the fires of life; they blind
me to the Understanding of Thee and Thine Infinite Body of Stars.
Yet I see Thee reflected in the body of her I love, as we lie
with quivering limbs awaiting the coming of the sound of thunder.
She fears the thunder, and turns within herself for consolation.
But even there the Lightning flameth, for I have loosed the fires of
my being within the dark recess---in honour of the Storm and of
Thine Infinite Body which I see not.
VI .ù. The Hole in The Roof
Once I knew an ancient serpent. He delighted to bask in the
Sunshine which penetrated through a tiny hole in the roof of the cave.
He was old and very wise.
He said: "Upon me is concentrated the Light of the whole Univ-
erse."
1436
But a little brown beetle, who had long lived in the cave with
him, looked up, and spreading his wings passed out through the
hole in roof---into the Infinite Beyond.
Thus, forsaking wisdom, would I come to Thee, Beloved Lady of |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,137 | the Starry Heavens.
VII .ù. The Design
Strange curves: and every Curve a Number woven into a Musical
and Harmonious Pattern.
Such was the design showed me by my friend when first we met.
It was like an exchange of greetings by means of an inward recog-
nition.
Oh! Could I but grasp the Ever-changing Design of Thy Star
Body, Mother of Heaven!
Yet, it is written: "Every man and every woman is a star. Every
number is infinite, there is no difference."
Such then is Life, for those who love Thee: Strange Curves, and
every Curve a Number woven into a Musical and Harmonious Design.
1437
VIII .ù. The Snow Drift
My body was blue as Thine, O Beloved, when they found me. I was
stiff as if held in a close embrace. Nor was I conscious of aught
but Thee, till the small fires of Earth brought me back with an agony
of tingling pain.
How came I to be lost in the snow-drift? |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,138 | I remember how I had taken shelter from the blinding storm. The
snow fell about me, and I waited, turning my thought to Thee.
Then did I realize how every snow-flake is built as a tiny star.
I looked closer, burying my face in the white pile, as in Thy
Bosom. Mine arms embraced the snow-drift; I clung to it in a mad
ecstacy.
Thus would I have pressed Thy Body to mine, wert Thou not Infinite
and I but as tiny as a star-flake.
So was my body frozen---as by the utmost cold of inter-stellar space.
It was blue as Thine when they found me locked in Thine embrace.
1438
IX .ù. Daylight
In the Daylight I see not Thy Body of Stars, O Beloved.
The little light of the Sun veils the Great Light of the Stars,
for to-day Thou seemest distant.
The Sun burns like a great Torch, and Earth seems as one of His
little Spheres, filled with life.
I am but a tiny spermatozoon, but within me is the fiery and
concentrated essence of Life.
Draw me up into Thyself, O Sun! Project me into the Body of Our
Lady Nuit! |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,139 | Thus shall a new Star be born, and I shall see Thee even in
the Daylight, O Beloved.
1439
X .ù. The Bird
Once I bought a little bird; his cage was very small; it had only
one perch. He was so young he had not even learned to sing, but he
chirped gladly when I brought him home.
Then I raised the bars of his cage, and without a moment's hesit-
ation he flew out into the room, and spying the cage of the
love-birds, perched upon it and examined it carefully.
Not long afterwards another and stronger cage was obtained for
the love-birds, for they had pecked through some of the frail bars.
When the little bird was offered the discarded cage, he quickly
hopped from his tiny one to theirs.
Now he has three perches and room for his tail, and when we open
the door of his cage he refuses to come out. Perhaps he fears to lose
what he had once coveted and then obtained.
Herein lies the secret of Government. Give the people what will
make them reasonably comfortable; let them have three perches and
room for their tails; and forgetting their slavery and restrictions,
they will be content.
Hast Thou not said "The slaves shall serve." Lady of the Starry
Heaven?
1440 |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,140 | XI .ù. The Moral
There is another moral to the story of the little bird. Having
gained his desire for a larger cage, he forgot his longing for Free-
dom.
The door remained open; the room was before him, wherein he
could stretch his wings and fly.
Yet he preferred his cage.
The wide world might have been his had he known how to use it, but
he was not ready for that; he would have perished of cold had I let
him out into the wintry snow.
Let those who would travel the Mystic Path remember this:
Earth Consciousness is an illusion and limitation. When it frets us,
like a little cage, our chance for greater freedom comes.
But when a larger cage is offered---when we obtain Dhyana---let us
not rest there thinking ourselves free. The door is open, Samadhi
lies beyond, and beyond that, when we are ready for it, the Real
Freedom, Nirvana.
O Lady of the Stars, let me not content till I penetrate the
ultimate bars and am Free---One with the Infinitely Great as with the
Infinitely Small.
1441
XII .ù. The Invisible Foot Prints |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,141 | Long have I roamed the Earth delighting in the Good, the Beautiful
and the True; ever seeking the spots where these seem to be most
Perfect.
There is joy in this wandering among the flowers of life, but Thy
Joy, O Beloved, is to be desired above all.
Now I seek a resting place, I am set upon a new Quest, to Worship
at Thy feet.
For it is written of Thee: "Bending down, a lambent flame of
blue, all touching, all penetrant, her lovely hands upon the black
earth, and her lithe body arched for love, and her soft feet not
hurting the little flowers."
Oh! That I might discover Thine Invisible Footprints upon the Earth
and there come to the Understanding of Thy Being, O Beloved.
1442
XIII .ù. The Finger Tips
Or, it may be, O Beloved, I shall discover the imprints of Thy
finger tips amid the flowers or upon the Black Earth.
Hath not Nemo a Garden that he tendeth? Doth he not also labour in
the Black Earth?
Who knoweth when Thy hands may grasp me and draw me up into Thine
arms, there to nestle at Thy breast, to feed upon the Milk of the
Stars?
Beloved, verily this tending of the Garden of the World---although
the labor may seem heavy---leadeth to a Great Reward. As Thou hast |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,142 | said: "Certainty, not faith, while in life upon death, rest,
ecstasy." Nor dost Thou demand aught in sacrifice.
What do the Bhaktis know of Love? They see the Beloved everywhere.
But when I am one with Thee, O Beloved, I shall not see Thee, for
I shall know Theee as Thou art.
1443
XIV .ù. The Well of Stars
I know a hidden well of clearest water. Naught but the coping
of delicate pink onyx is visible until the secret spring be touched.
Then beware! For above the entrance hangs a fiery sword.
Few find this Well or know its Secret; there are but two roads
leading thereto.
From the broad Mountain summit we may search the slopes for a vision
of the Woodland Delta where grow the Trees of Eternity, or we may
journey through the Valley between the Ivory Hills---if we fear not
the purple shadows and the black pit-fall.
From Thee we came; to Thee may we return, O Well of Living Stars!
XV .ù. The Icicles of Isis
It hath been written how the Old King dreamed of his banished |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,143 | peacock, entombed in a palace of ice, who cried: "The Icicles of
Isis are falling on my head."
Thus it is with those who arebanished to the Palace of the Moon----
for the Word of Sin is Restriction.
Oh! Lady of the Starry Heavens, let me not become frozen at the
touch of the cold Veil of Isis. For the Moon is but the dead reflector
of the Sun, and He but the youngest of Thy Children of Light.
1444
Let me lift Thy Peacock Veil of a Million Starry Eyes, O Beloved!
Show Thy Star Splendour, O Nuit; bid me within Thine house to dwell!
XVI .ù. Purple Mill
The delicate purple mist streams up from the hills: I watch and
wait for the meaning of it all.
Sometimes it seems like the incense smoke of Aspiration ascend-
ing towards the Sun---giver of Light, Life, Love and Liberty
to the Children of Earth.
But the Sun is going down behind the Mountains, and Thy Starry
Lamps glow in the Sky.
Is not the Lamp above the Altar a symbol of the Desire of the Higher
to draw up the lower to Itself?
So, O Lady of Heaven, I liken the Mist to the life-breath of Souls
who pant for Thee here below. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,144 | And I remember Thy words:
Above, the gemmed azure is
The naked splendour of Nuit;
She bends in ecstacy to kiss
The secret ardours of Hadit.
The winged globe, the starry blue,
Are mine, O Ankh-af-na-khonsu!
1445
I, too, would ascend as a delicate purple mist that steams up from
the Hills. Art Thou not all Pleasure and Purple?
XVII .ù. The Infinite Within
I would that I were as the feminine counterpart of Thee, O
Beloved; then would I draw the Infinite within.
Yet since Thy Pure Being must ever be more refined than this body
of mine I should interpenetrate every part of Thee with my living
flesh.
Thus, O Beloved, should we enter into a new and more complete
embrace: not as of earth wherein the male uniteth with the female by
means of the physical organs of love, but with every atom of my
being close pressed to every atom of Thine---within and without.
Then, O beloved, would I cry unto the Lord of the Primum Mobile
to teach me the Art of the Whirling Motion of Eternity.
Thus, whirling within Thee, our never-ending nuptial feast shall |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,145 | be celebrated, and a new System of Revolving Orbs be brought to birth.
Ah! the shrill cry of Ecstacy of that Refined Rapture---the Orgasm
of the Infinite Within.
1446
XVIII .ù. The Rainbow
As I sat in the shelter of the forest glade, my eye caught the
multi-coloured gleam of diamonds. I looked again; the Sun rays were
playing upon the dew which clung to a little curved twig.
It seemed like a tiny rainbow of promise.
Then, while I watched in wonder, a small grey spider bridged the
arch of the bow with his silken thread.
Ah! My Beloved, thus, too, hath the Spider of Destiny woven his
silken rope from extreme to extreme of the Great Rainbow of Promise.
Fate hath fitted me as an Arrow to the String of Destiny in the bow
of the Sun.
But Whose Hand shall draw that Mighty Bow, O Beloved, and send me
upon fleet wings to my resting place within Thine Heart?
1447
XIX .ù. Dropped Dew
As I came from tending the Rose Garden and was about to return to
my humble shelter, my eyes caught the gleam of dropped dew like a
tiny trail along the path. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,146 | It was very early; the Sun had not yet re-arisen; the Stars
still twinkled faintly in the sky.
Who could have come before me to the Garden?
I followed the trail of dew, stooping down so that I saw in
each crystal drop the reflection of a tiny star.
Thus came I to my lady's chamber; she it was who carrying roses
had left this silvery thread as a clue to her hiding place.
When I found her, her eyes were closed, as she pressed the fragrant
the pink blossoms to her white breast.
Then did I bury my face in the blossoms and I saw not her eyes
when she opened them in wonder.
Thus, too, would I follow the Star-trail of Dropped Dew, ere
the re-arisen Sun hides Thee from me, O My Beloved!
Thus would I come to Thee and bury my face in Thy Breast amid the
Roses of Heaven.
1448
Nor should I dare to look into Thine eyes, having discovered
Thy secret---the Dew of Love---the Elixir of Life.
XX .ù. Twilight
Twilight... and in a few brief moments the Stars will begin to peep.
I will await Thee, here amid the heather, O Beloved. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,147 | I wait... no stars appear for a mist has stolen up from the foot of
the mountains.
Thus I waited for a sight of Thy Star Body till the cold damp mist
of suppresed emotion chilled my being and my reason returned.
The woman stood girt with a sword before me. Emotion was overcome
by clarity of perception. Then did I remember Thy words: "The Khabs
is in the Khu not the Khu in the Khabs. Worship then the Khabs and
behold my light shed over ye."
Thus turned I my thoughts within, so that I became concentrated
upon the Khabs---the Star of mine inmost being. Then did Thy Light
arise as a halo of rapture, and I came a little to lie in Thy bosom.
But I offered one particle of dust---and I lost all in that hour.
Such is the Mystery of Her who demandest naught in sacrifice.
The twilight is returned.
1449
XXI .ù. The Dog Star
Wisdom hath said: "Be not animal; refine thy rapture! The canst
thou bear more joy!"
I have been like an unleashed hound before Thee, O Beloved. I
have striven towards Thee and Thou seest in me only the Dog Star.
Yet will I not fall into the Pit called Because, there to perish |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,148 | with the dogs of reason. There is no reason in me; I seek Under-
standing, O Mother of Heaven.
Thus, with my face buried in the black earth, do I turn my back
upon Thee. I will refine my rapture.
So Thou mayest behold me as I am, and so Thou shalt Understand at
last, O Beloved; for in reverse Thou readest this DOG aright.
Hast Thou not said: "There is none other?"
1450
XXII .ù. Pot-pouri
The roses are falling. This is the night of the full moon whereon
the children of Sin attend the Sacred Circle.
Therein they will sit divided---but not for love's sake---for they
know Thee not---O Beloved. Into the Elements, the fiery, the
watery, the airy and the earthly Signs are they divided when they
gather at the Full Moon within the forest.
I wandered down the deep shadowy glade, there I espied a tiny
sachet of pot-pouri, dropped---maybe---from the streaming girdle of
one of the maidens.
Tenderly I raised it. Its perfume is like unto the perfume ofher
I love. She, too, perhaps, has heard the call of the moon and is
even now on her way to the secret tryst.
But hast Thou not said: "Let there be no difference made among
you between any one thing and any other thing; for thereby cometh
hurt." What matter then the name of the maiden? What matter the |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,149 | flowers of which it is composed?
Yet dare I not burn this incense unto Thee, O Beloved, because of
Thine hair, the Trees of Eternity.
Oh! Little sachet of pot-pouri, thou hast reminded me of her I
love, for the roses are falling, it is the night of the Full Moon
and the children of Sin gather to attend the Sacred Circle.
1451
XXIII .ù. Red Swansdown
It hath been told how Parzival shot and brought down the Swan
of Ecstacy as it winged over the Mountain of the Grail.
But there is within the archives another story, unheard by the ears
of men.
From the breast of the Eternal Swan floated one downy feather,
steeped in blood. This did the youngest and least worthy of the
Knights hide tenderly in his bosom till he concealed it within the
hard pillow of his lonely couch.
Night after night that holy pillow became softer; sweeter and
sweeter were his dreams. And one night---the night of the
crowning of Parzival---he was granted the Great Vision wherein
the Stars became like flecks of Swansdown upon the Breast of
Heaven, each living and throbbing, for they were steeped in Blood.
Then did every atom of his being become a Star racing joyfully
through the Great Body of the Lady of Heaven. Thus in sweet sleep
came he into the Great Beyond. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,150 | Grant unto me Thy Pillow of Blood and Ecstacy, O Beloved!
1452
XXIV .ù. Passing Clouds
A dark night: Not a star is visible, but presently the moon
shines out through a rift in the clouds. And I remember, "The sorrows
are but shadows, they pass and are done, but there is that which
remains."
Yet is the moon but illusion.
A dull day: but presently the Sunis seen as the clouds are dispelled
by His light.
Is He that which remains?
Night once more: the Sun is lost to sight, only the moon reminds me
of His presence. The clouds scud swiftly across the Sky and disappear.
Thy Star Body is visible, O Beloved; all the sorrows and shadows
have passed and there is that which remains.
When clouds gather, let me never forget Thee, O Beloved!
1453
XXV .ù. The Coiled Serpent
Thus have I heard:
The ostrich goeth swiftly; with ease could he outstrip those who |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,151 | covet his tail-feathers, yet when danger cometh he burieth his
head in the sand.
Thetortoise moveth slowly and when embarrased he stoppeth, withdra-
wing into his own shell; yet he passeth the hare.
The hare sleepeth when he should be swiftly moving; he runneth in
his dreams thinking himself at the goal.
But the Coiled Serpent hath wisdom, for he hideth his tail and it is
not coveted; he raiseth his head and fears not; he moveth slowly
like the tortoise, yet withdraweth not; he nestles close to the hare,
darting his tongue with swiftness, yet falleth not asleep by the
wayside.
Would that I had the Wisdom of the Coiled Serpent, O Beloved, for
Thou hast said: "Put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendour
within you: come unto me!"
1454
XXVI .ù. Love and Unity
Twenty-six is the numeration of the Inneffable Name, but It con-
cealeth Love and Unity.
The Four-lettered Name implieth Law, yet it may be divided for
love's sake; for Love is the law.
The Four-lettered Name is that of the elements, but it may be
divided for the chance of Union; for there is Unity therein.
There is but One Substance and One Love and while these be twen- |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,152 | ty-six they One through thirteen which is but a half thereof.
Thus do I play with numbers who would rather play with One and that
One Love.
For Thou hast said: "There is naught that can unite the divided
but love!"
And is not Achad Ahebah?
1455
XXVII .ù. The Riddle
What is that which cometh to a point yet goeth in a circle?
This, O Beloved, is a dark saying, but Thou hast said: "My colour
is black to the blind, but the blue and gold are seem of the seeing.
Also I have a secret glory for them that love me."
And Hadit hath declared: "There is a veil; that veil is black."
I would that I could tear aside the veil, O Beloved, for seeing Thee
as Thou art, I might see Thee everywhere, even in the darkness that
cometh to a point yet goeth in a circle.
For Hadit, the core of every star, says "It is I that go," and
Thou, Mother of the Stars, criest "To me! To me!"
Resolve me the Riddle of Life, O Beloved, for loving Thee I
would behold Thy Secret Glory.
1456
XXVIII .ù. Sayings |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,153 | Isis hath said: "I am all that was and that is and that shall be,
and no mortal hath lifted my veil."
Who cares what is back of the moon?
Jehovah showed his back unto Moses, saying: "No man hath seen my
face at any time."
Who cares to face the elements?
Hadit hath said: "I am life and the giver of life; therefore is
the knowledge of me the knowledge of death."
Who cares to know death?
But Thou, O Beloved, hath said: "I give unimaginable joys on
earth, certainty, not faith, while in life upon death, peace
unutterable, rest, ecstacy; nor do I demand aught in sacrifice."
Who would not long to invoke Thee under Thy Stars, O Beloved?
1457
XXIX .ù. The Falling Star
Falling, falling, falling! Thus fall the Rays from Thy Body of
Stars upon this tiny planet, O Beloved! Innumerable streams of
Light like Star-rain upon the black earth.
Since every man and every woman is a star, their lives are like
unto streams of light concentrated upon every point in Space.
As I lay with arms out-stretched, my bare body shining like ivory |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,154 | in the darkness. my scarlet abbai flung wide, mine eyes fixed upon
the star-lit Heaven; I felt that I, too, was falling, falling,
falling, in an ecstacy of fear and love into the void abyss of space.
Then did I remember that Thou art continuous. Beneath, above, around
me art Thou. And lo, from a falling star I became as a comet wheeling
in infinite Circles, each at a different angle, till my course traced
out the Infinite Sphere that is the Symbol of Thee, O Beloved.
Then did I aspire to find the Centre of All.
And even now I am falling, falling, falling.
1458
XXX .ù. Justice
I am a Fool, O Beloved, and therefore am I One or Nought as the
fancy takes me.
Now am I come to Justice, so that I may be All or Naught according
to the direction of vision.
No Breath may stir the Feather of Truth, therefore is Justice ALone
in L. Yet the Ox-goad is Motion and Breath Matter if it be called
the Ox which is also A.
How foolish are these thoughts, which are but as the Sword in the
hand of Justice. They are as unbalanced as the Scales that stir not,
being fixed in the figure of Law above the Court House of a great
City.
But Thou hast said: "Love is the law, love under will." |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,155 | And Love is the Will to Change and Change is the Will to Love.
Even in the stern outline of the Scales of Justice do I
perceive the Instrument of Love, and in the Life Sentence, the
Mystery of Imprisonment in Thy Being, O Beloved!
1459
XXXI .ù. Not
Three Eternities are passed... I have outstripped a million Stars in
my race across Thy Breast---The Milky Way.
When shall I come to the Secret Centre of Thy Being?
Time, thou thief, why dost thou rob the hungry babe? Space, thou
hadst almost deceived me.
O Lady Nuit, let me not confound the space-marks!
Then, O Beloved, Thy Word came unto me, as it is written:
"All touching; All penetrant."
Thus left I Time and Space and Circumstance, and every Star became
as an atom in my Body, when it became Thy Body. Now never shall
I be known, for it is I that go.
But Thou, O Beloved, though Thou art infinitely Great, art Thou
not energized by the Invisible Point---the Infinitely Small?
A Million Eternities are Present, Deem
not of Change; This is the
Here and Now, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,156 | and I am
NOT
-oOo-
1460
Treatise on Mind
From: The Tigress
From themoment that 2 cells forma zygote, we see the interaction
of informational process - recognition, communication, interaction,
integration, re-stabilization and reproduction and or re-structuriz-
ation. This cycle of life can be see from the barest combinations of
any two elemental components beginning at the lowest atomic desig-
nations of energy and throughout the continuum of increasing com-
plexity - perhaps far beyond our capabilities
to understand. *** If consciousness can be defined as an awareness
of integrity through this process of self recognition; then conscious-
ness can be easily applied to that which is non-human.***
Fromthe most basicinteractions of chemistry, wefind that even on
an atomic level there is to be found this type of consciousness. We
have become aware of the atom's necessary maintenance of it's own
structure through the evidence of necessary balancing of protons,
neutrons and electrons; the importance of electron shell valences is
also a reminder of this type of integrity. Even on an atomic level,
there is a form of awareness of self-integrity in order to maintain
structure and identity.
Thisprocess of awarenessis also agenius of discrimination. A
form of identification of self & non self on an energetic level.
There is a borrowing, and sometimes a sharing energetically, yet when |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,157 | this process of self recognition begins to fail we see the destruction
of the matter it involves Therefore we
might look at this process of self-recognition and maintenance and
1461
examine it's nature in order to find its function and capabilities.
Whenwe look atdifferent types ofmatter, we findthat the more
simple the atomic structure of the mass, the less complex its process
of "consciousness" needs to be. Things which are comprised of only
one atomic component do not need complex processes of communication
between those components. Thus the level of consciousness is rather
low on an evolutionary scale of creativity, yet we also see that these
types of things are far more stable in regards to their integrity -
far less vulnerable to destruction. In example, it takes an enorm-
ously concentrated force of heat to break the integrity of an atom...-
yet a mere 2000 degree flame will not only destroy the integrity of
human consciousness, but also destroy the integrity of the individual
component molecules which form the material mass of a human to their
lowest forms as individual atoms.
1462
Whenwe look at theforces involved incommunication of energy,
we see a flowing medium of different frequencies within a single
spectrum of energetic potential. Elemental energies and forces
differentiate and vary in intensity and frequency yet are very alike
in that they are all means of transferring energy as a form of com-
munication which can be informative/stabilizing or disinformative/des-
tructive, depending on the structure of the "consciousness" they
encounter. It may be perceived that the more complex the structure,
the lower the frequency of the integrity of that structure and the |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,158 | more vulnerable that structure is to disinformation.
The more diverse the components are that are included within a
thing, and the more efficient the means of communication within the
structure of that thing; the lower the common denomination of freq-
uency of integrity must be in order that the informational frequency
will not be destructive to any of the component parts. To analyze
this statement we must look at other analogies within our environment.
Firstly I would like to examine the nature of sound.
Sound waves come in varying frequencies and modulations, and as
humans we assign different notes to those steps within the frequency
spectrum which we can differentiate and perceive. If we play several
notes simultaneously, we find that in order to maintain a balance
harmonically, we must play notes that match each others modulation.
You can play a "C" note at any octave and in fact play all "C" notes
simultaneously and you will find that within the frequency range
these notes will compliment each other, in fact they will contribute/-
share energy with each other. WE find similar matching if we look at
musical chording. If you play the notes "F" and "C" , the sharing of
1463
energy vibrationally between those two ranges of frequency will in
fact create the note of "A" in the range in which the two notes
frequencies overlap. In this way communication is informative and in
fact the "whole is greater" than the sum of its parts. Similarly,
playing two notes which lie in the same modulation frequencies simul-
taneously will increase the duration of the vibration compared to the
duration if each note were played alone.
When we examine the sharing of electrical information at an
atomic level, we see that through the temporary sharing of electrons |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,159 | in a phase path also indicates something that we might consider as
investing a thing with more than the sum of its parts. Simil-
arly in using electric frequencies in a series, we store information
on silicon chips which invest them with more than they would be if one
simply looked at the electrical and silicon components alone. This
transference of energy is also a transference of information in
frequencies which in many ways we are still attempting to understand.
Simple, one component things, can sustain far higher frequencies
of energetic transmission than can complex components of things.
Frequencies which pass freely through atoms ultimately destroy complex
things such as humans when they are subject to them. It appears that
the more complex the union of the components, the slower and more
tediously complex the transformation of data must be. The more
complex a thing is, the lower the vibrational capability it sustains
in order to maintain the integrity of its own structure.
1464
Energetic communication exists infinitely throughout the univ-
erse. The transference of information through radio waves and light
waves continues back in time to the occasion of what was known as the
Big Bang. It may be that in the future we will find that in the same
way gravity and electromagnetism are also continuums of information
from times long past. Scientifically we study these energetic con-
tinuums and yet we doubt and deny the holistic communicative nature of
the universe. We search for causes and effects within the realms of
our limited perceptions and are amazed when we can find no causal
effects to explain change.
When we examine biological life, we find that each evolutionary
adaptation seems to be an extension of the process of self/non self
awareness and maintenance of integrity. Not only do we see inten- |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,160 | sification of sensory perceptual abilities, but also we note that the
integrational and responsive/reactive components of the process also
have to evolve and adapt in order to stay integrated with the rest of
the "consciousness". Amoebas are "simple" life forms, and yet we can
examine them and see that each organic component within that life form
serves as an informational and communicative component within the
process of maintaining the integrity of the whole. When this
communication process or any part of it ceases, the organization of
the organism begins to deteriorate and eventually ceases and dies. In
biological life, we find that though we have maintained the use of
electronic communication on some neural levels, we have sunk to the
depths of transferring actual molecular compounds in most of our
organic processes. Even the human brain,
supposed highest achievement of organic life forms, requires base
molecular salts in order to process electrical information. Our
complexity denies us the speed of light, radio,
1465
and other faster and higher frequency modes of communication except
from outside of ourselves.
The human consciousness is a genius of discrimination. We use
the abilities of discrimination to identify those stimuli which come
from outside of our biological forms in order to protect and maintain
our integrity to gather and interpret pure energetic communications
such as the
radiated energy of sunlight and we are so inefficient at interpreting
that data that we can only sense light and heat and it destroys those
sensors that gather that information through blindness and sunburn if
we continue too long in our attempts. Yet,
conversely , we need the information from sunlight which stimulates
our organic forms into producing vitamin D . Is this a remnant of
photosynthetic capabilities from lessor
complex integrations, or merely a new attempt at further increasing |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,161 | our potential?
As organic forms of consciousness, we are sorely limited in our
perceptions of the universe. Limited in exploring the possibly
limitless ranges of energetic exchange simply due to the limits placed
upon communication due to the complexity of our component structure.
Yet rather than admit to our limitations, we seek further exploration
through the development of tools made from things less complex than
ourselves. In the laboratory, we use light waves and shaped silicon
to create microscopes to increase our sense of visual acuity within
the spectrum of visible radiation imaging. In the studio, we use
simple cones flattened vegetable matter and electronic amplification
to create tools to compensate for our limited aural perception. We
have created many tools out of simpler and less complex components in
1466
order to reach those higher frequencies of information which are
either so far removed from us as to be imperceptible, or so destruc-
tive to us that we dare not experience them ourselves.
The human zygote from the moment of conception is a discriminat-
ing consciousness which is involved in the differentialization of its
components in order to
develop finer levels of complexity. This fetus is also even before
birth learning to interpret communicative energies from the outer
world in order to begin definition of itself, its integrity and its
maintenance of self apart from the influence of "other". Cells,
joining together in communication to form co-operative systems each
with separate responsibilities to the whole. Organs with specific
functions supporting the organism in its fight to maintain its integ-
rity. Consciousness of Mind, determining the difference between self
and non self, regulating the integrity of the whole. This harmony of |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,162 | components within a symphony of orchestration, this is the matter of
being alive.
Despite our complexities, despite recognition of our vulnerabil-
ities and limitations; we as humans are beings of arrogant mind. We
claim supremacy over all biological organisms and claim the sole right
to conscious thought We deny our insecurities and lay claims to
great understandings concerning the universe, when we in fact do not
even understand the actual workings of our own process of integration
and communication within our own biological forms.
We claim ownership of consciousness, yet we do not even pretend to
truly evaluate the process of consciousness nor its beginnings.
1467
Despite our inadequacies, we assume to know the nature of the
beginnings of all life. We claim to know the "mind" of "God" and
we claim title to superiority
in emulation of this "God" - above and beyond all other forms of life
or integrity. An egotistic lot are we, who strive to seek security in
the midst of our fear, our inadequacies, our vulnerabilities; by
developing a system of belief which guarantees our security in a place
beyond our perception. We seek safety and foundation at the same time
that we reach outward to claim flight amongst the stars.
This is the paradox on humanity, of mind. Complexity found in
simplicity... using simplicity to explore a universe beyond the range
of our complex integrity. Our complex integrity vulnerable to all but
the simplest energies, while we lay grasp to use complex energies
which would destroy us in order to prove our strength. What it is we
look for, we eventually find at the expense of closing our senses to
see what really is. Perhaps it is true that the most foolish are
those who lay claim to knowledge for they have closed their minds |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,163 | to further learning, and that the most wise are those who claim
knowledge of no thing, that they may learn all.
1468
Dragon Trad and the Holy Grail
Cameron Mandrake
Recently we have discovered the significance of sharing water in our
circles. This ritual should be warm and meaningful. This being the
case it should only be shared by members of the coven and visitors
should be excluded unless the visitor is VERY close to the group.
Someone reads the following poem or one that is written for the
occaision.
Quest for the Grail
by C.J. Mandrake
I have sailed the seven seas.
I have walked the deserts of this world,
searching for clues and kin;
always awed by the stories that they told.
Time my only enemy,
every stone my friend;
carried by myth's fluid words,
looking for a gold cup 'round every bend.
Mountains loom before me:
The path, all but lost behind.
Arthur's song plays deep within me!
The Merlin's words dance within my mind!
``The blessed cup that you seek,
it is the Mother's womb. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,164 | It has poured out all our world
and it will be your tomb.''
1469
Grail of Love
Grail of Light
Grail of Truth
Grail of Might
carry me to the very Fount of life.
I threw a coin in a wishing well:
My wish, the Grail to see.
When the waters stilled again
I beheld the Mystery.
The Cup is made of flesh and blood.
The secret of deep peace it lends.
I drink from it every day
and I share it with my friends.
One and one and one is three:
Three by three is nine.
The heart of the world I see,
the secret of the Grail is mine.
The Cup, it is a lotus flower
deep within my soul,
flaming with the love of Her:
The Goddess and I made whole.
****
1470
The reader takes the chalice of water and drinks and the cup is passed
around the circle deosil, each person taking a drink in turn. Each |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,165 | person may offer a thought before they drink. This may be a thanks or
an observation or anything that seems significant to the moment. When
the cup makes it back to the reader, he/she again drinks of the cup
and pours the remainder as a libation. With the libation is said...
I partake of the Cup of Abundance. I share this Cup with those around
me. I return what is left to the earth. And my Cup remains full.
Blessed Be.
This rite is very good for group binding. Last time we did this we
drank water from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury that one of the coven
members brought back from vacation.
Enjoy! And Bright Blessings.
CJ
... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved
1471
Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard
The Tigress
Thus it follows that after many days of chaos, unfounded mayhem and
startling inconvienience so it
shall be that I am finally able to share with you the official cere-
mony of the Blessed Motherboard and the Horned One that Plugs in the
Wall. This ceremony is one to be practiced by discordian compu-pagans
each Midsummer Eve in holy celebration and appreciation of debugged
upgrades, new shareware, faster circutry and all the blessings that
flow from the Goddess...
Note : Let it be said that if your system crashes, your motherboard |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,166 | becomes twitchy, your hard drives fail, or your cables spout forth
fire - that this is an indication that the Goddess is displeased with
your compu-worship. At this time, if the posting of many tales of
compu-sexuality doth fail to pacify Her. This is the time that this
ritual must be done to regain Her pleasure.
It is thus that this ritual be made easier if thou coven of compu-pag-
ans is large, for then the obtainment of the necessary materials be
far easier...
Necessary ritual components -
To represent the Matron Goddess : 1 AT Motherboard
To represent the Crone: 1 AT&T Phone bill from Mother Bell.
1472
To represent the Maiden: a large firepit dug in the shape of a circle
around which the pentagram will be formed.
To represent the God: 1 very Large, very THICK power supply cable
For the Pentagram : 1 can of neon or glow in the dark paint
For the Quarters : The following items are placed at each quarter -
North : A Power supply with cable, the energy which inspires us
East: A keyboard through which our innocence is transformed to lust
South: A hard drive which saves our writ to seal our doom |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,167 | West : A Monitor by which all might see our lustful spells at work
The Altar : A makeshift desk
The Incense: A chipped ashtray and a pack of Camels
The Cup: A container of highly caffinated substance
The Bowl : a bowl of fine earth to represent the accumulation of dust
in your house which you haven't cleaned since you spend all your time
at the keyboard .
The Flame: One jar of kerosene, gasoline, or other flamable substance
with matches that one uses to light the fire.
1473
In addition: Each member of the network coven should bring spare
parts, broken cables, split chips, bungled software, etc...for fire
offerings at the conclusion of the ceremony. Clothing during this
ceremony is optional.
Opening Chant
Circuts keep blowing on my board
my hard drive keeps crashin
and its heads are getting scored
Messages are lost OH
Time to appease the Goddess of all Computers
Alas I'm broke
My bills
Are higher than my income
Oh please Goddess I'm begging thee
To hear my plea and heal my system
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,168 | 1474
Cables are ruined by crossing wires
My modem is burping
and its screwing up my files
Data's being lost OH
I ask the Horned One Plugging into my wall
Oh Please don't surge
My dos
is shareware and its fragile
Oh please Horned One
I'm begging thee
Remember that my ram is borrowed
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
The Crone works her spells through Mother Bell
My phone bills enormous
and my life is living hell
Long distance is a bitch OH
What did I do before to deserve this karma?
I have five days
To pay
The toll charge for downloading
from New Jersey
Oh Mother Bell,
have mercy on my lust addiction
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
1475
I worship through the message base
Hiding behind keyboards |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,169 | where you cannot see my face
Sexual inuen - DO
Maiden protect me from my own sweet confusion
Let me log in
to boards
To satisfy my hunger
and to praise you
and sacrifice your innocence among the echos
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
Its My Lust...... Sacrifice it or BUST
The ritual begins...
As the coven sings the ritual opening chant the HP & P paint the
Pentagram around the firepit with neon or glow in the dark paint. The
items are placed in the designated directions and the altar is set up
to the north of the fire with the following items placed upon it.
To the North end of the altar the ashtray and cigarettes
To the East end of the altar the holy cup
To the South end of the altar the bowl of earth
To the West end of the altar the jar of kerosene and matches.
1476
As the HP calls the elements the P shall pass her the items in ques-
tion
The coven at the end of each elemental calling shall chant the fol-
lowing: |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,170 | Elemental Power
Come out and play with me
Play midst my flaming spree
and sing the chant with me
Splash in my rain barrel
Slide down my cellar door And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more
The HP calls to the Element of Fire intones:
Fire, Fire burning bright, like a candle in the night
Come and join us in our flight, Lend us your eternal light
Warm the Maiden with your flame,
I call you in the Goddess's Name.
The HP pours the kerosene liberally upon the firewood in the pit and
lights the fire with the matches.
1477
The P hands the HP the bowl of earth. The HP tosses the earth upwards
to scatter it around the circle and over the altar as she intones:
Elemental Earth I beckon thee, with us in this circle be
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, firm foundation is a must
Warm bed for the Matron's frame I call you in the Goddess's Name
The P hands the HP the cup of caffinated substance. The HP lifts it
to her lips and intones:
Water quench our thirst, keep us wet and wild
Join us in our circle hence, praise the lady mild. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,171 | Liquid of Life that has no shame
I beckon thee in Goddess's Name
The HP drinks from the cup and beckons the P to drink of it, he does.
The P hands the HP the ashtray and a cigarette and lights it for her,
the HP takes a long drag and as she exhales intones:
Airy, Airy, quiet and contrary how doth your winds blow?
Through maidens hair your breath ensnare, your secrets we would know.
The Pow'r of Wind by Lady made tame
I beckon thee in Goddess's Name
1478
The HP and P perepare to summon the directions in supplication to be
followed by the closing of the circle.
The following is a chant used by the coven at each directional open-
ing.
"From the North awakening, the energy inspires
From the East our eagerness to learn amid the fires
From the South commitment and thus we seal our doom
From the West comes reckonning, our message answered soon"
The HP and P walk to the North and hold up the Power supply. The P
intones:
The Power of the north inspires us and lends us its energy for our
use in supplication. This Power Supply I offer to thee Oh Goddess |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,172 | that your Power run through my computer and my life. The P tosses the
Power supply into the fire.
The Hp and P walk to the East and hold up the keyboard. The P in-
tones:
The Power of the East transforms our innocence through tasting the
fire of Life. This Keyboard, I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your
knowledge guide my fingers on their path through the system of Life.
The P tosses the keyboard into the fire.
1479
The HP and P walk to the South and hold up the hard drive. The P
intones:
The Power of the South is that of action and consequence, of commit-
ment to the path and the ability to remember the lessons learned
thereof. This Hard Drive I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your memory
of my acts and deeds be remembered with praise and favor in thine
eyes. The P tosses the Hard Drive into the fire.
The HP and the P walk to the West and hold up the monitor. The P
intones:
The Power of the West is that of access to all things, to seeing
turthfully into the path of a life and judging it thusly, worthy or
unworthy. This monitor I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your eternal
eyes may see into my life and may watch over my actions, and that I
may find favor in you as my eternal Sysop. The P tosses the monitor
into the fire. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,173 | The HP and P walk thrice around the circle widdershins and all chant
thusly:
Ring around the altar
Power never faulter
Goddess, God
We summon thee
1480
The Circle Closed and the directions and elements present, the HP and
P prepare to call to the Goddess and to the Horned One.
The HP stands before the fire pit and calls:
Virgin Goddess, gentle maid
She whose seeking to get laid
Bring your innocence to Bare
For those who worship for your care
Come on Maiden light your fire
Come on Maiden light your fire
Come and set the night on FIRE
The HP stands before the fire pit and holding the phone bill calls:
Oh Mother Bell, Oh Crone of Disconnection from this pagan life
I beseech thee, hold back thy hand of dread financial strife
In attonement bills I pay to thee
Of thy modem killing hand let me be free
The HP tosses the phone bill into the fire. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,174 | " We're sorry, the number you have reached has been temporarily
disconnected Booooo Hissssss
We're sorry, the number you have reached has been temporarily discon-
nected Booo Hisssss"
1481
The HP stands before the Altar and holds high the very long and very
thick cable of the Horned One that Plugs into the Wall and calls:
Oh Horned One, Powerful Consort of the Blessed Motherboard
Surging with Energy you take your place as Lord
Pulsing with Power, with each surge of volts you swell
Pumping life into the Goddess, you serve her purpose well
The HP tosses the very long, very thick cable into the fire
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....keep the power flowing
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....hard fast and never slowing
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....We know you please the Goddess
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....Be strong and never modest
The HP raises the Blessed Motherboard with Large Co-processors high in
the air and the P and HP each take and end in their hands. Raising
the Motherboard high in the air they intone:
Blessed Mother, Sacred Goddess come to bless your users
Keep us safe from disk crash and lurking abusers
Let thy healing hands caress our crippled hardware
Let our nodes stay stable, that through distance we may share |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,175 | In your holy worship together we may gather nightly
Writing inuendo, our modems steaming slightly
Bless us Holy Goddess, and show us by your sign
That we have earned your favor, your blessing so divine.
1482
The HP and P lead all in the following chant:
A Prayer to the Goddess for self conscecration
Dominus regit Goddess
The Blessed Goddess is my mistress;
I shall not be in want
She maketh me lie down on soft bedding
and leadth me to think of rumpling it
She revives my soul
and guides me along the most sensual pathways for pleasures sake
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of dangerous desire
I shall fear not impotence
for she is insatiable
my rod and staff they comfort her
We spread a table of ecstacy in the presence of those
who are sorely troubled by arrousal
She annoints my head with honeyed oil
and I make her cup run over
Surely the pleasure and bliss shall follow me all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the caves of ecstacy within mind forever.
1483
Thus said, the HP and P intone the following: |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,176 | OH Blessed Motherboard please accept this offering in your name, and
in the name of the Horned One who plugs in the Wall and gives you
pleasure...
that we may be blessed in our offerings to you both in circle and in
life.
Thus said, the HP and P toss the Motherboard into the fire.
The HP and P lead the coven in the following chant -
Blessed be the Motherboard from whom all messages flow
Blessed be the Horned One who fills Her with His offering
Blessed be the sysops who transfer the packets
Blessed be the writers and those who inspire what they bring
Blessed be the hard drives that keep messages from harm
Blessed be the modems which send packages large and small
Blessed be the shareware we use to commune
Blessed be the network which links us up with all
Blessed be our minds, that we might write our prayers
Blessed be our fingers that tap amongst the keys
Blessed be our monitors that shine with holy light
Blessed be our senses that stimulate with ease
Blessed be the circle, a circut without end
Through which we hail and merry meat with those that we call friend.
1484
At this point the HP and P gaze into the fire for the portent of the
Goddess's sign of approval
At seeing this both HP and P raise their arms in joyful supplication
and shout |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,177 | The Maiden's found appeasement and She is satisfied
The Crone is in abeyance, her compu-billings fried
The Horned One's filled with power, in joining He is pleased
The Goddess sends Her blessings, cleansing virus and disease.
We thank the 4 directions for standing by our side
We thank the elementals and their power all allied
To Celebrate our status annointed compupagans of sin
Let Joyful Inhibition be released and the saturnalia begin!!!!
Sensual foods and drinks are served and shared,
1485
Prosperity Spell
Rowan Moonstone
The following is a quarterly prosperity spell given to me by Angel and
Gracie, my first two FamTrad teachers. I have no idea where they got
it, but I can tell you that it DOES work. I"ve used it for years and
it never fails to bring me some unlooked for money. I find that I've
overpaid a bill, or an old debt which I had written off as uncollec-
tible gets repaid, I find a $20 on the sidewalk, etc. Try it, it
works!
The spell is to begin at one minute past midnight SUN TIME (I HATE
daylight savings time when I do this. Means 1AM!) on the night of
April 30 (May 1), July 31 (Aug 1), Oct 31 (Nov. 1) and Jan 31 (Feb 1)
In other words, on the first minute of the cross quarter day.
You will need the following:
1 gold candle
6 green candles
9 white candles
Pine oil for anointing candles
salt
All candles must be dressed with pine oil and then arranged as fol-
lows:
gold candle in the center
green candles in a circle around gold candle
white candles in a circle around green candles.
At one minute past midnight on the appointed day, trace a salt circle
around the outermost circle of candles, light the gold candle first, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,178 | then the green candles, moving deosil, then the white candles, moving
deosil. Circle the altar three times, chanting "Orbiting Jupiter
trine the sun, bring money on the run." Do the chant 3 times also.
Sit quietly for a few minutes and visualize your monetary NEEDS.
(needs, not desires). The SNUFF (do not blow or pinch) the candles in
reverse order.
That's it. That's all there is to it and it works beautifully. Since
Lammas is coming up, thought I'd post it for everyone to see. I've
got a bunch more stuff from these two ladies if anyone is interested.
They worked a great deal with Archangels and I suspect a strong
Kabalistic crossover in there somewhere. But the spells and rituals
DO work quite nicely.
BB Rowan
1486
Quarter Calls for The Dragon Tradition
EAST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the East. Your tongue is
a sharp sword, cutting with the knowledge of the arcane. Your spirit
flows as graceful as a swift in flight. Purify us with truth.
Blessed Be.
SOUTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the South, your breath is
aflame with the fires of inspiration and passion. Your spirit is
searing and fervent. Purify us with Love. Blessed Be.
WEST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the West, your coils are the
cleansing healing waves that nurture the soul. Your spirit lunges,
leaps and splashes like a Talbot at play. Purify us with pulsing
tides. Blessed Be.
NORTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the North, your talons run
like roots into the earth, giving you infinite strength. Your spirit
is substantial, hard and pure like a clear crystal. Purify us with
persistant wisdom. Blessed Be
Each of these Dragons has a secret name that they are also invoked-
with. A suggestion is that anyone using these invocations meditate to
find an appropriate name for each Guardian and use it along with or
instead of the words "Mighty Dragon".
Blessed Be.
Enjoy!
... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved
1487
Safe Travel Spell
Rowan Moonstone |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,179 | You will need:
2 white candles annointed with sandalwood oil.
1 purple candle annointed with sandalwood oil.
Photo or personal articles of the person the spell is for
"Personality " candle, appropriate to the recipient of the spell
Sandalwood incense
Altar should be arranged as below:
_____________________________________________________________________
| |
| O (white candle) O (Personality candle) O (purple candle |
| (1) (3) (4) |
| |
| O (white candle) Photos or personal object O (incense) |
| (2) (5) |
| |
_____________________________________________________________________
Light white candles (1& 2) light personality candle (3) light purple
candle (4), light incense (5). Repeat the following invocation:
"Hail Mother of the World!
Nanna, Isis, Astarte, Selene, Holy Sin (pronounced Sheen).
See me, look upon me
See me, look upon me
See me, look upon me
Protect me and my people tonight.
Send your white light around me.
Send your protective light around ______________
That they may be protected
As they travel and as they dream.
Send only good and lucid energies their way.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You can either let the candles burn out by themselves, or snuff them
in reverse order and let them burn a little each night if the person
will be on an extended trip. On the last night let them burn down on
their own. NEVER blow our or pinch out the candles. This destroys
the luck.
BB Rowan
1488
WITH THESE EIGHT WORDS
THE WICCAN REDE FULFILL:
"AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YE WILL."
Copyright 08/17/92 by Servants Of The Elder Gods,
Rocky Mountain
Coven and James
C. Taylor
OVERVIEW. The purpose of this paper is to look at the Wiccan
Rede, at
the types of conduct it excludes, and at the type of conduct it
requires. We will begin with a detailed examination of the wording of
the Rede itself, which presents as "pseudo-archaic" but actually makes
excellent use of the specific meanings of several archaic words which
have no real equivalents in contemporary English. We will then take a |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,180 | look at the two sections of the Rede, and see why they are presented
in their proper order as written. Finally, we will examine various
uses of magick and see how--and if--they adequately measure up to the
standard of the Rede.
THE VOCABULARY OF THE WICCAN REDE. As mentioned above, the Rede
appears to be presented in a pseudo-archaic or "phony ancient" form of
English. Is this simply harmless foolishness, or is there some
excellent reason for the vocabulary selected? Let's take a look at
the Rede, word by word.
AN: This word is commonly mistranslated as "IF", which is a
significant error. The word "AN" is more accurately trans-
lated "JUST SO LONG AS".
IT: This pronoun refers to whatever it is that you are thinking
of doing.
HARM: This refers to anything which either you or any other person
involved or affected by "it" would regard as loss, damage,
pain, discomfort, injustice, invasiveness, or prevention,
relative to the situation existing before "it" was done.
Anything which goes against another person's free will, even
if it intends them good, would constitute serious harm.
NONE: This ought to be self-explanatory. "None" is an all-ex-
clusive word. If you harm anyone or anything, including
yourself, including a small rock in Trenton, New Jersey, you
have harmed "some", not "none".
DO: To perform whatever working is contemplated by "IT", above.
WHAT: The meaning here is "Whatever", and refers forward.
YE: The archaic PLURAL form of "you". The current word "you"
denotes both the singular and the plural; the archaic word
"YE" is always plural. We shall see, later on, that this is
no accident.
WILL: To will something is to exercise your intellectual decision-
making power to determine the course of action which you
feel to be the best. "Will" has little or nothing to do
with "wish" or "want" or "desire". It is not an emotional
inclination or feeling. It is the employment of reason to
make a decision based upon your best judgment.
THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE WICCAN REDE;
1489
A. SECTION ONE: "AN IT HARM NONE".
Why does the Wiccan Rede not say, "Do what ye will, an it harm
none"? There is a reason why the "An it harm none" comes first
in the Rede, and that reason is that "An it harm none" is in-
tended to come first in your own thinking, as a Wiccan initiate
and practitioner. If you or any Wiccan begins with "Do what ye
will", I assure you that you, like the Fundamentalists before
you, will find a way to excuse and even to justify anything you
take it into your head to do! Knowing this about human nature,
the Lady inspired the Rede to be written as it is, with the "An
it harm none" to come first. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,181 | The Wiccan Rede's "An it harm none" has parallels in many dis-
ciplines. Perhaps the most significant parallel is found in the
Hippocratic Oath taken by every physician before s/he is cer-
tified to practice. The first part of the Hippocratic Oath binds
the physician "First, to do no harm." It is sobering to realize
that magical ethics, as set forth in the Wiccan Rede, are or
should be so similar to medical ethics, an issue with such a
powerful effect on so many lives.
When we read of a physician who has violated his medical ethics,
we read this with outrage toward him and with empathy toward
those patients who suffered inadequate care because the physician
violated his ethics. It is more sobering to realize that future
generations will regard violations of magickal ethics with the
same degree of outrage, and rightly so.
B. SECTION TWO: "DO WHAT YE WILL."
Even without the first part of the Rede, "Do what ye will" is
most certainly not a blanket permission to do whatever you desire
to do. As one Wiccan High Priestess has observed, "Power cor-
rupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Seems like I've
heard that before, but it's certainly true when you're talking
about using real magick to accomplish real goals in the real
world.
1490
When we realize the kinds and orders of results, both expected
and unexpected, both knowable and unknowable, which eventuate
from almost every human action, it would seem the better part of
both valor and wisdom to never do anything at all, especially not
anything which is done with spiritual power guided by no more
than human wisdom! Unfortunately, to do nothing is also a
choice, and the results of inaction are often far worse than the
results of even ill-considered action. This is why the second
half of the Rede demands that we make a decision and act upon it,
as well as conforming that decision to the requirement that it
harm none.
THE STANDARD OF THE REDE. Please note that the Wiccan Rede contains
no loop-holes whatsoever. The Rede does not say, "An it harm none to
the best of your knowledge." The Rede also does not say "An it harm
none to the best of your ability to discern whether it will harm
someone."
The Wiccan Rede does not say these things, or anything similar to
them. It simply says "An it harm NONE, do what ye will." This means
that YOU, once you have committed to live by the Wiccan Rede, are
committed to be solely and totally responsible for any harm resulting
from ANY ACTION YOU TAKE, MAGICKAL OR NOT.
Paul Seymour's forthcoming book begins with some strong cautionary
notes concerning the use of magick. One of the examples he gives is
particularly tragic, and concerns a young man who worked a simple and
apparently harmless "money spell". The spell worked, and the young
man got his money--he inherited it, when his parents were both killed
in an accident shortly after he worked the spell.
Paul does not say in his book if this young man was a Wiccan initiate.
If he was, then in addition to his sorrow and loss, he has had to live
with the fact that, by the standard of the Rede, he is ultimately |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,182 | responsible for the death of his parents.
When you commit to live according to the Wiccan Rede, you commit to
conform your entire life, not just the magickal, mystical and reli-
gious aspects of it, to the standard set by the Rede. Never again
will you be able to act impulsively or without considering the results
of what you do. Never again will you be able to act or even speak in
thoughtless irritation or anger. Instead, you will come to consider
the implications of every word you speak, and of every routine action
you do. For it is not just by magick that we can harm ourselves or
others; everything we do, and everything we say, has the potential to
help or harm others, and to help or harm ourselves.
1491
It is also important to note that the Rede sets up a standard which
prevents us from harming ourselves as well as others. Other relig-
ions, including Christianity, regard it as virtuous to suffer harm for
the sake of another, even to die so that another person might live.
The Wiccan Rede does not permit this. You are to harm none, and this
means that you are not to harm yourself, even for the sake of doing
good for someone else.
To some, this may seem like a selfish standard. But think about it.
Would you wish to benefit by someone else's injury or death? Of course
not! If you did derive some benefit, such as an inheritance, from the
death of another person, would you feel good about this? Well, some
people might, but probably you would not. Therefore, in a very real
sense, you yourself are harmed by a benefit you derive from the injury
or death of another. True, the harm is emotional, but it is entirely
real.
Wicca recognizes that human beings are social creatures. What does
harm to one, does harm to all in varying degrees. Therefore, it is
imperative that each person strive to harm no one, himself or herself
included.
Finally, it is significant to note that word "ye" in the statement,
"Do what YE will." This is the ancient plural form of "you", and it
means that your individual will is assumed to be in accord with some
other will, instead of acting entirely on its own.
What is this other will which, together with yours, comprises the "ye"
in the Rede? Well, if you are working in a coven, it could well be
the combined will of the members of the coven. But this would not
apply to those who are working on their own, and it is not the highest
or best meaning, even for those working in coven.
How does one act, so as to be certain to harm none? Not by refusing
to act, since inaction is itself a decision, and often causes far more
harm than even rash action. Not by delaying action until the time for
it is past, because that is the same as inaction. And not by relying
solely upon your own human wisdom, either.
The best way to act, so as to be certain to harm none, is to call upon
the Goddess and/or the God, and to hand to Them the power you have
raised, together with the situation you have raised the power to deal
with, and say, "You are holy, good, and wise, and know how to use this
power to help and not harm. Do Your will in this situation. That is
my will, that Your will be done." And thus the Rede is fulfilled: For
the "ye" who will are yourself and Them-selves, who are good, and love
humanity, and who always act for the highest good of all. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,183 | 1492
--- A WICCANING ---
Date: 08-31-92 18:25
By: Ceridwen Goddess
(please bear in mind that since non-Wiccans were present at this
ceremony, some things WERE toned down...we did not perform the
Five-fold Kiss, or a more emphatic version of the Great Rite... our
horned statue of Pan was left at home in favor of a small, antlered
god-figure from an American Indian motif.. we did not include the
scourge on the alter, or the Cords (I chose instead to wear our
blue-colored Cord around my waist, however), and **most** references
to the Horned God were altered to reflect a less-imposing Antlered
One... I do hope that those who may read this will understand my
reasoning for these actions.
Lammas 1992
I thought that i would share with you the ritual that we performed in
blessing our children this past Lammas (we did it on July 30th),
Blessings to you all!
-Heidi
A WICCANING:
--consecrate the salt and water
(Priestess takes her athame, plunges the blade into the container of
salt, "So that you may be fit to dwell in this Sacred Space, I bless
this salt, in the names of our Lord and Lad, i bless this salt" then
transfering three 'knife-fuls' to the container of [in this case
water taken from the beach where we held the ritual] water "So that
you may be fit to dwell in this Sacred Space, I consecrate and bless
this water" and stir the salt into the water.)
--purify work space with [salt-]water
(Priestess walks the diameter of the Circle and casts the [salt-]water
along its perimeter)
--purify work space with incense and candle...
(Priest traverses the perimeter of the Circle with frankincense &
myrrh and then a candle)
Priest hands athame to Priestess who casts the Sacred Circle:
"With earth and air draw forth all that is fair
by fire and sea of ill stay free
O Circle, be thou a meeting-place of love and joy and truth
a shield against all wickedness and evil
a rampart of protection that shall preserve
the powers that we may raise within Thee.
Wherefore do i bless and consecrate thee.
Priestess welcomes all gathered into the Circle space:
"May your mind be free, may your heart be free, may your body be
free."
1493 |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,184 | Invoking the Watchtowers:
The Priestess takes the bowl of water to the East and says:
O cool lakes and deep seas of the East
waters soft and giving of fresh life
join with us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be.
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the water is placed at the east gate)
The Priestess takes a candle to the South and says:
O warm sun and warm skies of the South
bringing life anew, the growth of all things,
and promise of the future,
join us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be!
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the candle is placed at the south gate)
The Priestess takes the censor/sage to the West and says:
O Winds of the East
who bring forth freshness, life, and joy...
join us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be!
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the censor is placed at the west gate)
The Priestess takes the bowl of earth to the North and says:
O mighty mountains and endless steppes of the North
Meadows of green and the creatures that therein dwell
join us --
cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them.
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the bowl is set at the north gate)
1494
The Priestess holds the alter Wand aloft and asks:
"Repeat after me.... |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,185 | As above so below
as the Universe, so the soul
as without so within.
Blessed and Gracious Ones -- on this night
do we consecrate to you
our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Blessed Be!"
INVOKING THE GODDESS AND GOD
goddess:
All-dewy Sky-sailing Pregnant Moon
who shines for all
who flows through all
light of the world which is yourself
maiden mother crone
the weaver the green one
O most gracious and magnificent Lady
We ask that some portion of your presence
be here among us now
Give protection and shelter to the small
and sacred ones
who are here to be dedicated in Your honor.
god;
Seed sower, grain reborn
Antered One come!
Bright sun, Dark death,
Lord of winds, lord of the dance
sun-child, winter born king
Hanged one
Untamed, untamed!
Stag and stallion, goat and bull,
sailor of the last sea, guardian of the gate
lord of the two lands
ever-dying, ever-living, radiance
O ancient lord of the universe
we ask some portion of your presence here
among us now.
Shield and strengthen the children who shall be
dedicated in your honor!
1495
THE BLESSINGS and PURIFICATIONS
Maiden (in this case an unattached and close aunt of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with barley)
"Dearest ones, may you never know hunger or poverty for
material or spiritual things. I bless you with the barley
of the Spirits, for nourishment and wealth." |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,186 | Mother (the Priestess who is the mother of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with water)
"I bless you in the name of the Spirits of all life and
healing, with the waters of the Earth, that you may be
healthy and strong in body, mind, and spirit. Let love
be your treasure, may you be happy in your heart."
Crone (the Priestess's mother and the grandmother of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with salt)
"Dearest ones, may you have access to your own wisdom
and that of others. May you be protected from foolishness
and self-destruction. May you know the essence of things;
may you be bright and find it easy to learn and teach."
The Antlered One (the Priest, who is the father of the children):
(fire/sage incense)
"With the Fire of the Universe to spark your temper,
I would ask that you may find joy and a sense of merriment
in all that you accomplish - to see the lighter side
of life's journey and find happiness in your work."
THE DIVULGENCE OF THE NAMES (explained to the Witnesses):
ANCIENT EUROPEAN PEOPLES BELIEVED THAT YOU MUST HAVE TWO
NAMES, ONE PUBLIC AND ONE A SECRET NAME THAT ONLY THOSE
PRESENT AT THE BLESSING CEREMONY KNEW. THIS SECOND NAME
IS FOR USE AFTER PUBERTY, WHEN THE SOUL CHANGES INTO ITS
FIRST ADULT SELF, WHEN IT CAN BE UTTERED ONCE MORE, AND
MADE PUBLIC. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC NAME WAS TO
DIVERT THE EVIL EYE, TO GAIN FAVOR WITH THE FATES, TO
KEEP AWAY SICKNESS, AND TO HELP THE CHILD REACH ADULTHOOD.
Priestess:
"Great Spirit of Nature, protect and guide these young souls
among us.
May the Blessings of the wise and joyous Father of the Gods
far-seeing and far-knowing be upon thee.
May the blessings of the Triple Goddess,
of Maiden, of Mother, of Crone, and all their power
be upon thee."
The following blessings/invocations were spoken and followed by
the child being immersed in the ocean water of the beach where
the ritual was held:
1496
ELIZABETH'S DUNKING:
Anna Perenna
Great Goddess, Mother of All
Envelope this daughter of yours
in the waters of Your womb
Grant her protection from wrong-doing
Wash away the memories of her pain
Shower her with Your blessings |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,187 | in a life everlasting
Bless Elizabeth Mae Luzerne.
So Mote it Be!
PATRICK'S DUNKING:
Great Goddess, Nurturer and Bearer of all Men, great and small
Without whose womb they would not be
Mother of Gods, of Sacrificial Kings,
Presidents, Emperors, and beggars
Welcome this son of Yours into Your Light
and as you have taught us, let him find
"Beauty and strength, power and compassion,
mirth and reverence, honor and humility"
within his heart.
Wash his fears away with your caress!
Bless Patrick Howard Lloyd!
Blessed Be!
MORGAINNE'S DUNKING:
Hail, o gracious and most magnificent Lady
whose slender hand turns the vast wheel of the sky.
whose triple aspect does see
the beginning, the life, and the end of all things.
whose wells of mystery do give
inspiration and rebirth thoughout eternity,
receive here this small daughter of yours with blessings
and with love.
Bless Morgainne Ellayne!
So mote it be!
(explained to the Witnesses:)
THE SECOND NAMES CHOSEN WERE DECIDED UPON FOR BOTH WHIMSICAL
AND SERIOUS REASONS -- FOR PERSONALITY AND FOR CIRCUMSTANCE.
"For this newest arrival, a small girl-child who came as
an unplanned gift from the gods, whose arrival has
challenged us and helped us grow, as did her namesake,
bringing all of Mankind's challenges upon him, she is
called PANDORA."
"For a small boy-child who seems to live for good food and drink,
who enjoys this life he's been blessed with, and who reminds us
that merriment is part of our everyday challenge as well as
paying the bills and doing the housework, so we found inspiration
in the spirited and fun-loving god of wine, and give his name
to our son, who will be BACCHUS."
1497
(our oldest, 4 year old daughter was severely burned when she was
16 months old, thus the inspiration for her naming...)
"And at last, for our eldest daughter, as did the beautiful bird rise
miraculously from its burning, so did she -- and aptly she is
named PHOENIX." |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,188 | Priestess:
"O Lady of the Starry Heavens, Wise All-Father, behold these
lovely children, PANDORA, BACCHUS, and PHOENIX
conceived and brought forth in love.
Bless and protect them and grant the gifts of wisdom,
inspiration, and wonder, adorn them with your enduring
and eternal strength and steadfastness. May they ever
have spirits that seek the stars, and roots that hold
tight deep within thy loving breast."
SHARING OF THE BREAD AND WINE:
Priestess blesses the wine, dipping the athame into the chalice:
"As the cup is to the female so the athame is to the male,
and conjoined they bring blessed creation"
"Offering to the Mother:
Hail Earth, Mother of All!
May your fileds increase and flourish.
Your forests grow and spread,
And your waters run pure and free!
Accept my offering, O Earth Mother!
Bring forth that which is good, and sustaining,
For every living thing!"
--The Bread:
As the bread is passed around, the Priestess asks for its
glorification:
"Let us join hands and purify ourselves
breathing in the life force of the universe
and expelling all evil from us.
Take now of the bread
and know of the grain of which you partake
as the latest of countless generations
growing to fruitfulness
and in dying, giving of the seeds
from which new life shall spring
Know that every seed, every grain is
the record of times most ancient
and a promise of all that shall be.
Partake of the bread
and know of life eternal and of Immortality.
With this knowledge are our souls sustained."
1498
--The Wine:
As the Chalice of wine is shared around the Circle, the
Priestess asks for it's glorification, also:
Drink now of the wine
And know of the tranformation |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,189 | of simple fruits to sparkling elixir
as this wine has undergone change
so by life's cauldron shall we
As this wine gives the enchantment of the Divine
or abasement into the lower realms,
so do all humans rise or fall in each life
As their own will and strength determines.
--The Storytelling:
at this point the group of celebrants and the witnesses were asked
to seat themselves and the Priestess read a story called "The Burning
of the Lady's People" chosen from a collection of Goddess tales,
THE STORYTELLER'S GODDESS by Carolyn McVickar Edwards.
--OPENING THE CIRCLE:
All join hands, Priestess says:
"Lords of the Winds, the Fires, the Seas, and the Fields, before you
depart to your fair and lovely realms, we thank you for your presence
this evening! Blessed be! ...
May the Circle be open but not broken
may the Beauty of the Goddess and the Strength of the God
dwell in our hearts. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry
meet again. Blessed Be!"
END
The Priestess of EarthWorld Circle wishes to acknowledge the many
sources from which these invocations and blessings and ritual writings
were chosen including MAGICAL RITES FROM THE CRYSTAL WELL by Ed Fitch,
and several of the various books by Stewart and Janet Farrar, Doreen
Valiente, Starhawke's THE SPIRAL DANCE, A WICCAN BARDO by Paul Beyerl,
and probably others that i've forgotten their original sources over
the years of use.
1499
WP 04/28 The New Theology-Sheology; Mystical Women's Spiritual
Movements, Gaining Momentum ... and Adherents
By Judith Weinraub
Washington Post Staff Writer
Pagans atthe Harvard Divinity School.A goddess-centered ritual
at the University of Pennsylvania. A feminist seder in Silver Spring.
New moon groups at a rabbinical seminary. Women's spirituality ses-
sions at Appalachian State University, Wesleyan University, Brown.
What on earth is going on?
If theevents of thelast few monthsare any indication,women are
looking for a spiritual connection - for a way to push the boundaries
of their religious experience beyond the ordinary confines of tradi-
tional Judeo-Christian monotheism. Consciousness-raising may have been
the solace of the '70s and career development the icon of the '80s,
but the '90s offer a very different option - the spirit.
Today's seekers, after all, are the daughters of the feminist |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,190 | revolution. Not for them the victimized heroines and saints of the
past. Not for them the patriarchal structure of the male-dominated
religions of the Old and New Testaments.
Their touchstones are the pagan religions, the pre-Christian
Earth-centered goddess cults that stress the harmony of the universe -
movements that offerequality rather than hierarchy, peace rather than
war, joy rather than guilt, ritual rather than rote.
"It'sreligion without the middleman- including sex and drugs,"
says Margot Adler, a journalist at National Public Radio and the
author of "Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers
and Other Pagans in America Today."
The women's spirituality movement, which practitioners estimate as
attracting as many as 500,000 people across the country, is basically
benign. And has nothing to do with the satanic cults of national TV
talk shows. Whether mainstream, new age, goddess-oriented (a point of
view expressing a female- and earth-centered style of worship rather
than a specific body of liturgy) or wiccan (a mainly British Isles
paganism that refers to the Old English word for witch), today's
celebrants are as various as they are hard to count.
"It'sdefinitely growing,but you'll neverget hardfigures," says
Adler, whose book was originally published in 1979 and, with more than
100,000 in print, still sells more than 10,000 a year. "A group of
women can start a group and not tell anybody, and you'll have a
thriving group doing rituals and who will know?"
What canbe traced isthe flourishingbook industry, mostlyout of
San Francisco, that the movement has spawned. Two books published in
1979 - Adler's and "The Spiral Dance," a more personal vision by the
San Francisco-based "priestess" known as Starhawk - have been par-
ticularly influential.
What can also be pinned down are the threads that are woven
through the burgeoning movement: a dissatisfaction with the way women
are treated within traditional religions, a yearning for ritual, a
desire for a historical connection, despair over the fragmentation of
society and a concern about the future of the planet.
Says Diana Hayes, professor of theology at Georgetown: "Within
Christianity, theology and spirituality have been male oriented, male
dominated, because they are the ones articulating it. But we all are
affected by who we are, where we came from, our life experience, our
relationship with god.
1500
"So thechallenge has beento get thisrealization out inthe open
and to have the men who dominate theological circles realize that they
cannot speak for the rest of the human race. Women do not think or act
the way men do. Therefore our spirituality will not be the same as
men's."
Listen to voices from the women's spirituality movement:
Diann Neu, women's religiousleader, master's degrees in sacred
theology and in divinity from the Graduate Theological Union, Graduate
School of Theology, Berkeley; co-founder of WATER (Women's Alliance
for Theology, Ethics and Ritual) in Silver Spring: "I was a Catholic
woman who thought I'd be one of the first to be ordained. I thought it
would happen by 1980. After all, there were only two possible paths
from the seminary: to teach on a faculty or to be ordained. I wasn't
interested in teaching and of course couldn't be ordained - though I
always hoped there was the possibility. I was disappointed. Pained.
Hurt. Angry. Distressed. So I started creating alternatives. I knew it
was something I needed to do. It was very exciting to me."
Starhawk, priestess of the Old Religion of the Goddess, witch, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,191 | religious leader, writer, counselor, women's spirituality superstar:
"In the very simplest terms, the goddess represents the sacredness of
nature, of human life and human creativity as well - the idea that
human beings are meant to be integrated with nature. In the goddess
tradition the sacred is embodied in the earth, in ecological systems,
in human beings in different cultures. If we're all sacred, we have to
deal equally with each other. And when we really see the earth as this
sacred place, and we know that everything is connected, it makes it
very hard to think about killing somebody, to write off whole groups
of people."
Diana Hayes, Catholic convert (from AME), professor of theology,
Georgetown University: "All of us have to be allowed to voice our
spirituality in our own ways. I see myself not as a feminist but as a
womanist, a feminist of color. Women of color - black, Hispanic,
Asian - have begun to realize that the feminist movement has been an
exclusive, white, middle, and upper-middle-class movement. Womanists
are challenging the feminist movement in the same way that feminists
have been challenging the church. As a black woman within the
Catholic church, without that attitude, I'd have to be deaf, dumb and
blind."
Margot Adler, journalist, an elder with Covenant of the Goddess, a
priestess, the granddaughter of analyst Alfred Adler: "I think it
would be fair to say that none of this would have happened to me if I
hadn't been hit over the head in the seventh grade by studying the
gods Artemis and Athena. This was the late '50s, and there weren't a
lot of powerful images of women. What was interesting was we studied
Greece for a whole year, and this was my religion. But I think way
down deep I didn't want to worship these goddesses - I wanted
to BE them."
Linda Pinty, a student atHarvard Divinity School, the intern
minister at the First Parish Church of Unitarian Universalists in
Cambridge, and one of the co-founders of CUPPS, the Covenant of
Unitarian Universalist Pagans: I was brought up a Baptist in Michigan
but left the church in my late teens and read my way to the Unitarian
Universalists. I felt it was a place I could have freedom to search.
The neo-pagan movement brings a lot of things together. It offers a
much healthier and holistic way of experiencing ecstasy about life,
the goodness of creation and connecting at deep levels with other
creatures. In neo-paganism, a need to heal the earth is prominent -
it's important to take care of Mother Earth."
1501
Susan Gale, a Philadelphia wife and mother and self-described
"radical feminist witch not yet out of the broom closet" in her
neighborhood: "There's a pain that's in young women even a decade
after feminism. I was raised in a tough poor working-class neighbor-
hood. My mother was a German Protestant, my father an Italian Catho-
lic. I was raised as a very religious Presbyterian, but it didn't
matter that I was the most brilliant student in my religion class -
there wasn't a place for me as a minister. Deacons and ministers were
men. And a lot of it rubbed me the wrong way: the anti-sexuality,
anti-sensuality, the guilt and sin and punishment rather than joy.
From the time I was a little kid, I couldn't accept redemptive suffer-
ing. Why is the central metaphor of most religions the bloody violent
death of a male? Why is it not birth?"
Invoking the Spirit
Starhawk signs her books"Blessed be." It is alsoher greeting
and her Amen. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,192 | In alarge room set up withflowers, crystals, trinkets and copies
of her books, she presided recently at a women's ritual at the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania's Christian Association.
"Where would you likethe altar?" asked a participantbefore the
candles encased in glass were set on a brightly colored cloth in the
center of the room.
Two hundred womenof similarmind-sets - butvarying ages,religi-
ons, occupations and sexual orientations - were ready to join Starhawk
at the three-hour, $40 event. Another couple of hundred men and women
arrived later that evening for Starhawk's lecture.
People like GeelaRazael Raphael,a rabbinical studentwho wasone
of the event's organizers. "Starhawk is a spiritual leader, a women's
spirituality leader," says Raphael. "As a potential rabbi wanting to
be a spiritual leader, I want to see as many role models as I can. Her
form of non-hierarchical religion can be used in more traditional
practice."
In person, the 40ishpriestess looks not unlike theonetime tall
Jewish girl from Los Angeles she used to be. But her soft-voiced,
authoritative presence and staccato chanting and drumming command her
sessions with surprising power.
Women wear comfortable clothing: jeans, skirts, sweaters, tie-dye
revisited. A majority tend to be of a certain size - the goddess
religion rejoices in the female body. There are many embraces. Net-
working materials are exchanged. Before casting the formal circle that
so many women's rituals start out with, Starhawk encourages the
youngest and strongest in the group to form an inner circle around the
altar.
Starhawk warms up the group with physical and vocal stretches. As
participants form a larger ring around the inner one, she "casts" the
ritual circle, theoretically making the space within it a special
place. Candles representing the four directions and the Earth's center
are lit. Earth, air, fire and water are invoked.
Women stand and sway as she drums, urging them to find their
centers, their connectedness, often against the background of a simple
chant:
"Rising, rising, the earth is rising.
Turning turning, the tide is turning.
Changing changing, she changes everything she touches.
Changing, changing, and everything she touches changes."
1502
Like many women's ritualleaders, Starhawk uses such chantsas a
kind of surrogate liturgy. Presented at different moments that morn-
ing, the lilting song she teaches is used as a blessing, a uniting
force, a backdrop to movement and dance.
Starhawk leads the groupthrough a series ofactivities - somethat
draw upon the circle as a whole, some small group discussions, guided
visualizations. "What kind of a body are you in?" she asks. "Look at
your body. How does it feel?"
Some people writhe. Others beat time to the drums. Some stand
awkwardly (earlier she assured them not to worry if they feel ill at
ease). Some look dubious.
Tofocus the visualization evenmore, Starhawk takesthe group to
an imaginary crossroads in the sky. "Close your eyes," she says.
"Reach out and feel and touch and smell these roads until you find one
that feels like a road in the future. Go down the road. Know you can
come back to this place of power because it is you. And remember there
are many roads to the future. The road you chose is only one pos-
sibility."
The session endswith a grandfinale "spiral dance"- clockwiseto
invoke, then counterclockwise to release. "Anything you want to do |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,193 | involves both," she says.
A giftedspeaker with an easysense of humor, Starhawkis equally
at home beating time in the center of a ritual or working the crowd at
the podium of a lecture hall. She is also at home with what she calls
the "W" word ("witch"). "Unless we understand it, we don't know why a
powerful woman is so threatening and so frightening," she says. "There
was a 400-year reign of terror particularly directed against women who
were then burned alive," she says, likening the witch hunts to the
African slave trade, the Holocaust.
Starhawk became interested in witchcraft in her late teenswhen
she and a friend did a student seminar on the subject at UCLA. Now she
is at the forefront of a movement to reclaim the word for positive
use. (Male witches also use the word rather than warlock, which means
traitor.)
For mostpeople, of course,the word "witch" conjuresup an image
of a crinkled old woman you wouldn't want your children to talk to.
But the picture of the craft that emerges within today's women's
spirituality movement (and that is reinforced by Starhawk's Philadel-
phia ritual) is a combination of group therapy, positive thinking,
stretching exercises, guided visualization, song and dance - and even
pot luck.
Its goddess- and nature-orientedprecepts are similar tothe Old
Religion of prehistoric times and societies that fell victim to the
witch hunts and persecutions of medieval and renaissance Europe. It is
earth-centered, individualistic and peace-loving.
Starhawk spends about a third of her time teaching ritual and
spreading the
faith at college campuses and other forums around the country, and in
Canada. She feels that people crave it. "Even people who live in
cities - like most of us - are still connected to the cycles of
nature," she says. "Doing ritual that helps you affirm that helps us
not to feel cut off from the larger life around us, the actual life
support systems that sustain our lives."
1503
Women's Rites
Spring,with itsvivid reminders ofthe cycle ofbirth and death
andrebirth, is a fertile time for the rituals of women's spirituality.
Look at some recent manifestations in the Washington area:
Last month, attracted by a flier heralding a celebration of the
goddess ("dancing, singing, drumming, healing, creativity, inspira-
tion, discovery, nurturing and goddess games"), 21 women gathered in a
conference center in Potomac in honor of the spring equinox. "The day
was designed for women who wanted to bring out the goddess within
them," says organizer Nancy Smith, a seminar leader who specializes in
stress management and massage therapy.
120 men, women and children turned up last month for a feminist
Seder (for Holy Thursday as well as Passover) put on by the Silver
Spring-based WATER. Now a place where Christian and Jewish women can
come together for a feminist interpretation of religious rituals,
WATER was created by Diann Neu and Mary Hunt, two Catholic theologian-
s, in 1983. They send out 10,000 newsletters, stage workshops, con-
ferences and lectures, hold ecumenical monthly breakfasts for women in
ministry, publish books and act as an all-purpose feminist resource.
On April 14, the new moon heralded the Jewish celebration of Rosh
Hodosh. A group of women interested in finding or creating ritual
specifically for Jewish women gathered in a Silver Spring home in
honor of the occasion. Instead of going ahead with their scheduled |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,194 | topic - the redefinition of God in non-masculine terms - the group
(representing a 30-year age span) shared its feelings and prayed (to
the feminine aspect of god) about the recent death of a 42-year-old
friend.
Atthe All Souls Church in the District a smaller group of women is
currently investigating women's religious history each Sunday after-
noon through "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven," a 10-part correspondence
course available through the Unitarian Universalist Church. Bev Tubby,
who took the course last year, is one of the conveners this year. "In
spite of everything that's been written about feminism and role
differences, women really do bring a wonderfully strong view to this
world," she says. "We do have a different perspective - it has to do
with the human context and human relationships. If women are not
cognizant of their spiritual history, they are missing out on a more
complete identity that can help form our ideas of who we are and what
we want to do in this world and how we're going to do it."
And June 6, "Kestryl & Company," the first of six biweekly talk
shows about contemporary witchcraft will air on Arlington Community
Cable, Channel 33. Produced by Cheryl Ann Costa, a computer program-
mer and third-degree Wicca high priestess, and moderated by Erica
Angell (known as Kestryl), a housewife and second-degree high pries-
tess, the show will feature high priests, magical tool makers, tarot
experts and pagan bards. "Many people are looking for a way to plug
into The Craft," says Costa. This is an easy way to do it.
Havingcast their lotwith an enlargedview ofthe sacred, these
women, like many others all over the country, are looking to the
spiritual as a hope for the future.
"It's life-giving for me to be a part of it, and tocreate it,"
says WATER's Neu.
"What I keep coming back to is that there is a growing power
within women. We are breaking all kinds of silences. Things are
happening because there are more and more groups where women feel
safe. My hope is that we'll keep creating these safe spaces where
being together as men and women is possible."
1504
The 12 steps and Shamanism
by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network at
1-703-362-1139 copyright by PAN and Harvest ( a
pagan newsletter at
box 228 S. Framinham MA 01701 - $13. per year)
Author's note - this article was first published by me under the name
JUKNO in Harvest's Yule edition, 1989.
Recently a local charecter in Alcoholics Anonymous here in the Wor-
cester MA. area died. His name was "John the Indian" (he identified
himself this way) and he was well-known as an AA speaker all over the
world, although he lived near central Massechusetts. John had about
thirty years of sobriety and was a great power of example to many
people including Betty Ford who told him she had listened to tapes of
his talks while she was in detox.
John's story intrigued many people. An Indian who had been orphaned
on the reservation when Tuberculosis wiped out his familly, he had
ended up on skid row after serving in the Canadian army during World
War II as a dishwasher. He came to AA in his mid-twenties, an il-
literate wine. ( my note - this is NOT to imply that most alcoholics
are on skid row. In fact most of them are people with nice famillies, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,195 | a place to live, a car or even two, a job, etc. etc. etc. Less that
2% of the alcoholics in this country are on skid row) He ended up
owning his own construction business after learning to read (from a
elderly woman in AA who was a school teacher) and marrying a lady in
AA with whom he raised a lovely familly.
Because John had inspired me and so affected my life with his gift of
simplicity, I was inspired to do a shamanic-style rite in his memory.
I had always felt sorry for John because, in the process of his
recovery, he seemed to have lost touch with the beauty of this herita-
ge. Then it hit me; John WAS a shaman and anyone who truly worked a
12-step program was one too.
In BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN by Cynthia Bend and Tayja Wiger (Llewelyn
Publication box 64383, St. Paul MN. 1988 ) it states
" A shaman is hard to define. There are no two alike..... what
happens, a shaman goes through a catastrophe or a string of
catastrophes that enhance certain abilities within him ( or her! )
.....Most often theShaman has togo through a severetrauma, a
severe illness or a severe psychosis and recover from it before he
learns the recovery process that he can use."
The authors are quoting Tsonkawa, Tayja's teacher on the Shamanic
path. (a Native American Medicine person)
Many other authors on Shamanism; Sunbear, Lynn Andrews, Amber Wolfe
and Micheal Harner, to name a few: echo this truth. A shaman is a
person who goes through great suffering, usually in the form of a
mental or physical illness, and then goes on to heal himself or her-
self. They are then able to use that same process to heal others.
This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process
of healing ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others hy
"carrying the message" after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the
result of taking the first eleven steps.
1505
Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch,
Practitioner of Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they
walk the steps in the process of recovering, while retaining their own
unique spiritual path.
TRUTH OR DARE by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This
contains many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcohol-
ics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by
a well-known priestess of the Craft who is also a psychotherapist.
CRYSTAL CLEAR by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It
contains a good section on how to use quartz crystals to help in
relieving yourself of bad habits, compulsions, and obsessions, specif-
ically for use with the various twelve-step programs. (note - amethyst
is traditionally said to help in all these areas)
BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind
Native American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been
Psycotic as well as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete
recovery, including her eyesight, (documented by doctors) and the
discovery of her Psychic gifts with her Native roots. Her healing |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,196 | occured through a process that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous.
THE TWELVE STEPS FOR EVERYONE published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.)
this is a non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member
of Emotional Health Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The
author draws heavily on the Eastern traditions of spirituality as well
as the traditional Western monotheistic ones.
EVERYDAY A NEW BEGINNING Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Min-
neapolis, MN. I believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in
Anonymous fellowships and FOR women in these same self-help groups.
Unlike the TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY book (published by the same company
and widely used in AA) it doesn't use quotes from the Bible. Instead
it uses quotes from various women authors. Many men also claim to
have benefitted from it due to it's non-religious approach.
PAGANS IN RECOVERY a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans,
Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who
are in recovery via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has con-
tacts, reviews, articles, recovery techniques and more. It is a great
source of support and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the Anonymous
support groups. It is $8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o
Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 New Marshfield, OHIO 45766
1506
ADDITION TO READING LIST
REFLECTIONS IN THE LIGHT by Shakti Gawain, published by New World
Library, San Rafael, California 1978. While not ONLY for the 12-step
programs this book does go into the problems of addictions in light of
the New-Age, Psychic Awareness as well as many other subjects. It
provides a inspirational message and/or a creative visualization
exercise with a non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is
neither sexist nor sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone
seeking to work the program of recovery. It is also a great way to
share what you are doing with friends who share your spirituality but
not your program, as it makes no direct references to the 12-step
groups at all. It is very useful to those of us who prefer a daily
meditation to the "prayer" people in the monotheistic Churches and
Synagogues tend to use in their application of the program to their
lives.
1507
Divine Circle of The Sacred Grove ***SCAM**
Office of the Preceptor
P.O. Box 66311, Seattle, WA, U.S.A. 98166
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR PUBLICATION;
To the Pagan Community:
In July of 1991, ADF sent out a Druid Alert about an
organization called the Divine Circle of the Sacred Grove. ADF
began investigating this group because they were using ADF
letterhead, membership forms, advertising copy, and other
materials with their names substituted for ours. Prior to raising
any public issues, ADF's Preceptor, Domi O'Brien called the group
and talked to their Scribe, Kal Mannis. Mr. Mannis told her that |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,197 | if she had questions, she could come to a public meeting on July
2nd, 1991, in Seattle, and ask them there.
Domi, Bwca, Erynn and members of 4 other Traditions and
organizations attended their talk. We noted with increasing
amazement their claims and their views of the interrelationship
of Druidism and Wicca, and after they mentioned Isaac Bonewits,
Domi challenged some of their staements, as the ADF Preceptor.
The DCSG literature going back to 1988 was examined, along with
other staements which have been made to us or others. Janette
Laverna Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a Copeland, born 2/9/1942,
Houston TX,; Richard Norman Ian Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a
Copeland, born 8/12/1940, Prescott, AZ; Jerry Eugene Everett
Wayne Reamer a/k/a Prophet, born 8/12/1948, Pottstown, PA; Kalman
Mannis, Nancy Brown, Brenda Matarazzo, David Trippey, Donovan
Cotton; Dr. Jay Tibbles, Mary Ernst, and others affiliated with
their group were examined for legitamate mundane and magickal
credentials. The only person whose credentials we were able to
verify was Dr. Jay Tibbles.
Janette's claims, as given in her various peices of
literature, and as made to us, or to persons whose credentials we
were able to verify, include: Hereditary Witch and Druid; Pipe
Carrier for the Lumbee, the Sioux, the Cherokee, and the Chumash;
member of the MotherGrove and Board of Directors of the ADF, as
well as group marriage to the entire ADF Board of Directors;
membership and 3rd Circle status in the British Circle of the
Universal Bond; training by Ross Nichols, 3rd Degree Celtic and
Egyptian Priestess; 3rd Degree Alexandrian Priestess, New York,
1973; 3rd Degree Gardinarian Priestess, New York, 1965;
incorporation of her organization in 14 states; training by
Rhuddlwm Gawr, and training by Grandmaster Eli (Barney Taylor, of
the Druidic Craft of the Wise), marriage to Eli, as well as being
both Eli's daughter and graddaughter. She has also claimed to be
a registereed nurse, a cosmetologist; a paralegal; a professional
writer of romance novels, and a Vietnam Veteran. Ms. Copeland (?)
claims that she has 10,000 people on her mailing list, groves all
over the United States, and that she was born in London during
the Blitz, although she has alos claimed that she was born in
Houston TX. Ms Garcia (?) claims that her father, a U.S. Army
Major on Eisenhower's staff during WW II (not, by the way,
Grandmaster Eli), and her mother, a nurse now resident in
Atlanta, were both members of the Circle of the Universal Bond.
She claims that she was raised by a Cherokee grandfather. She
claims to have been teaching Wicca, which she says is a
simplified version of Druidism for the masses, since 1954, when
she was 12 years old.
1508
Ms Gordon(?) took Lady Sabrin's course from Our Lady of
Enchanment in 1987 and 1988, giving totally different information
about herself then she gives now. According to Lady Sabrina,
Janette has been selling Sabrina's courses as her own ever since.
We have examined lessons from Janette's and Sabrina's courses,
and they are indeed substantially identical, except that Sabrina
can spell.
Janette joined ADF in 1987, giving yet another set of data
about herself, claiming no leadership positions, newsletters, or
other affiliations. A check of the material on her application
shows it to be substantially false.
In checking Janette's claims, we contacted the Secretary of
state, and Board of Nursing Registrations in the 14 states in
which she claimed incorporation. Her organization is incorporated |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,198 | only in Washington and California. She is not listed as a
registered nurse anywhere we checked. She and her group were
offering BA's, MA's, and PhD's in Washington State until directed
to cease and desist by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
They later obtained a religious exemption by saying that they
were offering degrees only in Divinity and Theology. Former
mebers of their organization state that most of their claims in
their catalog as to available courses and faculty credentials are
false.
In examining their other claims we contacted over two
hundred persons and groups in this country and abroad in an
effort to authenticate their initiations and organizational
affiliations.
No one we contacted verified any of the DCSG's claims. All
stated that they had never trained or initiated any known
officers or members of the DCSG. Most had never even heard of
them. Furthur, former members of her organization have mentioned
paying thousands of dollars for courses, and additional thousands
paid out on "tithes" -- 10% of their annual income to support the
work of the Order of Melchizadek (demanded in the middle of their
initiation or elevation rituals). We have also been contacted by
Social Serrvices, Education, Law Enforcement and other
authorities for other information about DCSG, and/or its members.
ADF and some other Pagan groups and organziations are
cooperating fully with these investigations, and have made it
clear to the investigators that we do not regard these people as
legitamate members of the Pagan community, since none of their
alleged training and initiations can be verified, and may have
been directly disproven. As Pagans, whatever our path, we can
ill-afford to remain silent while groups knowingly steal and sell
courses written by others, claiming training ties to the most
senior and respected members of our community that they do not
have, and engage in questionable behaviour presenting themselves
as our kin, elders, and representatives to the world at large.
Domi O'Brien T. Bwca Erynn Darkstar
DTG Priestess Elder, NECTW Greenleaf Coven
CWO Priestess Inis Glas
Preceptor/Vice ArchDruid, ADF
1509
By: Domi O
To: Lewis Stead
Re: Details, please.
Lady Sabrina was initiated by Bob Moshier and Dorothy Trion in
Tuscon Arizona in 1978, according to what she says. She was in
Danville, California for a
while, near San Franscisco; and was in COG (I have not checked
this); she then studied with Gavin and Yvonne in New Bern for 1 and
a half years; then moved to Billerica, Mass; then to Hudson, NH;
then Nashua, NH. I was in Epping, NH when a Gardnerian friend and
fellow NH College administrator, Gerry Reilly, introduced me to
Sabrina. Since I am Daughters of the Triple Goddess and Celtic
Wiccan Order trained, Gerry's brand of witchcraft and Sabrina's
struck me equally weird.
I talked to Gavin and Yvonne last week; they feel Sabrina has
borrowed heavily from them but they don't have an issue with it and
they don't consider their organisation and hers to be connected.
In 1987 Geraldine Gumm aka Gerri Garcia aka Queen Druid aka Laura |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,199 | Copeland aka Janette Gordon aka Janette Copeland aka Laverna Gordon
aka Laverna Copeland aka Gerry Garcia aka Gerri Gunn aka Gerri Teah
Garcia aka Jerry Leah Garcia took Sabrina's course; in winter of
1989 she began advertising a coorespondence course in Wicca, which
according to Sabrina is Sabrina's. I've looked at them; they are
very much alike. The Frosts and Sabrina both teach non-mainstream
Wicca and charged for Craft when no one was doing that. I have
heard far more negative things about some far more mainstream
figures; both the Frosts and Sabrina are very public and really
seem to have nothing to hide. What they teach isn't my Craft, but
I will defend their right to practice their version and teach it
as they see fit. Or did you mean something else ?
Domi of ADF
By: Domi O
To: Corwynt
Re: ADF letter
Indeed it is from us. Since then, we have gotten "Janette's" arrest
and conviction records from New Mexico and word from a usually
reliable source that her real name may be Geraldine Gumm, and real
date of birth may be 2-9-40. I am also informed by a law
enforcement source that she has other records in several states.
These range from child neglect to unlawful touching of dead bodies
to kidnapping.
Her group was investigated in 1975 in Arizona for dead bodies and
missing persons, moved a bit over a hundred miles as the crow
flies, and she and her husband were arrested in New Mexico in 1978.
The children involved were returned to their parents, two being
kept in social service custody while it was determined to whom they
belonged, and two members of the group were "deprogramed" by Ted
Patrick. She was calling herself "Queen Druid" then and initiating
folks as "WI" or "witch one". I have a lovely pile of court papers
and newspaper clippings I will gladly share with anyone who'd like
to send me $4 for photocopying and postage...
Domi O'Brien
Box 66311
Seattle, WA 98166
1510
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
Bide the Wiccan laws ye must
in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
Live and let live
Freely take and freely give
Cast the circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch
Speak little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,200 | Sing and dance the Wiccan rune
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane
And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane
When the Lady's moon is new
Kiss thy hand to her times two
When the moon rides at her peak
Then your heart's desire seek
Heed the northwind's mighty gale
Lock the door and drop 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
When the west wind blows o'er thee
Departed spirits restless be
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
Let the Beltain fires burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule
Light the log and let Pan rule
Heed ye flower, bush and tree
By the Lady, Blessed be
Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone and truth ye'll know
1511
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
(continued from previous page)
When ye have a need
Hearken not to others' greed
With the fool no season spend
Nor be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart
Mind the Threefold Law ye should
Three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow
Wear the blue star on thy brow |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,201 | True in love ever be
Unless thy lover's false to thee
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill
An' it harm none, do what ye will
1512
"Dryghten" Blessing Prayer (Gardnerian)
By: David Piper
The only published copy of the Blessing Prayer that I know of is in
the book "Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High Priestess!" by
Patricia Crowther in chapter four (paperback edition 1974, House Of
Collectibles, Inc.).
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
Life, Light, Love!
Blessed Be!
Dianis Lucien
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(120) Tue 17 Nov 92 21:12
By: Airmid
To: David Piper
Re: Monism/monotheism
St:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
@INTL 93:9500/0 93:9500/0
DP> When you examine the "Blessing Prayer" of English Trad
Wicca however, the Dryghtyn is obviously more than just a unifying
essence since It is called: "the original source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal." It
describes the Ultimate, the Absolute, the Godhead of which the God and
the Goddess are at one and the same time, both Its Polarities and also
Its first Manifestations.
Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old English bibles. I
think that was where the term actually originated. I think I saw a
passing reference to it in some boxed comparative translated text in
"In Search of the Indo-Europeans."
1513 |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,202 | ===================================
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
by
Bill Witt
===================================
The course is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
Webster defines meditation as "The act of meditating; close or con-
tinued thought; the revolving of a subject in the mind."
To meditate is to focusmentally on one thought, idea, orconcept.
It may also mean, to revolve an idea in your mind so as to change the
way in which you think of that idea. Meditation is therefore, a tool
with which you may manipulate thought in an organized manner.
Many people view meditationas a very difficult thing tolearn. In
reality though, we do it often without even knowing it. When you
daydream or find your mind fixed on one thought, that is a form of
meditation. Have you ever watched a bird in flight, or stared up at
the clouds in the sky, or maybe even found yourself watching a stream
of water flow by? If you have and at that moment the rest of the world
around you has seemed removed, then you were in a state of meditation.
The real key to this practice, is to be able to exercise control over
your thoughts and awareness of the world around you.
There are manygroups of people for whom meditationis an everyday
ritual. Others use it at special times as a means of relaxation and
"mental house cleaning." It allows the individual a freedom unlike no
other freedom. The freedom to look inside oneself and learn just who
you are. Some use it as a way of being closer to nature or God. No
matter how you wish to use it, you will find it a healthy and very
rewarding experience.
Most all religions practice meditation in one way or another.
Eastern philosophies such as Yoga, and Buddism are not the only ones
to view meditation as a way of looking for the Truth found in one's
own consciousness. Even in Christianity meditation finds a place of
value. The Bible itself mentions the value of meditation. In writing
to the Phillippians, the Apostle Paul tells them this. "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
(Phil. 4.8)
So you ask,what can it do for me. Well, beyond just being a good
way to really relax, which we can all use in this hectic world, it can
be a doorway to the Truth inside yourself. It is a way of gaining
wisdom. Knowledge has always been fairly easy to come by. Wisdom on
the other hand, is a bit harder to grasp onto.
1514
In "The Task" by William Cowper, the following line is found.
"Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom, |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,203 | in minds attentive to their own."
For me, meditaion becomesa way of "grounding" myself,of reaching
a place of peace and stability, where I can find how I fit into the
universe.
Inmany philosophies, meditaion isviewed as anecessary skill. All
those who are students of these philosophies must learn the ways of
meditaion early in their training. Although the techniques may vary
from one group to another, the most basic concepts remain the same.
The ability to be able to focus on one thought and selectively block
out all others is the foundation upon which many more advanced skills
will be built. These skills may range from telepathy to the ability to
move objects with only the mind.
It is well known that Yogi adepts can lower their breathing and
heart rates to near death levels. This is something you should not try
as it takes years of practice to learn and can be quite dangerous.
Still, these yogis are proof of the type of power the mind can exer-
cise over the body through meditation.
In some cultures, the use of drugs to achieve a meditative state is
encouraged. The american indians for example, used drugs derived from
various plants to put themselves into an altered state of concious-
ness. This was usually done as a religious practice and as an event
marking the change from one state of life to another. A good example
would be the ceremony marking the coming into manhood of a young boy.
Today there are still many, who advocate the use of drugs to achieve
these altered states. It is my opinion that such measures are neither
necessary nor good. You can reach an altered state of conciousness
without the use of drug induced "highs". It takes practice, but
it can be done.
In New Age philosophy, theart of meditaion is highlyvalued. We
also find another well developed skill which is called "creative
visualization". This is the idea of visualising what you want to the
point of it becoming reality. A good example would be a salesman
visualizing himself as successful and prosperous. The concept is
simple, if you can visualize a personal reality, you can change or
bring that reality into being. "Positive Thinking" is a very
similar idea. The technique of creative visualization goes beyond
positive thinking however. It deals with the premise that we all
create our own reality and therefore have the power to change many
aspects of that reality. The idea of "personal reality" is a lengthy
one and we do not have enough room to cover it in this course.
So far we have lookedbriefly at what meditation is and how it is
used. By no means have we touched on all the aspects of this practice.
There are many books on the subject which cover it in much more
detail. My purpose is to give you an overview of the many facets of
meditation in the hope that you will wish to learn more.
1515
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
===================================
This is the second part of a three part online course in Basic
Meditation Techniques |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,204 | Thecourse is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
In thissecond section ofthe "Basic MeditationTechniques" course,
we will discuss various relaxation procedures and how they will aid
you in entering a trance or meditative state. You will also be given
some ideas about types of music and other "tools" which can help you
achieve these relaxed states of mind. Let's begin.
First, let's set thestage for our meditation practice.You should
pick a place which is as private and safe as possible. An altered
state of mind, as in meditation, lessens your awareness of the outside
world. For this reason, it is not advisable to practice these techni-
ques in a public place where there is a chance of being mugged,
robbed, or molested. If you are at home, with other family members or
friends present, ask that you not be disturbed and that all other
noise in the house be kept to a minimum. When you have found a place
suitable for meditation, you may begin.
"The seekers of new mind states-the mind control devotees, the
encounter group enthusiasts, the drug takers, the psychics, the
meditators - all are on a journey into the interior universe trying to
burst the limits of the socially conditioned mind. Weither acceptable
or unacceptable, moral or immoral, wise or foolish, the mind of man is
stirring toward a new evolution."
Dr. Barbara Brown (1)
As Isaid in section one,trance or meditaive states,alter the way
your mind deals with the realities it accepts as normal. Things which
are experienced in a trance state are often not easily expressed in
everyday language. You will at some level, experience a heightened
state of awareness. Colors, smells, and sounds may seem amplified
from what they normally are.
People who can acheivevery deep statesof trance often leavetheir
bodies in astral projection, or have psychic experiences.
I highly recommend, that if you wish to enter deep states of
meditation, you do so under the guidance and teaching of someone who
is well trained in the practice of such techniques. The key thing to
remember is that it's not what level your working on as much as what
you are learning. There is alot to be gained in wisdom and knowledge
at all levels of trance.
Now let's learn some simple and usefull relaxation exercises.
1516
You want to besure that the timeyou pick to practice yourmedita-
tion is a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. You should
not be overly tired or have just finished eating as both of those
conditions may cause you to fall asleep. Even though you wish to
acheive an altered state of consciousness, you do want to remain
conscious to some degree. If you fall asleep when you are meditating,
no harm is done and you will awaken quite refreshed and rested.
Unfortunately though, you may not be able to recall all the things you |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,205 | experienced while in trance.
If you are lying down, be sure your back and neck are properly
supported so as not to fatigue the body. If you are sitting, be sure
that both feet are flat on the floor and that you are sitting as erect
as possible without being too stiff or strained. You should have your
arms resting comfortably in your lap with palms up.
In eithercase, it is important thatyour body not become strained
or fatigued for at least thirty minutes. This is a good length of
time to begin with as it should put neither a physical or mental
strain on your being.
Next, visualize a yourself in a cocoon of whitelight. You should
surround yourself completely. See the light as bright and warm. You
may play with this sphere of light making it bigger or smaller until
it "feels" right for you. Say to yourself, "I am protected by the
pure white light of all that is good and truthfull. I am surrounded by
the pure light which keeps out all unwanted and evil influences."
Thisis a good ideato do for several reasons.There are those, and
I am one of them, who believe that each of generates an aura which
protects us from outside influences when we are in trance. This aura
may be strengthened by visualizing the light as growing brighter at
our command. Even if you do not accept this idea, the practice lends a
feeling of safety and security to you. Nothing which is outside of
you may enter or touch you without your permission.
Learning tocontrol and pay attentionto your breathing isthe next
step. You should start by taking a deep breath in through your nose,
hold it for the mental count of 4 and then let it all out slowly
through your mouth. Repeat this until you begin to feel at rest and
relaxed. Allow your breathing to settle into a steady, rythmic rate.
Just this simple technique can relax and refresh you at any time. When
you are only doing the breathing exercise, it is not necessary to go
through the white light sphere visualization. Some people use a
muffled metronome or recording of some other rythmic sound, such as
ocean waves, to aid them in setting the pace of their breathing. A
good source of recorded sounds which can help you in meditation is a
series of records and tapes which have been produced under the title
"ENVIRONMENTS".
Now, as you are breathing,see yourself lying in the warmlight of
the sun. The light is warm and pleasant to be in. Starting with the
tips of your toes, feel the light warming all of your body, slowly
moving up into your legs, your trunk, and then into your arms and
fingers. As you feel this warming become more and more relaxed, going
deeper and deeper into a calm and quiet place.
1517
Whenyou fell totally relaxed andat peace, bring a single thought
into your mind. It should be of a pleasant experience or of an idea
such as love, joy, peace, or compassion. Focus on this one thought and
if some other thought should try to intrude, picture it as being
written on a clear board between you and your focal thought. Then
picture it being erased from that board as it might be from a piece of
paper. Deal with any thought, other than your focal thought, quickly.
Try to maintain concentration on your focal thought for at least five
minutes. Picture it as being real and experience it as if it were.
When you are able to do this and can exclude all other thoughts as |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,206 | they attempt to enter your mind, you will have learned the single most
important technique of meditation.
It isnow time to begincoming back tonormal consciousness. slowly
let the thought fade from your mind and again become aware of the warm
light of the sun. As you fell the light bathing you in its' warmth,
start to reconnect your mind with the physical sensations of your
body. Become aware of your breathing and the room around you. Do this
slowly and calmly. When you are fully aware of your surroundings, open
your eyes slowly. Enjoy the sense of calm and peace.
If you succeeded in doing this exercise, you should feel more
relaxed and calm than normal. It is important to remember that you are
comparing it to normal for you, not to what you think others would or
should feel.
If you do not feel you succeeded try again in a day or two. Between
meditaion sessions, practice your deep breathing exercises. If you
keep trying, you will soon reach a calm and meditative state. Do not
attempt to meditate when you are ill, tired, or hungry. Those feelings
only serve to make your efforts more difficult. A very important part
to remember is that you can not force yourself into a meditative
state. You must flow into it and surrender to it calmly.
Some things which are found to be helpfull in meditation follow.
Tryconcentrating on theflame of a candlewhen focusing. You could
also use a crystal ball. The later is rather exspensive but small
crystal window ornaments or pyramids also work well and cost much
less.
Music is also anaid to some. The music shouldbe quiet and rhyth-
mic. It should bring on feelings of peace and comfort. Such music may
range from New Age recordings to classical.
Anotherusefull device is to focus ona symbol which holds special
meaning for you. It may be an well known symbol or one you design
yourself. As long as it holds a special meaning or expresses a special
concept, it is a usefull focusing tool.
This brings section twoof this course toa close. In the nextpart
I will give you some pratical ways in which to use what you have
learned.
1518
The mostobvious use ofthe techniques you havelearned, is relaxa-
tion. During the course of the day, many of us have moments when the
pressure becomes almost to much. When this happens, we often can't
deal with other people or projects the way we should. The breathing
exercises you learned in section two can help at these times.
It doesn't require alot of time or absolute quiet as does your
meditation practice. All that is required is about five minutes and
relative privacy. At these times, begin doing your rhythmic breathing
and visualize a place which is calm and refreshing. This simple and
quick exercise, can work wonders to help you regain control in a
hectic situation. |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,207 | Another way in which meditation is used is in the development of
psychic powers. There are several books on the subject, listed at the
end of this section. Most of those who teach about the use and develo-
pment of these abilities, agree that meditation is necessary to any
such study. Again the reason for this is that meditation allows you to
reach an altered state of conciousness. In this altered state your
mind is more open to such phenomenon as telepathy. If you should
decide to persue studies in this direction, please seek the help of
someone trained in these areas.
One final use I will suggest is visualization. Meditation can be
used as a tool for problem solving. While in a meditative state of
mind, you have the ability to take any situation and manipulate it. By
that I mean you can mentally play the out the situation using several
different solutions. Then, you can pick the one which seems to best
solve the problem. While the use of meditation can help you deal with
problem solving more effectively, it is not infallible. All it can do
is allow you to think more clearly and concisely about the problem at
hand.
Well that concludes this study on meditation. I hope you have
gained something usefull from this course. It has been by no means, a
full explanation of the subject. There is much more to learn than
could be covered in this short series and It is my hope that you will
want to continue your studies into this fascinating and usefull skill.
More studiesof this type willbe developed in thenear future. The
New Atlantis BBS will continue to post these studies as an ongoing
service to it's users. Please feel free to leave suggestions on the
BBS about subjects you would like to see covered.
1519
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
list of books for further reading will be included.
References:
(1) Dr. Barbara Brown
"New Mind, New Body"
New York, Bantam Books, 1975
Page 17
Miriam Simos (Starhawk)
The Spiral Dance
New York
Harper & Row; 1979
W.E. Butler
How To Read The Aura, Practice
Psycometry, Telepathy and
Clairvoyance
New York
Destiny Books; 1978
Melita Denning & Osborne Phillips |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,208 | The Development of Psychic Powers
St. Paul, MN
Llewellyn Publications; 1985
NEW ATLANTIS BBS
301-632-2671
Member of the ParaNet system
End Of File
-----------------------------------
Changes in format by the magician. 02/26/89 Crystal Cave 719-391-1092
1520
The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a
bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.
The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world
and can be useful to all aspiring magicians. Subscriptions
cost $12 per year. They can be reached at:
Magickal Blend
P.O. Box 11303
San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303
WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
by Van Ault
Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is directing
does not seem to work. The desired result, whether internal or
external, does not come into manifestation. These occasions are
opportunities for greater developement in the magical arts, and by
working through the disappointment and discouragement, he can reach
greater self-knowledge and technical expertise in the art.
I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality
shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the operat-
or's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use the bow and
arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical technique for
directing that intention is the bow. You use the bow/technique to
poise, balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of
your arms and hands/ determination and will.
What happens when thisall works together optimally? The will
firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique, you
gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the intention
into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its own time and
way, your wish materializes.
Conversely,if you haven't got theskill to bring all of these
efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and stray,
or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow can break,
or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you may find that
you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you haven't got
sufficient strength to manipulate it.
I offer thefollowing meditationprocess for thosetimes whenit
seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techni-
ques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering if any of |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,209 | this matters at all, the process in this meditation can produce
miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read the script
into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it.
1521
RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION
Find a comfortable placewhere you can relax andbe completely
quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just come and go...come and
go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up
the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another
deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or
thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in
new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel
it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing
deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could
almost float away..........
And asyou relax,imagine abeautiful coloredmist is swirlingup
around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of
energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are
safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and
go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up
into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down
between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless
beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now, going deeper and
deeper,leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you
drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further-
...down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and
effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud
swirls back into a mist and disappears for now...
Stand upon thisrock now, andfeel the strengthof it underyour
feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flo-
wing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite
place...and disappearing into an infinite place,,,a flowing,endless
river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life
draws upon the lifeforce that moves through its steaming currents...
look closely at the water...what color is it? it may look like liquid
light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of
the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its chan-
nels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance
...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water,and splash
some of it on your face...feel the life giving force on your skin...
take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you....
Now relaxa moment upon therock...and bring into yourmind the
magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you
trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what
was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that
emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...feel the energy
glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're
still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering,
glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow
into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it
appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,210 | symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine...
1522
When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your
desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in
you hands,a globe of power that you can now release...and look out
into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for
ever and ever,as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready,with
as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere
into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this
great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually
disappears into the current...
Take a deepbreath... as the spheredisappears the last ofyour
intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life,
from which it orriginally came...and leaves you...
Nowcomplete any business herethat you needto finish...take a
few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life,and know that the
possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too...
Takeanother deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is once
again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a
beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air,
with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way
you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming back from the
inner world...coming up... further and further...floating and drifting
back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now,
into this room...brining your attention completely back into this time
and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the
outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the
count of three open your eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at
peace.
* * *
As always, change any of the wording or images in this
meditation if it suits your purpose better. The
important part is just to finally and completely let go
of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in
whatever form the creative force and your own
consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new
lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities
are born!
MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective
Copyright 11/24/92
Durwydd MacTara
"Henotheism n. Belief in one god without denying the existence of others."
(American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monism n. philos. A metaphysical system in which reality is conceived as a
unified whole." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monotheism n. The belief or doctrine that there is only one God." (Amer-
ican Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various forces |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,211 | and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship of all gods." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"To witches, deities manifest in different ways and can be
worshipped and contacted through any form suitable to local
conditions and personal needs. Wicca does not believe, as
do the patriarchal monotheisms, that there is only one
correct version of God and that all other God forms are
false: the Gods of Wicca are not jealous Gods. We there-
fore worship the personification of the male and female
principles, the God and the Goddess, recognizing that Gods
are aspects of the One God and all Goddesses are different
aspects of the one Goddess, and that ultimately these two
are reconciled in the one divine essence."
(Vivianne Crowley, WICCA: The Old Religion in The New Age,-
pp. 11-12)
Vivianne Crowley, a very capable spokesperson for British Traditional
Wicca, identifies the core belief of Wicca (at least BTW) as Monism in the
piece quoted above. However, she also opens the door to defining Wicca as
duotheistic in principle with the subdivision of the monist reality into
the praxis of worshiping both Lord and Lady.
However, there is yet a THIRD level of obscurity in Wiccan Praxis! Most
Wiccans worship a threefold Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) and many also
worship at least a twofold God. So, are the Wicca REALLY polytheists or
perhaps pantheists or even modified Henotheists as some have claimed? Or,
perhaps, a new category altogether needs to be invented to accurately
describe Wiccan belief and practice.
1524
One suggestion has been made to add a word to our Thea/Theo-logical
lexicon, perhaps "Cthonotheism" (provided we MUST have a "Theism") to
describe "Theistic Wicca". One advantage is that it makes the assumption
of worshipping that which was there to be found and worshipped, NOT a Deity
or deities invented in 1939! (More on this later.)
The following is the only published copy of the (Gardnerian) Blessing
Prayer that I know of.
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
("Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High
Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter
four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Col- |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,212 | lectibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper
Airmid (aka Erynn Darkstar), a contemporary craft scholar and researcher
says of this new (to most of us) name of Ultimate Deity:
"Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old
English bibles. I think that was where the term ac-
tually originated. I think I saw a passing reference
to it in some boxed comparative translated text in "In
Search of the Indo-Europeans."
Grendel, an Asatruar from Seattle suggests the "Dryghtyn" may be an
alternative spelling of the Teutonic "Drighten" meaning "Lord". I admit
this is interesting, to me, as the closeness of the linguistic link between
the Old English and Old German languages has been a scholarly "fact" widely
known for many years.
As a side issue, this might be some evidence that runs contrary to the
thesis put forth by Aidan Kelly that Gerald Gardner "manufactured" Wicca in
1939. From personal experience, I have found that one unique distinction
of the non BTW strains of Witchcraft (some times called "FamTrads" of
Family Traditions) is the incorporation of old Christian Imagery, often
including ArchAngels for the four directions or elements. Though this
instance does not include Archangels, it DOES include archaic (and rel-
atively unknown) Christian terminology. If Gardner did discover a remnant
of the Old Religion upon which he based his modern reconstruction effort,
it is this sort of linguistic "artifact" which would have survived.
Perhaps a more scholarly investigation than mr. Kelly's will "turn up" more
evidence?
1525
Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) il-
luminating statements, concerning "The Dryghtyn Prayer":
1. "'In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.'
This would be, entirely, an acceptable way of describing God, both for most
Jews and for most Christians."
AND
2. "'In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.'
The Lord of Death and Resurrection would seem, to any Christian to refer to
Jesus Christ."
This evidence of a possible mixing of an older (unrecorded) Christian
Prayer may lend further credence to Gardners' claims of building on an
older, hidden, traditional remnant.
I, personally, also agree with Mr. Taylors' statement that "the idea of
Wicca being 'manufactured' in 1939 is far too pat, and ignores a great deal
which ought not to be ignored. At the very least, some degree of recog-
nition should be accorded to the obvious fact that most Wiccan practices
and attitudes predate Wicca by considerable periods of time--possibly even
millennia".
The existence of Monism, Duotheism, and Polytheism simultaneously in the
belief structure of Wicca is one good example of one of the Five Mysteries
of Wicca, that of Union. Wicca is a mystery religion, a PARTICIPATORY
religion, and much of its symbology must be lived and practiced to have |
Wicca | The-Complete-Uncut-Book-of-Shadows | 1,213 | meaning because much of the real (some say hidden meaning is based on the
knowledge of experience and not the intellectual knowledge of mere logic
and conscious thought processes.
I am an eclectic Wiccan with strong ties in my beliefs and practice to
British Traditional Wicca. I am a Monist, yet I have had strong direct
experience with Brigid, Danu, and the Morrigan as well as the Earth Mother
and the Horned Lord of the Forests. So my personal answer to the question
of "What kind of Theism fits Theistic Wicca?" is "several, or none; it is
not really a valid question in those limited terms"! But perhaps the
concept of "Chthonotheism" would give a better label to this concept when
attempting to discuss the idea of the peculiar theism unique to Wicca?
Blessed Be,
Durwydd MacTara
1526
Wedding Ceremony
The Bard
THE ORDER OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE (GENERAL)
The Altar shall be dressed with a white cloth, with a Cup, and an un-
sheathed Sword. A small lectern should be provided to the Minister,
that he may hold the Sword and read the ceremony. One candle shall be
unlit upon the altar, and two lit candles shall be provided, to either
side.
Smaller candles shall be provided to at least the wedding party, and
to the whole congregation, if possible.
% Ministers take Altar
% Groom and attendants take altar
% Processional music starts
% Bridesmaids process
% Bride and father process
% Bride and father take altar
MINISTER: Dearly beloved, today you are surrounded by your family,
your friends, and your loved ones, all of whom have gathered here
today in the sight of the ONE to share your joy and witness
your marriage.
Who gives this woman to be wed?
FATHER: I do.
% (the Bride's father shall give the Bride's hand to the
Groom, and then take his seat)
MINISTER 2: This most sacred of bonds is not to be entered into
lightly, but soberly and advisedly, with openness and honesty. I
require and charge you both now, upon your honors, to disclose
any reason or impediment why you may not be lawfully joined
this day.
BRIDE/GROOM: By our honors, there are none.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation and say:)
MINISTER: Likewise, I charge all of you now, upon your honors, that if
any know a reason that these two may not be lawfully joined |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.