Month: January 2012

Health Powder

Health Powder

2 parts Eucalyptus
1 part Myrrh
1 part Thyme
1 part Allspice

Sprinkle in the sickbed or in the recovery room to speed the body’s healing process. Or scatter on the altar and burn blue candles.

Happiness Powder

Happiness Powder

2 parts Lavender
1 part Catnip
1 part Marjoram

When you wish to lift your spirits, sprinkle this powder in a circle on the floor or ground and sit within it, drinking in the powder’s energies. Visualize them surrounding you and infusing you with joy.

Wiccan Fundamentalism

Wiccan Fundamentalism

by Ben Gruagach

This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.

Religious fundamentalism is characterized by literal belief in specific spiritual claims, often about a particular religion’s history, regardless of any available evidence. A particular dogma is promoted as the One True and Only Way and anything that deviates is considered heretical.

The Roman Catholic church has an office within its organization called the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. In previous times this office had another name: the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Despite the name change the office’s role has remained the same. It is responsible for keeping doctrinal discipline and confronting and eliminating deviations in doctrinal thought. It’s all about maintaining the authority of the Vatican and the Pope and ensuring that all Roman Catholics are following the same religion and respecting the established hierarchy.

Wicca is a religion based on autonomy. It draws its basis from Pagan religions of the past but primarily from lore about witches and witchcraft. Most today consider Wicca to trace back directly or indirectly to a single man, Gerald Gardner, who promoted the religion starting in the 1940s or early 1950s in Britain. Gardner described Wicca as based on covens with each coven being autonomous. If there was dissent within a coven the rules as Gardner presented them allowed for the dissenting parties to separate and form new covens. This way of dealing with conflict resulted in encouraging diversity within Wicca and reinforced the idea that there was no central authority which would dictate that one coven was wrong and another right on matters of philosophy or practice.

Gardner also insisted that there were other Wiccans out there that he did not know about who had been practicing before he was initiated. He did this partially to promote the debatable claim that he was merely passing on an intact ancient religion. One consequence of this is that it left the door open for others to come forward and claim they were witches or Wiccans too from a common mythical ancestry and Gardner could not really insist they were wrong. Even if these other Wiccans practiced things differently, Gardner’s “old laws” clearly made it acceptable for variety in the way covens and practitioners did things. He might not have intended to do so but Gardner’s decisions regarding how to handle things in his own group had set the stage for Wicca to become much more than just his own teachings in his own groups.

The result of all this was that Gardner essentially gave away the right to exclusive ownership over the label Wicca for his groups and those directly descended from them. He might not have anticipated this possibility but in any case it is what happened. Many groups, sometimes with conflicting philosophies and ways of doing things, have come forward under the banner of Wicca. New groups have been created and old ones have splintered into other quite distinct groups. Autonomy was there so of course it was exercised!

Not everyone has been happy about this. Some of Gardner’s direct spiritual descendants have argued that only they and a few select groups that they approve of should have the right to call themselves Wiccan. However the autonomous structure had already been set up and no one group has the authority to dictate to the rest of the community. Wicca did not have a central authority structure in the past and it does not have one now. It is highly unlikely at this point that a central authority could be established which the majority of Wiccans would respect.

There have been attempts to seize power and establish a central Wiccan authority but these have all failed. One example is when Alex Sanders proclaimed himself the King of the Witches but it was quickly pointed out, particularly by Gardnerian Wiccans, that he did not have any authority outside of Alexandrian Wiccan covens. Another example is when in 1974 at the Witchmeet gathering in Minnesota, Lady Sheba (a.k.a. Jessie Wicker Bell) declared herself the leader of American witches and demanded that everyone hand over their Books of Shadows to her so that she could combine their contents and then establish a single authoritative Book of Shadows which all American witches would be expected to follow. She was laughed at and needless to say was not successful in establishing the central authority she sought.

It was at that same 1974 Witchmeet where we had probably the closest thing to a central Wiccan authority created in the declaration of the Principles of Wiccan Belief. This set of thirteen principles attempted to outline in a very general way the basic foundation of Wiccan philosophy. The concept of autonomy of both groups and individuals is clear in the document. It also specified that lineage or membership in specific groups was not a requirement in order to be Wiccan. Many Wiccans, both as groups and individually, consider the Principles to be the foundation of their spiritual path. However, true to the autonomy inherent in Wicca, there are some Wiccans who do not consider the Principles to be part of their individual or group philosophy.

Some are not satisfied with how things are in the Wiccan community and actively work to establish a central authority with their own particular outlook of course identified as the One True and Only Way. They are not satisfied with the fact that the autonomy they personally enjoy in Wicca also means that other Wiccans are free to follow their own different paths. These are the Wiccan fundamentalists who see variety as heresy. As far as they are concerned, if you’re not practicing things the way they personally do, and don’t believe things exactly the way they personally do, then you must be wrong and should either correct your ways or else stop calling yourself a Wiccan.

Perhaps these attitudes are carried over from previous religious education where the idea of One True Way was key, such as in many varieties of monotheism, particularly the evangelical and literalist varieties. Often the Wiccan manifestation of the One True Way idea comes through as a literal and absolute belief in the truth of a particular teacher’s work. Most often the teacher elevated to the status of never-to-be-questioned guru is Gerald Gardner since he was the one who began the Wiccan movement in the middle of the twentieth century. In the mind of many Wiccan fundamentalists, if Gardner taught it then it must be absolutely true!

Unfortunately for the literalists Gardner has turned out to be a mere human being just like the rest of us. Some things he got right and some things he got wrong. The history of Wicca that Gardner presented, especially the part that explains what came before Gardner was initiated, has proven to be largely speculation with very little evidence to support many of its major claims. Historians aren’t completely ignorant of what happened prior to the 1950s in England. We have enough evidence to know that Gardner’s historical claims were not completely accurate nor were they completely supported by the evidence.

A religion’s value does not depend on the literal truth of its historical claims. Many millions of people find Christianity to be meaningful despite the fact its history is not absolutely settled. Buddhists seem to still find their religion to be valuable despite the questions regarding the provable history of the religion’s founders. Wicca too is a precious treasure for those who practice it even if they don’t believe one hundred percent of the historical claims made by Gardner.

Some religions do consider blind obedience to authority to be a virtue the faithful are expected to cultivate in themselves. Wicca though cherishes autonomy and this is in direct conflict with blind obedience. Wiccans who value blind obedience are welcome to make that a part of their religious practice but they are out of line in expecting others to abide by their dictates. Wicca does not have an Office of the Holy Inquisition and many Wiccans will actively fight against the establishment of such. And that is to be expected.

Wiccans who play the fundamentalist mind-game of proclaiming that those who do not agree with them are not “true Wiccans” deserve the same reaction that Lady Sheba got back in 1974 when she declared herself Witch Queen of America – they should be laughed at and then ignored. Wicca is not a One True Way religion and never has been. Those who would make it over into one are in for a long hard struggle that they will likely never win. Is it really worth it for them? After all, if they wanted a One True Way religion there are plenty of those out there for them to join. Wicca is for those of us who are free-thinkers, rebels, nature-worshippers, who laugh and love and dance in the name of our Gods and Goddesses in spite of what the stiff-shirt self-declared authorities around us tell us is right and proper. Others can try to co-opt our religion and turn it into yet another fossilized dogma of right and wrong to be blindly followed on pain of excommunication or threats of torment in other lives. The witch’s cat is already out of the bag and has been for some time now, and we’re all enjoying the nighttime revels and the daytime ignoring of arbitrary conventions too much to just follow what someone else tells us is the One True Way.

References

Bonewits, Isaac. “Witchcraft: A Concise Guide.” (Earth Religions Press, 2001.)

Heselton, Philip. “Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration.” (Capall Bann Publishing, 2003.)

Hutton, Ronald. “The Triumph of the Moon.” (Oxford University Press, 1999.)

Lamond, Frederic. “Fifty Years of Wicca.” (Green Magic, 2004.)

Valiente, Doreen. “The Rebirth of Witchcraft.” (Phoenix Publishing, 1989.)

What is Progressive Witchcraft?

What is Progressive Witchcraft?

“We do not see our ‘trainees’ as empty vessels, waiting to be filled up, but as individuals with a wealth of experience and ideas which they can contribute to the craft. (Rainbird, 1993)

The use of the term progressive arose from a discussion between Ariadne Rainbird and Tam Campbell in London in the late 1980s (*3) They were discussing the evolution of Wicca, and the fact that it had moved on over the decades, beyond the labels of “Gardnerian” or “Alexandrian”. They clearly stated that the term was being used to describe a trend, not a tradition, and that any coven that was eclectic in its approach and not limiting itself to the Book of Shadows was being progressive.

In 1991 Ariadne Rainbird formed a network for covens who subscribed to a more eclectic view of Wiccan practice, called the Progressive Wiccan network (*1). This network included covens in Wales, England, Germany and Canada. 1991 also saw the first Grand Sabbat, at Lughnasadh, with around 30 witches from six different covens meeting up to camp out in the wilds of South Wales and celebrate together. This tradition was to continue for some years, developing into an annual weekly gathering in Cornwall for members of different covens to work together.

In 1992 David Rankine became the editor of the magazine Dragon’s Brew, which became the magazine of the Progressive Wiccan movement. Dragon’s Brew was created by Chris Breen in 1990, originally as the house magazine for the Silver Wheel Coven (*1).

To quote from the magazine (1992):

“Progressive Wicca is a movement which spans the traditions and emphasises networking, closeness to nature, personal growth and co-operative development. Personal experience of other paths is welcomed and integrated into covens, and we do not slavishly follow a Book of Shadows, as we see Wicca as an ever growing religion and the Book of Shadows changes and grows with each new Witch.” (*1)

Contact details for a number of covens were given in the back of each issue of the magazine. The editorial stance of the magazine was actively supportive of environmental protection, detailing protests, distributing leaflets and supporting organisations like Dragon (eco-magick environmental network) and Friends of the Earth Cymru in their actions. Campaigns like the ones to save Oxleas Wood and Twyford Down were covered, as well as events in other parts of the world, like proposed wolf culling in Canada, tiger conservation in India, and anti-nuclear testing by the French in the Pacific. (*1)

Dragon’s Brew ran quarterly until 1997, with a circulation of several hundred copies, and covered a wide range of subjects, from chakras and kundalini to Enochian magick and running effective open rituals. Different pantheons were also explored, including the Welsh, Greek, Sumerian and Egyptian. A number of prominent academics also contributed to the magazine, which received articles from distinguished figures such as Professor Ronald Hutton and the Egyptologist Terry DuQuesne. (*1)

By 1994 Progressive Witchcraft was widely known throughout Europe. David Rankine gave a number of talks at events like the Talking Stick Meet the Groups conference in 1994, and at various University Pagan Societies. The growth of the movement was acknowledged by Michael Jordan, who gave it a sizeable entry in his 1996 book Witches: An Encyclopaedia of Paganism and Magic. (*3)

To avoid some disharmony caused by the term “Progressive” in the Wiccan community the term was changed from “Progressive Wicca” to Progressive Witchcraft in 1993, as was demonstrated by the cover of Dragon’s Brew (*1). In combination with this Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine set up the Progressive Witchcraft Foundation, to deal with enquiries about Progressive Witchcraft, and also ran workshops under the banner of Silver Wheel with other coven members on a variety of related subjects.

In 1994 Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine started running correspondence courses on natural magick based on much of the (non-oathbound) Progressive Witchcraft material. This material was to form the basis for their book Magick Without Peers: A Course in Progressive Witchcraft for the Solitary Practitioner, published by Capall Bann in 1997. (*2)

Reference Material

————————-

(*1) Dragon’s Brew, a Magazine of Magick, Paganism & Progressive Witchcraft, (1992 -1997)

(*2) Magick Without Peers, A Course in Progressive Witchcraft. Capall Bann 1997

(*3) Witches, An Encyclopaedia of Paganism and Magic; Michael Jordon, 1996

Patchwork of Magic, Julia Day, Capall Bann, 1995

(*4) Talking Stick Magical Directory, 1993

This article was written by Terminus, 2000 and provided for free distribution.

Personal Cleansing

Personal Cleansing

By Naddya

Choose candles according to your personal and daily preferences, I have found that any will work. Run a bath with as hot of water as you can stand. If you prefer, this ritual can be done in the shower. Use whatever bath oils work for you. Visualize all the day’s negative energies surrounding you as you get into the water. Then, visualize all that negativity being removed from your Self by the water. Focus on your candle flames, meditate on cleansing your Self. When the water has cooled to the point of being uncomfortable, pull the stopper, and say these words: “Drain away these pains and troubles, As does this water pure and free. Take with it all this day’s distress. As I will, so mote it be!” Dry yourself off and rub your preferred cream onto your body to protect you from negativity over the night. Prepare to sleep well!

This spell has worked wonders not only for me, but for other Wiccans that I have passed it to.

A Code Of Ethics for Teachers of the Wicca

A Code Of Ethics for Teachers of the Wicca

All initiations, previous experience and group affiliations to be made known to your students.

Before beginning training tell your student you don’t know everything about the subject, but are willing to refer them on to another person if you don’t have the personal expertise.

Tell your student of your personal beliefs, teaching what you know but also emphasising Paganism is about personal spirituality and that they must find their own truth.

Students should be of legal age (i.e. 18) or have parental permission. This does not exclude passing on basic information of religious beliefs to minors.

All theoretical information should be supported by ritual demonstration.

All lessons must be preprepared by reading up on the area to be teached about, decide how you’re going to present this information for the easiest understanding of the individual student and make notes to be given to the student.

There is to be a nominal fee for teaching to cover ritual supplies and fluctuates depending on the student. It is at the discretion of the teacher if they choose to loan books or give supplies from their personal collection.

All teachers must continue their own education also. It is impossible to know everything.

Do not proselytise. All students must seek out their teacher.

You do not take on more than 4 students at a time per mentor.

Students can be taught on an individual basis or in a teaching circle.

Students should be told if the training would not lead to initiation.

You respect the confidentiality of your own students first and foremost but also respect the confidentiality of group members, other Pagans and clients for whom you perform the Occult arts.

The only time that confidentiality is broken is if you feel that the person is a danger either to themselves or to others in a physical or mental way.

A teacher must never have a sexual relationship with their student. It destroys the power balance and has led to much disrepute in the communities both inside and outside the Pagan paths. If relations occur between the teacher and student, a new teacher must be found for that student.

Teaching is to be given on a mentor basis, the teacher adapting for each student.

A student can be rejected and all psychic links can be broken if they use the magickal arts outside the restraints of the magickal law of “harm none”.

A list of the code of teaching ethics is given to the student to show your position on various issues. This is to be kept and training can be broken by either parties, but a reason should be given out of courtesy.

Note: Many teachers ask the students to draw up a corresponding Students code of ethics to show commitment.

A good teacher:

  • Teaches spiritual as well as magickal aspects of Paganism
  • Encourages healing magick
  • Has a well-balanced life. If they can’t have a balanced life they can hardly teach a balanced method of magick.
  • Is willing to teach differently for each student.
  • Encourages practice as well as theoretical teachings
  • Welcomes questions and is willing to admit when they don’t know
  • Networks with other Pagans and groups, being able to refer you on when they are not proficient in the area of Paganism you are seeking to explore.

A Self Dedication Ritual

A Self Dedication Ritual

Preparation

When you decide that you want to do a self-dedication,
plan the date of the ritual at least a month in
advance, choosing a suitable time, perhaps consulting
astrological tables, or at least the phases of the
moon. It is best done on a waxing or full moon.

Start your preparation at the new moon. Make sure that
you have a day off work for the initiation itself. You
may already have decided on a magickal or witch name.
If you haven’t yet decided on your witch name, find
one through meditation and pathworking in the daily
ritual leading up to the rite of self-initiation.

Begin preparing for the self-initiation by performing
a daily ritual. Start by creating a sacred space.
Purify the area with incense and sprinkling salt
water. Visualize a sphere around yourself, and call on
the powers of the four quarters, visualizing the
elemental landscapes. (more…circle casting)

Call on the Goddess and the God, by whatever names you
prefer to call them. Declare to the Elements, the
Goddess and the God that you are embarking on the path
of dedication, and ask for their help in preparing
you.

Spend some time in meditation on the meaning of
dedication, and opening yourself up for any messages
from the Goddess and God. Thank and say farewell to
the Goddess, God, and Elements, and close the circle.

Closer to the time

Try and spend time every day in the week leading up to
the self-dedication rite working out your vows and
meditating. Make sure that the vows you make are
realistic! It is better to make less demanding vows
than to make highly demanding vows and not live up to
them.

The Ritual

Spend the day in quiet meditation and fasting. Drink
only pure water, or if you really cannot do this,
allow yourself a small quantity of apple or grape
juice. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs! If
you are on prescribed medication, consult your doctor.
If the medication is short term, wait until you have
finished the course of medication before doing the
ritual.

If possible, go to a sacred site or wild place and
attune yourself with nature. Communicate with the
nature spirits, and ask for their blessings.

Think about the vows that you wish to make in your
initiation. Think of a vow to yourself, one to the
Goddess and God, and one to the Earth.

Before you start the ritual, have a purification bath.
You may put essential oils, herbs or sea salt in the
bath. Whilst in the bath, meditate on purifying your
aura. See your aura as grey and dirty, but gradually
becoming lighter and cleaner, until it is brilliant.

When you emerge from the bath, allow yourself to dry
naturally. Do not use a hair dryer, or rub yourself
with towels. Rub your entire body with oil. This may
be olive oil, grapeseed oil, or other vegetable oil,
scented with pure essential oils of your choice.
Perform the ritual skyclad if possible.

Have an altar set up, with an altar cloth on it, with
a chalice of wine, a piece of bread or cake on a
platter, a censer, two altar candles, some anointing
oil, your athame or other tool, any ritual jewellery
which will be put on at the end of the ritual to mark
your dedication, and two small dishes containing sea
salt and water (from a spring or sacred well if
possible). You may also wish to have images or statues
of the Goddess and God on the altar.

Light the candles and the incense, and purify your
ritual space. Hold your hands over the water dish and
say:
“I purify you, Oh water, in the blessed and mighty
names of the Goddess and God”,
visualizing it glowing with white light. Do likewise
with the salt, then tip some of the salt into the
water, and mix it in with your forefinger.

Sprinkle the salt water around your ritual space.
Visualize a circle around you. (or cast a circle in
your usual way) Call on the elements, then on the
Goddess and God.

Declare your intent, saying something like: “I
(ordinary name) am prepared for dedication. I have
followed the path and fulfilled my vows, and I now
call upon the Goddess and the God to confer on me
wisdom and integrity. I ask for the blessings of air,
fire, water and earth”.

Spend some time in meditation, and controlled
breathing to gather energy and achieve an altered
state of consciousness. You may also wish to use a
mantra or chant.

Meditate for a while on finding the stillness inside
yourself. When you are ready, stand before the altar,
and anoint yourself first with oil, then with salt
water and lastly wine, saying:
“I am reborn into my true and magickal self, and I
take on the name of (Witch name). I ask for the
blessings of the Goddess and God on my endeavours, and
I vow (make your vows)”.

When anointing yourself you may wish to anoint your
chakras, or anoint yourself with a circle, pentagram,
or personal symbol. It is good to write down your vows
in your magickal diary, and sign the entry with your
witch name.

Present yourself to the quarters, stating that you are
now dedicated to the solitary path. Consecrate your
ritual jewellery with the four elements (incense,
water, salt and candle flame), and anoint it with oil
for spirit before putting it on.

Consecrate your athame or other tool in the same
manner, then hold it to your heart, feeling a link
with it, and filling it with your energy. Say
“I am a child of earth and starry heaven.”

Hold it up to the moon and stars, and ask for the
blessings of the cosmos on it, then touch it to the
ground, and ask for the blessings of mother earth.

Lastly, consecrate the wine and cake by touching your
athame to them, and channelling energy through it.
Drink and eat, earthing yourself, then thank the
Goddess, God and Elements, and close the circle.

Remember: Write up your experiences in your magickal
diary. Refrain from ritual for at least the next week,
whilst you integrate the work.

Self Dedication explained

Self Dedication explained
Article by David Rankine & Sorita

Initiation is a process of “death and rebirth” – the
old self dies, and the new and magickal self is born.
A rite of self-dedication marks a serious commitment
and dedication to the path, and should not be taken
lightly.

Having followed your path this far, you will have
noticed subtle (or not so subtle) changes in your
self, and you may wish to mark this, and affirm your
commitment to the path with a self-dedication ritual.
Initiation is a process which happens over time, and
the rite itself will benefit from being preceded by a
daily practice, building up in intensity as you
approach the day of the rite, with the dedication rite
being the culmination of this ritual practice.

As the rite marks a rebirth, into your witch self or
magickal self, you may wish to obtain a new magickal
item or items for it. This could be a piece of ritual
jewellery, such as a pentagram pendant, or amber and
jet necklace (the traditional witches necklace), or a
cord you wear around your waist. Some people choose to
mark their dedications by having a tattoo in a
magickal design, personal to themselves.

It is also good to have a magickal weapon which you
will consecrate at the end of the dedication rite. A
ritual dagger, or athame is the general tool chosen.
Self-dedication can be very empowering, and can
produce a feeling of “walking on clouds”, and it is
very important to earth oneself afterwards, and then
to have a rest from magickal work for a period of
between a week and a month.

Simple daily meditation may be practised during this
period, but avoid intense magickal work. Time is
needed to assimilate the experience, and the
dedication process should be undertaken at a time when
you do not have too much outside stress, and are able
to take time for yourself.

It should be stressed that self-dedication is not the
same as initiation into a coven, and should you wish
to join a coven at a later date, you would still have
to go through a probationary period and coven
initiation, if accepted.