Good Morning my dearest of friends! As you have probably figured out by now, there is no telling what you are going to find on this blog, lol! I am probably one of the most moody witches you will ever meet in your life. I can start out on one subject or interest and in a bat of an eye, change to another. My daughter says there is a syndrome for that, lol! I just tell her, my mind races at 90 miles a minute and it does. There is so much I want to do, so much I want to tell. I could to the realization early in life, that life is very precious. What little time we have here, we must accomplish all that we can.

As most of you probably have gathered by now, I love the Goddess very much. I also love our Ancestors very much. I admire them. I am eternally thankful to them. I cannot begin to imagine what they must have endured. Think back for a moment….We are now in the 1600’s. It is a beautiful Spring day. You are outside in the woods with your husband. Lovingly embracing, walking hand in hand looking for berries and nuts. Your daughter comes running down the path screaming, “Mother, Mother, the Lord, deacons & constable from the church are here!” You and your husband are discussing what they want. You pick up your pace. You can see them standing in your wooded front yard. You greet them and before you can say another word, the constable and deacons are putting you in irons. You hear the Lord proclaim, “There are accusations against you that you are Witches!” You gasp, “What?” You are not allowed to say anything in your defense. You are put on a wagon, carted off to town, with your crying 14 year old daughter following as far as she can.

I admit some of the details might not be quite accurate (like there being a Lord present). But yet it is a dramatic scene to imagine. It would be even more dramatic to live. You piss a neighbor off. The neighbor goes to the Church and accuses you of Witchcraft. The Church was more than eager to bring you in. You know why? 100% of the time, you would be convicted as a Witch. The Church has a lot to gain by your conviction. Your land, your property, your home, your money, everything you had went to the Church. Now if that wasn’t reason enough to make sure the innocent people and our Ancestors were found guilty, I don’t know what was. Some of the punishments dished out were pathetic, absolutely pathetic. The one we were discussing the other night, was were the person was taken to the pond. Then the person was thrown into the pond. If the person floated, she/he was a Witch. If they drowned, they were innocent. Then after the person that floated survived that, they were taken and burned. Make a lot of sense doesn’t it? Either way you are very much dead. But our Ancestors were extra ordinary individuals. They were committed to our Religion enough to die for it. Others, thankfully when underground to preserve our Religion. Witchcraft was passed on by word of mouth, from one generation to the next. Each generation was told what our great Ancestors had done to make sure our Religion lived on.

Today, we do not take time to thank our Ancestors for all they have done for us. For all they sacrificed and in all case, given their lives for us to have. We take our Religion for granted. It is here but we don’t stop to realize what it took for it to get here.

Doing my research this morning, I ran across a poem that was written during the Burning Times. I would like to share it with you now.

Burning Times

The songs are sung to rouse our anger of martyred Witches gone to the fires, But what is served by righteous singing, if all we do is stew in our ire? Nine million dead in four hundred years; More in that time simply died of disease. Why do we dwell on long past dead When we are alive in times like these?

(chorus)

Rise up, Witches, throw off your masks And cease crying guilt for ancient crimes. Earth and all Her children need us For ALL face now the Burning Times.

In the face of that hostile power, how did the old knowledge stay alive? How have we still a Craft to practice? Our ancestors knew how to fight and survive! How do we honour our blessed dead? Slavery threatens us all but few. We must teach their cunning ways — EVERYONE needs the skills they knew!

(chorus 2)

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength, And let your power spread and climb; Earth and all Her children need us For ALL face now the Burning Times.

I will not cast off Science’s works — Witches all forces to Will can bend; I’ll not accuse for war and waste some patriarchy of faceless men. Men do not cast the only votes; Women alone do not demonstrate. Rather than shut out half the race, Who if not we will change that state?

(chorus 2)

I will not blame a Father’s Church — blame and guilt are their tools, not mine, And even in the shuls and churches, allies there will I seek, and find! I will not answer hate with fear, Nor with a smug, cheek-turning love. I will not answer hate with rage; By strength alone will I not be moved!

(chorus 2)

I will not hide in my sacred grove — the fact’ries and cities yet ring me about; I will not climb my ivory tower — the real world exists tho’ I shut it out. I will not work for Church nor State Who serve themselves while they serve us lies, Nor only for my Witchen kin, But for the family of all alive!

(chorus 2)

So if rebellion means to fight a State lost sight of why it was built, If heresy’s to reject a Church that rules with force or fear or guilt, Then let us all be rebels proud, And shameless heretics by creed — A tyrant’s hand subjects the Earth, More heretic rebels are what She needs!

(chorus 2)

Did it ever occur to the writers of your antique laws that the Craft might actually be WELCOMED by a great number of people? That there might actually be more of us than of those who wish us ill?  That the only reason those who fear us are so active nowadays is because they see us becoming more and more welcomed by more people?  As I say in another song,

 “When folk in sorrow turn away/

From paths that lead to misery/

And seek  new ways for wholeness’ sake/

Then waiting, ready shall we be.”

All I can say is, I’m Goddess-glad I’m not in your tradition.

Amen to that! I am glad I’m not in your Tradition!