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BOOK OF SHADOWS

VOLUME The FOURTH

pp. 1402 - 1900

RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND

TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Minister Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) ........................975
A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908
A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147
A True History of Witchcraft (Allen Greenfield) ................1771
Aethyr, On the Nature of (Anthra Andromda) .....................1816
Against The Witch Hunters (R. Culain) ..........................1704
AIR - A Meditation (Charis) ....................................1559
All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137
Altar Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959
Amerind Teaching Stories
Rabbit (John Lone Wolf) ...................................1534
Ancient Art, The ................................................551
Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479
Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952
Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783
Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Autarchic Creed .................................................562
Autonomatrix Manifesto .........................................1813
Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628
"Bardic" Circle Rituals from DragonHart
Beltane (The White Bard) ..................................1111
Candlemas (The White Bard) ................................1151
Samhain (The White Bard) ..................................1116
Bardic Wedding (RowanHart Circle) ..............................1526
Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463
Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947
Basic Love Spell ................................................958
Basic Spell Construction ........................................113
Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310
Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6
Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36
Beltane Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ................1743
Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464
Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126
Bible, Books not included .......................................652
Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929
Bibliography of Magic in Sci-Df (M. Griffith) ..................1737
Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157
Bovinomicon (humor) ............................................1805
Blackout and Sigils (I.O.T.) ...................................1402
Blessing Payer (Traditional Gardnerian "Dryghten Prayer") ......1512
Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547
Broken Heart Spell (Healing) ...................................1219
Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951
Celtic Bibliography (Annotated, by Eryn Darkstar) ..............1133
C.O.G. Pledge ...................................................309
Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969
"Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948
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Candle Colors ...................................................982
Candle Magic ....................................................417
Candle Scents ...................................................988
Candlemas Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ..............1750
Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537
Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168
Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8
Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420
CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454
CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081
Chalice Ritual - Dragon Trad (C.J. Mandrake) ...................1468
Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398
Chaos Magick vs. Thelema .......................................1240
Chaos-sphere ...................................................1393
Chaoism and Chaos Magick (Pete Carroll) ........................1404
Channeling for Fun and Prophet (F.J. McGovern) .................1736
Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759
Charge of the Goddess, The ......................................193
Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936
Charging Crystals (Ian Kesser) .................................1707
Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957
Church of All Worlds ............................................353
Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000
Circle Closing ..................................................540
Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541
Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780
Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130
Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65
Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2
Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622
Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757
Coven at Pooh Corner (D. Wadsworth) ............................1688
Coven Offices ...................................................762
Coven Leadership ................................................543
Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305
Consciousness & Politics (Carol Moore).........................
Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751
Craft Ethics Response (M.K.H) ..................................1216
CRAFT LAW
Craft Laws (by Lady Sheba).................................1163
New Laws (Lady Galadriel, Grove of The Unicorn)............1174
The New Book Of Law, A Commentary (J. Random Folksinger)...1185
Aporrheton 5 (Judy Harrow?) ...............................1195
The Abbreviated Laws (including Comment by J.R.F.) ........1202
The Law (Humor) ...........................................1204
Commentary by a student ........................................1212
Commentary by L.A. Hussey.......................................1214
Creation Story ..................................................619
Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005
Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559
Crossroads .....................................................1794
Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413
Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343
CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002
Dangers of "Magical Thinking" in Magick (Nihasa)................1716
"Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286
"Dark Night of the Soul"........................................1411
Dangers of Deity? (a Conversation) .............................1820
DCW Landmarks ...................................................492
Degrees within Covens ...........................................623
Dedication Ritual (Khaled Quicksilver) .........................1841
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Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607
Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200
Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750
Descent of The Goddess (G.B.G.) ................................1769
Descent of The Goddess (Starhawk) ..............................1770
Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614
Divine Circle Scam .............................................1507
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605
Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603
Dragon, The Last (story by Gerald Decampo) .....................1226
Dragon Tradition (Phoenix Arizona)
Circle Casting ............................................1228
"Quarter Calls" ...........................................1486
Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557
Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573
Dream Bibliography ..............................................576
Dream Life ......................................................571
Dream-News ......................................................567
Dreams Precognition .............................................575
Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685
Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40
EcoMagick .......................................................614
Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222
Eight Magicks (Pete Carroll) ...................................1825
Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960
Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979
Elemental Correspondences .......................................560
Elven (Modern Mythic Prose by Par Garou) .......................1159
Essay on The Three-Fold Law (Paul Seymour) .....................1208
Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315
Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415
Ethics and Laws (Lifeway Shamanic Fellowship) ..................1220
Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554
Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565
Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356
Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946
Exegesis on The Wiccan Rede (Judy Harrow).......................1209
Exorcism ........................................................613
Festivals .......................................................587
Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528
First Degree, What is it? .......................................351
FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611
Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744
Fool ............................................................590
Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953
Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625
Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634
Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616
Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206
Gnosticism.......................................................694
God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223
Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689
Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691
Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644
Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656
Greek and Roman Deities (Thomas Palmer) ........................1698
Greek Fire Initiation............................................982
Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26
Handfasting ......................................................68
Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176
Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630
Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13
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Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661
Healing (one method) ............................................655
Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165
Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869
Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632
Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733
High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964
History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786
History of Witch Craft ..........................................791
Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663
Hymns To The Star Goddess (O.T.O.) .............................1431
Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667
I.O.T. History (The Beginnings).................................1398
Ideology (I.O.T.) ..............................................1252
Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664
Imbolg '92 (Julia Phillips) ....................................1757
Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72
Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50
Introductory Book List ..........................................926
INVOCATIONS
Freyja (unknown) ............................................56
Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55
Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57
Baldur (unknown) ............................................55
Freyr (unknown) .............................................56
Herne (unknown) .............................................57
Thorr (unknown) .............................................58
INVOCATIONS -QUARTERS-
EAST ......................................................1542
SOUTH .....................................................1543
WEST ......................................................1544
NORTH .....................................................1545
Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422
Ishtar ..........................................................740
Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59
K.A.M. ..........................................................735
Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236
Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730
Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739
Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171
Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174
"Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990
LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103
Learning Process ................................................962
"Legitimacy" in the Craft (Khaled Q.) ..........................1766
Liber OZMA (Tim Maroney) .......................................1414
Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083
Literary Roots of Wicca (Diane Vera) ...........................1535
LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179
Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955
MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43
Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811
Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817
Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684
Magickal Book List ..............................................923
Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815
Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502
Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406
Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814
Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831
Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079
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Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912
Magickal Training Course (Phil Hansford) .......................1373
Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760
Mantra Web technique ............................................288
Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834
Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837
MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79
Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851
Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911
Meditation Techniques, Basic (Bill Witt) .......................1513
Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077
Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45
Mind, A Treatise on The (The Tigress) ..........................1460
Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512
Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216
Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920
Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942
Modified Assyrian Protection Spell (With Commentary) ...........1739
Mothers Day Message ............................................1076
MONISM (Durwydd Mac Tara) ......................................1523
Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941
Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365
Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110
Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357
Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841
Nemesis Conjuration (I.O.T.) ...................................1250
Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77
Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329
NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond) .....................................333
NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459
Notes On The Historical Egregore in Magick (I.O.T.).............1245
NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21
Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224
ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764
Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377
Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910
Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089
Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12
Ordo Argentum Astrum ...........................................1230
Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949
Orphic Invocations of God & Goddess (Phaedra) ..................1541
Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392
Perscution, Ancient & Modern (Julia Phillips) ..................1627
Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868
Peyote & The Supreme Court (News Articles) .....................1725
Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945
Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972
Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411
Prosperity [Famtrad] (Rowan Moonstone) .........................1485
Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594
Psychic Attack ..................................................563
"Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282
Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857
Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103
Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212
Rede, The (J. Taylor, S.O.T.E.G.) ..............................1488
Risk Assessment for The Craft Community (Weyland Smith) ........1723
Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard (Discordian Humor) ...........1471
Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Rosicrucianism (J. Phillips) ...................................1741
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Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215
Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097
Salem Anniversary Ritual (Sandy & Diug Kopf)....................1156
Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143
Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19
Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145
Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141
Samhain Ritual 1986 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ................1759
Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944
Satanic Ritual Abuse (1992 FBI Report) .........................1575
Satanism
Satanism 101 (Diaane Vera) ................................1536
Satanism Defined (Delohine) ...............................1539
Satanism as Media Hype (News Article) .....................1717
Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera).............................194
Setian Symbolism (T.O.S.) .................................1560
Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158
Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749
Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3
Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231
Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937
Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384
Sigil Magick (I.O.T.) ..........................................1416
Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184
Snake Venom & Altered States (Loren Petrich) ...................1419
Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100
Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105
Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939
Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182
Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010
Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778
"Super-Dimensionality" (I.O.T.)..................................289
Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676
Tarot Divination (Tuppence) ....................................1710
Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747
Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132
The Pact (IOT) .................................................1162
The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617
The 12 Steps and Shamanism (Matrika, P.A.N.) ...................1504
Thunder, Perfect Mind (Tony Ianotti) ...........................1254
Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136
Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122
Tool Consecration ................................................17
Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186
Treatise On Mind (The Tigress) .................................1265
Travel Spell (Rowan Moonstone) .................................1487
Trickster Energies ..............................................234
Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619
Twenty-Two Commandments for the New Age (A. Waldrum)............1721
Vernal Equinox Ritual from OZ (Julia Phillips) .................1742
Verse:
A Birthday In The Light (T. Digby) ........................1920
A Call To Lord And Lady (Jeff Bordeaux) ...................1853
A Dreaming Desire (Jeff Bordeaux) .........................1865
A Lady Called Truth (Geral Del Campo) .....................1921
A Riddle (Saracen) ........................................1919
A Victim of Ideologies (Jeff Bordeaux) ....................1876
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Verse: (cont.)
ALOHA! Serge King (Hugh Read) .............................1848
Amphitrite (Sourdough Jackson) ............................1866
Amazing (Wiccan) Grace (Verna Knapp) ......................1909
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Another One For Jim Morrison (Sourdough Jackson) ..........1870
Banishing The Circle (Devin Storm) ........................1892
Battle Hymn of the Eristocracy (Filk) .....................1898
Beneath The Full Moon (Sourdough Jackson) .................1870
BLOOD (Similodon) .........................................1889
Burning Times (L.A. Hussey) ...............................1849
Cauldron Chant (Ammond Shadowcraft)........................1899
Celtic Circle Dance (Joe Bethancourt) .....................1900
Chance (Hugh Read) ........................................1851
Charge of the Horned God ..................................1907
Comes The Dawn ............................................1914
Computer Blessing (Zahai Stuart) ..........................1871
Coven Spell (Doreen Valiente) .............................1887
Dark Time (Shadow Hawk) ...................................1902
Earthdream (Jeff Bordeux) .................................1855
ELEGY: James Douglas Morrison (Sourdough Jackson) ........1869
ELEMENTS (r.m.p.j.) .......................................1897
Elf (Marcus) ..............................................1855
EQUINOX (Endumion) ........................................1908
Green Grow The Rushes, Oh! ................................1901
Healing Spell (unknown) ...................................1891
Heaven is A Resting Place (Sourdough Jackson) .............1868
Horn of Plenty (Linda C.) .................................1910
Horn Song (Hugh Read) .....................................1846
Hunter's Warning (Jeff Bordeaux) ..........................1857
Hymn to Artemis (Frater U.' D.') ..........................1893
Hymn To Demeter (Lyn Hubert) ..............................1916
I am Spring (J.H.R. Seymour) ..............................1912
I Saw Something Beutiful (Masochistic Maiden) ............1915
Inquisition ...............................................1894
Invocation (Doreen Valiente) ..............................1887
Invocation of the Horned God (Doreen Valiente) ............1885
Invocation of the Moon Goddess (Doreen Valiente) ..........1886
Jewel (Shadow Hawk) .......................................1860
Just A Poem (Masochistic Maiden) ..........................1918
LAMMAS NIGHT (Elexa) ......................................1904
LILITH (L.A. Hussey) ......................................1904
Love Is The Law (Unknown) .................................1884
LYRA (Hugh Read) ..........................................1856
Magic Man (Taarna Savet) ..................................1906
Magical Reveries (Hugh M. Read) ...........................1878
May Eve (Doreen Valiente) .................................1884
Minerva (Unknown) .........................................1883
New Words and Old (Kihe Blackeagle) .......................1890
Night Wind (Shadow Hawk) ..................................1863
Ocean (skybane) ...........................................1921
Pagan Awakening (Jeff Bordeaux) ...........................1852
Pan To Artemis (Hugh Read) ................................1847
Pandemonium (Sonia Brock) .................................1890
Pegasus (Durwydd Mac Tara) ................................1911
Prelude to Discovery (Gerald Del Campo) ...................1913
Prayer Drive (Sourdough Jackson) ..........................1869
Quarter Chant (Damon) .....................................1871
RAINBOWS (Jennifer Holding) ...............................1897
Red and Gold (Joe Bethancourt) ............................1906
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Verse: (cont.)
Samhain Chant (Doreen Valiente) ...........................1845
Scarabeus (unknown) .......................................1883
Seeking The Sign To Dragonheim (Jeff Bordeax) .............1853
Shadowhawk (Marcus) .......................................1877
Simple (Gardenstone) ......................................1914
SLEEPR (Lynn Hubert) ......................................1921
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Snow (Steve Earl) .........................................1873
Spring/Summer Poem (Shadowhawk) ...........................1891
Storm (Shadow Hawk) .......................................1875
Storm (Stormy Gael) .......................................1893
Tears For An Angel (Gerald Del Campo) .....................1913
The Awakening (Andrew Daws) ...............................1922
The Cloud Sculptors (Jeff Bordeaux) .......................1865
The Coming of Lugh (Iarwin) ...............................1861
The Goddess is Alive (Unknown) ............................1856
The Lady's Brothel (filk) .................................1898
The Man In The Moon (Gerald Del Campo) ....................1919
The Moon Pool (unknown) ...................................1859
The Night Before Samhain (Masochistic Maiden) .............1915
The Pentagram (Similodon) .................................1889
The Prettiest One (Filk) ..................................1898
The Shaman's Call (Shadow Hawk) ...........................1873
The Spell of the Cord (Doreen Valiente) ...................1886
The River (Hugh Read) .....................................1872
The Tree Song (Kipling) ...................................1864
The Witches Ballad ........................................1894
To The Bonfires (Jeff Bordeaux) ...........................1866
To The Dragons Reborn (Jeff Bordeaux) .....................1854
To Greyshield, With Love ("Phoenix") ......................1851
Today The Moon is There (Hugh Read) .......................1893
Two Ritual Prayers (Anahita Gula) .........................1895
What is Love (Ravenna Michelle) ...........................1917
Why I Love The Dark (Gerald Del Campo) ....................1912
Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente) ...........................1843
Washington Post Article (1991) .................................1499
Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117
Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344
"Weasel Wicca" (Humor fm. Green Egg) ...........................1531
What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354
What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322
What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340
What is Wicca (Durwydd Mac Tara) ...............................1551
Wheel of The Year (Julia Phillips/Matthew Sandow) ..............1671
Wheel Visualization (Julia Phillips and Rufus Harrington) ......1682
When Magic Doesn't Work (Magical Blend Magazine) ...............1520
Why I don't Believe the "Survivors" (R. Moonsone)...............1719
Wicca and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (D. Wadsworth) .....1694
Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149
Wiccan History .................................................1656
Wiccan History (BTW, Julia Phillips) ...........................1566
Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087
Wiccan Way, The .................................................192
Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98
Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154
Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227
Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317
Wiccan Rede, The (J. Taylor, S.O.T.E.G.)........................1488
Wiccan Rede (Poetic) ...........................................1510
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Wiccan Rede (Poetic, WCC) ......................................1540
Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162
wiccan Monism (Durwydd MacTara) ................................1556
Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190
Wicanning Ritual (Earthworld Circle) ...........................1492
Wishing Well (I.O.T.) ..........................................1422
Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150
Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320
Witches Rede of Chivalry (Ed Fitch & Janine Renee) .............1803
Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195
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YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84
Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94
Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ............................................8
Yule Ritual 1984 (Julia Phillips) ..............................1763

Blackout and Sigils


Fra.: Apfelmann
The blackout or as it is commonly referred to, the death posture, is
the technique that the late Austin Osman Spare refined for his own magical use and
which has been adopted by chaoists, solo and group, world wide as its popularity has
been increased by the works of the IOT over the last decade or so.
The normal procedure, as many will undoubtedly be familiar with, (and this
is only one of its uses) is that a sigil/glyph of desire is held in the mind`s eye
whilst in what we all refer to as the death posture e.g., stood on tiptoe, arms
locked behind the head, body stretched to its limit, deep spasmodic breathing, until
total exhaustion and inevitably one blacks out, the sigil is then lost to the mind
of the inner and the banished of laughter is evoked to prevent the resurfacing of
the said sigil.
Anyone who has used this technique for the above said purpose, will
have at sometime or another experienced, even if just slightly, difficulty in
holding the posture long enough for the desired gnosis to take effect sufficiently
for blackout. And due to this difficulty, a well planned ritual can be a well
planned waste of time as the desired result is not implanted properly.

A technique that has been repeatedly employed by myself on such occasions is


based upon the same principles as the death posture but as I have found, a little
easier and without pitfalls that one can experience with A.O. Spare`s technique.
This technique is a strange mixture of inhibitory and excitatory gnosis,
forced overbreathing, dancing or spinning, and of course exhaustion. The end result
is of necessity for this process the blackout, which is as we know, of the
inhibitory gnosis. I will now explain how this technique is employed by one for the
insertion of sigils for whatever purpose one feels the need.

First one has to sigilise the desire in any form that one may wish,
but in all cases and especially this one, it must be very easy to visualise. Once
that has been achieved, one may then begin to design the ritual for that particular
purpose in mind. Banishings and invocations may be employed, if so wished, this is,
however, not a necessity for the successful outcome of this process. At the
culmination of the rite the individual starts the overbreathing, panting deeply and
spasmodically and at the same time visualising the sigil as vividly as you possible
can, bright, intense and very clear as the overbreathing continues. Then when you
feel that the time is right, start your spinning round and round, still
overbreathing and still holding your visualised sigil in your mind`s eye. Music can
be played for a background to the dancing, tom toms or any other drum is rather
excellent background sound for this purpose. When the individual has reached a state
of sheer exhaustion, very dizzy, sweating and ready to drop, he or she then, still
spinning and overbreathing and of course holding the visulised sigil in mind, works
their way to the centre of the circle or working area.

There a partner, either active or passive to the rite, (in other words, if a
solo worker, try to get someone to help you with this part) stops you spinning and
grabs you in a bear hug lifting you off the ground and squeezing you about the solar
plexus, where a large network of nerves lie. At this precise moment the music, if
any has been employed, is stopped, and death-like silence is kept. The practitioner
holds his or her breath whilst being squeezed and the sigil is visualised as if
burning with bright, white heat as its image is burnt into your mind. Within seconds
the blackout will occur and the sigil is lost to the mind. At this point it is
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important that your partner lets you drop to the floor, unless that is you wish to
return to primal chaos!
On coming round, in most cases, you should evoke laughter to banish the sigil and
all thoughts thereof, your laughter breaks that silence and the rite is finished in
whatever manner wished.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
Chaoism & Chaos Magic, A Personal View
by Pete Carroll
As there are as many Chaos Magicians as there are Chaoists
practising magic, I cannot speak for the subject in general but only
for my own Chaoism and Chaos Magic.
However, if you want a one-line definition with which most Chaoists
would probably not disagree, then I offer the following. Chaoists
usually accept the meta-belief that belief is a tool for achieving
effects; it is not an end in itself.
It is easy to see how other people and cultures are the victims of
their own beliefs. The horrors of Islam and the ghasty state of
politics in sub-Saharan Africa, are obvious examples, but we rarely
pause to consider the extent to which we are the victims of our own
beliefs, and the ability we have to modify them if we wish.
It is perhaps worth considering the recent history of belief in
Western cultures before mounting an attack on the very foundations
of the contemporary world view. For about a millenia and a half the
existence of "God" was an incontrovertible fact of life in
Christendom. It was never questioned or thought to be questionable.
Hideous wars and persecutions were conducted to support one
interpretation of deity against another. Learned men wrote thousands
of books of theoology debating points which seem utterly tedious and
idiotic to us now, but the central question of the existence of
"God" was never considered. Yet now, the belief in "God" as the
author of most of what goes on in the world has been almost
competely abandoned, and belief in even the existence of an absentee
"God" is in most places fading. Satanism as an anti-religious
gesture is now a waste of iconoclastic talent. The alchemists,
sorcerers and scientists of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance
won a stupendous posthumous victory. Their questioning of the
medieval world view started a rot that brought the whole edifice
down eventually.
We can laugh looking back on it now, but I assert that we now live
under a collective obsession which is even more powerful and will
appear equally limiting and ridiculous to future historians.

Since the eighteenth century European enlightment, a belief has grown


to the point where it is now so all-pervasive, and so fundamental a
part of the Western world view, that one is generally considered mad
if one questions it. This is a belief that has proved so powerful
and useful that virtually everyone in the Western world accept it
without question. Even those who try to maintain a belief in "God"
tend to place more actual faith in this new belief for most
practical purposes.
I am about to reveal what this fundamental contemporary belief is. Most of
you will think it is so obvious a fact that it can, hardly be called a belief. That,
however, is a meassure of its extrordinary power over us. Most of you will think me
a madman or a fool to even question it. Few of you will be able to imagine what it
would be
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like not to believe it, or that it would be possible to replace it
with something else. Here it is: the dominant belief in all Western
Cultures is that this universe runs on material causality and is
thus comprehensible to reason. Virtually everyone also maintains a
secondary belief that contradicts this - the belief that they have
something called free will, although they are unable to specify what
this is - but I will deal with that later.
We spend billions every year indoctrinating our young with the
primary belief in material causality in our schools. Our language,
our logic, and most of our machines, are built largely upon this
belief. We regard it as more reliable than "God".
Now, it has been one of the functions of the Magician to try and
break through to something beyond the normal. My own magical quest
has always had a strongly antinomian and iconoclastic element, and I
long ago decided to go for broke and attack the primary beliefs of
our culture. Religion is too easy a target as it is already fatally
disabled by our ancestors, the Renaissance sorcerers and scientists.
Contemporary Satanists are waisting their efforts.
Ideology is thankfully beeing gradually replaced with economics. The
main thrust of my Chaoism is against the doctrine of material
causality and secondarily against most of the nonsense that passes
for modern psychology.

Anyway, now I have to firstly try and convince you that there is
something seriously wrong with material causality, and that there is
something that could supersede it as a belief. These are vitally
important questions for magicians, for since the demise of
essentially spiritual descriptions of magic, the belief in material
causality has been increasingly used in a haphazard fashion to form
various ill-conceived metaphors such as "magical energy" or "magical
force" which are tactily presumed to be something analogous to
static electricity or radio waves. This is, I think, complete
bullshit. Magic can sometimes be induced to behave a bit like this,
but it is not a very effective description.

Before attempting a frontal assault on material causality I shall


backtrack a little to gather ammunition. Few people noticed that in
the 1930`s a serious crack was discovered in the fabric of material
causality which, on the grounds of faith alone, was supposed to
cover everything. This crack was called Quantum Physics, and it was
pre-eminently Niels Bohr who, with his Copenhagen Interpretation,
poked a finger into the crack and prised open a wrap to reveal a
different reality.
Basically Bohr showed that this reality is better modelled by a
description of non-material causality operating probabilistically
not deterministically. This may sound tame at first, but the
implications for our everyday view of the world and for our theories
of magic are awesome. It brought to an end the era of the clockwork
universe paradigm which began over two hundred years ago and which
almost everyone still believes in their guts, even if they cannot
formulate it precisely. I urge magicians everywhere to give thanks
by drinking what is probably the best lager in the world, for it was
the Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen that supported Bohr and his
colleagues while they did the physics.
The majority of straight scientists find quantum physics as
distasteful as a priest would find witch-craft. If they have to use
it they prefer not to think about the implications. Even Einstein,
who started quantum physics going but made his major contribution in
Relativity, felt repelled by its implications, on ground of
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scientific faith and residual Judaic belief, and wasted much of his
later life campaining fruitlessly against it.

Quantum physics says to me that not only is magic possible in a


world that is infinitely Chaotic than we thought, but that magic is
central to the functioning of this universe. This is a magical
universe not a clockwork one. Causal materialist beliefs were a
liberating and refreshing breath of fresh air after a millenia and a
half of monotheism, but now, at their zenith, they have become
tyranny. Relativity and the fundamental physics associated with it
are probably close to a final refinement of the causal materialist
paradigm, and as such they now seem a terrible prison. For all
practical purposes they confine us to this planet forever and rule
out magic from our lives. Quantum physics, which I believe currently
to be basically an investigation of the magical phenomena underlying
the reality most people have perceived as non-magical for the last
two hundred years, shows us a way out.
It may be some time before any significant portion of humanity
learns to believe the new paradigm in their guts and live accordingly, but
eventually they will. Until then it is bound to sound like discombobulating
gobbledgegook or tarted-up intellectualism to most people.
I would like to mention my other favourite iconoclasm in passing
without explanation. I reject the conventional view of post-monotheistic Western
psychology that we are individual unitary beings possessing free will. I prefer the
description that we are colonial beings composed of multiple personalities; although
generally unafflicted 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 propensity to identify with whatever we find
ourselves doing as a result.
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.

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,
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
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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.
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 pleasure in anything. It binds the
imagination, and impeeds it from doing any good discursive work. It makes the
memory cease, the intellect become dark and unable to understand anything, and
hence it causes the will to become 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 destructive. In one sense it
may be seen as a trial, a test by which the Gods examine our resolve to continue
with occult work, and if you are not completely whole-hearted about your magical
studies, it is during this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The Dark
Night of the Soul should be 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 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 depression, when nothing seems to excite.

The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still,
waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night" heralds), to take
place. You may not be aware for a very long time of the results of that inner
change, but when the desire to work comes again and the depression lifts, the Dark
Night has (for a moment) passed. No one can help during this time, and in many cases
there is hardly anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the well-meaning
advice of family and friends to "snap out of it" this is no ordinary depression, but
a deep spiritual experience which only those who have passed through themselves (in
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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 *


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."
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 creation 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.

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:
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

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TIM MARONEY

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 professional 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 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 client`s name will be encoded applying the magical camea of the
planet 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 (employing 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 additional 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 constantly 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.
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
chirurgical 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.

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.
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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.
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.
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.
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 the Temple,
the Nehushtan, which could supposedly cure snakebite. This snake was probably
associated with an earlier acceptance of this snake cult.
But how did this snake cult actually work? It is difficult 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."
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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 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".
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.

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
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.

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
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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
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?

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
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.

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
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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
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
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
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.
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.
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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
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
body) may find it enjoyable to carry out as an end in itself. Any
feedback on results would be welcome!

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
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
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
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strong
BUTMONA ATH OD AMMA EMNA:
By mouth the works and curses herein:
>> MAKE YOUR WISH HERE <<
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 !!!
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 .(. Invocation
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.

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 .(. 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.
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Sometimes, as it journeys, it threatens to overflow its banks in its eagerness
to reflect a wider image of Thine Infinite Body.
Ah! How the very stones, over which flow the life of my being, thrill at the
tender caress of Thy reflected Image.

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 .(. 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.
But I shall never come to myself---only to Thee.

IV .(. 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.

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V .(. The Storm
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 .(. 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 Universe."

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 the Starry
Heavens.

VII .(. 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 recognition.

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.

VIII .(. 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.

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How came I to be lost in the snow-drift?
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.

IX .(. 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!
Thus shall a new Star be born, and I shall see Thee even in the Daylight, O
Beloved.

X .(. 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 hesitation 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?

XI .(. The Moral


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There is another moral to the story of the little bird. Having gained his desire
for a larger cage, he forgot his longing for Freedom.
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.

XII .(. The Invisible Foot Prints


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.

XIII .(. 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 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
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Theee as Thou art.

XIV .(. 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 .(. The Icicles of Isis
It hath been written how the Old King dreamed of his banished peacock, entombed in
a palace of ice, who cried: "The Icicles of Isis are falling on my head."
Thus it is with those who are banished 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.

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 .(. 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 ascending 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.

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!

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I, too, would ascend as a delicate purple mist that steams up from the Hills. Art
Thou not all Pleasure and Purple?

XVII .(. 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 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.

XVIII .(. 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?

XIX .(. 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.
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.
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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.

Nor should I dare to look into Thine eyes, having discovered Thy
secret---the Dew of Love---the Elixir of Life.

XX .(. Twilight
Twilight... and in a few brief moments the Stars will begin to peep. I will await
Thee, here amid the heather, O Beloved.
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.
XXI .(. 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 with the dogs of
reason. There is no reason in me; I seek Understanding, 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?"

XXII .(. Pot-pouri

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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 of her 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 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.
XXIII .(. 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.

Grant unto me Thy Pillow of Blood and Ecstacy, O Beloved!


XXIV .(. 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 Sun is 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
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there is that which remains.
When clouds gather, let me never forget Thee, O Beloved!

XXV .(. The Coiled Serpent


Thus have I heard:
The ostrich goeth swiftly; with ease could he outstrip those who covet his
tail-feathers, yet when danger cometh he burieth his head in the sand.
The tortoise moveth slowly and when embarrased he stoppeth, withdrawing 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!"

XXVI .(. Love and Unity


Twenty-six is the numeration of the Inneffable Name, but It concealeth 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 twenty-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?
XXVII .(. 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.
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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.

XXVIII .(. Sayings


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?

XXIX .(. 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 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.
XXX .(. 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.

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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."
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!

XXXI .(. 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,
and I am
NOT

-oOo-
Treatise on Mind
From: The Tigress
From the moment that 2 cells form a zygote, we see the interaction of
informational process - recognition, communication, interaction, integration,
re-stabilization and reproduction and or re-structurization. This cycle of life can
be see from the barest combinations of any two elemental components beginning at the
lowest atomic designations of energy and throughout the continuum of increasing
complexity - perhaps far beyond our capabilities
to understand. *** If consciousness can be defined as an awareness of integrity
through this process of self recognition; then consciousness can be easily applied
to that which is non-human.***

From the most basic interactions of chemistry, we find that even on an atomic
level there is to be found this type of consciousness. We have become aware of the
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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.

This process of awareness is also a genius 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 this process of self recognition begins
to fail we see the destruction of the matter it involves <this is evident with
atomic structure and also evident at the human level in the study of cancer.>
Therefore we might look at this process of self-recognition and maintenance and
examine it's nature in order to find its function and capabilities.
When we look at different types of matter, we find that 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 enormously 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.

When we look at the forces involved in communication of energy, we see a


flowing medium of different frequencies within a single spectrum of energetic
potential. Elemental energies and forces <light, sound, temperature, pressure,
magnetism, electricity...> differentiate and vary in intensity and frequency yet are
very alike in that they are all means of transferring energy as a form of
communication which can be informative/stabilizing or disinformative/destructive,
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 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 frequency 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 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 simultaneously 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 in a phase path also indicates
something that we might consider as investing a thing <atom> with more than the sum
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of its parts. Similarly 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.

Energetic communication exists infinitely throughout the universe. 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 continuums 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 intensification 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 <life>
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 <proteins, amino acids...> 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,
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 <life. We use our
senses <inefficient though they may be> 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 <without which we would die>. Is this a remnant of
photosynthetic capabilities from lessor complex integrations, or merely a new
attempt at further increasing 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
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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 order to reach those higher frequencies of
information which are either so far removed from us as to be imperceptible, or so
destructive to us that we dare not experience them ourselves.
The human zygote from the moment of conception is a discriminating
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 integrity.
Consciousness of Mind, determining the difference between self and non self,
regulating the integrity of the whole. This harmony of components within a symphony
of orchestration, this is the matter of being alive.

Despite our complexities, despite recognition of our vulnerabilities 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 <as if we were
the only from of communication we wished to recognize.> 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.

Despite our inadequacies, we assume to know the nature of the beginnings of


all life. We claim to know the "mind" of "God" <the prime causation for all that
exists> 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
to further learning, and that the most wise are those who claim knowledge of no
thing, that they may learn all.

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.
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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.
It has poured out all our world
and it will be your tomb.''
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.
****

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 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. <pours water out onto the ground> And my Cup remains
full. <holds cup to heart> 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


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Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard


The Tigress
Thus it follows that after many days of chaos, unfounded mayhem and startling
inconvienience <as given in favor by the Goddess Eris> so it shall be that I am
finally able to share with you the official ceremony 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 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-pagans is large,
for then the obtainment of the necessary materials be far easier...

Necessary ritual components -


To represent the Matron Goddess : 1 AT Motherboard <preferably a 386 with Large
Co-processors.> <may be in "twitchy condition".>
To represent the Crone: 1 AT&T Phone bill from Mother Bell. <the higher the debt,
the better one can justify ones needs to the Goddess>
To represent the Maiden: a large firepit dug in the shape of a circle around which
the pentagram will be formed. <dry wood laid in preparation>
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
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 <extra humps>
The Cup: A container of highly caffinated substance <coke, jolt, pepsi>
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.
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 <To be sung as the HPs and HP draw the circle and pentagram around the
firepit><sung to the tune of "Rain drops keep falling on my head >

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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

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

I worship through the message base


Hiding behind keyboards
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
<To be sung until the Pentagram and altar are set up, the
last sentence repeated and slowly faded>

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.

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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.

As the HP calls the elements the P shall pass her the items in question
The coven at the end of each elemental calling shall chant the following:
Elemental Power
Come out and play with me
Play midst my flaming spree<fire>
and sing the chant with me <Air>
Splash in my rain barrel <Water>
Slide down my cellar door <Earth> And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more
The HP calls to the Element of Fire <and taking the kerosene from the P> 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. <the coven sings the elemental chant>

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 coven sings the elemental chant>
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.
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 coven
sings the elemental chant>
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

<the HP smokes and exhales as the coven sings the elemental chant>
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 opening.

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"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 that your Power run
through my computer and my life. The P tosses the Power supply into the fire.
<the coven sings the directional chant>

The Hp and P walk to the East and hold up the keyboard. The P intones:
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.
<the coven sings the directional chant>

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 commitment 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 coven sings the directional chant>

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.

<the coven sings the directional chant>


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 <repeated until the circle is thrice closed.>

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

<the P leads the coven in the Maiden chant>


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.

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<The P leads the coven in the Crone Song>
" 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 disconnected Booo
Hisssss"
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
<the P leads the coven in the Horned One chant>
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
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.
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 <when I thought I was exhausted>
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.

Thus said, the HP and P intone the following:


OH Blessed Motherboard please accept this offering in your name, and in the name of
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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.

At this point the HP and P gaze into the fire for the portent of the
Goddess's sign of approval <the flames of blue light from the motherboard offering>
At seeing this both HP and P raise their arms in joyful supplication and shout <To
be echoed by the Coven members in attendance after each line>
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!!!!
<the HP and P release the circle and the partying shall now commence>

Sensual foods and drinks are served and shared, <the rest you can imagine>
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 uncollectible 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
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All candles must be dressed with pine oil and then arranged as follows:
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, 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
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 invokedwith. 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

Safe Travel Spell


Rowan Moonstone
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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
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 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.
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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 translated "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-exclusive 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;


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 intended 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.

The Wiccan Rede's "An it harm none" has parallels in many disciplines.
Perhaps the most significant parallel is found in the Hippocratic Oath taken by
every physician before s/he is certified 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."

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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 corrupts, 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.

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 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 religious 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.

It is also important to note that the Rede sets up a standard which prevents us from
harming ourselves as well as others. Other religions, 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.

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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.
--- 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)

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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."

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.
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All echo, "Blessed Be!"


(the bowl is set at the north gate)

The Priestess holds the alter Wand aloft and asks:


"Repeat after me....
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!

THE BLESSINGS and PURIFICATIONS

Maiden (in this case an unattached and close aunt of the children):
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(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."
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:
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
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Wash away the memories of her pain
Shower her with Your blessings
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."

(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."

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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."

--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
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
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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.
WP 04/28 The New Theology-Sheology; Mystical Women's Spiritual
Movements, Gaining Momentum ... and Adherents
By Judith Weinraub
Washington Post Staff Writer
Pagans at the 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 sessions at Appalachian State University,
Wesleyan University, Brown.
What on earth is going on?
If the events of the last few months are 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 traditional 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 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's religion 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
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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's definitely growing, but you'll never get hard figures," 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 can be traced is the flourishing book industry, mostly out 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 particularly 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.
"So the challenge has been to get this realization out in the 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 religious leader, 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, 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
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deep I didn't want to worship these goddesses - I wanted
to BE them."
Linda Pinty, a student at Harvard 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."
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 neighborhood. My mother was a German Protestant, my father an Italian
Catholic. 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 suffering. 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 also her greeting and her Amen.
In a large room set up with flowers, crystals, trinkets and copies of her books,
she presided recently at a women's ritual at the University of Pennsylvania's
Christian Association.
"Where would you like the altar?" asked a participant before the candles encased
in glass were set on a brightly colored cloth in the center of the room.
Two hundred women of similar mind-sets - but varying ages, religions,
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 Geela Razael Raphael, a rabbinical student who was one 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 40ish priestess looks not unlike the onetime 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. Networking 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."
Like many women's ritual leaders, Starhawk uses such chants as a kind of
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surrogate liturgy. Presented at different moments that morning, the lilting song she
teaches is used as a blessing, a uniting force, a backdrop to movement and dance.
Starhawk leads the group through a series of activities - some that 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.
To focus the visualization even more, Starhawk takes the 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
possibility."
The session ends with a grand finale "spiral dance" - clockwise to invoke, then
counterclockwise to release. "Anything you want to do involves both," she says.
A gifted speaker with an easy sense of humor, Starhawk is 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 teens when 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 most people, of course, the word "witch" conjures up 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 Philadelphia ritual) is a combination of group therapy, positive
thinking, stretching exercises, guided visualization, song and dance - and even pot
luck.
Its goddess- and nature-oriented precepts are similar to the 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."

Women's Rites
Spring, with its vivid reminders of the cycle of birth 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, inspiration, 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 theologians, in 1983. They send out 10,000 newsletters, stage
workshops, conferences and lectures, hold ecumenical monthly breakfasts for women in
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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 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.
At the All Souls Church in the District a smaller group of women is currently
investigating women's religious history each Sunday afternoon 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 programmer and third-degree Wicca high priestess,
and moderated by Erica Angell (known as Kestryl), a housewife and second-degree high
priestess, 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.
Having cast their lot with an enlarged view of the 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 to create 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."
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 Worcester 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 illiterate 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, 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 heritage. Then it hit me; John WAS a shaman and
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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 the Shaman has to go through a severe trauma, 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 herself. 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.

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 Alcoholics 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, specifically 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 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 Minneapolis, 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,
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Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who are in recovery
via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has contacts, 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

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.

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
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
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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.

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
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
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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

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
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
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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

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
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
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Heed ye flower, bush and tree
By the Lady, Blessed be
Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone and truth ye'll know
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
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
"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
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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."

===================================
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 meditation. 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 continued thought;
the revolving of a subject in the mind."
To meditate is to focus mentally on one thought, idea, or concept. 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 meditation as a very difficult thing to learn. 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 many groups of people for whom meditation is 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)
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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.

In "The Task" by William Cowper, the following line is found. "Knowledge dwells
in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom, in minds attentive to their
own."
For me, meditaion becomes a way of "grounding" myself, of reaching a place of
peace and stability, where I can find how I fit into the universe.
In many philosophies, meditaion is viewed as a necessary 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 exercise 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 conciousness. 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, the art of meditaion is highly valued. 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 looked briefly 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.

BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES


===================================

This is the second part of a three part online course in Basic Meditation
Techniques

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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 meditation. 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 this second section of the "Basic Meditation Techniques" 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 the stage 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 techniques 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 I said 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 acheive very deep states of trance often leave their 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.

You want to be sure that the time you pick to practice your meditation 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
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 either case, it is important that your 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.
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Next, visualize a yourself in a cocoon of white light. 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."
This is a good idea to 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 to control and pay attention to your breathing is the 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 warm light 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.

When you fell totally relaxed and at 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 they attempt to
enter your mind, you will have learned the single most important technique of
meditation.

It is now time to begin coming back to normal 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.

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Some things which are found to be helpfull in meditation follow.

Try concentrating on the flame of a candle when 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 an aid to some. The music should be quiet and rhythmic. It should
bring on feelings of peace and comfort. Such music may range from New Age recordings
to classical.
Another usefull device is to focus on a 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 two of this course to a close. In the next part I will give
you some pratical ways in which to use what you have learned.

The most obvious use of the techniques you have learned, is relaxation. 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.

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 development 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 studies of this type will be developed in the near 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.
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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
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
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 operator's knowledge and skill.
For an illustration, let's use the bow and arrow. Your intention is the arrow and
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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 this all 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 the skill 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 the following meditation process for those times when it seems that
your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techniques, when you've gotten
no results, when you're wondering if any of 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.

RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION


Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be 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 as you relax, imagine a beautiful colored mist is swirling up 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 this rock now, and feel the strength of it under your feet...and as
you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flowing 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 channels?...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 relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your mind the magical
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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 symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine...

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 deep breath... as the sphere disappears the last of your intention and
emotion and desire merges with the source of all life, from which it orriginally
came...and leaves you...

Now complete any business here that you need to 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...

Take another 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." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
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"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various forces 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 therefore 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.
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 Collectibles, 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 actually originated. I think I saw a passing reference to it in
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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 relatively 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?

Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) illuminating
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 recognition 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 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

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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 unsheathed 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 this day, to speak
now or forever hold your peace.

% (There shall be a short pause for any response)


MINISTER: (N) and (N), life has no singular meaning so much as it is made
up of many meaningful events, some of which may be specified and
planned for. One of these is Marriage. As you know, no minister, no
priest, no rabbi, no public official can marry you; you can only marry
yourselves. By a mutual commitment to love each other and to
create an atmosphere of consideration and respect, you can make your
marriage come to life.

MINISTER 2: On this, the day of your marriage, you stand somewhat


apart from all other human beings. You stand within the charmed
Circle of your love, and this is as it should be, but love is not
meant to be the possession of two people alone. Rather it should
serve as a source of common energy, a form in which you can find the
strength to live your lives with courage. From this day onward, you must
come closer together than ever before, yet your love should give you the
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strength to stand apart; to seek out your own unique des
tinies, and to make your own special contribution to that which is
always a part of us, and more than us.
MINISTER: A marriage that lasts is one which is continually develop ing,
in which each person is continually developing while growing in
understanding of the other. Deep knowledge of another is not something
that can be achieved in a short time. Real understanding can only
develop fully with years of intimacy. This wonderful knowledge of
another grows out of really caring for the other so much, that one
wants to understand as completely as possible the intricacies of the
other.

MINISTER 2: May you be blessed with this deep knowledge of each other
through all the days of your lives.
Would you now give your vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We will.
MINISTER: What tokens do you give that you will keep these vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We give these rings.

% (The rings shall be given to the Minister, who shall take them
in hand.)

MINISTER 2: The ring is used in this ceremony because the Circle is our
symbol for Spirit; that which was in the Beginning, is now, and ever shall
Be, Love, without end. In this ceremony, it is that love which is
deathless and eternal.

% (Both Ministers shall join hands, holding the Rings, and


shall say:)
MINISTER: We ask now the Blessing of the One upon these rings. They are
bands of silver with the Tree of Life cast in relief upon their surfaces.
Let the bands represent eternity, love without end, and let the
trees represent the nurturement you will share in that Love, now and
always.
BOTH: And so it is.
% (The Rings shall be taken by the second Minister.)
% (And if it is a Swordfasting, then the Minister shall take up
the Sword, and flourish it aloft, and then place it point-down in front
of him.)
% (The Bride and Groom shall face each other, and place their %
hands upon the Sword's pommel, with both Ministers placing % their hands
over the Bride and Groom's.)
% (the Minister #2 shall turn to the Groom, and say:)

MINISTER 2: (N), repeat after me:


(N), I take you as my wife.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
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For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Groom shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Groom shall place the Ring upon the Bride's finger.)
% (The Minister shall then turn to the Bride, and say:)
MINISTER: (N), repeat after me:
(N), I take you as my husband.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Bride shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Bride shall place the Ring upon the Groom's finger.)

% (Both Ministers shall then say:)


MINISTER: May you never hunger.
MINISTER #2: May you never thirst.
% (Here there may be an interlude of music)

MINISTER 2: At this time, I would like to speak of some of the things that
many of us wish for you.
First, we wish for you a Love that makes you both better
people, That continues always to give you joy
And a zest for living,
And provides you with the energy to face the responsibili ties
of life.

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We wish for you a Home, not a place of stone or wood, but an
island of serenity and sanity.
We hope that this Home is not just a place of private joy and
retreat, But rather serves as a Castle wherein the values of your life
and family are generated and upheld.
We hope your home stands as a symbol of humans living
together in Love and peace, Seeking Truth and nurturement through each
other.

We hope that it has within it the elements of Simplicity,


Exuberance, Beauty, Silence, Color and a concordance with the
Rhythms of Life.
We wish for you a Home with Books, Poetry and Music, For a home
with all the things that represent the highest striv ings Of men and
women.

Finally, we wish that your lives be blessed with Spiritual


Abundance, and that your spiritual involvement be enhanced
through This marriage.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation, and shall
say:)

MINISTER: Let us all stand together for the closing benediction, and the
passing of the Light.

% (The congregation shall stand. The Bride and Groom shall go % to


the Altar and light the single candle from their candles, % and then
shall light their attendant's candles, and shall % light the candles of
the first person in each row of the % congregation. They shall then return
to the altar, and % extinguish their candles, placing them on the altar,
and % return to their place before the Ministers.)

MINISTER 2: May we all recognize that the Presence of the One has
already blessed you with the presence of each other. Keep in your
rememberance the sacredness of this trust and the love that knows no end.
May that Peace, which passes all human understanding abide with you now,
and for always.

BOTH: And so it is.


MINISTER 2: And forasmuch as (N) and (N) have expressed their desire to
be husband and wife, showing their love and affection by joining
hands, and have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other,
and have sealed these promises by giving and receiving of rings:
MINISTER: In the presence of this company of witnesses, by virtue of my
sacred stewardship and the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, I
now pronounce you Husband and Wife.

You may kiss the Bride.


% (The Bride and Groom shall then recess from the altar, %
followed by their attendants. The congregation shall be % released by
rows.)

% (Here ends the Order Of Solemnization Of Marriage (General)


Weasel Wicca: a Toon Trad
by fara Shimbo, Diane Darling and the European Land Otters
(Green Egg, Issue 95, Yule '91, p. 21.)
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The Great Mothers of this tradition are Galanthus, who was turned into a
weasel for lying to Juno; and Eris, both Goddess and Ferret incarnate, who are IN
CHARGE.

This is the Holy Sacred Oath of the Weasel Tradition:


"I don't believe anything unless I want to. My mind is subject to change
within reason and without notification at any time. We will
always have Paris. (But not paris of sox.) I can do without my socks. Other than
that there are absolutely no absolutes."

Sacred Objects of the Weasel tradition include:


* A Floppy Witch Hat (double sided, single density)
* The nearest operational refrigirator
* Dirty Socks
* Tubes made of cardboard or plastic
* Rubber erasers and squeaky toys
* Loud plastic bag and ping pong balls
* The Golden Apple of Eris
* Silk Top hat.
In order to be initiated into the Weasel Tradition, a new berserker must:
* Co-habit with a Ferret; at least one.
* Acquire your tools in a somewhat less-than-entirely-scrupulous manner-
stopping short of Genuine Theft. Use your imagination.
* Sacrifice a Sock to Galanthus. It must be a good Sock, one you wouldn't
otherwise throw away, and you must have the other one in
your possession.
* Bake some holy Fhood, with Weasel Help, which includes raisins and
chocolate chips.
* Write a ritual containing at least three things which are obviously or
blatantly lifted, word for word, from somewhere else. Anywhere else.
* Let a weasel lick your lips while you sing:
The Weasel Help Song:
Everyone needs Weasel help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help
Everyone needs Weasel help,
to get them through the day!
I don't need no Weasel Help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help,
I don't need no Weasel Help,
no matter what you say!
The Sacred Holidays of the Weasel tradition are any holidays which have even
the slightest thing to do with Fhood.

A Weasel Wiccan Witual


======================
Participants in floppy witch hats enter, bearing the Holy Fhood and Drinkh.
Arrange tastefuly around altar area. Prominent should be the Golden Apple of Eris,
which is set upon the altar by itself.
Call Watchtowers, lighting quarter candles at each. Suggestion
invocations:
EAST, being Air, signifies media and mass communications. Invite the Marx
brothers, Firesign Theatre, Douglas Adams, and Robert Anton Wilson, and, of course,
the Illuminati, as representatives of Chaos. (Squeeze squeaky toys)
SOUTH, for Fire, signifies fidelity to ideals. I suggest John Lennon and our
witch ancestors, whose bravery in defense of the Sacred Right To Be Strange led to
the ultimate sacrifice. May we be as brave, but luckier. (Hide the Matches.)
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WEST, for Water, signifies here the Waters of Life, ie: Bhooze. Invite W.C.
Fields along with Dionysius and Osiris (inventors of wine and beer, respectively.)
(Slug some eggnog.)
NORTH, for Earth, signifies the Ultimate Mystery: Life, the Universe and
Everything. Toast the Mystery itself and invite it to relax, take off its cloak and
join us for awhile. (Hide a cookie.)
And to provide a fifth point: SKY, for Eris, Our Mother, Lady Luck Herself,
Lady of Chaos and Dealer of the Inside Straight. Hold up the Golden Apple, hail Her
enthusiastically and invite Her to the party.
Close the Circle, which is, of course, semi-permiable to weasel-kind.
Light altar candle; assume *ahem* serious demeanor. Whoever is to read, don
silk hat and drape a sock for a priest's vestement. Proceed:
"For unto us is born a Saviour, who is Coyote, Pan, loki, Raven,
Dionysius, and Robin Hood; to save us all from Santa's power when we have come to
play, o tiding of chocolate and toys. And Io, neither is his Mother a Virgin, for
She believeth in a good time. And when He came forth, She wrapped him in a National
Enquirer and cradled him in her top hat, which holdeth all the stars of all the
skies plus 500 foolproof card tricks; and the Wise came to Marvel (and to DC)
because indeed and forsooth, they knew trouble when they beheld it."
And Eris, the Great and Terrible, said to her son:
"Kid, this is a special occasion; how should we celebrate?"
And the Tiny One spoke, surprising all but the Mother of the Unexpected:
"let's have lots of Fhood, and create the most chaotic and demented animal of
all to play with. And since I have a feeling that this party will be repeated many,
many times, let's make that a rule: anyone celebrating My birthday should do the
same. For I am the Glitch and the Song and the Gambler's Luck, and I love
Surprises--which will never be lacking with Them around. Let them do this in honor
of Me."
And Eris was pleased and created The Weasel (hold one up).
"This is the Sacred Weasel, beloved little monster, honored pest, dearest of
Holy Terrors and Agent of Entropy Everywhere. May it always remind us that Eris and
the Kid love Surprises."
(Hold up plate of cookies:) "This is the Holy Fhood; we share it in Their
names, and with the wish that we should always keep Life as interesting and strange
as possible."
(Hold up Holy Bhooze:) "This is the Holy Spiked Eggnog; we share in with the
understanding that reality can always use a little bending."
Share all, general hailing, toasts, silliness, woozle snoozling, tricks and
demonstration of weasel arranging. Guard honored guests of all species from
overindulging in and/or diving into eggnog. Songs excellent idea.
Open circle whenever you feel like it.
=================================================================
Fara Shimbo, an ethologist living outside Boulder, Colorado with her husband Robert,
ferret, Ruby, Siamese cat, mong, and Thoroughbred Hunter, Oficial Dude (AKA Chewie).
She is main honcho of _Ferret unity and Registration Organization (FURO)_, a weasle
warrior of reknown and author of "The Ferret Book" (see review GE83) and, with Bill
Phillips, of _Ferrets and the New Inquisition_, published by the California Domestic
Ferret Association (Box 1861, healdsburg, CA 95448. She is editor-in-chief of _The
Weasle Help Monthly_, (wonderful!) newsmagazine of FURO, available by joining FURO,
PO Box 18193, greensboro, NC 27419.

This is the story of Rabbit.


A long time ago- No one knows how long ago it was-- rabbit was a brave and fearless
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warrior. Rabbit was befriended by Eye Walker, a witch. The witch and Rabbit spent
much time together sharing and talking.
One day Eye Walker and rabbit were walking along and the sat down on the
trail to rest. Rabbit said "I'm thirsty." Eye Walker picked up a leaf and blew on
it... it turned into a gourd of water... he handed it to Rabbit. Rabbit drank the
water and didn't say anything. Than he said "I am hungry"
Eye walker picked up a stone and blew on it... it turned into a turnip. She
gave the turnip to Rappit... He tasted it and than ate the turnip with relish... but
didn't say anything.
The two continued along the trail, which led into the mountains. Near the
top, rabbit tripped and fell and rolled almost to the bottom. Rabbit was in very sad
condition when Eye Walker got to him. She used a magick salve on Rabbit to heal his
great pain and mend his broken bones. Rabbit didn't say anything.
Several days later Eye Walker went searching for her friend. She searched
high and love but Rabbit was nowhere to be found.
Finally Eye Walker gave up. She met Rabbit quite by accident one day.
"Rabbit, why are you hiding and avoiding me?" the witch asked.
"because I am afriad of you. I am afraid of magick," Answered Rabbit,
cowering in fear. "Leave me alone!"
"I see." Said Eye Walker. "I have used my magical powers on your behalf and
now you turn on me and refuse my friendship."
"I want nothing more to do with you or your powers," Rabbit countered. He
did not even see the tears his words were bringing to Eye Walkers eye's. "I hope we
never meet and that I never see you again." Rabbit continued.
"Rabbit" Eye walker said. "We once were great friends and companions, but no
more. It is within my power to destroy you, but because of the past and the
medicines we have shared together I will not do this. But from this day on I lay a
curse on you and your tribe. From now on, you will call fears and your fears will
come to you. Be on your way, for the sweet medicines that bound us together as
friends are now broken."

Modern Wiccan Concepts based in Literary Satanism


By: Diane Vera
As I pointed out to Warren Grant in the PAGAN echo recently, Charles
G. Leland mentions Michelet in the Appendix to _Aradia:_
_Gospel_of_the_Witches_: "Now be it observed, that every leading
point which forms the plot or centre of this _Vangel_ [...] had
been told or written out for me in fragments by Maddalena (not to
mention other authorities), even as it had been chronicled by Horst
or Michelet" (pp.101-102, 1974 Weiser paperback edition).
.
In _A_History_of_Witchcraft_, Jeffrey B. Russell writes:
"Michelet's argument that witchcraft was a form of social protest
was adapted later by Marxists; his argument that it was based on a
fertility cult was adopted by anthropologists at the turn of the
century, influenig Sir James Frazer's _Golden_Bough_, Jessie
Weston's _From_Ritual_to_Romance_, Magaret Murray's _Witch-
Cult_in_Western_Europe_, and indirectly T.S. Eliot's
_The_Waste_Land_" (_A_History_of_Witchcraft_, p.133).
.
Russell states further: "Neopagan witchcraft has roots in the
tradition of Michelet, who argued that European witchcraft was the
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survival of an ancient religion. This idea influenced Sir James
Frazer and a number of other anthropologists and writers in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The publication of
Charles Leland's _Aradia_ in 1899 was an important step in the
evolution of the new religion of witchcraft. [...] The doctrines
and practices of the witches as reported by Leland are a melange of
sorcery, medieval heresy, witch-craze concepts, and political
radicalism, and Leland reports ingenuously that this is just what he
expected, since it fitted with what he had read in Michelet"
(Russell, p.148).
.
As far as I know, it's possible that Michelet's influence on Gardner
was only indirect, via the other above-named writers. This would
not invalidate my point, which is that Michelet played a key role in
the development of the ideas in question.
.
Michelet has had a more direct influence on feminist Goddess
religion than on Wicca proper. Michelet's _La_Sorciere_
(_Satanism_and_Witchcraft_) is listed in the bibliography of
_Woman,_Church,_and_State_ by Matilda Gage (19th-century Women's
Suffrage leader and the founder of pre-Wiccan feminist Goddess
religion) and, more recently, in _Witches,_Midwives,_and_Nurses:_
_A_History_of_Women_Healers_ by Barbara Ehrenreich and Dierdre
English (1973).
.
In my opinion, Michelet's most important contribution to both Wicca
and feminist Goddess religion was that, as far as I know, he was the
first well-known writer (in recent centuries, anyway) to use the
word "Witch" (capital W) with its present-day positive connotations
of healing and opposition to tyranny.
Intro to Satanism
By: Diane Vera

As promised in the PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echo, here's my brief


introductory essay on Satanism (though Corwynt won't be seeing it,
alas). I'll confine myself to discussing _serious_occultists_ who
identify as Satanists. I have no interest in the teen-age glue-
sniffing "Satin rulz" crowd, who are into "Satanism" as a way to
shock the grown-ups, and who usually (as far as I know) outgrow it.
Nor am I interested in criminals who say the Devil made them do it
(often, I suspect, as a way to get themselves declared insane).
.
Since I don't know how much you don't know, perhaps I should start
with the usual elementary disclaimers:
.
(a) Most Satanists do not think of themselves as "worshipping evil".
Satan is associated with a variety of human traits and magic(k)al
energies which Christianity traditionally considers "evil", but
which the Satanists themselves do not consider "evil" -- though some
Satanists may describe themselves as "evil" in an ironic sense.
.
(b) In what there is of a Satanist subculture (for serious
occultists), nobody advocates sacrificing animals or babies,
sexually abusing children, or other horrific activities described in
fundamentalist propaganda. As Anton LaVey explains in
_The_Satanic_Bible_, such activities serve no useful magic(k)al
purpose.
.
(c) Although Satan is, obviously, a figure from Christian mythology
(derived from Judaism and Zoroastrianism), Satanism is not just
"reverse Christianity". I have yet to meet even one Satanist who
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believed in Christian theology, or a simple reversal thereof. (I've
heard that such Satanists do exist, but they don't seem to be part
of the organized Satanist scene.) All Satanists I've ever
encountered have some alternative explanation of who/what Satan is.
.
There are many alternative explanations and, correspondingly, many
different kinds of Satanism. Following is a list of _some_ of the
many different possible interpretations of who/what Satan is:
.
(1) Satan is the Christian-era guise of some pre-Christian deity,
e.g. Set or Pan.
.
(2) Satan is not a real entity at all, but just a symbol of human
individuality, pride, thinking for oneself, sensuality, etc.
.
(3) Satan is an actual discarnate intelligence, and is the bringer
of wisdom in a form of Gnosticism with the Christian "God" cast as
the Demiurge. This idea is based on a form of Gnosticism that
actually existed in the early centuries C.E., which venerated the
serpent of the Garden of Eden myth.
.
(4) Satan is not an actual discarnate, sentient being, but is more
than just a symbol. Satan is, at the very least, today's most
powerful magic(k)al egregore. "Satan" is present-day society's
number-one magic(k)al Name of Power.

(5) Satan is an impersonal "Dark Force in Nature".


.
(6) Satan is one of many gods, all of whom are in some sense real.
There is no one all-powerful "God" like the Christian idea of "God".
There are many gods who are powerful, but not all-powerful.
.
Of the above possiblities, my own personal beliefs lean toward a
combination of interpretations #4, 5, and 6. The Church of Satan,
founded in 1966 C.E. by Anton LaVey, usually espouses interpretation
#2 and sometimes #5. The Temple of Set is into _something_like_
(but not quite) a combination of #1 and #3.
La> If you haven't been around other satanists, how do you know
La> what is being practiced, is what you would do? I could call
La> myself a Dianic Wiccan, but what I might practice is not what
La> is generally practiced...and there is no way for me to really
La> learn "right way" from "wrong way".
.
It doesn't matter. Satanism isn't really just one religion, but a
category of religions, some of which are radically different from
each other. (See my message to Deborah Kest on "Satanism 101".)
Since most forms of Satanism do celebrate individuality, the lack of
standardization is just fine, in my opinion. The only "right way"
or "wrong way" has to do with _what_works_, and this will vary from
one individual to another.
.
La> The reason you are being "punished" I think ostracized<SP?> is
La> a better word, is that most Satanists, and people who follow
La> left-handed Magick/spirituality (folks I know it is not a fair
La> term, but it works for this arguement) are considered by many
La> of us the true enemies of Spiritualism that we would practice.
.
The term "Left-Hand Path" is OK. We use it too. You and I would
probably define it very differently, however. What's your
definition?
.
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La> Even more than Christaniaty folks who follow your system of
La> believes are very differnt than we. Pagan and Christanity,
La> have very similar ideas and ethics, and while not at all
La> tolerant of each other (generally) can live and let live.
La> Satanists et.all on the other hand, have such a different view
La> of life, love and the pursuit of the Divine, it is hard for us
La> to accept you into our midsts.
.
Could you please be more specific? _What_ do you see as the
similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity?
.
I too see some profound differences between Satanism and neo-
Paganism. And I too see enough similarities between neo-Paganism
and Christianity that one can meaningfully use a term like "Right-
Hand Path", which includes both Christianity and neo-Paganism but
not Satanism.

But I _also_ see some profound similarities between Satanism and


neo-Paganism (especially Wicca) as well, which set them both apart
from Christianity. For example, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism
are both much more tolerant toward sexual variety than Christianity
traditionally is. (To be more exact, Wicca is _now_ tolerant toward
sexual variety, though there was a time when it was quite
homophobic.) And in general, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism both
emphasize individuality in ways that Christianity doesn't.
.
Also, as I've discussed at length both here and in the PAGAN and
PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echoes, Satanism and most forms of neo-
Paganism (especially Wicca) are both part of the family of modern
Western magic(k)al religions, with many common roots and many basic
magic(k)al concepts in common. We have natural reasons to be part
of the same magic(k)al community (e.g. occult bookstores and this
computer network). It would be much more pleasant for everyone
concerned if neo-Pagans could get used to Satanists, because you are
going to keep running into more and more of us whether you like it
or not.
Satanism, A Personal Definition
By Delphine
Please keep in mind that Satanism is a *very* individualistic
religion, and if you asked 50 Satanists what Satanism is, you'd probably get 60
different responses. As a solitaire Satanist, I'll have a go at this.. but I'm
pretty bad at trying to summarize what I believe, so please feel free to ask me
questions.
For me, these are the most important things I believe as a Satanist:
*I believe in Satan as a literal entity. Many other Satanists do not,
esp. those from the LaVey school of thought.
*Satan is NOT a fallen angel, or a lesser created being, but instead a
deity with as much power (for lack of a better word) as any other. He is the Shadow,
a Destroying Deity.. and by such destruction,he purifies, for death of anything
leads the way for rebirth. He is a symbol of rebellion, of pride, and of righteous
anger. He brings freedom, in many different ways.
* My first care is to myself, for if I am unable to serve myself, I have no basis by
which to judge the actions of others. I strive for
excellence, in a sense, very close to what Setians call "Xeper".
*I believe in free will, with the understanding that "with freedom comes
responsibility". I do not accept the threefold law, or any specific prohibitions
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like "harm none". In relating to others, I use the rule "do unto others AS they do
unto you". If I am harmed or treated with dishonor, I will not continue to treat
such persons in a way that is more than they deserve. Revenge, at the proper time
and in a fitting manner, is acceptable behavior. If there are consequences to such
revenge, I will accept them responsibly.
*I will endeavor to be honorable about my own actions, and I will expect the same
behavior from others.
*I see Satan in Nature, in the floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, and
tidal waves. I see fundamental laws in Nature, that death is as
necessary as life. I am humbled and empowered by this, for though it
blindly destroys, it is yet a part of me, as deity is immanent and
transcendant to me. Satan the transcendant is that excellence that I
strive for, Satan the immanent is the spark in me that strives.
* I am polytheistic. The divine, to me, is like a jewel with many
facets, each a part of us, each with something to teach us. No such
lesson, to me , is greater or lesser than any other; but are instead
more or less appropriate for a person at a given time.
There is a great deal more I could say, and in greater detail, but this covers a
large part of Satanism to me. Of course, I'm sure that Diane Vera, Sheryl, Balanone,
and others will have different beliefs than I do. It seems that individualism and
personal pride seem to be the link between most serious Satanists.
-Qapla'
Delphine
The Wiccan Rede (WCC)

Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must,


in perfect love and perfect trust
Live ye must and let to live,
fairly take and fairly give
Form the circle thrice about,
to keep unwelcome spirits out
To bind the spell well every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch,
speak ye little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
sing and dance the Wiccan rune
Widdershins go by the waning moon,
chanting out the baleful tune
When the Lady's moon is new,
kiss the hand to her times two
When the moon rides at Her peak,
then the heart's desire seek
Heed the north wind's mighty gale,
lock the door and trim the sail
When the wind comes from the south,
love will kiss kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the west,
departed souls will have no rest
When the wind blows from the east,
expect the new and set the feast
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
burn them quick and burn them slow
Elder be the Lady's tree,
burn it not or cursed you'll be
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When the wheel begins to turn,
soon the Beltain fires will burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule,
light the log the Horned One rules
Heed ye flower, bush and tree,
by the Lady blessed be
Where the rippling waters flow,
cast a stone and the truth you'll know
When you have and hold a need,
hearken not to others' greed
With a 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 anow,
wear the star upon thy brow
True in love you must ever be,
lest thy love be false to thee
These eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,
An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will

Orphic invocations of Goddess & God

Bright Blessings to all...


Here are invocations to the Goddess and God that I have used
quite successfully in ritual. They are from the Orphic Hymns,
for those who like historical accuracy, but have been updated just
a tad, for those who like ritual with modern applications.
Hope you enjoy them.
Invocation to the Goddess
Divine are Your honors, Oh Mother of the Gods and Nurturer of All.
Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions and,
O Mighty Goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers.
Many named and reverend, You are the Queen of the Sky.
In the cosmos, Your throne is above all others, for You are

Queen of the Earth, and You give gentle nourishment to mortals.


Goddesses, Gods, and mortals were born of You,
And You hold sway over the rivers and all of the sea.
Hestia, Gaia, Demeter, Inanna, Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Persephone, Diana,
Giver of prosperity who bestows upon mortals all manner of gifts,
Come to this Rite, Queen whom the drum delights.
Honored and loving Nurturer of Life,
Joyfully and graciously visit our deeds of piety.
Blessed Be.
Invocation to the God
Hear Our Prayer, O best and Many-Named God.
Fine-haired, solitary, and full of lovely song;
Many shaped and noble nurturer of all,
Maiden and yout in one, unwithering bloom, O Adonis
You vanish and grow again in the fair seasons' turn.
Kurnunnos, Pan, Myrddhn, two horned Spirit of growth and blooming;
Much loved and wept for are you,
O Fair and Youthful Hunter of the luxuriant mane.
Desire is in Your mind and You come to the Goddess
in reverence and respect,
in sensuous joy is your desire fulfilled
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You are the seed planted in the depths of the Underworld
That springs forth, the Green God, that we may sustain our lives.
You sacrifice Yourself in gentleness when you are grown.
Come Kind-Hearted One, Come Blesseed God,
and bring much joy to all.
Blessed Be.

Hope you find these beneficial...


Briget Bless...Phaedra.

EAST
(INVOCATION)
Facing East:

Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and call thee
up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of Autumn's sigh
which
heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest time. Breathe into us the
spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be!

Responsorial: So mote it be!


AIR (invocation)
(Celebrant with the incense burner symbolizing the element of air) :
"I am everywhere. I fill the fleshy pouches of your lungs, I stir all
things from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree. I cool you with my
breezes and
destroy you with my storms.
Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "
EAST
(BANISHMENT)
Facing East:
"Guardians of the watchtower of the east, return now to the brisk Autumn
breezes which are brimming with the excitement of the year's climax. Take with you
our
blessings and thanks. Hail and
farewell!

Responsorial: Hail and farewell!

SOUTH (invocation)
Facing South:
Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir, and call thee
up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook fires and smokehouses where
food is being made ready for the coming cold months. Kindle within us the flame of
spiritual awakening. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So Mote it Be!

FIRE (invocation)
(Celebrant with the candle symbolizing the element of fire):
"I live in the guarded embers of campfires and the pilot lights of stoves, I
spring from the lightning and the hands of men, I warm you and I destroy you.
Without me you would die. Am I not holy and
worthy of praise? "

SOUTH (banishing)
Facing South:
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"Guardians of the watchtower of the south, return now to the


dying fires of Autumn's heat soon to give way to Winter's chill. Take with you our
blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell!

Responsorial: Hail and farewell


WEST (invoking)
Facing West:
Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and call thee
up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the rainbow hued morning dew that
covers the fields, and is soon to be frost. Asperge us with your diadems and water
our deepest roots that we may find peace of mind. So mote it be!

Responsorial: So mote it be!


WATER (invocation)
(Celebrant with the water vessel symbolizing the element of water):

"I rise from the moist crevices of the Earth, I beat on the shores of Her body, I
fall from the skies in silver sheets. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and
worthy of praise? " (Celebrant asperges the circle with water)
WEST (banishing)
Facing West:
"Guardians of the watchtower of the west, return now to the
Autumn rains which cool the Earth's fevered brow baked in the heat of Summer
afternoons. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell!

NORTH (invoking)
Facing North:
Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir, and call thee
up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the fertile bosom of our Blessed
Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes may grow to fruition. So mote it be!

Responsorial: So mote it be!

EARTH (invocation)
(Celebrant with the salt vessel symbolizing the element of earth):
"I am your Mother. From me come the fruit and grain and animals which feed
you. I am your support, and my pull on your bodies keeps you held firmly to me.
Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "

NORTH (banishing)
Facing North:
Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, return now to the Earth where
worms burrow deeper and seeds nestle awaiting the long sleep of Winter. Take with
you our
blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell!

Wiccan History
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Wicca is a relatively modern attempt (approximately 50 years old) at
reviving and reconstructing the old pre-Christian religions of Europe. In a
mythopoetic sense it is many centuries old. However, the Witch of 200 years ago
would not recognize what is called "witchcraft" today. Modern Wicca may have some
of its roots in some of the local folk-magic and "family witchcraft" of mid 20th
Century England. It does have traceable roots in the Golden Dawn magical society of
late 19th century England, some of Aleister Crowley's magickal work and some
Ceremonial Magic dating back to Elizabethan times. For a modern history of English
Wicca, the reader can most profitably consult the works of Janet and Stuart Farrar
and Doreen Valiente.
PREHISTORY
Up until recently, the earliest known remnants of human society that give us
any clues to the spiritual dimension of prehistoric man are those belonging to the
Gravettian-Aurignacian cultures of 2500-1500 B.C.E. This is called the Upper
Paleolithic Period. Though most of the sites so far discovered have been found in
Europe, a very important site in Anatolia (modern Turkey) has also been found and is
the (so far) the first or oldest City of Catal Huyuk (pronounced chatal
Hoo-Yook),they form a conjectural foundation for the religion of the goddess as it
emerged in the later Neolithic Age of the Near East. There have been numerous
studies of these Paleolithic cultures, including extensive explorations of the sites
occupied by these peoples, including the apparent rites connected with the disposal
of their dead.
The earliest remains of ancient civilization indicating some form of Goddess
worship were in the caves in Lascaux, France. Here, the first and earliest
non-anthropomorphic divine figures were symbolized by the horse for female Divinity
and the Bison as the male divine influence. This portion of the cave was painted in
approximately 17,000 B.C.E. and sealed approximately 10,000 B.C.E. The
anthropomorphic Goddess figures appear sometime approximately 7,000 B.C.E. The
earliest remains in Catal Huyuk have been reliably carbon dated to 6,500 B.C. and
show some interesting parallels in that the horse was replaced with an
anthropomorphic goddess and the Bison (an ice age animal) has been replaced with the
aurochs bull, ancestor of modern cattle. The anthropomorphic Goddess is an Earth
Mother and the nearby volcanoes (then active) were considered her breasts.1
One major conjecture has been that the concept of the creator of all human
life may have been formulated by the clan's image of women. The reasoning behind
this conjecture lies in the observations in this century of the few remaining
Paleolithic type cultures. These Paleolithic cultures tend to be woman centered
since it is from the women that babies come and the women are absolutely essential
for the continuation of the tribe or clan. Current information also indicates that
it is also probable that the mother was regarded as the sole (or at least primary)
parent of children in this culture, and that there was a definite pattern of
ancestor worship. It is also very probable that ancestry was matrilineal.
The most tangible evidence that these very ancient cultures and their
predecessors worshipped a goddess is the numerous sculptures of women found
throughout most of Europe and the Near east. Some of these sculptures date as far
back as 25,000 B.C.E.! Small female figurines, made of stone, bone and clay (most
seemingly pregnant) have been found throughout the widespread Gravettian-Aurignacian
sites as far apart as Spain, France, Germany, Austria, and Russia spanning an
apparent period of at least 10,000 years. Erich Neumnann, in "The Great Mother"
(p.95) says- "Of the Stone Age sculptures known to us, there are fifty-five female
figures and only five male figures. The male figures, of youths, are atypical and
poorly executed, hence it is certain that they had no significance for the cult.
This fits in with the secondary character of the male godhead, who appeared only
later in the history of religions and derived his divine rank from his mother, the
Goddess."

Johannes Maringer, in his book the "Gods of Prehistoric Man" says- "it
appears highly probable then that the female figurines were idols of a Great Mother
cult, practiced by the non-nomadic Aurignacian mammoth hunters who inhabited the
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immense Eurasian territories that extended from Southern France to Lake Baikal in
Siberia." It was from the Lake Baikal area in Siberia that tribes are believed to
have migrated across the Bering land bridge to North America about this time period,
and formed the nucleus of what was to become the race of North American Indians. In
some primitive societies known to history, the male role in procreation was not
known. Intercourse and pregnancy both begin with puberty, and there was no evident
reason to regard one as the cause of the other. Women were believed to conceive
from the light of the moon or from ancestral spirits.
Neolithic cultures have left a bit more evidence for study and the images
are a bit clearer and less speculative. One good instance of this is the stone age
painting of a priestess officiating over a group of worshippers along with a male
wearing a horned headdress. An interesting point here is that the priestess
pictured is wearing a garter and wielding a ceremonial dagger, much like the ones
used in modern witchcraft. Of course much has been made of this, including a lot of
unfounded speculations on the "ancient connections" of modern witchcraft, but that
is a topic beyond the scope of the present work. The beginnings of Roman religion
are sure to have been based on the Etruscan culture. Ancestor worship was the
earliest form of religion in Rome. Another interesting fact relating to ancient
Matrilineal forms influencing present society is reflected in the Jewish custom
current today that membership comes from the mother's side of a marriage.
The above mentioned goddess images, some as old as 7000 BC, offer silent
testimony to the most ancient worship of a great goddess in the land that is most
often remembered today as the homeland of Judaism and Christianity. In exploring
the influence and importance of the worship of the Goddess in Canaan in biblical
times, we find that as Ashtoreth, Asherah (perhaps the origin of the tribe of
Asher?), Astarte, Attoret, Anath, or simply as Elat or Baalat, she was the principal
deity of such great Canaanite cities as Tyre, Sidon, Ascalon, Beth Anath, Aphaca,
Byblos, and Ashtoreth Karnaim.

In Egypt, the Hebrews had known the worship of the Goddess as Isis or
Hathor. For four generations they had been living in a land where women held a very
high status and the matrilineal descent system continued to function at most
periods.
Judging from the number of Hebrews who emerged from Egypt in the
Exodus, as compared with the family of the twelve sons who supposedly entered it
four generations earlier, it seems likely that a great number of those Hebrews known
as Israelites may actually have been Egyptians, Canaanites, Semitic nomads and other
Goddess-worshipping peoples who had joined together in Egypt. Archaeological
records and artifacts reveal that the religion of the Goddess still flourished in
many of the cities of Canaan long after the Hebrews invaded.

What are some of the modern day applications of this long history of Goddess
worship? For an answer to this, let's look at an encapsulation of the "herstory" of
the legend of the Universal Goddess as taught to the new entrants to the Faerie
Tradition in 20th Century America.

According to the legends of the Faerie, Witchcraft and magick began more
than 35 thousand years ago, when the last ice age in europe began and small bands of
nomadic hunters followed the free-running reindeer and bison herds. They were armed
with but primitive weapons ( Stone Age, remember?), and had to lure or chase the
animals over a cliff or into a pit to kill and eat them. As Starhawk says,"...some
among the clans were gifted, could "call" the herds to a cliff side or a pit, where
a few beasts,in willing sacrifice, would let themselves be trapped."

As the last ice age retreated the tribes of nomadic hunters worshipped the
Goddess of the Wild Things and Fertility and the God of the Hunt.Semipermanent homes
were set up in caves carved out by the glaciers. Shamans and Shamanka conducted
rites within hard to reach portions of the caves, which were painted with scenes of
the hunt, magical symbols and the tribes totem animals.
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The transition from Hunter-Gatherers to agriculturists was reflected in the


change of the "Lady of the Wild Things and Fertility" to the "Barley Mother" and the
"God of the Hunt" to the "Lord of the Grain". The importance of the phases of the
moon and the sun was reflected in the rituals that evolved around sowing, reaping,
and letting out to pasture.
Villages grew into towns and cities and society changed from tribal to
communal to urban. Paintings on the plastered walls of shrines depicted the Goddess
giving birth to the Divine Child - Her son, consort and seed. The Divine Child was
expected to take a special interest in the city dwellers, just as His Mother and
Father had taken an interest in the people who lived away from the cities.
Mathematics, astronomy, poetry, music, medicine, and the understanding of the
workings of the human mind, developed side by side with the lore of the deeper
mysteries.

Far to the east, nomadic tribes devoted themselves to the arts of war and
conquest. Wave after wave of invasion swept over Europe from the Bronze Age onward.
Warrior gods drove the Goddess' people out from the fertile lowlands and the fine
temples, into the hills and high mountains, where they became known as the Sidhe,
the Picts or Pixies, and the Fair Folk or the Fairies. The mythological cycle of
Goddess and Consort, Mother and Child, which had held sway for 30,000 years was
changed to conform to the values of the conquering patriarchies.

In Canaan, Yahweh fought a bloody battle to ensure that his followers had
"no other gods before me." The Goddess was given a masculine name and assigned the
role of a false god. Along with the suppression of the Goddess, women lost most of
the rights they had previously enjoyed.

In Greece, the Goddess in Her many aspects, was "married" to the new gods
resulting in the Olympic Pantheon. The Titans, who the Olympians displaced were
more in touch with the primal aspects of the Goddess.

The victorious Celts in Gaul and the British Isles, adopted many features of
the Old Religion and incorporated them into the Druidic Mysteries. The Faerie,
breeding cattle in the stony hills and living in turf-covered round huts preserved
the Craft. They celebrated the eight feasts of the Wheel of the Year with wild
processions on horseback, singing and chanting along the way and lighting ritual
bonfires on the mountaintops. It was said that the invaders often joined in the
revels and many rural families, along with some royalty, could claim to have Faerie
blood. The College of the Druids and the Poetic Colleges of Ireland and Wales were
said to have preserved many of the old mysteries. ***
In the late 1400's the Catholic Church attempted to obliterate its
competitors, and the followers of the Old Religion were forced to "go underground."
They broke up into small groups called Covens and, isolated from each other, formed
what would later be known as the Family Traditions. Inevitably, parts of the Craft
were forgotten or lost and what survives today is fragmentary.

After nearly five centuries of persecution and terror, came the Age of
Disbelief. Memory of the True Craft had faded as non-members who could remember
how they once had met openly died and those who came after never knew of them. All
that was left were the hideous stereotypes which were ludicrous, laughable or
just plain tragic. With the repeal of the last Witchcraft Act in England in 1954,
the Craft started to re-emerge as an alternative to a world that viewed the planet
as a resource to be exploited.

Janet and Stewart Farrar, in the introduction to The Witches Goddess say of
the modern re-emergence of the Goddess " ..may well prove to be one of the most
significant spiritual, psychic and psychological developments of our lifetime".
They have since done a wonderful job of presenting an overview of the ascendancy and
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history of the expression of the masculine principle of deity as e pressed by Male
God-forms and Gods with their book The Witches' God. What do the Farrars consider
this "masculine principle" to be? "...it represents the linear-logical,analyzing,
fertilizing aspect, with its emphasis on Ego-consciousness and individuality, while
the feminine principle represents the cyclical-intuitive, synthesizing, formative,
nourishing aspect, with its emphasis on the riches of the unconscious, both Personal
and Collective, and on relatedness."

As mankind started to develop his cultures in directions that were more male
dependent in the nature of the cultures, the emphasis in religion shifted to become
more male god than female goddess oriented. As this happened, the Goddess(es) lost
ground to the God(s). At first, the female aspect merely became secondary to the
male, but eventually the male took over and dominated to the total exclusion of the
female, particularly in western society as we know it today. "The first major
god-form to claim a monopoly of divinity was the Hebrew Yahweh, from which in due
course sprang the Christian and Moslem forms." "Dr. Raphael Patai, in his books Man
and Temple and The Hebrew Goddess shows that the Goddess Asherah was worshipped
alongside Yahweh as his wife and sister in the Temple at Jerusalem for 240 of the
360 years the temple complex existed, and her image was publicly displayed there."
There is also evidence that the Jewish community at elephantine in egypt
acknowledged two goddess-wives of Yahweh, and also there still remains in Ezekiel
(xxiii)a metaphorical reference to a pair of wives, where Yahweh condemns the
"whoredom" of two sisters who "became mine and bore me sons and daughters".
MY WICCA
By Durwydd MacTara
My RELIGION is Wicca, my LIFE-STYLE is Witchcraft! I believe in
a supreme being that is both Immanent and Transcendent, that is
expressing itself within AND without. However, I also believe that
trying to define/describe such an infinite Divine Being in finite terms to be a
waste of time and energy. I CAN describe my perceptions of the Ultimate in terms of
the energies that I work with and find significant in my daily living. My style and
methods of relating to what I can perceive of these Divine Energies are what I
describe as my RELIGION. How I apply these insights gained via my religious
practices, I term my CRAFT.
The name for my religion is derived from the Saxon root "wicce"
(pronounced "witchy") and is loosely translated as "Wise". The word
"Wicca" was first used in modern times in England by Gerald B. Gardner
to describe/define an attempt at restoring "the old wisdom" of pre-
Christian beliefs and practice into a modern context in the 1940's.
Ergo, I could call my religion "wisdom" and my style of application of
this wisdom "wise-craft" or more simply, "The Craft of the Wise".

For the sake of convenience and easy understanding, I divide the


expressions of the Divine Energies into two groups; that of the active
positive (symbolically "male") energies represented to me by the stag
horned Lord of the Forest, and those of a more passive, nurturing, or
"negative" polarity represented to me by the Threefold Goddess.
Approaching my perceptions of the universe and its energies in this way allows me to
break them down into "bite sized chunks", applicable to my daily life in a mundane
world, and what good is ANY belief system if it is not of immediate and practical
use here and now?
So what are some of the beliefs and practices of this religion
called Wicca, and how do I apply them to my daily life? What does it
all mean? The following explanation is based on a press statement
released by the American Council of Witches released in the early
1970's, with some editing on my part to reflect my own beliefs and
practices.
=================================
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BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT

1. The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the


ethic,
"AN IT HARM NONE, DO AS THOU WILL"
a) love is not emotional in it's essence, but is an
attribute of the individual as expressed in relation
to other beings;
b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed.
Thought is included here, because for the Witch,
"thoughts are things" and every action, even thoughts,
can become magical actions, whether consciously intended
or not;
c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself,
though it is permissable to harm self in helping others,
should one so choose;
d) the harm which is to be regarded as unethical is
gratuitous harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm,
although it is ethical to defend oneself and one's
liberty when threatened by real and present danger,
such as personal defense or defense of another WHEN REQUESTED.
2. The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the
universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual;
everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every action there is a
reaction; all can be categorized as either active or reactive in relation to other
things.
a) The Infinite and Ultimate Godhead is one unique and
transcendent wholeness, beyond any limitations or expressions;
thus, it is beyond our human capacity to understand and identify
with this principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is
revealed to us in terms of It's attributes and operation.

b) One of the most basic and meaningful attribute of the One


that we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is
that of polarity, of action and reaction; therefore
Witches recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but
worship and relate to the Divine as the archetypal
polarity of God and Goddess, the All-Father and the
Great Mother of the universe. The Beings are as near as
we can approach to the One within our human limitations
of understanding and expression, though it is possible to
experience the divine Oneness through the practices of the
Mysteries.
c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice,
but the balanced, dynamic, poised co-operation and
co-relationship.
3. The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the Law of Cause
and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and every effect has it's cause. All
things occur according to this law; nothing in the universe can occur outside this
law, though we may not always appreciate the relation between a given effect and
it's cause. Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which states that whatever goes
forth must return threefold, whether of good or ill; for our actions affect more
than people generally realize, and the resulting reactions are also part of the
harvest.
4. As Above, So Below. That which exists in the Macrocosm exists, on
a smaller scale and to a lesser degree, in the Microcosm. The powers
of the universe exist also in the human, though in general instance they
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lie dormant. The powers and abilities can be awakened and used if the
proper techniques are practiced, and this is why initiates of the
Mysteries are sworn to guard the secrets from the unworthy: Much harm
can be done by those who have power without responsibility, both to
others and to themselves according to the Laws of Cause and Effect and
of Threefold Return.
a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the
physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be
nothing in the universe which does not partake of the
nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes
of the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much
smaller degree.

b) These powers can be awakened through the various


techniques of the Mysteries, and, although they are only
capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is
possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of
the universe. Thus humanity can be the wielders of the
power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within
It's own manifestation. This, many feel, is further reason
for the oath of secrecy.
c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing
many of the same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the
principles through and by which the One operates. By
reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn
of the Divine, and thus of oneself. By experiencing the Mysteries
a person can truly LEARN more about the One. Thus the Craft is a
natural religion as well as a MYSTERY religion, seeing in Nature
the expression and revelation of Divinity.
5. We know that everything in the universe is in movement or vibration
and is a function of that vibration. Everything vibrates; all things
rise and fall in a tidal system that reflects the motion inherent in the universe
and also in the atom. Matter and energy are but two poles of one continuous
phenomenon. Therefore the Witch celebrates, harmonizes with, and makes use of the
tides of the universe and of life as expressed through the cycle of the seasons and
the motion of the solar system. These ritual observances are the eight great
Festivals of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Further, the Witch
works with the forces and tides of the Moon, for this body is the mediator of much
energy to our planet Earth and thus to ourselves.
6. Nothing is dead matter in the universe. All things exist,
therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner from
that which we are used to calling life. In view of this, the Witch
knows that there is no true death, only change from one condition to
another. The universe is the body of Godhead, and therefore
possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things partake of the
consciousness, in varying levels of trance/awareness.
a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to
the Witch, for all partake of the one Life.
b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature
is part of us as we are a part of Nature.
7. Throughout the development of the human race, civilizations have
seen and worshipped many and various attributes of the Divine. These
universal forces have been clothed in forms which were expressive to the worshipper
of the attribute of the Godhead which they expressed. Use of these symbolic
representations of the natural and divine forces of the universe, or god forms, is a
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potent method for contacting and utilizing the forces they represent. Thus the Gods
are both natural and truly divine, and man-made in that the forms with which they
are clothed are products of humanity's striving to know the Godhead.

a) In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms


are brought into harmony by the one great Law which
states: All Gods are one God. All Goddesses are one
Goddess. There is one Initiator. This law is an
expression of our understanding that all of the forces of
the universe, by whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to
clothe and relate to whichever force, can be resolved
into the fundamental polarity of the Godhead, the Great
Mother and the All-Father.

b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing


ethnic sources or periods, which is the basis of many of
the differences between the various Traditions of the
Craft. Each Tradition uses the forms, and thus the names,
which to that Tradition best express and awaken an
understanding of the force represented, according to the
areas of emphasis of the Tradition.

c) Because we know that differing names or


representations are but expressions of the same divine
principles and forces, we require our members to swear
that they will never mock the names by which another
honors the Divine, even though those names be different
from and seemingly less expressive than the names and god
forms used by our Tradition (for to the members of
another Tradition, using it's names, ours may easily seem
equally less expressive).
8. A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great
guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of the
Divine, thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind. The Witch
expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and accepts the consequences of them;
guilt is rejected as inhibiting to one's self-actualization, and replaced by the
efforts of the Witch to obey the teachings of harmlessness, responsibility for the
consequences of one's actions, and the goal of actualizing the full powers of the
individual.
a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born
innately sinful, and recognize the concepts of sin and
guilt are tremendously inhibiting to the human potential;
the consequences of the Law of Cause and Effect, called
karma by some, are not punishment, but the recurrences of
situations and their effects because the individual has
not gained the Wisdom needed to handle or avoid such
situations.
b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make
of our life on Earth, and likewise there is no hell
except the effects of our unwise actions. Many of us believe
in a "waiting place" sometimes called Summerland where we rest,
recuperate and prepare for our next sojurn in the earth. "Death
is not followed by punishment or reward, but by life and the
continuing personal evolution of our human potential.

c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can,


however, cut oneself off from it through the rejection of
wisdom and a refusal to strive for self-realization.
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This cutting off does not lead to personal suffering in
"hell", for there is no Self to suffer if the tie to
one's own divinity has been severed; what remains is
merely an empty shell, a "personality" or thought-form
devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire.
9. We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all living things, that
is, all that exists. We know that a spark of this Divine Fire is within each and
every thing that exists, and that it does not die; only the form of it's existence
changes. We know that this spark of the life-force returns to manifestation again
and again in order to fully realize and actualize it's potential, evolving finally
to the peak and essence of existence which is pure being. In this process of
reincarnation each form returns in the same type of form, though it's
ever-increasing actualization may lead to higher levels of existence of that form.
Man returns as man, cat as feline, mineral as mineral, each class of form evolving
as the individual forms of that class evolve.
10. This process of evolution through successive incarnations in
manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, the
essence of the life-experience. This essence of experience, or Wisdom,
is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and inseparable.
11. We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of
life, the form by which we attain. Thus we must heal the body of it's
ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal others
(both physically and psychologically) as far as it is within our power
to do so. However, we cannot interfere with the life of another, even
to heal, except at their request or with their express permission. The reasoning
behind this apparent limitation is that we are endowed with Free Will, and what the
Gods themselves hesitate to infringe upon, is best left alone by us "mere" mortals.
13. Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the
universe is called magick. By magick we speak, not of the super-
natural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and applications
are not as yet recognized by the scientific establishment. The Witch
must strive to recognize these forces, learn their laws, attune
her/himself to them, and make use of them. The Witch must also be aware that power
corrupts when used _only_ for the gains of the self, and therefore must strive to
serve humanity: Either through the service in the Priesthood, or by example and
effects of his/her life on others. The choice must be made in accord with the true
nature of the Witch.

MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective


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."


(American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various
forces and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship of
all gods." (American Heritage Second College Dic tionary)

"Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (Ameri


can Heritage Second College Dictionary)

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"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 therefore 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.
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 Collec-
tibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper

The Gawain Poet (the poet who wrote Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight in Middle English) used the term 'Dryghtyn' to refer to the Lord God.

At the start of fit IV -


"Now neghes the Newe Yere and the night passes,
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The day drives to the derk, as Dryghtyn biddes."
("Now approaches the New Year and the night passes,
The daylight comes up on the darkness, as the Lord God bids."

or from Brian Stowes verse translation (Penguin Classics, 1974) -


"Now the New Year neared, the night passed,
Daylight fought darkness as the Deity ordained.")

Grendel Grettison, 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.
Supporting this view, the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word was actually 'dryhtin',
meant 'lord, the Lord' and is linguistically related to 'dreogan' meaning 'to
perform, to serve'.

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 relatively 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?
Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) illuminating
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 recognition 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 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.

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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 "Cthonotheism" 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

Air Meditation

(taken from the WICCA echo on Sun 24 Jan 93 22:17)


It is dawn. I find myself in a forest filled with Aspen trees.
I raise my eyes and look for the sky, but the boughs looming
overhead hide it from my view. As I look up, feel the cool
breeze of spring brush my face, and hear the sound of the
rustling leaves. Blowing, laughing from the east, Eurus brings
thoughts of renewal and life. I follow the wind further into the
soft shadows of the forest, inhaling deeply the strong scent of
the trees. I smell, too, the wafting hints of fragrant incense.
I follow where my senses lead me and come to a small clearing
circled by burning censers filled with sweet-smelling oils.
Toward the east end of the circle is a staff. I walk over to the
place and sit on the ground before it. I take the staff into my
hands and close my eyes. First come swirling colors of white
then yellow then fading darker into lavender. Then, out of the
swirling fog of colors come dozens of small, lithe figures who
swirl around as if carried on the wind itself. They dance around
my head and body, swirling around as if caught in a dance to
unheard music. Then, taking my attention from the spirits of the
air, I look up to find further figures emerging from the mist.
First comes a woman with the beauty of the dawn. As she steps
forward, each of the four winds, in turn, hasten from around here
and fly, one to each of the four corners of the earth. As she
fades, there comes another whose form seems insubstantial, and
seems to constitute both the image of a woman and a cow at the
same time. I look closely the attempt to solidify one form, but
I cannot. As this image fades, I am presented with the forms of
two women who immediately remind me of the nighttime sky. One
glows with the pale light of the full moon, and her eyes hold the
fullness of hidden knowledge. The other, whom also seems to
radiate cool starlight, seems to embody the possibilities of many
lifetimes. In due course, these figures too fade and I am left
with only the mist of the elemental world of air. Suddenly,
three male figures issue from the mist. They seem to be three
aspects of one man, but each's attributes differ. The first
glows with the light of the moon, seeming to be its protector.
The second and third appear almost identical, except that one has
a winged helmet and shoes. As I sit and study the sameness and
difference of the three, they begin to fade, as does the fog.
When the mist clears, I find myself sitting within the circle
still clutching the staff in my hands. I place the staff once
again on the ground and rise. I thank the element of air, and
all it is associated with for sharing with me its wisdom, and
leave the circle.

Charis
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---
* PALLAS ATHENA, Atlanta, Georgia 404-920-1349 (93:9603/0)

Re: Symbolism
Classification: IT.IV.C.2.e
Title: Symbolism
Author: Grand Master of the Order of Shuti
Temple of Set
Date: December, XXIV
Published: Dialogues I.3
(The section on "Neters" was published in
issue I.4)
Subject: Symbolism
Reading List: 2L, 2V
[copyright 1989, Temple of Set. Permission for electronic distribution by echo and
on PODS has been given by the author. Do not copy or distribute further without
permission of the author or the Temple of Set.]

The first session of the year-XXIV Order of Shuti Workshop discussed symbolism.

While the study of symbolism itself is not a primary concern of the Order of Shuti,
several of the Order's activities do involve working with forms of symbolism, or are
discussed using various symbols.
The symbols of the twin lion gods, Shu and Tefnut, who together are
Shuti, are obviously of importance in understanding the activities
of the Order. The topic of symbolism was therefore chosen for the
introductory session of the workshop.
Application
In discussing this session and what would be discussed, the Grand
Master stressed that symbolism wasn't to be discussed simply as an
intellectual exercise, but that all participants should try to
apply the Setian yardstick of "application" to this discussion.
Each and every topic of this session (and all sessions in the
workshop) should be measured by the questions of a) Can it be
applied? b) Is it useful? c) Does it work?
What is symbolism?
One answer suggested by workshop participants is that symbolism is
a language of the unconscious.
It is a dynamic language in which one image, a single symbol, can
conjure up archetypical impressions, complex or complete concepts
and/or meanings, rather than being a structured language in which
many words and/or several sentences are needed to put together an
equivalent concept or meaning.
Another purpose of symbolism offered by the participants is to
serve as a metalanguage which has two levels or multiple levels of
meaning.

Each symbol or set of symbols can have one meaning to the


initiated, and another meaning to the uninitiated. That symbol or
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set of symbols could also have /different/ meanings to the
initiated, depending upon how the symbols are communicated, and how
they are mixed with other symbols. A statement in a symbolic
language could even have multiple meanings communicated at the same
time to the same person.
A lot of the symbols Setians use in our writings are like that.
When we read through the _Scroll of Set_ or the jewelled Tablets,
those of us who have been using the language of the Temple of Set
for a while will see certain words, and will know just from the way
the words are used that the author is writing symbolically as well
as grammatically, and he therefore means "this type of thing".
This symbolic use of language lets us add meaning to an article
without adding substantially to the size of that article.
Those who haven't been in the Temple of Set long enough to pick up
on that symbolic use of language will miss almost all of that
meaning on their first reading.
This is one of the reasons why we all find it useful to reread past
issues of the _Scroll_ and to reread Tablet articles. It enables
us to read meaning in an article that we may have missed on an
earlier reading.
It sometimes happens that "unintended" meaning is found in an
article during such a rereading.
Even though the author may not have consciously intended to convey
a certain meaning, that author's Higher Self may have influenced
the writing in such a way as to symbolically give a specific
message in the writing. These messages remain hidden except for
those who can perceive and understand them.
On the other side of the scale, if our writings are read by someone
totally unfamiliar with occult symbolism, then the message can be
totally lost, and the reader may never see it.
Symbolism can be visual (examples are the Pentagram of Set,
pictures of the Egyptian Neters, etc), and verbal (the closing we
use on our letters, "Xeper and Remanifest", is a statement and
reminder of our dedication to this Formula, a way of developing and
keeping the habit of Xeper and Remanifestation going strong).
Each Word itself is a symbol (Xeper, Indulgence, Thelema, etc.),
as is each Neter (Shu, Tefnut, Sekhmet, Bast). A lot of principles
can be used as symbols which have more meaning to the initiated
than they do to those who just read about them in a dictionary.
Visual and verbal/written symbols involve just one of our senses
(sight). If you include verbal/spoken symbols, we then involve a
second sense (hearing). We then asked the question, "Are there
symbols which are perceived and communicated through each of our
other senses?"

The first examples offered by workshop participants were incense


and music: Incense can bring about different emotions and responses
through the sense of smell. Music can bring about different
responses through the sense of hearing, in ways totally different
than the verbal symbols do (the difference between right brained
behavior and left brained behavior).

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Where does symbolism come from?
When dealing with incense and music, we are leaving the mental
processes and intellectual reactions that visual symbols will
evoke, and going instead to the more reactive, bodily, reactions.
We react to the smell of bodily feces with distaste because of the
body's reaction to that sort of an input. We find the fragrance
of a rose very pleasing.
One of the reasons we use fragrant incenses during a ritual is to
bring about bodily reactions which enhance a ceremony because of
the smells and our reactions to the smells.
The discussion of one question leads to another. We learn the
reactions / interpretations / meanings of visual and verbal symbols
(at least those discussed above). Do we also learn reactions to
incenses and music, or are those reactions more innate?
The first response was that our reactions and interpretations, even
our likes and dislikes of music are learned.
The example given was classical music, which strikes some people
as very soothing and relaxing, and which is likely to put these
people to sleep. But others who are aware of the intelligent
dynamics and many other ingredients of classical music will find
the same music very stimulating.
(We believe that the workshop participant was thinking about the
lighter classical pieces, such as "Tales from the Vienna Woods,"
and not the more active pieces such as "Night on Bald Mountain.")
The second response disagreed with the first, pointing out that
regardless of whether they are used in classical, modern, or any
other form of music, harps and strings tend to evoke emotional
(peaceful) moods, while drums are more primal and physical, evoking
more active responses.
The next example we discussed referred to the sense of smell. To
a farmer, feces and fertilizer are pleasing and filled with
promise, a smell of promised growth and life, a totally different
reaction than most people will have (especially after scraping a
dog's refuse off the bottom of one's shoe).
Similarly, an inlander's first pleasant reaction to sea gulls on
wing, grace in motion, can be compared to the reaction of those who
live on the beach and have to live with the noise and the mess and
the droppings left behind by those very same sea gulls.
These examples tend to support the theory that we learn our
interpretations of the sounds and smells around us.
It seems from these examples that our reactions to inputs are
learned, or at least they arise from our experiences. The question
then becomes, can symbols have innate visceral responses, or is the
response to a symbol necessarily a learned one?
To look at innate responses, the original responses to stimuli, we
necessarily looked at children.
For instance, children generally have no innate response to feces,
and will often eat them until they learn not to. They later learn
to either react with disgust to feces, or to view them as
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fertilizer and the source of life.
The first example of a possibly innate response brought to the
discussion was that of the ephemeral beauty of a butterfly on the
wing. None of the participants could envision any child's reaction
other than awe and delight at such beauty (or at least none would
admit to any other vision).
This brought forth remarks concerning innate childish "awe", where
almost everything is new and wonderful.
Children as they begin to distinguish between the multiple events
and objects in their world are simply delighted at the beauty and
diversity they find around them. There is no "evil" during this
time -- only the beauty of nature.
Few of us have any reason to unlearn this initial response to the
butterfly. These reactions can therefore be considered innate,
stemming from the earliest days of our consciousness. Other
reactions, unpleasant reactions and also more complex reactions,
seem to be learned over time.
Therefore, there's some of both types of reactions. People will
have initial reactions to many meaningful symbols and inputs, but
their reactions can be modified by their experience and training.
This discussion raised yet more questions, for which no answers
were attempted during this workshop. The questions were, how much
of our symbolism is learned, and how much of our symbolism is
innate? And if some form of consciousness or memory can survive
from one life to another, then how much might be remembered from
past lives?
Symbols may or may not come to one's attention. An extremely
visually-oriented person may not notice or respond to other types
of symbols, such as a room's smell, or a background level of music,
while those who are oriented towards those senses will respond to
those inputs, but perhaps not to others.
Symbolism may have personal and/or experiential meaning (such as
the manure used to plant your garden or that you step in), or
symbolism may be abstract (learned and used in writing, teaching,
or jewelry, but not something that's impacted upon you in the
past). This is the difference between a) the visceral response,
which may be innate and may also be a learned response, modified
through experience or training, and b) the mental response which
must always be learned or developed.

The Grand Master wishes to note that the discussion at this point
had unintentionally left the strict topic of symbolism, and was
dealing instead with experience and reaction to stimuli, on the
unspoken assumption that these reactions applied to our use of
symbolism.

We feel this to be a valid assumption, since the pleasant reaction


we have to a butterfly or to a unicorn extends to and impacts our
use of those images as symbols. Those with differing reactions to
sea gulls as described above would similarly have different
reactions to Johnathon Livingston Seagull's story.

Also, by concentrating on experience and reaction rather than


symbolism, we temporarily lost sight of the most important measure
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of symbolism -- that of meaning.
Yes, music has impact, but that music is symbol only if its impact
includes meaning, such as the sense of freedom and power that
accompanies the visual image of the "Flight of the Valkyries" and
similar images of meaning those who are familiar with the movie
will get from various pieces in the sound track from 2001.
Likewise incense is symbol only if its impact includes meaning.

That meaning may be supplied by the smell, or that meaning may be


supplied by knowledge of the ingredients within the incense.
Meaning may also be supplied by the words used during the censing
of the chambre. Without some meaning, incense is not symbol, but
only smell.
Closely related to the sense of smell is the sense of taste, and
it's fairly easy to see that certain tastes can have meaning as
well.
During Passover Seder, a ritual meal of thanksgiving and freedom
(celebrating the Exodus), Jews will dip greens into salt water and
eat the salty greens, to remind them of tears shed by the Jews in
bondage. They will eat bitter herbs to remind them of the
bitterness of slavery.
Likewise, there can be kinesthetic symbols as well.
We feel different when we hold a sword in ritual as opposed to when
we hold a dagger. We feel different when we are standing up than
we feel when we are sitting down, and different still when we are
kneeling or laying down. We feel different in charged rooms, dry
rooms, wet rooms, hot rooms, cold rooms, still rooms, breezy rooms.
Uncontrolled, these latter experiences are just stimuli.
Controlled and used meaningfully, these latter experiences can be
symbols, manipulated and understood as such.
How should symbolism be used?
The first obvious use of symbolism is in the communication of
ideas, whether written, spoken, or communicated through one or more
other senses.

Based on the idea that a single symbol can have a whole galaxy of
meaning, a useful communications skill is the ability to use
symbols in the proper places, in the proper ways, to communicate
more meaning in a smaller package (with fewer words).
Perhaps of greatest importance within the Temple of Set are the
magical aeonic Words: Xeper, Remanifestation, and Xem, and the
preceding Words of Indulgence and Thelema. By using these Words
in writing or other forms of communication, we communicate the
meanings associated with those Words.

If I say the word "Xeper" to an initiate, it means something


totally different than it would mean to someone off the street, and
it means something totally different to a Setian than it would mean
to an Egyptologist who /thinks/ he knows the Egyptian god Xepera.
Our use of the Word is quite different and the symbol carries so
much more meaning than just the word "Xeper" would carry in a
modern Egyptian dictionary.

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This use of symbolism doesn't apply just to magical Words or
Formulae, but applies to symbols of many different kinds, in many
different uses.
You'll sometimes find certain words capitalized in text, as are
"Words" and "Formulae" above. When not overly used, this is a
clear indication that the author wishes you to view these words
with their symbolic meanings, rather than their normal meanings.
During group ritual, certain words will be spoken more
flamboyantly, perhaps louder, perhaps longer, and often with more
gesturing. These words are then generally being used symbolically,
with special meaning at least to the speaker, if not to other
participants.
Symbolism can also be used in Lesser Black Magic, as tools to
influence certain people (singular or multiple) in certain ways.
The magician (or politician or religious leader or arts director
or other manipulator) will use lighting, music, fragrance, and
other symbols in ways particular to their audience's response to
the symbols.
Symbolism can be used upon ourselves in a similar manner, to bring
out responses from us that we want to bring out, as in ritual or
as an aid to Xeper.
Words which have become symbols to us can be used as a means of
increased concentration, as a visual mantra or as a sensual mantra.
Such mantras can be used in ritual, in nonritual meditation, or
whenever we choose to remind ourselves of the principles carried
within that symbol.
Over time, some symbols can become richer and can carry more and
more meaning to those people who work with the symbol.

These symbols can become "magnetic", in that each use of the symbol
brings forth yet another repetition of the symbol. Each reference
brings forth a constellation of meaning, with one meaning and use
leading to another. Each use of the symbol sparks, or attracts,
another use of the symbol.
In these cases the symbols will often be repeated over and over
throughout a conversation or other communication, each time
exercising one or more of those meanings, and through the course
of the communication this symbol can almost hold or reflect an
entire world view. This is the way the people influenced by the
symbol see their world.
At a political rally the symbol might be "America", "Democracy",
or "the Party" (citizens of other countries may substitute those
symbols meaningful in your domain). To some, the symbol might be
"the Environment".
The symbol "Xeper" has a similar impact within the Setian culture.

Group consensus is important for communication through symbols.


Different groups can have differing uses of symbols, and attempts
to communicate between these groups using the symbols particular
to one group (or those symbols which are viewed differently by
different groups) can result in confusion or worse.
Because Setians come from such diverse backgrounds, we have various
communication problems related to these diverse backgrounds.
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Members from the O.T.O. may know all of the Qabalic
correspondences, while members from the Wiccan background couldn't
care less about the Qabalic attributions, and have correspondences
which are totally different. Numerologists apply different
meanings to their numbers than do the Qabalists. And all of these
symbolic systems work.
But very, very few of them work for all Setians.
Qabalists within the Temple of Set who write articles and/or
letters steeped in Qabalic symbolism find that very few others care
enough about their symbols to wade through the text. Those from
other backgrounds with intensive use of symbols similarly find
difficulty communicating within the Temple of Set, since our
symbolic vocabulary is so much less cohesive.
This lack of similarity in symbolism affects not only written
communication, but also ritual activity.
Each pylon seems to develop its own pattern of symbolism, and
inter-pylon rituals can at times be very difficult. Fitting many
diverse magicians with their diverse backgrounds into one
meaningful ceremony can be a challenge, a challenge faced at each
Conclave, and at each activity like the Order of Shuti Workshop.

Language of the Unconscious?{fn 1}


The first question asked by the Grand Master was, "What is
symbolism?" The first answer received was, "A language of the
unconscious."
Parts of the workshop's discussion might seem to support this
definition, while others contradict it. So let the Grand Master
speak:
Symbols have many attributes. Among the more important of these
attributes is their ability to cause reaction in their audience,
visceral if not innate reactions, as discussed above.
Elizabeth S. Helfman, in her book _Signs and Symbols around the
World_, defines symbol as being: "anything that stands for
something else."
Look in your dictionary. Mine includes several definitions of
symbol and symbolism, including:
>> Symbol: 2: something that stands for or suggests something
else
by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental
resemblance. 5: an act, sound, or object having cultural
significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response.
>> Symbolism: 1: the art or practice of using symols esp. by
investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the
invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous
representations; as a: the use of conventional or traditional
signs
in the representation of divine beings and spirits, b: artistic
imitation or invention that is a method of revealing or
suggesting
immaterial, ideal, or otherwise intangible truth or states. 2: a
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system of symbols or representations.
Symbolism is an art, a practice, something which is done. It is
used to communicate meaning. It is a language.
Our visceral responses to symbolism may be unconscious, but if
that's all there is, then have we received and/or responded to
meaning?
The transmission and communication of *Meaning* requires some
form
of consciousness.
Let's use the word /Awake/ to mean the highest form of
consciousness. Remember -- the capital letter indicates I'm
using
a symbol; Setian use of this specific symbol (Awake) most often
refers to Ouspenski's heightened state of consciousness and
awareness, a state of being totally awake.

For simplicity, let's assign a whole range of various levels of


conscious awareness to the name "conscious". This name can apply
to heightened states of consciousness which those we would call
Awake, those that barely miss being Awake, down to the almost
somnabulent states in which most of mankind spends their day.
Finally, I would call the preconscious state one of consciousness
in this case, a state in which meaning can be received,
interpreted, and acted upon, without the individual being
"consiously" aware that this has happened. But if the
individual's
attention is brought to the subject, then the symbol and its
meaning can be recalled and the process repeated without any
difficulty.
If symbols are generated and communicated, if they are
transmitted
and received, in one of these three states, then I believe we can
correctly talk about symbolism, about language.
However, if the generation and/or reception of the symbol is
unconscious, and/or totally unintended, then I propose that that
instance is not an example of symbolism, not language or
communication, but rather the accidental generation of and/or
visceral response to sensory input.
[Now let us return to the discussion as it took place in the
workshop...]
Planetary Symbol System?
We know there are differences in the meanings of many symbols.
"Patriotism" can be exceedingly important to a Republican and
also
to a Libertarian, but the meanings that this symbol will have can
be quite different in many ways.
This leads us to ask the question of whether there might perhaps
be a "planetary symbol system" in which some symbols at least can
be found commonly used in many or all cultures.
The cross, square, circle, and most or all simple symbols have
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been
found in use all over the earth. We therefore can ask whether
their meanings are similar, or are the symbols used simply
because
they are simple geometric figures, but with meanings arbitrarily
assigned by the individual cultures?
One participant brought forth Ouspenski's example that "Table"
has
a function, an innate form or essence, which can be perceived
beyond words, and beyond a learned experience.
"Table" provokes an image, feeling, or essence that is evoked
through a willed perception that extends beyond the actual set of
tables that a person may have ever experienced.

Ouspenski claims that at a certain state of consciousness the


Aware
individual can see this deeper meaning or essence, and that this
deeper meaning or essence can be commonly perceived by all who
reach this level of consciousness.
Similar ideas were offered by Plato, and the concept of Platonic
Forms is very prevalent throughout the Setian use of symbolism.
We often speak of the Egyptian Neters as being Forms, the
original or specific essence of an Ideal.
This is certainly an area that needs deeper investigation. The
workshop session discussion however left the topic of abstract
Forms, and instead investigated the historic use of symbols in
various cultures.
Looking first at the more complex god forms, it seems each major
culture has a "trickster" god: Coyote fills this niche in several
Amerindian cultures, Loki in the Norse mythos, and Thoth (Hermes
and Mercury) in the Egyptian (Greek and Roman) mythologies.
The Trickster is that Spirit who makes you Think. He is the Spirit
who is unpredictable in his actions or reactions, who gets himself
and everyone else into trouble. In the process of doing so -- most
often after everyone is already in trouble -- he makes people
Think, and in the end he generally gets everyone out of trouble by
thinking.
To represent the Trickster, each culture used that type of symbol
or god form which for them was most appropriate for that type of
character.
The coyote is a fairly independent and hard to track animal in
America, requiring more than the usual amount of intelligence and
stealth to catch. Monkeys similarly were appreciated for their
seeming intelligence and playfulness, and so Egyptians assigned the
Trickster attribute and the monkey's form to Thoth.
The question becomes ... is this type of being, this symbol,
something which is universal, cross-cultural, or is it something
which happens in just a few cases, and many other societies never
had any use for it?
Jung was exploring this area. He defined specific symbols which
he felt were common to many or all cultures. They were fairly
common within his culture and Jung did manage to validate them with
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some cross-cultural study.
We still need to ask how complete his studies were, how extensive
and wide spread.
Given people in extremely different environments, such as the
Eskimo, Hawaiian, Indian, Tibetan, etc., cultures where the people
have many different experiences, totally different social and
physical environments, it can be expected that these people would
have very different reactions to the symbols that Jung thought he
had commonality on.

Jung's _Man and his Symbol_ was recommended by one participant as


containing documentation on his cross-cultural studies in this
area.
Not having access to any resource materials that would answer our
questions at the time, the workshop session then proceeded into the
topic of Egyptian Neters and the use of Neters in symbolism.
Neters
The Workshop discussion of Egyptian Neters started with a brief
discussion of the Egyptian languages.
The ancient Egyptians used three different written languages, the
hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic.
The demotic language was a mostly alphabetic language used for
common communications among those who could read and write. Its
primary uses were for social and business reasons.
The hieratic language was a pictographic language related to the
hieroglyphic, but in which the pictographs were abbreviated and
simplified to speed writing. It was used for important state
documents and many later religious texts.
The hieroglyphic language was the most ornate of the three
languages, the most ancient of the three languages, and the most
symbolic. It was used for the most important religious and
philosophical statements, and for the most important state
declarations.
Many of the symbols used to form the hieroglyphic language had
assigned sounds, and many others did not. In addition to the
sounds and symbols used to form words, the Egyptians used
determinatives, signs added to specifically identify each word.
Through the use of the determinative, it was impossible to mistake
one written word for another, even if verbal sounds were the same,
even if the letters used were the same.
This use of a purely symbolic, picture-oriented language encouraged
the ability in the learned ancient Egyptians to think with right
brained methods while doing the left brain activity of reading.
It also encouraged these educated and intelligent Egyptians to work
with symbols as they worked with language. They were able to
communicate ideas and ideals in a language particularly well suited
to this purpose.
Setians use the ancient Egyptian neters as symbols, representing
aspects of the world, or aspects of the individual. We feel this
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is very close to the way the higher initiates of the ancient
Egyptian Temples, the priests of the Temples, and the smarter
pharaohs used and viewed their neters. The neters were concepts
that could be communicated to and shared among the initiated,
rather than being actual gods and goddesses.

The common man may very well have believed in the literal existence
of his many gods and goddesses, but we believe the elite of the
Egyptian society understood that these neters were purely symbols.
When the Egyptian elite paid homage to the neters, they paid homage
to the aspects of the universe or of the self represented by those
neters.
One neter of obvious importance is Set. In dealing with this
symbol, we try to identify the original meaning of the symbol, and
try to eliminate the corruptions of the symbol imposed by the later
rule of Osirian religion.
Rather than take space here to discuss the corruptions and
distortions that were applied to the symbol of the neter Set
through the Osirian culture, we'll simply refer the interested
student to appropriate books in the reading list: 2A, 2E, 2G, 2W,
and 2AA.
It is rather clear that the use and peripheral meanings of the
neter Set changed over time. The study of Set must therefore
include the careful consideration of the source of whatever
writings are being studied. Fortunately most other Egyptian
symbols/god forms did not change significantly over time, and such
care need not be used in studying and working with them.
The neters were used and viewed as symbols. But the Egyptian
temples _were_ temples, and were recognized as religions, not
simply as centers of enlightened philosophy. This brings up the
question: Do/did the Egyptian Neters actually exist? Were these
religions founded to worship or work with beings that actually
existed? Or were they simply the creations of the ancient Egyptian
priesthoods?
Rather than tackle immediately the question of whether the Neters
actually existed, workshop participants first chose to examine ...
Egyptian Priesthoods
The first statement made about these priesthoods was that each
temple in Egypt taught a different area of philosophy or knowledge.
Those temples dedicated to a major neter or god taught that their
primal Form was the First Cause. These were the major temples of
the land, and an initiate who studied at temple after temple would
be presented with the opposing claims that each god was the god,
The Creator.
We noted in our discussion that the priesthoods of several of the
"minor" neters did not make any such claims. Thoth as a single
neter never seemed to be treated as the creator god; nor was Geb.
However, many of the major neters were treated as creator gods, and
many gods were intentionally combined into units (such as
Amon-Thoth-Ra) in order to form a god which would be powerful
enough to qualify as The creator god.

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Neters as Symbols
We returned to discussing the neters as ways of viewing possibility
and potentiality, and ways of viewing different aspects of the
universe and of the individual.
For example, Ra, the sun god, was a most pervasive and powerful
being, since every single day, there he is in the sky. Ra was
consistent, reliable, and therefore powerful.
Similarly each force in nature was given a personality, because
each force in nature has a personality (or seems to, to those who
humanize such things). This is the basic principle behind most
spirits of most animistic religions.
These personalities are generally reliable. A rain cloud is going
to rain; it isn't going to add to the day's heat. The Nile was not
going to dry up -- it was going to overflow once a year, and
deposit good, rich, fertile earth upon the ground. Each force of
nature, each personality, was given a name, a face, and a story.
The most powerful stories, faces, and names are those that belong
to the creator gods. There are so many creator gods, that it's
really difficult to pin down an actual order of precedence.

This brings up the fact that there are many apparently conflicting
stories within the Egyptian mythology.
The Grand Master pointed out that in several Egyptian myths, Shu
and Tefnut are self-created. In others they were created by tears
of the master creator god (whoever he happened to be according to
the story teller). In yet others they were created by the master
god's masturbation.
Shu and Tefnut by definition are the first male and female. The
master god's masturbation in these latter stories was always male
masturbation, but Shu is the first male. Shu and Tefnut begat Geb
and Nut, but Nut was the all-pervasive universal sky that preceded
the first god...
This confusion is the result of centuries of Egyptian story
telling, and while some of it appears to be contraditory, most of
it is useful. We certainly must hesitate to consider this
mythology as one consistent symbolism, and must be careful if we
wish to communicate consistent meanings using these symbols, but
we have found value in this mythology.
Each story is a different way of looking at the world, a different
way of looking at the first cause, and of looking at the symbols.
By using these symbols, we can then indicate not only a symbol, but
also which way we are looking at the world.
Hence, if in ritual or other communication we call upon
Ptah-Geb-Nu, we are calling upon the creator of the earth and sky,
the god who created the physical universe. If instead we call upon
the Neter Ra-Ptah-ankh, we are calling upon the god who brought
light and life to this planet.

Having discussed these differing views of the world as expressed


by the many symbolic neters, we felt that this was a good point
from which to launch into a discussion of one of the ways in which
we look at Neters.
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Set, the prime source of intelligence and the ageless intelligence
himself, is a wee bit complex for someone a mere 20 or even 200
years old to understand, regardless of whether we look at Set as
an actually existing being or instead as a master symbol.
So rather than try to encompass all of Set, intellectually or
emotionally, rather than try to understand all of Set, we can work
with neters which are facets of Set's being, facets of Set's
symbolism. Each neter can be thought of as a specific element of
Set.
As examples, Shu is one set of symbolism, one set of ideas, that
an initiate can work with to "get somewhere" with, to accomplish
certain initiatory goals. Tefnut is another set of ideas, as is
Geb, Isis, etc.
Rather than trying to encompass and work with the entire universe
simultaneously, grab whatever you can hold onto, work with that
handful, study that symbol or symbols, and see what it leads to.
We had originally intended to discuss whether or not the Neters
might or might not exist in their own right. Having discussed the
above, it seemed somewhat unimportant as to whether the Neters
actually exist. That topic will be left for a later discussion.

Bibliography
While the following books and papers were not necessarily discussed
nor referenced during the workshop discussion (or in completing
this article), the initiate interested in studying symbolism as a
subject on its own would be well advised to begin with this
bibliography. Additions to this bibliography are welcome, and
should be sent to the Grand Master. (_RT_ entries are from _The
Ruby Tablet of Set_.)
Barrett, Ronald K., "Book of Opening the Way (Key #4)". _RT_
IT.II.A.5.b.(1).(d).
Barrett, Ronald K., "Stele of Xem". _RT_ IT.II.A.4.a.(3).
Cavendish, Richard, _The Black Arts_. 4C (TS-3).
Crowley, Aleister, _The Book of Thoth_. 9L (TS-4).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Her-Bak_. 2L (TS-1).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Symbol and the Symbolique_. 2V (TS-4).

Fisher, Leonard Everett, _Symbol Art: Thirteen Squares, Circles,


and Triangles from Around the World_. NY: Four Winds Press,
MacMillan Publishing Company, 1985.
Helfman, Elizabeth S., _Signs and Symbols Around the World_. NY:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., 1967.
Jung, Carl G., _Man and his Symbols_. Garden City: Doubleday &
Co., 1964, 1968. Also NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1968, and London:
Aldus Books, 1964.
Menschel, Robert, "Remanifestation: A Symbolic Syntheses", _RT_
IT.II.B.3.e.(2).
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Menschel, Robert, "Tarot Primer", _RT_ IT.II.B.3.e.(3).
Norton, Lynn, "Golden Section Tarot Working", "Atu XV: The Devil",
and "The Dialogue". _RT_ IT.II.A.3.k.(1), 4.h.(1), and 4.h.(2).
Regardie, Israel, _777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister
Crowley_. 9M (TS-4).
Schaefer, Heinrich, _Principles of Egyptian Art_. 2R (TS-4).
=========
Footnote:
=========

1. The Grand Master wishes to digress temporarily from the


workshop's discussion, and to comment at this time on one of the
first statements offered during this discussion.

***********************************************************
INVESTIGATOR'S GUIDE TO ALLEGATIONS OF "RITUAL" CHILD ABUSE
***********************************************************

January 1992
Kenneth V. Lanning
Supervisory Special Agent

Behavioral Science Unit


National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
Federal Bureau of Investigation
FBI Academy
Quantico, Virginia 22135

*************************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction.
2. Historical Overview.
-- a. "Stranger Danger".
-- b. Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse.
-- c. Return to "Stranger Danger".
-- d. The Acquaintance Molester.
-- e. Satanism: A New Form of "Stranger Danger".
3. Law Enforcement Training.
4. Definitions.
-- a. What is Ritual?
-- b. What is "Ritual" Child Abuse?
-- c. What Makes a Crime Satanic, Occult, or Ritualistic?
5. Multidimensional Child Sex Rings.
-- a. Dynamics of Cases.
---- (1) Multiple Young Victims.
---- (2) Multiple Offenders.
---- (3) Fear as a Controlling Tactic.
---- (4) Bizarre or Ritualistic Activity.
-- b. Characteristics of Multidimensional Child Sex Rings.
---- (1) Female Offenders.
---- (2) Situational Molesters.
---- (3) Male and Female Victims.
---- (4) Multidimensional Motivation.
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---- (5) Pornography and Paraphernalia.
---- (6) Control through Fear.
-- c. Scenarios.
---- (1) Adult Survivors.
---- (2) Day Care Cases.
---- (3) Family/Isolated Neighborhood Cases.
---- (4) Custody/Visitation Disputes.
-- d. Why Are Victims Alleging Things that Do Not Seem to be True?
6. Alternative Explanations.
-- a. Pathological Distortion.
-- b. Traumatic Memory.
-- c. Normal Childhood Fears and Fantasy.
-- d. Misperception, Confusion, and Trickery.
-- e. Overzealous Intervenors.
-- f. Urban Legends.
-- g. Combination.
7. Do Victims Lie About Sexual Abuse and Exploitation?
-- a. Personal Knowledge.
-- b. Other Children or Victims.
-- c. Media.
-- d. Suggestions and Leading Questions.
-- e. Misperception and Confusion.
-- f. Education and Awareness Programs.
8. Law Enforcement Perspective.
9. Investigating Multidimensional Child Sex Rings.
-- a. Minimize Satanic/Occult Aspect.
-- b. Keep Investigation and Religious Beliefs Separate.
-- c. Listen to the Victims.
-- d. Assess and Evaluate Victim Statements.
-- e. Evaluate Contagion.
-- f. Establish Communication with Parents.
-- g. Develop a Contingency Plan.
-- h. Multidisciplinary Task Forces.
-- i. Summary.
10. Conclusion.
11. References.
12. Suggested Reading.
1. INTRODUCTION
Since 1981 I have been assigned to the Behavioral Science Unit at
the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and have specialized in
studying all aspects of the sexual victimization of children. The
FBI Behavioral Science Unit provides assistance to criminal justice
professionals in the United States and foreign countries. It
attempts to develop practical applications of the behavioral
sciences to the criminal justice system. As a result of training and
research conducted by the Unit and its successes in analyzing
violent crime, many professionals contact the Behavioral Science
Unit for assistance and guidance in dealing with violent crime,
especially those cases considered different, unusual, or bizarre.
This service is provided at no cost and is not limited to crimes
under the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI.
In 1983 and 1984, when I first began to hear stories of what sounded
like satanic or occult activity in connection with allegations of
sexual victimization of children (allegations that have come to be
referred to most often as "ritual" child abuse), I tended to believe
them. I had been dealing with bizarre, deviant behavior for many
years and had long since realized that almost anything is possible.
Just when you think that you have heard it all, along comes another
strange case. The idea that there are a few cunning, secretive
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individuals in positions of power somewhere in this country
regularly killing a few people as part of some satanic ritual or
ceremony and getting away with it is certainly within the realm of
possibility. But the number of alleged cases began to grow and grow.
We now have hundreds of victims alleging that thousands of offenders
are abusing and even murdering tens of thousands of people as part
of organized satanic cults, and there is little or no corroborative
evidence. The very reason many "experts" cite for believing these
allegations (i.e. many victims, who never met each other, reporting
the same events), is the primary reason I began to question at least
some aspects of these allegations.

I have devoted more than seven years part-time, and eleven years
full-time, of my professional life to researching, training, and
consulting in the area of the sexual victimization of children. The
issues of child sexual abuse and exploitation are a big part of my
professional life's work. I have no reason to deny their existence
or nature. In fact I have done everything I can to make people more
aware of the problem Some have even blamed me for helping to create
the hysteria that has led to these bizarre allegations. I can accept
no outside income and am paid the same salary by the FBI whether or
not children are abused and exploited - and whether the number is
one or one million. As someone deeply concerned about and
professionally committed to the issue, I did not lightly question
the allegations of hundreds of victims child sexual abuse and
exploitation.
In response to accusations by a few that I am a "satanist" who has
infiltrated the FBI to facilitate cover-up, how does anyone (or
should anyone have to) disprove such allegations? Although reluctant
to dignify such absurd accusations with a reply, all I can say to
those who have made such allegations that they are wrong and to
those who heard such allegations is to carefully consider the
source.
The reason I have taken the position I have is not because I support
or believe in "satanism", but because I sincerely believe that my
approach is the proper and most effective investigative strategy. I
believe that my approach is in the best interest of victims of child
sexual abuse. It would have been easy to sit back, as many have, and
say nothing publicly about this controversy. I have spoken out and
published on this issue because I am concerned about the credibility
of the child sexual abuse issue and outraged that, in some cases,
individuals are getting away with molesting children because we
can't prove they are satanic devil worshippers who engage in
brainwashing, human sacrifice, and cannibalism as part of a large
conspiracy.
There are many valid perspectives from which to assess and evaluate
victim allegations of sex abuse and exploitation. Parents may choose
to believe simply because their children make the claims. The level
of proof necessary may be minimal because the consequences of
believing are within the family. One parent correctly told me, "I
believe what my child needs me to believe."
Therapists may choose to believe simply because their professional
assessment is that their patient believes the victimization and
describes it so vividly. The level of proof necessary may be no more
than therapeutic evaluation because the consequences are between
therapist and patient. No independent corroboration may be required.
A social worker must have more real, tangible evidence of abuse in
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order to take protective action and initiate legal proceedings. The
level of proof necessary must be higher because the consequences
(denial of visitation, foster care) are greater.

The law enforcement officer deals with the criminal justice system.
The levels of proof necessary are reasonable suspicion, probable
cause, and beyond a reasonable doubt because the consequences
(criminal investigation, search and seizure, arrest, incarceration)
are so great. This discussion will focus primarily on the criminal
justice system and the law enforcement perspective. The level of
proof necessary for taking action on allegations of criminal acts
must be more than simply the victim alleged it and it is possible.
This in no way denies the validity and importance of the parental,
therapeutic, social welfare, or any other perspective of these
allegations.
When, however, therapists and other professionals begin to conduct
training, publish articles, and communicate through the media, the
consequences become greater, and therefore the level of proof must
be greater. The amount of corroboration necessary to act upon
allegations of abuse is dependent upon the consequences of such
action. We need to be concerned about the distribution and
publication of unsubstantiated allegations of bizarre sexual abuse.
Information needs to be disseminated to encourage communication and
research about the phenomena. The risks, however, of intervenor and
victim "contagion" and public hysteria are potential negative
aspects of such dissemination. Because of the highly emotional and
religious nature of this topic, there is a greater possibility that
the spreading of information will result in a kind of self-
fulfilling prophesy.
If such extreme allegations are going to be disseminated to the
general public, they must be presented in the context of being
assessed and evaluated, at least, from the professional perspective
of the disseminator and, at best, also from the professional
perspective of relevant others. This is what I will attempt to do in
this discussion. The assessment and evaluation of such allegations
are areas where law enforcement, mental health, and other
professionals (anthropologists, folklorists, sociologists,
historians, engineers, surgeons, etc.) may be of some assistance to
each other in validating these cases individually and in general.
2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
In order to attempt to deal with extreme allegations of what
constitute child sex rings, it is important to have an historical
perspective of society's attitudes about child sexual abuse. I will
provide a brief synopsis of recent attitudes in the United States
here, but those desiring more detailed information about such
societal attitudes, particularly in other cultures and in the more
distant past, should refer to Florence Rush's book _The Best Kept
Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children_ (1980) and Sander J. Breiner's
book _Slaughter of the Innocents_ (1990).
Society's attitude about child sexual abuse and exploitation can be
summed up in one word: *denial*. Most people do not want to hear
about it and would prefer to pretend that child sexual victimization
just does not occur. Today, however, it is difficult to pretend that
it does not happen. Stories and reports about child sexual
victimization are daily occurrences.

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It is important for professionals dealing with child sexual abuse to
recognize and learn to manage this denial of a serious problem.
Professionals must overcome the denial and encourage society to deal
with, report, and prevent sexual victimization of children.

Some professionals, however, in their zeal to make American society


more aware of this victimization, tend to exaggerate the problem.
Presentations and literature with poorly documented or misleading
claims about one in three children being sexually molested, the $5
billion child pornography industry, child slavery rings, and 50,000
stranger-abducted children are not uncommon. The problem is bad
enough; it is not necessary to exaggerate it. Professionals should
cite reputable and scientific studies and note the sources of
information. If they do not, when the exaggerations and distortions
are discovered, their credibility and the credibility of the issue
are lost.
-- a. "STRANGER DANGER".
During the 1950s and 1960s the primary focus in the literature and
discussions on sexual abuse of children was on "stranger danger" -
the dirty old man in the wrinkled raincoat. If one could not deny
the existence of child sexual abuse, one described victimization in
simplistic terms of good and evil. The "stranger danger" approach to
preventing child sexual abuse is clear-cut. We immediately know who
the good guys and bad guys are and what they look like.
The FBI distributed a poster that epitomized this attitude. It
showed a man, with his hat pulled down, hiding behind a tree with a
bag of candy in his hands. He was waiting for a sweet little girl
walking home from school alone. At the top it read: "Boys and Girls,
color the page, memorize the rules." At the bottom it read: "For
your protection, remember to turn down gifts from strangers, and
refuse rides offered by strangers." The poster clearly contrasts the
evil of the offender with the goodness of the child victim.
The myth of the child molester as the dirty old man in the wrinkled
raincoat is now being reevaluated, based on what we now know about
the kinds of people who victimize children. The fact is a child
molester can look like anyone else and even be someone we know and
like.
There is another myth that is still with us and is far less likely
to be discussed. This is the myth of the child victim as a
completely innocent little girl walking down the street minding her
own business. It may be more important to dispel this myth than the
myth of the evil offender, especially when talking about the sexual
exploitation of children and child sex rings. Child victims can be
boys as well as girls, and not all victims are little "angels".

Society seems to have a problem dealing with any sexual abuse case
in which the offender is not completely "bad" or the victim is not
completely "good". Child victims who, for example, simply behave
like human beings and respond to the attention and affection of
offenders by voluntarily and repeatedly returning to the offender's
home are troubling. It confuses us to see the victims in child
pornography giggling or laughing. At professional conferences on
child sexual abuse, child prostitution is almost never discussed. It
is the form of sexual victimization of children most unlike the
stereotype of the innocent girl victim. Child prostitutes, by
definition, participate in and often initiate their victimization.
Furthermore child prostitutes and the participants in child sex
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rings are frequently boys. One therapist recently told me that a
researcher's data on child molestation were misleading because many
of the child victims in question were child prostitutes. This
implies that child prostitutes are not "real" child victims. In a
survey by the _Los Angeles Times_, only 37 percent of those
responding thought that child prostitution constituted child sexual
abuse (Timnik, 1985). Whether or not it seems fair, when adults and
children have sex, the child is always the victim.
-- b. INTRAFAMILIAL CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.
During the 1970s, primarily as a result of the women's movement,
society began to learn more about the sexual victimization of
children. We began to realize that most children are sexually
molested by someone they know who is usually a relative - a father,
step-father, uncle, grandfather, older brother, or even a female
relative. Some mitigate the difficulty of accepting this by adopting
the view that only members of socio-economic groups other than
theirs engage in such behavior.
It quickly became apparent that warnings about not taking gifts from
strangers were not good enough to prevent child sexual abuse.
Consequently, we began to develop prevention programs based on more
complex concepts, such as good touching and bad touching. the
"yucky" feeling, and the child's right to say no. These are not the
kinds of things you can easily and effectively communicate in fifty
minutes to hundreds of kids packed into a school auditorium. These
are very difficult issues, and programs must he carefully developed
and evaluated.
In the late 1970s child sexual abuse became almost synonymous with
incest, and incest meant father-daughter sexual relations.
Therefore, the focus of child sexual abuse intervention became
father-daughter incest. Even today, the vast majority of training
materials, articles, and books on this topic refer to child sexual
abuse only in terms of intrafamilial father-daughter incest.
Incest is, in fact, sexual relations between individuals of any age
too closely related to marry. It need not necessarily involve an
adult and a child, and it goes beyond child sexual abuse. But more
importantly child sexual abuse goes beyond father-daughter incest.
Intrafamilial incest between an adult and child may be the most
common form of child sexual abuse, but it is not the only form.

The progress of the 1970s in recognizing that child sexual abuse was
not simply a result of "stranger danger" was an important
breakthrough in dealing with society's denial. The battle, however,
is not over. The persistent voice of society luring us back to the
more simple concept of "stranger danger" may never go away. It is
the voice of denial.
-- c. RETURN TO "STRANGER DANGER".
In the early 1980s the issue of missing children rose to prominence
and was focused primarily on the stranger abduction of little
children. Runaways, throwaways, noncustodial abductions, nonfamily
abductions of teenagers - all major problems within the missing
children's issue - were almost forgotten. People no longer wanted to
hear about good touching and bad touching and the child's right to
say "no". They wanted to be told, in thirty minutes or less, how
they could protect their children from abduction by strangers. We
were back to the horrible but simple and clear-cut concept of
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"stranger danger".
In the emotional zeal over the problem of missing children, isolated
horror stories and distorted numbers were sometimes used. The
American public was led to believe that most of the missing children
had been kidnapped by pedophiles - a new term for child molesters.
The media, profiteers, and well-intentioned zealots all played big
roles in this hype and hysteria over missing children.
-- d. THE ACQUAINTANCE MOLESTER.
Only recently has society begun to deal openly with a critical piece
in the puzzle of child sexual abuse - acquaintance molestation. This
seems to be the most difficult aspect of the problem for us to face.
People seem more willing to accept a father or stepfather,
particularly one from another socio-economic group, as a child
molester than a parish priest, a next-door neighbor, a police
officer, a pediatrician, an FBI agent, or a Scout leader. The
acquaintance molester, by definition, is one of us. These kinds of
molesters have always existed, but our society has not been willing
to accept that fact.
Sadly, one of the main reasons that the criminal justice system and
the public were forced to confront the problem of acquaintance
molestation was the preponderance of lawsuits arising from the
negligence of many institutions.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of society's preference for the
"stranger danger" concept is what I call "say no, yell, and tell"
guilt. This is the result of prevention programs that tell potential
child victims to avoid sexual abuse by saying no, yelling, and
telling. This might work with the stranger hiding behind a tree.
Adolescent boys seduced by a Scout leader or children who actively
participate in their victimization often feel guilty and blame
themselves because they did not do what they were "supposed" to do.
They may feel a need to describe their victimization in more
socially acceptable but sometimes inaccurate ways that relieve them
of this guilt.

While American society has become increasingly more aware of the


problem of the acquaintance molester and related problems such as
child pornography, the voice calling us back to "stranger danger"
still persists.

-- e. SATANISM: A NEW FORM OF "STRANGER DANGER".

In today's version of "stranger danger", it is the satanic devil


worshipers who are snatching and victimizing the children. Many who
warned us in the early 1980s about pedophiles snatching fifty
thousand kids a year now contend they were wrong only about who was
doing the kidnapping, not about the number abducted. This is again
the desire for the simple and clear-cut explanation for a complex
problem.

For those who know anything about criminology, one of the oldest
theories of crime is demonology: The devil makes you do it. This
makes it even easier to deal with the child molester who is the
"pillar of the community". It is not his fault; it is not our fault.
There is no way we could have known; the devil made him do it. This
explanation has tremendous appeal because, like "stranger danger",
it presents the clear-cut, black-and-white struggle between good and
evil as the explanation for child abduction, exploitation, and
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abuse.
In regard to satanic "ritual" abuse, today we may not be where we
were with incest in the 1960s, but where we were with missing
children in the early 1980s. The best data now available (the 1990
_National Incidence Studies on Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and
Thrownaway Children in America_) estimate the number of
stereotypical child abductions at between 200 and 300 a year, and
the number of stranger abduction homicides of children at between 43
and 147 a year. Approximately half of the abducted children are
teenagers. Today's facts are significantly different from
yesterday's perceptions, and those who exaggerated the problem,
however well-intentioned, have lost credibility and damaged the
reality of the problem.
3. LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING
The belief that there is a connection between satanism and crime is
certainly not new. As previously stated, one of the oldest theories
concerning the causes of crime is demonology. Fear of satanic or
occult activity has peaked from time to time throughout history.
Concern in the late 1970s focused primarily on "unexplained" deaths
and mutilations of animals, and in recent years has focused on child
sexual abuse and the alleged human sacrifice of missing children. In
1999 it will probably focus on the impending "end of the world".
Today satanism and a wide variety of other terms are used
interchangeably in reference to certain crimes. This discussion will
analyze the nature of "satanic, occult, ritualistic" crime primarily
as it pertains to the abuse of children and focus on appropriate
*law enforcement* responses to it.

Recently a flood of law enforcement seminars and conferences have


dealt with satanic and ritualistic crime. These training conferences
have various titles, such as "Occult in Crime", "Satanic Cults",
'Ritualistic Crime Seminar", "Satanic Influences in Homicide",
"Occult Crimes, Satanism and Teen Suicide", and "Ritualistic Abuse
of Children".

The typical conference runs from one to three days, and many of them
include the same presenters and instructors. A wide variety of
topics are usually discussed during this training either as
individual presentations by different instructors or grouped
together by one or more instructors. Typical topics covered include
the following:

-- Historical overview of satanism, witchcraft, and paganism from


ancient to modern times.

-- Nature and influence of fantasy role-playing games, such as


"Dungeons and Dragons".

-- Lyrics, symbolism, and influence of rock and roll, Heavy Metal,


and Black Metal music.

-- Teenage "stoner" gangs, their symbols, and their vandalism.


-- Teenage suicide by adolescents dabbling in the occult.

-- Crimes committed by self-styled satanic practitioners, including


grave and church desecrations and robberies, animal mutilations, and
even murders.
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-- Ritualistic abuse of children as part of bizarre ceremonies and
human sacrifices.
-- Organized, Traditional, or Multigenerational satanic groups
involved in organized conspiracies, such as taking over day care
centers, infiltrating police departments, and trafficking in human
sacrifice victims.
-- The "Big Conspiracy" theory, which implies that satanists are
responsible for such things as Adolph Hitler, World War II,
abortion, illegal drugs, pornography, Watergate, and Irangate, and
have infiltrated the Department of Justice, the Pentagon, and the
White House.
During the conferences, these nine areas are linked together through
the liberal use of the word "satanism" and some common symbolism
(pentagrams, 666, demons, etc.). The implication often is that all
are part of a continuum of behavior, a single problem or some common
conspiracy. The distinctions among the different areas are blurred
even if occasionally a presenter tries to make them. The information
presented is a mixture of fact, theory, opinion, fantasy, and
paranoia, and because some of it can be proven or corroborated
(symbols on rock albums, graffiti on walls, desecration of
cemeteries, vandalism, etc.), the implication is that it is all true
and documented. Material produced by religious organizations,
photocopies and slides of newspaper articles, and videotapes of
tabloid television programs are used to supplement the training and
are presented as "evidence" of the existence and nature of the
problem.
All of this is complicated by the fact that almost any discussion of
satanism and the occult is interpreted in the light of the religious
beliefs of those in the audience. Faith, not logic and reason,
governs the religious beliefs of most people. As a result, some
normally skeptical law enforcement officers accept the information
disseminated at these conferences without critically evaluating it
or questioning the sources. Officers who do not normally depend on
church groups for law enforcement criminal intelligence, who know
that media accounts of their own cases are notoriously inaccurate,
and who scoff at and joke about tabloid television accounts of
bizarre behavior suddenly embrace such material when presented in
the context of satanic activity. Individuals not in law enforcement
seem even more likely to do so. Other disciplines, especially
therapists, have also conducted training conferences on the
characteristics and identification of "ritual" child abuse. Nothing
said at such conferences will change the religious beliefs of those
in attendance. Such conferences illustrate the highly emotional
nature of and the ambiguity and wide variety of terms involved in
this issue.
4. DEFINITIONS
The words "satanic", "occult", and "ritual" are often used
interchangeably. It is difficult to define "satanism" precisely. No
attempt will be made to do so here However, it is important to
realize that, for some people, any religious belief system other
than their own is "satanic". The Ayatollah Khomeini and Saddam
Hussein referred to the United States as the "Great Satan". In the
British Parliament a Protestant leader called the Pope the
Antichrist. In a book titled _Prepare For War_ (1987), Rebecca
Brown, M.D. has a chapter entitled "Is Roman Catholicism
Witchcraft?" Dr. Brown also lists among the "doorways" to satanic
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power and/or demon infestation the following: fortune tellers,
horoscopes, fraternity oaths, vegetarianism, yoga, self-hypnosis,
relaxation tapes, acupuncture, biofeedback, fantasy role-playing
games, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, judo, karate, and rock
music. Dr. Brown states that rock music "was a carefully
masterminded plan by none other than Satan himself" (p. 84). The
ideas expressed in this book may seem extreme and even humorous.
This book, however, has been recommended as a serious reference in
law enforcement training material on this topic.

In books, lectures, handout material, and conversations, I have


heard all of the following referred to as satanism:
-- Church of Satan
-- Ordo Templi Orientis
-- Temple of Set
-- Demonology
-- Witchcraft
-- Occult
-- Paganism
-- Santeria
-- Voodoo
-- Rosicrucians
-- Freemasonry
-- Knights Templar
-- Stoner Gangs
-- Heavy Metal Music
-- Rock Music
-- KKK
-- Nazis
-- Skinheads
-- Scientology
-- Unification Church
-- The Way
-- Hare Krishna
-- Rajneesh
-- Religious Cults
-- New Age
-- Astrology
-- Channeling
-- Transcendental Meditation
-- Holistic Medicine
-- Buddhism
-- Hinduism
-- Mormonism
-- Islam
-- Orthodox Church
-- Roman Catholicism

At law enforcement training conferences, it is witchcraft, santeria,


paganism, and the occult that are most often referred to as forms of
satanism. It may be a matter of definition, but these things are not
necessarily the same as traditional satanism. The worship of lunar
goddesses and nature and the practice of fertility rituals are not
satanism. Santeria is a combination of 17th century Roman
Catholicism and African paganism.

Occult means simply "hidden". All unreported or unsolved crimes


might be regarded as occult, but in this context the term refers to
the action or influence of supernatural powers, some secret
knowledge of them, or an interest in paranormal phenomena, and does
not imply satanism, evil, wrongdoing, or crime. Indeed,
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historically, the principal crimes deserving of consideration as
"occult crimes" are the frauds perpetrated by faith healers, fortune
tellers and "psychics" who for a fee claim cures, arrange
visitations with dead loved ones, and commit other financial crimes
against the gullible.

Many individuals define satanism from a totally Christian


perspective, using this word to describe the power of evil in the
world. With this definition, any crimes, especially those which are
particularly bizarre, repulsive, or cruel, can be viewed as satanic
in nature. Yet it is just as difficult to precisely define satanism
as it is to precisely define Christianity or any complex spiritual
belief system.

-- a. WHAT IS RITUAL?

The biggest confusion is over the word "ritual". During training


conferences on this topic, ritual almost always comes to mean
"satanic" or at least "spiritual". "Ritual" can refer to a
prescribed religious ceremony, but in its broader meaning refers to
any customarily-repeated act or series of acts. The need to repeat
these acts can be cultural, sexual, or psychological as well as
spiritual.

Cultural rituals could include such things as what a family eats on


Thanksgiving Day, or when and how presents are opened at Christmas.
The initiation ceremonies of fraternities, sororities, gangs, and
other social clubs are other examples of cultural rituals.

Since 1972 I have lectured about sexual ritual, which is nothing


more than repeatedly engaging in an act or series of acts in a
certain manner because of a *sexual* need. In order to become
aroused and/or gratified, a person must engage in the act in a
certain way. This sexual ritual can include such things as the
physical characteristics, age, or gender of the victim, the
particular sequence of acts, the bringing or taking of specific
objects, and the use of certain words or phrases. This is more than
the concept of M.O. (Method of Operation) known to most police
officers. M.O. is something done by an offender because it works.
Sexual ritual is something done by an offender because of a need.
Deviant acts, such as urinating on, defecating on, or even
eviscerating a victim, are far more likely to be the result of
sexual ritual than religious or "satanic" ritual.

From a criminal investigative perspective, two other forms of


ritualism must be recognized. The _Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders_ (DSM-III-R) (APA, 1987) defines "Obsessive-
Compulsive Disorder" as "repetitive, purposeful, and intentional
behaviors that are performed in response to an obsession, or
according to certain rules or in a stereotyped fashion" (p. 247).
Such compulsive behavior frequently involves rituals. Although such
behavior usually involves noncriminal activity such as excessive
hand washing or checking that doors are locked, occasionally
compulsive ritualism can be part of criminal activity. Certain
gamblers or firesetters, for example, are thought by some
authorities to be motivated in part through such compulsions. Ritual
can also stem from psychotic hallucinations and delusions. A crime
can be committed in a precise manner because a voice told the
offender to do it that way or because a divine mission required it.

To make this more confusing, cultural, religious, sexual, and


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psychological ritual can overlap. Some psychotic people are
preoccupied with religious delusions and hear the voice of God or
Satan telling them to do things of a religious nature. Offenders who
feel little, if any, guilt over their crimes may need little
justification for their antisocial behavior. As human beings,
however, they may have fears, concerns, and anxiety over getting
away with their criminal acts. It is difficult to pray to God for
success in doing things that are against His Commandments. A
negative spiritual belief system may fulfill their human need for
assistance from and belief in a greater power or to deal with their
superstitions. Compulsive ritualism (e.g., excessive cleanliness or
fear of disease) can be introduced into sexual behavior. Even many
"normal" people have a need for order and predictability and
therefore may engage in family or work rituals. Under stress or in
times of change, this need for order and ritual may increase.
Ritual crime may fulfill the cultural, spiritual, sexual, and
psychological needs of an offender. Crimes may be ritualistically
motivated or may have ritualistic elements. The ritual behavior may
also fulfill basic criminal needs to manipulate victims, get rid of
rivals, send a message to enemies, and intimidate co-conspirators.
The leaders of a group may want to play upon the beliefs and
superstitions of those around them and try to convince accomplices
and enemies that they, the leaders, have special or "supernatural"
powers.
The important point for the criminal investigator is to realize that
most ritualistic criminal behavior is not motivated simply by
satanic or any religious ceremonies. At some conferences, presenters
have attempted to make an issue of distinguishing between "ritual",
"ritualized", and "ritualistic" abuse of children. These subtle
distinctions, however, seem to be of no significant value to the
criminal investigator.
-- c. WHAT IS "RITUAL" CHILD ABUSE?
I cannot define "ritual child abuse" precisely and prefer not to use
the term. I am frequently forced to use it (as throughout this
discussion) so that people will have some idea what I am discussing.
Use of the term, however, is confusing, misleading, and
counterproductive. The newer term "satanic ritual abuse"
(abbreviated "SRA") is even worse. Certain observations, however,
are important for investigative understanding.
Most people today use the term to refer to abuse of children that is
part of some evil spiritual belief system, which almost by
definition must be satanic.
Dr. Lawrence Pazder, coauthor of _Michelle Remembers_, defines
"ritualized abuse of children" as "repeated physical, emotional,
mental, and spiritual assaults combined with a systematic use of
symbols and secret ceremonies designed to turn a child against
itself, family, society, and God" (presentation, Richmond, Va., May
7,1987). He also states that "the sexual assault has ritualistic
meaning and is not for sexual gratification".

This definition may have value for academics, sociologists, and


therapists, but it creates potential problems for law enforcement.
Certain acts engaged in with children (i.e. kissing, touching,
appearing naked, etc.) may be criminal if performed for sexual
gratification. If the ritualistic acts were in fact performed for
spiritual indoctrination, potential prosecution can be jeopardized,
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particularly if the acts can be defended as constitutionally
protected religious expression. The mutilation of a baby's genitals
for sadistic sexual pleasure is a crime. The circumcision of a
baby's genitals for religious reasons is most likely *not* a crime.
The intent of the acts is important for criminal prosecution.
Not all spiritually motivated ritualistic activity is satanic.
Santeria, witchcraft, voodoo, and most religious cults are not
satanism. In fact, most spiritually- or religiously-based abuse of
children has nothing to do with satanism. Most child abuse that
could be termed "ritualistic" by various definitions is more likely
to be physical and psychological rather than sexual in nature. If a
distinction needs to be made between satanic and nonsatanic child
abuse, the indicators for that distinction must be related to
specific satanic symbols, artifacts, or doctrine rather than the
mere presence of any ritualistic element.
Not all such ritualistic activity with a child is a crime. Almost
all parents with religious beliefs indoctrinate their children into
that belief system. Is male circumcision for religious reasons child
abuse? Is the religious circumcision of females child abuse? Does
having a child kneel on a hard floor reciting the rosary constitute
child abuse? Does having a child chant a satanic prayer or attend a
black mass constitute child abuse? Does a religious belief in
corporal punishment constitute child abuse? Does group care of
children in a commune or cult constitute child abuse? Does the fact
that any acts in question were performed with parental permission
affect the nature of the crime? Many ritualistic acts, whether
satanic or not, are simply not crimes. To open the Pandora's box of
labeling child abuse as "ritualistic" simply because it involves a
spiritual belief system means to apply the definition to all acts by
all spiritual belief systems. The day may come when many in the
forefront of concern about ritual abuse will regret they opened the
box.
When a victim describes and investigation corroborates what sounds
like ritualistic activity. several possibilities must be considered.
The ritualistic activity may be part of the excessive religiosity of
mentally disturbed, even psychotic offenders. It may be a
misunderstood part of sexual ritual. The ritualistic activity may be
incidental to any real abuse. The offender may be involved in
ritualistic activity with a child and also may be abusing a child,
but one may have little or nothing to do with the other.
The offender may be deliberately engaging in ritualistic activity
with a child as part of child abuse and exploitation. The
motivation, however, may be not to indoctrinate the child into a
belief system, but to lower the inhibitions of, control, manipulate,
and/or confuse the child. In all the turmoil over this issue, it
would be very effective strategy for any child molester deliberately
to introduce ritualistic elements into his crime in order to confuse
the child and therefore the criminal justice system. This would,
however, make the activity M.O. and not ritual.
The ritualistic activity and the child abuse may be integral parts
of some spiritual belief system. In that case the greatest risk is
to the children of the practitioners. But this is true of all cults
and religions, not just satanic cults. A high potential of abuse
exists for any children raised in a group isolated from the
mainstream of society, especially if the group has a charismatic
leader whose orders are unquestioned and blindly obeyed by the
members. Sex, money, and power are often the main motivations of the
leaders of such cults.
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-- c. WHAT MAKES A CRIME SATANIC, OCCULT, OR RITUALISTIC?
Some would answer that it is the offender's spiritual beliefs or
membership in a cult or church. If that is the criterion, why not
label the crimes committed by Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in
the same way? Are the atrocities of Jim Jones in Guyana Christian
crimes?
Some would answer that it is the presence of certain symbols in the
possession or home of the perpetrator. What does it mean then to
find a crucifix, Bible, or rosary in the possession or home of a
bank robber, embezzler, child molester, or murderer? If different
criminals possess the same symbols, are they necessarily part of one
big conspiracy?
Others would answer that it is the presence of certain symbols such
as pentagrams, inverted crosses, and 666 at the crime scene. What
does it mean then to find a cross spray painted on a wall or carved
into the body of a victim? What does it mean for a perpetrator, as
in one recent case profiled by my Unit, to leave a Bible tied to his
murder victim? What about the possibility that an offender
deliberately left such symbols to make it look like a "satanic"
crime?
Some would argue that it is the bizarreness or cruelness of the
crime: body mutilation, amputation, drinking of blood, eating of
flesh, use of urine or feces. Does this mean that all individuals
involved in lust murder, sadism, vampirism, cannibalism, urophilia,
and coprophilia are satanists or occult practitioners? What does
this say about the bizarre crimes of psychotic killers such as Ed
Gein or Richard Trenton Chase, both of whom mutilated their victims
as part of their psychotic delusions? Can a crime that is not
sexually deviant, bizarre, or exceptionally violent be satanic? Can
white collar crime be satanic?

A few might even answer that it is the fact that the crime was
committed on a date with satanic or occult significance (Halloween,
May Eve, etc.) or the fact that the perpetrator claims that Satan
told him to commit the crime. What does this mean for crimes
committed on Thanksgiving or Christmas? What does this say about
crimes committed by perpetrators who claim that God or Jesus told
them to do it? One note of interest is the fact that in handout and
reference material I have collected, the number of dates with
satanic or occult significance ranges from 8 to 110. This is
compounded by the fact that it is sometimes stated that satanists
can celebrate these holidays on several days on either side of the
official date or that the birthdays of practitioners can also be
holidays. The exact names and exact dates of the holidays and the
meaning of symbols listed may also vary depending on who prepared
the material The handout material is often distributed without
identifying the author or documenting the original source of the
information. It is then frequently photocopied by attendees and
passed on to other police officers with no one really knowing its
validity or origin.
Most, however, would probably answer that what makes a crime
satanic, occult, or ritualistic is the motivation for the crime. It
is a crime that is spiritually motivated by a religious belief
system. How then do we label the following true crimes?
-- Parents defy a court order and send their children to an
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unlicensed Christian school.
-- Parents refuse to send their children to any school because they
are waiting for the second coming of Christ.
-- Parents beat their child to death because he or she will not
follow their Christian belief.
-- Parents violate child labor laws because they believe the Bible
requires such work.
-- Individuals bomb an abortion clinic or kidnap the doctor because
their religious belief system says abortion is murder.
-- A child molester reads the Bible to his victims in order to
justify his sex acts with them.
-- Parents refuse life-saving medical treatment for a child because
of their religious beliefs.
-- Parents starve and beat their child to death because their
minister said the child was possessed by demonic spirits.
Some people would argue that the Christians who committed the above
crimes misunderstood and distorted their religion while satanists
who commit crimes are following theirs. But who decides what
constitutes a misinterpretation of a religious belief system? The
individuals who committed the above-described crimes, however
misguided, believed that they were following their religion as they
understood it. Religion was and is used to justify such social
behavior as the Crusades, the Inquisition, Apartheid, segregation,
and recent violence in Northern Ireland, India, Lebanon and Nigeria.

Who decides exactly what "satanists" believe? In this country, we


cannot even agree on what Christians believe. At many law
enforcement conferences The _Satanic Bible_ is used for this, and it
is often contrasted or compared with the Judeo-Christian Bible. The
_Satanic Bible_ is, in essence, a short paperback book written by
one man, Anton LaVey, in 1969. To compare it to a book written by
multiple authors over a period of thousands of years is ridiculous,
even ignoring the possibility of Divine revelation in the Bible.
What satanists believe certainly isn't limited to other people's
interpretation of a few books. More importantly it is subject to
some degree of interpretation by individual believers just as
Christianity is. Many admitted "satanists" claim they do not even
believe in God, the devil, or any supreme deity. The criminal
behavior of one person claiming belief in a religion does not
necessarily imply guilt or blame to others sharing that belief. In
addition, simply claiming membership in a religion does not
necessarily make you a member.
The fact is that far more crime and child abuse has been committed
by zealots in the name of God, Jesus, Mohammed, and other mainstream
religion than has ever been committed in the name of Satan. Many
people, including myself, don't like that statement, but the truth
of it is undeniable.
Although defining a crime as satanic, occult, or ritualistic would
probably involve a combination of the criteria set forth above, I
have been unable to clearly define such a crime. Each potential
definition presents a different set of problems when measured
against an objective, rational, and constitutional perspective. In a
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crime with multiple subjects, each offender may have a different
motivation for the same crime. Whose motivation determines the label
for the crime? It is difficult to count or track something you
cannot even define.

I have discovered, however, that the facts of so-called "satanic


crimes" are often significantly different from what is described st
training conferences or in the media. The actual involvement of
satanism or the occult in these cases usually turns out to be
secondary, insignificant, or nonexistent. Occult or ritual crime
surveys done by the states of Michigan (1990) and Virginia (1991)
have only confirmed this "discovery". Some law enforcement officers,
unable to find serious "satanic" crime in their communities, assume
they are just lucky or vigilant and the serious problems must be in
other jurisdictions. The officers in the other jurisdictions, also
unable find it, assume the same.

5. MULTlDlMENSlONAL CHILD SEX RINGS

Sometime in early 1983 I was first contacted by a law enforcement


agency for guidance in what was then thought to be an unusual case.
The exact date of the contact is unknown because its significance
was not recognized at the time. In the months and years that
followed, I received more and more inquiries about "these kinds of
cases". The requests for assistance came (and continue to come) from
all over the United States. Many of the aspects of these cases
varied, but there were also some commonalties. Early on, however,
one particularly difficult and potentially significant issue began
to emerge.

These cases involved and continue to involve unsubstantiated


allegations of bizarre activity that are difficult either to prove
or disprove. Many of the unsubstantiated allegations, however, do
not seem to have occurred or even be possible. These cases seem to
call into question the credibility of victims of child sexual abuse
and exploitation. These are the most polarizing, frustrating, and
baffling cases I have encountered in more than 18 years of studying
the criminal aspects of deviant sexual behavior. I privately sought
answers, but said nothing publicly about those cases until 1985.
In October 1984 the problems in investigating and prosecuting one of
these cases in Jordan, Minnesota became publicly known. In February
1985, at the FBI Academy, the FBI sponsored and I coordinated the
first national seminar held to study "these kinds of cases". Later
in 1985, similar conferences sponsored by other organizations were
held in Washington, D.C.; Sacramento, California; and Chicago,
Illinois. These cases have also been discussed at many recent
regional and national conferences dealing with the sexual
victimization of children and Multiple Personality Disorder. Few
answers have come from these conferences. I continue to be contacted
on these cases on a regular basis. Inquiries have been received from
law enforcement officers, prosecutors, therapists, victims, families
of victims, and the media from all over the United States and now
foreign countries. I do not claim to understand completely all the
dynamics of these cases. I continue to keep an open mind and to
search for answers to the questions and solutions to the problems
they pose. This discussion is based on my analysis of the several
hundred of "these kinds of cases" on which I have consulted since
1983.
-- a. DYNAMICS OF CASES.

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What are "these kinds of cases"? They were and continue to be
difficult to define. They all involve allegations of what sounds
like child sexual abuse, but with a combination of some atypical
dynamics. These cases seem to have the following four dynamics in
common: (1) multiple young victims, (2) multiple offenders, (3) fear
as the controlling tactic, and (4) bizarre or ritualistic activity.
---- (1) MULTIPLE YOUNG VICTIMS.
In almost all the cases the sexual abuse was alleged to have taken
place or at least begun when the victims were between the ages of
birth and six. This very young age may be an important key to
understanding these cases. In addition the victims all described
multiple children being abused. The numbers ranged from three or
four to as many as several hundred victims.
---- (2) MULTIPLE OFFENDERS.
In almost all the cases the victims reported numerous offenders. The
numbers ranged from two or three all the way up to dozens of
offenders. In one recent case the victims alleged 400-500 offenders
were involved. Interestingly many of the offenders (perhaps as many
as 40-50 percent) were reported to be females. The multiple
offenders were often family members and were described as being part
of a cult, occult, or satanic group.

---- (3) FEAR AS CONTROLLING TACTIC.


Child molesters in general are able to maintain control and ensure
the secrecy of their victims in a variety of ways. These include
attention and affection, coercion, blackmail, embarrassment,
threats, and violence. In almost all of these cases I have studied,
the victims described being frightened and reported threats against
themselves, their families, their friends, and even their pets. They
reported witnessing acts of violence perpetrated to reinforce this
fear. It is my belief that this fear and the traumatic memory of the
events may be another key to understanding many of these cases.
---- (4) BIZARRE OR RITUALISTIC ACTIVITY.
This is the most difficult dynamic of these cases to describe.
"Bizarre" is a relative term. Is the use of urine or feces in sexual
activity bizarre, or is it a well-documented aspect of sexual
deviancy, or is it part of established satanic rituals? As
previously discussed, the ritualistic aspect is even more difficult
to define. How do you distinguish acts performed in a precise manner
to enhance or allow sexual arousal from those acts that fulfill
spiritual needs or comply with "religious" ceremonies? Victims in
these cases report ceremonies, chanting, robes and costumes, drugs,
use of urine and feces, animal sacrifice, torture, abduction,
mutilation, murder, and even cannibalism and vampirism. All things
considered, the word "bizarre" is probably preferable to the word
"ritual" to describe this activity.
When I was contacted on these cases, it was very common for a
prosecutor or investigator to say that the alleged victims have been
evaluated by an "expert" who will stake his or her professional
reputation on the fact that the victims are telling the "truth".
When asked how many cases this expert had previously evaluated
involving these four dynamics, the answer was always the same: none!
The experts usually had only dealt with one-on-one intrafamilial
sexual abuse cases. Recently an even more disturbing trend has
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developed. More and more of the victims have been identified or
evaluated by experts who have been trained to identify and
specialize in satanic ritual abuse.
-- b. CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHILD SEX RINGS.
As previously stated, a major problem in communicating, training,
and researching in this area is the term used to define "these kinds
of cases". Many refer to them as "ritual, ritualistic, or ritualized
abuse of children cases" or "satanic ritual abuse (SRA) cases". Such
words carry specialized meanings for many people and might imply
that all these cases are connected to occult or satanic activity. If
ritual abuse is not necessarily occult or satanic, but is "merely"
severe, repeated, prolonged abuse, why use a term that, in the minds
of so many, implies such specific motivation?
Others refer to these cases as "multioffender/multivictim cases".
The problem with this term is that most multiple offender and victim
cases do not involve the four dynamics discussed above.

For want of a better term, I have decided to refer to "these kinds


of cases" as "multidimensional child sex rings". Right now I seem to
be the only one using this term. I am, however, not sure if this is
truly a distinct kind of child sex ring case or just a case not
properly handled. Following are the general characteristics of these
multidimensional child sex ring cases as contrasted with more common
historical child sex ring cases [see my monograph _Child Sex Rings:
A Behavioral Analysis] (1989) for a discussion of the
characteristics of historical child sex ring cases].
---- (1) FEMALE OFFENDERS.
As many as 40-50 percent of the offenders in these cases are
reported to be women. This is in marked contrast to historical child
sex rings in which almost all the offenders are men.
---- (2) SITUATIONAL MOLESTERS.
The offenders appear to be sexually interacting with the child
victims for reasons other than a true sexual preference for
children. The children are substitute victims, and the abusive
activity may have little to do with pedophilia [see my monograph
_Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis_ (1987) for a further
explanation about types of molesters].
---- (3) MALE AND FEMALE VICTIMS.
Both boys and girls appear to be targeted, but with an apparent
preference for girls. Almost all the adult survivors are female, but
day care cases frequently involve male as well as female victims.
The most striking characteristic of the victims, however, is their
young age (generally birth to six years old when the abuse began).
---- (4) MULTIDIMENSIONAL MOTIVATION.
Sexual gratification appears to be only part of the motivation for
the "sexual" activity. Many people today argue that the motivation
is "spiritual" - possibly part of an occult ceremony. It is my
opinion that the motivation may have more to do with anger,
hostility, rage and resentment carried out against weak and
vulnerable victims. Much of the ritualistic abuse of children may
not be sexual in nature. Some of the activity may, in fact, be
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physical abuse directed at sexually-significant body parts (penis,
anus, nipples). This may also partially explain the large percentage
of female offenders. Physical abuse of children by females is well-
documented.

---- (5) PORNOGRAPHY AND PARAPHERNALIA.

Although many of the victims of multidimensional child sex rings


claim that pictures and videotapes of the activity were made, no
such visual record has been found by law enforcement. In recent
years, American law enforcement has seized large amounts of child
pornography portraying children in a wide variety of sexual activity
and perversions. None of it, however, portrays the kind of bizarre
and/or ritualistic activity described by these victims. Perhaps
these offenders use and store their pornography and paraphernalia in
ways different from preferential child molesters (pedophiles). This
is an area needing additional research and investigation.
---- (6) CONTROL THROUGH FEAR.

Control through fear may be the overriding characteristic of these


cases. Control is maintained by frightening the children. A very
young child might not be able to understand the significance of much
of the sexual activity but certainly understands fear. The stories
that the victims tell may be their perceived versions of severe
traumatic memories. They may be the victims of a severely
traumatized childhood in which being sexually abused was just one of
the many negative events affecting their lives.

-- c. SCENARIOS.

Multidimensional child sex rings typically emerge from one of four


scenarios: (1) adult survivors, (2) day care cases, (3)
family/isolated neighborhood cases, and (4) custody/visitation
disputes.

---- (1) ADULT SURVIVORS.

In adult survivor cases, adults of almost any age - nearly always


women - are suffering the consequences of a variety of personal
problems and failures in their lives (e.g., promiscuity, eating
disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, failed relationships, self-
mutilation, unemployment). As a result of some precipitating stress
or crisis, they often seek therapy. They are frequently hypnotized,
intentionally or unintentionally, as part of the therapy and are
often diagnosed as suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder.
Gradually, during the therapy, the adults reveal previously
unrecalled memories of early childhood victimization that includes
multiple victims and offenders, fear as the controlling tactic, and
bizarre or ritualistic activity. Adult survivors may also claim that
"cues" from certain events in their recent life "triggered" the
previously repressed memories.

The multiple offenders are often described as members of a cult or


satanic group. Parents, family members, clergy, civic leaders,
police officers (or individuals wearing police uniforms), and other
prominent members of society are frequently described as present at
and participating in the exploitation. The alleged bizarre activity
often includes insertion of foreign objects, witnessing mutilations,
and sexual acts and murders being filmed or photographed. The
offenders may allegedly still be harassing or threatening the
victims. They report being particularly frightened on certain dates
and by certain situations. In several of these cases, women (called
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"breeders") claim to have had babies that were turned over for human
sacrifice. This type of case is probably best typified by books like
_Michelle Remembers_ (Smith & Pazder, 1980), _Satan's Underground_
(Stratford, 1988), and _Satan's Children_ (Mayer, 1991).

If and when therapists come to believe the patient or decide the law
requires it, the police or FBI are sometimes contacted to conduct an
investigation. The therapists may also fear for their safety because
they now know the "secret". The therapists will frequently tell law
enforcement that they will stake their professional reputation on
the fact that their patient is telling the truth. Some adult
survivors go directly to law enforcement. They may also go from
place to place in an effort to find therapists or investigators who
will listen to and believe them. Their ability to provide verifiable
details varies and many were raised in apparently religious homes. A
few adult survivors are now reporting participation in specific
murders or child abductions that are known to have taken place.
---- (2) DAY CARE CASES.
In day care cases children currently or formerly attending a day
care center gradually describe their victimization at the center and
at other locations to which they were taken by the day care staff.
The cases include multiple victims and offenders, fear, and bizarre
or ritualistic activity, with a particularly high number of female
offenders. Descriptions of strange games, insertion of foreign
objects, killing of animals, photographing of activities, and
wearing of costumes are common. The accounts of the young children,
however, do not seem to be quite as "bizarre" as those of the adult
survivors, with fewer accounts of human sacrifice.
---- (3) FAMILY/ISOLATED NEIGHBORHOOD CASES.
In family/isolated neighborhood cases, children describe their
victimization within their family or extended family. The group is
often defined by geographic boundary, such as a cul-de-sac,
apartment building, or isolated rural setting. Such accounts are
most common in rural or suburban communities with high
concentrations of religiously conservative people. The stories are
similar to those told of the day care setting, but with more male
offenders. The basic dynamics remain the same, but victims tend to
be more than six years of age, and the scenario may also involve a
custody or visitation dispute.
---- (4) CUSTODY/VISITATION DISPUTE.
In custody/visitation dispute cases, the allegations emanate from a
custody or visitation dispute over at least one child under the age
of seven. The four dynamics described above make these cases
extremely difficult to handle. When complicated by the strong
emotions of this scenario, the cases can be overwhelming. This is
especially true if the disclosing child victims have been taken into
the "underground" by a parent during the custody or visitation
dispute. Some of these parents or relatives may even provide
authorities with diaries or tapes of their interviews with the
children. An accurate evaluation and assessment of a young child
held in isolation in this underground while being "debriefed" by a
parent or someone else is almost impossible. However well-
intentioned, these self-appointed investigators severely damage any
chance to validate these cases objectively.

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-- d. WHY ARE VICTIMS ALLEGING THINGS THAT DO NOT SEEM TO BE TRUE?
Some of what the victims in these cases allege is physically
impossible (victim cut up and put back together, offender took the
building apart and then rebuilt it); some is possible but improbable
(human sacrifice, cannibalism, vampirism ); some is possible and
probable (child pornography, clever manipulation of victims); and
some is corroborated (medical evidence of vaginal or anal trauma,
offender confessions).

The most significant crimes being alleged that do not *seem* to be


true are the human sacrifice and cannibalism by organized satanic
cults. In none of the multidimensional child sex ring cases of which
I am aware have bodies of the murder victims been found - in spite
of major excavations where the abuse victims claim the bodies were
located. The alleged explanations for this include: the offenders
moved the bodies after the children left, the bodies were burned in
portable high-temperature ovens, the bodies were put in double-
decker graves under legitimately buried bodies, a mortician member
of the cult disposed of the bodies in a crematorium, the offenders
ate the bodies, the offenders used corpses and aborted fetuses, or
the power of Satan caused the bodies to disappear.

Not only are no bodies found, but also, more importantly, there is
no physical evidence that a murder took place. Many of those not in
law enforcement do not understand that, while it is possible to get
rid of a body, it is even more difficult to get rid of the physical
evidence that a murder took place, especially a human sacrifice
involving sex, blood, and mutilation. Such activity would leave
behind trace evidence that could be found using modern crime scene
processing techniques in spite of extraordinary efforts to clean it
up.

The victims of these human sacrifices and murders are alleged to be


abducted missing children, runaway and throwaway children,
derelicts, and the babies of breeder women. It is interesting to
note that many of those espousing these theories are using the long-
since-discredited numbers and rhetoric of the missing children
hysteria in the early 1980s. Yet "Stranger-Abduction Homicides of
Children", a January 1989 _Juvenile Justice Bulletin_, published by
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the
U.S. Department of Justice, reports that researchers now estimate
that the number of children kidnapped and murdered by nonfamily
members is between 52 and 158 a year and that adolescents 14 to 17
years old account for nearly two-thirds of these victims. These
figures are also consistent with the 1990 National Incident Studies
previously mentioned.

We live in a very violent society, and yet we have "only" about


23,000 murders a year. Those who accept these stories of mass human
sacrifice would have us believe that the satanists and other occult
practitioners are murdering more than twice as many people every
year in this country as all the other murderers combined.

In addition, in none of the cases of which I am aware has any


evidence of a well-organized satanic cult been found. Many of those
who accept the stories of organized ritual abuse of children and
human sacrifice will tell you that the best evidence they now have
is the consistency of stories from all over America. It sounds like
a powerful argument. It is interesting to note that, without having
met each other, the hundreds of people who claim to have been
abducted by aliens from outer space also tell stories and give
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descriptions of the aliens that are similar to each other. This is
not to imply that allegations of child abuse are in the same
category as allegations of abduction by aliens from outer space. It
is intended only to illustrate that individuals who never met each
other can sometimes describe similar events without necessarily
having experienced them.
The large number of people telling the same story is, in fact, the
biggest reason to doubt these stories. It is simply too difficult
for that many people to commit so many horrendous crimes as part of
an organized conspiracy. Two or three people murder a couple of
children in a few communities as part of a ritual, and nobody finds
out? Possible. Thousands of people do the same thing to tens of
thousands of victims over many years? Not likely. Hundreds of
communities all over America are run by mayors, police departments,
and community leaders who are practicing satanists and who regularly
murder and eat people? Not likely. In addition, these community
leaders and high-ranking officials also supposedly commit these
complex crimes leaving no evidence, and at the same time function as
leaders and managers while heavily involved in using illegal drugs.
Probably the closest documented example of this type of alleged
activity in American history is the Ku Klux Klan, which ironically
used Christianity, not satanism, to rationalize its activity but
which, as might be expected, was eventually infiltrated by
informants and betrayed by its members.
As stated, initially I was inclined to believe the allegations of
the victims. But as the cases poured in and the months and years
went by, I became more concerned about the lack of physical evidence
and corroboration for many of the more serious allegations. With
increasing frequency I began to ask the question: "Why are victims
alleging things that do not *seem* to be true?" Many possible
answers were considered.
The first possible answer is obvious: clever offenders. The
allegations may not seem to be true but they are true. The criminal
justice system lacks the knowledge, skill, and motivation to get to
the bottom of this crime conspiracy. The perpetrators of this crime
conspiracy are clever, cunning individuals using sophisticated mind
control and brainwashing techniques to control their victims. Law
enforcement does not know how to investigate these cases.
It is technically possible that these allegations of an organized
conspiracy involving taking over day care centers, abduction,
cannibalism, murder, and human sacrifice might be true. But if they
are true, they constitute one of the greatest crime conspiracies in
history.

Many people do not understand how difficult it is to commit a


conspiracy crime involving numerous co-conspirators. One clever and
cunning individual has a good chance of getting away with a well-
planned interpersonal crime. Bring one partner into the crime and
the odds of getting away with it drop considerably. The more people
involved in the crime, the harder it is to get away with it. Why?
Human nature is the answer. People get angry and jealous. They come
to resent the fact that another conspirator is getting "more" than
they. They get in trouble and want to make a deal for themselves by
informing on others.

If a group of individuals degenerate to the point of engaging in


human sacrifice, murder, and cannibalism, that would most likely be
the beginning of the end for such a group. The odds are that someone
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in the group would have a problem with such acts and be unable to
maintain the secret.
The appeal of the satanic conspiracy theory is twofold:

---- (1) First, it is a simple explanation for a complex problem.


Nothing is more simple than "the devil made them do it". If we do
not understand something, we make it the work of some supernatural
force. During the Middle Ages, serial killers were thought to be
vampires and werewolves, and child sexual abuse was the work of
demons taking the form of parents and clergy. Even today, especially
for those raised to religiously believe so, satanism offers an
explanation as to why "good" people do bad things. It may also help
to "explain" unusual, bizarre, and compulsive sexual urges and
behavior.
---- (2) Second, the conspiracy theory is a popular one. We find it
difficult to believe that one bizarre individual could commit a
crime we find so offensive. Conspiracy theories about soldiers
missing in action (MlAs), abductions by UFOs, Elvis Presley
sightings, and the assassination of prominent public figures are the
focus of much attention in this country. These conspiracy theories
and allegations of ritual abuse have the following in common: (1)
self-proclaimed experts, (2) tabloid media interest, (3) belief the
government is involved in a coverup, and (4) emotionally involved
direct and indirect victim/witnesses.
On a recent television program commemorating the one hundredth
anniversary of Jack the Ripper, almost fifty percent of the viewing
audience who called the polling telephone numbers indicated that
they thought the murders were committed as part of a conspiracy
involving the British Royal Family. The five experts on the program,
however, unanimously agreed the crimes were the work of one
disorganized but lucky individual who was diagnosed as a paranoid
schizophrenic. In many ways, the murders of Jack the Ripper are
similar to those allegedly committed by satanists today.
If your child's molestation was perpetrated by a sophisticated
satanic cult, there is nothing you could have done to prevent it and
therefore no reason to feel any guilt. I have been present when
parents who believe their children were ritually abused at day care
centers have told others that the cults had sensors in the road,
lookouts in the air, and informers everywhere; therefore, the
usually recommended advice of unannounced visits to the day care
center would be impossible.
6. ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS
Even if only part of an allegation is not true, what then is the
answer to the question "Why are victims alleging things that do not
*seem* to be true?" After consulting with psychiatrists,
psychologists, anthropologists, therapists, social workers, child
sexual abuse experts, and law enforcement investigators for more
than eight years, I can find no single, simple answer. The answer to
the question seems to be a complex set of dynamics that can be
different in each case. In spite of the fact that some skeptics keep
looking for it, there does not appear to be one answer to the
question that fits every case. Each case is different, and each case
may involve a different combination of answers.
I have identified a series of possible alternative answers to this
question. The alternative answers also do not preclude the
possibility that clever offenders are sometimes involved. I will not
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attempt to explain completely these alternative answers because I
cannot. They are presented simply as areas for consideration and
evaluation by child sexual abuse intervenors, for further
elaboration by experts in these fields, and for research by
objective social scientists. The first step, however, in finding the
answers to this question is to admit the possibility that some of
what the victims describe may not have happened. Some child
advocates seem unwilling to do this.
-- a. PATHOLOGICAL DISTORTION.
The first possible answer to why victims are alleging things that do
not *seem* to be true is *pathological distortion*. The allegations
may be errors in processing reality influenced by underlying mental
disorders such as dissociative disorders, borderline or histrionic
personality disorders, or psychosis. These distortions may be
manifested in false accounts of victimization in order to gain
psychological benefits such as attention and sympathy (factitious
disorder). When such individuals repeatedly go from place to place
or person to person making these false reports of their own
"victimization", it is called Munchausen Syndrome. When the repealed
false reports concern the "victimization" of their children or
others linked to them, it is called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. I
am amazed when some therapists state that they believe the
allegations because they cannot think of a reason why the "victim",
whose failures are now explained and excused or who is now the
center of attention at a conference or on a national television
program, would lie. If you can be forgiven for mutilating and
killing babies, you can be forgiven for anything.
Many "victims" may develop pseudomemories of their victimization and
eventually come to believe the events actually occurred. Noted
forensic psychiatrist Park E. Dietz (personal communication, Nov.
1991) states:

"Pseudomemories have been acquired through dreams (particularly if


one is encouraged to keep a journal or dream diary and to regard
dream content as 'clues' about the past or as snippets of history),
substance-induced altered states of consciousness (alcohol or other
drugs), group influence (particularly hearing vivid accounts of
events occurring to others with whom one identifies emotionally such
as occurs in incest survivor groups), reading vivid accounts of
events occurring to others with whom one identifies emotionally,
watching such accounts in films or on television, and hypnosis. The
most efficient means of inducing pseudomemories is hypnosis.
"It is characteristic of pseudomemories that the recollections of
complex events (as opposed to a simple unit of information, such as
a tag number) are incomplete and without chronological sequence.
Often the person reports some uncertainty because the pseudomemories
are experienced in a manner they describe as 'hazy', 'fuzzy', or
'vague'. They are often perplexed that they recall some details
vividly but others dimly.

"Pseudomemories are not delusions. When first telling others of


pseudomemories, these individuals do not have the unshakable but
irrational conviction that deluded subjects have, but with social
support they often come to defend vigorously the truthfulness of the
pseudomemories.

"Pseudomemories are not fantasies, but may incorporate elements from


fantasies experienced in the past. Even where the events described
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are implausible, listeners may believe them because they are
reported with such intense affect (i.e. with so much emotion
attached to the story) that the listener concludes that the events
must have happened because no one could 'fake' the emotional aspects
of the retelling. It also occurs, however, that persons report
pseudomemories in such a matter-of-fact and emotionless manner that
mental health professionals conclude that the person has
'dissociated' intellectual knowledge of the events from emotional
appreciation of their impact."

-- b. TRAUMATIC MEMORY.

The second possible answer is *traumatic memory*. Fear and severe


trauma can cause victims to distort reality and confuse events. This
is a well-documented fact in cases involving individuals taken
hostage or in life-and-death situations. The distortions may be part
of an elaborate defense mechanism of the mind called "splitting" -
The victims create a clear-cut good-and-evil manifestation of their
complex victimization that is then psychologically more manageable.

Through the defense mechanism of dissociation, the victim may escape


the horrors of reality by inaccurately processing that reality. In a
dissociative state a young child who ordinarily would know the
difference might misinterpret a film or video as reality.

Another defense mechanism may tell the victim that it could have
been worse, and so his or her victimization was not so bad. They are
not alone in their victimization - other children were also abused.
Their father who abused them is no different from other prominent
people in the community they claim also abused them. Satanism may
help to explain why their outwardly good and religious parents did
such terrible things to them in the privacy of their home. Their
religious training may convince them that such unspeakable acts by
supposedly "good" people must be the work of the devil. The
described human sacrifice may be symbolic of the "death" of their
childhood.

It may be that we should anticipate that individuals severely abused


as very young children by *multiple* offenders with *fear* as the
primary controlling tactic will distort and embellish their
victimization. Perhaps a horror-filled yet inaccurate account of
victimization is not only not a counterindication of abuse, but is
in fact a corroborative indicator of extreme physical,
psychological, and/or sexual abuse. I do not believe it is a
coincidence nor the result of deliberate planning by satanists that
in almost all the cases of ritual abuse that have come to my
attention, the abuse is alleged to have begun prior to the age of
seven and perpetrated by multiple offenders. It may well be that
such abuse, at young age by multiple offenders, is the most
difficult to accurately recall with the specific and precise detail
needed by the criminal justice system, and the most likely to be
distorted and exaggerated when it is recalled. In her book _Too
Scared to Cry_ (1990), child psychiatrist Lenore Terr, a leading
expert on psychic trauma in childhood, states "that a series of
early childhood shocks might not be fully and accurately
'reconstructed' from the dreams and behaviors of the adult" (p. 5).
-- c. NORMAL CHILDHOOD FEARS AND FANTASY.

The third possible answer may be *normal childhood fears and


fantasy*. Most young children are afraid of ghosts and monsters.
Even as adults, many people feel uncomfortable, for example, about
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dangling their arms over the side of their bed. They still remember
the "monster" under the bed from childhood. While young children may
rarely invent stories about sexual activity, they might describe
their victimization in terms of evil as they understand it. In
church or at home, children may be told of satanic activity as the
source of evil. The children may be "dumping" all their fears and
worries unto an attentive and encouraging listener.
Children do fantasize. Perhaps whatever causes a child to allege
something impossible (such as being cut up and put back together) is
similar to what causes a child to allege something possible but
improbable (such as witnessing another child being chopped up and
eaten).

-- d. MISPERCEPTION, CONFUSION, AND TRICKERY.


Misperception, confusion, and trickery may be a fourth answer.
Expecting young children to give accurate accounts of sexual
activity for which they have little frame of reference is
unreasonable. The Broadway play _Madame Butterfly_ is the true story
of a man who had a 15-year affair, including the "birth" of a baby,
with a "woman" who turns out to have been a man all along. If a
grown man does not know when he has had vaginal intercourse with a
woman, how can we expect young children not to be confused?
Furthermore some clever offenders may deliberately introduce
elements of satanism and the occult into the sexual exploitation
simply to confuse or intimidate the victims. Simple magic and other
techniques may be used to trick the children. Drugs may also be
deliberately used to confuse the victims and distort their
perceptions. Such acts would then be M.O., not ritual.
As previously stated, the perceptions of young victims may also be
influenced by any trauma being experienced. This is the most popular
alternative explanation, and even the more zealous believers of
ritual abuse allegations use it, but only to explain obviously
impossible events.
-- e. OVERZEALOUS INTERVENORS.
*Overzealous intervenors*, causing intervenor contagion, may be a
fifth answer. These intervenors can include parents, family members,
foster parents, doctors, therapists, social workers, law enforcement
officers, prosecutors, and any combination thereof. Victims have
been subtly as well as overtly rewarded and bribed by usually well-
meaning intervenors for furnishing further details. In addition,
some of what appears not to have happened may have originated as a
result of intervenors making assumptions about or misinterpreting
what the victims are saying. The intervenors then repeat, and
possibly embellish, these assumptions and misinterpretations, and
eventually the victims are "forced" to agree with or come to accept
this "official" version of what happened.
The judgment of intervenors may be affected by their zeal to uncover
child sexual abuse, satanic activity, or conspiracies. However
"well-intentioned", these overzealous intervenors must accept
varying degrees of responsibility for the unsuccessful prosecution
of those cases where criminal abuse did occur. This is the most
controversial and least popular of the alternative explanations.

-- f. URBAN LEGENDS.
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Allegations of and knowledge about ritualistic or satanic abuse may
also be spread through *urban legends*. In _The Vanishing
Hitchhiker_ (1981), the first of his four books on the topic, Dr.
Jan Harold Brunvand defines urban legends as "realistic stories
concerning recent events (or alleged events) with an ironic or
supernatural twist" (p. xi). Dr. Brunvand's books convincingly
explain that just because individuals throughout the country who
never met each other tell the same story does not mean that it is
true. Absurd urban legends about the corporate logos of Proctor and
Gamble and Liz Claiborne being satanic symbols persist in spite of
all efforts to refute them with reality. Some urban legends about
child kidnappings and other threats to citizens have even been
disseminated unknowingly by law enforcement agencies. Such legends
have always existed, but today the mass media aggressively
participate in their rapid and more efficient dissemination. Many
Americans mistakenly believe that tabloid television shows check out
and verify the details of their stories before pulling them on the
air. Mass hysteria may partially account for large numbers of
victims describing the same symptoms or experiences.
Training conferences for all the disciplines involved in child
sexual abuse may also play a role in the spread of this contagion.
At one child abuse conference I attended, an exhibitor was selling
more than 50 different books dealing with satanism and the occult.
By the end of the conference, he had sold nearly all of them. At
another national child sexual abuse conference, I witnessed more
than 100 attendees copying down the widely disseminated 29 "Symptoms
Characterizing Satanic Ritual Abuse" in preschool-aged children. Is
a four-year-old child's "preoccupation with urine and feces" an
indication of satanic ritual abuse or part of normal development?
-- g. COMBINATION.
Most multidimensional child sex ring cases probably involve a
*combination* of the answers previously set forth, as well as other
possible explanations unknown to me at this time. Obviously, cases
with adult survivors are more likely to involve some of these
answers than those with young children. Each case of sexual
victimization must be individually evaluated on its own merits
without any preconceived explanations. All the possibilities must be
explored if for no other reason than the fact that the defense
attorneys for any accused subjects will almost certainly do so.
Most people would agree that just because a victim tells you one
detail that turns out to be true, this does not mean that every
detail is true. But many people seem to believe that if you can
disprove one part of a victim's story, then the entire story is
false. As previously stated, one of my main concerns in these cases
is that people are getting away with sexually abusing children or
committing other crimes because we cannot prove that they are
members of organized cults that murder and eat people.

I have discovered that the subject of multidimensional child sex


rings is a very emotional and polarizing issue. Everyone seems to
demand that one choose a side. On one side of the issue are those
who say that nothing really happened and it is all a big witch hunt
led by overzealous fanatics and incompetent "experts". The other
side says, in essence, that everything happened; victims never lie
about child sexual abuse, and so it must be true.
There is a middle ground. It is the job of the professional
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investigator to listen to all the victims and conduct appropriate
investigation in an effort to find out what happened, considering
all possibilities. Not all childhood trauma is abuse. Not all child
abuse is a crime. The great frustration of these cases is the fact
that you are often convinced that something traumatic happened to
the victim, but do not know with any degree of certainty exactly
what happened, when it happened, or who did it.
7. DO VICTIMS LIE ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION?

The crucial central issue in the evaluation of a response to cases


of multidimensional child sex rings is the statement "Children never
lie about sexual abuse or exploitation. If they have details, it
must have happened." This statement, oversimplified by many, is the
basic premise upon which some believe the child sexual abuse and
exploitation movement is based. It is almost never questioned or
debated at training conferences. In fact, during the 1970s, there
was a successful crusade to eliminate laws requiring corroboration
of child victim statements in child sexual abuse cases. The best way
to convict child molesters is to have the child victims testify in
court. If we believe them, the jury will believe them. Any challenge
to this basic premise was viewed as a threat to the movement and a
denial that the problem existed.
I believe that children *rarely* lie about sexual abuse or
exploitation, if a lie is defined as a statement deliberately and
maliciously intended to deceive. The problem is the
oversimplification of the statement. Just because a child is not
lying does not necessarily mean the child is telling the truth. I
believe that in the majority of these cases, the victims are not
lying. They are telling you what they have come to believe has
happened to them. Furthermore the assumption that children rarely
lie about sexual abuse does not necessarily apply to everything a
child says during a sexual abuse investigation. Stories of
mutilation, murder, and cannibalism are not really about sexual
abuse.
Children rarely lie about sexual abuse or exploitation. but they do
fantasize, furnish false information, furnish misleading
information, misperceive events, try to please adults, respond to
leading questions, and respond to rewards. Children are not adults
in little bodies and do go through developmental stages that must be
evaluated and understood. In many ways, however, children are no
better and no worse than other victims or witnesses of a crime. They
should not be automatically believed, nor should they be
automatically disbelieved.

The second part of the statement - if children can supply details,


the crime must have happened - must also be carefully evaluated. The
details in question in most of the cases of multidimensional child
sex rings have little to do with sexual activity. Law enforcement
and social workers must do more than attempt to determine how a
child could have known about the sex acts. These cases involve
determining how a victim could have known about a wide variety of
bizarre and ritualistic activity. Young children may know little
about specific sex acts, but they may know a lot about monsters,
torture, kidnapping, and murder.
Victims may supply details of sexual and other acts using
information from sources other than their own direct victimization.
Such sources must be evaluated carefully by the investigator of
multidimensional child sex rings.
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-- a. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE.
The victim may have personal knowledge of the sexual or ritual acts,
but not as a result of the alleged victimization. The knowledge
could have come from viewing pornography, sex education, or occult
material; witnessing sexual or ritual activity in the home; or
witnessing the sexual abuse of others. It could also have come from
having been sexually or physically abused, but by other than the
alleged offenders and in ways other than the alleged offense.
-- b. OTHER CHILDREN OR VICTIMS.
Young children today are socially interacting more often and at a
younger age than ever before. Many parents are unable to provide
possibly simple explanations for their children's stories because
they were not with the children when the events occurred. They do
not even know what videotapes their children may have seen, what
games they may have played, or what stories they may have been told
or overheard. Children are being placed in day care centers for
eight, ten, or twelve hours a day starting as young as six weeks of
age. The children share experiences by playing house, school, or
doctor. Bodily functions such as urination and defecation are a
focus of attention for these young children. To a certain extent,
each child shares the experiences of all the other children.

The odds are fairly high that in any typical day care center there
might be some children who are victims of incest; victims of
physical abuse; victims of psychological abuse; children of cult
members (even satanists); children of sexually open parents;
children of sexually indiscriminate parents; children of parents
obsessed with victimization; children of parents obsessed with the
evils of satanism; children without conscience; children with a
teenage brother or pregnant mother; children with heavy metal music
and literature in the home; children with bizarre toys, games,
comics, and magazines; children with a VCR and slasher films in
their home; children with access to dial-a-porn, party lines, or
pornography; or children victimized by a day care center staff
member. The possible effects of the interaction of such children
prior to the disclosure of the alleged abuse must be evaluated,
Adult survivors may obtain details from group therapy sessions,
support networks, church groups, or self-help groups. The
willingness and ability of siblings to corroborate adult survivor
accounts of ritual abuse varies. Some will support and partially
corroborate the victim's allegations. Others will vehemently deny
them and support their accused parents or relatives.
-- c. MEDIA.
The amount of sexually explicit, occult, anti-occult, or violence-
oriented material available to adults and even children in the
modern world is overwhelming. This includes movies, videotapes,
television, music, toys, and books. There are also documentaries on
satanism, witchcraft, and the occult that are available on
videotape. Most of the televangelists have videotapes on the topics
that they are selling on their programs.
The National Coalition on Television Violence News (1988) estimates
that 12% of the movies produced in the United States can be
classified as satanic horror films. Cable television and the home
VCR make all this material readily available even to young children.
Religious broadcasters and almost all the television tabloid and
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magazine programs have done shows on satanism and the occult. Heavy
metal and black metal music, which often has a satanic theme, is
readily available and popular. In addition to the much-debated
fantasy role-playing games, there are numerous popular toys on the
market with an occult-oriented, bizarre, or violent theme.
Books on satanism and the occult, both fiction and nonfiction, are
readily available in most bookstores, especially Christian
bookstores. Several recent books specifically discuss the issue of
ritual abuse of children. Obviously, very young children do not read
this material, but their parents, relatives, and therapists might
and then discuss it in front of or with them. Much of the material
intended to fight the problem actually fuels the problem and damages
effective prosecution.

-- d. SUGGESTIONS AND LEADING QUESTIONS.


This problem is particularly important in cases stemming from
custody/visitation disputes involving at least one child under the
age of seven. It is my opinion that most suggestive, leading
questioning of children by intervenors is inadvertently done as part
of a good-faith effort to learn the truth. Not all intervenors are
in equal positions to potentially influence victim allegations.
Parents and relatives especially are in a position to subtly
influence their young children to describe their victimization in a
certain way. Children may also overhear their parents discussing the
details of the case. Children often tell their parents what they
believe their parents want or need to hear. Some children may be
instinctively attempting to provide "therapy" for their parents by
telling them what seems to satisfy them and somehow makes them feel
better. In one case a father gave the police a tape recording to
"prove" that his child's statements were spontaneous disclosures and
not the result of leading, suggestive questions. The tape recording
indicated just the opposite. Why then did the father voluntarily
give it to the police? Probably because he truly believed that he
was not influencing his child's statements - but he was.
Therapists are probably in the best position to influence the
allegations of adult survivors. The accuracy and reliability of the
accounts of adult survivors who have been hypnotized during therapy
is certainly open to question. One nationally-known therapist
personally told me that the reason police cannot find out about
satanic or ritualistic activity from child victims is that they do
not know how to ask leading questions. Highly suggestive books and
pictures portraying "satanic" activity have been developed and
marketed to therapists for use during evaluation and treatment.
Types and styles of verbal interaction useful in therapy may create
significant problems in a criminal investigation. It should be
noted, however, that when a therapist does a poor investigative
interview as part of a criminal investigation, that is the fault of
the criminal justice system that allowed it and not the therapist
who did it.
The extremely sensitive, emotional, and religious nature of these
cases makes problems with leading questions more likely than in
other kinds of cases. Intervenors motivated by religious fervor
and/or exaggerated concerns about sexual abuse of children are more
likely to lose their objectivity.
-- e. MISPERCEPTION AND CONFUSION.
In one case, a child's description of the apparently impossible act
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of walking through a wall turned out to be the very possible act of
walking between the studs of an unfinished wall in a room under
construction. In another case, pennies in the anus turned out to be
copper-foil-covered suppositories. The children may describe what
they believe happened. It is not a lie, but neither is it an
accurate account of what happened.

-- f. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAMS.

Some well-intentioned awareness programs designed to prevent child


set abuse, alert professionals, or fight satanism may in fact be
unrealistically increasing the fears of professionals, children, and
parents and creating self-fulfilling prophesies. Some of what
children and their parents are telling intervenors may have been
learned in or fueled by such programs. Religious programs, books,
and pamphlets that emphasize the power and evil force of Satan may
be adding to the problem. In fact most of the day care centers in
which ritualistic abuse is alleged to hate taken place are church-
affiliated centers, and many of the adult survivors alleging it come
from apparently religious families.

8. LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.

The perspective with which one looks at satanic, occult, or


ritualistic crime is extremely important. As stated, sociologists,
therapists, religious leaders, parents, and just plain citizens each
have their own valid concerns and views about this issue. This
discussion, however, deals primarily with the law enforcement or
criminal justice perspective.

When you combine an emotional issue such as the sexual abuse of


children with an even more emotional issue such as people's
religious beliefs, it is difficult to maintain objectivity and
remember the law enforcement perspective. Some police officers may
even feel that all crime is caused by evil, all evil is caused by
Satan, and therefore, all crime is satanic crime. This may be a
valid religious perspective, but it is of no relevance to the
investigation of crime for purposes of prosecution.

Many of the police officers who lecture on satanic or occult crime


do not even investigate such cases. Their presentations are more a
reflection of their personal religious beliefs than documented
investigative information. They are absolutely entitled to their
beliefs, but introducing themselves as current or former police
officers and then speaking as religious advocates causes confusion.
As difficult as it might be, police officers must separate the
religious and law enforcement perspectives when they are lecturing
or investigating in their official capacities as law enforcement
officers. Many law enforcement officers begin their presentations by
stating that they are not addressing or judging anyone's religious
beliefs, and then proceed to do exactly that.

Some police officers have resigned rather than curtail or limit


their involvement in this issue as ordered by their departments.
Perhaps such officers deserve credit for recognizing that they could
no longer keep the perspectives separate.

Law enforcement officers and all professionals in this field should


avoid the "paranoia" that has crept into this issue and into some of
the training conferences. Paranoid type belief systems are
characterized by the gradual development of intricate, complex, and
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elaborate systems of thinking based on and often proceeding
logically from misinterpretation of actual events. Paranoia
typically involves hypervigilance over the perceived threat, the
belief that danger is around every corner, and the willingness to
take up the challenge and do something about it. Another very
important aspect of this paranoia is the belief that those who do
not recognize the threat are evil and corrupt. In this extreme view,
you are either with them or against them. You are either part of the
solution or part of the problem.

Overzealousness and exaggeration motivated by the true religious


fervor of those involved is more acceptable than that motivated by
ego or profit. There are those who are deliberately distorting and
hyping this issue for personal notoriety and profit. Satanic and
occult crime and ritual abuse of children has become a growth
industry. Speaking fees, books, video and audio tapes, prevention
material, television and radio appearances all bring egoistic and
financial rewards.

Bizarre crime and evil can occur without organized satanic activity.
The professional perspective requires that we distinguish between
what we know and what we're not sure of.

The facts are:

-- a. Some individuals believe in and are involved in something


commonly called satanism and the occult.

-- b. Some of these individuals commit crime.

-- c. Some groups of individuals share these beliefs and involvement


in this satanism and the occult.

-- d. Some members of these groups commit crime together.

The unanswered questions are:

-- a. What is the connection between the belief system and the


crimes committed?

-- b. Is there an organized conspiracy of satanic and occult


believers responsible for interrelated serious crime (e.g.,
molestation, murder)?

After all the hype and hysteria are put aside, the realization sets
in that most satanic/occult activity involves the commission of *no*
crimes, and that which does usually involves the commission of
relatively minor crimes such as trespassing, vandalism, cruelty to
animals, or petty thievery.

The law enforcement problems most often linked to satanic or occult


activity are:
-- a. Vandalism.
-- b. Desecration of churches and cemeteries.
-- c. Thefts from churches and cemeteries.
-- d. Teenage gangs
-- e. Animal mutilations.
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-- f. Teenage suicide.
-- g. Child abuse.
-- h. Kidnapping.
-- i. Murder and human sacrifice
Valid evidence shows some "connection" between satanism and the
occult and the first six problems (#a-f) set forth above. The
"connection" to the last three problems (#g-i) is far more
uncertain.
Even where there seems to be a "connection", the nature of the
connection needs to be explored. It is easy to blame involvement in
satanism and the occult for behaviors that have complex motivations.
A teenager's excessive involvement in satanism and the occult is
usually a symptom of a problem and not the cause of a problem.
Blaming satanism for a teenager's vandalism, theft, suicide, or even
act of murder is like blaming a criminal's offenses on his tattoos:
Both are often signs of the same rebelliousness and lack of self-
esteem that contribute to the commission of crimes.
The rock band Judas Priest was recently sued for allegedly inciting
two teenagers to suicide through subliminal messages in their
recordings. In 1991 Anthony Pratkanis of the University of
California at Santa Cruz, who served as an expert witness for the
defense, stated the boys in question "lived troubled lives, lives of
drug and alcohol abuse, run-ins with the law ... family violence,
and chronic unemployment. What issues did the trial and the
subsequent mass media coverage emphasize? Certainly not the need for
drug treatment centers; there was no evaluation of the pros and cons
of America's juvenile justice system, no investigation of the
schools, no inquiry into how to prevent family violence, no
discussion of the effects of unemployment on a family. Instead our
attention was mesmerized by an attempt to count the number of
subliminal demons that can dance on the end of a record needle" (p.
1).

The law enforcement investigator must objectively evaluate the legal


significance of any criminal's spiritual beliefs. In most cases,
including those involving satanists, it will have little or no legal
significance. If a crime is committed as part of a spiritual belief
system, it should make no difference which belief system it is. The
crime is the same whether a child is abused or murdered as part of a
Christian, Hare Krishna, Moslem, or any other belief system. We
generally don't label crimes with the name of the perpetrator's
religion. Why then are the crimes of child molesters, rapists,
sadists, and murderers who happen to be involved in satanism and the
occult labeled as satanic or occult crimes? If criminals use a
spiritual belief system to rationalize and justify or to facilitate
and enhance their criminal activity, should the focus of law
enforcement be on the belief system or on the criminal activity?
Several documented murders have been committed by individuals
involved in one way or another in satanism or the occult. In some of
these murders the perpetrator has even introduced elements of the
occult (e.g. satanic symbols at crime scene). Does that
automatically make these satanic murders? It is my opinion that the
answer is no. Ritualistic murders committed by serial killers or
sexual sadists are not necessarily satanic or occult murders.
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Ritualistic murders committed by psychotic killers who hear the
voice of Satan are no more satanic murders than murders committed by
psychotic killers who hear the voice of Jesus are Christian murders.
Rather a satanic murder should be defined as one committed by two or
more individuals who rationally plan the crime and whose *primary*
motivation is to fulfill a prescribed satanic ritual calling for the
murder. By this definition I have been unable to identify even one
documented satanic murder in the United States. Although such
murders may have and can occur, they appear to be few in number. In
addition the commission of such killings would probably be the
beginning of the end for such a group. It is highly unlikely that
they could continue to kill several people, every year, year after
year, and not be discovered.

A brief typology of satanic and occult practitioners is helpful in


evaluating what relationship, if any, such practices have to crimes
under investigation. The following typology is adapted from the
investigative experience of Officer Sandi Gallant of the San
Francisco Police Department, who began to study the criminal aspects
of occult activity long before it became popular. No typology is
perfect, but I use this typology because it is simple and offers
investigative insights. Most practitioners fall into one of three
categories, any of which can be practiced alone or in groups:

-- a. "YOUTH SUBCULTURE.

"Most teenagers involved in fantasy role-playing games, heavy metal


music, or satanism and the occult are going through a stage of
adolescent development and commit no significant crimes. The
teenagers who have more serious problems are usually those from
dysfunctional families or those who have poor communication within
their families. These troubled teenagers turn to satanism and the
occult to overcome a sense of alienation, to rebel, to obtain power,
or to justify their antisocial behavior. For these teenagers it is
the symbolism, not the spirituality, that is more important. It is
either the psychopathic or the oddball, loner teenager who is most
likely to get into serious trouble. Extreme involvement in the
occult is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. This is not to
deny, however, that satanism and the occult can be negative
influences for a troubled teenager. But to hysterically warn
teenagers to avoid this "mysterious, powerful and dangerous" thing
called satanism will drive more teenagers right to it. Some
rebellious teenagers will do whatever will most shock and outrage
society in order to flaunt their rejection of adult norms.
-- b. "DABBLERS (SELF-STYLED).

"For these practitioners there is little or no spiritual motivation.


They may mix satanism, witchcraft, paganism, and any aspects of the
occult to suit their purposes. Symbols mean whatever they want them
or believe them to mean. Molesters, rapists, drug dealers, and
murderers may dabble in the occult and may even commit their crimes
in a ceremonial or ritualistic way. This category has the potential
to be the most dangerous, and most of the "satanic" killers fall
into this category. Their involvement in satanism and the occult is
a symptom of a problem, and a rationalization and justification of
antisocial behavior. Satanic/occult practices (as well as those of
other spiritual belief systems) can also be used as a mechanism to
facilitate criminal objectives.

-- c. "TRADITIONAL (ORTHODOX).
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"These are the so-called true believers. They are often wary of
outsiders. Because of this and constitutional issues, such groups
are difficult for law enforcement to penetrate. Although there may
be much we don't know about these groups, as of now there is little
or no hard evidence that as a group they are involved in serious,
organized criminal activity. In addition, instead of being self-
perpetuating master crime conspirators, "true believers" probably
have a similar problem with their teenagers rebelling against their
belief system. To some extent even these Traditional satanists are
self-stylized. They practice what they have come to believe is
"satanism". There is little or no evidence of the much-discussed
multigenerational satanists whose beliefs and practices have
supposedly been passed down through the centuries. Many admitted
adult satanists were in fact raised in conservative Christian
homes."

_Washington Post_ editor Walt Harrington reported in a 1986 story on


Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan that "sociologists who have
studied LaVey's church say that its members often had serious
childhood problems like alcoholic parents or broken homes, or that
they were traumatized by guilt-ridden fundamentalist upbringings,
turning to Satanism as a dramatic way to purge their debilitating
guilt" (p. 14).
Some have claimed that the accounts of ritual abuse victims coincide
with historical records of what traditional or multigenerational
satanists are known to have practiced down through the ages. Jeffrey
Burton Russell, Professor of History at the University of California
at Santa Barbara and the author of numerous scholarly books on the
devil and satanism, believes that the universal consensus of modern
historians on satanism is (personal communication, Nov. 1991):
"(1) incidents of orgy, infanticide, cannibalism, and other such
conduct have occurred from the ancient world down to the present;
(2) such incidents were isolated and limited to local antisocial
groups; (3) during the period of Christian dominance in European
culture, such groups were associated with the Devil in the minds of
the authorities; (4) in some cases the sectaries believed that they
were worshiping Satan; (5) no organized cult of Satanists existed in
the Christian period beyond localities, and on no account was there
ever any widespread Satanist organization or conspiracy; (6) no
reliable historical sources indicate that such organizations
existed; (7) the black mass appears only once in the sources before
the late nineteenth century."
Many police officers ask what to look for during the search of the
scene of suspected satanic activity. The answer is simple: Look for
evidence of a crime. A pentagram is no more criminally significant
than a crucifix unless it corroborates a crime or a criminal
conspiracy. If a victim's description of the location or the
instruments of the crime includes a pentagram, then the pentagram
would be evidence. But the same would be true if the description
included a crucifix. In many cases of alleged satanic ritual abuse,
investigation can find evidence that the claimed offenders are
members only of mainstream churches and are often described as very
religious.
There is no way any one law enforcement officer can become
knowledgeable about all the symbols and rituals of every spiritual
belief system that might become part of a criminal investigation.
The officer needs only to be trained to recognize the possible
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investigative significance of such signs, symbols, and rituals.
Knowledgeable religious scholars, academics, and other true experts
in the community can be consulted if a more detailed analysis is
necessary.

Any analysis, however, may have only limited application, especially


to cases involving teenagers, dabblers, and other self-styled
practitioners. The fact is signs, symbols, and rituals can mean
anything that practitioners want them to mean and/or anything that
observers interpret them to mean.

The meaning of symbols can also change over time, place, and
circumstance. Is a swastika spray-painted on a wall an ancient
symbol of prosperity and good fortune, a recent symbol of Nazism and
anti-Semitism, or a current symbol of hate, paranoia, and adolescent
defiance? The peace sign which in the 1960s was a familiar antiwar
symbol is now supposed to be a satanic symbol. Some symbols and
holidays become "satanic" only because the antisatanists say they
are. Then those who want to be "satanists" adopt them, and now you
have "proof" they are satanic.
In spite of what is sometimes said or suggested at law enforcement
training conferences, police have no authority to seize any satanic
or occult paraphernalia they might see during a search. A legally-
valid reason must exist for doing so. It is not the job of law
enforcement to prevent satanists from engaging in noncriminal
teaching, rituals, or other activities.
9. INVESTIGATING MULTIDIMENSIONAL CHILD SEX RINGS.
Multidimensional child sex rings can be among the most difficult,
frustrating, and complex cases that any law enforcement officer will
ever investigate. The investigation of allegations of recent
activity from multiple young children under the age of seven
presents one set of problems and must begin quickly, with interviews
of *all* potential victims being completed as soon as possible. The
investigation of allegations of activity ten or more years earlier
from adult survivors presents other problems and should proceed,
unless victims are at immediate risk, more deliberately, with
gradually-increasing resources as corroborated facts warrant.
In spite of any skepticism, allegations of ritual abuse should be
aggressively and thoroughly investigated, This investigation should
attempt to corroborate the allegations of ritual abuse. but should
*simultaneously* also attempt to identify alternative explanations.
The only debate is over how much investigation is enough. Any law
enforcement agency must be prepared to defend and justify its
actions when scrutinized by the public, the media, elected
officials, or the courts. This does not mean, however, that a law
enforcement agency has an obligation to prove that the alleged
crimes did not occur. This is almost always impossible to do and
investigators should be alert for and avoid this trap.
One major problem in the investigation of multidimensional child sex
rings is the dilemma of recognizing soon enough that you have one.
Investigators must be alert for cases with the potential for the
four basic dynamics: (a) multiple young victims, (b) multiple
offenders, (c) fear as the controlling tactic, and (d) bizarre or
ritualistic activity. The following techniques apply primarily to
the investigation of such multidimensional child sex rings:

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-- a. MINIMIZE SATANIC/OCCULT ASPECT.
There are those who claim that one of the major reasons more of
these cases have not been successfully prosecuted is that the
satanic/occult aspect has not been aggressively pursued. One state
has even introduced legislation creating added penalties when
certain crimes are committed as part of a ritual or ceremony. A few
states have passed special ritual crime laws. I strongly disagree
with such an approach. It makes no difference what spiritual belief
system was used to enhance and facilitate or rationalize and justify
criminal behavior. It serves no purpose to "prove" someone is a
satanist. As a matter of fact, if it is alleged that the subject
committed certain criminal acts under the influence of or in order
to conjure up supernatural spirits or forces, this may very well be
the basis for an insanity or diminished capacity defense, or may
damage the intent aspect of a sexually motivated crime. The defense
may very well be more interested in all the "evidence of satanic
activity". Some of the satanic crime "experts" who train law
enforcement wind up working or testifying for the defense in these
cases.
It is best to focus on the crime and all the evidence to corroborate
its commission. Information about local satanic or occult activity
is only of value if it is based on specific law enforcement
intelligence and not on some vague, unsubstantiated generalities
from religious groups. Cases are not solved by decoding signs,
symbols, and dates using undocumented satanic crime "manuals". In
one case a law enforcement agency executing a search warrant seized
only the satanic paraphernalia and left behind the other evidence
that would have corroborated victim statements. Cases are solved by
people- and behavior-oriented investigation. Evidence of satanic or
occult activity may help explain certain aspects of the case, but
even offenders who commit crimes in a spiritual context are usually
motivated by power, sex, and money.
-- b. KEEP INVESTIGATION AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS SEPARATE.
I believe that one of the biggest mistakes any investigator of these
cases can make is to attribute supernatural powers to the offenders.
During an investigation a good investigator may sometimes be able to
use the beliefs and superstitions of the offenders to his or her
advantage. The reverse happens if the investigator believes that the
offenders possess supernatural powers. Satanic/occult practitioners
have no more power than any other human beings. Law enforcement
officers who believe that the investigation of these cases puts them
in conflict with the supernatural forces of evil should probably not
be assigned to them. The religious beliefs of officers should
provide spiritual strength and support for them but should not
affect the objectivity and professionalism of the investigation.

It is easy to get caught up in these cases and begin to see


"satanism" everywhere. Oversensitization to this perceived threat
may cause an investigator to "see" satanism in a crime when it
really is not there (quasi-satanism). Often the eye sees what the
mind perceives. It may also cause an investigator not to recognize a
staged crime scene deliberately seeded with "satanic clues" in order
to mislead the police (pseudo-satanism). On rare occasions an
overzealous investigator or intervenor may even be tempted to plant
"evidence of satanism" in order to corroborate such allegations and
beliefs. Supervisors need to be alert for and monitor these
reactions in their investigators.
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-- c. LISTEN TO THE VICTIMS.
It is not the investigator's duty to believe the victims; it is his
or her job to listen and be an objective fact finder. Interviews of
young children should be done by investigators trained and
experienced in such interviews. Investigators must have direct
access to the alleged victims for interview purposes. Therapists for
an adult survivor sometimes want to act as intermediaries in their
patient's interview. This should be avoided if at all possible.
Adult survivor interviews are often confusing difficult and
extremely time-consuming. The investigator must remember however
that almost anything is possible. Most important the investigator
must remember that there is much middle ground. Just because one
event did happen does not mean that all reported events happened,
and just because one event did not happen does not mean that all
other events did not happen. Do not become such a zealot that you
believe it all nor such a cynic that you believe nothing. Varying
amounts and parts of the allegation may be factual. Attempting to
find evidence of what did happen is the great challenge of these
cases. *All* investigative interaction with victims must be
carefully and thoroughly documented.
-- d. ASSESS AND EVALUATE VICTIM STATEMENTS.
This is the part of the investigative process in child sexual
victimization cases that seems to have been lost. Is the victim
describing events and activities that are consistent with law
enforcement documented criminal behavior, or that are consistent
with distorted media accounts and erroneous public perceptions of
criminal behavior? Investigators should apply the "template of
probability". Accounts of child sexual victimization that are more
like books, television, and movies (e.g. big conspiracies, child sex
slaves, organized pornography rings) and less like documented cases
should be viewed with skepticism but thoroughly investigated.
Consider and investigate all possible explanations of events. It is
the investigator's job, and the information learned will be
invaluable in counteracting the defense attorneys when they raise
the alternative explanations.

For example, an adult survivor's account of ritual victimization


might be explained by any one of at least four possibilities: First,
the allegations may be a fairly accurate account what actually
happened. Second, they may be deliberate lies (malingering), told
for the usual reasons people lie (e.g. money, revenge, jealousy).
Third, they may be deliberate lies (factitious disorder) told for
atypical reasons (e.g. attention, forgiveness). Lies so motivated
are less likely to be recognized by the investigator and more likely
to be rigidly maintained by the liar unless and until confronted
with irrefutable evidence to the contrary. Fourth, the allegations
may be a highly inaccurate account of what actually happened, but
the victim truly believes it (pseudomemory) and therefore is not
lying. A polygraph examination of such a victim would be of limited
value. Other explanations or combinations of these explanations are
also possible. *Only* thorough *investigation* will point to the
correct or most likely explanation.
Investigators cannot rely on therapists or satanic crime experts as
a shortcut to the explanation. In one case, the "experts" confirmed
and validated the account of a female who claimed to be a 15-year-
old deaf-mute kidnapped and held for three years by a satanic cult
and forced to participate in bizarre rituals before recently
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escaping. Active investigation, however, determined she was a 27-
year-old woman who could hear and speak, who had not been kidnapped
by anyone, and who had a lengthy history of mental problems and at
least three other similar reports of false victimization. Her
"accurate" accounts of what the "real satanists" do were simply the
result of having read, while in mental hospitals, the same books
that the "experts" had. A therapist may have important insights
about whether an individual was traumatized, but knowing the exact
cause of that trauma is another matter. There have been cases where
investigation has discovered that individuals diagnosed by
therapists as suffering from Post-Vietnam Syndrome were never in
Vietnam or saw no combat.
Conversely, in another case, a law enforcement "expert" on satanic
crime told a therapist that a patient's accounts of satanic murders
in a rural Pacific Northwest town were probably true because the
community was a hotbed of such satanic activity. When the therapist
explained that there was almost no violent crime reported in the
community, the officer explained that that is how you know it is the
satanists. If you knew about the murders or found the bodies, it
would not be satanists. How do you argue with that kind of logic?
The first step in the assessment and evaluation of victim statements
is to determine the disclosure sequence, including how much time has
elapsed since disclosure was first made and the incident was
reported to the police or social services. The longer the delay, the
bigger the potential for problems. The next step is to determine the
number and purpose of *all prior* interviews of the victim
concerning the allegations. The more interviews conducted before the
investigative interview, the larger the potential for problems.
Although there is nothing wrong with admitting shortcomings and
seeking help, law enforcement should never abdicate its control over
the investigative interview. When an investigative interview is
conducted by or with a social worker or therapist using a team
approach, law enforcement must direct the process. Problems can also
be created by interviews conducted by various intervenors *after*
the investigative interview(s).
The investigator must closely and carefully evaluate events in the
victim's life before, during, and after the alleged abuse.
Events to be evaluated *before* the alleged abuse include:
---- (1) Background of victim.
---- (2) Abuse of drugs in home.
---- (3) Pornography in home.
---- (4) Play, television, and VCR habits.
---- (5) Attitudes about sexuality in home.
---- (6) Extent of sex education in home.
---- (7) Activities of siblings.
---- (8) Need or craving for attention.
---- (9) Religious beliefs and training.
---- (10) Childhood fears.
---- (11) Custody/visitation disputes.
---- (12) Victimization of or by family members.
---- (13) Interaction between victims.
Events to be evaluated *during* the alleged abuse include:
---- (1) Use of fear or scare tactics.
---- (2) Degree of trauma.
---- (3) Use of magic deception or trickery.
---- (4) Use of rituals.
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---- (5) Use of drugs.
---- (6) Use of pornography.
Events to be evaluated *after* the alleged abuse include:

---- (1) Disclosure sequence.


---- (2) Background of prior interviewers.
---- (3) Background of parents.
---- (4) Co-mingling of victims.
---- (5) Type of therapy received.
-- e. EVALUATE CONTAGION.
Consistent statements obtained from different multiple victims are
powerful pieces of corroborative evidence - that is as long as those
statements were not "contaminated". Investigation must carefully
evaluate both pre- and post-disclosure contagion, and both victim
and intervenor contagion. Are the different victim statements
consistent because they describe common experiences or events, or
because they reflect contamination or urban legends?
The sources of potential contagion are widespread. Victims can
communicate with each other both prior to and after their
disclosures. Intervenors can communicate with each other and with
victims. The team or cell concepts of investigation are attempts to
deal with potential investigator contagion. All the victims are not
interviewed by the same individuals, and interviewers do not
necessarily share information directly with each other. Teams report
to a leader or supervisor who evaluates the information and decides
what other investigators need to know.

Documenting existing contagion and eliminating additional contagion


are crucial to the successful investigation and prosecution of these
cases. There is no way, however, to erase or undo contagion. The
best you can hope for is to identify and evaluate it and attempt to
explain it. Mental health professionals requested to evaluate
suspected victims must be carefully selected. Having a victim
evaluated by one of the self-proclaimed experts on satanic ritual
abuse or by some other overzealous intervenor may result in the
credibility of that victim's testimony being severely damaged.
In order to evaluate the contagion element, investigators must
meticulously and aggressively investigate these cases. The precise
disclosure sequence of the victim must be carefully identified and
documented. Investigators must verify through active investigation
the exact nature and content of each disclosure outcry or statement
made by the victim. Second-hand information about disclosure is not
good enough.

Whenever possible, personal visits should be made to all locations


of alleged abuse and the victim's homes. Events prior to the alleged
abuse must be carefully evaluated. Investigators may have to view
television programs, films, and videotapes seen by the victims. It
may be necessary to conduct a background investigation and
evaluation of everyone, both professional and nonprofessional, who
interviewed the victims about the allegations prior to and after the
investigative interview(s). Investigators must be familiar with the
information about ritual abuse of children being disseminated in
magazines, books, television programs, videotapes, and conferences.
Every possible way that a victim could have learned about the
details of the abuse must be explored if for no other reason than to
eliminate them and counter the defense's arguments.
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There may, however, be validity to these contagion factors. *They
may explain some of the "unbelievable" aspects of the case and
result in the successful prosecution of the substance of the case.*
Consistency of statements becomes more significant if contagion is
identified or disproved by independent investigation. The easier
cases are the ones where there is a single, identifiable source of
contagion. Most cases, however, seem to involve multiple contagion
factors.

Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy are complex and


controversial issues in these cases. No attempt will be made to
discuss them in detail, but they are documented facts (Rosenberg,
1987). Most of the literature about them focuses on their
manifestation in the medical setting as false or self-inflicted
illness or injury. They are also manifested in the criminal justice
setting as false or self-inflicted crime victimization. If parents
would poison their children to prove an illness, they might sexually
abuse their children to prove a crime. "Victims" have been known to
destroy property, manufacture evidence, and mutilate themselves in
order to convince others of their victimization. The motivation is
psychological gain (i.e. attention, forgiveness, etc.) and not
necessarily money, jealousy, or revenge. These are the unpopular,
but documented, realities of the world. Recognizing their existence
does not mean that child sexual abuse and sexual assault are not
real and serious problems.

-- f. ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS.

The importance and difficulty of this technique in extrafamilial


cases involving young children cannot be overemphasized. An
investigator must maintain ongoing communication with the parents of
victims in these abuse cases. Not all parents react the same way to
the alleged abuse of their children. Some are very supportive and
cooperative. Others overreact and some even deny the victimization.
Sometimes there is animosity and mistrust among parents with
different reactions. Once the parents lose faith in the police or
prosecutor and begin to interrogate their own children and conduct
their own investigation, the case may be lost forever. Parents from
one case communicate the results of their "investigation" with each
other, and some have even contacted the parents in other cases. Such
parental activity is an obvious source of potential contamination.
Parents must be made to understand that their children's credibility
will be jeopardized when and if the information obtained turns out
to be unsubstantiated or false. To minimize this problem, within the
limits of the law and without jeopardizing investigative techniques,
parents must be told on a regular basis how the case is progressing.
Parents can also be assigned constructive things to do (e.g.
lobbying for new legislation, working on awareness and prevention
programs) in order to channel their energy, concern, and "guilt".
-- g. DEVELOP A CONTINGENCY PLAN.

If a department waits until actually confronted with a case before a


response is developed, it may be too late. In cases involving
ongoing abuse of children, departments must respond quickly, and
this requires advanced planning. There are added problems for small-
to medium-sized departments with limited personnel and resources.
Effective investigation of these cases requires planning,
identification of resources, and, in many cases, mutual aid
agreements between agencies. The U.S. Department of Defense has
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conducted specialized training and has developed such a plan for
child sex ring cases involving military facilities and personnel.
Once a case is contaminated and out of control, I have little advice
on how to salvage what may once have been a prosecutable criminal
violation. A few of these cases have even been lost on appeal after
a conviction because of contamination problems.
-- h. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TASK FORCES.
Sergeant Beth Dickinson, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department,
was the chairperson of the Multi-Victim, Multi-Suspect Child Sexual
Abuse Subcommittee. Sergeant Dickinson states (personal
communication, Nov. 1989):
"One of the biggest obstacles for investigators to overcome is the
reluctance of law enforcement administrators to commit sufficient
resources early on to an investigation that has the potential to be
a multidimensional child sex ring. It is important to get in and get
on top of the investigation in a timely manner - to get it
investigated in a timely manner in order to assess the risk to
children and to avoid hysteria, media sensationalism, and cross-
contamination of information. The team approach reduces stress on
individual investigators, allowing for peer support and minimizing
feelings of being overwhelmed."
The team approach and working together does not mean, however, that
each discipline forgets its role and starts doing the other's job.
-- i. SUMMARY.
The investigation of child sex rings can be difficult and time
consuming. The likelihood, however, of a great deal of corroborative
evidence in a multivictim/multioffender case increases the chances
of a successful prosecution if the crime occurred. Because there is
still so much we do not know or understand about the dynamics of
multidimensional child sex rings, investigative techniques are less
certain. Each new case must be carefully evaluated in order to
improve investigative procedures.
Because mental health professionals seem to be unable to determine,
with any degree of certainty, the accuracy of victim statements in
these cases, law enforcement must proceed using the corroboration
process. If some of what the victim describes is accurate, some
misperceived, some distorted, and some contaminated, what is the
jury supposed to believe? Until mental health professionals can come
up with better answers, the jury should be asked to believe what the
*investigation* can corroborate. Even if only a portion of what
these victims allege is factual, that may still constitute
significant criminal activity.
10. CONCLUSION.
There are many possible alternative answers to the question of why
victims are alleging things that don't seem to be true. The first
step in finding those answers is to admit the possibility that some
of what the victims describe may not have happened. Some experts
seem unwilling to even consider this. Most of these victims are also
probably not lying and have come to believe that which they are
alleging actually happened. There are alternative explanations for
why people who never met each other can tell the same story.
I believe that there is a middle ground - a continuum of possible
activity. Some of what the victims allege may be true and accurate,
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some may be misperceived or distorted, some may be screened or
symbolic, and some may be "contaminated" or false. The problem and
challenge, especially for law enforcement, is to determine which is
which. This can only be done through active investigation. I believe
that the majority of victims alleging "ritual" abuse are in fact
victims of some form of abuse or trauma. That abuse or trauma may or
may not be criminal in nature. After a lengthy discussion about
various alternative explanations and the continuum of possible
activity, one mother told me that for the first time since the
victimization of her young son she felt a little better. She had
thought her only choices were that either her son was a pathological
liar or, on the other hand, she lived in a community controlled by
satanists.
Law enforcement has the obvious problem of attempting to determine
what actually happened for criminal justice purposes. Therapists,
however, might also be interested in what really happened in order
to properly evaluate and treat their patients. How and when to
confront patients with skepticism is a difficult and sensitive
problem for therapists.

Any professional evaluating victims' allegations of "ritual" abuse


cannot ignore or routinely dismiss the lack of physical evidence (no
bodies or physical evidence left by violent murders); the difficulty
in successfully committing a large-scale conspiracy crime (the more
people involved in any crime conspiracy, the harder it is to get
away with it); and human nature (intragroup conflicts resulting in
individual self-serving disclosures are likely to occur in any group
involved in organized kidnapping, baby breeding, and human
sacrifice). If and when members of a destructive cult commit
murders, they are bound to make mistakes, leave evidence, and
eventually make admissions in order to brag about their crimes or to
reduce their legal liability. The discovery of the murders in
Matamoros, Mexico in 1989 and the results of the subsequent
investigation are good examples of these dynamics.
Overzealous intervenors must accept the fact that some of their
well-intentioned activity is contaminating and damaging the
prosecutive potential of the cases where criminal acts did occur. We
must all (i.e., the media, churches, therapists, victim advocates,
law enforcement, and the general public) ask ourselves if we have
created an environment where victims are rewarded, listened to,
comforted, and forgiven in direct proportion to the severity of
their abuse. Are we encouraging needy or traumatized individuals to
tell more and more outrageous tales of their victimization? Are we
making up for centuries of denial by now blindly accepting any
allegation of child abuse no matter how absurd or unlikely? Are we
increasing the likelihood that rebellious, antisocial, or attention-
seeking individuals will gravitate toward "satanism" by publicizing
it and overreacting to it? The overreaction to the problem can be
worse than the problem.
The amount of "ritual" child abuse going on in this country depends
on how you define the term. One documented example of what I might
call "ritual" child abuse was the horror chronicled in the book _A
Death in White Bear Lake_ (Siegal, 1990). The abuse in this case,
however, had little to do with anyone's spiritual belief system.
There are many children in the United States who, starting early in
their lives, are severely psychologically, physically, and sexually
traumatized by angry, sadistic parents or other adults. Such abuse,
however, is not perpetrated only or primarily by satanists. The
statistical odds are that such abusers are members of mainstream
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religions. If 99.9% of satanists and 0.1% of Christians abuse
children as part of their spiritual belief system, that still means
that the vast majority of children so abused were abused by
Christians.

Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the public should


not be frightened into believing that babies are being bred and
eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human
sacrifices, or that satanists are taking over America's day care
centers or institutions. No one can prove with absolute certainty
that such activity has *not* occurred. The burden of proof, however,
as it would be in a criminal prosecution, is on those who claim that
it has occurred.

The explanation that the satanists are too organized and law
enforcement is too incompetent only goes so far in explaining the
lack of evidence. For at least eight years American law enforcement
has been aggressively investigating the allegations of victims of
ritual abuse. There is little or no evidence for the portion of
their allegations that deals with large-scale baby breeding, human
sacrifice, and organized satanic conspiracies. Now it is up to
mental health professionals, not law enforcement, to explain why
victims are alleging things that don't seem to have happened.
Professionals in this field must accept the fact that there is still
much we do not know about the sexual victimization of children, and
that this area desperately needs study and research by rational,
objective social scientists.
If the guilty are to be successfully prosecuted, if the innocent are
to be exonerated, and if the victims are to be protected and
treated, better methods to evaluate and explain allegations of
"ritual" child abuse must be developed or identified. Until this is
done, the controversy will continue to cast a shadow over and fuel
the backlash against the validity and reality of child sexual abuse.
XI. REFERENCES.
American Psychiatric Association, _Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders_ (3rd Ed., Rev.). Washington, DC: 1987.
Breiner, S.J., _Slaughter of the Innocents: Child Abuse Through the
Ages and Today_. New York: Plenum Press, 1990.
Brown, R., _Prepare for War_. Chino, CA: Chick Publications, 1987.
Brunvand, J.H., _The Vanishing Hitchhiker_. New York: Norton, 1981.
Harrington, Walt, "The Devil in Anton LaVey". Washington, D.C.: _The
Washington Post Magazine_, February 23, 1986, pages #6-17.
Lanning, K.V., _Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis_ (2nd Ed.).
Washington, D.C.: National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, 1987.

Lanning, K.V. (1989). Child sex rings: A behavioral analysis.


Washington, DC: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
LaVey, Anton, _The Satanic Bible_. New York: Avon Books, 1969.

Mayer, R.S., _Satan's Children_. New York: Putnam, 1991.


Michigan Department of State Police, _Occult Survey_. East Lansing,
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Michigan, 1990.
_National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV) News_, June-
October 1988, page #3.
_National Incidence Studies on Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and
Thrownaway Children in America_. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department
of Justice, 1990.
Prattanis, A., "Hidden messages", _Wellness Letter_. Berkeley,
California: University of California, January 1991, pages #1-2.
Rosenberg, D.A., "Web of Deceit: A Literature Review of Munchausen
Syndrome by Proxy", _Child Abuse and Neglect_ #2, 1987, pages #547-
563.
Rush, E., _The Best Kept Secret: Sexual Abuse of Children_. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
Smith, M., & Pazder, L., _Michelle Remembers_. New York: Congdon and
Lattis, 1980.
Siegal, B., _A Death in White Bear Lake_. New York: Bantam, 1990.
"Stranger-Abduction Homicides of Children", _Juvenile Justice
Bulletin_. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Justice, 1989.
Stratford. L., _Satan's Underground_. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House,
1988.
Terr, L., _Too Scared to Cry_. New York: Harper & Row, 1990.
Timnik, L., "The Times Poll", _Los Angeles Times_, August 25-26,
1985.
Virginia Crime Commission Task Force, _Final Report of the Task
Force Studying Ritual Crime_. Richmond, Virginia.

12. SUGGESTED READING.


-- a. Cooper, John Charles, _The Black Mask: Satanism in America
Today_. Old Tappen, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1990.
Probably the best of the large number of books available primarily
in Christian bookstores and written from the Christian perspective.
This one, however, is written without the hysteria and
sensationalism of most. Recommended for investigators who want
information from this perspective.
-- b. Hicks, Robert D., _In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the
Occult_. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1991.
Undoubtedly the best book written to date on the topic of satanism
and the occult from the law enforcement perspective. Robert D. Hicks
is a former police officer who is currently employed as a criminal
justice analyst for the state of Virginia. Must reading for any
criminal justice professional involved in this issue. Unfortunately,
in the chapter on "Satanic Abuse of Children", the author appears to
have been overly influenced by extreme skeptics with minimal or
questionable credentials in this area. The book is easy to read,
logical, and highly recommended.

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-- c. Richardson, James T.; Best, Joel; & Bromley, David G.; Eds,
_The Satanism Scare_. NY: Aldine de Gruyter, 1991.
The best book now available on the current controversy over satanism
written from the academic perspective, The editors and many of the
chapter authors are college professors and have written an
objective, well-researched book. One of the great strengths of this
book is the fact that the editors address a variety of the
controversial issues from a variety of disciplines (i.e., sociology,
history, folklore, anthropology, criminal justice). Because of its
academic perspective it is sometimes harder to read but is well
worth the effort. The chapter on "Law Enforcement and the Satanic
Crime Connection" contains the results of a survey of "Cult Cops"
and is must reading for law enforcement officers. The chapter on
"Satanism and Child Molestation: Constructing the Ritual Abuse
Scare" was written, however, by a free-lance journalist who seems to
take the position that these cases involve little or no real child
abuse.
-- d. Terr, Lenore, _Too Scared to Cry: Psychic Trauma in
Childhood_. New York: Harper and Row, 1990.
An excellent book written by a psychiatrist that provides important
insights into the nature and recallability of early psychic trauma.
For me, Dr. Terr's research and findings in the infamous Chowchilla
kidnapping case shed considerable light on the "ritual" abuse
controversy.

PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN


This is the text of a talk entitled PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN. Written by
Julia Phillips, it was presented by Julia and Matthew Sandow at the Wiccan
Conference, Canberra, September 1992, and was illustrated with slides of medieval
woodcuts, paintings and documents.

To begin, an example of religious persecution:


I am told that, moved by some foolish urge, they consecrate and worship the head of
a donkey, that most abject of all animals. This is a cult worthy of the customs
from which it sprang! Others say that they reverence the genitals of the presiding
priest himself, and adore them as though they were their father's... As for the
initiation of new members, the details are as disgusting as they are well-known. A
child, covered in dough to deceive the unwary, is set before the would-be novice.
The novice stabs the child to death with invisible blows; indeed, he himself,
deceived by the coating of dough, thinks his stabs harmless. Then - it's horrible! -
they hungrily drink the child's blood, and compete with one another as they divide
his limbs. Through this victim they are bound together; and the fact that they all
share the knowledge of the crime pledges them all to silence. Such holy rites are
more disgraceful than sacrilege. It is well-known too what happens at their
feasts.... On the feast day they forgather with all their children, sisters,
mothers, people of either sex and all ages. When the company is all aglow from
feasting, and impure lust has been set afire by drunkenness, pieces of meat are
thrown to a dog fastened to a lamp. The lamp, which would have been a betraying
witness, is overturned and goes out. Now, in the dark so favourable to shameless
behaviour, they twine the bonds of unnameable passion, as chance decides. And so all
alike are incestuous, if not always in deed, at least by complicity; for everything
that is performed by one of them corresponds to the wishes of them all... Precisely
the secrecy
of this evil religion proves that all these things, or practically all, are true.
(Minucius Felix: Octavius)

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Although the language is not modern, the description of the practices could have
come straight from last week's "Picture" magazine! And this is the point that I wish
to make; the facts of persecution have not changed in almost 2,000 years, for that
piece was written in the 2nd century AD. Moreover, the religion it condemns is
Christianity, not Paganism, for Paganism at that time was the dominant state
religion. In fact the author is a Christian apologist, and is attempting to rebuke
what he sees as unfair criticism, by parodying the offences which Pagans accuse
Christians of perpetrating.
Persecution of religious minorities is quite simply that; it is persecution by a
large body of people - generally those who represent "society" - against a smaller
one; generally comprised of those who have either rejected, or for one reason or
another, fall outside of the social "norm".

Let us look at the medieval picture of the witch; society's scapegoat par
excellence: here we see her - for it is most often "her" - an old, ugly woman, most
likely poor, and most likely on the fringe of the society in which she lives. This
is the stereotype of the witch. We know it is false; we know it has no basis in
fact; however, it became an integral part of the mindset of medieval Europe, and
through fairy tales, drama and literature, and more latterly, cinema, the media and
television, it has remained an integral image in modern society. One has only to
look to Roald Dahl's "Witches", or Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz", for proof of this.
It came as a surprise to me to learn that "The Wizard of Oz" was in fact a
deliberate propaganda exercise, released just at the beginning of World War II. If
you remember, the magic words are: "There's no place like home"; and where was
"home"?
Kansas! that epitome of the WASP culture.
When looking at medieval persecution of heresy, the waters are muddied by the many
different causes and effects which permeate the whole matter. There was no single
cause, and no single victim. It is a fact that far more women than men were
persecuted; there are a number of reasons for this, not least that throughout this
period, Europe was engaged in one war after another - most notably The Crusades -
and men were in rather short supply. There were also several epidemics of the
plague, not to mention other diseases such as dysentery and cholera, which in the
Middle Ages were sure killers. Another reason is the rampant misogyny which, begun
with the earliest Christians, has permeated their theology ever since:
"What else is woman but a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary
evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable
detriment, an evil of nature, painted in fair colours... The word woman is used to
mean the lust of the flesh, as it is said: I have found a woman more bitter than
death, and a good woman more subject to carnal lust... [Women] are more credulous;
and since the chief aim of the devil is to corrupt faith, therefore he rather
attacks them [than men]... Women are naturally more impressionable... They have
slippery tongues, and are unable to conceal from their fellow-women those things
which by evil arts they know.... Women are intellectually like children... She is
more carnal than a man, as is clear from her many carnal abominations... She is an
imperfect animal, she always deceives.... Therefore a wicked woman is by her nature
quicker to waver in her faith, and consequently quicker to abjure the faith, which
is the root of witchcraft.... Just as through the first defect in their intelligence
they are more prone to abjure the faith; so through their second defect of
inordinate affections and
passions they search for, brood over, and inflict various vengeances, either by
witchcraft or by some other means.... Women also have weak memories; and it is a
natural vice in them not to be
disciplined, but to follow their own impulses without any sense of what is due...
She is a liar by nature... (Malleus Maleficarum, edited by
Jeffrey Russell).

It is easy to comprehend the persecution of women when one is confronted with such
obvious hatred and fear of the sex. But perhaps the most powerful impetus of the
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witch trials era is one which is subtly - and sometimes not so subtly! - present in
all the trials; that of a pursuit of power or wealth. For an example we can look to
Gilles de Rais, who as the wealthiest man in Europe (as well as Joan of Arc's
military Captain), was a prime victim for a charge of heresy. Found guilty, his
lands, properties and wealth were confiscated by his accusers. Curiously though he
was buried on consecrated ground in the Churchyard; normally forbidden to heretics.
In "The Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and Demonology", Russell Hope Robbins says:
"At first, Gilles dismissed their accusations as "frivolous and lacking credit", but
so certain were the principals of finding him guilty that on September 3, fifteen
days before the trial began, the Duke disposed of his anticipated share of the Rais
lands. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to place any credence in the
evidence against him, among the most fantastic and obscene
presented in this Encyclopaedia."

Charges included the now obligatory conjurations of devils and demons - Satan,
Beelzebub, Orion and Belial are mentioned by name - and the practice of that
dreadful art: geomancy! And of course the charges included human sacrifice and
paedophilia; no self-respecting Christian could exclude these crimes from charges
against a confirmed heretic!

There were not many who had the wealth of Gilles de Rais, but in
a small parish, even the meanest property was eagerly seized, and
the witch hunts became a profitable business. The victims were even required to pay
for the fuel upon which they were burnt. But the laws were not consistent
throughout Europe, and in some areas, if the victim confessed, then his or her
property could not be confiscated, but was inherited by the next of kin. However,
many of these victims were in fact devout Christians, who would be loath to confess
to heresy just so that their family could inherit their land! Of course many were
tortured to the point were they would admit to being anything demanded of them,
although technically, they were only allowed to be tortured once. This is why you
will read in trials records that the torture was "continued", which, of course, gets
round the problem of the poor torturer missing out on his lunch and dinner.
Although most heretics were women, a great many men were also taken, tortured, and
put to death. This is a letter from one such victim at the notorious Bamberg in
Germany; a poignant epitaph to one of Europe's most hideous crimes:
Many hundred thousand good-nights, dearly beloved daughter Veronica. Innocent have I
come into prison, innocent have I been tortured, innocent must I die. For whoever
comes into the witch prison must become a witch or be tortured until he invents
something out of his head - and God pity him - bethinks him of something.
I said: "I have never renounced God, and will never do it - God graciously keep me
from it. I'll rather bear whatever I must."

And then came also - God in highest heaven have mercy - the executioner, and put the
thumbscrews on me, both hands bound together, so that the blood spurted from the
nails and everywhere,
so that for four weeks I could not use my hands, as you can see from my writing.
Thereafter they stripped me, bound my hands behind me, and drew me up on the ladder.
Then I thought heaven and earth were at an end. Eight times did they draw me up and
let me fall again, so that I suffered terrible agony.
All this happened on Friday June 30th and with God's help I had to bear the torture.
When at last the executioner led me back into the cell, he said to me: "Sir, I beg
you, for God's sake, confess
something, whether it be true or not. Invent something, for you cannot bear the
torture which you will be put to; and, even if you bear it all, yet you will not
escape, not even if you were an earl,
but one torture will follow another until you say you are a witch."
The author of this letter, Johannes Junius, did indeed confess to being a witch, and
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in August of 1628, was burned at the stake. He managed to send his final letter to
his daughter, which ended by saying:
Dear child, keep this letter secret, so that people do not find it, else I shall be
tortured most piteously and the jailers will be beheaded. So strictly is it
forbidden... Dear child, pay this man a thaler... I have taken several days to write
this - my hands are both crippled. I am in a sad plight. Good night, for your
father Johannes Junius will never see you more.
This letter describes more accurately than any historical treatise just how
uncompromising the ecclesiastical courts were in their
hunt for heretics. Witches, of course, were only one kind of heretic.
I mentioned earlier that there are many causes, and many effects, to the period
which is commonly referred to as "The Burning Times", or the Great Witch Hunt. It is
often assumed by many people today that Christianity has been the dominant western
religion for 2,000 years. This is not so. The death of Christ, which probably
occurred in the year AD 30, may have heralded the new religion, but there was
certainly not an immediate conversion of the world to Christianity. Parts of
Scandinavia remained wholly Pagan until as late as the 12th century. The British
Isles and mainland Europe were converted to Christianity over a lengthy period
covering mainly the 4th to 9th centuries. Some parts have never truly been
converted, and with the opening up of the Eastern bloc countries, we are now
re-discovering a wealth of Pagan tradition and folklore that has been hidden for
hundreds of years: initially from the invading Christian mission-aries, and then
later from the various communist regimes.

As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different


sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the nominal head,
but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and ascetic tastes; the
political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat and devious. A truly spiritual
person would have lasted approximately two seconds amongst the clever and
calculating politicians who infested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power
controlled by the Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at
that time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb example of
the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of power: otherwise known
as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator would be proud.
Because of their sumptuous lifestyle, their obvious disregard and
contempt for vows of poverty and chastity, and their abuse of the
spiritual authority invested in them, many spiritually inclined
Christians rejected the Catholic Church, and instead followed
leaders who lived simple, ascetic lives in accordance with the
teachings of Christ. Some of these sects became very popular,
and were soon perceived by the Pope as a threat to his status and
power. It has been suggested that the witch trials were a direct
result from the persecution of these sects. Rather than incorporate a
discussion of the different sects within this talk, handouts are
available which very briefly describe the main ones.
The main thrust was against the Cathars or Albigensians, and the
Waldensians (Vaudois), and it was their persecution which gave rise to the legal
machinery which developed into the Inquisition, and the so-called witch hunts. It
began with Pope Lucius III and the emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa; they met at
Verona in 1184, and issued the decree "Ad abolendam", which excommunicated sects
like the Cathars and Waldensians, and laid down the procedures for ecclesiastical
trial, after which the accused would be handed over to the secular authorities for
punishment. The punishment decreed was confiscation of property, exile, or death.
By the 12th century, burning had already become the established means of execution
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for heretics, and so this became enshrined in law.
At the beginning of the 13th century, the Dominican Order of Friars was established,
and its members were instructed by the Pope to investigate and prosecute heresy.
From this simple beginning grew the awesome machinery of the Inquisition, which
although never aimed particularly at witches, became a byword for terror in parts of
Europe.
As you can see, the motives for the heresy persecutions were not to stamp out
Paganism - although that was certainly a by-product - but
to remove the threat of any competition to the power of the Church
(and thus to the Pope), in Rome. And the greatest threat came from
other "Christian" sects, not the Pagans. The change from an accusatory to an
inquisitorial process became established, and the legal machinery which allowed -
indeed encouraged - individual psychopaths and religious maniacs to persecute at
will, was in place.

Have you got a neighbour who annoys you? plays loud music, or who keeps their smelly
refuse next to your garden fence? Now your recourse is to the local council or the
police; in the Middle Ages, you simply denounced the offender as a witch or heretic,
and let the Church deal with them for you. Not only did it cost you nothing, if you
were lucky, you might also inherit their property!
For once you were taken as a witch or a heretic, there was little chance of escape.
Certainly some victims were pardoned and released, but the vast majority were not so
lucky. When you consider the style of questioning, this is not surprising:
1 How long have you been a witch?
2 Why did you become a witch?
3 How did you become a witch and what happened on that occasion?
4 Who is the one you chose to be your incubus? What was his name?
5 What was the name of your master among the evil demons?
6 What was the oath you were forced to render to him?

21 What animals have you bewitched to sickness and death, and


why did you commit such acts?
22 Who are your accomplices in evil...?
24 What is the ointment with which you rub your broomstick
made of...?
This set of questions came from Lorraine, and was used consistently throughout the
three centuries of the main persecutions. Bearing in mind that the accused HAD to
answer - no answer at all, or a denial, was tantamount to guilt - you can see how
easily the composite picture of the witch evolved. As Rossell Hope Robbins says:
"The confessions of witches authenticated the experts, and the denunciations ensured
a continuing supply of victims. Throughout France and Germany this procedure became
standardised; repeated year after year, in time it built up a huge mass of
"evidence", all duly authorised, from the mouths of the accused. On these
confessions, later demonologists based their compendiums and so formulated the
classic conceptions of witchcraft, which never existed save in their own minds."
As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different
sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the nominal head,
but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and ascetic tastes; the
political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat and devious. A truly spiritual
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person would have lasted approximately two seconds amongst the clever and
calculating politicians who infested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power
controlled by the Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at
that time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb example of
the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of power: otherwise known
as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator would be proud.
It is also rather disturbing to discover just how important individual
religious maniacs appear to have been in the persecutions. Rather like today, where
a crusading tele-journalist, or evangelical vicar, can cause untold harm to innocent
people. Without exception, these accusations are by those with an unhealthy mania
against anyone whose theology or practices differ from their own. In the words of
one modern evangelist: "if you're not fighting and winning, you're losing.".
Conrad of Marburg, described by Norman Cohn as, "a blind fanatic", was a severe and
formidable persecutor. As confessor to the young 21 year-old Countess of Thuringia,
he would trick her into "some trivial and unwitting disobedience, and then have her
and her maids flogged so severely that the scars were visible weeks later". (Cohn).
Conrad became Germany's first official Inquisitor, and his zeal in denouncing
heretics was unsurpassed. Another Conrad, a lay-Dominican Friar, and his sidekick
Johannes, were also vigorous in denouncing heretics. As they moved from village to
village, they claimed to be able to identify a heretic by his or her appearance,
based on nothing but their own intuition. They were responsible for the burnings of
many people, and said, "we would gladly burn a hundred if just one among them were
guilty". (Annales Wormantiensis).
Their comment about appearance is an important one; as we saw earlier, the
stereotype of the witch hasn't changed much in hundreds of years. We know it is
false; we know that it exists only in the imagination of the persecutors, and yet
how powerful and enduring this stereotype has proven to be.
If we think about this stereotype, what images do we conjure up? An old woman -
occasionally an old man; or perhaps a young and alluring temptress? Flying through
the air on a broomstick; worshipping a devil, often in the form of a goat; trampling
upon the sacred symbols of Christianity; and of course our old friend the Sabbat,
with its practices of sexual license, debauchery, drunkenness and ritual murder; the
latter often of children.
But persecution does not restrict itself to witches; the similarities
between this stereotype and that of the Jew are obvious: Jews have
been persecuted throughout their history, but it is interesting to
compare some aspects of their persecution with that of witches.

In the 12th century, the word "Synagogue" was used for the first time to describe
the meeting place of heretics. Professor Russell says that: "This usage, obviously
designed to spite the Jews, was common throughout the Middle Ages, being replaced
only towards the end of the 15th century by the equally anti-Jewish term 'sabbat'.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica says on the subject of Jewish persecution that: "To
reinforce racial and religious prejudice, the preposterous ritual murder accusation
became common from the 12th century." The third and fourth Lateran Councils had
already prohibited gentiles from entering Jewish service, or being employed by Jews,
and further ordered that Jews should wear a distinctive badge, and live only in
Jewish settlement areas. This of course was the beginning of the ghetto.

As we have seen though, the ritual murder accusation was already over a thousand
years old, before it was used against either the Jews or the heretics and witches.
Most people know of the expulsion of Jews from Spain in the 15th century, but
perhaps not so commonly known is that for about 200 years prior to the expulsion,
the Jews had been massacred and persecuted. Indeed, it was against the Jews that the
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infamous Spanish Inquisition of the 15th century was directed. The persecution of
Jews in 20th century Europe is too well-known to require further comment here, but
perhaps a few comments about its encouragement would be useful.
We are discussing persecution in this talk, and how persecution is manifested.
Throughout history, the written word has been invaluable as a means of spreading
propaganda. Even in the Middle Ages the "crimes" of the heretic were publicised by
records of trials, where the "confessions" were made known to the general public.
The infamous "Malleus Maleficarum" became highly influential in Europe mainly
because its publication coincided with the introduction of mass printing. It had
little effect in England because no English translation was available until 1928.
This fact alone demonstrates the power of the written word.
In medieval Europe, a pamphlet describing the crimes of a convicted heretic would be
pinned to a post in the town square, and those who could not read had it read to
them. In 20th century Europe, pamphlets were still used by one group to spread lies
about another. As we approach the 21st century, this technique is still used with
very great success; for the persecutor needs to make only a glancing nod to the
truth, and the lies which are published (or more frequently broadcast) are far more
scandalous than the reality!
An example: soon after the launch of the Pagan Alliance, Sydney radio 2MMM
broadcasted a news story about the sexual abuse of children by occultists and
witches. Matthew responded immediately, and provided the station with copy documents
and news clippings from Britain, proving the story to be without foundation, and a
scheme by the Christian fundamentalists to discredit Pagans. The news editor and
chief journalist were impressed by the material, and agreed that they had been used
by the fundies. However, they refused to broadcast a retraction because it would be
"old news". So, the damage had been done, and the fundamentalists achieved their
objective.
This technique was used with very great effect in the early part of
the 20th century, with the circulation of a pamphlet called, "The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion". This purported to be, "an account
of the World Congress of Jewry held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897, during which a
conspiracy was planned by the international Jewish movement and the Freemasons to
achieve world domination." (M Howard).
German nationalists made very great use of the Protocols, which it
was claimed were "smuggled out of Switzerland by a Russian journalist who had placed
the documents in the safe keeping of the Rising Sun Masonic Lodge in Frankfurt."
(ibid) They were widely disseminated, and writing in "Mein Kampf", Hitler "denounced
the Jews as agents of an international conspiracy devoted to world domination...".
(ibid) We all know what happened next.

The point is that although the Protocols were confirmed as a fraud in 1921, they
continued to have an effect, and once published, could not effectively be retracted.
This is the aim of today's fundamentalist Christian, who believes that if he or she
throws enough dirt at their opponents (basically anyone who does not agree with
their uncompromising version of Christianity), then some will stick, and the battle
will be won. This is the strategy which has been used for thousands of years to
persecute minorities, and has always been successful. The formula is simple:
discover what most people fear most, and then accuse your enemies of practising it.
It is an interesting comment on humanity that those things which occur time and time
again are consistent: conspiracy, buggery, paedophilia, sacrifice (human and animal)
sexual license, drunkenness and feasting. More specific charges relating to a pact
with a devil or desecrating sacred objects are additions to these core accusations.
A further interesting aspect is that many of the accusations were
made by children; interesting parallels can be drawn to modern accusations by
children "encouraged" to reveal information about occultism and witches. It has been
widely recorded that Hitler's "Youth Army" required children to spy upon their
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parents, and report any indiscretions; modern social workers use an identical
process for identifying Pagan parents - children are asked about what their parents
do, and leading questions are commonly used. And of course there have always been
children who, for one reason or another, tell the most fantastic tales. It is
unlikely today that the victims of these child fantasies will be burned at the
stake, but there have been families torn apart, children placed in detention
centres, and untold misery for parents and children alike, based upon no more than
the verbal report of a child.
Commentators on this aspect of persecution have suggested that the children wish to
be the centre of attention; or to direct punishment
for their own misdeeds elsewhere; or are simply reacting in a hyperactive manner to
the onset of puberty. Whatever the cause, the effects are dramatic, and have caused
severe suffering, and in the middle ages, loss of life, on many occasions.

In medieval England, there were many occasions where children's "evidence" (sic) was
used to convict witches. "The Leicester Boy", "The Burton Boy" and "The Bilson Boy"
were a few of many who claimed to be bewitched by witches. Eventually proven to be a
fraud, at least ten women died as a result of the accusations of The Leicester Boy,
and the Burton Boy caused the death of at least one of the women whom he accused. In
the 17th century a number of women were executed on the allegations of hysterical
children, even though fraud was often discovered during the course of the trial. It
is a fact that the delusions of delinquent or disturbed children were often used by
judges to confirm their own prejudices; how little things have changed!

Salem (1692) is probably the best known of all the cases where children were the
chief accusers. Although in fact, the "children" were more like young adults, with
only one under the age of ten, and most in their late teens or early twenties.
However, as the panic grew, a great many more were sucked into the web of lies, and
Martha Carrier was hanged on the "evidence" (sic) of her 7 year-old daughter. At the
height of the hysteria almost 150 people were arrested; thirty-one were convicted,
and nineteen hung. Some died in jail, and others were reprieved. As was common in
Europe, the accused were required to pay their expenses whilst in jail, even if they
were subsequently found innocent. Sarah Osborne and Ann Foster both died in jail,
and costs of œ1 3s 5d and œ2 16s 0d respectively were demanded before the bodies
would be released for burial.
The chief of the accusers, Ann Putnam, confessed fourteen years later that the whole
thing was a fraud. In 1697 the jurors publicly confessed they had made an error of
judgement, and ten years after the executions, Judge Samuel Sewall "confessed the
guilt of the court, desiring to take the blame and shame of it...". By then of
course it was too late for those who were dead, or whose lives had been destroyed by
the accusations.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves here, for Salem is the last of the great witch
trials, coming as it does towards the end of the 17th
century.
We mentioned earlier that in Continental Europe, the heresy trials
appeared to arise from the persecution of the Christian sects of the
Bogomils, Cathars, Albigensians, and others such as the Jews, Waldensians, and even
the Knights Templars. The stereotype of the witch was compounded from many different
sources, and gradually became the composite figure of the shape-shifting hag, who
flew through the air on a broom, and flung her curses at all and sundry.
The concept of the pact with the devil existed as early as the 8th
century, and as we have seen, sexual license, buggery and ritual
sacrifice have long been seen as activities supposed to be practised
by those outside of society's norm, whether they be Christian or
Pagan. During the 9th century, shape-shifting, maleficia and the
incubus/succubus became more commonly reported, and by the 10th century, the idea of
nocturnal flight was established. Published in 906, the Canon Episcopi described
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how some women were deluded in the belief that at night they could fly behind their
Goddess, Diana (Holda or Herodias):
"Some wicked women are perverted by the Devil and led astray by illusions and
fantasies induced by demons, so that they believe they ride out at night on beasts
with Diana, the pagan goddess, and
a horde of women. They believe that in the night they cross huge distances. They say
that they obey Diana's commands and on certain nights are called out in her
service..."

Echoes here to Maddalena's story recounted by Leland in Aradia: Gospel of the


Witches:
"Once in the month, and when the moon is full, ye shall assemble in some desert
place, or in a forest all together join to adore the potent spirit of your Queen, my
mother, great Diana".
Carlo Ginzburg has also published a remarkable book about the Witches' Sabbath, and
the night flight, where he suggests that these are in fact based on genuinely
ancient shamanic practices; nothing new in this concept to modern Witches, but a
novel observation in the academic circles in which Ginzburg moves.
In 1012, Burchard's Collectarium was published: the first attempt to assemble a book
of Canonical Law. Book number 19 of this vast collection was called the Corrector,
and chapter five deals with various sins, and their respective penances. As we might
suppose, Maleficia is prominent in this chapter! It enshrines in law the notion of
night flight, together with murder, and the cooking and eating of human flesh.
Although both the Canon Episcopi and Burchard's Corrector are specific in
attributing the powers of flight to Witches, it is not until 1280 that the first
picture of a witch riding upon a broom appears. This is found in Schleswig
Cathedral.
In 1022, the first burning occurred: at Orleans, the victims were
accused of, "holding sex orgies at night in a secret place, either
underground or in an abandoned building. The members of the group appeared bearing
torches. Holding the torches, they chanted the names of demons until an evil spirit
appeared. Now the lights were extinguished, and everyone seized the person closest
to him in a sexual embrace, whether mother, sister or nun. The children conceived at
the orgies were burned eight days after birth, and their ashes were confected in a
substance that was then used in a blasphemous parody of holy communion."
Strange how these charges appear to have changed so little in so many years!
Compared with our first example, and indeed with the accusations of modern day
fundamentalists, one would be forgiven for believing that time is a figment of our
imagination, and that nothing ever really changes; certainly not human nature.
The 14th century saw a steady growth in the number of accusations and trials, and by
the 15th century, the idea of the Devil's (or Witch's) mark had become established.
So too was the idea of a flying ointment, and a consistent image of The Devil became
common in trials literature.
The Papal Bull of 1484, Summis Desiderantes Affectibus, and then two years later,
publication of the Malleus Maleficarum, further established the "crime" of
witchcraft as a heresy, and confirmed Papal support for its eradication. This
infamous work - The Hammer of the Witches - was incredibly influential in
establishing a code of practice by which witches were to be denounced, tried,
convicted and executed. There was no escape from this dreadful fate. The third part
of the book describes how to deal with one who will not confess to the charges:

"But if the accused, after a year or other longer period which has been deemed
sufficient, continues to maintain his denials, and the legitimate witnesses abide by
their evidence, the Bishop and
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Judges shall prepare to abandon him to the secular Court; sending to him certain
honest men zealous for the faith, especially religious, to tell him that he cannot
escape temporal death while he thus
persists in his denial, but will be delivered up as an impenitent heretic to the
power of the secular Court.
It is also in this section that our friendly Dominican monks refer to, "witch
midwives, who surpass all other witches in their crimes... And the number of them is
so great that, as has been found from their confessions, it is thought that there is
scarcely any tiny hamlet in which at least one is not to be found."
Despite its incredible influence in Europe, the Malleus had little effect in
England, Wales or Ireland, where witchcraft accusations
and trials were very different to those of the continent and Scotland. In fact Wales
and Ireland seemed to escape from the witch persecutions almost entirely, with very
few trials, and even fewer executions.
Although many laws have been enacted in England against witchcraft, there has never
been anything like the hysteria about witches common in mainland Europe. The
earliest known person accused of sorcery in England was Agnes, wife of Odo, who in
1209 was freed after choosing trial by ordeal of grasping a red-hot iron.
Until 1563, commoners accused of witchcraft in England met light (if any)
punishment. Those of noble birth were treated rather more severely, as the crime
could easily be one of treason, and any action which implied a threat to the monarch
was treated very seriously indeed. This resulted in the charge of witchcraft being
used to remove political opponents with great expediency. There were certainly laws
against the practice of witchcraft or sorcery: Alfred the Great (849-899 AD), King
of Wessex and overlord of England, decreed the death penalty for Wiccans (that was
the word he actually used), and Aethelstan - perhaps one of the most compassionate
of Saxon Kings, ordered those who practised Wiccecraeft to be executed, but only if
their activities resulted in murder.
Under Henry VIII's Act of 1546, the penalty for conjuration of evil
spirits was death, and the property of the accused was confiscated
by the King. However, this was in effect for only one year, being
repealed by Edward VI in 1547, and only one conviction under this
Act is recorded. In 1563, the statute of Queen Elizabeth I was established, which
also made death the penalty for invoking or conjuring an evil spirit, but those who
practised divination, or who caused harm (other than death) by their sorceries, were
sentenced to a year's imprisonment for a first offence. Subsequent offences could be
punishable by death, and in some cases, the confiscation of property as well.

However, even though laws against the practice of witchcraft had


been established for hundreds of years, the first major trial was not
until 1566, at Chelmsford, and was typical of the English style of
witchcraft: no pact with the devil, no gathering at Sabbats, but
simple and direct acts of maleficia, and the introduction of witches'
familiars. It was an important trial, for it set the precedent in
English law for accepting unsupported, and highly imaginative, stories from children
as evidence. It also accepted spectral evidence (sic), witch's marks, and the
confession of the accused.
There are some very distinctive aspects to English witchcraft, which set it apart
from its Continental and Scottish counterparts, and which are worth noting. There
was a relative lack of torture, and, this may come as a surprise to some people, but
witches were never burned in England. Traitors and murderers were burned; witches
were hung. Of course, a traitor or a murderer could also be a witch, but this was
actually quite rare. The torture used in England - when it was used at all - was
typically swimming, pricking, enforced waking, and a diet of bread and water.
Unpleasant, but when compared to squassation, being skinned alive, the strappado,
the rack, and such delights as the thumbscrews and the iron maiden, hardly in the
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same class. The focus of English witchcraft was more towards simple, personal, acts
of maleficia than a perceived conspiracy against the power of the Christian Church.
As one of Britain's foremost folklorists says: "Traditions of an organised, pagan
witch-cult were never very plentiful in England, although they did exist
occasionally, especially in the later years of the witch belief. They were never
really strong, and after the end of the persecution in the early 18th century, they
disappeared altogether." (Christina Hole) This is interesting, because it has been
suggested that the witch trials phenomena was largely inspired by the heretical
Christian sects; this would seem to be born out by the type of accusations made in
England, which were largely neighbour against neighbour rather than Church and State
against an organised conspiracy of heretics.
What is also interesting is that it was commonly believed in England that if the
bewitched victim could draw blood from the witch, then they would be cured, and the
witch's power made ineffective. This belief has persisted in folk traditions to
modern times. In 1875, at Long Compton, the body of an old woman, one Ann Turner,
was discovered. She had been pinned to the ground by a pitchfork through her throat,
and across her face and chest had been carved the sign of a crucifix. James Heywood,
a local farmer, had once claimed: "It's she who brings the floods and drought. Her
spells withered the crops in the field. Her curse drove my father to an early
grave!". Heywood maintained that the only way to destroy her power was to spill her
blood, and so after her murder, he was taken and tried for the crime. He was
convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Long Compton has always been
associated with the practice of witchcraft, and is located only a short distance
from the magical Rollright Stones, and near to the aptly named Wychwood Forest. The
derivation of this name is from the curiously named tribe of THE HWICCE, who lived
in the area at the time of King Penda of Mercia, and who seemed always to be ruled
by two brothers. But back to Long Compton:

In 1945, Charles Walton, a local labourer, set out one morning to do some hedging on
nearby Meon Hill. That evening, his mutilated body was found in a field - pinned to
the ground by his pitchfork, which had been stuck through his throat. There were
cuts to his arms and legs, and local police were baffled as to the motive for the
crime, and who the likely culprit might have been. But gradually locals began to
talk about Mr Walton; they said he was a solitary and vindictive old man, who was
concerned more with searching out the secrets of nature than in taking company with
his neighbours. They said that he harnessed toads, using reeds and pieces of ram's
horn, and then sent them across fields to blight the crops. They also remembered
that he kept a witch's mirror - a piece of black stone polished in a mountain stream
- concealed in his pocket-watch, which he used for weaving spells and seeing into
the future. The police never discovered the culprit, but it was accepted locally
that Mr Walton was murdered because he was a
witch. His wounds were a result of the belief that a victim could be
freed from enchantment if he or she were able to draw the blood of
the witch.
We could not leave English witchcraft without mention of that infamous gentleman,
Matthew Hopkins; self-styled Witchfinder General. For all his fame, his activities
were restricted to a relatively small area, and a relatively short period of time.
However, his boundless energy, and boundless enthusiasm for the collection of large
amounts of money, ensured that his name has not been forgotten.
Matthew Hopkins used the unrest of the Civil War to prey upon the fears of the
common people. Little is known of his early life, except that he became a lawyer "of
little note", and failing to make a living at Ipswich in Suffolk, moved to
Manningtree in Essex - an area of Civil War tension.
With virtually no knowledge of witchcraft, but armed with a couple of contemporary
documents (including James I's "Demonology"), Hopkins set himself up in business as
a witchfinder. And a very profitable business it was too. At a time when the average
daily wage was 6d, Hopkins received œ23 for a single visit to Stowmarket, and œ6 for
a visit to Aldeburgh.
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His approach was consistent: James I mentioned that witches had familiars, and
suckled imps; therefore, anyone who kept a familiar
spirit or imp must be a witch! Bearing in mind the English partiality to keeping
pets, and you begin to see just how very successful this technique could be. For
example, Bridget Mayers was condemned for entertaining an evil spirit in the
likeness of a mouse, which she called "Prickears"; another (unnamed) woman was
rescued by her neighbours from a ducking, where she confessed to having an imp
called "Nan". When she recovered she said: "she knew not what she had confessed, and
she had nothing she called Nan but a pullet that she sometimes called by that
name...".
Hopkins moved from Essex to Norfolk and Suffolk, and by the following year, had
operations in Cambridge, Northampton, Huntingdon and Bedford, with a team of six
witch finders under his control. "In Suffolk alone it is estimated that he was
responsible for arresting at least 124 persons for witchcraft, of whom at least 68
were hanged." (RHR) However, Hopkins moved too far too quickly, and public opinion
began to go against him. In 1646, a clergyman in Huntingdon preached against him,
and judges began to question both his methods of locating witches, and the fees that
he charged for the service. In 1647 Hopkins published a pamphlet called "Discovery
of Witches", in which he supported his methods in sanctimonious and pseudo legal
language. However, it was to no avail, for later that year he died, "in some
disgrace" according to most authorities. Witchcraft legend has it that he was
drowned by irate villagers in one of his own ducking ponds, but this has no recorded
evidence to support it. However, it would be a
fitting end to such an evil man, and I hope it was true.
Moving away from England; Scottish and Continental witchcraft shared a great many
similarities; Mary Queen of Scots, and her son, James VI, were both educated in
France, and this ensured that continental attitudes towards witches were enshrined
in Scottish law at the highest level. In fact the concepts of witchcraft were
introduced into Scotland by Mary in about 1563. Before then, trials for witchcraft
had been few, and there were no recorded burnings of witches. In "The Encyclopaedia
of Witchcraft and Demonology" Rossell Hope Robbins says:

"Scotland is second only to Germany in the barbarity of its witch trials. The
Presbyterian clergy acted like inquisitors, and the Church sessions often shared the
prosecution with the secular law
courts. The Scottish laws were, if anything, more heavily loaded against the
accused. Finally, the devilishness of the torture was limited only by Scotland's
backward technology in the construction
of mechanical devices."
It is well known that James VI was an ardent prosecutor of witches, and it was under
his authority that the Bible was translated to include the word "witch" (Exodus
22:18) to provide Biblical sanction for the death penalty for witches. The original
Hebrew word - kashaph - meant either a magician, diviner or sorcerer, but was
definitely not a witch. In the Latin Vulgate (4th century version of the Bible) the
word had been translated as "maleficos", which could mean any kind of criminal,
although in practice often referred to malevolent sorcerers. Similarly, the
so-called Witch of Endor, consulted by King Solomon: the original Hebrew was
"ba'alath ob": "mistress of a talisman". In the Latin Vulgate she became a "mulierem
habentem pythonem": a women possessing an oracular spirit. It was only in the
version of the Bible
authorised by King James that she became a witch.
By the time that James acceded to the English throne in 1603, his
attitude towards witches had undergone a subtle transformation. In
fact, he was directly responsible for the release and pardon of several accused
"witches", and personally interfered in trials where
he believed that fraud or deception was being practised. However,
Lynn Linton writing in 1861 says of him:

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"Whatever of blood-stained folly belonged specially to the Scottish trials of this
time - and hereafter - owed its original impulse to him; every groan of the tortured
wretches driven to their fearful doom, and every tear of the survivors left blighted
and desolate to drag out their weary days in mingled grief and terror, lie on his
memory with shame and condemnation ineffaceable for all time."

But it was under Charles II that perhaps the most famous - and enduring - of
Scottish witches was tried, and most probably executed (although records of her
punishment have not survived). Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne, on four separate
occasions during 1662 testified that she was a witch, and gave what Russell Hope
Robbins describes as: "a resum‚ of popular beliefs about witchcraft in Scotland.".
He says that Gowdie "appeared clearly demented", but that "it is plain she believed
what she confessed, no matter how impossible...".

From Gowdie are derived some of the concepts of today's Wicca, including the idea of
a coven, comprised of 13 people. Gowdie said that a coven was ruled by a "Man in
Black", often called "Black John". He would often beat the witches severely, and it
seemed their main tasks were to raise storms, change themselves into animals, and
shoot elf arrows to injure or kill people. Coming as she does right at the end of
the witchcraft persecutions, it is difficult to establish how much of Gowdie's
confession is based upon real, traditional folk practices of Auldearne, and how much
she is simply repeating the standard accusations against witches. The Coven of 13
is probably the single aspect of her confessions which does not appear elsewhere in
records of witchcraft trials, and my own feelings are that she was probably as
genuine a witch as was ever taken and tried.

We have already commented how terrifying it is to consider the impact that a single
person can have upon the lives of so many people. We have looked at a number of
these - King James, Kramer and Sprenger, Matthew Hopkins, Conrad of Marburg - and
their latter day successors are no less dangerous. Let us consider some of the 20th
century persecutors. We have already mentioned Adolf Hitler; what about Stalin? his
great purge in the period following 1936 saw charges of treason, espionage and
terrorism brought against anyone who showed the least inclination to oppose him.
Using techniques which would not have been out of place during the great witch
hunts, Stalin's henchmen enforced "confessions", and effectively exterminated any
threat to his
political power.
We could look too at McCarthy, whose fame for persecution was such that his name is
now used to describe "the use of unsupported accusations for any purpose". It is no
accident that his activities were referred to as a "witch hunt", nor that Arthur
Miller's play about the Salem witch trials, "The Crucible", was more a comment about
McCarthyism than a comment about 17th century American life.

In 20th century Australia we are heirs to a European history, which


maintains that witches are servants of the devil, and should be prosecuted for their
crimes against humanity. In some States these
laws actually remain upon the Statute Books; in others, the legal
machinery has been removed, but often public opinion hovers around the middle ages,
believing that the only good witch is a dead witch.
Our latter-day inquisitors play upon these fears, in much the same
way as Matthew Hopkins played upon the fears of the people during the Civil War.
Christian Fundamentalists have no hesitation in using every dirty trick in the book
to ensure that public opinion remains opposed to witchcraft. If this means that some
of them have to stand up and say: "Yes, I was a witch: I sacrificed my babies to the
devil, and copulated with a goat; I took part in drunken orgies, and drank the blood
of the sacrifice"; but then I found Jesus, and was born again, and now I'm a really
nice person; well so be it. Some of them are so psychiatrically unbalanced they may
even believe it themselves.
Listen to a sample of the claims made by Audrey Harper, who achieved notoriety in
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Britain as an ex-HPS of a Witches' Coven. This extract is from an article by Aries,
which appeared in Web of Wyrd #5:
Sent to a Dr Barnado's home by her mother, she grew up with deprivation and social
stigma. In time she becomes a WRAF, falls in love, gets pregnant, boyfriend dies,
she turns to booze, gives up
her baby and becomes homeless. Wandering to Piccadilly Circus she meets some Flower
Children with the killer weed, and her descent into Hell is assured. By day she gets
stoned and eats junk
food; by night she sleeps in squats and doorways. Along comes Molly; the whore with
a heart of gold who teaches Audrey the art of streetwalking. She flirts with
shoplifting, gets into pills, and then
gets talent spotted and invited to a Chelsea party, where wealth, power and tasteful
decor are dangled as bait. At the next party she is hooked by the "group", which
meets "every month in Virginia Water". She agrees to go to the next meeting which is
to be held at Hallowe'en.
Inside the dark Temple lit by black candles and full of "A heady, sickly sweet smell
from burning incense", she is "initiated" by the "warlock", whose "face was deathly
pale and skeletal... his
eyes ... were dark and sunken" and whose "breath and body seemed to exude a strange
smell, a little like stale alcohol." She signs herself over to Satan with her own
blood on a parchment scroll,
whereupon a baby is produced, its throat cut, and the blood drank. Following this
she gets dumped on the "altar" and screwed as the "sacrifice of the White Virgin".
The meeting finishes with a
little ritual cursing and she's left to wander "home" in the dark.
Her life falls into a steady routine of meetings in Virginia Water, getting screwed
by the "warlock", drug abuse, petty crime, and recruiting runaways for parties,
where the drinks are spiked -"probably with LSD" - and candles injected with heroin
release "stupefying fumes into the air"; the object being sex kicks and pornography.
She falls pregnant again, gets committed to a psychiatric hospital, has the baby,
and gives it away
convinced that the "warlock" would sacrifice it.
Things then become a confusion of Church desecration, drug addiction, ritual abuse,
psychiatric hospital, and falling in with Christian folk who try vainly to save her
soul. For rather vague
reasons the "coven" decide to drop her from the team, and she dedicates herself to a
true junkie's lifestyle with a steady round of overdosing, jaundice, and
detoxification units. The "warlock"
drops by to threaten her, and she makes her way north via some psychiatric hospitals
to a Christian Rehabilitation farm. She gets married, has a child which she keeps,
and becomes a regular churchgoer. But beneath the surface are recurring nightmares,
insane anger and murderous feelings towards her brethren. At the Emmanual
Pentecostal Church in Stourport she asks the Minister, Roy Davies, for help. He
prays, and God tells him that she was involved with witchcraft. An exorcism has her
born again, cleansed of her sin. She gets baptised and has no more nightmares,
becoming a generally nicer person. She becomes the "occult expert" of the Reachout
Trust and Evangelical Alliance, and makes a career out of telling an edited version
of her tale.
Geoffrey Dickens MP persuades her to tell all on live TV; "Audrey, to your knowledge
is child sacrifice still going on?" To this she replies, "To my knowledge, yes."
After this the whole thing rambles into an untidy conclusion of self-congratulation,
self-promotion, and self-justification; and for a grand finale pulls out a list of
horrendous child abuse, which is shamelessly exploited in
typically journalistic fashion, and by the usual fallacious arguments which links it
to anything "occult"; help-lines, astro predictions in newspapers, and even New Age
festivals.
And so we are left with a horrifying vision of hordes of Satanists
swarming the country, buggering kids, sacrificing babies, and feeding their own
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faeces to the flock."
Whilst all this seems incredible to any rational person, unfortunately, in the age
old tradition, it confirms the worst fears of the man and woman in the street, and
so they swallow it whole. After all, it was on telly, so it MUST be true!
As a direct result of people like Audrey Harper publicising their lies and fantasy,
children in England and Scotland were forcibly removed from their homes, and
subjected to the type of questioning that we had previously believed had died out at
the end of the Middle Ages.
A consultant clinical psychologist scrutinised the interview transcripts and audio
records of the recent Orkney child abuse case,
and in her summing up said: "[the Social Workers] told the children they knew things
had happened to them and were generally leading all the way. When the children
denied things, the questions were continually put until the children got hungry and
gave them the answers they wanted."
Who says that torture is no longer legal in the British Isles?

The father of four of the children who were taken into care said:
"At first I thought the allegations were laughable, but I found out
how serious the police were...". Just to remind you of the words of
Gilles de Rais some 500 years ago: [the accusations] are frivolous
and lack credit...".
One 11 year-old described being asked to draw a circle of ritualistic dancers. He
said: "They got me to draw by saying, 'I am not a drawer. Can you draw that?' It was
meant to be a ring with children around and a minister in the middle wearing a black
robe and a crook to pull children in."
The boy said he had been promised treats such as a lesson on how a helicopter worked
if he co-operated, and was told that he could
go if he gave one name. How remarkably similar to medieval witch
trials, where the victims were always pressed to name their accomplices - for is it
not said, "thou canst not be a witch alone?"!
In 1990, journalist Rosie Waterhouse commenting upon the Manchester child abuse case
said: "After three months of questioning by the NSPCC, strange stories began to come
out and other children were named. The way the children began telling "Satanic"
tales in this case is remarkably similar to the way such stories first surfaced in
Nottingham. As "The Independent on Sunday" revealed last week (23/9/90), the
Nottingham children began talking about witches, monsters, babies and blood only
after they had been encouraged, by an NSPCC social worker, to play with toys which
included witches' costumes, monsters, toy babies, and a syringe for extracting
blood."
Believe it or not, the parents of these children had no access to
them whatsoever. Why? Because our modern, scientifically trained,
20th century social workers believed that, "[the parents] would try
to silence the children, using secret Satanic symbols or trigger words".
By March 1991, senior Police spokesmen were publicly claiming that "police have no
evidence of ritual or satanic abuse inflicted on
children anywhere in England or Wales". Scotland has a different
legal system, which is why it was not included in the statement -
not because the police have evidence there, for they do not.
When the Rochdale case finally came to court, after the children
had been in care (sic!) for about 16 months, the judge delivered a
damning indictment upon those who were responsible for it, and said: "the way the
children had been removed from their parents was particularly upsetting." He saw a
video of the removal of one girl from her home during a dawn raid, and commented
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that, "It is obvious from the video tape that the girl is not merely frightened but
greatly distressed at being removed from home. The sobbing and distraught girl can
be seen. It is one of my most abiding memories of this case."
Let us return briefly to Salem, where, in 1710, William Good petitioned for damages
in respect of the trial and execution of his wife Sarah, and the imprisonment of his
daughter, Dorothy, "a child of four or five years old, [who] being chained in the
dungeon was so hardly used and terrified that she hath ever since been very
chargeable, having little or no reason to govern herself.".

Today's Christian Fundamentalist, like his vicious and self-righteous predecessors,


will use anything in his or her power-including innocent children - to destroy the
evils of Paganism and the occult. Sometimes I wonder if we are becoming paranoid, or
the subjects of a persecution complex, but in writing this lecture it was brought
home to me more strongly than ever before: the witch trials of the Middle Ages are
not a bloody stain on the history of Christianity; they are the source from where
today's fundamentalists draw their power, and are just as terrifying today as they
were hundreds of years ago. Bigotry and persecution have changed in only one
respect: 20th century mankind has far more efficient and effective means of
spreading lies and propaganda than was available to our ancestors.
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix A
The subject of the European Witch Trials has been written about ad infinitum (and
nauseam!), and there are a great many useful books which the student will find of
interest. There follows a short bibliography of those to which I referred when
writing this lecture.
Select Bibliography

Bradford, Sarah Cesare Borgia (1981)


Cohn, Norman Europe's Inner Demons (1975)
Ginzburg, Carlo Ecstasies: Deciphering The
Witches' Sabbath (1990)
Hole, Christina Witchcraft in England (1977)
Howard, Michael The Occult Conspiracy (1989)
Kieckheffer, Richard European Witch Trials (1976)
Larner, Christina Enemies of God: The Witch Hunt in
Scotland (1981)
Larner, Christina Witchcraft and Religion (1985)
Maple, Eric The Complete Book of Witchcraft and
Demonology
(1966)
Radford, Kenneth Fire Burn (1989)
Ravensdale & Morgan The Psychology of Witchcraft
(1974)
Robbins, Rossell Hope The Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and
Demonology (1984)
Russell, Jeffrey A History of Witchcraft (1980)
Scarre, Geoffrey Witchcraft and Magic in 16th and 17th
century Europe (1987)
Stenton, Sir Frank Anglo-Saxon England (1971)
Summers, Montague (Trans) Malleus Maleficarum (1986)
Thomas, Keith Religion and the Decline of Magic
(1971)
Trevor-Roper, H R The European Witch-Craze of the 16th
and 17th Centuries (1988)
Walsh, Michael Roots of Christianity (1986)
Worden, Blair (Ed) Stuart England (1986)
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Encyclopaedia Britannica (1969 edition)
Collins Dictionary of the English Language (1980)
Newspapers: The Times, The Guardian, The Independent (Britain)

PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN


Appendix B - Historical Periods

Anglo-Saxon: broadly 550 AD to 1066 AD (the Norman invasion).


Middle Ages: broadly the period from the end of classical
antiquity (476 AD) to the Italian Renaissance (or fall of
Constantinople in 1453). More specifically the period from 1000
AD to the 15th century.
Medieval: of, or relating to, the Middle Ages.
Tudor: the Royal House, descended from Welsh Squire Owen
Tudor (d.1461), which ruled in England between 1485 AD -
1603 AD
Stuart: the Royal House which ruled in Scotland between
1371 AD and 1714, and in England between 1603 AD - 1714 AD.
Jacobean: relating to the period of James I's rule of England
(1603-1625).
Reformation: a 16th century religious and political movement
which began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church,
but actually resulted in the establishment of the Protestant
Church.
Renaissance: usually considered as beginning in Italy in the
14th century, this is the period which marked the
transition from the Middle Ages to the modern world. It is
characterised by classical scholar ship, scientific and
geographical discovery, and the exploration of individual
human potential.
Civil War: 1640-1649, between the Royalists under Charles I,
and the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. Charles
I was executed in 1649.
Crusades: a series of wars undertaken by the Christians of
western Europe with the authorisation of the Papacy from
1095 until the mid-15th century for the purpose of
recovering the Holy Sepulchre at Jerus alem from the Muslims
and defending possession of it. (Enc. Britannica)
Thirty Years' War: a major conflict involving Austria, Denmark,
France, Holland, Germany, Spain and Sweden that
devastated central Europe, but especially Germany. It began as a
war between Protestants and Catholics but developed into a
general power struggle (1618 1648).
Lateran Councils: Five ecumenical councils held at the Lateran Palace
(the official residence of the Pope) between 1123 AD and
1512 AD.

PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN


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Appendix C - Gnostic and Christian sects
Manichaeism: a dualistic Gnostic religion first preached by Mani
(q.v.) in the 3rd century AD. Its early centre was
Babylonia, then part of the Persian empire and a meeting place
of faiths. (EB)

The basic theology of Manichaeism is that good and evil are separate and
opposed principles, which have become mixed in the world through the action of the
evil principle. There is a complicated mythology which describes the creation of the
world and the elements, and a set of complex correspondences by which the seeker can
return to a state of salvation. Manichaeism spread across a huge area, including the
Roman Empire. However, by the 6th century it had virtually been eradicated from
Spain, France and Italy, although was strong in the eastern Mediterranean until the
9th century, when it was absorbed into the neo-Manichean sects of the Bogomils,
Cathars, etc.
Bogomils: a religious sect which flourished in the Balkans
between the 10th and 15th centuries.
Their central teaching was strictly dualistic; that the visible, material
world was created by the Devil, and that everything within it was therefore evil.
They rejected many of the trappings of Christianity, and their condemnation of
anything to do with the flesh - including eating and drinking! - has rightly earned
them the nickname, "the greatest puritans of the middle ages".
Cathars: a heretical Christian sect that flourished in
western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries.

They believed that goodness existed only in the spiritual world created by
God, and that the material world, created by Satan, was evil. Their theology bore a
great resemblance to that of Manichaeism and the Bogomils, and they were closely
connected with the latter.
Waldensians: also known as Valdenses or Vaudois. The sect was
founded in southern France in the 12th century, and
emphasised poverty, abstinence from physical labou r, and a life
devoted to prayer.

They were influenced by other "heretical" sects, and rejected a number of


the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. They were stern opponents to the
acquisition of wealth and power within the Church, and thus came into direct
opposition to the Papacy,which thrived on both. They were fiercely persecuted, and
by the end of the 15th century, confined mainly to the French and Italian
valleys of the Cottian Alps. During the 16th century, the Waldensians were
transformed into a Protestant church, but suffered heavy persecution throughout the
17th century from the Dukes of Savoy. This ceased only after Oliver Cromwell
intervened personally on their behalf with the duke, Charles Emmanuel II. In the
latter part of the 17th century the Waldensians returned to their original homeland,
and in 1848 the
Waldensians were given civil rights, and are today members of the World Presbyterian
Alliance.
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix D - A calendar of events connected with the persecution of heretics

640 AD Eorcenberht succeeds Eadbald as King of Kent, and


becomes the first English king to order the destr uction
of pagan idols throughout his kingdom;

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663 AD Council of Whitby determines the date of Easter to
be in accordance with Roman practice, and so ends Celtic
Christianity in Northumberland;
668-690 AD Liber Poenitentialis by Theodore, Archbishop of
Canterbury. Probably the first legislation against
witches. It advised penances (eg, fasting) for
those who "sacrificed to devils, foretold the future
with their aid, ate food that had been offered in
sacrifice, or burned grain after a man was dead for the
well-being of the living and of the house."
735-766 AD the Confessional of Ecgberht, Archbishop of
York, which prescribed a 7-year fast for a woman
convicted of "slaying by incantation";
871-899 AD reign of King Aelfred (brother of Aethelred), who
declared the death penalty for those who practise Wicca;
925-939 AD reign of King Aethelstan, where murder - including
murder by witchcraft - was punishable with the death
penalty;
936 AD Otto elected King of the Germans, whereupon he
declared it his intention to drive the pagans out of his
land;
951 Otto crowned King of Lombardy;
955 Otto defeated the Magyars and proclaimed himself
"Protector of Europe";
962 Otto crowned Holy Roman Emperor;
1022 the first burning (at Orleans) for heresy;
1066-1087 AD reign of William the Conqueror in England; he
reduced Aethelstan's sentence of death for con victed
murderers to banishment;
1118 King Baldwin II of Jerusalem suggested to Sir Hugh
de Payens that he organise a chivalric order of knights
to defend travellers to the Holy Land, and granted part of his
palace, which stood on the site of Solomon's original temple,
for their headquar ters. As a result of this gesture, Hugh de
Payens called his Order the Templi Militia, and then later
changed this to Knights of the Temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem;
1162 Pope Alexander III issued a special papal bull
releasing Templars from spiritual obedience to any but the
Pope himself, gave them exemption from paying tithes, and
allowed them their own chaplains and burial grounds;
12/13th cent the Cathar heresies: introduction of the obscene
kiss and ritual adoration of the devil;
1243-44 Siege of Montsegur;
1244 225 Cathars burned at the stake at Montsegur;
1259 relationships between the Knights Templars and the
Hospitallers of Knights of St John deteriorated into open
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warfare;
1291 the Saracens took Jerusalem, and the Knights
Templars were expelled, and lost their headquarters on the
site of Solomon's Temple;
1301 Walter Langton, bishop of Coventry, tried by
ecclesiastical court for diabolism and acquitted;
1302 trial in Exeter for defamation of a man who called
a woman a "wicked witch and thief";
1307 King Philip of France ordered the arrest of every
member of the Knights Templar in France: this was followed
by a papal bull to all rulers in Christian Europe that all
Templars were to be arrested;
1311 investigation in London by episcopal authority into
sorcery, enchantment, magic, divination and
invocation;
1312 the Pope officially disbanded the Knights Templars;
1314 Jaques de Molay (last Grand Master of the Knights
Templars) burned as a relapsed heretic;
1321 last Cathar burned at the stake;
1324 Alice Kyteler tried in Kilkenny by secular and
ecclesiastical authorities for diabolism, invoca tion and
sorcery;
1347 the Plague spreads over the whole of Italy, and
arrives in France by the end of the year;
1348 the Plague reaches Paris, then the Low Countries,
and then via the Channel to southern England;
1349 Britain ravaged by the Plague, which passes into
Germany, Austria and Scandinavia;
1360 the Plague, complicated by influenza reappears in
Europe, continuing in waves until 1441, and finally
ending around 1510;
1390 woman tried in Milan for attending an assembly led
by "Diana", "Erodiade" or "Oriente";
1408 the Plague, still rampant in Europe is complicated
by an epidemic of Typhus and Whooping Cough;
1409 trial of Pope Benedict XIII at Pisa for divination,
invocation, sorcery and other offences;
1428-47 Dauphine: 110 women and 57 men executed by secular
court for witchcraft, especially diabolism;
1431 Joan of Arc tried for heresy and burnt at the
stake: the trial decision was annulled in 1456, and in 1920
she was canonised by Pope Benedict XV with the date of her
execution (May 30) becoming a
national holiday in France;

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1440 Gilles de Rais tried on 47 charges including con
juration of demons and sexual perversions against
children: nearly all evidence was hearsay, none of his servants
was called to testify, and the procee dings were highly
irregular: he was strangled and then sent to the pyre, but his
family were given permission to remove his body before the
flames reached it for burial at a nearby Carmelite Church;
1441 Margery Jourdain ("the Witch of Eye") convicted of
plotting to kill King Henry VI, and burned as a traitor;
1458 first recorded use of the word "sabbat" (Nicholas
Jacquier). "Synagogue" was the word commonly used to
describe the meeting places of heretics and witches;

1470 trial before Royal Court in England for defamation


- man had accused the Duchess of Bedford of image
magic;
1479 Earl of Mar executed for employing witches
to kill James III of Scotland;
1484 Papal Bull of Pope Innocent VIII officially
declaring witchcraft a heresy;
1486 first publication of the Malleus Maleficarum;
1488 Metz: 31 women and 4 men tried by secular court for
weather magic: 29 burned;
1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain;
1521 Martin Luther excommunicated by Pope Leo X, and so
begins the Reformation;
1532 the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina: the criminal
code for the Holy Roman Empire which specified how witches,
fortune tellers, etc were to be tried, and punished;
1542 first statute against witchcraft in England passed
by Parliament (revoked 1547);
1557 first list of prohibited books issued by the Roman
church;
1562 statute enacted in Scotland under Mary Queen of
Scots declaring the death penalty for witchcraft, sorcery
and necromancy: the Act was confirmed in 1649 and repealed in
1736;
1563 statute against witchcraft by Elizabeth I in
England ordering the death penalty for witches,
enchanters and sorcerers (under civil, not ecc lesiastical
law);
1566 first major trial under statute of 1563: Elizabeth
Francis, Agnes Waterhouse and Joan Waterhouse at
Chelmsford: Agnes hanged, Elizabeth received a light sentence
and Joan was found not guilty;
1584 "Discoverie of Witchcraft" by Reginald Scot
published - a Protestant argument against belief in
witchcraft;
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1590-92 North Berwick trials by James VI;
1595 Nicholas Remy publishes "Demonolatreiae" where he
boasted on the title page that he had condemned 900
witches in 15 years;
1596 John Dee as Warden of a Manchester College acts as
an advisor for cases of witchcraft and demonology;

1597 "Daemonologie" by King James VI published;


1600 Giordano Bruno burnt at the stake in Rome
as an "impenitent heretic";
1603 ascension of James VI to the English throne as
James I;
1604 new statute against witchcraft by James I
which established pact, devil-worship and other
continental ideas in English law;
1611 King James authorises a new translation of
the Bible to include the word "witch";

1612 twenty witches tried together at Lancashire


(the Pendle witches);
1628 in Massachusetts, an English lawyer, Thomas
Morton ordered a maypole to be erected in the
colony which he founded (Merrymount), and celebrat ed May
with local Indians and refugees from the Puritans, with stag
antlers, bells and brightly coloured clothes, under an
elected "Lord and Lady"
to rule over the celebrations; He was arrested
under charges of practising witchcraft, but was
released;
1633 the public exorcisms of the nuns of Loudun as part
of a plot by Cardinal Richelieu to revenge himself upon Urban
Grandier: Grandier arrested and tried by
investigating committee;
1634 Grandier tortured then burned alive;

1644 maypoles made illegal in England;


1644-5 Matthew Hopkins active in Chelmsford;
1646 Matthew Hopkins retired - he died the following
year;
1647 first witch hung in the USA, in Connecticut;
1649 first newspaper astrology column by Lilly;
1662 at Bury St Edmunds women were accused and convicted
of witchcraft on the testimony of hysterical
children;
1662 the trial of Isobel Gowdie in Auldearne, Scotland:
Gowdie introduces the idea of a coven of thirteen;

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1663 the Licensing Act determined that books could not
be published without prior consultation with the Church
or State;
1679-82 the Chambre Ardente affair: a star chamber court
admitting of no appeal arraigned to try Madame Bosse,
her daughter and sons; Madame Montvoisin (La Voisin) and La Dame
Vigoreux. During the course of the trial, several hundreds of
the highest cour tiers of King Louis XIV were implicated in
the poisoning scandal. The affair degenerated into a
search for heresy and witchcraft, and eventually
Catholic Priests Davot, Gerard, Deshayes, Cotton, Tournet,
Guibourg and Mariette were also drawn in, accused of performing
the Black Mass. Evidence was collected to show that Madame de
Montespan (Louis' former mistress) attempted to poison Louis and
his new mistress, and was the leader of the Satanic
cult. In all, 319 people were arrested and 104
sentenced: 36 to death, 4 to slavery in the gal leys, 34 to
banishment and 30 acquitted. In 1709 Louis attempted to
destroy the records of the affair, but failed;
1684 Alice Molland was the last person executed as a
witch in England (at Exeter);

1689 Cotton Mather (New England) publishes "Memorable


Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions"
supporting belief in witchcraft;
1692 Salem witch trials: 19 hung and more than 100
jailed; the last person executed in the USA for
witchcraft;
1727 last execution in Scotland for witchcraft;

1731 last trial for witchcraft in England: Jane Wenham,


who was convicted, then pardoned and released;
1736 the repeal of the statutes against witchcraft of
Mary Queen of Scots (1562), Elizabeth I (1563) and James I
& VI (1604): replaced with a statute which stated that, "no
prosecution, suit or proceeding shall be commenced or carried
out against any person or persons for witchcraft, sorcery,
inchant ment (sic), or conjuration." It provided for the
prosecution of those pretending to possess magical
powers, but it denied reality to those powers;
1745 last execution in France for witchcraft;
1775 last execution in Germany for witchcraft;
1829 Lamothe-Langan fabricated and published documents
represented to be records of trials of witches in Toulouse
and Carcassonne, probably in an attempt to prove the continuing
existence of the worship of the old religion;
1830 in "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft" Sir
Walter Scott argues that alleged witches had been
misunderstood and mistreated;
1862 Jules Michelet argues in his book "La Sorcerie"
that witchcraft was a protest by medieval serfs against
a crushing social order;
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1865 Pope Pius X again attacked secret societies,claim
ing that Freemasonry was anti-Christian, satanic, and
derived from paganism;

1899 publication of Aradia: Gospel of the Witches by


Leland;

1928 first English translation of the Malleus Malefic


arum (tr Summers);

1951 repeal of the 1736 Witchcraft Act with the Fraud


ulent Mediums Act;

1963 demand made for reinstatement of the Witchcraft


Laws in England following desecration of churches and
graveyards;

1966 the Index (of prohibited books) abolished;


1991 Anti-occult amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill
had its third reading in Parliament. Presented by
Geoffrey Dickens, this prescribed imprisonment for
not more than five years against one who, "permits, entices
or encourages a minor to participate in, or be present at a
ceremony or other activity of any kind specified in sub-section
3...". Subsection 3 says: "The ceremonies or activities to
which this section applies are those of, or associated with,
Satanism and other devil worshipping, black magic,
witchcraft, or any activity to which Section 1 of the
Fraudulent Mediums Act (1951) applies.
The Bill was rejected for a number of reasons, not least because
it made newspaper/magazine editors culpable if
minors should read the astrology column!
HISTORY OF WICCA IN ENGLAND: 1939 - present day
This talk was given by Julia Phillips at the Wiccan Conference in Canberra, 1991. It
is mainly about the early days of the Wicca in England; specifically what we now
call Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions. The text remains "as given", so please
remember when you read it that it was never intended to be "read", but "heard" and
debated.

Text begins:

There are three main strands I intend to examine: one, Gardner's claim of
traditional initiation, and its subsequent development; two, magical traditions to
which Gardner would have had access; and three, literary sources.
As we look at these three main threads, it is important to bear in mind that Gardner
was 55 years old at the time of his claimed initiation; that he had spent many years
in Malaya, and had an enormous interest in magic, Folklore and Mythology. By the
time he published High Magic's Aid, he was 65, and 75 when "The Meaning of
Witchcraft" appeared. He died in 1964, at the age of 80.
Gardner was born in 1884, and spent most of his working adult life in Malaya. He
retired, and returned to the UK in 1936. He joined the Folklore Society, and in June
1938, also joined the newly opened Rosicrucian Theatre at Christchurch where it is
said he met Old Dorothy Clutterbuck.

I chose 1939 as my arbitrary starting point as that was the year that Gerald Gardner
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claims he was initiated by Old Dorothy into a practising coven of the Old Religion,
that met in the New Forest area of Britain. In his own words,
"I realised that I had stumbled upon something interesting; but I was half-initiated
before the word, "Wica" which they used hit me like a thunderbolt, and I knew where
I was, and that the Old Religion still existed. And so I found myself in the Circle,
and there took the usual oath of secrecy, which bound me not to reveal certain
things." This quote is taken from The Meaning of Witchcraft, which was published in
1959.

It is interesting that in this quote, Gardner spells Wicca with only one "c"; in the
earlier "Witchcraft Today" (1954) and "High Magic's Aid" (1949), the word Wicca is
not even used. His own derivation for the word, given in "The Meaning of
Witchcraft", is as follows:

"As they (the Dane and Saxon invaders of England) had no witches of their own they
had no special name for them; however, they made one up from "wig" an idol, and
"laer", learning, "wiglaer" which they shortened into "Wicca".
"It is a curious fact that when the witches became English-speaking they adopted
their Saxon name, "Wica"."

In "An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present", Doreen Valiente does not have an entry
for Wicca, but when discussing Witchcraft, does mention the Saxon derivation from
the word Wicca or Wicce. In the more recently published The Rebirth Of Witchcraft,
however, she rejects this Saxon theory in favour of Prof. Russell's derivation from
the IndoEuropean root "Weik", which relates to things connected with magic and
religion.
Doreen Valiente strongly supports Gardner's claim of traditional initiation, and
published the results of her successful attempt to prove the existence of Dorothy
Clutterbuck in an appendix to "The Witches' Way" by Janet and Stewart Farrar. It is
a marvellous piece of investigation, but proving that Old Dorothy existed does
nothing to support Gardner's claims that she initiated him.
In his book, "Ritual Magic in England", occultist Francis King does offer some
anecdotal evidence in support of Gardner's claims. However, it is only fair to point
out that in the same book, he virtually accuses Moina Mathers of murder, based upon
a misunderstanding of a story told by Dion Fortune! With that caveat, I'll recount
the tale in full:
King relates that in 1953, he became acquainted with Louis Wilkinson, who wrote
under the pen-name of Louis Marlow, and had contributed essays to Crowley's Equinox.
He later became one of Crowley's literary executors. King says that in conversation,
Wilkinson told him that Crowley had claimed to have been offered initiation into a
witch coven, but that he refused, as he didn't want to be bossed around by a bunch
of women. (This story is well-known, and could have been picked
up anywhere.)
Wilkinson then proceeded to tell King that he had himself become friendly with
members of a coven operating in the New Forest area, and he thought that whilst it
was possible that they derived their existence from Murray's "Witch Cult in Western
Europe", he felt that they were rather older.
King draws the obvious conclusion; that these witches were the very same as those
who initiated Gardner. King claims that the conversation with Wilkinson took place
in 1953, although "Ritual Magic in England" was not published - or presumably
written - until 1970. However, on September 27 1952, "Illustrated" magazine
published a feature by Allen Andrews, which included details of a working by, "the
Southern Coven of British Witches", where 17 men and women met in the New Forest
to repel an invasion by Hitler. Wilkinson had told King of this working during their
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conversation, which King believes to be proof that such a coven existed; there are
some differences in the two stories, and so it is possible that two sources are
reporting the same event, but as Wilkinson's conversation with King came after the
magazine article, we shall never know.

In the recently published "Crafting the Art of Magic", Aidan Kelly uses this same
source to "prove" (and I use the word advisedly - the book "proves" nothing") that
Gardner, Dorothy, et al created Wicca one night following a social get together! Of
one thing we can be certain though: whatever its origin, modern Wicca derives from
Gardner. There may of course be other traditional, hereditary witches, but even if
they are genuine, then it is unlikely that they would have been able to "go public"
had it not been for Gardner.

There have been many claims of "hereditary" origin (other than Gardner's own!) One
of the most famous post-Gardner claimants to "hereditary" status was actress Ruth
Wynn-Owen, who fooled many people for a very long time before being exposed. Roy
Bowers, who used the pseudonym Robert Cochrane, was another: Doreen Valiente
describes her association with him in "The Rebirth of Witchcraft", and The Roebuck,
which is still active in the USA today, derives directly from Cochrane, via Joe
Wilson. "Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed" by Evan John Jones with Doreen Valiente
describes a tradition derived from Robert
Cochrane. Alex Sanders, of course is another who claimed hereditary lineage, and
like Cochrane, deserves his own place in this history, and we'll get to both of them
later.

Many people have been suspicious of Gardner's claims, and have accused him of making
the whole thing up. They suggest that the Wicca is no more than the fantasy of an
old man coloured by a romantic imagination. One particularly virulent attack upon
Gardner came from Charles Cardell, writing under the pseudonym of Rex Nemorensis.

One of Gardner's initiates who is still active in the Wicca today has an interesting
tale to tell about Cardell, whom he knew:

"Cardell claimed to be a Witch, but from a different tradition to Gardner's. Cardell


was a psychopathic rat, with malevolent intent toward all and sundry. He managed to
get a woman called Olive Green (Florannis) into Gardner's coven, and told her to
copy out the Book of Shadows so that Cardell could publish it, and destroy Gardner.
He also contacted a London paper, and told them when and where the coven meetings
were held, and of course the paper got quite a scoop. Cardell led people in the
coven to believe that it was Doreen Valiente who had informed on them.
Doreen had just left Gardner in a bit of a huff after a disagreement; another coven
member, Ned Grove, left with her. Anyway, the day the paper printed the exposure,
Cardell sent Gardner a telegram saying, "Remember Ameth tonight". (Ameth was
Doreen's Craft name, and as it has now been published, I see no reason not to use it
here)."

My informant also said that Olive Green was associated with Michael Houghton, owner
of Atlantis book shop in Museum Street, who was the publisher of High Magic's Aid.
Through this association, she also encountered Kenneth Grant of the OTO, although
their association was not friendly.

Cecil Williamson, the original owner of the witchcraft museum on the Isle of Man,
and present owner of the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle, has also published a number
of articles where he states quite categorically that Gardner was an utter fraud;
but, he offers only anecdotes to support these allegations.
Although Gardner claimed his initiation occurred in 1939, we don't really hear
anything about him until 1949, when "High Magic's Aid" was published by Michael
Houghton.

This book has very strong Solomonic leanings, but like Gardner's own religious
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beliefs, combined the more natural forms of magic with high ceremonial. In his
introduction to the book, Gardner says that: "The Magical rituals are authentic,
party from the Key of Solomon (MacGregor Mathers' translation) and partly from
magical MSS in my possession)." Gardner did indeed have a large collection of MSS,
which
passed with the rest of his goods to Ripleys in Toronto after his death.
Scire (pseudonym) was the name Gardner took as a member of Crowley's branch of the
OTO; although it is generally agreed that his membership was purely nominal, he was
certainly in contact with people like Kenneth Grant and Madeline Montalban (founder
of the Order of the Morning Star).
Gardner was given his OTO degree and Charter by Aleister Crowley, to whom he was
introduced in 1946 by Arnold Crowther. As Crowley died in 1947, their association
was not long-lived, but Crowther confirms that the two men enjoyed each other's
company.
So, after that brief introduction we can have a look at the first of the strands I
mentioned.
In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was born, beginning a renaissance of
interest in the occult that has continued to the present day. It is impossible to
overstate the importance of the GD to modern occultists; not only in its rituals,
but also in its personalities; and of course, through making available a large body
of occult lore that would otherwise have remained unknown, or hidden in obscurity.
I will be looking at this body of occult lore with other literary influences later,
and will here concentrate on the rituals and personalities that have influenced
Wicca.
We cannot look at the GD in isolation from its own origins. It is descended from a
myriad of esoteric traditions including Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, and Freemasonry.
The latter in its own right, as well as via the SRIA - a scholarly and ceremonial
association open to Master Masons only.
Whether the German Lodge or Fraulein Sprengel actually existed is a matter still
under debate; but either in fact or in spirit, this is the source for the "Cypher
Manuscripts" which were used to found the Isis-Urania Lodge in 1888.
As I'm sure everyone knows, Isis-Urania was founded by Dr Wynn-Westcott, Dr Woodman,
and MacGregor Mathers. Not only were all three Master Masons; Wynn-Westcott and
Mathers were also members of the Theosophical Society. The most important thing
though is the fact the these three men were a ruling triumvirate that managed the
affairs of the SRIA. This is important, for the SRIA included Hargrave Jennings in
its membership, and Jennings is reputed to have been involved with
a Pagan group at the end of the 19th century, which drew its inspiration from
Apuleius - The Golden Ass.

But back to the GD - whether the Cypher Manuscripts actually existed, or


Wynn-Westcott manufactured them is now irrelevant; Mathers was commissioned to
write-up the rituals into a workable shape, and thus the Golden Dawn was born.
Members of the Isis-Urania Lodge at various times also included Allan Bennett, Moina
Mathers, Aleister Crowley, Florence Farr, Maud Gonne, Annie Horniman, Arthur Machen,
"Fiona Macleod", Arthur Waite and WB Yeats. Also associated were Lady Gregory, and G
W Russell, or AE, whose "The Candle of Vision" was included in the bibliography of
"The Meaning of Witchcraft". The literary and Celtic influences within the GD were
immense.

From the Isis-Urania Lodge sprang all the others, including the so-called Dissident
Orders derived through Crowley. It is this line that some commentators trace to
modern Wicca, so it is the one upon which we will concentrate.
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Aleister Crowley was initiated into the Isis-Urania Lodge on 18 November 1898. As
you most probably know, Crowley later quarrelled with MacGregor Mathers, and in 1903
began to create his own Order, the Argenteum Astrum, or Silver Star. In 1912,
Crowley was initiated into the OTO, and in 1921, succeeded Theodor Reuss as its
Chief.
According to Arnold Crowther's account, it was in 1946, a year before Crowley's
death, that Crowley gave Gardner an OTO Charter. Ithell Colquhoun says only that it
occurred in the 1940s, and further states that Gardner introduced material from the
OTO, and less directly from the GD, into "...the lore of his covens".
As Doreen Valiente also admits, "Indeed, the influence of Crowley was very apparent
throughout the (Wiccan) rituals.". This, Gardner explained to her, was because the
rituals he received from Old Dorothy's coven were very fragmentary, and in order to
make them workable, he had to supplement them with other material.
To give an example of some of the lines by Crowley which are rather familiar to
modern Wiccans:
I give unimaginable joys on earth; certainty, not faith, while in life, upon death;
peace unutterable, rest, ecstasy; nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.
I am Life, and the giver of Life, yet therefore is the knowledge of me the knowledge
of death.
And of course, the Gnostic Mass has been immensely influential.
Not only poetry, but also magical practices in Wicca are often derived from GD
sources. For example:
the way of casting the circle: that is, the visualisation of the circle, and the
pentagrams at the quarters, are both based upon the standard GD Pentagram Ritual;

both the concept and word "Watchtowers" are of course from the Enochian system of
Magic, passed to Wicca via the GD (although I would like to make it very clear that
their use within Wicca bears no relation to the use within Enochia - the only
similarity is in the name);
the Elements and colours generally attributed to the Quarters are those of the GD;
the weapons and their attributions are a combination of GD, Crowley and Key of
Solomon.
In "Witchcraft Today", Gardner says, "The people who certainly would have had the
knowledge and ability to invent (the Wiccan rites) were the people who formed the
Order of the Golden Dawn about seventy years ago...".
The GD is not the only influence upon Gardner; Freemasonry has had a tremendous
impact upon the Wicca. Not only were the three founders of Isis-Urania Temple
Masons, so too were Crowley and Waite; Gardner and at least one member of the first
coven (Daffo) were both Co-Masons. Gardner was also a friend of JSM Ward, who had
published a number of books about Masonry.
Doreen describes Ward as a "leading Mason", but Francis King says only that Ward
was, "a bogus Bishop... who had written some quite good but far-fetched books on
masonry, and who ran a peculiar religious-cum-occult community called The Abbey of
Christ the King..." Whether the books were far-fetched or not, we can assume that
some of the many similarities between Wicca and Masonry are in some ways due to
Ward's influence.
Some of these include:
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The Three Degrees
The Craft
So Mote It Be
The Challenge
Properly Prepared
The 1st Degree Oath (in part)
Presentation of the Working Tools at 1st degree
and so on.
It seems to me quite clear that even if Gardner received a traditional set of
rituals from his coven, they must have been exceptionally sparse, as the concepts
that we know of as Wicca today certainly derive from ceremonial magic and
Freemasonry to a very great extent. Indeed, Gardner always claimed that they were
sparse.
It could be argued that all derive from a common source. That the appearance of a
phrase, or technique in one tradition does not automatically suggest that its
appearance elsewhere means that the one was taken from the other. However, Gardner
admits his sources in many cases, and Doreen confirms them in others, so I think it
is safe to presume that the rituals and philosophy used by Wicca descends from the
traditions of Freemasonry and Ceremonial magic, rather than from a single common
source. However, as Hudson Frew points out in his commentary upon Aidan Kelly's
book, the phenomena of the techniques and practices of ceremonial magic influencing
folk magic and traditions is widely recognised by anthropologists, and certainly
does not indicate plagiarism. And of course there are many traditional witchcraft
aspects in the Wicca.
We have looked at the development of the magical orders which resulted from the
British occult revival of the 19th and 20th centuries, and now we can see where this
ties in with Wicca, and Gardner's claim of traditional initiation.
I have here a "family tree" of the main branches of British Wicca. It is by no means
exhaustive, and is intended to provide an outline, not a definitive history! I have
included my own coven lines and development as an indication of the kind of
"cross-over" of tradition which often occurs, not to suggest that these are the only
active groups! Also, it would not be ethical for me to include details of other
covens.
We have two possible "hereditary" sources to the Gardnerian Craft: one, the Horsa
Coven of Old Dorothy, and two, the Cumbrian Group which Rae Bone claims to have been
initiated into before meeting Gardner. (NB: Doreen Valiente says that the Horsa
Coven is not connected with Old Dorothy, but is another group entirely.) There is
also sometimes mention of a St Alban's group that pre-dates Gardner, but as far as I
know, this is mistaken. The St Albans group was Gardner's own group,
which as far as research confirms, did not pre-date him.
To return to Rae Bone: she was one of Gardner's HPSs, and her "line" has been
immensely important to the modern Wicca; she was featured in the magazine series,
"Man Myth and Magic" if anyone has a copy of that.
In her heyday she ran two covens: one in Cumbria, and one in South London. Rae is
still alive, and lives in Cumbria, although her last coven moved to New Zealand many
years ago, and she is no longer active. No-one has ever been able to trace the coven
in New Zealand.
At this point, I will just mention George Pickingill, although he is not shown on
the tree, as I think it extremely dubious that he had any connection with Gardner,
or any other modern Wiccan.
Pickingill died in 1909, whilst Gardner was still in Malaya. Eric Maple is largely
responsible for the beginnings of the Pickingill myth, which were expanded by Bill
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Liddell (Lugh) writing in "The Wiccan" and "The Cauldron" throughout the 1970s. Mike
Howard still has some of Liddell's material which he has never published, and I have
yet to meet anyone within the British Craft who gives credence to Liddell's claims.
In the book, "The Dark World of Witches", published in 1962, Maple tells of a number
of village wise women and cunning men, one of whom is George Pickingill. There is a
photograph included of an old man with a stick, holding a hat, which Maple describes
as Pickingill. This photograph has subsequently been re-used many times in books
about
witchcraft and Wicca.

Issue number 31 of "Insight" Magazine, dated July 1984, contains a very interesting
letter from John Pope:

"The photograph purporting to be Old George Pickingill is in fact a photo of Alf


Cavill, a station porter at Ellstree, taken in the early 1960s. Alf is now dead, but
he was no witch, and laughed over the photograph when he saw it."
A very respected Craft authority has told me that he believes the photo, which is in
his possession, to be of Pickingill, but like so much to do with Craft history,
there is no definitive answer to this one.

Many claims were made by Liddell; some obviously from cloud-cuckoo land, others
which could, by a stretch of the imagination, be accepted. The very idea of
Pickingill, an illiterate farm labourer, co-ordinating and supervising nine covens
across the breadth of the UK is staggering. To accept - as Liddell avers - that he
had the likes of Alan Bennett and Aleister Crowley as his pupils bends credulity
even further.

The infamous photograph which Liddell claims shows Crowley, Bennett and Pickingill
together has conveniently disappeared, and no-one admits to ever having seen it.
Like most of Liddell's claims, nothing has ever been substantiated, and when pushed,
he retreats into the time honoured favourite of, "I can't reveal that - you're not
an initiate"!

But to return to the family tree: the names of Doreen Valiente, Pat and Arnold
Crowther, Lois Bourne (Hemmings), Jack Bracelin and Monique Wilson will probably be
the most familiar to you.

Jack Bracelin is the author of Gardner's biography, "Gerald Gardner, Witch",


(published 1960) now out of print, although still available 2nd hand, and in
libraries. (In Crafting the Art of Magic, Kelly claims that this book was actually
written by Idries Shah, and simply published under Bracelin's name. As with every
other claim, Kelly offers no evidence of this)

I have seen a copy of Bracelin's Book of Shadows, which it is claimed dates from
1949, although in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen says that Bracelin was a
"relative newcomer" in the mid-1950s. I have also been told by two different sources
that Bracelin helped Gardner write "The Laws". In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen
states that she did not see The Laws until the mid 1950s, when she and her partner
Ned Grove accused Gardner of concocting them in order to re-assert control over the
coven. As Bracelin was in the Gardner camp during the breakup of the group, it seems
reasonable that he did in fact help with their composition. (NB: Alex Sanders
increased the number of "The Laws" much later - these appeared in June Johns' book,
"The King of the Witches")

Although Doreen claims that the reason for the coven break-up was the fact that
Gardner and Bracelin were publicity crazy, there was another reason, which was the
instatement of a new lady into the coven, effectively replacing Doreen as HPS. This
is also the main reason for Gerald's Law which states that the HPS will,
"...gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman, should the coven so decide in
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council." Needless to say, Doreen was not impressed, and she and Ned left the coven
under very acrimonious circumstances. It was quite some time before Doreen had
contact with Gardner again, and they never quite
regained the degree of friendship that had previously existed.

Monique and Campbell Wilson are infamous, rather than famous, as Gardner's heirs who
sold off his magical equipment and possessions after his death, to Ripleys in the
USA.
Monique was the last of his Priestesses, and many Wiccans today still spit when her
name is mentioned. Pat Crowther was rather scathing about her recently in an
interview, and in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, although Doreen tells of the sale of
Gardner's magical possessions to Ripleys, she doesn't ever mention the Wilsons by
name. In effect, the Craft closed ranks against them, and they became outcasts.

Eventually, in the face of such opposition they had to sell the Museum in
Castletown, and they moved to Torremolinos, where they bought a cafe. Monique died
nine years after selling the Museum. It is rumoured that Campbell Wilson moved to
the USA, and met with a car accident there: this is only hearsay though - I really
do not know for sure what happened to him.
However, Monique was influential in a way that even she could not have imagined,
when in 1964 or 5 she initiated Ray Buckland, who with his wife Rosemary (later
divorced), was very influential in the development of the Wicca in the USA.

Fortunately, Richard and Tamarra James managed to buy the bulk of Gardner's
collection back from Ripleys in 1987, for the princely sum of US$40,000, and it is
now back within the Craft, and available for initiates to consult and view.
D and C S. are probably completely anonymous, and if it were not for the fact that C
initiated Robert Cochrane (briefly mentioned earlier) they would probably stay that
way!
Cochrane's origins are obscure, but I have been told that he was initiated into the
Gardnerian tradition by C S, and met Doreen Valiente through a mutual acquaintance
in 1964. When he met Doreen, however, he claimed to be a hereditary witch, from a
different tradition to Gardner's, and as Doreen confirms, was contemptuous of what
he called "Gardnerian" witches. Indeed, Doreen believes he coined the term,
"Gardnerian".
Doreen said she was completely taken in by Cochrane and for a while, worked with him
and the "Clan of Tubal-Cain" as he described his tradition, which was also known as
"The Royal Windsor Cuveen", or 1734.
The figures "1734" have an interesting history. Doreen gives a rather strange
account of them in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, which contradicts what Cochrane
himself describes in a letter to Joe Wilson, dated "12th Night 1966", where he says,
"...the order of 1734 is not a date of an event but a grouping of numerals that mean
something to a witch.
"One that becomes seven states of wisdom - the Goddess of the Cauldron. Three that
are the Queens of the Elements - fire belonging alone to Man, and the Blacksmith
God. Four that are Queens of the Wind Gods.
"The Jewish orthodoxy believe that whomever knows the Holy and Unspeakable name of
God has absolute power over the world of form. Very briefly, the name of God spoken
as Tetragrammaton ... breaks down in Hebrew to the letters YHVH, or the Adam Kadmon
(The Heavenly Man). Adam Kadmon is a composite of all Archangels - in other words a
poetic statement of the names of the Elements.
"So what the Jew and the Witch believe alike, is that the man who discovers the
secret of the Elements controls the physical world. 1734 is the witch way of saying
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YHVH." (Cochrane, 1966)
Although Doreen says that Cochrane's group was small, it still proved to be
remarkably influential. As well as Cochrane and his wife (whom Doreen refers to as
"Jean") and Doreen herself, there were others who are well-known today, and a man
called Ronald White, who very much wanted to bring about a new age in England, with
the return of King Arthur.
In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen elaborates upon the circumstances surrounding
the death of Cochrane: the bald facts are that he died at the Summer Solstice of
1966 of an overdose. Craft tradition believes that he became in fact, and of his own
choice, the male ritual sacrifice which is sometimes symbolically enacted at the
height of Summer.
The Royal Windsor Cuveen disbanded after Cochrane died, only to be re-born from the
ashes at Samhain that year under a new name - The Regency. All of its early members
were from the Royal Windsor Cuveen, and they were under the leadership of Ronald
White. The Regency proved to be of great importance to the development of the Wicca,
although its existence was kept a fairly close secret, and even today, there are
relatively few people who have ever heard of it.
Meetings were held in North London, at a place called Queens Wood. As well as Ron
White and Doreen Valiente, members included "John Math", founder of the Witchcraft
Research Association in 1964, and editor of Pentagram magazine, and the founder of
the Pagan Movement, Tony Kelly. At its height, there were frequently more than 40 in
attendance at rites, which tended to be of the dramatic, pagan kind rather than the
ceremonial associated with high ritual magic. The Regency operated fairly
consistently for over twelve years, finally disbanding in 1978. The Membership roll
reads like a who's who of the British Wicca! Some of the rites have been
incorporated into modern Wiccan rituals - in fact, one was used at the Pan European
Wiccan Conference 1991 with very great success.
Moving back over to Rae Bone's line, there are a number of influential people here,
mainly through her initiates, Madge and Arthur, who probably take the award for the
most prolific pair in Wiccandom! Rae, although initiated by Gardner, does of course
also claim a hereditary status in her own right.
Madge and Arthur's initiates include:
John and Jean Score
John Score was the partner of Michael Houghton (mentioned earlier), and the founder
of the Pagan Federation, which is very active today.
Houghton died under very mysterious circumstances, which is briefly mentioned in
"The Sword of Wisdom" by Ithell Colquhoun. My Craft source told me that this was
actually a ritual that went badly wrong, and Houghton ended up on the wrong end of
some fairly potent energies.
There is an interesting anecdote about Houghton in The Rebirth Of Withcraft, which
is taken from "Nightside of Eden" by Kenneth Grant, and agrees in some respect to a
similar story that I was told some years ago. Doreen suggests in The Rebirth Of
Witchcraft that the story may relate to a magical working involving Kenneth Grant
and his wife, Gardner, Dolores North (Madeline Montalban), and an un-named witch,
who was probably Olive Green.
They were all to perform a ritual together, supposedly to contact an
extra-terrestrial being. The material basis for the rite, which took place in 1949,
was a drawing by AO Spare.
Apparently soon after the rite commenced, a nearby bookseller (Michael Houghton)
turned up and interrupted proceedings. On hearing that Kenneth Grant was within, he
declined to enter, and wandered off. The rite was disrupted, and the story goes that
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everyone just went home.
Kenneth Grant claims that as a result of disturbing their working, Houghton's
marriage broke up, and that Houghton died in mysterious circumstances. In fact, the
Houghton divorce was a cause celebre, with her suing him for cruelty because he
boasted of being a Sagittarian while sneering at her because she was only a dingy
old Capricorn!
The interrupted ritual could well have taken place. Madeline had a flat near to
Atlantis (Houghton's shop), and would certainly have known both Grant and Houghton.
I know for a fact that Madeline was acquainted with Gerald, although her opinion of
both him and the Wicca was rather poor. One of Madeline's older students told me
that she thought Gardner rather a fraud, and ritually inept. She also had a very low
opinion of Wiccans, and refused to allow her own students to
participate in Wiccan rites. The reason for this lies in an anecdote which Doreen
doesn't relate: the story goes that Madeline agreed to participate in a rite with
Gerald, which turned out to involve Madeline being tied up and tickled with a
feather duster! The great lady was not amused.
Prudence Jones
Prudence was for many years the president of the Pagan Federation, and editor of its
newsletter. She inherited her role from John Score, after he passed away. With Nigel
Pennick, Prudence also runs the Pagan Anti-Defamation League (PADL), and is an
active astrologer and therapist. She has edited a book on astrology, and with
Caitlin Matthews, edited "Voices from the Circle", published by Aquarian Press.
Although Prudence took her degree in Philosophy, her main interests lie in the areas
of the Grail and troubadour tales, and she has published privately an excellent
essay on the Grail and Wicca. She is also a very highly respected astrologer, who
lectures extensively in Britain.
Vivianne and Chris Crowley
Vivianne Crowley, is author of "Wicca - The Old Religion in the New Age", and also
secretary of the Pagan Federation. She has a PhD in Psychology, and is perhaps the
only person to have been a member of both a Gardnerian Coven and an Alexandrian one
simultaneously!
Vivianne is very active at the moment, and has initiated people in Germany (having
memorised the ritual in German - a language she doesn't speak!), Norway, and - on
the astral - Brazil. As a result of her book, she receives many letters from people
from all around the world, and organised the first ever pan-European Wiccan
conference, held in Germany 1990. The second conference was held in Britain at the
June solstice, and the third (1992) in Norway. In 1993, the Conference will be in
Scotland.
John and Kathy (Caitlin) Matthews, are probably well-known to everyone, but possibly
their Gardnerian initiations are not such common knowledge. The story that John
Matthews relates in "Voices from the Circle" is essentially the one which he told
the HPS who initiated him.
Pat and Arnold Crowther
I have left Pat and Arnold till last, as it is from their line that the infamous
Alex Sanders derives! It is no secret anymore that Alex, far from being initiated by
his grandmother when he was seven, was in fact turned down by Pat Crowther in 1961,
but was later accepted by one of her ex-coven members, Pat Kopanski, and initiated
to 1st Degree.
In "The Rebirth of Witchcraft" Doreen says that Alex later met Gardner, and was
allowed to copy from the Book of Shadows; Craft tradition is somewhat different! It
has always been said (even by Alex's supporters!) that he pinched what he could from
Pat Kopanski before being chucked out, and that the main differences between the
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Alexandrian and Gardnerian Books of Shadows occur where Alex mis-heard, or
mis-copied something! There are certainly significant differences between the two
Books; some parts of Gardnerian ritual are quite unknown within the Alexandrian
tradition, and the ritual techniques are often different. It is usually very easy to
spot whether someone is an Alexandrian, or Gardnerian initiate.
Alex needed a HPS, and as we know, chose Maxine Morris for the role. Maxine is a
striking Priestess, and made a very good visual focus for the movement which grew in
leaps and bounds.

In the late 1960s, Alex and Maxine were prolific initiators, and a number of their
initiates have become well known. Some came to Australia, and there are still a
number of covens in the UK today whose HP and/or HPS was initiated by Alex or
Maxine.

Alex and Maxine's most famous initiates are almost certainly Janet and Stewart
Farrar, who left them in 1971 to form their own coven, first in England, then later,
in Ireland. Through their books, they have probably had the most influence over the
direction that the modern Craft has taken. Certainly in Australia, the publication
of "What Witches Do" was an absolute watershed, and with Janet and Stewart's
consistent output, their form of Wicca is more likely to become the
"standard" than any other type.

Since their early days of undiluted Alexandrianism, they have drifted somewhat
towards a more Gardnerian approach, and today, tell everyone that there are no
differences between the two traditions. In fact, despite the merging that has been
occurring over the last few years, there are very distinct differences between the
traditions; some merely external, others of a very significant difference of
philosophy.

Seldiy Bate was originally magically trained by Madeline Montalban, and then took an
Alexandrian initiation from Maxine and Alex. Her husband, Nigel, was also initiated
by Maxine, and they have been "public" witches for a number of years now, often
appearing on TV, radio and in the press. Their background in ritual magic is
expressed in the type of coven that they run; a combination of Wicca and Ceremonial
Magic.

In 1971, Alex and Maxine went their separate ways. David Goddard is a Liberal
Catholic Priest, and for many years, he and Maxine worked in the Liberal Catholic
faith, and did not run a coven of any kind. Then in 1984, Maxine gathered together a
group again, and started practising a combination of Wicca, Qabalah and Liberal
Catholicism. She and David separated in 1987, and since then her coven has been
exclusively Wiccan. In 1989, she married one of her initiates, Vincent, and they are
still running an active coven in London today.

Alex's history after the split was a little more sordid, with one girl he married,
Jill, filling the gutter press with stories about Alex being homosexual, and
defrauding her of all her money to spend on his boyfriends. Sally Taylor was
initiated by Maxine and David, but then transferred to Alex. She was trained by
him, and then started her own group.

I'd now like to focus upon the last of the strands which I believe has been
influential upon the birth and development of Wicca; that of the literary traditions
and sources to which Gardner would have had access. To a certain extent these are
contiguous with the magical traditions described earlier, as nowhere is it ever
suggested that Gardner did in fact ever work in a magical Lodge, so we must assume
that his knowledge came from the written form of the rites, not from the actual
practise of them.

From reading Gardner's books, it is quite apparent that Margaret Murray had a
tremendous impact upon him. Her book, "The God of the Witches" was published in
1933, and twelve years previously, "The Witch Cult in Western Europe" had appeared.
"The God of the Witches" has been tremendously influential on a number of people,
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and certainly inspired Gardner.
In fact, "Witchcraft Today", published by Gardner in 1954 contained a foreword by
Margaret Murray. At this time, remember, Murray's work was still taken seriously,
and she remained the contributor on the subject of witchcraft for the Encyclopedia
Britannica for a number of years.

Now of course her work has been largely discredited, although she remains a source
of inspiration, if not historical accuracy. In Gardner's day, the idea of a
continuing worship of the old pagan gods would have been a staggering theory, and in
the second article in my series about Murray (published in The Cauldron), I made the
point that Murray may have had to pretend scientific veracity in order to get her
work published in such times. Don't forget that Dion Fortune had to publish her work
privately, as did Gardner with High Magic's Aid.
Carlo Ginzburg's excellent book, "Ecstasies", also supports Murray's basic premise;
although of course he regrets her historical deceptions.
There were of course other sources than Murray. In 1899, "Aradia: Gospel of the
Witches" was published. Most of Crowley's work was available during the pre- and
post-war years, as were the texts written and translated by MacGregor Mathers and
Waite. Also readily available were works such as The Magus, and of course the
classics, from which Gardner drew much inspiration.
Of paramount importance would have been "The White Goddess", by Robert Graves, which
is still a standard reference book on any British Wiccan's bookshelf. This was
published in 1952; three years after High Magic's Aid appeared, and two years before
Gardner's first non-fictional book about witchcraft. I would just like to say at
this point that Graves has taken some very unfair criticism in respect of this book.
The White Goddess was written as a work of poetry, not history, and to criticise it
for being historically innaccurate is to miss the
point. Unfortunately, I agree that some writers have referred to it as an
"authority", and thus led their readers up the garden path. This is not Graves's
fault, nor do I believe it was his intention.

Another book which has had a profound influence on many Wiccans, and would
undoubtedly have been well known by Gardner is "The Golden Bough"; although the
entire book was written based upon purely secondary research, it is an extensive
examination of many pagan practices from the Ancient World, and the emphasis of the
male sacrifice could certainly have been taken from here equally as well as from
Murray. Certain of the Gardnerian ritual practices were almost certainly
derived from The Golden Bough, or from Frazer's own sources.
In "Witchcraft Today" Gardner mentions a number of authors when speculating where
the Wiccan rites came from. He says that, "The only man I can think of who could
have invented the rites was the late Aleister Crowley."
He continues to say, "The only other man I can think of who
could have done it is Kipling...". He also mentions that,
"Hargrave Jennings might have had a hand in them..." and then
suggests that "Barrat (sic) of The Magus, circa 1800, would
have had the ability to invent or resurrect the cult."
It's possible that these references are something of a damage control operation by
Gardner, who, according to Doreen, was not too impressed when she kept telling him
that she recognised certain passages in the Witch rites! "Witchcraft Today" was
published the year after Doreen's initiation, and perhaps by seeming genuinely
interested in where the Rites came from, Gardner thought he might give the
appearance of
innocence of their construction!
As mentioned previously, Gardner also had a large collection of unpublished MSS,
which he used extensively, and one has only to read his books to realise that he was
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a very well-read man, with wide-ranging interests. Exactly the sort of man who would
be able to draw together a set of rituals if required.
The extensive bibliography to "The Meaning of Witchcraft" published in 1959,
demonstrates this rather well. Gardner includes Magick in Theory and Practice and
The Equinox of the Gods by Crowley; The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune; The
Goetia; The White Goddess (Graves); Lady Charlotte Guest's translation of The
Mabinogion; English Folklore by Christina Hole; The Kabbalah Unveiled and the
Abramelin by Mathers; both Margaret Murray's books and Godfrey Leland's Gypsy
Sorcery, as
well as a myriad of classic texts, from Plato to Bede!
Although this bibliography postdates the creation of Gardnerian Wicca, it certainly
indicates from where Gardner draws his inspiration from. There are also several
books listed which are either directly, or indirectly, concerned with sex magic,
Priapic Cults, or Tantra.
Hargrave Jenning, mentioned earlier, wrote a book called "The Rosicrucians, their
Rites and Mysteries", which Francis King describes as a book, "concerned almost
exclusively with phallicism and phallic images - Jennings saw the penis everywhere."
As I mentioned earlier, Hargrave Jennings, a member of the SRIA, also belonged to a
group, described as a coven, which met in the Cambridge area in the 1870s, and
performed rituals based upon the classical traditions - specifically, from The
Golden Ass. There is no evidence to support this, except that there are often found
references to a "Cambridge Coven" linked to Jennings' name. Many of the rituals we
are familiar with today were of course later additions by Doreen Valiente, and these
have been well documented by both her and the Farrars, in a number of books. Doreen
admits that she deliberately cut much of the poetry by Aleister Crowley, and
substituted either her own work, or poems from other sources, such as the Carmina
Gadelica.
Of course we can never really know the truth about the origins of the Wicca. Gardner
may have been an utter fraud; he may have actually received a "Traditional"
initiation; or, as a number of people have suggested, he may have created the Wicca
as a result of a genuine religious experience, drawing upon his extensive literary
and magical knowledge to create, or help create, the rites and philosophy.
What I think we can be fairly certain about is that he was sincere in his belief. If
there had been no more to the whole thing than an old man's fantasy, then the Wicca
would not have grown to be the force that it is today, and we would not all be
sitting here in Canberra on a Saturday morning!

The Wheel of the Year


From "The Witches of Oz", by Julia Phillips and Matthew Sandow, Sydney,
New South Wales.

The Wheel of the year is of great significance to Wiccans, and


is one of the principle keys to understanding the religion. As we
said earlier, Wicca sees a profound relationship between humanity
and the environment. For a Wiccan, all of nature is a manifesta-
tion of the divine and so we celebrate the turning seasons as the
changing faces of our Gods.
The Wheel of the Year is a continuing cycle of life, death and
rebirth. Thus the Wheel reflects both the natural passage of life
in the world around us, as well as revealing our own connection
with the greater world. To a Wiccan, all of creation is divine,
and by realizing how we are connected to the turning if the seasons
and to the natural world, we come to a deeper understanding to the
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ways in which we are connected to the God and Goddess. o when we
celebrate our seasonal rites, we draw the symbolism that we use
from the natural world and from our own lives, thus attempting to
unite the essential identity that underlies all things.

Undoubtedly the significance of the Festivals has changed over


the centuries, and it is very difficult for us today to imagine the
joy and relief that must have accompanied the successful grain
harvest. What with factory-farming, fast freezing and world wide
distribution, our lives no longer depend upon such things and as a
consequence, our respect for the land has diminished in proportion
to our personal contact with it.
Wiccans believe that we can re-affirm this contact by our
observance of the passage of the seasons, in which we see reflected
our own lives, and the lives of our gods. Whether we choose to
contact those forces through silent and solitary meditation, or
experience the time of year in a wild place, or gather with friends
in a suburban living room, we are all performing our own ritual to
the Old Ones, reaching out once more towards the hidden forces
which surround us all.
What is of the utmost importance with the Wheel of the Year is
that we understand what we hope to achieve through our festival
celebrations, and avoid the trap of going through empty motions,
repeating words from a book which may sound dramatic, but have no
relevance in our everyday lives. That simply leads to the creation
of a dogma, and not a living breathing religion. It is not enough
to stand in a circle on a specific day, and "invoke' forces of
nature, those forces are currents which flow continuously through-
out our lives, not just eight times a year, and if we choose not to
acknowledge them in our everyday lives, there is no point in
calling upon them for one day.
By following the Wiccan religion you are affirming your belief
in the sanctity of the Earth, and acknowledging that you depend
upon the Earth for your very life. Although modern lifestyles do
not encourage awareness of our personal relationship with the
turning seasons, or the patterns of life, growth, death and decay,
that does not mean that they no longer exist. The ebb and flow
of the Earth's energies may be hidden beneath a physical shell of
tarmac and concrete, and a psychic one of human indifference, but
they are nevertheless there for those who wish to acknowledge them
once more.
We do this by observing the changes of the seasons, and
feeling the changes reflected in our innermost selves, and in our
everyday lives. In our rituals we focus upon different aspects of
the God and Goddess, and participate in the celebration of their
mysteries; thus we re-affirm our connections on the most profound
levels.
The Wiccan Wheel has two great inspirations; it is both a
wheel of celebration, and a wheel of initiation. As a wheel of
initiation it hopes to guide those who tread its pathway towards an
understanding of the mysteries of life and the universe, expressed
through the teachings of the Old Ones made manifest in the turning
of the seasons. For a Wiccan, the gods and nature are one. In
exploring the mysteries of the seasons we are seeking to penetrate
more deeply the mysteries of the God and Goddess.
As a wheel of celebration, Wiccans accord to the words of the
Charge of the Goddess, where She says, "Let my worship be within
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the heart that rejoiceth, for behold, all acts of Love and Pleasure
are my rituals"; and that, "Ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music
and love, all in my praise". Anyone can celebrate the turning of
the seasons, in their own way, and in their own time. Wiccan
covens will commonly gather together, and make the Festivals times
of joyful merrymaking, but you can just as easily make the
celebration a solitary one, or with just one or two friends. The
principles do not alter; just the way in which you acknowledge
them.

Wiccans generally celebrate eight Festivals, roughly six weeks


apart, which are pivotal points in the solar (seasonal) cycle.
Four of the Festivals are called the Lesser Sabbats: these are the
Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, and the Winter and Summer Solstices.
The other four Festivals are called the Greater Sabbats, and relate
to particular seasons when in bygone days, certain activities would
have been undertaken, usually followed by a party of some kind.
There are variations upon the names by which these Greater Sabbats
are known, but the simple ones are Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas and
Samhain. Candlemas is also known as Imbolg, Oimelc, or Brigid;
Lammas is sometimes called Lughnassadh.

It is important to understand that the Festivals are celebrat-


ing a time of year: a season, not a date. Most books written about
Wicca have been written by an author living and working in the
northern hemisphere, who may quite rightly say that "Beltane is
celebrated on May Eve." Northern hemisphere readers will automati-
cally interpret this as, "Beltane is at the end of spring, just
before summer gets underway." IN the Wiccan Book of Shadows, the
poem by Kipling is used at this Festival which says, "O do not tell
the Priests of our art, for they would call it sin; but we've been
out in the woods all night, a'conjurin' summer in.... ."
Of course, "May eve" in the southern hemisphere is autumn
heading into winter, entirely the wrong time of year to celebrate
the portent of summer. In much the same way, Christmas and Easter
are celebrated at the wrong time of year here. In the Christian
calendar, Christmas coincides with the Winter Solstice - and the
growing popularity of the June Yule Fest in the Blue Mountains in
NSW each year suggests an awareness of this, even if it is, in this
case, expressed in a commercial sense. The date of Easter changes
each year, because it is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon
after the Spring Equinox, (And they try to tell us that Easter
wasn't originally a Pagan Festival!) So in the southern hemi-
sphere, according to the rules by which the date of Easter is
determined, it should fall sometime in late September or early
October each year. However, Christianity is not a religion which
sees a particular connection between humanity and the environment,
and therefore has no problem in celebrating Easter in autumn, and
Christmas at the Summer Solstice. Wicca is different, and it IS
important to us to attune ourselves to the passage of the seasons,
hence we follow the natural cycle wherever we live. In the
southern hemisphere this means celebrating Beltane at the start of
summer, i.e., the beginning of November, not the beginning of May.
The Wiccan year starts and ends with Samhain, which is also
known as Hallowe'en, or All Saints Eve. It is the celebration
which falls just before the dark nights of winter take hold. The
Winter Solstice comes next, where Wiccans celebrate the rebirth of
the Sun; at Candlemas about six weeks later, we celebrate the first
signs of the growing light (longer days,) and of spring beginning
to show itself. The Spring Equinox (around 21 September - it
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varies from year to year) is the time when day and night are equal
in length, and the Sun is on its increase. Next is Beltane, the
Festival where Wiccans celebrate the union of the young man and
woman, and everyone dances around a tree, crowned with a garland of
flowers, and decked with red and white ribbons.

About six weeks after Beltane we come to the Summer Solstice,


when the Sun reaches its greatest height. It is the longest
day/shortest night, and in the southern hemisphere, falls around 21
December. Then the Sun begins its way back down towards winter,
but we are still in summer. Six weeks after the Solstice is
Lammas, when in agricultural societies, the harvest is reaped, and
we receive the benefits from our hard work. The Sun at Lammas
still has great strength, for it is the ripening time, rather than
the growing time which ceases around the Summer Solstice. The
Autumn Equinox follows this, usually around 21 March (again, it
varies from year to year), which is often celebrated as a Harvest
Festival. The next Festival, some six weeks after the Equinox, is
Samhain, which is the time just before the winter really sets in,
and when food is stored, and we remember those who have passed
away. In many countries this is the time when the Lord of the Wild
Hunt rides, which is mirrored in the way that the winds are often
wild at this time of year, and the clouds ragged and wind-torn.

In parts of Australia you will find that some of these


seasonal aspects are a little different, but generally speaking,
you should be able to feel the change from winter to spring; spring
to summer; summer to autumn and then autumn to winter. The
specifics will change, but the general trend is very similar - one
season leading to another. You have only to become aware of the
natural changes in your own environment to realize that the
concepts of the Wheel of the Year are valid wherever you may be.
As a Wheel of initiation, the Wheel of the Year is the path
which leads us through the experiences of our gods towards that
point which Jungian psychologists call individuation, and which
Wiccans call knowledge of the Old Ones. As with all mystical
experiences, these mysteries are not communicated in an academic or
intellectual manner; they are direct experiences which each
individual shares with the Old Gods. Different traditions have
developed different ways of travelling the Wheel, but all ways have
a common purpose, and all are equally valid, provided the basic
principles are sound.

We gave a very brief description of the cycle of the Wheel of


the Year above. Now we can have a look at this in more detail,
using for our framework a mythology which is used by our own Coven.
It is based upon the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions in which
we were initiated, but has evolved over several years, and has been
greatly modified to reflect our own understanding of the turning
wheel of the seasons. We should say at this point that we use the
terms "King" and "Queen" to refer to the principle characters in
the mythology. It is important to understand that we are not
referring to a modern monarchy, but to the ancient pagan principles
those titles infer. The King is the priest/king of the forest:
his tale is told in many forms in many lands. He is the essential
male that lies within all men, and is the animus (in it Jungian
sense) of all women. The Queen is Sovereignty: she is the
mysterious soul of nature; the essential woman that lies within all
women, and is the anima of all men.

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So to begin our journey: how do we set out to explore the
mysteries of existence? Well, the journey begins with a question -
we have first to be aware that there is a mystery to explore! And
that most basic of questions is: "where did life come from? how
did it all begin?" For a Wiccan there is an underlying spiritual
intuition that the answer to that question is quite simply that the
universe was created by deity. So we celebrate the beginning of
the Wheel of the Year as a being the creation of all life by the
God and the Goddess; we begin with a creation myth.

The Wheel of the Year starts with Samhain; at this time we


celebrate the Great Rite - the joyful union of the God and Goddess
in the Otherworld. This touches the very depths of the mystery.
We celebrate at this time the conception that will lead to the
birth of all creation.

Wiccans celebrate all life as a manifestation of the mystery


of the gods, but do not pretend to understand how such life came
into being. Nor do we claim to fully understand our gods; to the
Wicca they are a mystery, and when describing our vision of deity
we use symbols to express as best we can the vision we have seen.
We do not know how the universe was created and this remains
essentially mysterious. However, by choosing to take the path of
initiation - that is, by following the Wheel of the Year - we can
learn to commune more deeply with the gods, and experience visions
which can reveal a little of the mystery.

The vision that we have of Samhain is of the creation. In the


Wicca the inexpressible mystery of the deity is symbolized in the
form of the God and Goddess. Thus at Samhain we celebrate their
love as the root of all creation. Samhain is the time of creation:
the moment when life is conceived in the womb of the Great Mother.
As we proceed to the next of the festivals - Yule - it should
not be surprising to find that following the moment of conception
we should seek to understand the moment of birth. The conception,
the moment of creation deep within the mystery, took place at
Samhain. The seed planted at this time gestates in the womb of the
Goddess until the child of the gods - in essence, the whole of
creation - emerges from the womb of the Great Mother. This is
celebrated at Yule, which is symbolized by the birth of the Sun.
In pre-Christian times, this time was called "Giuli," and followed
"Modra Necht" - the Night of the Mothers.

Yule is celebrated at the time of the Midwinter Solstice.


This is the time of the longest night, and of the shortest day.
The Sun is seen to be symbolically born anew, as the Great Mother
gives birth at the time of the darkest night. The Sun is a vitally
important symbol to us, for it has been long known that all life on
Earth is dependant upon the Sun. The Wheel of the Year itself is
based upon the solar cycle, and the Sun is seen as symbolic of the
life force which we worship as the God and the Goddess. The Sun is
the dominant force in all our lives. Without its light and heat,
life as we understand it is impossible. The passage of the Sun
through the heavens regulates the passage of the seasons we
experience upon the Earth, and is therefore the foundation of the
Wiccan Wheel of the Year.

At the Midwinter Solstice we celebrate the rebirth of the Sun.


Many Wiccan covens follow the old pagan tradition of enacting this
as the Goddess giving birth to the Child of Promise. It was at the
Midwinter Solstice in the northern hemisphere that the birth of
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Mithras was celebrated. For the same reason it was decided in 273
A.D. to appoint this date to celebrate the birth of Christ; the
"son" of God.
In the world of nature, Yule signifies the moment of the
rebirth of the Sun. In our own lives we can take it to represent
the moment of physical birth. Thus in our ritual cycle, we enact
the rebirth of the Sun by the lighting of candles, and especially
the lighting of a flame within the cauldron to represent the
emergence of new life from the darkness of the womb of the Goddess.
We ritually invoke the Great Mother and All-Father, and we
symbolically enact the Goddess giving birth to the new year. In
human terms the child represents all the potential for life, as yet
unaware that all the mysteries of the universe lies hidden deep
within. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the child is born
in innocence, created in the image of the gods.
We have taken the second step upon our journey. From now on
the days continue to lengthen as the Sun climbs toward its height
at the Summer Solstice. In response to the greater heat of the
Sun, the land begins to awaken as we start the journey from winter
towards spring. The next festival is Candlemas. As we might guess
from the name (given to it by the Christians), it is a festival of
lights which celebrates the growth of the Sun. By Candlemas, the
days are appreciably longer. Our understanding of this festival
has been guided by ancient pagan tradition and our own inspiration.
We see this as a time of purification and most especially a time of
initiation into the female mysteries. At Candlemas we observe in
nature the awakening potential for the fullness of summer. In
human terms we represent this by the first female menstruation.
This is the virgin aspect of the Goddess, marking the awakening of
her potential to become the mother.
We celebrate this ritual by arming the young virgin with the
powers of the elements. We celebrate her initiation into the
mysteries of her sex. To reflect this essential female mystery, we
enact the young girl being instructed by her mother and grandmother
into the mysteries of being a woman. Thus we reveal that the
mystery of the virgin is also found within the mother crone as
well.
It is at Candlemas in many parts of Britain that the women of
the house dress a sheaf of oats in woman's clothing, and lay it in
a basket called "Brighid's bed." They also place a small phallic
club in the bed and then call out three times, "Brighid is come,
Brighid is welcome!", and leave candles burning all night beside
the bed. Behind all this we catch glimpses of deeper mysteries
that can only be grasped by passing beyond a mere intellectual
appreciation of the symbolism.

To continue our journey we now come to the Spring Equinox. It


might seem that celebrating Candlemas as a female mystery is rather
unbalanced in a religion which is based upon polarity of male and
female; but no; for reasons of tradition, and because woman reach
puberty before men, it is not until the Spring Equinox that the
initiatory male rite is enacted. In this we arm the young god with
the knowledge of his own creative power; he is initiated into the
mysteries of sex, just as the young girl was armed with the powers
of her potential. This ritual expresses the mystery that he
contains within his young life; the potential to become a father
and wise old man.

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This continues to reflect the turning tide of the seasons. We
are now in the spring. New life is awakening on all sides. The
sap is rising in the trees, and both the young man and young girl
have awakened to the mysteries of their sexuality. The Spring
Equinox is a vital moment in the passage of the solar cycle. Day
and night now stand equal, and from this point onwards the light
will dominate the darkness. The long dark nights of winter have at
last been overthrown.
Between the Spring Equinox and Beltane the young man and woman
pursue one another, each becoming more aware of the other sex.
Thus the man understands that there is more to the mystery of life
than pure masculinity, and the woman sees that there is more to
life than her femininity. Having found this vision, they express
it in their desire to be joined as one.
We arrive now at Beltane. This is the time of the sacred
marriage when the young man and woman are joined together as
husband and wife. With their wish to be married, they have
glimpsed that the mysteries of love may lead to a deeper union
still - in essence, to a union with the gods. By going beyond
their sense of individual self to embrace one another, they have
taken a profound step toward the God and Goddess. They have
discovered that deep within themselves they are both male and
female, and the experience of this brings a new sense of joy and
wholeness.
Beltane is a time of joy and celebration; the dark of winter
is forgotten, and summer is coming. It is a time of fertility and
fire. We dance the ancient mystery of the Maypole, celebrating our
understanding our understanding of the mystery of the love of a man
for a woman. The pole is crowned with a garland of flowers to
symbolize their joining; the ribbons are red and white, reminding
us of blood and sperm. The dance is the sexual fire, as we dance
about the pole winding the ribbons in the pattern of the spiral,
which reveals the mystery of the serpent; that ancient awakener who
slumbers until warmed by the rising Sun.
This is the time of the sacred marriage. It is a moment when
human consciousness has grasped the powers of nature, joined with
those powers and shared in the mystery of life. The land and our
lives are married as one. For those that are able to see it, there
is a vision of the creation of all life by the God and the Goddess.
For the mystery is now revealed for all to see - the woman
conceives of her husband. She is pregnant and will bear a child.

Through their union they discover their deeper selves, which


we symbolize as the King and Queen of the land. The man and woman
now take up their new roles, and rule the kingdom of their new
found lives. At Candlemas and the Spring Equinox a man and a woman
were instructed in the powers of nature. Now at Beltane that
knowledge is transformed into understanding. For in joining
together they have understood that their lives and the land are
one.
The land continues to bring forth life in an ever greater
profusion. The woman who is now the Queen begins to show the first
signs of the Beltane seed planted in her womb by her husband, the
King. She is pregnant; the mirror image of the maturing crops.
Now we come to Midsummer, the height of the solar Wheel. This
is the time of the longest day and shortest night, and a time of
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maturity, both in the agricultural cycle and the lives of the man
and woman. They rule now as King and Queen; just as the Sun is at
its height, so too they are at the height of their creative powers.
The woman's mature power is reflected in her approaching mother-
hood. The man's power is reflected in his kingship, and in his
mastery of nature and rule of the kingdom. Together the King and
Queen preside over the kingdom of their lives, celebrating the
vision of creative light.
But the light does not continue to rise. The vision of light
must once more give way to a growing darkness. As things grow, so
too they must wither and die. From Midsummer, the Sun must fall,
until reborn once more at the Winter Solstice. Thus Midsummer is
a celebration of the King and Queen's power, but must also reflect
the returning current of darkness. We symbolize this by the
appearance of a challenger who confronts the couple. Until now the
King and Queen have ruled supreme; they have imposed their will
upon the kingdom without challenge, but now a single dark figure
must appear. This is the beginning of the ancient pagan theme of
the battle between the brothers; the light and dark kings now begin
their conflict.
The challenger seeks to abduct the Queen; the child she bears
represents the kingdom. The King must now defend the land. They
fight, light against dark, but as yet the sun is still supreme, and
the King drives the challenger back. But, the challenger is armed
with the power of fate; we know that the Sun must fall. With a
single stroke the challenger wounds the King, laying open his
thigh; but still the light is the greater power, and the King
defeats the challenger. The light still rules supreme, but a
shadow has fallen over the kingdom.
Thus Midsummer comes to a close. The King and Queen remain at
the height of their power, yet a new force - darkness - is
awakening in the world. As the seasons continue to turn, the gods
begin to reveal a further mystery: not only are they light, they
are also dark as well. Thus the King and Queen have awakened to a
deeper mystery; they have seen that not only are they male and
female, but they are also light and dark as well.

As we look at the natural world, we see that the Sun is now


waning. The days grow shorter, and we sense profound changes in
the world around us. After Midsummer, the next festival we come to
is Lammas. The crops have matured, and in the way of nature, aged
and turned to seed. The days are still longer than the nights; the
light still rules in the land, but the powers of darkness are now
visibly growing. Summer is coming to an end and we are approaching
autumn. To symbolize the theme of the waning light and growing
power of darkness, we celebrate Lammas as a Harvest Festival. In
cutting the corn (wheat), we celebrate the end of the vision of
light. We cut the corn with joy; as we have sown, so now we reap,
but in cutting the corn we signal the end of the cycle of growth.
As we gather in the harvest we watch as the power of the Sun
wanes. The cutting of the corn is an ancient symbol of death and
transformation, and reflects the seasonal changes at work in the
land around us. As we look to the King and Queen, who were married
to the land at Beltane, we see in their lives a reflection of these
themes. Just as the harvest is reaped, so the Queen now births her
child.
The mystery of Lammas is that by fulfilling the vision of
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light in bringing to fruition the seed sown in the spring, we must
face the vision of death. For the King bears the wound he received
at Midsummer, it is a wasting wound and will not heal. He slowly
weakens, his creative power spent. He is still King, but his
powers are waning, a reflection of the falling light. But Lammas
is also a time of hope, for in the cutting of the corn the seed is
gathered in, which is the hope for life to come. As the King looks
to his first born son he looks to the heir of the kingdom. We
celebrate Lammas as a time of fulfillment; it is a time of joy,
when we reap all we have sown.
Both King and Queen have been transformed. The King had to
accept the glimpse of the vision of death in his killing of the
challenger and taking of a mortal wound; so now the Queen dies to
herself, for in giving birth she has given the child a part of her
life, passing her power to her son. As the Wheel of the Seasons
turns, it reveals that the gods embrace both life and death. Just
as the man and woman were born, so too they must die. Lammas
brings the vision of mortality, but reveals the hope of the
immortal spirit hidden in the new cut grain, made manifest in the
new born child, who symbolizes the awakening darkness; he is the
power of the waning Sun. He emerges from the womb as the growing
darkness appears in the natural world.
We must now move on. Time will stand still for no-one. The
wheel must turn, and we must turn with it. This is our fate, as
our lives reflect the turning cycle of the seasons. We must now
make our way to the Autumn Equinox, where once again the powers of
light and darkness stand as equals - but now it is the darkness
that is in the ascendant.
It is the nature of human beings to resist the darkness.
Humanity fears death above all things. It is the root of all our
fears; death is the final initiation. Only through an acceptance
and understanding of death can we hope to understand the goods.
Only in accepting death can we truly accept life. Life and death
are two sides of the same coin; we cannot have one without the
other.
By the time we reach the Autumn Equinox, it becomes harder to
describe the mysteries that we celebrate. The mystery that can be
taught or explained is not, after all, a mystery. At the Autumn
Equinox we must face life's greatest mystery: death. This is the
hardest trial of all. In the ancient mystery schools, and in
shamanic practices, the most important of initiations was - and is
- the near death experience.
The child born at Lammas is now a young man. He is the
reflection of the growing powers of darkness. The old King of
Light bears his mortal wound and is now advancing in years, his
powers waning as the days grow shorter, and the Sun falls lower and
lower in the sky. The Queen also is no longer young; the flower of
her youth is past. The King and Queen are aging with the land, for
they and the land are one.
But as is natural in human affairs we none of us want to admit
the darkness. We fight against the coming of the night. So the
King and Queen each in their own way try to hold onto the kingdom
they have been at such pains to build. The King's powers are
waning; his son is in the first flush of youth and vigor, and has
been initiated into the mysteries of his power. The King grows
weak, and must rely upon his son to defend the kingdom. But, the
King now fears his son as a potential challenge to the throne. The
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Queen likewise does not want to relinquish her power. She sees
that her husband grows weak and infirm, and is no match for a
challenger. To maintain her position in the kingdom she relies on
the power of her son.
Finally, in the dead of the night, the old pagan tale replays
itself. The battle begun at the Midsummer Solstice between the
light and darkness must now be resumed; the King and his son fight
as the Equinox comes upon us. Sword against spear the battle
rages; the experience of the King against the naked strength of his
son's youth. The Queen watches as they fight, torn by hope and
fear. But as they fight, there is a great mystery at work. Both
the King and Queen now face their fear of death, and as they look
death in the eye there is a moment of understanding. The King, the
Queen, and the land are one. Thus they are both the light and
darkness. In the moment of vision the King looks upon his son, and
at last realizes that he is only fighting himself, for all things
are one. The King and his son understand the mystery, and they
join in love as one. They give up the conflict of light and dark
to pass beyond this world, and they become the Lord of the
Otherworld. The Queen too has seen both life and death, and knows
that they are one. With this realization she becomes the crone,
and understands the ancient mystery. The Equinox marks her last
menstrual cycle; she can no longer bear children.
So now we must take our last step upon the Wheel; we come at
last to Samhain, from where it all began. As we saw at the
beginning this is the Wiccan New Year. The Queen has become the
crone - the hag, the Witch. She lives alone, for the King is now
dead. The Sun is waning toward the Solstice; winter is upon us,
and the night is now longer than the day.

If we look to the land, the cycle of growth has come to an


end. The kingdom of the old year has symbolically passed away,
transformed by the turning of the seasons. The Queen is now a
Witch; the ancient hag crone who knows the mysteries of life and
death. In making her journey she has discovered the ancient power
which lies behind the Wheel of the Year. She has seen the spring,
the summer, autumn and winter, and she knows that an ancient
mystery lies hidden within it all.
Standing alone, for she is feared by those who have yet to
walk the Wheel, she kindles the ancient Samhain fire. As she
raises her arms in invocation to the Lord of the Otherworld, a
great storm gathers. The veil is opened between the worlds. The
storm breaks, and the Wild Hunt is upon us as the spirits of the
dead are led from the Otherworld by the ancient Horned God; the
Ancient Lord of the Samhain fire. To complete the final turn of
the Wheel, the Crone must now join with his mystery, and go with
him back into the Otherworld. She and the Horned Lord travel
together back into the depths of the mystery. There they join in
love as one; the supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all
the mysteries of the male and female, all the mysteries of the
light and dark are married together as one as the seed is planted
deep within the womb of the Great Mother.
For now in the natural cycle the seeds of nature fall to the
ground, the seed of life to come. The seed harvested at Lammas is
now planted in the earth, fulfilling the mystery of the return.
For a while the land sleeps, and lies fallow. The darkness seems
to complete, but of course we know that we will eventually return
to the Winter Solstice, and the cycle will continue.

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Let us now approach the Wiccan Wheel of the Year as it is
meant to be: as a mystery. Forget the intellect, and allow your
intuition and emotions to be your guide. What follows is a guided
visualization, which you can read onto a tape, or have one person
read aloud, as you follow the journey it describes. Allow the
images to form naturally in your imagination, and you will find
yourself making a magical journey through the mysteries of the
gods.
For those who are not used to following a guided visualiza-
tion, there are a few simple rules to observe. Before starting any
meditation work (which includes the kind of altered state that
guided visualization encourages), seat yourself comfortably in a
quiet room, free from distractions. Take the phone off the hook,
and tell anyone who lives with you not to disturb you. You can of
course do this out of doors, but if you do, make sure you are well
off the beaten track, with no danger of bush walkers stumbling over
you, or any other kinds of disturbance. Have a pen and pad handy,
and if it helps you to relax and focus, use some incense.

The Wheel of The Year, A Guided Visualization:


Julia Phillips & Rufus Harrington
Make sure you are seated comfortably, and spend a few moments
quietly, allowing your mind and body to relax. Now, close your
eyes, and allow these images to build in your imagination:
It is dark, and a chill wind is blowing. You are standing
within a mighty forest, and can feel the ground hard and cold
beneath your feet. You look up, and see the stars, but there is no
Moon. Patiently, you wait. You hear a sound behind you, and turn
and look over your shoulder. You realize that you are standing
upon the edge of a clearing; at its center burns a fire, with an
old man seated before it. He is wearing tattered animal skins, and
has long ragged hair which blows about in the wind. On the far
side of the clearing you see the mouth of a cave, and standing
before it is the mighty figure of the Horned God.
You turn back and look through the trees, looking towards the
eastern horizon. For tonight is the longest night: the dark time
before the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice, and you wait
patiently for the first rays of the new born Sun. At last you see
a faint glimmer of light upon the eastern horizon, and as the rays
of the new born Sun rise in the morning sky, you hear the sound of
a new born babe crying. You turn and look back across the clearing
as an old woman walks out of the cave carrying a new born child in
her arms. The Horned God reaches forwards and caresses the child's
cheek, and then the old woman takes the child, and sits by the side
of the old man at the camp fire.
As the Sun continues to rise in the sky, you know that you
have witnessed a very great mystery - the mystery of birth - the
birth of the Sun, and of the Son. You leave the clearing, and walk
back through the forest to your own cottage, where you warm
yourself at the fire, for you are chilled through after your long
vigil throughout the darkest night.
Days pass, and although the ground is still hard and cold, and
the nights long and dark, you are aware of a change in the season,
and know that winter is drawing to its close. One night as you are
about to go to bed, you hear a tinkling of bells from deep within
the forest, and are strangely drawn towards their sound. As you
make your way through the night, a waxing Moon lights your path,
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and at last you find yourself once more in the clearing. You look
towards the cave, and see that a great red veil hangs across the
mouth, and that the old Crone, and another woman stand before it.
The other woman is younger than the Crone, but obviously not a
youth, and you instinctively realize that this is the Crone's own
daughter.
As you stand and watch you realize that the bells are being
shaken by the Crone, and that she and her daughter are softly
singing an ancient song: a song which calls to the Virgin to
awaken, and to come forth as the herald of winter's end, and
spring's beginning. The two women reach up, and with a single
movement, rend the veil, tearing it away, revealing the Virgin
standing poised upon the threshold. She is purity and innocence:
a young figure - blindfolded, dressed in white, and carrying in her
hands a posy of bright yellow flowers, symbolic of the growing
powers of the Sun.
The Mother and Crone reach forward, and linking their hands
behind the Virgin, they pull her out of the cave. They lead her
towards the fire, and then the Mother speaks quietly to her. You
see the Virgin nod. The Crone then seems to ask her a question,
and although you cannot hear the answer, it seems she has spoken
truly, for the Crone nods, and reaches up to remove the blindfold.
The Virgin blinks her eyes, and stretches. She begins to dance
slowly around the fire at the center of the clearing, full of the
joy of her awakening, and in the knowledge of her power and
potential as a woman.
Self-contained, she dances the dance of life; of blood and
waters flowing freely, no long frozen and still. You turn and
leave the clearing, taking one last look at the Virgin dancing
joyfully around the fire. As you walk back through the forest, you
feel an answering power moving through the land, and you are aware
that the Earth is beginning to come alive beneath your feet, and on
the trees you see the yellow blooms which are the promise of
spring, and the end of winter.
Day by day the Sun now grows visibly stronger: the land has
awakened from its sleep with the fire dance of the Virgin, and now
the Sun itself approaches the magical time of the Equinox: the
time when day and night are equal, but when light is in the
ascendant. The day of the Equinox dawns bright and clear. The
wind is fresh, and all around you are signs of spring. From deep
within the forest you hear the sound of a horn, and deep within
your innermost self you are aware of a stirring response to its
call. You make your way quickly through the forest; as you
approach the clearing, you realize that you are not alone, for all
the creatures of the forest are gathered upon the edge of the
clearing. They too have answered the summons of the horn.
At the center of the clearing stands a naked young man, his
skin shining with reflected sunlight. He is blindfold: before him
stands the old man, and behind him, the mighty figure of the Horned
God. It was he who blew the horn. The old man dances around the
youth - slowly, a shambling kind of dance - shaking a rattle and
chanting softly. He stops. The Horned God whispers to the youth,
who nods his head in reply. The old man then asks the youth a
question, and after listening to the reply, nods, and reaches up
and removes the blindfold. The youth blinks, and stretches. The
Horned God hands him the horn. He puts this to his lips, and a
single blast echoes through the forest. With a laugh the youth
leaps away into the forest, followed by all the birds and animals,
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for he is Lord of the Forest. You feel a stirring in your own
blood, and before you realize what has happened, you find yourself
chasing the figure of the youth on his mad dash through the forest.
It is a wild and carefree dance, and you feel the answering echo
from the trees, and from the Earth, as they are warmed by the
growing Sun. The Land and the Youth both awaken to their fertile
potential.

As you run through the trees, out of the corner of your eye
you see a flicker of white; you turn, and there hidden in the trees
you see the Virgin, watching and waiting. She is looking curiously
at the Lord of the Forest, intrigued by his strength and drawn by
his beauty. He sees her watching, but on this day, he is too full
with the joy of being in control of his own creative power to cease
his headlong chase through the forest. Gradually you tire, and at
last you find yourself walking back through the forest to your own
cottage, where you find rest.
All through the growing spring the Virgin and the Young Lord
watch each other through the forest. Each aware of the other, but
both self-fulfilled with their own potential and power. But the
Sun keeps getting stronger, and at last we come to that moment
where the Young Lord and the Virgin realize that they have a
greater destiny to fulfil, and driven by their natural desires, and
the signs of the burgeoning world all around them, they seek each
other out, and in celebration of the great mystery of the Land
Marriage, they join as one.
It is the height of spring, and the signs of fertility are all
around. As you make your own way towards the clearing, you feel
the warm Sun upon your face, and feel the life in the Earth beneath
your feet. In the center of the clearing stands a great tree
trunk, crowned with a garland of spring flowers, with many red and
white ribbons fluttering in the breeze. From far and wide people
have travelled to the clearing, for today is the day of celebrating
the growing Sun, and the fertile Earth. Men and women take hold of
the ribbons, and enact their own celebration of Life as they dance
the pattern of the sacred spiral of creation around the tree. You
hold your ribbon firmly, and watch the spiral form as you dance the
ancient steps that have been danced since first Man and Woman were
joined as one.
You hear cheering and shouts of laughter, and there, walking
through the crowd hand in hand come the Young Lord and his wife -
Virgin no longer. Together they have celebrated the sacred mystery
in accordance with the Old Laws: for they have joined in love, and
so have become the King and Queen of the Land.
And the weeks pass, and the Sun grows ever stronger in the
sky, and the King grows in strength and majesty. The Queen begins
to show signs of her pregnancy, the mirror of the crops and fruits
that the Land begins to produce, for the Queen represents the Land,
and is at one with it.
At last the day arrives when the Sun reaches its most powerful
time: the Midsummer Solstice. The King and Queen are at their
peak too, reflected in the majesty of the King, and the growing
life in the womb of the Queen. To mark this day, the King and
Queen host a great celebration in the forest clearing: a feast to
mark the Solstice day, and their own creative powers which have
brought many good things to the Land. All day the feast and games
continue, with the King and Queen bestowing their blessings upon
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everyone.

At long last the Sun begins to sink slowly towards the west;
as it falls you hear a disturbance upon the edge of the clearing.
You see people running, and hear their screams. And then into the
clearing stalks a dark figure, his black cloak swirling around him,
wearing a helmet which obscures his face from view - shadow of
darkness in the forest. He strides towards the King, and in a loud
clear voice, challenges him for the right to rule the kingdom, and
for the Queen as his consort.
The King must protect what he has striven so hard to create,
and must protect his wife and unborn child. He accepts the
challenge, and a great battle ensues as the Sun slowly sinks in the
west. The challenger lays the King's thigh open with a sweep of
his sword, but is unbalanced, and despite his wound, the King
manages to throw the challenger to the ground and disarm him. The
challenger begs for mercy, but the King fears this dark and
threatening figure, and so ignoring his cries for mercy, he plunges
his sword deep into the challenger's heart. And so in order to
protect, the King destroys, and a shadow of darkness is cast upon
the Land. The challenger's blood soaks into the Earth, and the Sun
finally sinks beyond the western horizon.
You make your way back to your cottage, as the King is carried
away to have his wound attended to. The next day the Sun rises as
before, and seems as strong as it ever was, but you have seen and
felt the shadow of the dark, and now sense a change in the Land.
Instead of growing, things are ripening; the heat of the summer Sun
brings the crops and fruit to ripeness, but the growth is now over.
And just as the Land gives forth its fruits, so now does the Queen
give birth to her son. The wheat is harvested; the barley made
into ale; and a great feast is held to give thanks for all the good
things of the Earth, and for the safe birth of the King and Queen's
son.
But in giving birth, the Queen is no longer simply a wife; she
becomes the Mother. She knows that her son is the hope for the
Land, for the King's wound, taken at the Midsummer battle, is a
wasting wound, and will not heal. He grows weaker by the day, a
reflection of the waning powers of the Sun. The Queen knows this,
and as her son grows, she trains him in the ways of sovereignty.
The King sees only that his son grows stronger, as he grows weaker.
He watches the Sun wane day by day as summer slips towards the time
of the Equinox, when once again day and night are equal; but this
time, the dark is in the ascendant.
At last the night of the Equinox arrives. The King feels
drawn towards the clearing in the forest, and under a waning Moon,
he makes his way along the track. He remembers his initiation at
the Spring Equinox; his love for the Virgin, and their joyful
celebration of the Land Marriage at Beltane; he remembers how proud
he was of his creative powers at the Midsummer Solstice, and with
a pang of sadness, he remembers how he had to face the dark
challenger who threatened his Kingdom and his Queen. And finally,
he remembers the birth of his son - a joy now turned to sorrow, as
the King finds himself once more in the clearing, where waiting at
the center is his son, armed with a spear.

Out of the corner of his eye, the King sees a movement in the
shadows, and remembers how he first saw his beloved wife, when she
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was newly awakened, a young Virgin, and he was the Lord of the
Forest. Now his wife hides in the shadows - she wears a black
cloak, and covers her face with its hood. The King and his son
face each other, and then without a word being spoken, the King
draws his sword and they begin to fight. Sword against spear, a
mighty battle rages in the clearing. The powers of light and dark
are equal, but the powers of darkness are now in the ascendant, and
as the night grows on, the King begins to tire. The wasting wound
he suffered at the Summer Solstice has never healed, and his powers
- like those of the Sun - are waning.
There is a brief pause in the fight: the King and his son
look deep into each others eyes. There flashes between them
recognition of the mystery that light and dark are equal: that
they are not fighting each other, but that each is fighting
himself. For the light and the dark are one and the same, as are
the King and his son, and with this realization, the King joyfully
lifts his guard, and is impaled upon the spear as he drives his
sword deep into his son's heart. Together they fall dead to the
ground, and their blood pours out upon the Earth.
At the edge of the clearing the Queen watches, and as she sees
her husband/son die, she sends a great wail echoing through the
forest. There, standing in the cave mouth is the Lord of Death and
Resurrection, but she cannot see him. For her husband/son/lover
has now become the Lord of the Otherworld, and she is still of this
world. The waning Moon watches as she tears her hair, and as one
possessed, runs through the forest in an agony of grief. For she
too saw the mystery, and now she understands that the light and
dark are but the same. She knows that her husband/lover/son has
passed beyond the veil, and that her creative time is passed. For
the Queen is now a Witch: the ancient Hag Crone who knows the
mysteries of life and death and has walked the path of initiation.
In making her journey she has truly found the gods, and knows that
behind the wheel of the seasons there is an ancient power. By
walking the wheel she has joined with the mystery. She has been a
Virgin, a Wife, the Queen, the Mother and the Crone. She has
walked the way of the seasons. She has seen the spring, the
summer, autumn and winter, and she understands that an ancient
truth lies hidden within it all.
At last the time of the dark Moon arrives, when the Sun's
powers are low, and the veil between the worlds is thin. Standing
alone in the forest she makes her way to the clearing. She stands
alone for she is feared by those who have yet to walk the wheel.
For now she must perform the supreme act of magic. She kindles the
ancient Samhain fire, with woods of all the sacred trees. One for
each season, one for each way, one for the night and one for the
day, one for her lover and one for her son, one for the serpent and
one for her song.

As she raises her arms in invocation a great storm gathers.


With a final act of understanding she opens the veil between
herself and the gods. She opens the veil of the Otherworld and
calls back the spirits of the dead. For she knows now to fulfil
the mystery she must join with the Lord of the Otherworld; they
must love and join as one. The storm breaks: lightning and
thunder tear and crack at the ancient night as the trees creak and
bend in the wind. For the wild hunt is now upon us as the spirits
of the dead are led from the Otherworld by the Horned God. Chaos
now reigns in the world for the Mystery is upon us.

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But to join with this mystery the Crone must embrace the Lord
of Flame, the Lord of Death and Resurrection, and go with him back
into the Otherworld. To join with him she must become the Goddess.
So of her own free will, she dies the death of true initiation and
enters into the cave, and passes with the Horned Lord back into the
depths of the Otherworld. There they join in love as one: the
supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all the mysteries of
the male and female; all the mysteries of the light and dark are
married together as one. For love has always been the key. It is
love that conquers our fear and shows the way to union. For true
love is true death, as the individual sense of self is transcended
by a vision of the One. As the gods fulfil the mystery of love,
the seed of new life is planted deep within the womb of the Great
Mother.

And the land sleeps, for the dark time is upon us once again,
and the God and Goddess lay in each others arms, deep within the
Land, hidden from sight. The Sun quickly wanes day by day, the
nights growing longer, the days shorter. Winter grips the land as
a cold wind blows through the forest. The darkness seems complete,
but those of the Wicca are wise and weep not for they know that the
Sun will be reborn through the love of the God and Goddess. Life
will not fail - the Sun will return again. And at last the night
of the Midwinter Solstice arrives: the longest night of the year,
but we know now it is only the darkness that comes before the dawn.
As you stand upon the edge of the forest, you see the first
signs of the new born Sun rising upon the eastern horizon, and hear
the sound of a new born babe. But this time, you walk away from
the clearing towards the rising Sun, and as you leave the forest,
you turn and see that it is no more than a shadow behind you.
Before you is a world which you know well; it is the world in which
you live, and now it is time to return. The Otherworld is real,
and you may return at any time, for the mysteries of the gods are
there for all to understand, if you have but eyes to see. You
continue to walk into the everyday world, and become aware of the
sounds around you, and of the place in which you sit. Spend a few
moments quietly re-attuning yourself to your normal state, and then
open your eyes and stretch. (End of Guided Visualization)

If you want to make any notes do, but please remember that the
Wheel of the Year is an emotional experience, not an academic
exercise!

And finally, always have something to eat and drink after any
activity which uses an altered state of consciousness. This is the
most effective and efficient way to "ground," and is vital if
participants are travelling home after the working.
The Coven at Pooh Corner

(This article was first given as a talk at The Wiccan Workshop


Number 6, held at Coombe, North Cornwall, in May 1989, and was published in Web of
Wyrd #7, January 1993)

This talk is designed to illustrate that spiritual significance is present in


everything around us (see "Wicca and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Children of
Sekhmet, May 1988). On this occasion I shall be using for my inspiration the stories
of that world famous writer A A Milne, to whit, Winnie the Pooh and The House at
Pooh Corner. These
are of course coded allegories of the spiritual development of a certain bear.
Firstly I would like to introduce the characters because there may be someone here
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not enlightened enough to have read these great works, in a similar sort of way as a
Christian may not have read his Bible.
Our Hero. W T Pooh.
Pooh, as he is known to his more intimate acquaintances, is a modest chap not known
for his intellectual ability, and has been called "a bear of very little brain". He
is given to composing hums well aware that being a bear his singing voice is not
what it might be. I would think he is probably a Taurean and all in all a well
rounded personality; possibly because it is always time for a little something.
Piglet
Piglet is a small timid little person, a very young spirit, and Pooh's best friend.
He is a chattery soul who tends to dwell on his fears of heffelumps and woozles. It
is generally thought he may be a Gemini and would be an extrovert if he could find
more confidence. He has a peculiar aversion to being clean.
Wol
Wol has delusions of being the wise old owl based mainly on the fact that he can
spell his name, which is OWL. He lives in the grandest house in the woods, the old
oak tree. It is quite obvious to everyone that he is in fact Libran because he comes
out with statements of fact which are more often than not wrong. All the other
animals turn to him for advice, which he gives freely although no-one understands a
word of it.
Eeyor
Eeyor is a very interesting character. He is a very, very old spirit who in this
incarnation has come back as a donkey. Nothing much seems to bother him and he
lives all alone in a boggy field. He is generally perceived to be miserable. This is
wrong. He is quite happy in his own little world and is thought to be a Piscean with
a Capricorn ascendant. He is in fact the most intellectual of them all because he
can make the letter A out of three twigs. Also he has a brain whilst all
the rest have grey fluff which has blown in by mistake.

Kanger
Kanger is a newcomer to the forest and something of a matriarch being very
protective of her offspring, Roo. She is of course Cancerian, like my wife, and will
mother everybody whether they like it or not.
Tigger
Tigger is the archetypal extrovert and obviously an Aries. Overwhelmingly friendly
and bouncy. Piglet is terrified of him because he jumps out at you and says
"WorraWorraWorra" in what he thinks is a friendly tone... He has no idea that he
can't do something until after he has done it. He shows no trace of forethought and
eventually is adopted by Kanger.
Christopher Robin
A small boy who will be fully explained at the end.
The Parables of Pooh
1 Down the Rabbit Hole
In this story, Pooh after breakfast of honey followed by honey, decides to go
visiting. First he visits Piglet, and is just in time for a little something, ie a
little honey. Eventually they go to Rabbit's place. Rabbit, who has hundreds and
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thousands of relations, naturally lives in a rabbit hole, where Pooh and Piglet are
just in time for a little something. Pooh however eats too much and being a stoutish
bear anyway, finds that when he leaves he gets stuck in the rabbit hole, with his
feet dangling in Rabbit's living room and his head out in the air. Everyone comes to
his aid, but no amount of
pulling or pushing will shift him. Christopher Robin is summoned and decides that
Pooh will have to stay there without honey until think enough to leave. Rabbit is
obviously not well pleased about having a bear wedged in his front door. However he
is compensated when he discovers that Pooh's legs make excellent towel rails.

Moral: From this escapade we can see that Pooh is not very spiritually developed. He
is far too keen on the physical desires of the body and through this forced period
of fasting and the altruistic use of his lower limbs, he learns that it is alright
to be portly so long as you don't block someone's portal. In other words, you are at
liberty to follow your own way so long as you do not block another's. This is the
experience of the tarot card of The Devil. Deluded about the relative sizes of the
door and his tummy, he cannot pass through until he has cast off the chains of his
baser desires for honey. Most covens have a Pooh at this stage of development. This
is the witch who overindulges in the communal wine during the rite, becomes comatose
before the
altar, and neither heaven, earth, or High Priestess's boot, can shift.

2 In which Pooh and Piglet go hunting heffalumps


One snowy day, Piglet finds Pooh staring at some footprints. Pooh thinks this may
be a heffalump or maybe a woozle, and exhorts Piglet to come and follow it. Piglet
is not keen. He agrees as long as Pooh is with him. Sometime later they notice that
the footprints have been joined by another set, two heffalumps, or, as it may be,
woozles! Pooh composes a hum to keep their spirits up, "How cold my nose, tiddly
pom....". A little while later there are four sets of footprints. Piglet is getting
frightened. They sit down for a think and eventually realise they are walking around
a wood following their own footprints. So off they go for a little something.

Moral: Here we see Pooh's total lack of brilliance. He gets there in the end with a
bit of help. On the other hand there is the immense faith he inspires in others.
People feel safe with Pooh. He knows the value of a kind word and a cheery song.
This also illustrates the danger of overwhelming others with your enthusiasm for a
path, which may not be the path they would choose. This is why in Wicca we are not
evangelical. Each must find his or her own heffalump or woozle.
In Which Pooh Builds Eeyore a House
One rainy day Pooh sets out to find Piglet. After many hours of careful thought he
has realised that everyone has a house except Eeyore, but he has a plan. On one side
of the wood he has discovered a pile of sticks, so with Piglet's help they take the
sticks around to the other side of the wood and build Eeyore a fine Des. Res. After
some moments of contemplation of their labours, they set off to find Eeyore. They
come across Eeyore in the approximate location of the pile of sticks looking
puzzled. So they take him off to show him his new house. Eeyore is muttering but
Pooh and Piglet take no notice
whatsoever. They arrive at Eeyore's house and Pooh and Piglet say proudly, "There!".
Eeyore looks pleased, but even more puzzled. It transpires that Eeyore built a house
out of a pile of sticks on the other side of the wood. He puts down the change of
location and certain architectural improvements to the high wind of the night
before. Pooh and Piglet say nothing to Eeyore, and then Pooh says that he thinks
it's "Time for a little something."
Moral: From this we can see that although still not devastatingly intelligent, Pooh
has managed to perceive someone else's problem, and has made some attempt to solve
it for them. It may however have been better if he had consulted Eeyore who had
already gone about solving his problem for himself. Thus we see that we should not
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impose our particular perception of the universe on others. Fortunately Eeyore is of
such greatness of spirit that he lets this event pass, and Pooh has developed
sufficient maturity to let discretion be the better part of valour. As Eeyore was
muttering perhaps we should also learn to listen to others.

The Great Flood


Pooh looks out one morning and sees that it is STILL raining. Christopher Robin has
been getting concerned about the rising waters, measuring their progress with
sticks. Each morning yesterday's stick has disappeared. He goes around and warns
everyone to go to high ground. Pooh laboriously takes his stock of honey and
balances all his jars on a high branch of a tree, where he takes refuge. When all
his stock is exhausted he ponders for a while, then makes a not very successful boat
out of a honey jar. The boat and Pooh have some disagreement as to whom should be on
top. He eventually paddles this Craft over to Christopher Robin's house where they
take to Christopher Robin's upturned umbrella. They then ensure that all the other
animals are safe.
Moral: This story illustrates Pooh's growing concern for the environment and his
fellow creatures. In this particular crisis, Pooh does not go off half cock making
rash decisions, but seeks the help of the most developed spirit in the forest. Pooh
exhibits great fortitude and determination in his quest for this higher spirit. Also
he is showing better use of his baser desires, ie for honey. There are obvious
parallels with numerous other flood myths although in this Wiccan version, having
had our fill of our favourite tipple, the Ark mark 1A has some design faults. This
is why in the world of today there aren't quite so many unicorns and other mythical
beasts. They lost the argument with their honey pots.
What Tiggers Eat
Pooh, strolling through the woods, hears this peculiar noise:
"WorraWorraWorra". He picks himself up, looks around and espies this strange
creature. The creature bounces up and down and says, "Hello, I'm Tigger". Pooh,
being a generous soul, asks him back for a little something. He asks Tigger what he
would like to eat. Tigger doesn't know what he eats, so Pooh gives him some honey.
Tigger is not impressed, so off they go to Piglet's house with Tigger bouncing
along, running ahead of Pooh and leaping our at him in a very friendly fashion. When
they arrive, Piglet gives him some acorns. Tigger does not like Acorns. So off they
go to Eeyore's where Tigger tries thistles. Tigger definitely does not like
thistles. Lastly they try Kanger. Kanger is very concerned, but doesn't know quite
what to suggest. However, whilst giving malt extract to her baby Roo, Tigger bounces
up and grabs the spoon and says "Mmmmmmm". So we find out what Tiggers eat.
Moral: This shows Pooh's ready acceptance of all types of people, even Aries! He
goes to great lengths to help this very young spirit to find spiritual sustenance
and someone willing to look after him. Kanger, as is the case with most Cancerians,
does not believe they can solve the problem but in fact the solution is in their
grasp all the time. Unfortunately, Kanger is now stuck with this waif and stray.
Pooh has climbed a long way from the days when he got stuck in Rabbit's door, and
has learnt the responsibility that goes with new initiates in our world.
N.B. Please note that in the true Pagan spirit of this tome,
even Tiggers eat vegetarian food.

Pooh and the Honey Tree


On this day we find Pooh staring up into the branches of a tree. His highly tuned
senses have detected honey. Being a portly bear he is none too good at climbing
trees, so he comes up with a plan. Christopher Robin had a party with lots of
balloons. So off he goes to Christopher Robin's house to ask if he might borrow a
balloon. He also asks Christopher Robin to help him. They set off with Pooh's
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requirements. The balloon is painted black to look like a thundercloud, and
blown up. Pooh, grasping the string, floats aloft. Christopher Robin stays beneath
with his umbrella announcing "Tut tut, it looks like rain." The bees of course are
not fooled for an instant. About this time Pooh discovers the major flaw in his
plan. He cannot get down. After much careful thought, Christopher Robin shoots the
balloon with his pop gun, and Pooh descends very rapidly and lands on a thistle.
Eeyore considers this a waste of a good thistle.
Moral: This is the pinnacle of Pooh's intellectual development. He has solved his
immediate problem, but not really thought out the consequences. In a spiritual
sense, he has strived too far without being properly prepared and is brought back to
earth with a bump. Pooh, having developed so far, has forgotten that if you are to
go flying, astrally or not, then you must not forget your parachute. As Pooh found
with the bees, we must learn not to underestimate life forms we perceive as being
lower than ourselves. Eeyore is another case in point. Although he is seen as
under-developed because he does not say much, he has obviously seen the outcome from
the word go, and is only upset at the demise of a juicy thistle. Christopher Robin
is obviously an interplanes adept since once again he rescues Pooh after having
clairvoyantly foreseen the outcome.
Conclusion:
To lead up to my great revelation I must conclude the story. On frequent occasions
when Pooh calls on Christopher Robin, he is out, but has left a note that he will be
"BAK SON", and is nowhere to be seen. Pooh takes these notes to Wol, who is not sure
if they refer to a herbaceous "Bakson" or a spotted "Bakson". One evening,
Christopher Robin arrives at Pooh's house and reveals to Pooh that his time in this
place is nearly over and he must go to school. He and Pooh have a long chat and
Christopher Robin decides that Pooh is ready to accompany him on this great
adventure and they walk off hand in hand into the Sun.
This illustrates the basic fact of life that no matter how comfortable we are we
must be prepared to grow and develop and move on when we must. Christopher Robin is
in fact Pooh's Higher Self and as can be seen from the stories, unless you use your
Higher Self you will not reach your desired aims, and indeed may go the same way as
the unicorns and their honey pots. Between Christopher Robin and Pooh they have
achieved sufficient development to leave their current plane and move on to higher
things. Christopher Robin, as can be seen from his name, Christ/Robin, is a
Tipherathic aspect of Pooh; ie the centre where the lower and higher self come
together. When they have united the way is open and clear for them to move on to the
next sphere of existence.

Thus it should be every witch's ambition to be reincarnated as a bear of very little


brain who lives in the hundred acre wood on a plane at least one above this one.
After all the idiots we see running this world have to be seen as a damn sight more
stupid than even Wol. (PS Mrs Thatcher is also a Libran!)
copyright to David Wadsworth, who has been a bear of little brain for many a long
year!
The End

Wicca & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance


by David Wadsworth
(This article first appeared in Children of Sekhmet, May 1988. It was originally
given by Dave as a talk at a Wiccan Workshop organised by Chris and Vivianne Crowley
in 1987)
This talk aims to illustrate the all-pervading nature of Wicca. If a system of
natural laws or beliefs is true, it can be applied to virtually anything. I intend
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to try and apply parts of Wiccan beliefs to my other passion, biking.
There is a peculiar sort of bonding between a real biker and his machine. The biker
will put the well-being of his machine far above his own. I have seen men cry over a
bent bike, or after an accident tell the driver off for hitting his bike rather than
him. I have personally fought off two ambulence men so that I could hop to my bike
to inspect the damage before being taken to hospital. My theory for this strange
bond is that the motorcycle and rider form a sort of Gestalt being, a conplete
entity, either part of which is incomplete or useless without the other.

The motorcycle represents the male part of this entity. It provides all the force
and power, but lacks control and direction. It is all
potential, in Wiccan terms, the God force, waiting for the female
aspect, the Goddess, in the form of a horrible grubby motorcycle rider. The rider
takes the force and harnesses it, giving purpose, form and direction. Controlling
the raw male potential, and together, in harmony, they will be capable of reaching
heights impossible to either on their own.
The motorcycle can be seen as a way through which to tap a source of
cosmic energy. The energy which we in the Wicca use for healing, spells, divination,
as a gateway to alternative universes. Just as a witch wouldn't attempt to tap this
awesome power without protection, neither would a biker. The biker will put on
boots, gloves, helmet and leathers in a similar sort of way as a member of the Craft
would surround themselves with a protective circle to preserve the power and keep
out undesirable spirits. In the biker's case he is also aiming to keep in the heat,
and protect him from the road, onto which demon car drivers possessed of evil
spirits (gin, vodka, whiskey etc.) would lure him to his death!
This brings us neatly (?) to the subject of reincarnation. Most of you
reading this will have some knowledge of the ideas of reincarnation;
i.e. that we are born, live in the world, die, and are then reborn to
develop further. Not many of you will realise that motorcycles go
through a similar process. They leave the factory to roam about the face of the
earth, then some parts wear out, and they descend into the dark underworld of the
workshop. Here they are consoled and repaired by the creative force of the female,
who is the biker, to emerge re-born in Spring, once more blooming with refreshed
colour of restored paintwork, and the cycle starts again. Many British machines go
through this every year. About Yule they are ready, and in the first days of Spring
they roar about in the first flush of youth. Then at the peak of their power, at
Lammas, they are cut down, usually due to some terminal mechanical problem. They
dwell for the remainder of the year in Hades, the garage, thus mirroring the cycle
of the God.

The spirituality of bikes is perceived by man in different forms, and


each has its followers. Here are some of the major religions:
THE CHRISTIAN
This newcomer to the spiritual motorcycle rides a modern Japanese bike. He pays
little more than lip service to his religion. He has few rituals, all he has to do
is turn the key and start the starter engine. He tends to be into power and speed,
tearing past older machines which he regards with contempt. He cares little for the
inner workings of the machine, running to his priest/mechanic whenever he has a
problem. Should his machine pass on, i.e., wear out, it will believed to be
irreparable, i.e., too expensive, and gone to the great scrap heap in the sky. The
makers of this are the great salesmen and evangelists of the bike, not to mention
the profit makers.
THE MAGICIAN
He will typically be an older bearded gentleman, who rides an immaculate old British
motorcycle. They are into status, and will pootle along at 40 mph all day, imagining
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themselves the envy of all who see them. They are into ritual and mystery. The
performance required to summon some older bikes into life is awesome and dangerous.
Yet these fellows will watch in silence as a machine spits at a new initiate and
breaks his shin. They will endlessly pontificate on the correct shade of colour for
the petrol tank, or whether a part is the right year for the model; mostly that's
all they do.
THE WITCH
The bike will most likely be filthy, not from lack of care, but from
constant use in all sorts of conditions. The rider knows and understands the inner
workings of his machine, its every click and whistle. He relies on no guru for his
understanding, he is not afraid to try things out and see if it works. Not for him
the search for power or acclaim. He is just out to explore the universe and glean
its mysteries. He will get there in the end, there's plenty of time. He will rebuild
bikes time after time, not sticking to rigid formulae, but with whatever comes to
hand. he enjoys his bike and is in-tune with it.
As a biker-witch, I am now going to use two useful tools to explain my
theory of Life, the Universe and Everything: i.e., the Kaballah and the four-stroke
cycle.
Firstly the act of invocation and the four-stroke cycle. For those of
you who are not mechanically minded, I'll try and keep this simple.
Officially the four-stroke cycle is referred to as Induction,
Compression, Power and Exhaust. I prefer the much more evocative Suck,
Squeeze, Bang, Blow. There are a few parts that really matter: the crank shaft, the
con rod, the piston and the inlet plus exhaust valves.

1) Suck: Initially the piston is at the top and both valves are closed. As the
crank shaft turns, the inlet valve opens, the con rod pulls the piston down which
draws air and fuel in. At this point in an invocation, the invoker is opening his
chakras and drawing the cosmic energy which surrounds us into his body.

2) Squeeze: The crank shaft continues around, the inlet valve shuts, and the piston
is pushed up, squeezing tha gases together. This is when the invoker says the
invocation and passes the power to the invokee.
3) Bang: The fuel/air mixture ignites and pushes the piston down. The
priest/ess takes on the aspect of God/dess being invoked.
4) Blow: The exhaust valve opens and the piston pushes the charge into
the exhaust pipe. The God/dess charges and shares his/her power with
those assembled.
And now - motorcycles on the Tree of Life:
Kether - traditionally the godhead from which all energy flows. It is
formless. This is the high tension spark which ignites the fuel and
without which the bike is naught.
Chokmah - Formless, directionless energy, raw untamed power. In the
engine this is the burning fuel mixture.
Binah - this takes the raw force and starts organising and forming it.
The piston, conrod and crankshaft takes the power of the expanding gases
and converts it to rotary motion.
Chesed - Takes the potential energy of Binah, gives it order, and makes it more
solid and usable. In the engine, the gearbox and final drive take the power from the
crank shaft and make it usable to the whole machine.

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Geburah - An essential breaking down. Where there is life, there must be death. In
an engine when you have got two lumps of metal thrashing about in violent motion,
they must wear each other away.
Tiphareth - This is the image of the godhead, the wayshower, Lucifer,
Prince of Light. In the bike this is represented by the electrical
system and the ignition system, and the lights, which on British
machines are provided by Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness!
Netzach - This is the spirit of nature, intuition and sexuality. This is more
concerned with what bikers do. They are in tune with nature and tend to get drawn to
ancient sites, eg Stonehenge, Avebury and Wayland Smithy, or just standing around in
a muddy field communing with nature and the local brewery. This is also the source
of the sexual bond between man and machine.
Hod - Communication, intellect and travel. It is also where your will
produces power. The travelling aspect of motorcycles is fairly obvious, and hordes
of despatch riders fulfil the communication role. This is where we get the knowledge
of the workings of the bike. It definitely takes Hodic willpower on a cold, wet
morning, along with highly verbal expletives, leaping up and down on the kickstart
to get the bugger moving.
Yesod - This is the lunar aspect of biking, linked to Tiphareth on the
Middle Pillar (refer Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness). Many bikers will,
by the light of the Full Moon, switch their lights off and ride by
moonlight in their lunatic hunt for the local hostellry. In the event of a biker
meeting his death through this ridiculous activity, look into the sky. For there you
will espy, on his silver machine, the spirit of the biker riding across the astral
heavens. Scientists tend to think these are meteors. There is also the illusion of
security one gets from riding around with one's head in a goldfish bowl,
colloquially known as a blood bucket.
Malkuth - The concrete world, reality. On a bike you are cold, wet,
tired, frequently uncomfortable, and very vulnerable, and no-one in
their right mind would do it if it wasn't for something else......
Despite Malkuth, biking opens up other realms, other worlds (Birmingham, London,
Glasgow, etc) and puts you in tune with the inner and outer universes.
The End.

THE GREEK & ROMAN GOD(ESSE)S


A quick overveiw by Thomas Palmer

APOLLO-Also called Phoebus, the bright one. Identified with the sun. Said to be the
most powerful of the Gods. Son of Zeus and Leto. Born on Delos, taken North and
raised by the hyperboreans, he went to Delphi and killed the dragon Python, guardian
of the oracle of Themis, but a ravager of the countryside.
Tall, handsome, outstanding in word and deed, he was the god of ever-renewed
youth, archetype of virile beauty and masculine virtue. He was also known as a
seducer & extremely arrogant. Talented in music, inventor of the lyre, he was the
inspiration of poets and soothsayers. His oracles were expressed in verse.
He could cure illness and banish evil. He was a doctor who knew the
purification rites and was invoked against plague. His image was set at dangerous
places for protection (Lighting the ways) Nothing escaped his vision (light of day).
ARIES (MARS)-Son of Hera, born without male assistance. He was a supreme fighter,
loved battle and cared little about issues, switching sides without scruple. He
delighted in massacres.
He was god of war, not victory, and was thoughtless about winning, only
fighting. Was on occasion disarmed by Athena, Goddess of restraint and forethought,
to keep him from interfering in battles that did not concern him.
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He was prolific in love, but also a rapist. He was run by his passions.
CRONOS (SATURN)- Son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Gaea, worn out by numerous
pregnancies, requested to be free of this burden, so Cronos (Saturn) took up a
sickle and cut off his father's testicles. His wife was Rhea, and he fathered
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Was eventually deposed by Zeus.
His festivals, the Saturnalia, were a time of liberation and freedom for all
and got pretty wild. They were celebrated from Dec. 17th until the new year. Saturn
is the archetype for "father time".

DIONYSUS- Son of Zeus and Semele. His escort was satyrs and marginally sane gods. He
did not respect laws or customs, loved disguises, wild screaming, licentious dances
and wild places. He was a drunken god with no home, living in the wild and eating
raw meat. He encouraged excesses of all kinds.
Hera hated Dionysus because of Zeus's infidelity and hounded him. She caused
him to be killed by the Titans, but he was resurrected through the efforts of
Athena, Zeus, Apollo, and Rhea. She drove him mad, but through Cybele he gained
mastery of it. He drove many people mad for various reasons.
EROS (CUPID)- A primordial god, contemporary of Chaos, who existed before Cronos
(Saturn) and Zeus. He came out of an egg that formed the earth and sky when it broke
in two. He precipitated the embraces of Gaea (the Earth) and Uranus (the heavens),
which resulted in the birth of Oceanus, Tethys, Coeus, and Cronos (Saturn). The
Earth and heavens were so tightly embraced that none of the children could rise
towards the light until Cronos (Saturn) castrated his father.
Cupid was associated with Aphrodite, who moderated his power. Where he was
desire, instinct and violent sex, she was grace, tenderness and sweet pleasure.
Cupid made people lose their reason and paralyzed their wills, even
inspiring Zeus to capricious sexual desires.
As Eros he is said to be the child of Porus (Expedience) and Penia
(Poverty). Like Penia, he was said to always be in search of something, and like
Porus, he always found a means of attaining his aims.
FAUNUS- A Roman God, Son of Circe and Jupiter. Protector of the Roman peoples, he
lived on Palatine Hill in Rome. His oracle was given in nightmares. Lupercalia was
his festival, during which his priests ran through the streets with leather straps
and struck any women they met with them to bestow health and fertility. The women
were said to strip themselves to be better targets. He reproduced himself in the
satyrs.

HADES (PLUTO)- Son of Cronos (Saturn), brother of Zeus and Poseidon. When the world
was divided between the three brothers, the underworld and hell fell to Hades, while
Zeus took the heavens and Poseidon the seas. He had a helmet that made him
invisible. He ruled the dead, and forbade his subjects to leave his domain. He
desired Persephone, but Zeus forbade the marriage. He then kidnapped her.
HEPHAESTUS (VULCAN)- Son of Zeus and Hera. He was lame, either because his mother,
startled by his ugliness, dropped him, or because Zeus, angry that he took his
mother's side in a dispute, threw him from Olympos. He dwelled among mortals and
became the god of black smithing and artistic metal work. He made a golden throne
that imprisoned any who sat in it, and gave it to Hera to avenge himself for his
fall from Olympos.

HERMES (MERCURY)- Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He stole some of Apollo's cattle
shortly after his birth and concealed them, sacrificing two to the Olympian Gods.
This theft won him recognition as a God himself. When Apollo discovered the theft
and Hermes was tried, his defense was so skillful and spirited that Zeus laughed and
ruled that there should be a friendly settlement between the brothers.
Hermes was God of the spoken word and oratory and was the intermediary
between the Gods and men. Also the God of commerce and contracts, where language
must be precise to convey the correct meaning.

JANUS- ROMAN- The Two faced God. he was God of beginnings and presided over new
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undertakings, gateways and initiations. he was revered as the first king of Rome and
made order reign. His temple was left open in wartime so the God could act, but was
closed in peace.
THE LARES- Roman- Twin children of Mercury by the rape of Lara. They protected the
land. Were symbolized by two boys and a dog.
PAN- Half man, half goat, with horns on his brow and lust in his eyes. Son of Hermes
and a daughter of the Dryops, he was the God of pastoral regions and wilderness.
Special friend of shepherds, he guided and protected them from afar. Protector of
all wild things and places. His pipes had an aphrodisiac effect on those who heard
them and induced mating.
Pan was a lecher and a drunk who constantly pursued nymphs who would flee in
terror. Caves rang with their cries when he caught them. He was famous for his
rages, where he attacked anyone who got in his way. His irrational behavior led
people to flee him in "panic." He was dangerous when he took possession of a being.
The possessed, or panoleptic, took on his bearing and would wander in the wild,
laugh madly, or throw themselves on others for sex without respect to gender, or
have epileptic fits.

POSEIDON (NEPTUNE)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, he is represented wielding a


trident and being pulled by monsters in a chariot. After Zeus's victory over Cronos
(Saturn), the young gods, who preferred life on earth, divided the various domains
of earth. Poseidon chose the seas. He represented the hidden forces of germination
and death. Together with his wife Amphitrite, he had powerful ties with Gaea, the
Earth, mother of the Titans. As subterranean Gods, they shook the world from inside.
Poseidon caused earthquakes when he made love to his wife. The mystery isle
of Atlanta belonged to Poseidon. Poseidon could provoke storms, set fire to rocks on
shore and create springs of water. He had many children, most wicked and violent,
like the Cyclops of the Oddessy.

PRIAPUS- A small god with a penis of immense size. Son of Zeus and Aphrodite, he was
deformed by Hera in revenge. Aphrodite abandoned him in fear that she would be
ridiculed for her ugly child. He began as a symbol of fertility, but of no
significance. Although he was oversized, he was impotent. He seemed to fail at
everything he tried. He was compared to an ass and ridiculed. He lent his name to
the disease priapism, an incurable illness where the penis remains painfully erect
but incapable of ejaculation. Ended up as an obscure gnome.
QUIRINUS- A Roman warrior god originally, he became a god who watched over the well
being of the community, opposite to his former nature. Called an apparition of
Romulus the founder of Rome.

ZEUS (JUPITER)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. He defeated Cronos (Saturn) in a
ten year battle and then divided the realms with his brothers by lot, getting the
heavens for his own. He was ruler and judge, the arbiter of disputes among Gods and
men. His decisions were just and well balanced, showing no favoritism. He had
several wives and many lover's, earning the title "all father" or "father god". His
infidelity caused much strife on Olympos and in the world through he raging of his
wife, Hera.

Goddesses

APHRODITE (VENUS)- Daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer. 'The Woman Born Of
The Waves' according to Hesiod, born of the foam impregnated by the sexual organs of
Uranus, which Cronos (Saturn) had severed and thrown into the sea. Plato identifies
these as two separate Aphrodites. One Urania, the daughter of Uranus was goddess of
pure love. The other, called Pandemos, (Root of pandemonium?) was the Goddess of
'common' love. She married Hephaestus, but was unfaithful with Aries.
Aries was caught and humiliated. Aphrodite fled in shame to Cyprus, and
there took Thrace as lover, resulting in the birth of Eros (Love), Anteros (Love in
return), Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear). She also was a lover of Adonis, a
human shepherd named Anchises who fathered Aneas, of Hermes and of Dionysus who
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fathered Priapus. She was known for jealousy. She made Eos (Dawn) fall in love with
Orion in
spite for her seduction of Aries. She punished all who did not succumb
to her. A beauty competition between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was
proposed by Eris (Discord) with the prize being a golden apple. It was
judged by the human Paris. All the Goddesses offered him bribes to win.

Aphrodite offered Helen, most beautiful of all Humans. She won and thus
caused the Trojan War. Eros was the primordial god of instinct. When Aphrodite
appeared he adapted himself and joined forces with her. At this time the sexes
became distinct. Aphrodite's kingdom was the place of desire. Young girls were said
to pass from the place of Artemis (chastity and games) to the place of Aphrodite,
where they become women. Considered by some to be an affliction or madness that
women must bear. She represents female lust and passion, and demonstrates its
potential for destructive effect. Young girls gave their virginity to the Goddess by
living in her temples and offering themselves to passing strangers.
ARTEMIS (DIANA)-Daughter of Zeus and Leto. The huntress, she is seen as the forever
young goddess. She is proud of her shapeliness and keeps her virginity to protect
it. She was a warrior, joining Apollo to kill Python and other exploits. Anyone who
offended her or tried to win her virginity paid dearly. They were killed,
transformed, or mutilated. She defended modesty and punished illicit love and
excesses. She avenged rape. She also took out her anger on those virgins who gave in
to love. She did not mind marriage, but when a virgin married she was to give up all
the things of childhood, toys and dolls, locks of hair, etc., leaving them on her
altar.
ATHENA (MINERVA)- Daughter of Zeus and Metis. Metis was swallowed by Zeus, and when
it was time for Diana's birth, he had Hephaestus crack open his skull and she came
forth in full armor shouting a war cry. Also a virgin Goddess, she lived among men
without fear due to her warrior's skills. She was the protectress of Odysseus and
other men. She was a warrior who used strategy, ambush, cunning, and magic rather
than brute force. Her shield bore the head of a gorgon and she paralyzed her
adversaries and made her companions invincible. She was against excess, both in war
and every day life. She taught men to control their savagery and to tame nature. Was
the initiator of all skills. Taught Pandora to weave, trained horses and invented
the chariot. She was the patroness of blacksmiths and carpenters. She built the
first ship and the boat of the Argonauts.
CYBELE- Was born as Agditis, a hermaphrodite monster, from a stone fertilized by
Zeus. The Gods decided to mutilate him(?) and made the Goddess Cybele from him. Her
love for Attis, a human shepherd, drove him insane and he castrated himself for her.
Her priests were eunuchs dressed as women. It is from the temple of Cybele that the
reference in the Wiccan Charge of the Goddess to "At mine Altars, the youths of
Lacedæmon in Sparta made due sacrifice.", comes.
DEMETER (CERES)- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, the Goddess of corn and
grain. Demeter bore Persephone. She renounced her duties as goddess and began a fast
and went into exile from Olympos when her daughter was abducted into the underworld
until her daughter should be returned to her. She caused the spread of the knowledge
of the cultivation of corn.
During her exile the earth became barren until Zeus demanded that Hades
return Persephone. She had eaten from a pomegranate, however, and was forever bound
to the underworld. As a compromise, she was allowed to rise up into the world with
the first growth of spring and return to the underworld at seed sowing in fall. And
so the Earth is barren in the winter, while Demeter mourns, and becomes fruitful
again when Persephone is released. Demeter made herself known to the children of
Eleusis, who raised her a temple and instituted the Eleusinian mysteries. In
Sept.-Oct., the candidates for initiation purified themselves in the sea, then
processed down the sacred path from Athens to Eleusis. The rites remain secret, but
involve a search for a mill for grinding corn, and a spiritual experience. During
the rites, men women and slaves were all treated as equal.
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ERINYES, THE- Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaara. They were born from drops of blood
that fell from Uranus's severed Penis, and did not recognize the authority of the
gods of Olympos. They hounded and tortured their victims, driving them mad. Also
called the Eumenides, The Good Ones, to divert their wrath. Assimilated by the
Romans as the Furies. They were implacable and demanded punishment for every murder.
To them murder was a stain. The murderer had to be banished and driven mad before
purification could occur. They were blind and carried out their punishments
indefinitely.

HARPIES- Greek genii/spirits- Daughters of Thaumes and Electra: Nicotho or


swift-footed, Ocypete or swift of flight, and Celaeno, the dark one. Were either
women with wings or birds with the heads of women. Called the 'hounds of Zeus' and
seized children and souls. Skillful at torture, they could pester a victim into
madness.

HERA (JUNO)- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea brought up by Oceanus and Tethys.
Married Zeus. It was claimed that each year Hera regained hervirginity by bathing in
the spring of Canathus. According to some traditions Hephaestus, Aries, and Hebe
(Youth) were conceived by her alone without male assistance. As Zeus' legitimate
wife, her fury at his infidelities was boundless, and she took vengeance on his
lovers and any progeny of the affair without distinction. Zeus was often reduced to
hiding or disguising his children to protect them.

HESTIA/VESTA- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. Goddess of the hearth, she had
the privilege of retaining her virginity forever. Her symbol was the fire, which was
never allowed to go out. The young bride and newborn child were presented to her and
she was invoked before each meal. Her temple in Rome was served by the young vestal
virgins.

MOERAE (PARCAE)- The Three Fates. Atropos, Clotho, Lachesis, daughters of Zeus and
Themis. The first spins a thread symbolizing birth. The second unravels it,
symbolizing life's processes, and the third cuts it, symbolizing death. They too
were blind and ruled destiny. They were also symbols of a limit which could not be
overstepped. Were connected to their sisters, the furies, who punished crime.
MUSES- Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). Calliope ruled epic poetry,
Clio ruled history, Polyhymnia mime, Euterpe the flute, Terpsichore dance, Erarto
lyric art, Melpomene tragedy, Thalia comedy and Urania astronomy. They delighted the
Gods and inspired poets. The Muses created what they sang about. By praising the
gods, they completed their glory, by boasting of valiant warriors, they wrote their
names in history.
They were celebrated by the Pythagoreans as the keepers of the knowledge of
harmony.

NEMESIS- Daughter and Night. Ruled over the distribution of wealth, looked after
balance, took revenge on arrogance and punished excess, including excessive
happiness, riches and power. Moderation in all things was her creed.

NYMPHS- Daughter of Zeus and usually part of a greater god(esses) entourage. Not
immortal, though long lived. Mostly lived in caves. Were dark powers whose beauty
alone could lead to madness. Were seducers of many of the gods. Were considered
secondary deities.

THETIS- Daughter of the old man of the sea. Very beautiful. Mother of Achilles.
Saved Zeus from a plot to overthrow him and was an ally of Hera. Saved the Argonauts
as they passed between the clashing rocks.
Against The Witch Hunters
Robin Culain
"All this has happened before. And all this will happen again. But this time it
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happened to ..."
Well, us.
The beginning of Sir James Barrie's Peter Pan must echo what many of us are
feeling, as we watch a new and loosely-knit conglomerate of yellow journalists,
right-wing eco-spoilers and Evangelical and Fundamental Christians move slowly
towards a Witch hunt for the 90's. Our spiritual ancestors faced similar problems in
many times and many lands.
Recall the Priestesses of Eleusis, last of an ancient line, in decline, falling at
last to the stratagems of Theseus and his new Attic Gods. Recall the Etruscans,
their vision of sexual-political balance overpowered by the might and organization
of the husband-headed Roman empire. And most tender to the touch, recall the agony
of the middle ages, as the Catholic, then Protestant churches consolidated their
grip on the rural population, killing six million alleged or actual Witches in the
process.
The hunt is in a beginning stage and beginnings are important. The formal focus of
the television specials, Redbook articles, diatribes in the LaRouchite New
Federalist, "Occult Crime" seminars and newspaper articles is some thing called
"Satanism", which bears little or no relationship to Wicca and Neo-Paganism.
In fact, media "Satanism" bears little resemblance to any historically verifiable
Satanism. It is neither classical Egyptian Set-worship", Romantic Ceremonial
Satanism a la Huysmanns nor modern Egoist flamboyance per La Vey. Sometimes it's
heavy metal sullenness, drugs and violence, but that's usually only for starters.
The heavy metal boys, we're usually told, are just dupes of the Great Conspiracy.
And when you get down to the real stuff, the genuine complaint, it's generally the
stuff of horror movies and nightmare -- baby-eating, virgin-sacrificing bloodsucking
monsters!
All this has happened before. And all this will happen again.
There's a limited range of things that can be used to stir up the anger of a
populace against a group, or deaden moral sensitivity to a persecution. It pretty
much boils down to baby-eating, virgin-sacrificing and bloodsucking.
This has been the century of Hitler's Holocaust. but the Russians who butchered
entire Jewish villages in the Pogroms, the inhabitants of York who slaughtered
nearly every Jew in the city in the 1100's didn't merely think the Yiddim dressed
and talked funny. The accusations were the same. By Jesus, those Jews ate babies!
They were just like Satanists, with one exception.
You could find the Jews.

There probably aren't any "Satanists" as portrayed in the articles, seminars and
diatribes. If there are, they're certainly not Neo-Pagans or Wiccans. But in the
lucrative atmosphere in which the press, missionaries and so-called "Crime Advisers"
publicize and proselytize, the word "Witch" creeps in every third sentence.
Naturally, we Witches and Neo-Pagans have spent a certain amount of effort
pointing out that we love children like anybody else, have no particular attraction
to virginity, and tend, in the most extreme of our diets, to vegetarianism. In
short, we have tried to educate our detractors and the media to our harmlessness.
This tactic is true, and this tactic is good, but I think that if it becomes our
primary response to persecution we will ultimately fail to endure.

Imagine a Witch in the Middle Ages in front of a Catholic or Protestant tribunal.


In some cases she has been denounced by a business competitor, or an envious rival
in love, or a spiteful neighbor. In other cases she has been brought to the dock by
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an expert in "Occult Crime" -- the traveling Witch Finder.
She stands bound before her Inquisitors, plain or pompous depending on their
religious persuasion. Perhaps there's a crowd around. She tries to educate them to
the simple fact that she's a worshipper of the Old Gods, loves children like anybody
else, has no particular attraction to virginity, and tends, in the most extreme of
her diets, to vegetarianism.

They, in turn, accuse her of worshipping a living fiend, blighting the cattle, and
eating babies.

She doesn't stand a chance.

Now picture another scene, one that has not occurred often. She stands before
those assembled, and begins, shall I say, to point out some facts. She points out
the medieval physician with the two per cent live delivery rate who wants the local
midwifery practice shut down. She points out the priest and bishop who are
terrifying the once fun-loving populace into penury and pestilence with the twin
threats of damnation and the noose. She denounces the Christian nobles who will
brook no interference with their rule, least of all from the old Nobility of the
land.

She'd be shut up in short order, but in a different way, for she would be
addressing the real issues. The nonsense about babies, Black Men and cattle was
then, and is now nothing more than a smoke screen to mask real and significant
religious and political differences. It's all a cheap trick, a coward's cheat, a way
of throwing muck until some sticks. It is only used when the real terms of debate
cannot stand the light of day, and it works only if we permit it!
Our situation is in no way as dire as that of our ancestors. Only now have things
moved to the stage where one group, the far-right and sometimes farcical Limonites,
actively bait Wiccans and Neo-Pagans as being "as bad as Satanists". And unlike our
ancestors, we have a freedom of speech they could only dream of. We will not be
silenced if we speak, certainly not at this time.

So let's not waste our opportunity! Whenever the "Witch-Hunters" bait us or


attempt to smear us with their cannibal taunts, let's find out what the real agenda
is, and address it. Make the Lyndonite defend himself against whipping up the
population against a minority religion as Hitler stirred hatred against the Jews.
Make the entire La Rouche crew explain their suicidal environmental policies, and
their editorial statement that "the worship of Mother Earth does indirectly lead to
mass murder ..." Engage them on the real issues -- just what the worship of the
Mother really means, and what people are really like that scapegoat innocents and
despise nature!

Likewise with the "Occult Crimewatch". Ask them about their sources of revenue.
About their religious agendas and connection with Evangelical missions. Ask the if
they support religious freedom, and if non-Evangelical religious belief, in their
opinion, is a hazard to the public. Ask them, if you can corner them into a frank
reply, what on earth they are doing lecturing hate to police officers sworn to
protect all the public, Christian and Pagan!

The media deserve the same. Let's not spend more than a breath denying lurid
charges. Instead, ask them why they are sensationalizing and smearing a legitimate
religion to make sales. Inquire as to whether the German press in the 30's had a
responsibility for the slanders on the Jews that they printed. Ask them how they'll
feel if harm comes to one Pagan woman or man, girl or boy through their negligence,
indifference to non sensational fact and search for sales.
In every case we have an opportunity to turn the tide, by coming right out with
our real differences in front of the public, and insisting that the terms of debate
be on genuine issues. We must refuse to be backed into a defensive posture, denying
ever wilder charges.
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Instead let us bring our active advocacy and love of our Gods, of Mother Earth, of
our families and children and ourselves to the fore in every debate. We must require
our opponents to bare their genuine beliefs and motives, and contrast them clearly
with our own in full view. We must sharpen the terms of debate so keenly that no
person can leave the scene without having to make a clear and conscious choice about
what they value and believe is right.
There's no point in lecturing to the Cardinal. The audience for every debate is
not the Witch Hunter, it is the neutral observer. Let them see the love of the
Earth, and contrast it to nearsighted greed and poverty of emotion. Let them see the
love of the Old Gods and contrast it to a cringing fear of the Father's judgment.
Let them see generosity and intelligence and refusal to be sacrificed, and contrast
them to venality, cunning and scape goating. In every debate, let us rise to the
height of our capability, and let our opponents have it in the Values -- right
where it hurts!

Charging Crystals
Ian Kesser
Crystals, as many of you know, are extremely useful for practitioners of the
Magickal arts. They can be used to channel power, to store power, to heal, and many
other ways. Due to space considerations, I have chosen to limit myself to the
charging aspect in this article.
The first and most important part of charging a crystal is choosing the crystal
itself. For most general uses, Quartz is the best one. For specific use, there are
many others. I have found that Diamonds are useful in storing Good energy, and
Zircons (my birthstone!!) for Evil energy. If you have a specific purpose in mind,
please consult one of the many fine tables of crystal affinities.
The next step, and also important, especially the first few times, is to prepare
yourself for the actual channeling of energy. In my case, music helps, as well as
pranayama and other forms of breath control. The first one I used is simple
.
Pranayama, simply, is control of breath. Most forms amount to hyperventilation or
subventilation. The one I used first, and still use, is this: take four quick
inhalations, filling the lungs. This should be over the space of about one and a
half seconds. Then exhale in four short bursts, again over one and a half seconds.
Repeat as necessary. The first few times this is done, I recommend you desist after
about one minute. Over the course of time, this can and should be increased, but
until you are used to the effect this gives, a shorter time is suggested.
Now that you're in the mood, take the crystal in your right-hand (left hand for
those of you who are lefties). Visualize a door within the heart of the crystal.
Until this visualization is firm and steady, wait. Then open the door. Behind it you
should see a store of diffuse energy, which varies with the type of the crystal.
Some crystals, usually the inferior ones, have little or nothing back here. These
are generally not good to use.
Close the door, but keep it in mind. That was just to check on its energy. Decide
which energy you wish it to house. Usually only one will be needed, such as for
talismans and storage of energy for later use, but in some cases, such as a
divination tool, more is suggested/required. DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT!
YOU WILL FAIL! The energy you will be handling is powerful, and trying to handle
more than one world at a time is strenuous. Trying to handle all three, plus
personal and other energies, is straining to the limit. As with all other bodily
systems, an ability used beyond its capacity will overload and break or refuse to
perform, as with a man trying to lift 300lb barbells on his first try at weight
lifting.
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For general use, I find nature's energy is best for multipurpose storage. Those in
the Church of Set would probably find differently, as would those in the Church of
Christ. Use what you feel comfortable with.

Now, the fun part. For the three major energies, I find there are certain ways of
drawing them tat are easiest on the practitioner. For Good energy, try it like this:
Form a cone with the base connecting to your skull in the region just between and
above your eyebrows. "suck" the energy (visualize it as you will, I use a light,
golden yellow) into the cone, then through a tube into your brain. The visualization
on this is a bit tricky, but it can be done.
For Nature's energy, visualize a "hose" going down into the Earth from the base of
your spine. This hose should ideally connect with the center of the Earth, but some
people simply cannot conceive the distance involved with that, and can therefore not
visualize it. Go as deep as you can, with time, you should improve. I "see" this
energy as a ruddy, glowing red, as with magma. Use what works. Draw this energy up
the tube, then through your spinal column into the brain.

Now, the Evil energy. This is tricky for me, but here's how I do it. Place the
feet together (if they already are, so much the better! It means this isn't
uncomfortable for you, as it is for me.) and visualize a siphon, with the hose
connecting to a cone connecting to your feet, about two inches in diameter, one inch
on either foot. Then, on the other end, a hose entering a black, inky void(or
whatever color you perceive evil energy to be). One last connection: another hose
running from that area of your feet to the previously mentioned area in the skull.
This aligns nicely with the Chakra theory, to which I subscribe, in that a Chakral
spinal-type column connects all the major power centers of ones body. If you know
this system, so much the better! Draw the energy through the siphon(sometimes
visualizing the bulb on the siphon squeezing helps) into the feet, then into the
skull, then into the brain.
Other objects you wish to draw energy from, use the door analogy/visualization
given above( for powerful things such as the Tarot, I see it as a gate more than a
door. Again, whatever works for you), and draw from your use hand. If you plan on
using that object again, take only a token amount of energy, and DON'T FORGET TO
CLOSE THE DOOR!
Personal energy: This varies so much with the individual! Some people draw from
their auras, some from the Chakras, some from the Astral Body. Just use the method
you feel most comfortable with. For those of you who have no preference, or no
knowledge of such things, I use the Astral approach. I draw a bit of the substance
of the Astral body, generally the feet, into the brain. After I finish all else, I
"spread out" the Astral body to make up for this loss. Astral bodies DO heal.
Well, that's most of it. Draw the energy you need, then draw from the crystal.
Take it in your use hand again, open that door, and take out the energy, and bring
it to the brain. Generally, I use the hose again, connecting to that spot in the
skull, but this one generally runs INSIDE y body, such as along the arm bones, then
up the neck bone. Mix the energy up. If it helps, visualize a cosmic Cuisinart or
whatever. If it won't mix, like oil and water, you have failed. This crystal will
not hold this energy. Give up, put back the crystals power, ground
yourself(later...), and try again later with another energy.

Once you've achieved the mix, refill the crystal. Sometimes, the energy won't go
back in. This usually means you've put too much of the energy you're using in, and
not enough of the crystal's own energy. Bring it back to the brain, and remix. How
do you refill the crystal, you ask? Switch hands on the crystal, then visualize that
handy hose again, but this time flow backwards, through the door. There will come a
point, especially early on in your practice, that the crystal is full when you have
energy left over. Slam that door and ground yourself(later...), don't overfill it!
Doors have their bursting point, and that's a wonderful way to destroy a good
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crystal.
OK, it's later. You've finished the job at hand (Applause, you've earned it!) but
have all this energy left! There are many ways of grounding energy, use the one you
are comfortable with(I know I keep saying that, but it bears repeating. Don't do
anything against your Will). The one I use is simply grounding it. Take that
handy-dandy all-purpose hose again, connect it to the base of the spine, and thence
into the Earth. Flip the switch to reverse, and push that energy out! Be careful not
to let out yourself as well!
That's it. I hope you find this helpful to you.

Tarot Divination
Tuppence
Not long ago an on-line friend told me that he saw no reason to use the Tarot in
divination; in fact, he felt that no one should use them for divination as this was
a profane use of the cards. He preferred to use the cards solely for contemplation.
At the time I did not feel inclined to respond to this narrow view, but after a
night of thinking about it, I was prompted to write the following in defense of
Tarot Divination (and I don't mean fortune telling!)
Divination:
1) The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover
hidden knowledge usually by means of augury (divination from omens) or by the aid of
supernatural powers
2) Unusual insight or intuitive perception (these definitions from Webster's)
According to the Brotherhood of Light there are four main uses for the Tarot:
1) Science of Vibration
2) Divination by cards
3) Divination by number
4) Spiritual Science (the method of putting the rest together to develop a
philosophy)
Is it wrong to USE the cards?
1) Playing cards is fun! Without such use perhaps Tarot would long ago have died as
other games have faded from use. Chess may be considered to be a child's game or a
highly developed intellectual discipline. The same is true of using the Tarot
card's.
2) Have you ever played Taroc? It is a very interesting game like bridge using the
Major Arcana as Trumps...in profane decks the court cards and majors may have two
heads (to be read either up or down.) Some versions of the game have certain
mystical aspects.
3) In studying the history of the Tarot you will see that the decks (except those
belonging to aristocrats who had hand-painted decks made for them by great artists)
used long ago were very primitive and made from wood cuts. We have come far from
those crude representations...but the ideas expressed in the Tarot remain the same -
they are still there in those early decks.
4) Where did the Tarot come from? We have only theory and conjecture:
a) Ancient Egyptians
b) They always have existed but have been revived from time to time
c) Gift of Divine Origin
d) etc.
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It's validity and usefulness are what count

a) it works when used


b) it contains Universal symbology and archetypes found elsewhere
c) it is numerically correct and corresponds with ancient systems of wisdom
(especially to the Qabala)

10 = sephiroth (ace through 10 in the Minor Arcana)


22 = paths (22 Major Arcana cards)
4 = elements (four suits)
(etc.)

The Tarot is MUCH MORE than mere pictures on pasteboard. The pictures on the
Tarot cards are physical symbols for spiritual concepts. One definition I use for
the Tarot is as follows:

A symbolic representation of Archetypal Forces and/or Beings which have always


existed and have been identified and passed on to us by ancient initiates and which
provide a focus for us to use in self-initiation, spiritual development, and the
perception of hidden wisdom.

A few notes regarding the above........

1) Jung says of Archetypes that they exist for us at birth...they emanate from the
collective unconscious....they are NOT self-created or generated.
2) Aleister Crowley says in his book the Book of Thoth:
"Each card is, in a sense, a living being." "It is for the student to build these
living stones into his living Temple."

"...the cards of the Tarot are living individuals..."


"How is he to blend their life with his? The ideal way is that of contemplation.
But this involves initiation of such high degree that it is impossible to describe
the method in this place. Nor is it attractive or suitable to most people. The
practical everyday commonplace way is divination."

3) In Magick without Tears he says:

"...the Tarot itself as a whole is an universal Pantacle...Each card, especially


this is true of the Trumps, is a Talisman; ...It is evidently an Idea far too vast
for any human mind to comprehend in its entirety. For it is 'the Wisdom whereby He
(God) created the worlds.' "

As regards these Lively Forces:

1. These Forces can communicate with us...or rather we can interpret their currents
through our subconscious intuitive minds....this is one use of divination (and
contemplation). This is the level, as Jung says, at which we are all connected.
2. These Forces can be directed by us Magickally if we are so trained. First we
must master divination; then direction.

3. The Tarot is a Magickal Weapon In the hands of a trained initiate the mere
placement of one card between two others can alter the forces involved and affect
physical (and ethereal) reality.

4. The Tarot is a philosophy as well, with an Ancient Message about the Soul's
journey.
5. Yes, the Tarot is useful to study and contemplate....the colors and symbols are
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specifically designed and arranged to stimulate things within us (forces,
archetypes, subconscious).
6. The Major Arcana are especially sacred to us because they represent the Paths,
Steps, Forces which are necessary for us to rejoin the Godhead and attain
enlightenment.
I maintain that the best way to understand that the Tarot cards are ALIVE and
ACTIVE FORCES is to USE/HANDLE/EXPERIENCE them and so Divine (and perceive) what
they are all about. The cards are a focus for our minds upon forces which are
ever-changing and evolving (even as humankind is evolving).
We are fortunate that modern printing is so good and that the Tarot decks and
books which we have today are easily available to us. This was not always the case
for our brothers and sisters in times past. Today one can afford to smile and say:
"I only need to contemplate the cards to understand them." But there is more to the
use of the cards in Divination than many have been taught; for it is a mysterious
process.
Just as one must study and practice upon a musical instrument to become a
virtuoso, so too the Tarot takes many years of study and practice to use correctly.
One must be well developed spiritually, emotionally, and intuitively, or (as in
music) naturally gifted to make full and accurate use of the cards in divination. In
the hands of a gifted Diviner or Initiate the Tarot is a formidable weapon. It can
even talk and spell out sentences! Hence the Hebrew letters correspondence to the
Major Arcana. However, since we do not all learn in the same ways....the Tarot may
not be the DIVINATORY METHOD for everyone...although everyone can learn from it and
should study it.
Other methods which may suit:
a) Astrology
b) Numerology
c) I Ching
d) Pendulum
e) Runes
f) etc.
As humankind evolves spiritually (and in other ways) so too the Tarot evolves.
Take for example the reconstruction of The Chariot (Arcanum VII) and The Devil
(Arcanum XV) cards by Levi. He gave them a new presentation based upon his advanced
knowledge at the time. Also, note how The Lovers (Arcanum VI) has changed from
earlier decks. It still has the same basic meaning, but the symbols have changed. No
longer are there two women...one good one bad...with the man in between...now it is
two people with an Angel above them. New Tarot decks continue to be made as our
knowledge and understanding evolves.
A note on The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley's Tarot deck, is as seen by him
from the Astral Plane. This is why it is so different from many decks; why it is so
striking; and, why the energy felt has such strong effects upon many people.
Some cards come and go....there are more cards on the astral plane than we have
on the physical....between the cards, above and below the cards are others...as with
the Quaballa.
When working with the Tarot if one is in a Magickal State (Asana, etc.) and
reads the cards it is a Magickal or Divine (hence the term divination) operation. I
take the forces into myself when using the cards thus they affect me and I them.
Because of this knowledge, I respect the Tarot as a Living Thing/Force and I do
not bother it with profane questions. I treat it as a Magickal Weapon and thus with
care and respect. Fortune telling, while not wrong, is the profane use of the cards.

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Contemplation of the cards is useful; without Divination, however, one could not
experience the forces within them in the same way. Also, there are hidden uses for
the Tarot. The Tarot is indeed a Teacher. It is also a door, a gateway, an entryway
into other realms which is partly how it was used in Egyptian Initiation Rites. We
may use it in some of the ways listed below:

1) Scrying/meditation
2) Ritual (invocation and evocation)
3) Works/spells
4) Talisman use/focus
5) Divination

Some of the goals of initiates (after perfecting divination and the Tarot's
philosophy) are 1) to read with a blank deck and to use a spread with no set
meanings, and 2) to develop one's own Astral Deck.

Magick (in Theory and Practice), Crowley's famous book, calls Divination an
important branch of Magick, and defines it thusly:

1. "We postulate the existence of intelligence's, either within or without the


diviner, of which he is not immediately conscious. (It does not matter to the theory
whether the communicating spirit so-called is an objective entity or a concealed
portion of the diviner's mind.) We assume that such intelligence's are able to reply
correctly - within limits- to the questions asked."

2. "We postulate that it is possible to construct a compendium of hieroglyphs


sufficiently elastic in meaning to include every possible idea, and that one or more
of these may always be taken to represent any idea. We assume that any of these
hieroglyphs will be understood by the intelligence's with whom we wish to
communicate in the same sense as it is by ourselves. We have therefore a sort of
language...."
3. "We postulate that the intelligence's whom we wish to consult are willing, or
may be compelled, to answer us truthfully."
He goes on to discuss divination as shown in some of the quotes below:
"In a system of divination each symbol stands for a definite idea."
"As regards the Holy Quaballa, based as it is on pure number, (it) evidently
possesses an infinite number of symbols. Its scope is conterminous with existence
itself; and it lacks nothing in precision, purity, or indeed any other perfection.
But it cannot be taught, each man must select for himself the materials for the main
structure of his system."

"It is always essential for the diviner to obtain absolute magical control over
the intelligence's of the system which he adopts."

"Experience is the only teacher. One acquires what one may almost call a new
sense. One feels in one's self whether one is right or not. The diviner must develop
this sense."

"In order to divine without error, one ought to be a Master of the Temple. The
faintest breath of personal preference will deflect the needle from the pole of
truth in the answer."

"One must prepare oneself by general purification and consecration devised with
the object of detaching oneself from one's personality and increasing the
sensitiveness of one's faculties."

"The muscles with which he manipulates the apparatus of divination must be


entirely independent of any volition of his. He must lend them for the moment to the
intelligence whom he is consulting."
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(note: one of the first steps in divination is the invoking of the Angel HRU)
"He must have succeeded in destroying the tendency of the ego to interfere with
the object of thought. He must be able to conceive of a thing out of all relation
with anything else."
"He should allow the question entire freedom to make for itself its own proper
links with the intelligence directing the answer."
"He must sink his personality in that of the intelligence hearing the question
propounded by a stranger to whom he is indifferent, but whom it is his business to
serve faithfully."
"He should exhaust the intellectual sources of information at his disposal, and
form from them his judgment. But having done this, he should detach his mind from
what it has just formulated, and proceed to concentrate it on the figure as a whole,
almost as if it were the object of his meditation."
"The concluding operation is therefore to obtain a judgment of the figure,
independent of all intellectual or moral restraint. One must endeavor to apprehend
it as a thing absolute in itself."

"Divination is in one sense an art entirely separate from that of Magick; yet it
interpenetrates Magick at every point. The fundamental laws of both are identical.
The right use of divination has already been explained: but it must be added that
proficiency therein, tremendous as is its importance in furnishing the Magician with
the information necessary to his strategic and tactical plans, in no wise enables
him to accomplish the impossible. It is not within the scope of divination to
predict the future with the certainty of an astronomer in calculating the return of
a comet. There is always much virtue in divination."

"One must not assume that the oracle is omniscient."

"The Magician ought therefore to make himself master of several methods of


divination; using one or the other as the purpose of the moment dictates. He should
make a point of organizing a staff of such spirits to suit various occasions. These
should be 'familiar' spirits, in the strict sense; members of his family."

"Divination of any kind is improper in matters directly concerning the Great Work
itself. In the Knowledge and Conversation of his Holy Guardian Angel, the adept is
possessed of all he can possibly need. To consult any other is to insult one's
Angel."

"Although the adept is in daily communication with his Angel, he ought to be


careful to consult Him only on questions proper to the dignity of the relation. One
should not consult one's Angel on too many details, or indeed on any matters which
come within the office of one's familiar spirits. One does not go to the King about
petty personal trifles. The romance and rapture of the ineffable union which
constitutes Adeptship must not be profaned by the introduction of commonplace
cares."

Thus we may use Divination for those worthy questions which we need answered but
cannot find out in any other way...either through our own research or by the
contacting of one's Holy Guardian Angel. If we can attain the necessary magickal
states discussed above and if we complete the necessary study and work which he
suggests, we can become masters of Tarot Divination.

The Dangers Of Magical Thinking In Magick


Nihasa
.
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Magical thinking is a psychological term for making a naive assumption of cause
and effect without consideration of intervening mechanisms. In plain English, it is
the assumption that if I do THIS, then THAT will happen even though I have no idea
how or why. Prominent examples of magical thinking can be found in Economics (if we
cut taxes on the Corporations, they will invest more money in upgrading their
production facilities and create more jobs) and Politics. It is typical of the
world-view of very young children, who have a somewhat simplistic model of
How-Things-Work.
.
To many outsiders, most Magick seems to be built on this basis...some guy mutters
some weird words and waves his hands and expects to get a lot of money soon (sounds
like a Management Consultant, come to think of it), or to make it rain, or to be rid
of an enemy. Then they shake their heads, call the Magick-users children or worse,
and go on with their lives.
.
Within real Magick-use, this sort of sloppy thinking can lead to anything from
disappointing 'fizzles' to disastrous misfires of spells. Our cultural heritage's
are filled with "monkey's paw" type stories of the results of ill-thought-out Magick
use. While dilettante New Agers are more likely to blindly 'cookbook' a spell or
ritual, some of us have been known to skip a few steps in the process as well.
.
Just think of the consequences of invoking Diana or Aphrodite in a ritual designed
to "keep those foolish women in their place." (Anyone remember "Good-bye, Charlie"?)
.
While I am not saying that you need to understand the physics/chemistry/etc. of
each step down to the subatomic level, I am suggesting that you think through each
step and each mechanism (and likely consequences) of any major working BEFORE you
perform it. A black-box understanding (detailed knowledge of the inputs and outputs
of a mechanism and the relationship between them without an understanding of the
internal details of the mechanism) is usually enough for mot purposes. For instance,
if invoking or evoking a deity, make sure you know the strengths, weaknesses,
character, and personality of that deity. If using herbs (ingested or in balms or
incense) be sure you know the pharmacological and combinational effects of each.
Most of all, when going for a long-term effect think of the ecology of that effect:
where it can come from and what it may causelater. You can't always anticipate all
side effects, and you certainly can't always avoid them, but with a bit of work you
can give yourself a shot at handling them.
.
Do a reality check before you start a working. If you just pay attention to the
beginning (the ritual or working) and the end (the desired effect) and leave the
rest to wishful thinking, you are asking for trouble.
.
NOTE: The above is an excerpt of a 1988 seminar on Magick and Psychology: Insights
and Interactions.
.

Satanism As Media Hype


News article:
From the Phoenix Gazette 24 June, 1989
SCAPEGOAT: Satanism scare is mostly hype, expert on cults says.... by Michelle
Bearden

Judging by Satan's popularity in news accounts and police reports these days,
you'd think Satan had been elected to Congress or won the Pulitzer Prize. But it's
not true, says J. Gordon Melton, director of the Institute for the Study of American
Religion in Santa Barbara, Calif. and one of the country's leading experts on cults.
In fact, there is no surge at all in Satan's popularity. "The only surge we're
seeing is the spread if mis-information," Melton says. "Malicious, suspicious, and
ritualistic acts are being attributed to satanism, and people are buying into it."

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Melton has launched a one-man crusade to get what he considers the truth out to
the public. Using an extensive survey he completed in 1986 as his guide - "The
Evidences of Satan in Contemporary America" - Melton makes his case frequently
before groups and in interviews. Most misinformation regarding satanism comes out of
police agencies, Melton maintains. That's because, in the absence of true satanic
groups, law officials have to blame "something concrete," he says.
"What we've got is creation of imagination, paranoia, and general ignorance,"
Melton says. "We've got wild speculation and jumps in logic. What we don't have is
the truth. One story perpetuates another, and, before long, 'experts' in police
departments are conducting seminars on a topic they don't really understand."
At the Phoenix Police Department, police spokesman Andy Hill says the agency
analyzes every incident that has satanic overtones. He blames a majority of these
crimes on "kids caught up in experimentation." "It's safe to say that most of it
isn't hard-core. We're usually dealing with copycat crimes," he says. " I wouldn't
consider satanism a big problem here in Phoenix. We know it exists, but it's more
underground than anything else."
According to Melton, only three established satanic cults exist: The Church of
Satan, a San Francisco based group headed by founder Anton LaVey; a splinter group,
the Temple of Set, also in San Francisco and headed by Michael Aquino; and the
Church of Satanic Liberation in New Haven, Conn., led by Paul Douglas Valentine.
Total membership in all three groups is "probably less than 3,000," Melton says.
Those followers are the true satanists, and their numbers haven't varied much in the
last two decades, he says.
Many of the acts blamed on satanism are committed by teenagers who are bound
together b drugs and violence rather than demons. While they may use satanic imagery
in their deeds, Melton says they are "play- acting" the role of worshipping the
Prince of Darkness. "It's true we're hearing a lot of satanic references in today's
music, but that's pure commercialism," he says. "Just because your teenager gets
wrapped up in certain rock'n'roll doesn't mean he's into the occult."
Some of the conclusions that support Melton's studies to combat the theory of
international satanic conspiracy include:
* The existence of a large number of nonconventional religions, such as cults, that
have nothing to do with occultism, much less satanism.
* The growth of witchcraft as a new religion and how it is confused with satanism.
Melton labels contemporary Wicca as a nature religion that places great emphasis
upon the preservation of life and non- violence.
* Reports of cattle mutilations, which ignore the facts that most are mistaken
observations of predator damage.
* The discovery of common symbols, such as an inverted cross, pentagrams, and bloody
altars, which lead investigators to conclude that satanic activity has taken place.
However, no evidence of any conspiracy involving the kidnapping and transportation
of children for ritual purposes has emerged.
* Fantasies of people who make "confessions" of their involvement on satanic
cults.Typically, they cannot supply independent corroboration of the stories.
Moreover, a good portion of the mis-information on satanism - which Melton says is
really a "parody of religion" - comes out of evangelical Christian publishing
houses. With that bias, "it;s easy to see how misinformation breeds," he says.
Melton contends that open satanic groups pose no public threat. If there is cause
for concern, it would be the small, ephemeral satanic groups, mostly consisting of
young adults or teenagers and possibly led by psychopaths or sociopaths. "These are
the groups that cause immediate danger to themselves and society at large. That's
where police should be concentrating their efforts," he says. "In the meantime,
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we've got to get out of this satanic mentality and get our labels straight."

Why I Don't Believe The "Survivors" Of Occult Groups


by Rowan Moonstone
Recently on this echo, several people have taken Pagans to task for naysaying the
Christian sources dealing with former practitioners of various occult disciplines. I
have researched this area thoroughly for the past five years. I've bought or read
all the Christian books on the subject that I can get my hands on. I have over 1,000
clippings in the files dealing with this subject, I've got over 100 audio tapes and
20 videotapes on this subject, and I've got reams of Christian literature, and
police training material to draw from. In addition to this, I grew up as a Southern
Baptist and was a Sunday School teacher at the age of 16. I know whereof I speak
when it comes to Christian sources.
I've also been a Witch for nigh on to 8 years now, and have networked with other
Pagans all across the country, attended festivals in various states, and subscribed
to many Pagan publications both in this country and abroad. I've read many books on
modern and ancient Pagan religions, and can furnish a complete bibliography for
anyone that's interested.
After a concentrated search through this material, I must conclude that most of
the allegations of the "survivors" are fabricated and insupportable. In the rest of
this report, I will give documented reasons why I believe this to be true.
6-17-82 -Province Victoria Bulletin - "A misunderstanding appeared to be the root
of a satanic scare in Victoria this weekend, police sources said Wednesday. Police,
hospitals and human resources ministry workers had gone on the alert following a
report that a satanic group was planning Tuesday to sacrifice a human baby. The
report came through the child abuse prevention HELP line in Vancouver. Victoria
police said they had traced the source of the report to a church group in Vancouver.
The group apparently had heard rumors of a rise in satanic activities in Victoria
and had prayed that no atrocities would occur. Somehow someone interpreted that to
mean that a sacrifice was actually planned, police said. That was the report that
got to the HELP line. However, Tuesday passed peacefully with no evidence of any
satanic activity. "

5-4-86 - New York Times-" Derry Knight told an astonishing story about his
membership in a secret Satanic cult called the Sons of Lucifer and his heroic
efforts to take over the leadership of the cult to free himself and 2,000 members
from the coils of the devil. As he told it, it was an incredibly dangerous mortal
struggle he was waging against the most evil forces in the universe, personified by
some prominent politicians, including Viscount Whitelaw, the deputy Prime Minister,
who were, he said, the secret masters of Britain's Satanic orders ... In little more
than a year, before Mr. Knight's activities aroused the suspicions of Bishop Eric
Kemp of Chichester, who called in the police fraud squad, the support group
contributed at least $313,000 to the anti-Satanism struggle. A jury that convicted
Mr. Knight April 25 of 19 counts of fraud heard that much of the money raised by Mr.
Baker had been spent by his supposedly struggling friend on call girls, fast cars,
and a life of dissipation."

January 1988 New York Folklore "Satanism, Where are the folklorists? by Phillips
Stevens, Jr. p 12 ( Mr. Stevens is referring to a murder of a 13-year =old girl in
this incident) "While preparing me for the taping of some commentary to be aired
locally following the National Geraldo Rivera TV special on Satanic cults on October
25, 1988, an investigative reporter for a Buffalo TV station was discussing That
incident [the murder]. There were 13 people at that party, he said, the murdered
girl being the 13th. Since the murder, six of the party goers had committed
suicide.....I noted that it was strange that six suicides with such a factor in
common had not been reported in the news; how did he know the details? The mother of
the most recent suicide had told him. ...I advised him to wait and check out the
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facts before airing this story; he called me a few days later saying no, the other
suicides could not be confirmed."
1-19-89 Joplin Missouri Globe News (front page) - "Jasper County Sheriff Bill
Pierce said he had no figures available on how much time and money that department
has spent investigating claims. He cited a November case as an example of the
fruitless searches that have been undertaken because of claims eventually fount to
be false. ...a Blytheville, Ark. woman told authorities there she had watched
satanic cultists cut the stomach of an infant, pour gasoline on the baby, and set it
on fire....After agreeing to take a polygraph examination, the woman admitted the
story was false. She told deputies she made the false accusations to get attention."
3=6=89 - Houston Chronicle - "A Houston -area woman who claims to be a former
satanic priestess and has told audiences she witnessed the ritualistic murder of an
8-year-old Tomball girl has left law enforcement officers frustrated in their
attempts to investigate her allegations. 'We have no homicide to link it to. Why she
would make those claims and then be hesitant to talk with authorities is reason to
question her motives,' Harris County Assistant D.A. Casey O'Brien said"
The previous three messages should tell you why I don't believe in the hysteria
being generated. If anyone wants to see the entire articles that these quotes were
taken from, send a SASE with 3 stamps to P. O. Box 1842, Colorado Springs, Co 80901.
BB Rowan

"22 Commandments" For The New Age


Ann Waldrum

1. You shall learn of Honesty and attempt to heal your fear of it, to use this in
daily living.
2. You shall learn to Love Unconditionally--beginning with yourself.
3. You shall help all people in your worlds come to physical healing.
4. You shall dwell on things of high and pure energy in others and self to change
Earth.
5. You will learn and practice Pure Service -- unconditional and with love energy.
6. You will release Judgment into the Void--You will see, identify and choose for
yourself Only.
7. You will Recognize One God --the God that corresponds to your vision.
8. You will destroy no one in any way -- through gossip -- through killing their
gifts -- discouraging self love by injuring the physical body by foreign substance
-- incorrect foods -- incorrect labor.
9. You will use your mind in the way the Source prepared -- by faithfulness of
prayer -- by study and spiritual growth.
10. You will learn self discipline so that you respond to the Earth with wisdom.
11. You will take full responsibility for your own life -- blaming no other.
12. You will seek to learn about your God -- seeing the Connection clearly.
13. You will be known for your Gentleness, your Loyalty, your Kindness, according to
your beliefs.
14. You will grow in Peace by change of attitude and understanding of others.
15. You will learn to respond and act from the Highest Center of Inner God -- the
Love Response.
16. You will learn to Love All Mankind by seeing the Highest in all people without
exception.
17. You will promote the healing of Mind, Body, and Spirit by teaching and living
the belief in Man's Divinity.
18. You will show faithfulness in your study of yourself and your persona (masks) in
order to Free All Parts of Self.
19. You will Live your life as ordained by your faithfulness to the Truth, as you
understand the Truth.
20. You will Speak in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
21. You will Think in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
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22. You will live in Moderation (Balance) in All Areas of your life.

The foregoing was delivered on July 20, 1989, through the trance-mediumship of
Carla Neff Gordan by the Spirit Guide "Mary." Mary stated that these ideas will also
be released through other mediums in six different areas of the world. In preface to
these "Commandments" Mary said the following:
"You are a loving, connected community of like-minded souls assisting through our
inner connection. You are becoming a profound source of awakening for your world.
These rules are to open your hearts, to teach you self-love, to calm your emotion to
help you to live in reality that you have wished. To grow, first you must become a
source of service. There must be a difference in earth because you have walked here.
Now is the time of shifting your energy into a higher place through unconditional
love. A part of your purpose is to heal the earth through holy, or wholeness,
relationships. You will begin now."

Risk Assessment Within The Craft Community


By Weyland Smith

There seems to be two schools of thought within the "Craft Community" concerning
the dangers faced by Pagans in general and witches in particular. One school thinks
that we are now in the Age of Aquarius and that all danger has passed. The other
camp seems to feel that we are beset with dangers and that our only safety lies in
remaining "the hidden children of the Goddess", telling no one of our religious
faith (including our fellow practitioners), and being ready to fly or fight on a
moment's notice. Who's right? Do we know? Have we even tried to find out?
On the one hand, we live in a country with a Bill of Rights. Times have certainly
changed since witchcraft was a hanging offence in Massachusetts. People have been
known to proclaim their faith and live unmolested. On the other hand, there are
about 3 million people in the United States who profess themselves to believe that
the Bible is the literal word of God. If Leviticus says "Thou shalt not suffer a
witch to live.", then there should be 3 million people out there ready to drag me
out of my house and kill me.
Fortunately, the answer does not lie with either extreme and therefore our
reaction should likewise avoid either extreme position. We live in a world beset by
dangers. We could be in a traffic accident. We could have our house burglarized. Our
child could be abducted on the way home from school. We could be struck by
lightening. Do we stay home, guard the house and family and avoid living? Of course
not!
What we DO is to act in such a way as to recognize the risks we run and to
minimize them. We try to live in reasonably safe neighborhoods. We keep good locks
on our doors. We drive defensively and wear seat belts. We teach our children to run
from threatening situations. This isn't paranoia, just good sense.
Is there any danger that we as witches and pagans might be subjected to another
violent suppression? Any Jew with an eye to recent history would tell you that of
course there is! Is that danger great here in this country? Not at present, but we
do live in a world subject to rapid changes. Within my lifetime, people of Japanese
extraction in this country were summarily rounded up and shipped off to remote
camps. This action was contested all the way up to the Supreme Court to no avail.

So what should we do?


Well for a start, recognize that there is SOME residual risk whenever anyone
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takes an ethical position. We must understand that this risk is present whether we
think it should be so or not. Further, we must each decide what level of hazard we
are personally willing to run and to which we would subject our families. Finally,
we should avoid doing anything which might subject ourselves and those around us to
risks when such risks are avoidable. Especially, we should respect one another's
right to manage his own dangers. Just because I choose to take a risk doesn't give
me the right to endanger you!
Should we return to living our lives under perpetual cover? I hope not. But I do
respect the individual rights of my brothers and sisters of the Art to each make
that decision on their own. It is on this middle ground where I suggest we should
all try to live for the present.

Supreme Court And Peyote (Articles)


The following 13 messages, retrieved from PeaceNet, discuss the recent Supreme
Court ruling permitting states to prohibit sacramental use of peyote.
Supreme Court Continues Chipping Away At Citizen's 1st Amendment Rights, Part 1.
Excerpts from the following article detailing the April 17th ruling by the US
Supreme Court which decided that Native Americans could no longer use peyote in
their religious practices:
"For all practical purposes, a majority of the Supreme Court has eliminated the
Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment from our Bill of Rights," said American
Jewish Congress Executive Director Henry Siegman.
"The court's decision in the peyote case can have the most far- reaching
consequences for all religions, but primarily for religious minorities," continued
Siegman. "It is precisely such minorities the Bill of Rights sought to protect, for
it is they who are particularly vulnerable to the depredations of momentary and
localized majorities."
Dr. Robert L. Maddox, executive director of Americans United for Separation of
Church and State, said the "Smith" ruling is cause for concern...
"We are concerned," he continued, "that this ruling will have a negative effect
on minority religions. Mainstream faiths will probably have little difficulty
getting the exemptions they need; smaller groups with less political influence will
have a tougher time of it. That is unfortunate. Religious freedom should not be left
to the whim of state and federal lawmakers.
"No one wants anarchy in the name of religion," he added, "but do we really want
more and more government regulation of religion? What bothers us most is the
movement away from individual liberty and toward statism--whatever the government
wants, goes."
[2]
The following article appeared in the June 1990 issue of "Church and State", a
publication of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, 8120 Fenton St.,
Silver Spring, MD, 20910, and is reprinted here w/permission.

The Day 'Sherbert' Melted


by Rob Boston

Discarding A 27-Year-Old Test For Religious Liberty Cases, The Supreme Court
Says Government May Restrict Religiously Motivated Conduct

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Alfred Smith considers himself apolitical; he's not even registered to vote. But,
in light of what the Supreme Court did April 17, the 70- year-old Oregonian is ready
to jump into politics in a big way.
The high court ruled 6-3 that day that Native Americans do not have a
constitutional right to use the drug peyote during their religious ceremonies.
Smith, one of the plaintiffs who helped bring the case before the nation's highest
court, is angry enough to take his fight to the polls.
"I'm encouraging all people to register and vote this year," Smith said. "This is
the time for it. I have never voted before because I don't care to condone the
system, but I have made a stand here with this case."
The political route Smith proposes may be one many members of minority religions
are forced to take in the future, thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in the
"Employment Division v. Smith" case. The justices' ruling marks an abrupt shift in
free exercise jurisprudence, granting government broad new powers over religious
practices.
What makes the "Smith" decision so significant is that in reaching it five
justices voted to abandon the court's doctrine of "compelling state interest," a
move with far-reaching implications for religious liberty.
In a nutshell, the 27-year-old doctrine says that the government can restrict
religious freedom only when it proves there is a compelling interest to do so and
that there is no less intrusive alternative available to achieve the state's goals.
The judicial rule grew out of the 1963 "Sherbert v. Verner" decision and is usually
called the "Sherbert" Test.
In the recent peyote case the court rejected the "Sherbert" standard in favor of
a much narrower test, holding that government may offer religiously based exemptions
from generally applicable laws if it chooses, but it is under no constitutional
obligation to do so.
Wrote Justice Antonin Scalia for the majority, "We have never held that an
individual's religious beliefs excuse him from compliance with an otherwise valid
law prohibiting conduct that the State is free to regulate."
Scalia went on to say that applying the doctrine of compelling state interest in
the peyote dispute and similar cases would create "a private right to ignore
generally applicable laws [which would be] a constitutional anomaly." Rigorous
application of the "Sherbert" approach, he said, would be "courting anarchy."

Later in the opinion, Scalia admitted that the ruling will force minority
religious groups to seek relief from oppressive laws by lobbying elected officials,
and some may fail in their efforts. But he excused this as unavoidable. "It may
fairly be said," observed Scalia, "that leaving accommodation to the political
process will place at a relative disadvantage those religious practices that are not
widely engaged in; but that unavoidable consequence of democratic government must be
preferred to a system in which each conscience is a law unto itself or in which
judges weigh the social importance of all laws against the centrality of all
religious beliefs."

The court majority acknowledged that judicial exemptions from neutral laws have
sometimes been granted for religious reasons. But, Scalia argued, such exemptions
have generally been granted in conjunction with another constitutional right--such
as free speech. He called these examples "hybrids" and implied they are special
cases. Other than that, said Scalia, the only legal disputes where the "Sherbert"
analysis has been applied consistently and usefully are unemployment compensation
rulings, such as the line of decisions approving jobless benefits for workers who
are fired for refusing to work on their sabbath.
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Ironically the "Smith" case involved just such an unemployment controversy. It
started in 1984 when Smith, a Klamath Indian, and another man, Galen W. Black, a
non-Indian, were fired from their jobs as drug counselors after the agency they
worked for learned the pair had used the drug peyote during ceremonies in the Native
American Church.
The Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment (ADAPT) had a policy
stating that all employees must be drug free. Smith and Black thought an exemption
would be made for their religious use of peyote, a mild hallucinogen derived from
some cactus plants, but ADAPT officials saw things differently: Both men were
dismissed.
When Smith and Black subsequently applied for unemployment benefits, they were
turned down. Officials with the state Employment Dvision said the two had been fired
for misconduct and therefore did not qualify. The duo took the case to the courts.
Four years later the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that the ceremonial use of peyote
is permissible under state law and is even protected by the First Amendment. The
Supreme Court's recent action overturns that decision.

The "Smith" majority drew upon a somewhat unusual alignment of justices. Scalia,
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Anthony Kennedy and Byron R. White were
predictable allies. All four have argued for a narrower reading of the First
Amendment's religious liberty clauses.

Justice John Paul Stevens, however, provided the key fifth vote. Stevens, often
thought of as a member of the court's liberal wing, favors a strict separationist
reading of the Establishment Clause, but has argued in past cases for a less
expansive reading of the Free Exercise Clause.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor concurred in the "Smith" outcome, but wrote a
separate dissent that accused the majority of going too far. "Although I agree with
the result the Court reaches in this case, I cannot join its opinion," asserted
O'Connor. "In my view, today's holding dramatically departs from well-settled First
Amendment jurisprudence, appears unnecessary to resolve the question presented, and
is incompatible with our Nation's fundamental commitment to individual religious
liberty." The free exercise of religion, O'Connor added, is a "preferred
constitutional activity," entitled to "heightened judicial scrutiny." The "Sherbert"
Test, she continued, has worked well to "strike sensible balances between religious
liberty and competing state interests."
Justices Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan Jr. and Thurgood Marshall
indicated agreement with O'Connor's opinion, although they said they would have gone
further and upheld the Native American Church members' claim. The court's liberal
wing criticized the majority for "mischaracterizing this Court's precedents" and
engaging in a "wholesale overturning of settled law concerning the Religion Clauses
of our Constitution."
Wrote Blackmun, "One hopes that the Court is aware of the consequences, and that
its result is not a product of over-reaction to the serious problems the country's
drug crisis has generated."

The justice insisted that ritual peyote use by Native Americans could be
tolerated without jeopardizing the nation's campaign to curb drug abuse. He noted
that the federal government allowed the Roman Catholic Church to employ sacramental
wine at masses during Prohibition.
Said Blackmun, "I do not believe the Founders thought their dearly bought
freedom from religious persecution a 'luxury,' but an essential element of
liberty--and they could not have thought religious intolerance 'unavoidable,' for
they drafted the Religion Clauses precisely in order to avoid that intolerance."

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Even though the case dealt with the sensitive issue of drug use, several
religious organizations had sided with the Native American Church members, most
notably the American Jewish Congress, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in
support of Smith and Black.

"For all practical purposes, a majority of the Supreme Court has eliminated the
Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment from our Bill of Rights," said AJC
Executive Director Henry Siegman.

"The court's decision in the peyote case can have the most far- reaching
consequences for all religions, but primarily for religious minorities," continued
Siegman. "It is precisely such minorities the Bill of Rights sought to protect, for
it is they who are particularly vulnerable to the depredations of momentary and
localized majorities."

Three weeks after the decision the AJC and an extraordinarily diverse coalition
of religious and civil liberties groups filed a petition for rehearing before the
Supreme Court. The petition urged the justices to hear the case again so the
organizations will have the opportunity to address their free exercise concerns in
friend-of-the-court briefs.

Groups joining the AJC include: the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs,
the National Council of Churches, the National Association of Evangelicals, People
for the American Way, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the American Civil Liberties
Union, the Christian Legal Society, the American Jewish Committee, the
Unitarian-Universalist Association, the General Conference of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, the Worldwide Church of God and the Lutheran Church, Missouri
Synod. Americans United for Separation of Church and State also signed the petition.
Attorney Oliver S. Thomas of the Baptist Joint Committee said it is important
that religious and civil liberties groups have the opportunity to express their
views to the court. He said the court's abandonment of the "Sherbert" Test could
have a wide impact.

"Taxation of church assets, regulation of church schools and child- care centers,
zoning and other land-use questions are all areas of the law where we've relied upon
the compelling state interest test to provide churches with exemptions," Thomas told
the Baptist Press. "With a stroke of his pen, Justice Scalia has overturned 27 years
of legal precedent and made the 'first liberty' a constitutional stepchild."

The Rutherford Institute, a conservative legal aid group that frequently


litigates free exercises cases, was also dismayed by the ruling. Said Institute
President John W. Whitehead in a press statement, "Justice Scalia's opinion rejects
the notion that free exercise of religion is a preferred right. Rather, in most
situations it is valid only when coupled with another constitutional right.
"Armed with this opinion, a state may draft a law that violates religious
liberty, claim it is `religiously neutral' and those affected by it may have no
recourse under the Constitution."

Constitutional scholars were particularly amazed that the majority in the peyote
case relied heavily on "Minersville School District v. Gobitis," a 1940 Supreme
Court decision that said Jehovah's Witness children in public schools could be
forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance. "Gobitis" was overturned three years later
in the "Barnette" decision and has been roundly criticized ever since as one of the
court's biggest mistakes.
Observed Douglas Laycock, law professor at the University of Texas, "The court
repeatedly quotes "Gobitis" without noting that it was overruled in "Barnette," and
without noting that it triggered a nationwide outburst of violence against Jehovah'
s Witnesses. Until the opinion in this case, "Gobitis" was thoroughly discredited."
But not all court watchers were chagrined by the ruling. Jules B. Gerard, a
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constitutional law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told Religious
News Service there has been a lot of overreaction. Gerard said the decision
"overturns very little" and accused those who have protested it of "hysterical
talk."

Bruce Fein, a conservative constitutional scholar, went even further, applauding


the ruling in a column in "The Washington Times." Fein wrote, "It is both
counter-intuitive and contrary to American political experience to suppose the
"Smith" ruling portends an epitaph for religious tolerance and accommodation in
generally applicable legislative enactments. And when religion must yield to secular
law, the former continues to prosper."
Fein went on to say that religions can drop fundamental tenets and still survive,
pointing out that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints (the Mormons) in
1890 dumped its support for plural marriage after the Supreme Court refused to allow
the practice for religious reasons.
Conservative columnist George Will also was pleased with the "Smith" decision.
"A central purpose of America's political arrangements is the subordination of
religion to the political order, meaning the primacy of democracy," he observed.
"The Founders, like Locke before them, wished to tame and domesticate religious
passions of the sort that convulsed Europe....Hence, religion is to be perfectly
free as long as it is perfectly private--mere belief--but it must bend to the
political will (law) as regards conduct."
However, Dr. Robert L. Maddox, executive director of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State, said the "Smith" ruling is cause for concern.
"If a majority of the justices did not believe the Native American Church members
had a valid claim, they could have rejected them by relying on the doctrine of
compelling state interest," said Maddox. "But a majority chose to go much further,
effectively weakening the protection the court has extended to religious free
exercise.
"We are concerned," he continued, "that this ruling will have a negative effect
on minority religions. Mainstream faiths will probably have little difficulty
getting the exemptions they need; smaller groups with less political influence will
have a tougher time of it. That is unfortunate. Religious freedom should not be left
to the whim of state and federal lawmakers.

"No one wants anarchy in the name of religion," he added, "but d we really want
more and more government regulation of religion? What bothers us most is the
movement away from individual liberty and toward statism--whatever the government
wants, goes."

The decision has already had a practical consequence for one minority faith. Just
six days after the "Smith" ruling, the justices, by a 7-2 vote, ordered the
Minnesota Supreme Court to reconsider a recent decision it made exempting an Amish
group from complying with a highway safety law.

Members of the Old Order Amish had protested a state law requiring them to
display orange safety triangles on their horse-drawn buggies. The Amish said the
bright symbols violated their belief in a plain lifestyle. The Minnesota high court
agreed in 1989, but now may be forced to reverse the "State v. Hershberger" decision
in light of the "Smith" ruling.

In Eugene, Ore., meanwhile, Al Smith has no more faith in the courts. After
joining about 100 people in a protest of the decision that bears his name at a
Eugene federal building April 20, Smith told reporters he is backing proposed
legislation suggested by state representative Jim
Edmunson of Eugene that would allow Native Americans to use peyote in religious
rituals in Oregon. If that fails, Smith said, the Oregon Supreme Court could decide
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Native American peyote use is permissible under the state constitution.
Smith told "Church & State" he is also working with Native American groups in the
United States that are considering filing a protest before the International Court
of Justice (commonly called the World Court) in The Hague, Netherlands.

"The United States is saying the original people of this land can't worship,"
Smith told Church & State. "We were worshipping a long time before the white man
ever set foot on this turtle island.

"The issue is not dead, by no means," continued Smith. "I'm not giving up; I have
committed no crime. It's not a crime to pray in the old way."
KOYAANISQATSI ko.yan.nis.qatsi (from the Hopi Language) n. 1. crazy life. 2.life
in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that
calls for another way of living.
__________________
Excerpts from the following article analyzing the effects the US Supreme Court
ruling on the Native American Church's use of peyote as being illegal:
--------------------------------
Native American church members stripped of their rights under the Constitution
are now subject to the will of the legislative branch of our state and federal
governments. Not an enviable place for Indian people; as a distinct racial and
religious minority Indians have always had an uphill struggle in the halls of
Congress and elsewhere to have their rights recognized and respected.
The legislative branch of any government is an exceedingly unusual place for
individuals to look to have their rights under the First Amendment vindicated.
Courts are traditionally looked to as protectors of these rights, against
majoritarian legislatures. Justice O'Connor, in a separate concurring opinion which
joined the result of the majority but sharply criticized its method, reasoned that
"the First Amendment was enacted precisely to protect those whose religious
practices are not shared by the majority and may be viewed with hostility."
As a result of "Smith," minority religions, in Justice Scalia's opinion, may be
at a disadvantage in the political arena. But that is, in his estimation, "an
unavoidable consequence of democratic government," preferable to "a system in which
each conscience is a law unto itself." Justice Scalia had to strain to defend his
decision, citing the need to prevent "anarchy" in our democratic society. Indian
people simply want to be left alone in our society to worship the god of their
choice. Is that asking too much? The Court's decision in "Smith" strips Indians of
their pride and integrity, and makes many of them criminals in the eyes of the law.
Only history will judge the Court's decision in "Smith;" but for now the remote
specter of anarchy may very well have been the preferred choice.

------------------------
The following article appeared in the Spring 1990 issue of "Native American
Rights Fund Legal Review", a publication of the Native American Rights Fund,
1506 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302, and is reprinted here w/permission.
------------------------
Supreme Court Deals Devastating Blow to Native American Church
by Steve Moore

On Tuesday, April 17, 1990, the United States Supreme Court struck a gut
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wrenching blow to the religious lives of many of this country's Native Americans, in
a decision which invites the return to an era of religious persecution one would
hope a presumably enlightened and tolerant society such as ours had left behind. In
the case of "Oregon Department of Employment v. Alfred Smith," Justice Antonin
Scalia, writing for a five member majority, and describing the First Amendment's
Free Exercise Clause as little more than a "negative protection accorded to
religious belief," held that a member of a religious faith may not challenge under
the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution a
legislature's criminal enactment of otherwise general application which produces
infringement on a particular religious practice. In the "Smith" case this amounted
to a challenge to the constitutionality of an Oregon drug law which the Court
Interpreted as a general criminal prohibition on all uses of the drug peyote,
considered by Indian members of the Native American Church as an essential
sacrament, the physical embodiment of the Great Spirit.

The Native American Church, which claims over 250,000 members nationwide, and
additional Indian practitioners in Canada and Mexico, and which can be traced back
archaeologically several thousand years in North America, was not absolutely
destroyed or driven underground by the Court's action. The Court did not go so far
as to rule that any state or federal law exempting the religious, sacramental use of
peyote was an unconstitutional establishment of religion, at the other end of the
religion clauses of the First Amendment. In the Court's terms, a peyote exemption,
while constitutionally *permitted*, is neither constitutionally *required* or
*prohibited*. A kind of constitutional limbo-land for the Native American Church and
its members.
In real terms the decision leaves the fate of the peyote religion to the whim of
majoritarian legislatures and Congress. Eleven states currently have exemptions on
the statute books protecting the religion; another twelve tie their exemption to a
federal Drug Enforcement Agency regulation which rests on questionable foundation
since the decision. A small handful of states, notably California and Nebraska, in
which are located some of the largest Indian and Native American Church populations,
have based their protection on court decisions. The others, and the federal
government through Congress, have no statutory or common law protection. Indian
reservation lands will provide some safe haven from possible prosecution, given the
particular Public Law 280 configuration in any given state, but problems of
transportation of the sacrament into Indian country through "illegal" territory will
reduce peyote ceremonies to complex and dangerous liaisons.
Native American church members stripped of their rights under the Constitution
are now subject to the will of the legislative branch of our state and federal
governments. Not an enviable place for Indian people; as a distinct racial and
religious minority Indians have always had an uphill struggle in the halls of
Congress and elsewhere to have their rights recognized and respected.

The legislative branch of any government is an exceedingly unusual place for


individuals to look to have their rights under the First Amendment vindicated.
Courts are traditionally looked to as protectors of these rights, against
majoritarian legislatures. Justice O'Connor, in a separate concurring opinion which
joined the result of the majority but sharply criticized its method, reasoned that
"the First Amendment was enacted precisely to protect those whose religious
practices are not shared by the majority and may be viewed with hostility."
A noted scholar of Indian law and philosopher, Felix Cohen, was quoted several
decades ago as saying: "Like the miner's canary the Indian marks the shifts from
fresh air to poison gas in our political atmosphere; and our treatment of Indians,
even more than our treatment of other minorities, reflects the rise and fall in our
democratic faith " Cohen's words become even more prophetic after the Court's
decision in "Smith." The "Smith" decision may perhaps portend even greater
persecution for other forms of Indian religious expression. Examples which come to
mind include: the wearing of long hair by Indian students in public schools, and by
Indian prisoners in federal and state prisons; missing school on a regular basis for
cultural/religious ceremonial purposes; the taking of game by Indians out season,
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when not otherwise protected by treaty; burning wood to heat rocks for sweat- lodge
ceremonies, when burning is otherwise outlawed by local ordinance during times of
high pollution; and body piercing as part of the Sun Dance ceremony. If these forms
of religious expression are otherwise prohibited by general criminal laws, the First
Amendment no longer provides a basis from which to claim protection from religious
infringement. As with peyote use, reservation boundaries will provide a buffer from
the application of state law, except where Public Law 280 legitimizes intrusion.
As a result of "Smith," minority religions, in Justice Scalia's opinion, may be
at a disadvantage in the political arena. But that is, in his estimation, "an
unavoidable consequence of democratic government," preferable to "a system in which
each conscience is a law unto itself." Justice Scalia had to strain to defend his
decision, citing the need to prevent "anarchy" in our democratic society. Indian
people simply want to be left alone in our society to worship the god of their
choice. Is that asking too much? The Court's decision in "Smith" strips Indians of
their pride and integrity, and makes many of them criminals in the eyes of the law.
Only history will judge the Court's decision in "Smith;" but for now the remote
specter of anarchy may very well have been the preferred choice.

Statement From Pacific Northwest Church Leaders


Who Support Indian Religious Rights
Re: Employment Division, State of Oregon v. Al Smith, Galen Black,
88-1213
-----------------
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the sacramental use of peyote
in Native American religious rites is unfortunate and deeply disappointing. We
support the right of Native Americans to practice their religion as they have for
centuries. We concur with Justice Harry Blackmun, who writing for the dissent,
called the decision a "wholesale overturning of settled law concerning the religious
clauses of our Constitution." The decision jeopardizes the fundamental right of all
citizens to exercise freedom of religion free from government restraint. We will
continue to work with Native Americans to help them protect their religious rights.
The Most Rev. Raymond G. Huthausen Archbishop of Seattle Roman Catholic Archdiocese
of Seattle
The Right Rev. Vincent W. Warner, Bishop Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
The Most Rev. Thomas Murphy, Coadjutor Archbishop Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Seattle
The Rev. John Boonstra, Executive Minister Washington Association of Churches
The Rev. Calvin D. McConnell, Bishop United Methodist Church Pacific NW Conference
The Rev. W. James Halfaker, Conference Minister Washington-Idaho Conference United
Church of Christ
The Rev. Lowell Knutson, Bishop NW Washington Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church In
America
The Rev. Dr. William B. Cate, President Director Church Council of Greater Seattle
The Rev. Gaylord Hasselblad, Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of the
Northwest
These church leaders issued an apology to Indians that was carried in the Winter
1988 NAF Legal Review

Channeling For Fun And Prophet


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Farrell J. McGovern

Channelling is one of the more popular parts of what is call the "New Age". It is
also one of the most controversial aspects of this movement.

To properly channel someone, be it Marylin Monroe, Aliester Crowley (I have been


told this doesn't work well...) or Devine, one must know something of this person.
The easiest way is by reading about this person. Autobiographies are the best, of
course, but biographies, news reports, or even old photos are almost as good. You
need some connection...

In Pagandom, and Wicca, popular beings for channelling are various aspects of the
God and the Goddess. Again, one must know as much as possible about the Lady or Lord
that you are going to bring into yourself for the enjoyment, edification and
education of the others in the Circle with you.

The most popular source of information on Gods and Goddesses is again in books.
Since there are many aspects of deities, there is a great deal of literature about
these beings. Most of this literature that is over a couple of hundred of years old
is usually in the form of Fables or Epics, which have more literary content than
reality. One could easily call these works Docu-dramas, but they are still fiction.

"But..." I hear you ask, "How can they channel these beings if all they know
about them is fictional?" Well, there seems to be enough consensus on certain
deities, but not on all. But these rituals work, as anyone who has attended the
beautiful "Drawing Down the Moon" ritual of Wicca.

So it seems to me that the idea of a "consensual reality" is created from the


energies that all these people put into their concept of whatever God or Goddess
they believe in. There are hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people who
believe in Cerwdwin, Eris, Hecate, Cherenous, and others. But...are there not also
millions of people who believe in Captain James T. Kirk? Arthur Dnt? Catwoman?
Batman? Smurfs?.....or even Peewee Herman?

Imagine some Circle performing the Drawing Down The Moon ceremony, and due to a
lack of concentration by the priestess, she channels, not Athena, but Marry
Tyler-Moore?!?!?!? Or the priest channeling PeeWee Herman?!?!?!
We shall leave the further exploration of this to some experimental coven...but
please! If you manage to channel Papa Smurf....we DON'T want to hear about it!

Bibliography Of Magick In Science Fiction


Magenta Griffith
Abbey, Lynn Daughter Of The Bright Moon
The Guardians
Anderson, Poul Operation Chaos
Mermaid's Children
Blish, James Black Easter
Bradley, Marion Z Darkover series, especially The Forbidden
Tower

Crowley, Aleister Diary of a Drug Fiend


Moonchild

DeCamp, L. Sprague & The Complete Enchanter, Wall of Serpents


Fletcher Pratt

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DeLint, Charles Moonheart

Eddings, David Pawn of Prophecy


Queen of Sorcery
Magician's Gambit
Castle of Wizardry
Enchanter's Endgame
Farrar, Stewart Omega
Fortune, Dion Sea Priestess
Moon Magic
Winged Bull
The Goat Foot God
Garrett, Randall Too Many Magicians
Murder and Magic
Lord D'Arcy Investigates
Heinlein, Robert A Stranger in a Strange Land
Waldo & Magic Inc.
Kurtz, Katherine Deryni Rising
Deryni Checkmate
High Deryni
Lammas Night
LeGuin, Ursula K A Wizard of Earthsea

Lovecraft, H. P. The Shadow out of Time


At the Mountains of Madness
The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Miesel, Sandra Dreamrider

Norton, Andre Witch World Series

Paxton, Diana Brisingamen


Bibliography Of Magick In Science Fiction (cont.)
Magenta Griffith

Sky, Kathleen Witchdame


Tolkien, J.R.R The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Walton, Evangeline Island of the Mighty
Song of Rhiannon
Prince of Annwn
The Children Of Lyr
Wilson, Robert Anton & Illuminatus! Trilogy
Robert Shea

Zelazny, Roger Chronicles of Amber

Modified Assyrian Protection Spell


Ban! Ban! Barier That None Can Pass,
Barrier Of The Gods, That None May Break,
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Barrier Of Heaven and Earth That None Can Change,
Which No God May Annul,
Nor God Nor Man Can Loose,
A Snare Without Escape, Set for Evil,
A Net Whence None Can Issue Forth, Spread for Evil,
Whether It Be evil Spirit, or evil Fiend, or Hag-Demon, or Ghoul, or Robber-Sprite,
Or Phantom, or Night-Wraith, or Handmaid of the Phantom,
Or Evil Plague, or Fever-Sickness, or Unclean Disease,
Or That Which May Do Harm in Any Form or Fashion
Which Hath Attacked the Shining Waters of Ea,
May the Snare of Ea Catch It;
Or Which Hath Assailed the Meal of Nisaba,
May the Net of Nisaba Entrap It;
Or Which Hath Broken The Barrier
Let Not the Barrier of the Gods,
The Barrier of Heaven and Earth, Let It Go Free;
Or Which Reverenceth Not the Great Gods,
May the Great Gods Entrap It,
May the Great Gods Curse It;
Or Which Attacketh the House,
Into a Closed Dwelling May They Cause It To Enter;
Or Which Circleth Round About,
Into a Place Without Escape May They Bring It;
Or Which is Shut In By the House Door,
Into a House Without Exit May They Cause It To Enter;
With Door and Bolt, a Bar Immovable,
May They Withhold It;
Or Which Bloweth In at the Threshhold and Hinge,
Or Which Forceth a Way Through Bar and Latch,
Like Water May They Pour It Out,
Like a Goblet May They Dash It to Pieces,
Like a Tile May They Break It;
Or Which Passeth Over The Wall,
Its Wing May They Cut Off;
Or Which Lieth in a Chamber,
Its Throat May They Cut;
Or Which Looketh In at a Side Chamber,
Its Face May They Smite;
Or Which Muttereth In a Chamber,
Its Mouth May They Shut;
Or Which Roameth Loose In an Upper Chamber,
With a Basin Without Opening May They Cover It;
Or Which at Dawn is Darkened,
At Dawn To a Place of Sunrise May They Take It.
Out With You! Spirits of Fear, Spirits of Death!
Give Way to the Sun and the Moon!
For This is a Place Made Safe!
Bright Blessings and Peace Upon Us!
And All Who Reside Here,
Let None Enter Here Unbidden,
Keep Harm and Fear Far from This Place,
May God and Goddess Bless Us!
So Mote It So!
So Mote It Be!

"This should be performed on the night of the full moon, and is a very intricate
spell. All portals and doorways should be open, including closet doors and windows,
Then, as you start, close every closet and cabinet door, making the sign of the
banishing pentacle with your wand, your athame, or your hand (a stick of patchoili
incense may be substituted). Music should be light. Use a goodly amount of
commanding incense as well as patchouli and sandalwood. Once you have done the
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closets and cabinets, go from window to window outlining the banishing pentagram on
each one, and close AND LATCH each window. Remember to close and latch your
fireplace, as well, perhaps burning some incense there. Once the windows are
secured, do inside doors, then when you reach the entry ways, state the last ten
lines. If performed correctly, you will notice the difference in atmospheres from
the outside compared to the inside, the moment you walk into the house or
apartment."
--Avon, Sysop, Sanctuary BBS

Okay, that's how I got it. Here's what happened when we performed it.

I had pulled one of my partners into this with me, and we did it the night after
the full moon, being as how we didn't get home in time the night OF the full moon
(being across town and having to stay the night as our friends were very tired). We
also didn't use patchouli incense, as I dislike it, opting for sandalwood instead
with the commanding incense. Several times, though I had talked to said partner
about what to do when I was speaking, I still had to pause in the recitation to tell
him what to do. So, there were breaks in concentration. WITH ALL THIS, we still got
an apartment that feels much happier. This building, just since we moved in a year
and a half ago, has seen an axe murder on the lower floor, a shooting on the upper
floor where we are, two police break-ins on drug raids, several shootings in the
back alley, and two stabbings on the sidewalk near the building. Bad vibes. Now it's
better.
Here's the downfalls--if you can call them that.

This is supposed to, at least how I interpret it, clear out EVERYTHING in your
house to start fresh. We had a ghost cat before. We still have her now. Also, we now
have two dark brown, heavily fanged...THINGS...hovering in my kitchen, worshipping
my fridge. You think I'm kidding. I'm not. Scared the hell out of me when I first
noticed them; eventually, I broke down and went into the kitchen. When they didn't
attack, I moved near the fridge. "It's a refrigerator," I said. They gave back a
sort of sub-vocal "Wow..." I opened said fridge. "It's still a fridge," I said. They
looked in; seemed even more impressed. I have NO idea why. Also, once I looked down
from my computer, feeling watched, and noticed another dark brown thing, all rags
and big feet and big eyes. His whole being radiated shock and surprise when I looked
down; again, I caught a sort of sub-vocal "WHAT??!!??", and he vanished. Poof.
That's been it, but it's interesting. Did these slip in due to the changes or due to
the lack of concentration? No harmful thing is in this apartment now; of that I'm
sure. So how are these new residents explained?
Anyway, that's it. Hope you have fun with it... :>

Rosicrucianism
Julia Phillips
Esoteric Legend: the Rosicrucians were founded by Pharoah Thothmes III in the
fifteenth century BC. The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was said to have founded a
Rosicrucian lodge at Toulouse in the 9th century AD, and in 898 AD a second lodge
was founded. Around 1000 AD a group of heretical Catholic monks established the
first Rosicrucian college which flourished until the 16th century. It has also been
claimed that the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross was founded by Templars after their
order was disbanded by Pope Clement.
Historical story: The Fama Fraternitatis appeared in 1614 (written in 1610),
describing the foundation and purpose of the Society (Brotherhood) of the Rose
Cross. This related that a Father CRC, born in 1378, a German, poor but from a rich
and noble family, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He remained at Damascus through
ill-health, and studied there. He later travelled to Damcar, where he was trained by
the Arabs, and translated the book "M" into the Latin tongue. He then travelled to
Fez, and after two years to Spain, where meeting with ridicule, he returned to
Germany.
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After five years he called three of his bretheren to him, bound them by an oath,
and then founded the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross". They later initiated another
four members, and decided to spread the word to other countries. Their by-laws were
that they should heal the sick without charge; wear the clothes of the country they
visited; every year upon a certain date should meet, or be represented, in the
"House of the Holy Spirit"; each should search for a worthy replacement for when he
dies; that the letters R.C. would be their mark; that the Order would remain secret
for 100 years. It was later also decided that burial places would be kept a secret.

It is known that Johann Valentin Andreae, a German theologian, wrote at least one
of the so-called Rosicrucian documents, but how much can be laid at his door is not
known. It is also an esoteric legend (with some grounds in fact) that whilst an
historical character called Andraea did in fact exist, that the Rosicrucian writings
attributed to that person were in fact the work of Sir Francis Bacon. The three
major objects of the Rosicrucian Fraternity are:
1) The abolition of all monarchical forms of government and the substitution
therefor of the rulership of the philosophic elect. (This demonstrates that the
Rociscrucians are, in fact, Platonic, despite their proclaiming themselves
Christians.)
2) The reformation of science, philosophy and ethics. (Material arts and sciences
are shadows of the divine wisdom; only by penetrating the mysteries of nature can
man attain reality and understanding.)
3) The discovery of the Universal Medicine, or panacea, for all forms of disease.
In 1646 Elias Ashmole and astrologer William Lilly founded a Rosicrucian lodge in
London based upon a utopian ideal of the creation of a new Atlantis.

SPRING EQUINOX 1990

Circle cast by the HP


Old God: HP
Young God: Priest
Earth: Priest
Air: Priest
Fire: Priestess
Water: Priestess
Everyone else may choose to take the role of an animal of their choice.
Young God is blindfolded and bound (three cords), and stands in the middle of the
circle. Everyone else holds hands, and circles around deosil chanting:
Io Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan Pan Pan!
until HPS changes the chant to the Ekos; finish arms up.
HPS and Priestess make an archway, which everyone else passes through, moving as
their chosen animal, chanting, "chop, chop, chop, chop etc." Every so often, HPS and
Priestess drop their arms around one person, and whenever they "capture" one of the
four elements, they hold them and the chanting stops. A riddle is then asked by each
of the elements:
Air: What is whispered on the wind?
Fire: What is the kiss of fire?
Water: What is the secret of the serpent?
Earth: What lies at the centre of the labyrinth?
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If Young God answers satisfactorily, a cord is removed. The blindfold is removed
last. When the blindfold has at last been removed, HP will step forward to present
the wand to arm the Young God.

HP says:

"You are now come to your manhood, and must be armed. Will you accept the wand, this
symbol of your power?"

Young God: "I will"

HP: "Then you must take it from me!"

And so saying, runs away. Young God catches him, and they fight for the wand. Young
God wins, and holds the wand aloft in triumph.

Young God and HPS then perform cakes and wine.


BELTANE 1987
Coven of the Serpent's Eye

Declamation: Rufus Harrington


Invocation of the Young God: Prudence Jones
Invocation of the May Queen: Rufus Harrington
Responses to the invocations: Paul Greenslade and
Jacky Salter
The Blessing of Love: H. Rider Haggard
The Union of God and Goddess: Rufus Harrington and
Julia Phillips
The Beltane Charge: Julia Phillips

Temple set up as follows:

Altar set up, and ritual weapons as usual


One extra sword
One extra chalice of wine and dish of cakes
Candles and incense
Maypole in the centre of the Temple
Green Cord
Roles:
HPS#1 Blessing the Union
HPS#2 Invocation to the God
PS#1 The May Queen
PS#2 Swordbearer
PS#3 Swordbearer
PS#4 Handmaiden
HP#1 Declamation, invocation to the May Queen and
Blessing the Union
HP#2 The Young God

Casting the Circle:


All present will be purified and consecrated, and the circle will
be cast by the HPS and HP.
The HPS and HP will ask everyone to assist in the invocation to
the quarters. Those who have athames should collect them from the
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altar at this point. After the Northern Quarter has been invoked,
the group should all face centre while the HPS performs the
invocation to Spirit.
This completes the casting of the circle.

THE RITUAL
The ritual will commence with a meeting dance. Everyone should
link hands (male/female as far as possible), and move slowly in a
deosil motion following the chants initiated by the HP and HPS.
When she feels the time is right, the HPS will break the circle,
and lead everyone in a meeting dance, where each man and woman
kiss as they pass. When everyone has greeted one another, the
circle will be re-formed by the HPS, and finish with the EKO
chant.
HP#2 and PS#1 will stand at the maypole, facing the altar.
HPS#2 will stand at the altar facing them, and the rest of the
group will seat themselves around the maypole in a horseshoe
shape, with the end nearest the altar left "open". HP#1 will read
the declamation:

Deep within the dream of silence


Blood and passions born beyond,
Gather at the serpent's calling,
Echo to its siren song.

For deep within the cauldron's darkness


Two hearts ache to join as one,
Must answer to the serpent's laughter;
Dance within its spiral song.

For blood is called, and passions gather:


Drum beat rhythms call the blood
To dance the paths of passion's power,
To sing for joy, for life, for love.

Within the shadows of a clearing


Deep within the silent green,
Revealed through a veil of moonlight,
Caught beside a crystal stream.
A woman from the land of beauty
Dances in the silver light,
Entranced within a web of silver
Woven by the serpent's light.
The serpent's laughter, song of shadows,
Echoes through the spinning web,
Weaving dreams with songs of silver,
Calling sacred fires long dead.
Within her body, flames awaken
Beauty and her passions need
Power and a desperate yearning,
Calling to the serpent's seed.
Within the ancient forest shadows,
Roots and boughs that weave and dream,
re-echo to the serpent's laughter,
Weaving webs of dancing green.

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The serpent's song now calls the Hunter;
Beast Lord, Master of the Woods.
Calls the Stag Lord from the shadows,
Woodland's Master, Lord of Love.

She dances now, her passions spiral,


Calls her love into the night;
He flies upon the wings of laughter,
Led on by her silver light.

Flesh and sinew, man and muscle,


Loins that ache now hear her call.
She hears the Hunter's horn of power,
Hears his cry and hunting call.

The Stag Lord stalks within the clearing,


She turns to flee, but cannot run.
Transformed she spreads herself for passion,
Calling with her silver song.
Both their bodies rage with passions,
Beasts now dance within their blood.
Their eyes now flash with love's own lightning
As flesh now kindles warm for love.

Her thighs remember mothers' movements,


Moments from her mother's birth,
Cries of silver golden laughter
Plough within the fertile earth.

Their song and cry a single moment,


Pain, and yet a single joy,
As Earth unites a single sunlight
Lust fulfilled, reborn as joy.

HPS#2 will now perform invocation to the Young God:


God of the meadow, God of the hill,
God of the sap and of our true will:
Thee I invoke as Spring awakes,
Thee I invoke as the blossom breaks.
Come young God, come come with the fire,
Lissome and leaping, alive with desire.
Come with the pipe and come with the drum,
With the heartbeat's pounding, come God come!
O seeker of joy, O hunter of pleasure,
Come enter the ring, tread the pagan measure.
Be here in Thy servants, be here in Thy Priests,
Be here in the flesh, and join in the feast!
Io Pan, Io Pan, Io Pan Pan Pan, etc.
Young God responds:
"Response"
HP#1 will now perform the invocation to the Goddess as May Queen:
"Invocation to Goddess"

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May Queen Goddess responds:
I who am the fragrant spring air,
And the soft breeze that refreshes the earth;
The cool spring rain, the sudden shower
That nourishes the earth.
The source of all joy and love,
The Goddess of all new beginnings,
Answer your call,
And once more I walk upon the earth.
Seek for me; I am all around you.
HPS#2 will now acknowledge the arrival of the God and Goddess:
Spring has sprung!
The God has made the world seem young again.
The blossom blows,
The Goddess lets the world know joy again.
May Queen now breaks away from the God, and he must chase and capture her. (Anything
spoken at this point should be spontaneous). The group should form a spiral from the
maypole, going out to a circle, leaving a space between each person for the May
Queen and Young God to pass in and out in their "love chase". While this goes on,
the group should play tambourine, bodrhun, bells and Abo sticks in a lively rhythym.
The God should eventually capture the Goddess through his realisation that hunting
is not the way to her heart!ŠThey should embrace and kiss, and then kneel to receive
their crowns: PS#2 and PS#3 will collect these from the altar, and place the crown
of flowers on the Goddess' head, and the crown of leaves upon the God's head. PS#2
and PS#3 should then collect the swords from the altar, and stand either side of the
altar holding the blades of the swords down. PS#4 should collect a bouquet of
flowers, and present these to the Goddess. The God and Goddess should now lead PS#4
and the rest of the group around the Temple in a simulation of their journey to the
Blessing of their Union.
At a given signal, PS#2 and PS#3 will stand in the North, and make an archway with
their swords through which the God, Goddess and Handmaiden will pass. As they do so,
HP#1 says:
Hail to our King and Queen!
For love fulfills an ancient law,
Born before the Gods and Men,
Decreed of old when all was still.
HPS#1 and HP#1 will be standing at the altar, and the God and Goddess will kneel to
receive the blessings of their predecessors (ie, the God and Goddess of the previous
cycle). The Goddess will hand her bouquet to the Handmaiden, who will replace it
upon the altar.
HPS#1 reads the Blessing of Love:
Love is like a flower in the desert.
It is like the aloe of Arabia that blooms but once and dies;
It blooms in the salt emptiness of life, and the brightness of its beauty is set
upon the waste as a star is set upon a storm. It hath the sun above that is the
spirit, and about it blows the air of its divinity.

There is only perfect flower in the wilderness of Life:


That flower is love!

There is only one fixed light in the mists of our wanderings:


That light is love!
There is only one hope in our despairing night:
That hope is love!

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All else is false. All else is shadow moving upon water. All else is wind and
vanity.
Who shall say what is the weight or measure of love?
It is born of the flesh, it dwelleth in the spirit. From each doth it draw its
comfort.
For beauty it is as a star.
Many are its shapes but all are beautiful, and none know whence that star rose, or
the horizon where it shall set.
And I say unto you, that every man and woman is a star, and therefore, every man and
woman is love.

HP#1 and HPS#1 perform the Blessing of the Union. HP#1 says:
Dancers to the Gods of Love,
We bless you in these sacred signs:
[Perform blessings, loosely bind hands with cord]
Spread your blessing on the land,
Fulfill with love the ancient law:
Fruit and corn for man and beast,
And love for evermore.
[remove cord]
HP#1 and HPS#1 assist the God and Goddess to rise with a kiss.
PS#2 and PS#3 replace their swords upon the altar, and pick up a dish of cakes and a
chalice of wine. They hand the wine to the God, and the cakes to the Goddess,
saying:
Please bless this food and wine into our bodies, bestowing
health, wealth, love and compassion, and that deep joy which
is the knowledge of Thee.
They step back while the God and Goddess bless the wine and cakes. The "Io Evohe"
chant is initiated by HPS#1 and HP#1, and everyone else joins in. (Note: this is a
joyful celebration of the good things of the Earth which the God and Goddess provide
for us, so the chant should be lively.) The Handmaiden then steps forward to receive
a cake, and a sip of wine. She is followed by PS#2 and PS#3, and then the rest of
the group ending with HPS#1 and HP#1, who take the wine and cakes, and offer them to
the God
and Goddess, then replace them upon the altar.
The God and Goddess now embrace around the maypole, and everyone
takes a ribbon (male/white, female/red) to dance around. Minstrel
now plays the maypole dance, and everyone begins: men go in a
widdershins direction, female in a deosil one. The dancers go
under the first person, over the next, under the next, and so on
until the ribbons are used up. The dancers must then unwind the
maypole, so everything is reversed (tip: keep watching your own
ribbon!)

After the dance has ended, Young God and May Queen are released from the
Maypole (!), and they read the Beltane Charge:
YG I am the burning flame of inspiration
Bringing light and life to the world:

MQ I am the burning flame of love


Which creates light and life in the world:

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YG I am the rushing stream, sweeping all before me:
MQ I am the deepest ocean, taking all within me:
YG I am the swiftest wind that carries the seed:
MQ I am the gentlest breez which kisses the land:
YG I am the mighty mountain which caresses the stars:

MQ I am the smallest leaf which falls in the forest glade:


YG I am He! The Lord of Life and Death;
The Keeper of the Gates, the Hunter and the hunted:

MQ I am She! Queen of the darkness and the light;


Guardian of the Veil, the Mystery of Creation:
YG/MQ Together we stand, and in the power of our love
shall the wheel turn.
They now perform Cakes and Wine - servers step forward to assist.

The Feast

TO END THE RITUAL

HPS#1 READS THE BLESSING PRAYER

All take their athames, and support the HP and HPS as they thank, and bid farewell
to the Quarter Guardians.
Formal Grounding of the Power.
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the Temple.

C A N D L E M A S 1 9 8 7
Coven of the Serpent's Eye

Declamation: Rufus Harrington

Invocation of the Mother: Paul Greenslade


Response of the Mother: Adapted by Prudence Jones from
an original by Vivianne Crowley

Invocation to the Crone: Rufus Harrington

Response of the Crone: Julia Phillips

Welcome to Spring: Mike Pinder

Welcome to the Virgin: Prudence Jones

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Dance of the Elements: Prudence Jones and Julia
Phillips
Initiate's Ceremony of Adapted by Julia Phillips from
Illumination: traditional Gardnerian source
Charge of Brigid's Fire: Adapted by Rufus Harrington

Temple set up as follows:


Veil across northern quarter
Altar set up, and ritual weapons as usual
Candles and incense
Cauldron in centre of Temple
Brighid Doll
Sistrum
White silk veil for Virgin
Wrist and ankle bells for each Priestess
Large white candle, placed in cauldron
Symbols of the elements:
One athame (or dagger) }
One wand } These should be placed ready One chalice
} upon a small altar,
One pentacle } adjacent to the main altar
One black egg }

Roles:
HPS-1 Goddess - Crone Aspect
HPS-2 Goddess - Mother Aspect
PS-1 Goddess - Virgin Aspect
HPS-3 Spirit
HP-1 Declamation and Invocation to Crone
HP-2 Invocation to Mother
PS-2 Eastern Quarter (Air)
PS-3 Southern Quarter (Fire)
PS-4 Western Quarter (Water)
PS-5 Northern Quarter (Earth)
(Note: it is essential that the first six roles be taken by experienced initiates
only)

Casting the circle:


All present will be purified and consecrated, and the circle will be cast by the
HPS.

The HPS will ask everyone to assist in the invocation to the quarters. Those who
have athames should collect them from the altar at this point.
After the Northern Quarter has been invoked, the group should all face centre, while
the HPS performs the invocation to Spirit. This completes the casting of the circle.

THE RITUAL
PS-1 will go behind the veil, and put on the white silk veil.
HPS-1 and HPS-2 will stand side by side in the centre of the Temple. PS-2, 3, 4, and
5 will take up their positions at the cardinal points of the Temple, and the Priests
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will stand between the Priestesses, ensuring polarity. HPS-3 will stand in front of
the main altar.
HP-1 will read the declamation:
Child of the Spinning Serpent,
Daughter of the morning star;
Startled from the depths of silence
Wakens vision's Silver Star.
Starting cold from depths of nightmare,
Shadows passing on the land;
Tears of silver, iced and shining
These she sheds upon the land.

For deep within the night of vision


There the coiled serpent stirs,
Calling from the cauldron's darkness,
Singing with the song of stars.
For there she sees a frozen river,
There beholds a land of ice,
And sees an ancient mother mourning,
Tears that quickly turn to ice.
And sees herself, the youthful virgin,
Reach that river; frozen, cold,
Shining in the crystal moonlight
Seeming like a silver road.
Across the waters, there the mother;
Ancient Queen of the Shining Night;
Standing in the silver darkness
Lit by icy crystal light.

Reaching out across the darkness,


Silver arms across the ice,
Two hands touch above the waters,
Reach across the frozen night.

But now the serpent song of starlight


Calls across the cauldron's night;
Their hands a bridge across the silence,
Darkness shatters into light.
As sunlight calls across the waters
Rising from the shining east,
Cries of joy that echo terror
Crack as silent ice release.

Now hear the cry of mourning mothers;


Hear the joy of pain released:
Dull ache deep within the waters
Calling to the stirring beast.

For now behold the icy rivers


Touched by sunlight, turned to blood;
See the waters flowing freely
Through the gates of land and love.

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HP-2 will move forward, and perform the invocation to the Mother aspect of the
Goddess upon HPS-2:

I call to you, Mother of all,


Queen of our most secret dreams.
From dark and starlit heavens,
And deep within the fertile earth:
Come to us crowned in glory - Come!
I invoke you, and call upon you;
By the fertile earth and pregnant moon:
Come! Descend upon the body of Thy Priestess.

HPS-2 responds:
I am thy Goddess:
Before the beginning of time was I.
I made the mountains into peaks,
And laid with soft green grass the valleys and the meadows.
Mine was the first foot which trod upon the earth,
And where I walked there sprang forth flowers.
Mine was the voice which gave rise to the first song,
And the birds listened, and heard, and made return.
In the beginning of time
I taught the sea its song,
And mine were the tears
That gave forth the first rains.
Listen and hear Me!
For it was I who gave birth to you,
And in the depths of my earth
You will find rest and rebirth.
I will spring you forth anew,
A fresh shoot to greenness.
Fear Me; Love Me; Adore Me!
Lose yourself in Me.
For I am the cup of the wine of life:
I stir the senses;
I am the power.

HP-1 will now perform the invocation to the Crone aspect of the
Goddess upon HPS-1:

Ancient Mother born of silence,


Silver Queen of spiral ice;
Hear the serpent's song of starlight
Call across the cauldron's night.

A name, a call, a key of shadows;


An ancient song from an ancient dream
Echoes deep within the darkness,
Calls Thee from the depths unseen.

For now I see Thy crystal spiral,


Now I see the crystal web,
Shining in the cauldron's darkness,
Bringing life and bringing death.

And now I call upon Thee, Ancient Mother,


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To descend upon this the body of Thy servant
and Priestess.
HP-1 bows down before HPS-1

HPS-1 responds:
Who calls to the Queen of the Night?
(HP: "A worshipper")
Who calls to the cutter of the thread?
(HP: "The Spinning Serpent")
Who calls to the Mother of the Serpent?
(HP: "A lover")
Who calls to the Mistress of the Spiral Castle?
(HP: "Life itself")
If that man has not fear in his heart, let him stand and face me
now. (HP rises)
You have called, and I have answered, and now I shall teach thee
a mystery: That if that which thou seekest, thou findest not
within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I
have been with thee from the beginning, and I shall be with thee
at the end. Blessed Be.
HP-1 returns to his place in the Temple. The Mother and Crone
will now "arm" each of the female guardians with the relevant
elemental weapon: The Crone will take an athame from the altar,
hand it to the Mother, who will present it to the Eastern
guardian. The wand will be given to the Southern guardian, the
chalice to the Western guardian, the pentacle to the Northern
guardian, and the black egg to Spirit.
Crone and Mother will now approach the veil: the Crone will part
the veil, and say:
As the white eagle of the north is flying overhead,
And the browns, reds and golds of autumn lie in the gutter, dead.
Remember then that summer birds with wings of fire flaying,
Came to witness spring's new hope, born of leaves decaying.
As new life will come from death, love will come at leisure:
Love of love, love of life, and giving without measure
Gives in return a wondrous yearn of a promise almost seen.
Live hand in hand, and together we'll stand
On the threshold of a dream.

During this, the Mother leads the Virgin to the centre of the
circle, and on the last line, all three stand hand in hand.
Then the Mother unveils the Virgin saying:
Welcome Virgin to Life!
Welcome Virgin to Spring!
Let life spring from thine heart,
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And out thine eyes.
Let joy behold the dawn.

The Crone now instructs the Priests to turn away, as they may not
witness this stage of the female mysteries.
The Priestesses start to slowly circle deosil about the circle in
The Dance of the Elements. While this is going on, the Mother and
Crone will explain to the Virgin the significance and power of
each of the elements. 1753Note:1753 This is an integral part of the
ritual, but cannot be written as it is performed spontaneously by
the Mother and Crone. The format is basically as follows:
Mother: I give you the power of your intellect
Crone: I give you the power of beginnings
Mother: I give you the power of decision
Crone: I give you the freedom of air
and so on, remaining with each element as long as desired.
On command from the Crone, the Dance will cease, and each
Priestess will return to her respective position. Now, the Mother
will take the Virgin to each Priestess in turn, starting with the
East, where she will be presented with the elemental weapons.
(ie, armed with her potential). After each presentation, the
Virgin will replace the weapon on the altar, to signify her
understanding and acceptance of this knowledge. Both Virgin and
Mother will return to the cauldron, where the Crone will present
the Virgin with the Bride Doll, which she will accept, and place
upon the altar. She then returns to the centre, and looks into
the cauldron, where she now finds a sistrum, which she picks up
and shakes joyfully shouting "Bride is Come, Bride is Welcome!"
This is the cue for the Priests to face centre once more. HP-1
starts playing the Bodrhun, and HPS-3 leads the dance. The Mother
and Crone link hands around the Virgin in a symbol of protection.
Everyone chants 1754"Bride is Come, Bride is Welcome"1754 as the dance
increases in tempo, and then HPS-3 will initiate the Witches'
Rune when she feels the time is right. The dance will finish with
arms held aloft, and then the Virgin will break out from between
the Mother and Crone, and take the cauldron candle to the altar,
where she will light it from one of the altar candles.
She will turn to face the group while HPS-3 leads the Initiate's Ceremony of
Illumination.
The virgin now returns to the East, where she reads The Charge of Brigid's Fire.
I am She of the golden hair, Queen of the white hills, Rider of
the white swan, and now stand at the threshold of my glory.
I bring with me three gifts of fire: the first is the flame of
Inspiration that is kindled within the heart of the seeker.
The second is the flame of purification; the cleansing flame of
truth. The third is the flame born of the fires of love that
brings the seed of hope to all life.

Virgin now performs cakes and wine with a Priest of her choice.
The feast.

TO END THE RITUAL


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All take their athames, and support HPS-1 as she thanks, and bids
farewell to the Quarter Guardians.
Formal grounding of the power.
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the
Temple.

IMBOLG 1992
JULIA PHILLIPS
Temple in darkness, apart from the Yule log in the centre. Brigid in her bed on the
small altar. Lots of unlit candles in sand pots around the room. All enter as usual,
and the Circle is cast in the normal manner. After the central invocations, HP says:
Awake O Earth from your slumbers! Awake O Sun and restore the Earth! Mother - we are
in darkness.
HPS picks up a jug of water, and pours it into the cauldron saying:
The waters are broken. The ice melting towards Candletime. Blood has been along the
track, but now the ways are clear of death. Old and grey I was, but here in the
mystery of the waters I am renewed. For I am the one you sought, but could not find.
For I was singing to my child unseen, beneath the hills of birch and rowan.
HPS takes the asperge, and all circle around her chanting the Witches Rune. She
asperges each person as they pass, and on the last round, hands each person a white
candle. When everyone has a candle, the circling stops, and HPS lights the main
candles and says:
The darkness of winter is passing: the Earth awakens once more from its slumbers;
the Virgin walks among us again, and brings Her blessings upon the land and upon our
lives.
Priest and Priestess step forward and remove the cover from Brigid's bed, revealing
the Virgin. Everyone shouts:
Brigid is Come! Brigid is Welcome!
HPS takes a light from the Yule log and says:
Let the inner light bear fruit in our own lives, even as the Earth bears the first
flowers.
I am Brigid: She of the Golden Hair; Queen of the White Hills, and rider of the
White Swan. I bring three gifts of fire. The first is the flame of creation; of the
poet and artist; of the lovers' passion for union with the beloved. The second is
the flame of purification and testing, the flame of truth. With this flame all dross
and weakness are made clear and cleansed from thee, so thou become like a true and
tested sword. The third is the greatest of all, for it is the healing flame born out
of the love that gives all, the maker of peace and harmony. But I do not give these
gifts one by one; I give them as a whole in the form of the growing Sun.
Everyone then lights their candle from the Yule log, and starts to circle deosil,
lighting the candles around the room as they go, chanting:
Thus we banish winter, thus we welcome spring;
Say farewell to what is dead, and greet each living thing.

When all the candles are lit, everyone places their candle in a sand pot, and the
chanting ceases.

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HPs and HP bless cakes and wine.
S A M H A I N 1 9 8 6

Coven of the Serpent's Eye

Declamation written by Rufus Harrington


Invocation to Horned God written by Doreen Valiente
Response of the Horned God written by Paul Greenslade
Consecration of the seeds written by Jim Kitson

Temple set up as follows:


Veil in northern quarter
Cauldron in centre, with charcoal blocks ready lit
Stereo ready with taped music
A dish of corn seeds on the altar
One pot of earth for each person
Pomegranate on altar
Candles, incense and ritual weapons as usual
Floor tom-tom drum
Roles:
HPS The Goddess
HP The Horned God
Priest To consecrate the seeds
P or PS Ritual drumming

Casting the circle:


The Circle will be cast by the HPS
The HPS will invoke the quarters: while she does so, each person
should face the quarter being invoked, and direct power to the
quarter with their athame (or other if they have no athame). The
group should all face centre, forming a circle after the
invocation to the northern quarter, and hold both arms aloft
while the HPS calls upon the Lord and Lady to join with the
celebrations. This completes the casting of the circle.
.paŠ

The Ritual:
HPS wearing black silk robe and veil stands at the altar,
facing the group, who are seated. 1757The HP reads the declamation:1757

Iced legions of the damned


Call and dance the songs of madness;
Hollow hills re-echo to the silent cries of night,
For dancing flames now turn to shadows,
Winds and madness call the night,
And just a single light in darkness
Stands before the veil to fight.

And so the Goddess stood in darkness,


Tear stained cheeks lashed by rain,
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Turned to face the veil of darkness,
Turned to face the world of pain.
Alone, an outcast, branded traitor;
She it was who killed the land.

To save the land from age and darkness,


To save the land from fear and death,
For love of life she sought to conquer,
Sought to stay the hand of death.

But in her love and in her madness


She summoned death into the land;
Summoned death to fight the darkness,
Thus it was destroyed the land.

Cracked silver lightning; shattering darkness,


Revealing eyes, and visions born beyond.
Iced visions of light,
Echoes of dying laughter chill and cool the blood.
Storm clouds tearing sky and screaming,
Battles fought at heaven's gate,
Fly upon the winds of madness,
Seek the silver key of fate.
HPS: SILENCE! An end must be made!
For there are three great events in the life of man:
Love, Death and resurrection in the new body, and magic
controls them all.
For to fulfil love you must return again at the same
time and place as the loved one, and you must remember
and love them again.
But to be reborn, you must die and be ready for a new
body; and to die you must be born, and without love
you may not be born, and so is formed the spiral of
creation, and this is all the magics.

The group now stand, and when everyone is facing the HPS, she assumes pentagram
position. The ritual drummer takes his position, and the Priest who is taking the
role of the Horned God switches on the music tape, blows out the northern quarter
candle and moves behind the veil. Silence while the tape of "The making of Bloduedd"
is played, as this is the invocation the the Goddess in her transformation aspect.
(Note: the tape is allowed to continue playing, as this is the only item on the
tape, the remainder being blank.) The HPS turns to face the altar, and holds aloft
the sword. As she does so, the drummer plays a steady rhythm. The HPS moves to the
centre of the circle, facing the veil; the group arrange themselves behind her, all
facing the veil. The HPS points the sword at the veil, and the group hold aloft
their arms for the invocation to the Horned God.
HPS says:

By the flame that burneth bright O Horned One,


We call Thy name into the night, O Ancient One!
Thee we invoke by the moon led sea,
By the standing stone, and the twisted tree.
Thee we invoke where gather Thine own,
By nameless shrine, forgotten and lone.
Come where the round of the dance is trod,
Horn and hoof of the goat foot God!
By moonlit meadow and dusky hill,
When haunted wood is hushed and still,
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Come to the charm of the chanted prayer,
As the moon bewitches the midnight air.
Evoke Thy powers that potent bide,
In shining stream and secret tide,
In fiery flame and starlight pale,
In shadowy hosts that ride the gale.
And by the fern brakes, fairy haunted,
Of forests wild and woods enchanted;
Come O come to the heart beats drum,
Come to us who gather below,
When the pale white moon is climbing slow,
Through the stars to the heavens height,
We hear Thy hooves on the wings of night!
As black tree branches shake and sigh,
By joy and terror we know Thee nigh.
We speak the spell Thy power unlocks,
At solstice, sabbat and equinox.
Word of virtue, the veil to rend,
From primal dawn to the wide world's end!

(As the invocation proceeds, the drummer speeds his rhythm to suggest the sound of
hoofbeats, and after the final line of the invocation, he suddenly reverts to a
simple, slow four beats for the entrance of the Horned God.)

P#1 responds from behind the veil:


I am the Dread Lord of the Shadows:
God of life and giver of life.
I open wide the veil through which all must pass.
The gate is open between the worlds
And all who would enter on this night are welcome.
Come spirits; departed ones; brethren from our past and present
Join us in the hunt tonight.

During his response, he parts the veil, and then fastens it open in some way, as
the veil between the worlds remains open until closed by the Horned God at the end
of the ritual.

As he finishes speaking, he enters the Temple, and proceeds to move in a widdershins


direction, and the drummer plays a rhythm according to the speed and movement of the
Horned God. The Horned God then takes the hand of one of the group (female), and
she takes the hand of the next male, and so on until all the group except for the
HPS and drummer are dancing with the Horned God. This represents the Wild Hunt, and
the drumming and dancing should reflect the feeling of this. At a prompt from the
Horned God, the group will stop dancing, and seat themselves on the floor facing
inwards around the cauldron. The drummer will join them, and the HPS will bring a
pot of incense, from which she will take a handful and throw it into the cauldron.
she will then pass the incense to the HP, who will also throw some into the
cauldron, and will pass it to his neighbour, and so on around the circle until each
person has thrown some incense into the cauldron. There is now a period of
meditation, where everyone thinks about the past year, and those who may have passed
over during that time. It is also a time for joining with our loved ones who have
gone beyond, and who we invite to return to us for the night. When the HPS feels
that long enough has been spent on this part of the ritual, she will signal that
everyone should end their meditation.
P#2 shall now rise (also PS#1 if designated), and approach the altar where he/they
will perform the consecration of the sacred seed.
P#2 says:

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Bounded by a shell then?
Secure in the vice of the earth, a unity waiting.
And outside?
Cold, wet loneliness, the comfort of death.

And above?
The agony of birth and growth, total struggle in total night.
O Gaia!
Smile upon your children, set free the seed of life and joy.
So Mote It Be!
When this has been completed, P#2 takes some of the seeds, and energises them with
his own hopes and desires for the coming year, and then plants them in one of the
prepared pots. The rest of the group do likewise, commencing with 1760PS#11760 if
designated, and following male/female if possible. The Horned God and Goddess do not
plant seeds at the altar. When the last person has planted their seeds, and all are
seated again, the 1760Horned God1760 approaches the altar, and slices the
pomegranite in half, and holds both halves in one hand. He picks up some seeds and
charges them with his hopes and desires for the coming year, but does not plant them
at the altar. He holds them in his hand, and then he calls to all the spirits who
followed him through from beyond the veil to return with him now, and moving in a
deosil direction, circles around the Temple finally ending up beyond the veil again.
He calls to the Goddess to join with him once more, and she has such love for him
that she willingly leaves her life this side of the veil, and of her own free will
joins once more with her consort. She rises, and goes to the altar to collect and
charge her own seeds, which she then carries with her as she moves around the
Temple, finally joining the Horned God behind the veil. He closes the veil between
the worlds once more, and to symbolise her willing descent to the Otherworld, the
Goddess eats one half of the pomegranate. She and the Horned God then plant their
seeds.

The northern quarter candle is relit by the person nearest to it.


At this point, 1761PS#1 and P#21761 approach the altar, and perform the consecration
of cakes and wine, in which all participate bar the HPS and P#1 behind the veil, as
they are "no longer of this world". After cakes and wine, 1761HPS and P#11761 rejoin
the circle for the feast, no longer "Horned God and Goddess".

TO END THE RITUAL:


Each quarter is thanked and bidden to depart by HPS
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the Temple.

The Rite is ended.

Y U L E 1984
Julia Phillips
Circle is cast and Quarters erected.
HPS: We now stand at the turning of the year.
Dark Lord: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,
All fades and passes, day to night.
Dark Lord extinguishes candles leaving only altar candles alight.

HPS: Let us dance for the long year's end, for the sun sets

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quickly in the West, and we begin the long night of
hope.

Coven do Wheel or Cord dance widdershins about the cauldron


chanting:

Time and Death, Life and Seasons, All must pass, All must change.

Star Child now leaves the circle, and stands behind the veil in the North.

HPS stands at the cauldron in the centre, wearing a black veil.


HPS: I am the Hag who engendered you all;
I am the Three and the One who is here;
I am the log that is ripe for burning;
In my end is your hope of beginning.

HPS now lifts the cauldron aloft and presents it to each quarter.
She returns to the centre, and lights the cauldron candle, from
which she lights a quarter candle for each member of the coven.
The quarter candles are placed in their respective quarters.
Narrator: This is the night of the Solstice; the Mother Night.
Now darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes to
light. Time stops, and all wait while the cauldron of the Dark King
is transformed into the infant Light. We watch for the dawn when
the Mother again gives birth to the sun, who is the bringer of
hope and the promise of summer. Holly gives way to Oak, the Wren to
the Robin, Old to New.

Narrator: We stand now in the long night, we pray for the sun's
return. In darkness and shadows the Great Mother groans. The Mother
labours to bring forth the sun from her pain. From her cries of labour
comes forth our cries of welcome; from her toil and anguish our
hope is reborn. Let us now call forth the Great Mother, and the Lord of
Life, her husband and son.

The Star Child emerges from behind the veil, and lays at the feet of the
HPS. The HPS points to the Star Child and proclaims:

Behold the Child! Here lies our king!

The HPS crowns the Star Child with a crown of misteltoe. She
removes her veil and announces:
I am the Mother who brought forth the child;
I am the inspiration, and I am the rebirth.
Narrator: You are the ecstasy of the blessed
You are the light of the sun's beams
You are the lordly door of welcome
You are the guiding star
Yours is the step of the roe on the hill
Yours is the step of the white-faced mare
Yours is the grace of the swimming swan
You are the jewel in each mystery
Coven now do Wheel or Cord dance deosil about the cauldron
chanting:
Power of soil and power of air,
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Power of fire and power of water,
Power that spins the wheel of birth,
Spins the wheel of joy and mirth,
Spins the wheel of sun and moon,
Push, push, push, Open the gate.
Power of spell and magic free,
Eternal power that binds the sea,
Weaves the web of infinity,
Light of dark and light of day,
Speed the spokes fast on their way,
Push push push - ah ah
Open the gate, So Mote It Be!
HPS now invokes the Lord of Misrule into the circle. He is
challenged upon entry by the Dark Lord, and must explain who he
is, and why he is there. The Lord of Misrule is now in charge of
the circle, and may behave as he sees fit. At some point, he must
take the burdens of the coven for the previous twelve moons and
pack them in his bag.
Cakes and Wine.
The Lord of Misrule must be ritually hunted as a wren to bring
about his downfall. The coven mime hunting the wren chanting,
"Burn the bush, hunt the wren"
When he is discovered, the coven point their athames at his neck
to symbolise his death.
Close ritual.

"LEGITIMACY" IN THE CRAFT, a conversation


---------------------------------------------------------------------
(117) Sun 25 Apr 93 11:16
By: Khaled
To: Lana
Re: things
St:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
L> What rituals do you think I would have to do to become "letigimate" L> ....(do I
have to be "initiated" in other words... )!

That rather depends on who you want to recognise you as legitimate. There's a
wide variance of opinion as to what makes a witch, a Witch or a Wiccan. If you open
your heart to the Lady and commune (speak with your heart, not necessarily in words)
with her often, she will eventually adopt her as one of her special Children (the
"inner", or Lady's, initiation). Her adoption will cause changes to your spirit and
way of looking at things that will be obvious to those of us who share it, as its
presence in others will become obvious to you after you've awakened to her touch
(unfortunately, it's one of those things
that doesn't make much sense until you've *been there*).
Most of us here accept the Lady's initiation as the mark of a true Witch
(capitalised to denote the priest/ess, as opposed to the folk mage or witch). I
gather that the majority of those posting here think of Wiccans and Witches as one
and the same, though many of us think of Wicca as a particular subset of Witches
(i.e. all Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are, or even wish to be, Wiccan).

For those of us who see them as different (I'm one of them), you will need to
be formally adopted into a Wiccan clan to be a *Wiccan* Witch. Some traditions
permit self-adoption into their clans, some (Gardnerians and their near kin in
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particular) recognise you as Wiccan only if you've been adopted by an authorised
Elder of the clan in question. Then again,there's a few diehards who don't
recognise anyone but members of their own clan as Wiccan.
Which brings us back to square one -- it depends on whose recognition you're
looking for. Most will accept your legitimacy *as a Witch* based on the quality of
your rapport with the Lady. And the way to develop that is to spend a lot of time
in her company, whether with like-minded others in a coven or quietly by yourself.
A large minority will accept you *as a Wiccan* based on whether or not you have
passed through a human rite of passage (confusingly, also called initiation)
adopting you into a Wiccan clan. Be sure you know the
family that wishes to adopt you before accepting: this time you get to *choose* your
relatives <g>. Those who insist that only *they* have the Truth, and therefore only
they are legitimate aren't really worth wasting your time worrying about, IMHO.

L> I was wondering if you HAD to belong to a coven in order to


L> practice, or to be "letigimate", so to speak.
As Ayesha mentioned, what matters is that you spend time in the Lady's company,
and "listen" to what she has to say, "feel" what she has to show. Even amongst
crusty old Gardnerians such as myself, there's no need to be a member of a coven to
practice your Craft, nor does resigning from a coven invalidate your initiation(s).
We prefer to work in covens, because we generally prefer the company of our brethren
in Circle, but there's no law that says we *have to* if we feel like being alone, or
have no choice in the matter. Gardnerian
*initiations* are done by a coven, and one normally has to be a candidate for
membership in that coven in order to be initiated (by us). This is by no means
invariable, but initiating someone you don't want in your coven is considered
tasteless at best, a betrayal of your sacred trust at worst.

So, no, you don't HAVE to be a member of a coven to be seen as legitimate.


And since my own opinion is that the weakest link in a coven is its weakest
solitary, I'd encourage you to continue to do some solo work, even if you DO join a
coven. But what would I know, I'm just a 3rd <big grin>. Blessings on your path,
whichever way you choose to go...
K
The Meaning of Witchcraft
Gerald B. Gardner
P.265
Appendix I
THE MAGICAL LEGEND OF THE WITCHES.

Now, G. (the Witch Goddess) had never loved, but she would solve
all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to
the Nether Lands.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into
this our land."
So she laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who
enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. (Note: There was a Celtic custom of
binding corpses. The cord which had bound a corpse was useful in learning the
"second sight.")
Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and Kissed her feet,
saying, "Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways.
Abide with me, let me place my cold hands on thy heart."
She replied, "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and
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take delight in to fade and die?"
"Lady", replied Death, "tis Age and Fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time I
give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may
return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me."
But she answered, "I love thee not."
Then said Death, "An thou received not my had on thy heart, thou
must receive Death's scourge."
"It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt; and Death
Scourged her, and she cried, "I feel the pangs of love."

And Death said, "Blessed be", and gave her the fivefold kiss,
saying, Thus only may ye attain to joy and knowledge.
And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were one, and he
taught her all the Magics.
For there are three great events in the life of man; Love, Death,
and Resurrection in a new body; and Magic controls them all. For to
fulfil love you must return again at the same time and place as the
loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must
die, and be ready for new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you
may not be born. And these be all the Magics.
The Spiral Dance
1979; Starhawk
p 159
The Goddess In The Kingdom Of Death
In this world, the Goddess is seen in the moon, the light that shines in darkness,
the rain bringer, mover of the tides, Mistress of mysteries. And as the moon waxes
and wanes, and walks three nights of its cycle in darkness, so, it is said, the
Goddess once spent three nights in the Kingdom of Death.
For in love She ever seeks Her other Self, and once, in the winter of the year, when
He had disappeared from the green earth, She followed Him and came at last to the
gates beyond which the living do not go.
The Guardian of the Gate challenged Her, and She stripped Herself of Her clothing
and jewels, for nothing may be brought into that land. For love, She was bound as
all who enter there must be and brought before Death Himself.
He loved Her, and knelt at Her feet, laying before Her His sword and crown, and gave
Her the fivefold kiss, and said,
"Do not return to the living world, but stay here with Me, and have peace and rest
and comfort."
But She answered, "Why do you cause all things I love and delight in to die and
wither away?"
"Lady," He said, "It is the fate of all that lives to die. Everything passes; all
fades away. I bring comfort and consolation to those who pass the gates, that they
may grow young again. But You are My heart's desire -- return not, but stay here
with Me."
And She remained with Him three days and three nights, and at the end of the third
night She took up His crown, and it became a circlet that She placed around Her
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neck, saying:
"Here is the circle of rebirth. Through You all passes out of life, but through Me
all may be born again. Everything passess; everything changes. Even death is not
eternal. Mine is the mystery of the womb, that is the cauldron of rebirth. Enter
into Me and know Me, and You will be free of all fear. For as life is but a journey
into death, so death is but a passage back to life, and in Me the circle is ever
turning."
In love, He entered into Her, and so was reborn into life. Yet is He known as Lord
of Shadows, the comforter and consoler, opener of the gates, King of the Land of
Youth, the giver of peace and rest. But She is the gracious mother of all life;
from Her all things proceed and to Her they return again. In Her are the mysteries
of death and birth; in Her is the fulfillment of all love.

*Traditional Craft Myth

A TRUE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT


updated through January 3, 1992. copyright (c) 1992 by Allen Greenfield. All
rights reserved.]
"The fact is that the instincts of ignorant people invariably find expression in
some form of witchcraft. It matters little what the metaphysician or the moralist
may inculcate; the animal sticks to his subconscious ideas..."
Aleister Crowley
The Confessions
"As attunement to psychic (occult) reality has grown in America, one often
misunderstood and secretive branch of it has begun to flourish also -- magical
religion..."
J. Gordon Melton
Institute for the Study of
American Religion, Green Egg, 1975
"Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!
With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of
Jesus as he hangs upon the cross
I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed &
blind him
With my claws I tear out the flesh of the
Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and
Din..."
Liber Al Vel Legis 3:50 - 53

"If you are on the Path, and see the Buddha walking towards you, kill him."
Zen saying, paraphrased slightly
"Previously I never thought of doubting that there were many witches in the world;
now, however, when I examine the public record, I find myself believing that there
are hardly any..."
Father Friedrich von Spee, S.J. , Cautio Criminalis, 1631

Having spent the day musing over the origins of the modern witchcraft, I had a
vivid dream. It seemed to be a cold January afternoon, and Aleister Crowley was
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having Gerald Gardner over to tea. It was 1945, and talk of an early end to the
war was in the air. An atmosphere of optimism prevailed in the "free world" , but
the wheezing old magus was having none of it.
"Nobody is interested in magick any more!" Crowley ejaculated. "My friends on the
Continent are dead or in exile, or grown old; the movement in America is in
shambles. I've seen my best candidates turn against me....Achad, Regardie -- even
that gentleman out in California, what's - his - name, AMORC, the one that made
all the money.."

"O, bosh, Crowley," Gardner waved his hand impatiently, "all things considered,
you've done pretty well for yourself. Why, you've been called the `wickedest man
in the world' and by more than a few. And you've not, if you'll pardon the
impertinence, done too badly with the ladies."
Crowley coughed, tugged on his pipe reflectively. "You know" he finally ventured,
"it's like I've been trying to tell this fellow Grant. A restrictive Order is not
enough. If I had it all to do over again, I would've built a religion for the
unwashed masses instead of just a secret society. Why, the opportunities! The
women!"
Gardner smiled. "Precisely. And that is what I have come to propose to you.
Take your BOOK OF THE LAW, your GNOSTIC MASS. Add a little razzle-dazzle for the
country folk. Why I know these occultists who call themselves `witches'. They
dance around fires naked, get drunk, have a good time. Rosicrucians, I think.
Proper English country squires and dames, mostly; I think they read a lot of
Frazier and Margaret Murray. If I could persuade you to draw on your long experience
and talents, in no time at all we could invent a popular cult that would have
beautiful ladies clamoring to let us strip them naked, tie them up and spank their
behinds! If, Mr. Crowley, you'll excuse my explicitness."
For all his infirmity, Aleister Crowley almost sprang to his feet, a little of the
old energy flashing through his loins. "By George, Gardner, you've got something
there, I should think! I could license you to initiate people into the O.T.O.
today, and you could form the nucleus of such a group!" He paced in agitation. "Yes,
yes," he mused, half to Gardner, half to himself. "The Book. The Mass. I could
write some rituals. An `ancient book' of magick. A `book of shadows'.
Priestesses, naked girls. Yes. By Jove, yes!"
Great story, but merely a dream , created out of bits and pieces of rumor, history
and imagination. Don't be surprised, though, if a year or five years from now you
read it as "gospel" (which is an ironic synonym for `truth') in some new learned
text on the fabled history of Wicca. Such is the way all mythologies come into
being.
Please don't misunderstand me here; I use the word `mythology' in this context in
its aboriginal meaning, and with considerable respect. History is more metaphor
than factual accounting at best, and there are myths by which we live and others
by which we die. Myths are the dreams and visions which parallel objective
history. This entire work is, in fact, an attempt to approximate history.
To arrive at some perspective on what the modern mythos called, variously,
"Wicca", the "Old Religion", "Witchcraft" and "Neopaganism" is, we must firstly
make a firm distinction; "witchcraft" in the popular informally defined sense may
have little to do with the modern religion that goes by the same name. It has been
argued by defenders of and formal apologists for modern Wicca that it is a direct
lineal descendent of an ancient, indeed, prehistoric worldwide folk religion.

Some proponents hedge their claims, calling Wicca a "revival" rather than a
continuation of an ancient cult. Oddly enough, there may never have been any such
cult! The first time I met someone who thought she was a "witch," she started
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going on about being a "blue of the cloak." I should've been warned right then and
there. In fact, as time has passed and the religion has spread, the claims of
lineal continuity have tended to be hedged more and more. Thus, we find Dr.
Gardner himself, in 1954, stating unambiguously that some witches are descendants
"... of a line of priests and priestesses of an old and probably Stone Age
religion, who have been initiated in a certain way (received into the circle) and
become the recipients of certain ancient learning." (Gardner, WITCHCRAFT TODAY, pp
33-34.)
Stated in its most extreme form, Wicca may be defined as an ancient pagan
religious system of beliefs and practices, with a form of apostolic succession
(that is, with knowledge and ordination handed on lineally from generation to
generation), a more or less consistent set of rites and myths, and even a secret
holy book of considerable antiquity (The Book of Shadows).

More recent writers, as we have noted, have hedged a good deal on these claims,
particularly the latter. Thus we find Stewart Farrar in 1971 musing on the
purported ancient text thusly: "Whether, therefore, the whole of the Book of
Shadows is post-1897 is anyone's guess. Mine is that, like the Bible, it is a
patchwork of periods and sources, and that since it is copied and re-copied by
hand, it includes amendments, additions, and stylistic alterations according to
the taste of a succession of copiers...Parts of it I sense to be genuinely old;
other parts suggest modern interpolation..." (Farrar, WHAT WITCHES DO, pp
34-35.)As we shall discover presently, there appear to be no genuinely old copies
of the Book of Shadows.
Still, as to the mythos, Farrar informs us that the "two personifications of
witchcraft are the Horned God and the Mother Goddess..." (ibid, p 29) and that the
"Horned God is not the Devil, and never has been. If today `Satanist' covens do
exist, they are not witches but a sick fringe, delayed-reaction victims of a
centuries-old Church propaganda in which even intelligent Christians no longer
believe." (ibid, p 32).
One could protest:, "Very well, some case might be made for the Horned God being
mistaken for the Christian Devil (or should that be the other way around?), but
what record, prior to the advent 50 years ago of modern Wicca via Gerald Gardner,
do we have of the survival of a mother goddess image from ancient times?"
Wiccan apologists frequently refer to the (apparently isolated) tenth century
church document which states that "some wicked women, perverted by the Devil,
seduced by the illusions and phantasms of demons, believe and profess themselves
in the hours of the night to ride upon certain beasts with Diana, the goddess of
pagans, or with Herodias, and an innumerable multitude of women, and in the
silence of the dead of night to traverse great spaces of earth, and to obey her
commands as of their mistress, and to be summoned to her service on certain
nights." (Quoted in Valiente, WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW, Hale, 1978, p 32.) I do not
doubt that bits of pagan folklore survived
on the Continent through the first millenium -- Northern Europe remained overtly
pagan until the High Middle Ages. But what has this to do with Wicca?

Farrar, for his part, explains the lack of references to a goddess in the
testimony at the infamous witch trials by asserting that "the judges ignored the
Goddess, being preoccupied with the Satan-image of the God.." (WHAT WITCHES DO, p
33). But it is the evidence of that reign of terror which lasted from roughly 1484
to 1692 which brings the whole idea of a surviving religious cult into question.
It is now the conventional wisdom on the witchburning mania which swept like a
plague over much of Europe during the transition from medieval world to modern
that it was JUST that; a mania, a delusion in the minds of Christian clergymen and
state authorities; that is, there were no witches, only the innocent victims of
the witch hunt.
Further, this humanist argument goes, the `witchcraft' of Satanic worship,
broomstick riding, of Sabbats and Devil-marks, was a rather late invention,
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borrowing but little from remaining memories of actual preChristian paganism. We
have seen a resurrection of this mania in the 1980s flurry over `Satanic
sacrificial' cults, with as little evidence.
"The concept of the heresy of witchcraft was frankly regarded as a new invention,
both by the theologians and by the public," writes Dr. Rossell Hope Robbins in THE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WITCHCRAFT & DEMONOLOGY, (Crown, 1959, p.9)"Having to hurdle an
early church law, the Canon Episcopi, which said in effect that belief in
witchcraft was superstitious and heretical, the inquisitors cavilled by arguing
that the witchcraft of the Canon Episcopi and the witchcraft of the Inquisition
were different..."
The evidence extracted under the most gruesome and repeated tortures resemble the
Wiccan religion of today in only the most cursory fashion. Though Wicca may have
been framed with the "confessions" extracted by victims of the inquisitors in
mind, those "confessions" --- which are more than suspect, to begin with, bespeak
a cult of devil worshipers dedicated to evil.
One need only read a few of the accounts of the time to realize that, had there
been at the time a religion of the Goddess and God, of seasonal circles and The
Book of Shadows, such would likely have been blurted out by the victims, and more
than once. The agonies of the accused were, almost literally, beyond the
imagination of those of us who have been fortunate enough to escape them.
The witch mania went perhaps unequaled in the annals of crimes against humanity
en masse until the Hitlerian brutality of our own century. But, no such confessions
were forthcoming, though the wretches accused, before the torture was done, would
also be compelled to condemn their own parents, spouses, loved ones, even children.
They confessed, and to anything the inquisitors wished, anything to stop or reduce
the pain.
A Priest, probably at risk to his own life, recorded testimony in the 1600s that
reflected the reality underlying the forced "confessions" of "witches". Rev. Michael
Stapirius records, for example, this comment from one "confessed witch": "I never
dreamed that by means of the torture a person could be brought to the point of
telling such lies as I have told. I am not a witch, and I have never seen the
devil, and still I had to plead guilty myself and denounce others...." All but one
copy of Father Stapirius' book were destroyed, and little wonder.
A letter smuggled from a German burgomaster, Johannes Junius, to his daughter in
1628, is as telling as it is painful even to read. His hands had been virtually
destroyed in the torture, and he wrote only with great agony and no hope. "When
at last the executioner led me back to the cell, he said to me, `Sir, I beg you,
for God's sake, confess something, whether it be true or not. Invent something,
for you cannot endure the torture which you will be put to; and, even if you bear
it all, yet you will not escape, not even if you were an earl, but one torture
will follow another until you say you are a witch. Not before that,' he said, `will
they let you go, as you may see by all their trials, for one is just like
another...' " (ibid, pp 12-13)
For the graspers at straws, we may find an occasional line in a "confession" which
is intriguing, as in the notations on the "confession" of one woman from Germany
dated in late 1637. After days of unspeakable torment, wherein the woman
confesses under pain, recants when the pain is removed, only to be moved by more
pain to confess again, she is asked: "How did she influence the weather? She does
not know what to say and can only whisper, Oh, Heavenly Queen, protect me!"
Was the victim calling upon "the goddess"? Or, as seems more likely, upon that
aforementioned transfiguration of all ancient goddesses in Christian mythology, the
Virgin Mary. One more quote from Dr. Robbins, and I will cease to parade late
medieval history before you.
It comes from yet another priest, Father Cornelius Loos, who observed, in 1592
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that "Wretched creatures are compelled by the severity of the torture to confess
things they have never done, and so by cruel butchery innocent lives are
taken....." (ibid, p 16). The "evidence" of the witch trials indicates, on the
whole, neither the Satanism the church and state would have us believe, nor the
pagan survivals now claimed by modern Wicca; rather, they suggest only fear,
greed, human brutality carried out to bizarre extremes that have few parallels in
all of history. But, the brutality is not that of `witches' nor even of `Satanists'
but rather that of the Christian Church, and the government.
What, then, are we to make of modern Wicca? It must, of course, be observed as an
aside that in a sense witchcraft or "wisecraft" has, indeed, been with us from the
dawn of time, not as a coherent religion or set of practices and beliefs, but as
the folk magic and medicine that stretches back to early, possibly paleolithic
tribal shamans on to modern China's so-called "barefoot doctors".

In another sense, we can also say that ceremonial magick, as I have previously
noted, has had a place in history for a very long time, and both these ancient
systems of belief and practice have intermingled in the lore of modern Wicca, as
apologists are quick to claim.

But, to an extent, this misses the point and skirts an essential question anyone
has the right to ask about modern Wicca -- namely, did Wicca exist as a coherent
creed, a distinct form of spiritual expression, prior to the 1940s; that is, prior
to the meeting of minds between the old magus and venerable prophet of the occult
world Aleister Crowley, and the first popularizer, if not outright inventor of
modern Wicca, Gerald Brosseau Gardner?
There is certainly no doubt that bits and pieces of ancient paganism survived
into modern times in folklore and, for that matter, in the very practices and
beliefs of Christianity.
Further, there appears to be some evidence that `Old George' Pickingill and
others were practicing some form of folk magick as early as the latter part of the
last century, though even this has recently been brought into question. Wiccan
writers have made much of this in the past, but just what `Old George' was into is
subject to much debate.
Doreen Valiente, an astute Wiccan writer and one-time intimate of the late Dr.
Gardner (and, in fact, the author of some rituals now thought by others to be of
"ancient origin"), says of Pickingill that so "fierce was `Old George's dislike of
Christianity that he would even collaborate with avowed Satanists..." (TOMORROW, p
20). What
George Pickingill was doing is simply not clear.

He is said to have had some interaction with a host of figures in the occult
revival of the late nineteenth century, including perhaps even Crowley and his
friend Bennett. It seems possible that Gardner, about the time of meeting Crowley,
had some involvement with groups stemming from Pickingill's earlier activities,
but it is only AFTER Crowley and Gardner meet that we begin to see anything
resembling the modern spiritual communion that has become known as Wicca.
"Witches," wrote Gardner in 1954, "are consummate leg-pullers; they are taught it
as part of their stock-in-trade." (WITCHCRAFT TODAY, p. 27) Modern apologists both
for Aleister Crowley AND Gerald Gardner have taken on such serious tones as well
aspretensions that they may be missing places where tongues are firmly jutting
against cheeks.

Both men were believers in fleshly fulfillment, not only as an end in itself but,
as in the Tantric Yoga of the East, as a means of spiritual attainment. A certain
prudishness has crept into the practices of postGardnarian Wiccans, especially in
America since the 1960s, along with a certain feminist revisionism. This has
succeeded to a considerable extent in converting a libertine sex cult into a rather
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staid neopuritanism.
The original Gardnarian current is still well enough known and widely enough in
vogue (in Britain and Ireland especially) that one can venture to assert that what
Gardnerian Wicca is all about is the same thing Crowley was attempting with a more
narrow, more intellectual constituency in the magickal orders under his direct
influence.
These Orders had flourished for some time, but by the time Crowley ` officially'
met Gardner in the 1940s, much of the former's lifelong efforts had, if not
totally disintegrated, at least were then operating at a diminished and diminishing
level.
Through his long and fascinating career as magus and organizer, there is some
reason to believe that Crowley periodically may have wished for, or even attempted
to create a more populist expression of magickal religion. The Gnostic Mass, which
Crowley wrote fairly early-on, had come since his death to somewhat fill this
function through the OTO-connected Gnostic Catholic Church (EGC).
As we shall see momentarily, one of Crowley's key followers was publishing
manifestos forecasting the revival of witchcraft at the same time Gardner was being
chartered by Crowley to organize an OTO encampment. The OTO itself, since
Crowley's time, has taken on a more popular image, and is more targeted towards
international organizational efforts, thanks largely to the work under the
Caliphate of the late Grady McMurtry. This contrasts sharply with the very
internalized OTO that barely survived during the McCarthy Era, when the late Karl
Germer was in charge, and the OTO turned inward for two decades.
The famous Ancient and Mystic Order of the Rose Cross (AMORC), the highly
successful mail-order spiritual fellowship, was an OTO offspring in Crowley's
time. It has been claimed that Kenneth Grant and Aleister Crowley were discussing
relatively radical changes in the Ordo Templi Orientis at approximately the same
time that Gardner and Crowley were interactive.
Though Wiccan writers give some lip service (and, no doubt, some sincere credence)
to the notion that the validity of Wiccan ideas depends not upon its lineage, but
rather upon its workability, the suggestion that Wicca is -- or, at least, started
out to be, essentially a late attempt at popularizing the secrets of ritual and
sexual magick Crowley promulgated through the OTO and his writings, seems to evoke
nervousness, if not hostility.
We hear from wiccan writer and leader Raymond Buckland that one "of the
suggestions made is that Aleister Crowley wrote the rituals...but no convincing
evidence has been presented to back this assertion and, to my mind, it seems
extremely unlikely..." (Gardner, ibid, introduction) The Wiccan rituals I have
seen DO have much of Crowley in them. Yet, as we shall observe presently, the
explanation that `Crowley wrote the rituals for Gardner' turns out to be somewhat
in error. But it is on the right track.
Doreen Valiente attempts to invoke Crowley's alleged infirmity at the time of his
acquaintance with Gardner:
"It has been stated by Francis King in his RITUAL MAGIC IN ENGLAND that Aleister
Crowley was paid by Gerald Gardner to write the rituals of Gardner's new witch
cult...Now, Gerald Gardner never met Aleister Crowley until the very last years of
the latter's life, when he was a feeble old man living at a private hotel in
Hastings, being kept alive by injections of drugs... If, therefore, Crowley really
invented these rituals in their entirety, they must be about the last thing he ever
wrote. Was this enfeebled and practically dying man really capable of such a tour
de force?"
The answer, as Dr. Israel Regardie's introduction to the posthumous collection
of Crowley's late letters, MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS, implies, would seem to be yes.
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Crowley continued to produce extraordinary material almost to the end of his life,
and much of what I have seen of the "Wiccan Crowley" is, in any case, of earlier
origin.
Gerald Gardner is himself not altogether silent on the subject. In WITCHCRAFT
TODAY (p 47), Gardner asks himself, with what degree of irony one can only guess
at, who, in modern times, could have invented the Wiccan rituals. "The only man I
can think of who could have invented the rites," he offers, "was the late Aleister
Crowley....possibly he borrowed things from the cult writings, or more likely
someone may have borrowed expressions from him...." A few legs may be being pulled
here, and perhaps more than a few. As a prophet ahead of his time, as a poet and
dreamer, Crowley is one of the outstanding figures of the twentieth (or any)
century. As an organizer, he was almost as much of a disaster as he was at
managing his own finances...and personal life. As I understand the liberatory
nature of the magical path, one would do well to see the difference between
Crowley the prophet of Thelema and Crowley the insolvent and inept administrator.
Crowley very much lacked the common touch; Gardner was above all things a
popularizer. Both men have been reviled as lecherous "dirty old men" -- Crowley,
as a seducer of women and a homosexual, a drug addict and `satanist' rolled
together.
Gardner was, they would have it, a voyeur, exhibitionist and bondage freak with a
`penchant for ritual' to borrow a line from THE STORY OF O. Both were, in reality,
spiritual libertines, ceremonial magicians who did not shy away from the awesome
force of human sexuality and its potential for spiritual transformation as well as
physical gratification.
I will not say with finality at this point whether Wicca is an outright invention
of these two divine con-men. If so, more power to them, and to those who truly
follow in their path. I do know that, around 1945, Crowley chartered Gardner, an
initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis, giving him license to organize an OTO
encampment.
Shortly thereafter, the public face of Wicca came into view, and that is what I
know of the matter: I presently have in my possession Gardner's certificate of
license to organize said OTO camp, signed and sealed by Aleister Crowley. The
certificate and its import are examined in connection with my personal search for
the original Book of Shadows in the next section of this narrative.

For now, though, let us note in the years since Crowley licensed Gardner to
organize a magical encampment, Wicca has both grown in popularity and become, to
my mind, something far less REAL than either Gardner or Crowley could have wanted
or foreseen. Wherever they came from, the rites and practices which came from or
through Gerald Gardner were strong, and tapped into that archetypal reality, that
level of consciousness beneath the mask of polite society and conventional wisdom
which is the function of True Magick.
At a popular level, this was the Tantric sex magick of the West. Whether this
primordial access has been lost to us will depend on the awareness, the awakening or
lack thereof among practitioners of the near to middle-near future. Carried to
its end Gardnerian practices, like Crowley's magick, are not merely exotic; they
are, in the truest sense, subversive.

Practices that WORK are of value, whether they are two years old or two thousand.
Practices, myths, institutions and obligations which, on the other hand, may be
infinitely ancient are of no value at all UNLESS they work.
The Devil, you say
Before we move on, though, in light of the furor over real and imagined
"Satanism" that has overtaken parts of the popular press in recent years, I would
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feel a bit remiss in this account if I did not take momentary note of that other
strain of left-handed occult mythology, Satanism. Wiccans are correct when they
say that modern Wicca is not Satanic, that Satanism is "reverse Christianity"
whereas Wicca is a separate, nonChristian religion.

Still, it should be noted, so much of our society has been grounded in the
repressiveness and authoritarian moralism of Christianity that a liberal dose of
"counterChristianity" is to be expected. The Pat Robertsons of the world make
possible the Anton LeVays. In the long history of repressive religion, a certain
fable of Satanism has arisen. It constitutes a mythos of its own. No doubt,
misguided `copycat' fanatics have sometimes misused this mythos, in much the same
way that Charles Manson misused the music and culture of the 1960s.
True occult initiates have always regarded the Ultimate Reality as beyong all
names and description. Named `deities' are, therefore, largely symbols. "Isis" is
a symbol of the long-denied female component of deity to some occultists. "Pan" or
"The Horned God" or "Set" or even "Satan" are symbols of unconscious, repressed
sexuality. To the occultist, there is no Devil, no "god of evil." There is,
ultimately, only the Ain Sof Aur of the Cabbalah; the limitless light of which we
are but a frozen spark. Evil, in this system, is the mere absence of light. All
else is illusion.

The goal of the occult path of initiation is BALANCE. In Freemasonry and High
Magick, the symbols of the White Pillar and Black Pillar represent this balance
between conscious and unconscious forces.

In Gardnarian Wicca, the Goddess and Horned God - and the Priestess and Priest,
represent that balance. There is nothing, nothing of pacts with the "Devil" or the
worship of evil in any of this; that belongs to misguided exChristians who have
been given the absurd fundamentalist Sunday school notion that one must choose the
Christian version of God, or choose the Devil. Islam, Judaism and even
Catholicism have at one time or another been thought "satanic," and occultists have
merely played on this bigoted symbolism, not subscribed to it.
As we have seen, Wicca since Gardner's time has been watered down in many of its
expressions into a kind of mushy white-light `new age' religion, with far less of
the strong sexuality characteristic of Gardnerianism, though, also, sometimes with
less pretense as well.

In any event, Satanism has popped up now and again through much of the history
of the Christian Church. The medieval witches were not likely to have been
Satanists, as the Church would have it, but, as we have seen, neither were they
likely to have been "witches" in the Wiccan sense, either.
The Hellfire Clubs of the eighteenth century were Satanic, and groups like the
Process Church of the Final Judgement do, indeed, have Satanic elements in their
(one should remember) essentially Christian theology.
Aleister Crowley, ever theatrical, was prone to use Satanic symbolism in much the
same way, tongue jutting in cheek, as he was given to saying that he " sacrificed
millions of children each year, " that is, that he masturbated. Crowley once
called a press conference at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, where he announced
that he was burning his British Passport to protest Britain's involvement in World
War One. He tossed an empty envelope into the water. He was dead serious, though,
about the "Satanism" of Miltonian eternal rebellion, and the "Satanism" of
fundamentalism's dark fear of sexuality. The Devil, however; the Satanic "god of
evil" was an absurdity to him, as to all thinking people, and he freely said so.
The most popular form of "counterChristianity" to emerge in modern times,
though, was Anton Szandor LaVey's San Francisco-based Church of Satan, founded
April 30, 1966. LaVey's Church enjoyed an initial burst of press interest, grew to
a substantial size, and appeared to maintain itself during the cultural drought of
the 1970s. But LaVey's books, THE SATANIC BIBLE and THE SATANIC RITUALS, have
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remained in print for many years, and his ideas seem to be enjoying a renewal of
interest, especially among younger people, punks and heavy metal fans with a
death-wish mostly, beginning in the middle years of the 1980s. By that time the
Church of Satan had been largely succeeded by the Temple of Set. This is pure
theatre; more in the nature of psychotherapy than religion.
It is interesting to note Francis King's observation that before the Church of
Satan began LaVey was involved in an occult group which included, among others,
underground film maker Kenneth Anger, a person well known in Crowlean circles. Of
the rites of the Church of Satan, King states that "...most of its teachings and
magical techniques were somewhat vulgarized versions of those of Aleister
Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis." (MAN MYTH AND MAGIC, p 3204.) To which we might
add that, as with the OTO, the rites of the Church of Satan are manifestly potent,
but hardly criminal or murderous.

LaVey, like Gardner and unlike Crowley, appears to have "the common touch" --
perhaps rather more so than Gardner.

I determined to trace the Wiccan rumor to its source. As we shall see, in the very
year I "fell" into being a gnostic bishop, I also fell into the original charters,
rituals and paraphernalia of Wicca.

THE CHARTER AND THE BOOK

Being A Radical Revisionist History of the Origins of the Modern Witch Cult and
The Book of Shadows.

"It was one of the secret doctrines of paganism that the Sun was the
source, not only of light, but of life...The invasion of classical beliefs by the
religions of Syria and Egypt which were principally solar, gradually affected the
conception of Apollo, and there is a certain later identification of him with the
suffering God of Christianity, Free - masonry and similar cults..."
Aleister Crowley in Astrology, 1974

"...if GBG and Crowley only knew each other for a short year or two, do you think
that would be long enough for them to become such good friends that gifts of
personal value would be exchanged several times, and that GBG would have been able
to aquire the vast majority of Crowley's effects after his death?"
Merlin the Enchanter, personal letter, 1986
"...On the floor before the altar, he remembers a sword with a flat cruciform
brass hilt, and a well-worn manuscript book of rituals - the hereditary Book of
Shadows, which he will have to copy out for himself in the days to come..."
Stewart Farrar in What Witches Do, 1971

"Actually I did write a scholarly book about the Craft; its title was Inventing
Witchcraft. . . But I spent most of the last fifteen years failing to persuade Carl
Weschcke of Llewellyn or any other publisher that there was a market for it."
Aidan A. Kelly, Gnosis, Winter, 1992
"...the Gardnerian Book of Shadows is one of the key factors in what has become a
far bigger and more significant movement than Gardner can have envisaged; so
historical interest alone would be enough reason for defining it while first-hand
evidence is still available..."

Janet and Stewart Farrar in


The Witches' Way, 1984
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"It has been alleged that a Book of Shadows in Crowley's handwriting was formerly
exhibited in Gerald's Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man. I can only say I
never saw this on either of the two occasions when I stayed with Gerald and Donna
Gardner on the island. The large, handwritten book depicted in Witchcraft Today
is not in Crowley's handwriting, but Gerald's..."
Doreen Valiente in
Witchcraft for Tomorrow, 1978

"Aidan Kelly...labels the entire Wiccan revival `Gardnerian Witchcraft....' The


reasoning and speculation in Aidan's book are intricate. Briefly, his main
argument depends on his discovery of one of Gardner's working notebooks, Ye Book
of Ye Art Magical, which is in possession of Ripley International, Ltd...."
Margot Adler in
Drawing Down the Moon, 1979

PART ONE
WAITING FOR THE MAN FROM CANADA

I was, for the third time in four years, waiting a bit nervously for the Canadian
executive with the original Book of Shadows in the ramshackle office of Ripley's
Believe It or Not Museum.
"They're at the jail," a smiling secretary-type explained, "but we've called them
and they should be back over here to see you in just a few minutes."

The jail? Ah, St. Augustine, Florida. "The Old Jail," was the `nation's oldest
city's' second most tasteless tourist trap, complete with cage-type cells and a
mock gallows. For a moment I allowed myself to play in my head with the vision of
Norm Deska, Ripley Operations Vice President and John Turner, the General Manager
of Ripley's local operation and the guy who'd bought the Gerald Gardner collection
from Gardner's niece, Monique Wilson, sitting in the slammer. But no, Turner
apparently had just been showing Deska the town. I straightened my suit for the
fiftieth time, and suppressed the comment. We were talking BIG history here, and
big bucks, too. I gulped. The original Book of Shadows. Maybe.

It had started years before. One of the last people in America to be a fan of
carnival sideshows, I was anxious to take another opportunity to go through the
almost archetypally seedy old home that housed the original Ripley's Museum.
I had known that Ripley had, in the nineteen seventies, acquired the Gardner
stuff, but as far as I knew it was all located at their Tennessee resort museum. I
think I'd heard they'd closed it down. By then, the social liberalism of the early
seventies was over, and witchcraft and sorcery were no longer in keeping with a
`family style' museum. It featured a man with a candle in his head, a Tantric skull
drinking cup and freak show stuff like that, but, I mean, witchcraft is
sacrilegious, as we all know.
So, I was a bit surprised, when I discovered some of the Gardner stuff - including
an important historical document, for sale in the gift shop, in a case just
opposite the little alligators that have "St.Augustine, Florida - America's Oldest
City" stickered on their plastic bellies for the folks back home to use as a
paper-weight. The pricetags on the occult stuff, however, were way out of my
range.
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Back again, three years later, and I decided, what the hell, so I asked the
cashier about the stuff still gathering dust in the glass case, and it was like I'd
pushed some kind of button.
Out comes Mr. Turner, the manager, who whisks us off to a store room which is
filled, FILLED, I tell you, with parts of the Gardner collection, much of it, if not
"for sale" as such, at least available for negotiation. Turner told us about
acquiring the collection when he was manager of Ripley's Blackpool operation, how
it had gone over well in the U.S. at first, but had lost popularity and was now
relegated for the most part to storage status.
Visions of sugarplums danced in my head. There were many treasures here, but the
biggest plum of all, I thought, was not surprisingly, not to be seen.
I'd heard all kinds of rumors about the Book of Shadows over the years, many of
them conflicting, all of them intriguing. Rumor #1, of course, is that which
accompanied the birth (or, depending on how one looked at it, the revival) of
modern Wicca, the contemporary successor of ancient fertility cults.
It revolved around elemental rituals, secret rites of passage and a mythos of
goddess and god that seemed attractive to me as a psychologically valid
alternative to the austere, antisexual moralism of Christianity. The Book of
Shadows, in this context, was the `holy book' of Wicca, copied out by hand by new
initiates of the cult with a history stretching back at least to the era of
witchburnings.
Rumor number #2, which I had tended to credit, had it that Gerald Gardner, the
`father of modern Wicca' had paid Aleister Crowley in his final years to write the
Book of Shadows, perhaps whole cloth. The rumor's chief exponent was the
respected historian of the occult, Francis King.
Rumor #3 had it that Gardner had written the Book himself, which others had since
copied and/or stolen.
To the contrary, said rumor #4, Gardner's Museum had contained an old, even
ancient copy of the Book of Shadows, proving its antiquity.
In more recent years modern Wiccans have tended to put some distance between
themselves and Gardner, just as Gardner, for complex reasons, tended to distance
himself in the early years of Wicca (circa 1944-1954) from the blatant sexual
magick of Aleister Crowley, "the wickedest man in the world" by some accounts, and
from Crowley's organization, the Ordo Templi Orientis. Why Gardner chose to do
this is speculative, but I've got some idea. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
While Turner showed me a blasphemous cross shaped from the body of two nude women
(created for the 18th century infamous "Hellfire Clubs" in England and depicted in
the MAN MYTH AND MAGIC encyclopedia; I bought it, of course) and a statue of
Beelzebub from the dusty Garderian archives, a thought occurred to me. " You
know," I suggested, "if you ever, in all this stuff, happen across a copy of The
Book of Shadows in the handwriting of Aleister Crowley, it would be of considerable
historical value."
I understated the case. It would be like finding The Book of Mormon in Joseph
Smith's hand, or finding the original Ten Commandments written not by God Himself,
but by Moses, pure and simple. (Better still, eleven commandments, with a margin
note, "first draft.") I didn't really expect anything to come of it, and in the
months ahead, it didn't.
In the meantime, I had managed to acquire the interesting document I first mistook
for Gerald Gardner's (long acknowledged) initiation certificate into Crowley's
Thelemic magickal Ordo Templi Orientis. To my eventual surprise, I discovered
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that, not only was this not a simple initiation certificate for the Minerval
(probationary-lowest) degree, but, to the contrary, was a license for Gardner to
begin his own chapter of the O.T.O., and to initiate members into the O.T.O.
In the document, furthermore, Gardner is referred to as "Prince
of Jerusalem," that is, he is acknowledged to be a Fourth Degree
Perfect Initiate in the Order. This, needless to say would usually imply years of
dedicated training. Though Gardner had claimed Fourth Degree O.T.O. status as
early as publication of High Magic's Aid,(and claimed even higher status in one
edition) this runs somewhat contrary to both generally held Wiccan and contemporary
O.T.O. orthodox understandings that the O.T.O. was then fallow in England.
At the time the document was written, most maintained, Gardner could have known
Crowley for only a brief period, and was not himself deeply involved in the O.T.O.
The document is undated but probably was drawn up around 1945.
As I said, it is understood that no viable chapter of the O.T.O. was supposed to
exist in England at that time; the sole active chapter was in California, and is
the direct antecedent of the contemporary authentic Ordo Templi Orientis. Karl
Germer, Crowley's immediate successor, had barely escaped death in a Concentartion
Camp during the War, his mere association with Crowley being tantamount to a death
sentence.
The German OTO had been largely destroyed by the Nazis, along with other
freemasonic organizations, and Crowley himself was in declining health and power,
the English OTO virtually dead.
The Charter also displayed other irregularities of a revealing nature. Though
the signature and seals are certainly those of Crowley, the text is in the
decorative hand of Gerald Gardner! The complete text reads as follows:
Do what thou wilt shall be the law. We
Baphomet X Degree Ordo Templi Orientis
Sovereign Grand Master General of All
English speaking countries of the Earth
do hereby authorise our Beloved Son Scire
(Dr.G,B,Gardner,) Prince of Jerusalem
to constitute a camp of the Ordo Templi
Orientis, in the degree Minerval.

Love is the Law,


Love under will.
o
Witness my hand and seal Baphomet X

Leaving aside the misquotation from The Book of the Law, which got by me for some
months and probably got by Crowley when it was presented to him for signature, the
document is probably authentic. It hung for some time in Gardner's museum,
possibly giving rise, as we shall see, to the rumor that Crowley wrote the Book of
Shadows for Gardner. According to Doreen Valiente,and to Col. Lawrence as well,
the museum's descriptive pamphlet says of this document:
"The collection includes a Charter granted by Aleister Crowley to G.B. Gardner
(the Director of this Museum) to operate a Lodge of Crowley's fraternity, the Ordo
Templi Orientis. (The Director would like to point out, however, that he has never
used this Charter and has no intention of doing so, although to the best of his
belief he is the only person in Britain possessing such a Charter from Crowley
himself; Crowley was a personal friend of his, and gave him the Charter because he
liked him."
Col. Lawrence ("Merlin the Enchanter"), in a letter to me dated 6 December, 1986,
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adds that this appeared in Gardner's booklet, The Museum of Magic and Witchcraft.
The explanation for the curious wording of the text, taking, as Dr. Gardner does,
great pains to distance himself from Crowley and the OTO, may be hinted at in that
the booklet suggests that this display in the "new upper gallery" (page 24) was
put out at a relatively late date when, as we shall discover, Gardner was making
himself answerable to the demands of the new witch cult and not the long-dead
Crowley and (then) relatively moribund OTO.
Now, the "my friend Aleister" ploy might explain the whole thing. Perhaps, as some
including Ms. Valiente believe, Aleister Crowley was desperate in his last years to
hand on what he saw as his legacy to someone. He recklessly handed out his
literary estate, perhaps gave contradictory instruction to various of his
remaining few devotees (e.g. Kenneth Grant, Grady McMurtry, Karl Germer), and may
have given Gardner an "accelerated advancement" in his order.

Ms. Valiente, a devoted Wiccan who is also a dedicated seeker after the historical
truth, mentions also the claim made by the late Gerald Yorke to her that Gardner
had paid Crowley a substantial sum for the document. In a letter to me dated 28th
August, 1986, Ms. Valiente tells of a meeting with Yorke "...in London many years
ago and mentioned Gerald's O.T.O. Charter to him, whereon he told me, `Well, you
know, Gerald Gardner paid old Crowley about ($1500) or so for that...' This may or
may not be correct..." Money or friendship may explain the Charter. Still, one
wonders.
I have a Thelemic acquaintance who, having advanced well along the path of
Kenneth Grant's version of the OTO, went back to square one with the unquestionably
authentic Grady McMurtry OTO. Over a period of years of substantial effort, he
made his way to the IVo `plus' status implied by Gardner's "Prince of Jerusalem"
designation in the charter, and has since gone beyond.

I am, myself, a Vo member of the OTO, as well as a chartered initiator, and can
tell you from experience that becoming a Companion of the Royal Arch of Enoch,
Perfect Initiate, Prince of Jerusalem and Chartered Initiator is a long and
arduous task.
Gardner was in the habit, after the public career of Wicca emerged in the 1950s,
of downgrading any Crowleyite associations out of his past, and, as Janet and
Stewart Farrar reveal in The Witches' Way (1984, p3) there are three distinct
versions of the Book of Shadows in Gerald Gardner's handwriting which incorporate
successively less material from Crowley's writings, though the last (termed "Text
C" and cowritten with Doreen Valiente after 1953) is still heavily influenced by
Crowley and the OTO.
Ms. Valiente has recently uncovered a copy of an old occult magazine contemporary
with High Magic's Aid and from the same publisher, which discusses an ancient
Indian document called "The Book of Shadows" but apparently totally unrelated to
the Wiccan book of the same name. Valiente acknowledges that the earliest text by
Gardner known to her was untitled, though she refers to it as a "Book of Shadows."
It seems suspicious timing; did Gardner take the title from his publisher's
magazine? Ms. Valiente observed to me that the "...eastern Book of Shadows does not
seem to have anything to do with witch-craft at all....is this where old Gerald
first found the expression "The Book of Shadows" and adopted it as a more poetical
name for a magical manuscript than, say `The Grimoire' or `The Black Book'....I
don't profess to know the answer; but I doubt if this is mere coincidence...."
The claim is frequently made by those who wish to `salvage' a preGardnarian source
of Wiccan materials that there is a `core' of `authentic' materials. But, as the
Farrars' recently asserted, the portions of the Book of Shadows "..which changed
least between Texts A, B and C were naturally the three initiation rituals; because
these, above all, would be the traditional elements which would have been
carefully preserved, probably for centuries...." (emphasis added)

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But what does one mean by "traditional materials?" The three initiation rites, now
much-described in print, all smack heavily of the crypto-freemasonic ritual of the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the OTO, and the various esoteric
neorosicrucian groups that abounded in Britain from about 1885 on, and which were,
it is widely known, the fountainhead of much that is associated with Gardner's
friend Crowley.
The Third Degree ritual, perhaps Wicca's ultimate rite, is, essentially, a
nonsymbolic Gnostic Mass, that beautiful, evocative, erotic and esoteric ritual
written and published by Crowley in the Equinox, after attending a Russian
Orthodox Mass in the early part of this century. The Gnostic Mass has had
far-reaching influence, and it would appear that the Wiccan Third Degree is one of
the most blatant examples of that influence.
Take, for example, this excerpt from what is perhaps the most intimate, most
secret and most sublime moment in the entire repertoire of Wicca rituals, the
nonsymbolic (that is, overtly sexual) Great Rite of the Third Degree initiation,
as related by Janet and Stewart Farrar in The Witches' Way (p.34):

The Priest continues:


`O Secret of Secrets, That art hidden in the being of all lives, Not thee do we
adore, For that which adoreth is also thou. Thou art That, and That am I. [Kiss] I
am the flame that burns in the heart of every man, And in the core of every star. I
am life, and the giver of life. Yet therefore is the knowledge of me the knowledge
of death. I am alone, the Lord within ourselves, Whose name is Mystery of
Mysteries.'
Let us be unambiguous as to the importance in Wicca of this ritual; as the
Farrars'put it (p.31) "Third degree initiation elevates a witch to the highest of
the three grades of the Craft. In a sense,a third-degree witch is fully
independent, answerable only to the Gods and his or her own conscience..." In
short, in a manner of speaking this is all that Wicca can offer a devotee.
With this in mind, observe the following, from Aleister Crowley's Gnostic Mass,
first published in The Equinox about 80 years ago and routinely performed (albeit
,usually in symbolic form) by me and by many other Bishops, Priests, Priestesses
and Deacons in the OTO and Ecclesia Gnostica (EGC) today. The following is
excerpted from Gems From the Equinox, p. 372, but is widely available in published
form:
The Priest. O secret of secrets that art hidden in the being of all that lives,
not Thee do we adore, for that which adoreth is also Thou. Thou art That, and That
am I. I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every
star. I am Life, and the giver of Life; yet therefore is the knowledge of me the
knowledge of death. I am alone; there is no God where I am.
So, then, where, apart from the Thelemic tradition of Crowley and the OTO, is
the "traditional material" some Wiccan writers seem to seek with near desperation?
I am not trying to be sarcastic in the least, but even commonplace self -
references used among Wiccans today, such as "the Craft" or the refrain "so mote
it be"are lifted straight out of Freemasonry (see, for example, Duncan's Ritual of
Freemasonry). And, as Doreen Valiente notes in her letter to me mentioned before,
"...of course old Gerald was also a member of the Co-Masons, and an ordinary
Freemason..." as well as an OTO member.
PART TWO
THE REAL ORIGIN OF WICCA

We must dismiss with some respect the assertion, put forth by Margot Adler and
others, that "Wicca no longer adheres to the orthodox mythos of the Book of
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Shadows."
Many, if not most of those who have been drawn to Wicca in the last three decades
came to it under the spell (if I may so term it) of the legend of ancient Wicca.
If that legend is false, then while reformists and revisionist apologists
(particularly the peculiar hybrid spawned in the late sixties under the name
"feminist Wicca") may seek other valid grounds for their practices, we at least
owe it to those who have operated under a misapprehension to explain the truth,
and let the chips fall where they may.

I believe there is a core of valid experience falling under the Wiccan-neopagan


heading, but that that core is the same essential core that lies at the truths
exposed by the dreaded boogy-man Aleister Crowley and the` wicked' pansexualism of
Crowley's Law of Thelema. That such roots would be not just uncomfortable, but
intolerable to the orthodox traditionalists among the Wiccans, but even more so
among the hybrid feminist "wiccans" may indeed be an understatement.
Neopaganism, in a now archaic "hippie" misreading of ecology, mistakes responsible
stewardship of nature for nature worship. Ancient pagans did not `worship' nature;
to a large extent they were afraid of it, as has been pointed out to me by folk
practioners. Their "nature rites" were to propitiate the caprice of the gods, not
necessarily to honor them. The first neopagan revivalists, Gardner, Crowley and
Dr. Murray, well understood this. Neopagan wiccans usually do not.

In introducing a "goddess element" into their theology, Crowley


and Gardner both understood the yin/yang, male/female fundamental polarity of the
universe. Radical feminist neopagans have taken this balance and altered it,
however unintentionally, into a political feminist agenda, centered around a
near-monotheistic worship of the female principle, in a bizarre caricature of
patriarchal Christianity. Bigotry, I submit, cuts both ways.
I do not say these things lightly; I have seen it happen in my own time. IF this
be truth, let truth name its own price. I was not sure, until Norm and John got
back from the Old Jail.
A couple of months earlier, scant days after hearing that I was to become a
gnostic bishop and thus an heir to a corner of Crowley's legacy, I had punched on
my answering machine, and there was the unexpected voice of John Turner saying that
he had located what seemed to be the original Book of Shadows in an inventory
list, locating it at Ripley's office in Toronto.
He said he didn't think they would sell it as an individual item, but he gave me
the name of a top official in the Ripley organization, who I promptly contacted. I
eventually made a substantial offer for the book, sight unseen, figuring there was
(at the least) a likelihood I'd be able to turn the story into a book and get my
money back out of it, to say nothing of the historical import.
But, as I researched the matter, I became more wary, and confused; Gardner's
texts "A" "B" and "C" all seemed to be accounted for. Possibly, I began to
suspect, this was either a duplicate of the "deThelemized" post1954 version with
segments written by Gardner and Valiente and copied and recopied (as well as
distorted) from hand to hand since by Wiccans the world over.
Maybe, I mused, Valiente had one copy and Gardner another, the latter sold to
Ripley with the Collection. Or, perhaps it was the curious notebook discovered by
Aidan Kelly in the Ripley files called Ye Book of Ye Art Magical, the meaning of
which was unclear.
While I was chatting with Ms.Deska, Norm returned from his mission, we introduced
in best businesslike fashion, and he told me he'd get the book, whatever it might
be, from the vault.

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The vault?! I sat there thinking god knows what . Recently, I'd gotten a call from
Toronto, and it seems the Ripley folks wanted me to take a look at what they had. I
had made a considerable offer, and at that point I figured I'd had at least a
nibble. As it so happened Norm would be visiting on a routine inspection visit,
so it was arranged he would bring the manuscript with him.
Almost from the minute he placed it in front of me, things began to make some kind
of sense. Clearly, this was Ye Book of Ye Art Magical. Just as clearly, it was
an unusual piece, written largely in the same hand as the Crowley Charter- that
is, the hand of Gerald Gardner. Of this I became certain, because I had handwriting
samples of Gardner, Valiente and Crowley in my possession. Ms. Valiente had been
mindful of this when she wrote me, on August 8th, 1986:
I have deliberately chosen to write you in longhand, rather than send a
typewritten reply, so that you will have something by which to judge the validity
of the claim you tell me is being made by the Ripley organisation to have a copy
of a "Book of Shadows" in Gerald Gardner's handwriting and mine. If this is..."Ye
Book of Ye Art Magical," ....this is definitely in Gerald Gardner's handwriting.
Old Gerald, however, had several styles of handwriting....I think it is probable
that the whole MS. was in fact written by Gerald, and no other person was
involved; but of course I may be wrong....

At first glance it appeared to be a very old book, and it suggested to me where


the rumors that a very old, possibly medieval Book of Shadows had once been on
display in Gardner's Museum had emerged from.
Any casual onlooker might see Ye Book in this light, for the cover was indeed
that of an old volume, with the original title scratched out crudely on the side
and a new title tooled into the leather cover. The original was some mundane
volume, on Asian knives or something, but the inside pages had been removed, and a
kind of notebook -- almost a journal -- had been substituted.
As far as I could see, no dates appear anywhere in the book. It is written in
several different handwriting styles, although, as noted above, Doreen Valiente
assured me that Gardner was apt to use several styles. I had the distinct
impression this "notebook" had been written over a considerable period of time,
perhaps years, perhaps even decades. It may, indeed, date from his days in the
1930s when he linked up with a neorosicrucuian grouping that could have included
among its members the legendary Dorothy Clutterbuck, who set Gardner on the path
which led to Wicca.
Thinking on it, what emerges from Ye Book of Ye Art Magical is a developmental set
of ideas. Much of it is straight out of Crowley, but it is clearly the published
Crowley, the old magus of the Golden Dawn, the A.A., and the O.T.O.

Somewhere along the line it hit me that I was not exactly looking at the
"original Book of Shadows" but, perhaps, the outline Gardner prepared over a long
period of time, apparently in secret (since Valiente, a relatively early initiate of
Gardner's, never heard of it nor saw it, according to her own account, until
recent years, about the time Aidan Kelly unearthed it in the Ripley collection
long after Gardner's death).
Dr. Gardner kept many odd notebooks and scrapbooks that perhaps would reveal much
about his character and motivations. Turner showed me a Gardner scrapbook in
Ripley's store room which was mostly cheesecake magazine photographs and articles
about actresses. Probably none are so evocative as Ye Book of Ye Art Magical,
discovered,it has been intimated,hidden away in the back of an old sofa.

I have the impression it was essentially unknown in and after Gardner's lifetime,
and that by the Summer of 1986 few had seen inside it; I knew of only Kelly and my
own party. Perhaps the cover had been seen by some along the line, accounting for
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the rumor of a "very old Book of Shadows" in Gardner's Museum.
If someone had seen the charter signed by Crowley ("Baphomet") but written by
Gerald Gardner, and had gotten a look, as well, at Ye Book, they might well have
concluded that Crowley had written BOTH, an honest error, but maybe the source of
that long-standing accusation. There is even a notation in the Ripley catalog
attributing the manuscript to Crowley on someone's say-so, but I have no
indication Ripley has any other such book. Finally, if the notebook is a sourcebook
of any religious system, it is not that of medieval witchcraft, but the twentieth
century madness or sanity or both of the infamous magus Aleister Crowley and the
Thelemic/Gnostic creed of The Book of the Law.
As I sat there I read aloud familiar quotations or paraphrases from published
material in the Crowley-Thelemic canon. This is not the "ancient religion of the
Wise" but the modern sayings of " the Beast 666 " as Crowley was wont to style
himself.
But, does any of this invalidate Wicca as an expression of human spirituality? It
depends on where one is coming from. Certainly, the foundations of feminist Wicca
and the modern cult of the goddess are challenged with the fact that the goddess in
question may be Nuit, her manifestation the sworn whore, Our Lady Babalon, the
Scarlet Woman. Transform what you will shall be the whole of history, but THIS
makes what Marx did to Hegel look like slavish devotion.
What Crowley himself said of this kind of witchcraft is not merely instructive, but
an afront to the conceits of an era.
"The belief in witchcraft," he observed, " was not all superstition; its
psychological roots were sound. Women who are thwarted in their natural instincts
turn inevitably to all kinds of malignant mischief, from slander to domestic
destruction..."

For the rest of us, those who neither worship nor are disdainful of the man who
made sexuality a god or, at least, acknowledged it as such, experience must be its
own teacher. If Wicca is a sort of errant Minerval Camp of the OTO, gone far astray
and far afield since the days Crowley gave Gardner a charter he "didn't use" but
seemed to value, and a whole range of rituals and imagery that assault the senses
at their most literally fundamental level; if this is true or sort of true, maybe
its time history be owned up to. Mythos has its place and role, but so, too, does
reality.
PART THREE
WICCA AS AN OTO ENCAMPMENT

The question of intent looms large in the background of this inquiry. If I had to
guess, I would venture that Gerald Gardner did, in fact, invent Wicca more or less
whole cloth, to be a popularized version of the OTO. Crowley, or his successor
Karl Germer, who also knew Dr. Gardner, likely set "old Gerald" on what they
intended to be a Thelemic path, aimed at reestablishing at least a basic OTO
encampment in England.

Aiden Kelly's research work on all this is most impressive, but at rock bottom I
can't help feeling he still wants to salvage something original in Wicca. In a way,
there is some justification for this; the Wicca of Gerald Gardner, OTO initiate and
advocate of sexual magick produced a folksy, easier version of the OTO, but by the
middle nineteen fifties some of his early "followers" not only created a revisionist
Wicca with relatively little of the Thelemic original intact, but convinced Gardner
to go along with the changes.

It is also possible, but yet unproven, that, upon expelling Kenneth Grant from the
OTO in England, Germer, in the early 1950s, summoned Gardner to America to
interview him as a candidate for leading the British OTO. Gardner, it is
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confirmed, came to America, but by then Wicca, and Dr. Gardner had begun to take
their own, watered-down course. Today most Wiccans have no idea of their origins.
Let me close this section by quoting two interesting tidbits for your
consideration.
First consider Doreen Valiente's observation to me concerning "the Parsons
connection". I quote from her letter abovementioned, one of several she was kind
enough to send me in 1986 in connection with my research into this matter.

...I did know about the existence of the O.T.O. Chapter in California at the time
of Crowley's death, because I believe his ashes were sent over to them. He was
cremated here in Brighton, you know, much to the scandal of the local authorities,
who objected to the `pagan funeral service.' If you are referring to the group of
which Jack Parsons was a member (along with the egregious Mr. L. Ron Hubbard),
then there is another curious little point to which I must draw your attention. I
have a remarkable little book by Jack Parsons called MAGICK, GNOSTICISM AND THE
WITCHCRAFT. It is unfortunately undated, but Parsons died in 1952. The section on
witchcraft is particularly
interesting because it looks forward to a revival of witchcraft as the Old
Religion....I find this very thought provoking. Did Parsons write this around the
time that Crowley was getting together with Gardner and perhaps communicated with
the California group to tell them about it?

We must remember that Ms. Valiente was a close associate of Gardner and is a
dedicated and active Wiccan. She, of course, has her own interpretation of these
matters. The OTO recently reprinted the Parsons "witchcraft" essays in Freedom is a
Two Edged Sword , a postumous collection of his writings. It does indeed seem that
Gardner and Parsons were both on the same wave-length at about the same time.
The other matter of note is the question of the length of Gardner's association
with the OTO and with Crowley personally. My informant Col. Lawrence, tells me
that he has in his possession a cigarette case which once belonged to Aleister
Crowley. Inside is a note in Crowley's hand that says simply: `gift of GBG, 1936,
A. Crowley'."
(Personal letter, 6 December, 1986)
The inscription could be a mistake, it could mean 1946, the period of the Charter.
But, as Ms. Valiente put it in a letter to me of 8th December, 1986:
If your friend is right, then it would mean that old Gerald actually went through a
charade of pretending to Arnold Crowther that Arnold was introducing him to
Crowley for the first time - a charade which Crowley for some reason was willing
to go along with. Why? I can't see the point of such a pretence; but then
occultists sometimes do devious things...
Crowley may have played out a similar scene with G.I. Gurdjieff, the other
enlightened merry prankster of the first half of the twentieth century.

Gnosticism and Wicca, the subjects of Jack Parsons' essays, republished by the OTO
and Falcon Press in 1990, are the two most successful expressions to date of
Crowley's dream of a popular solar-phallic religion. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think
Aleister and Gerald may have cooked Wicca up.
If Wicca is the OTO's prodigal daughter in fact, authorized directly by Crowley,
how should Wiccans now relate to this? How should Crowley's successors and heirs in
the OTO deal with it?

Then too, what are we to make of and infer about all this business of a popular
Thelemic-Gnostic religion? Were Crowley, Parsons, Gardner and others trying to do
something of note with regard to actualizing a New Aeon here which bears scrutiny?
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Or is this mere speculation, and of little significance for the Great Work today?
If the Charter Crowley issued Gardner is, indeed, the authority upon which Wicca
has been built for half a century, then it is perhaps no coincidence that I
acquired that Charter in the same year I was consecrated a Bishop of the Gnostic
Catholic Church. Further, it was literally days after my long search for the
original of Gardner's BOOK OF SHADOWS ended in success that the Holy Synod of T
Michael Bertiaux's Gnostic Church unanimously elected me a Missionary Bishop, on
August 29, 1986.

Sometimes, I muse, the Inner Order revoked Wicca's charter in 1986,placing it in


my hands. Since I hold it in trust for the OTO, perhaps Wicca has, in symbolic
form, returned home at last. It remains for the Wiccans to, literally (since the
charter hangs in my temple space), to read the handwriting on the wall.

" Witchcraft always has a hard time, until it becomes


established and changes its name." - Charles Fort

Paganism at the Crossroads


by Skytoucher
These are tricky and dangerous times. Paganism has grown in size to the point
where we no longer enjoy the luxury of obscurity. We now face a choice that all
initiatory paths face at some time in their development; whether to remain a viable
initiatory path, and if so under what circumstances; or to devolve into a mere
religion.

I'd better backtrack some readers may not understand what an initiatory path is
or how it differs from a religion. Others may think paganism is a religion already,
and wonder what I mean by suggesting it is or could be something else.
A defense often used against fundamentalist Christians and others who attack
paganism on a religious basis is to say "We are not like you, only different in a
few not so important ways. We are a religion, like you, another belief system,
harmless, ordinary. We worship the Earth, the Goddess, the same way you worship
your abstract God. You should extend tolerance to us for the same reason you extend
it to Muslims or Buddhists or Catholics or Jews. When you single us out as
something weird, you are exhibiting hysterical paranoia." It's an effective
defense, but somewhat disingenuous.

We are different. We aren't just a religion. We are at present, and in my


view should try to remain, a path of initiation. It may be inevitable that a
religion grow up around us. It may even be desirable to employ such a religion as a
cloak, or a doorway, to both. But a Pagan religion is also a threat to the Pagan
path of initiation. We need to ensure that the growth, if it occurs, is that of a
tree from a seed, not of a pearl from a grain of sand.
A tree produces more seeds.
A pearl only hide the sand to save the oyster from discomfort.
What is an initiatory path? And what, then, is initiation?
We touch here upon a word badly misunderstood by many Pagans. Initiation is
one thing; an initiation ritual is another. A person is not an initiate, in the
sense I mean here,just because he or she has passed through an initiation ritual.
Initiation is a personal experience in which one becomes aware of mysteries;
realities that were
previously hidden and which cannot be communicated by one person to another in words
or symbols, but must be experienced directly, firsthand. This last point is
crucial. One finds "mysteries" communicated in coven initiations or even at
festivals, but these are only hidden meanings of symbols and tools used in the
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Craft, or of stories told about the Gods. The fact that they can be communicated
makes them not true mysteries, only secrets.

A body of teaching, practice, and ritual which facilitates initiation is an


initiatory path. Most religions start out as paths of initiation.

Religion tends to be conservative. Initiation, however, is always


revolutionary...-....It forms a person's life, bringing inner peace, greater insight
into the workings of fate, and awareness of the connections linking all things, as
well as magical power. If it were a commonplace event, if people went through
initiation as surely as they go through puberty, we would have a far different and
better world.
Even if the circle of initiates included a significant minority of the
population, the magical effect of such a number of altered minds on the world would
be profound and positive. Of course, this very fact means that initiatory paths
will be opposed by those interests, both human and non human, that are opposed to
positive change. The opposition is not really a conspiracy; it seems more than an
automatic reaction, a law of nature.
Initiation is not an instantaneous event, but one that occurs through years
of effort and devotion. It seems likely that there is no end to the process, and
that the idea of there "fully enlightened being" is a peculiar Oriental fantasy.
There are times, it is true, when revelation comes in a flash like lightning, but
such moments are exclamation marks punctuating a story that unfolds chapter by
chapter.
Many tools and methods for achieving initiation have evolved over the ages.
Some are intellectual, aiming to expand consciousness through thought: Vedanta and
the Caballah come to mind as among
the most impressive. Others are ritual or devotional; Bakhti Yoga, chanting the
names of the Gods, drawing down the Moon, the meditations of the monastics. Some
are also physical: Hatha Yoga, Sufi dancing, some forms of martial art. Some aim at
expanding consciousness directly by stretching it to its limits; meditation, Raja
Yoga, guided
visualizations, vision quest. Then there are sex magic, drugs, drumming,
austerities,use of talismans, self discipline, and so on. Most of these techniques
evolved outside a pagan context, but they are
amendable to incorporation in a pagan framework. Initiation rituals, of course, are
another method, but they are seldom sufficient by themselves.
Initiates can be found into the context of any religion,including those least
similar to Neopaganism. St. Francis of Assisi was an initiate, and many a Sufi and
Caballist, Buddhist and Yogi, Taoist and shaman. A modern Neopagan initiate has far
more in common with them than with an illiterate, superstitious pagan of the Roman
Empire, gobbling the flesh of sacrificed animals while contemplating how to backstab
his competitors. All initiates of all paths have a common heart; it is
religions,which circle the periphery of the sacred, that differ.

But, while Christian, Jewish and Muslim initiates do exist,the established


religions don't make it easy. For every illuminated Catholic saint, there are
hundreds of burned heretics. Indeed, many post Constantinian saints escaped burning
themselves only by miracles greater than those for which they were canonized.
Burning is passe nowadays but condemnation for heresy is not, and thrives as well in
most Protestant denominations. So bound about with the fetters of faith is the
Christian that initiation is virtually impossible, except for minds.

This is no accident.
The tragedy of Christianity is that it began so well and decayed so quickly
into such a parody of its beginnings. This is a recurring phenomenon. Again and
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again, the initiatory message has presented itself in some new form and met with
some success,only to be hidden in a maze of illusions, and crusted over with
barriers and restrictions. There are always counterattacks from outside the new
path, from established religions, but the truly effective counterattacks come from
within, so that what began as a bright new hope becomes a mere religion. The
priests, the figures in authority, forge an instrument for the furtherance of their
own authority, to which genuine initiation is a serious threat. The initiatory
impulse is carefully bled off into harmless channels, and all magic outside those
channels is
ruthlessly suppressed.
There is a great deal of magic in Christian monastic orders,and more still in
Hindu and Buddhist ashrams, or wielded by
wandering saddhus. But these illuminated souls, both Western and Eastern, are sworn
to poverty, chastity, humility. Many do not reproduce, ensuring that, if there is a
genetic component to magic, it will be weakened by removing its best practitioners
from the gene pool. Too, in renouncing the world, they ensure that their spiritual
insight will play a small role shaping events. In contrast, a few secret initiatory
paths remain active and true to their original mission. These paths, which include
Hermeticism, the Caballah,
surviving shamanic traditions, and a few branches of Sufism, have made
themselves non threatening in a different way. They continue to live in the world
and to learn and teach practical as well as spiritual magic, but in such tiny
numbers and in so furtive a fashion that they hold little promise of genuine large
scale transformation. There is not really anything wrong with this; such secret
orders have acted over the centuries to preserve the Mysteries, not to spread them.
Without them, efforts to break the chains on a large scale would be to no avail.
But Paganism is different.
Neopaganism is unique at this time, though not
historically in that it is a genuine initiatory path that has grown large.
Moreover, in its diversity and flexibility, its protean and progressive nature, it
promises to incorporate all of the virtues of the other surviving paths. It may not
be the most advanced, the most powerful, or the most aesthetically refined,but these
characteristics can all be absorbed from the smaller paths which possess them, for
Paganism is an all gobbling magical amoeba, sucking up the mythos, methods, and
knowledge of every other path in existence. Once
again, an initiatory path threatens to break out and make some changes in reality.
On schedule, opposition has begun to arise.
As always, some of the opposition is from the outside, but I don't think we
need to be concerned about that. A strain of paranoia is built into our origin
myths and traditions, and is always a greater danger than the persecution we fear.
The external opposition has seldom been very effective against any relatively
genteel sort, mostly involving propaganda. However, propaganda is legitimate (they
have a right to express their opinions about what we do, as we have the right to
speak in counterpoint.) There may be more serious difficulties, even occasional
violence, but the Burning Times are gone for good, barring a complete collapse of
civilization. We have more important
things to worry about within our own ranks.
The rapid increase in our numbers in the last few decades means there are many
newcomers. Newcomers are ripe for exploitation, both monetary and political, and
both have begun to occur. The first fills me with amusement and outrage. The
second is more alarming.
There seems to be a growing desire in some quarters to commercialize
Neopaganism and profit from it. That's only natural, but when crystal athames go
for $1,400 and classes are taught in return for a pledge of a percentage of the
students' income in perpetuity, somebody is getting fleeced. This is bad enough,
but not nearly as bad as what
might happen in reaction. Better a crowd of poorer and wiser novices, the hucksters
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filling the role of the Dweller on the Threshold, than a Paganism reduced from a
path of initiation to a mere religion, its bright promise gone dull, as have so many
others.
The seeds of this development lie chiefly in individuals we might call Pagan
politicians, and in our response to them. They may not be high initiates or
powerful magicians, but they are skillful at organizing, they like to strike poses
in public, and they know how to work the media. Sometimes they appear on television
to say "This is what Paganism is. This is what Witchcraft is," self appointed
spokespersons for the entire Pagan community. Their power over the Craft may be
small, but it could easily grow as the Craft grows, as they sink their hooks into
more and more beginners.
An experienced initiate is unlikely to be moved by a picture on
television, or a story in the newspaper. It is otherwise for a novice. When first
appraising something, it is the surface one sees. And there are two dangers in this
trend; First, that insightful, intuitive, independent people, the kind who would
make good Witches, maybe turned off by the media spectacle (analogy: What is your
reaction to the words "New Age?".) Secondly, that those who are not repelled may
develop a kind of mundane "Neopaganism," a mere religion, based as other religions
are on faith, dogma, and prescribed observances, conservative (in the sense of
resisting progress, not of voting Republican) and anti initiatory. There may be
points in common
between it and us (such as an environmental ethic or "worship" (how I despise that
word!) of a Goddess), as a baboon might wear a tuxedo, but the heart and soul would
be gone. Anyone who sought initiation would have to pass the gauntlet of this other
paganism first and then unlearn this religion to approach the new path. Few could
be expected to do so.
It is important to recognize these politicos for what they are. They are our
would be clergy who, like Christian priests,Muslim mullah and Jewish rabbis, would
be religious leaders but,with rare exceptions, no initiates. Their authority would
derive from accepted doctrines and from political acumen, rather than spiritual
awareness. Pagan pontiff pretenders are not necessarily malevolent, but they do not
comprehend the purpose of initiation or the fundamental ways in which Paganism
differs, not just from this or that religion, from all religions. Consequently, they
do not understand that priests, ministers,rabbis, and so forth are not good role
models for Pagan spiritual leaders, even if allowances are made for differing value
systems. Paganism, as currently practiced, is not simply a different
religion, but a different category of thing altogether. Not only does it not
suffer without an organization comparable to that of established religions, but
creating such an organization may bury us.
The bishops who created the Catholic Church were not particularly evil men.
But they were misguided, and the result of their labor was disastrous. Yet some
movement on this road is inevitable. It is the fruit of growth, a sign that a path
of initiation has matured into a serious threat to the status quo. It represents a
counterattack by the forces of inertia.
Let's not be unduly alarmist. We are not in immediate danger, but the clouds
can be seen on the horizon, and we need to prepare ourselves, and consider whether
anything can be done to avoid the usual fate of an initiatory path at the
crossroads. All our predecessors, on reaching this juncture, have taken the wrong
turning. But we have ;advantages former initiatory paths lacked. That no one has
succeeded up to now is not so imposing an obstacle as it might seem.
One of our advantages is the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution and similar provisions, in fact and tradition if not law,
guaranteeing religious liberty in all Western democracies. It is literally
impossible for a Pagan Catholic Church, even if one comes into existence, to exile
or execute dissident Pagans, as was done to
dissident Christians after the Council of Nicaea. It is unlikely that any Pagan
organization,or that of any other religion, could get a modern Western government do
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its dirty work to any significant degree. Overt persecution is reduced from a
terror to a nuisance. That's no small achievement.
Another advantage is modern information technology. Communication of ideas is
now so easy, and suppression of them so difficult,
that to contain or channel or eliminate the initiatory message will be harder than
ever before, and may be impossible. Of course, the downside of this development is
the proliferation of blatant nonsense. But I think that is an acceptable price.
Better the truth be heard whispering through shouted lies and bellowed folly than
that it not be heard at all.
The third, subtlest and possibly the greatest advantage we have over our
predecessors is science.
By science I do not mean any particular bit of knowledge which has been
uncovered by scientists, although all that is useful as well. I mean the attitudes
of science. I mean the methods of science. Above all, I mean the vision of
science. Thanks to science, we no longer think of all knowledge as being only in
its sacred and spiritual and aesthetic dimensions though these are certainly
important but in its technical dimensions as well, as seek the laws and principles
that underpin magic, analogous to the laws of physics that
underpin technology.
Best of all: Thanks to science, we are not limited to what we know today. We
understand that even our best picture of reality is only an approximation, that we
will have a better picture tomorrow. This gift promises to upset the creeping
authoritarianism that has ruined so many paths of initiation and created so many
religions.

These are potent advantages. I believe they allow us the possibility of


success. But not the certainty. As we approach the crossroads, there are a number
of things that need doing. Some of these steps are simply a matter of keeping our
attitudes in the right places. Others involve research, development, and artistic
creation. Others still involve magical tasks. We need to understand that modern
Paganism, though built on the past, is not limited by it, that we are capable of
improving on our ancestor's wisdom even to the extent that their wisdom is not a
product of our own romantic imagination, which is large measure it is. We need to
recognize, once and for all, and say so, that our origin myths are just that: Wicca
is not a survival from the pre Christian past, but an eclectic/creative construct
meant to imitate what such a survival should ideally be. Its resemblance,
and that of Neopaganism in general, to ancient paganism in any of its multitude of
forms is slight and ultimately besides the point.
We need to do these things because they will allow us to take the next step,
which is to expand Paganism, as a path of initiation, to its potential. We cannot
do that so long as we are locked into an old model real or romanticized. The
initiatory paths of the past have failed. Therefore, we need something better than
what has gone before. We can take the essentials of Neopaganism, the broad strokes
of its mythology and ritual, as a starting point, but we must go beyond that start.
First, we need to penetrate beneath the level of religious symbolism to what
might be called the physics of magic, the nuts and bolts and laws of nature that
account for what magic does and is. Next to the initiatory experience itself, which
can never be communicated or replaced by anything that point cannot be emphasized
too much or too often the physics of magic would be the deepest level of
understanding, accounting for all forms of symbolic knowledge. I have
developed on system of laws which I believe to be workable. (An account of those
laws will appear in an upcoming issue of Enchante.) It is the duty of every
scientifically minded reader to rip them apart as best as possible, to test them,
and improve on them.
Secondly, we need to improve our tool chest of spiritual methods. Much of the
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work has already been done by initiates outside Paganism. All we have to do is
translate it and incorporate it within our own framework. At the same time, an
expanded and improved body of poetic ritual would be useful.

A recognition of both the possibility and the need would be a valid step.
We must acknowledge that Yoga can meditate us into a corner, that the Caballah
theorizes rings around us, and that any good
shamanic lineage works magic to put us to shame. We must also insist that Paganism
has advantages over these that should not be surrendered, and work to incorporate
what other paths can teach us into our own framework.
These accomplishments would serve to strengthen and fortify the initiatory path
of Paganism. It will need all the strength it can get if it is to resist turning
into a religion. But there are other things that need doing as well, on both the
communicative and magical fronts.

Those of us with active pens must communicate the idea of an initiatory path
that lies within the mythical and ritual structure of the Pagan religion, as it out
to and once did lie within all religions. There is, at present, no established
Pagan doctrine or dogma, no established pagan clergy, and no established Pagan
pantheon, and this also must be made clear. The magical side of the battle may be
the most important one. Here, the guiding principle should be a clear visualization
of what we want Paganism to be.
Should exoteric Pagan religions grow up around the initiatory core, then,
ideally, we would want the priest/esse/s of this religion to be initiates. But this
may not be practicable. First, many of us are unsuited for or uninterested in the
role of ministering to those who are unready for initiation. Second, there may be
too many newcomers to Paganism (by some estimates the fastest growing religion in
North America) and too few initiates.
I believe we could agree on two goals; a viable and visible initiatory
tradition must be maintained within the religion and no exoteric priesthood must be
allowed to gain preeminence over the path. To those ends, then, the following
magical workings are suggested.
Weave the Net. There is a tenuous telepathic link among all initiates. This
can be invoked as part of the opening of any major magical work, which will
strengthen both the work and the net. Some covens and individuals already do this.
Reach out the heart's fiery hand and feel the love of one another, both within the
coven and beyond it, setting aside the quarrels of the mind, poles of a tipi each
supporting each, moving faster, faster,circles made of love. In this way, a
synergistic entity, a collective consciousness, may be generated, incorporating all
our diversity yet stronger than any of us alone. This consciousness can be invoked
like any deity, and can be a guide and empowerment. We can give it names; there
will be private names known to individual covens or solitaries, but among us all the
name is Love.
Shine like a Beacon. Another working, which I feel is appropriate to a Full
Moon ritual, is one to avoid the light under a bushel syndrome, to illuminate all
minds equipped w ith eyes to see. The metaphor of a lighthouse beacon seems
appropriate; we can visualize this light shining brightly, overpowering any attempt
to hide it, so that truth cannot be any [who want] to understand it, initiation
cannot be denies to those capable of attaining it.
Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom; or, Divide and Rule. Assume that a mundane
Paganism must arise; above all we must not allow any one sect or denomination of the
Pagan religion to achieve preeminence over the others. It doesn't matter how much
we like or dislike what the leaders of this or that sect are saying. Any Pagan
doctrine will always be wrong, even if it's right, because initiation cannot be
conveyed in words or symbols. We can,through our magic, encourage diversity and
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creativity in the ranks of newcomers and noninitiate
leaders, preferring chaos to conformity, and subtly bend the path of discourse so
that it leads toward initiation rather than away from it. We must avoid the
temptation to encourage a unified, strong Paganism, and that temptation will arise!
A fractious, splintered, disorganized, and confusingly multi headed Paganism may be
somewhat embarrassing when it appears on network news or in Time magazine. But if
the initiatory tradition is clearly visible within, we will be far better served by
chaos than by an order which serves its own purposes, not ours.
I believe certainly I hope that these steps can preserve the Neopagan path of
initiation, prevent its burial under the mantle of religion, and permit what has
never before happened: genuine, large scale, beyond the point of no return breakout
of the Mysteries, leading to the transformation of human culture and this planet
assuming, of course, that civilization survives the crisis of the coming years.
Paganism is by some estimates the fastest growing religion in North America and too
few initiates.
Best of all: Thanks to science, we are not limited to what we know today. We
understand that even our best picture of reality is only an approximation, that we
will have a better picture tomorrow. This gift promises to upset the creeping
authoritarianism that has ruined so many paths of initiation and created so many
religions.
These are potent advantages. I believe they allow us the possibility of
success. But not the certainty. As we approach the crossroads, there are a number
of things that need doing. Some of these steps are simply a matter of keeping our
attitudes in the right places. Others involve research, development, and artistic
creation. Others still involve magical tasks. We need to understand that modern
Paganism, though built on the past, is not limited by it, that we are capable of
improving on our ancestor's wisdom even to the extent that their wisdom is not a
product of our own romantic imagination, which is large measure it is. We need to
recognize, once and for all, and say so, that our origin myths are just that: Wicca
is not a survival from the pre Christian past, but an eclectic/creative construct
meant to imitate what such a survival should ideally be. Its resemblance, and that
of Neopaganism in general, to ancient paganism in any of its multitude of forms is
slight and ultimately besides the point.
We need to do these things because they will allow us to take the next step,
which is to expand Paganism, as a path of initiation, to its potentia. We cannot do
that so long as we are locked into an old model real or romanticized. The
initiatory paths of the past have failed. Therefore, we need something better than
what has gone before. We can take the essentials of Neopaganism, the broad strokes
of its mythology and ritual, as a starting point, but we must go beyond that start.
First, we need to penetrate beneath the level of religious symbolism to what
might be called the physics of magic, the nuts and bolts and laws of nature that
account for what magic does and is. Next to the initiatory experience itself, which
can never be communicated or replaced by anything that point cannot be emphasized
too much or too often the physics of magic would be the deepest level of
understanding, accounting for all forms of symbolic knowledge. I have
developed on system of laws which I believe to be workable. (An account of those
laws will appear in an upcoming issue of Enchante.) It is the duty of
every
scientifically minded reader to rip them apart as best as
possible, to test them, and improve on them.

Secondly, we need to improve our tool chest of spiritual methods. Much of the
work has already been done by initiates outside Paganism. All we have to do is
translate it and incorporate it within our own framework. At the same time, an
expanded and improved body of poetic ritual would be useful.
Note from Ellen Cannon Reed:
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I received permission today from Skytoucher to upload the article
preceding this message. I found it one of the best articles on
paganism I've found. I do confess he is using paganism where I would
use "Wicca", and I do not mentally apply what he says to the other
pagan paths such as Asatru, but I do think the article is an important
one with regard to Wicca.
--- Maximus 2.00
* Origin: Mysteria * Be ye mystic * 818-353-8891 (1:102/943)

Witches Rede of Chivalry


Magical Rites from the Crystal Well, Ed Fitch and Janine Renee, 1987, Llewellyn
Publications.

Insofar as the Craft of the Wise is the most ancient and most honorable creed of
humankind, it behooves all who are Witches to act in ways that give respect to the
Old Gods, to their sisters and brothers of the Craft, and to themselves.
Therefore, be it noted that:
1. Chivalry is a high code of honor which is of most ancient Pagan origin, and must
be lived by all who follow the old ways.
2. It must be kenned that thoughts and intent put forth on this Middle Earth will
wax strong in other worlds beyond and return... bringing into creation, on this
world, that which had been sent forth. Thus one should exercise discipline, for "as
ye plant, so shall ye harvest."
3. It is only by preparing our minds to be as Gods that we can ultimately attain
godhead.
4. "This above all... to thine own self be true..."
5. A Witch's word must have the validity of a signed and witnessed oath. Thus,
give thy word sparingly, but adhere to it like iron.
6. Refrain from speaking ill of others, for not all truths of the
matter may be known.
7. Pass not unverified words about another, for hearsay is, in large
part, a thing of falsehoods.
8. Be thou honest with others, and have them know that honesty is
likewise expected of them.
9. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keep one's
head is a virtue.
10. Contemplate always the consequences of thine acts upon others.
Strive not to do harm.
11. Diverse covens may well have diverse views of love between members
and with others. When a coven, clan, or grove is visited or joined, one should
discern quietly their practices, and abide thereby.
12. Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humor are much to be admired.

13. As a Witch, thou has power, and thy powers wax strongly as wisdom
increases. Therefore, exercise discretion in the use thereof.

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14. Courage and honor endure forever. Their echoes remain when the
mountains have crumbled to dust.
15. Pledge friendship and fealty to those who so warrant. Strengthen
others of the Brethren and they shall strengthen thee.
16. Thou shalt not reveal the secrets of another Witch or Coven. Others have labored
long and hard for them, and cherish them as treasures.
17. Though there may be differences among those of the Old Ways, those
who are once-born must see nothing, and must hear nothing.
18. Those who follow the mysteries should be above reproach in the eyes of the
world.
19. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and within
reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.
20. Have pride in thyself and seek perfection in body and in mind. For
the Lady has said, "How canst thou honor another unless thou give honor to thyself
first?"
21. Those who seek the Mysteries should consider themselves the select
of the Gods, for it is they would lead the race of humankind to the highest of
thrones and beyond the very stars.
_____________________________________________________________________
_ _ _ _
((___)) ((___))
[ x x ] [ x x ]
\ / \ /
(` ') (` ')
(U) (U)
HISTORY OF THE BOVINOMICON
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by The Raver

>>> A CULT Publication......1988 <<<


-cDc- CULT OF THE DEAD COW -cDc-
__________________________________________________________

The history of the great Bovine mythos cycle is a lost and twisted one. Of the
tales of the Bovine unknown, one literary work, one tome of Bovinity, does stand
out. Yes, brutal reader, the BOVINOMICON.
This being a short but complete outline of the history of this book, its
author, The Raver, presents this work. The outline follows its various translations
and editions from the time of the writing (AD 730) of the BOVINOMICON to the present
day.
=================================================================
Original title AL AZIF - Azif being the word used by the Arabs to
designate that nocturnal sound (made by Bovine creatures) supposed to be the howling
of daemons.
Composed by Abdul Alhazred, a mad cow herder of Sanna, in Yemen,
who is said to have flourished during the period of the Omminade Caliphs, circa AD
700. He visited the ruins of Babylon and the subterranean secrets of Memphis and
spent ten years alone in the great
southern desert of Arabia - (the Roba El Khaliyeh or "Empty Space" of
the ancients and "Dahna" or "Crimson" desert of the modern Arabs) -
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which is held to be inhabited by protective evil spirits and monsters of death. Of
this desert many strange and unbelievable marvels are told by those who pretend to
have penetrated it. In his last years Alhazred dwelt in Damascus, where the
BOVINOMICON (AL AZIF) was written, and of his final death or disappearance (AD 738)
many terrible and conflicting things are told. He is said by Ebn Khallikan (12th
century biography) to have been seized by an invisible cow in broad daylight and
devoured horribly before a large number of fright-frozen witnesses. Of his madness
many things are told. He claimed to have seen the fabulous Irem, or City of
Pillars, and to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert pasture
the shocking annals and secrets of a race older than mankind. (Editors Note: A full
desc- ription of the nameless pasture, and the annals and secrets of its inhabitants
will be found in the t-file THE NAMELESS PASTURE, written by the author of this
outline). He was only an indifferent Moslem, worshipping unknown Entities who he
called Yog-Elsie and Bob-Sothoth.

In AD 950 the AZIF, which had gained considerable, though


surreptitious circulation amongst the philosophers of the age, was
secretly translated into Greek by Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople
under the title BOVINOMICON. For a century it impelled certain
experimenters to terrible attempts, when it was suppressed and burnt by the
patriarch Michael. After this it was only heard of furtively, but (1223) Olaus
Wormius made a Latin translation later in the Middle Ages, and the Latin test was
printed twice - once in the 15th century in black letter (evidently in Germany) and
once in the 17th (probably Spanish); both editions being without identifying marks,
and located as to time and place by internal typographical evidence only. The work,
both Latin and Greek, was banned by Pope Gregory IX in 1232 shortly after its Latin
translation, which called attention to it. The Arabic original was lost as early as
Wormius' time, as indicated by his prefatory note; (there is, however, a vague
account of a secret copy appearing in San Francisco during the present century, but
later perished in fire), and no sight of the Greek copy - which was printed in Italy
between 1500 and 1550 - has been reported since the burning of a certain Salem man's
library in 1692. A translation made by Dr. Dee was never printed and exists only in
fragments recovered from the original manuscript. Of the Latin texts now existing,
one (15th century) is known to be in the British Museum under lock and key, while
another (17th century) is in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. A 17th century
edition is in the Widener Library at Harvard, and in the library at Miskatonic
University at Arkham; also in the library of the University of Buenos Aires.
Numerous other copies
exist in secret, and a 15th century one is persistently rumored to form a part of
the collection of a celebrated American millionaire. An even more vague rumor
credits the preservation of a 16th century Greek text in the Salem family Pickman;
but if it was so preserved, it vanished with the artist R.U. Pickman, who
disappeared in 1926. The book is rigidly suppressed by the authorities of most
countries, and by all branches of organized ecclesiasticism. Reading leads to
terrible consequences. It was from rumors of this book (of which relatively few of
the general public know) that R.W. Chambers is said to have derived the idea of his
early novel, "THE KING OF CUD".

--------------------------------------
CHRONOLOGY
One - AL AZIF written circa AD 730 at Damascus by Abdul Alhazred.
Two - Translated into Greek as BOVINOMICON, AD 950 by Theodorus Philetas.
Three - Burnt by Patriarch Michael AD 1050 (ie, Greek; Arabic text now lost).
Four - Olaus translates Greek into Latin, AD 1228.
Five - Latin and Greek editions suppressed by Gregory IX - AD 1232.
Six - 14..? Black letter edition printed in Germany.
Seven - 15..? Greek text printed in Italy.
Eight - 16..? Spanish translations of Latin text.

================================================================

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PERSONS interested in learning more details about the nameless
pasture mentioned in this outline, where Alhazred spent much time,
should read the t-file THE NAMELESS PASTURE by THE RAVER, which gives a detailed
description. The file is also a cDc communications release.

This t-file is dedicated to my favorite author, H.P. Lovecraft,


who, now that we have had time to take his work into perspective, is, no doubt,
unsurpassed as the twentieth century's best practitioner of the horror tale.
"No weird story can truly produce terror unless it is devised with all the care
and versimilitude of an actual hoax."
-- H.P. Lovecraft to Clark Ashton Smith (17 October 1930)
========================================================
(c)1988 cDc communications by The Raver 4/22/88-57
All Rights Worth Shit
___________________________________________________________________
_ _ _ _
((___)) ((___))
[ x x ] [ x x ]
\ / \ /
(` ') (` ')
(U) (U)
THE NAMELESS PASTURE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scribed by The Raver, Teller of Strange Legends
>>> A CULT Publication......1988 <<<
-cDc- CULT OF THE DEAD COW -cDc-
____________________________________________________________

The tales of the Bovine mythos cycle are strange and diverse. Although some of
our terrible order's members prefer to scribe tales of present day Bovinity, I opt
for tales of a dark and terrible past, a time when the Bovine stalked the earth
unheeded by mankind.
"...The wailings of the mad are but the birth-cries of
the new man - the old man gone like dust in the desert
wind. Cleansed of the lies of mankind, the new man -
the man of darkness - is free to absorb the beauty of
nothingness, to glory in the stark night of the utter
void. As your useless reason dissolves, rejoice in the
knowledge that others in as diverse places as Texas and
North Carolina have walked the same path, have drunk
the same blood, have reveled in the same prospect of
everlasting night, as you..."
-- Keeper of the Bovine Gate
'Tis true, we are evil in our potent writings and scriptures of the Cow. But
this is only for a reason. The following passage describes this point very well.
Much better than I could, indeed.
"...You do not yet know the true gods. Everything you
know is a lie. The Great Bovine Ones - these are the
true rulers of the Universe; these and others you have
not yet heard of will be the objects of your adulation,
your emotion, your love. You are the fortunate ones -
the time may come, if you give your selfless devotion,
that you will worship in the flesh in the Temples of
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the Nameless Pasture, whose glory is beyond your
comprehension."

-- Catechism of the High Priests of the Bovine

The following tale is a true one and depicts the place that many Cultees desire
to be... the dreaded Nameless Pasture, where Bob-Sothoth rules supreme and the blood
of thousands runs rampant through the stalks of Cow-Bane. This tale is not for the
faint of heart. Nay. You have been forewarned.

==========================================================
In a distant land, in a distant time, the mad arab, Abdul Alhazred, began a
horrific journey into the Roba El Kaliyeh ("Empty Space"), the vast desert of
southern Arabia. The time was AD 715 and Alhazred was quite mad. After traversing
the ruins of Babylon and the strange subterranean catacombs beneath the archaic
ruins of Memphis who would not be? Alhazred, in his demented mind, thought that the
vast desert would allow him the peace and tranquility that he so desperately needed.
Unfortunately, this was not to be...

As Alhazred traversed the shifting sands, his mind wandered back to the days
when he was but a simple cow herdsman. All was well, until that day... the day that
he heard a cow utter the following phrase in an ancient tongue: "Ia! Ia!
Bob-Sothoth fhtagn! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Bob-Sothoth wgha-nagl fhtaga!" Ever since
that time seventeen years ago Alhazred had not been the same. He had afterwards
began a vast quest to discover why the cows he had herded had talked and exactly who
and what Bob-Sothoth is... or was. Alhazred began his quest almost a score of years
ago and felt that he was close to the
ultimate answer. During his nights with the cows those years past he had heard
their urgent mooings. What did they mean? Were the cows possessed of daemons? What
in the hell was going on?

As Alhazred continued his bizarre cycle of thought he noticed not the paved
stones peeking up at him from the sand below his sandled feet. Only when he tripped
on a large crack did he notice the fragmented pavement beneath him. "What?" thought
Alhazred. A road in the middle of a vast expanse of desert? Filled with curiosity
Alhazred decided it best to follow the ancient road. Soon darkness overtook the
world and day became night.

As the moon climbed higher in the sky he began to see that the slopes of
desert began to rise. Urged by an impulse which he could definitely not
analyze, Alhazred scrambled with difficulty up the dunes... Upon reaching the
top of the tremendous circle of dunes he stood silently, gazing into the
stygian depths where no light had yet penetrated.

All at once his attention was captured by a vast and singular object on the
opposite slope, which rose steeply about a hundred yards ahead of him; an object
that gleamed brightly in the newly bestowed rays of the ascending moon. He assured
himself that it was merely a piece of gigantic stone; but he was conscious of an
instinct impression that its contour and position were not altogether the work of
Nature. A closer scrutiny filled him with sensations he could not express; for
despite its enormous magnitude, and its position in
an abyss which had yawned in the middle of a vast desert since the world was young,
he perceived beyond a doubt that the strange object was a well-shaped monolith whose
massive bulk had known the workmanship and perhaps the worship of living and
thinking creatures.

Dazed and frightened, yet not without a certain thrill of the scientist's or
archaeologist's delight, Alhazred examined his surroundings more closely.
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The moon, now near the zenith, shone vividly above the towering steeps that hemmed
in the chasm revealed that far below rested a great area of flat land. As he
inspected the monolith more closely he noticed that, though eroded by the billowing
sands, it was still identifiable as... a cow. Footholds were aplenty and Alhazred
began the laborious trek downwards into the vast chasm.
As Alhazred dropped from a low ledge to the base of the chasm he uttered a
slightly audible groan. His feet had hit not sand but wheat. As he regained his
feet he surveyed his surroundings. For hundreds of yards the great field reared
into the distance.. far off he thought that he saw a mass of some sort but it was
dark and he was unsure. He slowly set off towards the mass. Somewhere off in the
distance he thought he heard the frenzied mooings of some unspeakable Bovine beast,
but he convinced himself that it was probably just
the wind.
When Alhazred was within earshot of the vast mass he did hear the frenzied
mooings of some sort of beast. Shaking with fear he moved closer only because of
fear of what might be lurking around the vast pasture. As he got closer he saw that
the mass was indeed a building, a temple.. broken colonnades paraded around the
temple and strange bas-reliefs covered its face...it was too dark to clearly make
out what the reliefs depicted. Alhazred began to circumvent the temple looking for
some means of egress. Soon he found a rubbled hole in
a wall. The hole poured with a dim light and the smell of greasy smoke. He
crouched down so that he could peer inside.
Inside he saw a vast chamber filled with a slime-coated liquid that was
obviously water. The chamber was dominated by a Cyclopean monolith, on whose
surface he could now trace both inscriptions and crude sculptures. The writing was
in a system of hieroglyphics unknown to Alhazred, consisting for the most part of
Bovine creatures and the like. Several characters obviously represented beasts not
of the modern world.
It was the pictorial carving, however, that did most to hold him spell-bound.
Plainly visible across the intervening monolith on account of their enormous size
was an array of bas-reliefs whose subjects would have excited the envy of a Dore.
He thought these things were supposed to depict cows - at least, a certain sort of
cow; though the creatures were shown disporting like cows in great pastures, or
paying homage at some monolithic shrine which appeared to be in a pasture as well.
Of their faces and forms he dared not speak in detail; for the mere remembrance mad
him grow faint. Grotesque beyond
the imagination of a Poe or a Bulwer, they were damnably Bovine in general outline
despite loathsome tentacles, cilia covered with congealed slime, wide with flabby
lips, glassy, bulbous eyes, and other features less pleasant to recall. Curiously
enough they seemed to be chiseled badly out of proportion with their scenic
background. Alhazred decided that they were merely the imaginary gods of some race
lost in the vestiges of time. Awestruck at this unexpected glimpse into the past,
he stood musing whilst the moon cast queer reflections on the stone walls around
him.
Then he saw it. With only a slight churning to mark its rise to the surface,
the thing slid into view above the dark waters. Vast, polyphemus-like, and
loathsome, it darted like a stupendous monster of nightmares to the monolith, about
which it flung its gigantic scaly tentacles, the while it bowed its hideously horned
head and gave to certain measured mooings. Alhazred went mad then.
On his frantic ascent of the cliff and dune slopes, and of his delirious
journey back to Damascus, he remembered little. Alhazred sang a great deal, and
laughed oddly when unable to sing. He had distinct recollections of a great storm
some time after ascending out of the blasted heath in the middle of the Roba El
Kaliyeh; at any rate, he knew that he heard peals of thunder and other tones which
Nature utters only in her wildest moods.

================================================================
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It was this experience that prompted Abdul Alhazred to scribe the original
Arabic text, AL AZIF, later translated into the BOVINOMICON. This rare work deals
with many complex matters, including the idea that Bovine mooings are actually the
language of daemons from the outer regions of the cosmos.
"...do you dare imagine things as they can be? As, indeed they will be when
the earth is transformed and the illusion of reality is erased from the minds of men
by the annihilation of those minds? Do you live in hope to see Great Bob-Sothoth
stride the earth? Do you dream of the Throne of Yog-Elsie, of joining the faithful
that mosh there? O, purify yourselves, then, for these and greater things await you
who are members of our terrible order..."
-- Part of a speech heard outside of a home in a Winston-Salem, NC, suburb

"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind." -- H.P. Lovecraft

========================================================
(c)1988 cDc communications by The Raver 4/22/88-58
All Rights Worth Shit

T H E A U T O N O M A T R I X
Nascent Manifesto of 930111

:: Symbolism & Design ::


The name AutonomatriX is derived from the words autonomy and matrix to
represent a self-directed and self-governing repository of information. The emblem
of the Auto-nomatriX is a circular blade with eight teeth providing a background to
t he glyph of Eris turned on its side.
The AutonomatriX is a networking chaos magic guild of those striving to discover and
rejuvenate magical ideas and technical skills with success as the only key to
validation. We do not discriminate on
the basis of lifestyle, gender, affiliation, race, or sexuality. We seek to interact
with creative magicians who are pushing boundaries instead of being trapped by them.
We are a guild composed of working craftspeople, whereas an order/lodg e/clique is
generally an exclusive
membership of supplicants.
The time of centralized info-banks is at an end; the nature of "classified" or
"secret" information is that it is more often limiting than useful to the collector,
and only profitable to the banker
of such media. Hierarchical structures are unnecessary and undesired; checks and
balances regarding membership are determined by an individual's interaction with
the rest of the group rather than personal prejudices or acceptance for any member
by any other member. The principles "sink or swim" and "(inter)action equals life"
are applicable to this magical guild, as in any network.
:: Access to the AutonomatriX ::
When a candidate has made intentional contact with a member of the AutonomatriX
(called the "AX"), that member sponsors the candidate hirself and provides all
pertinent information about that candidat
e to another member as soon as is possible for co-sponsorship. Alternatively, if for
any reason the member chooses not to sponsor the candidate after the initial
inquiry, that member must send the
information to two other members, one of whom is the member nearest to the
candidate's geographic locale. Ideally, the two sponsors would be geographically
separated from one another. All inquirers will be provided with the current AX
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manifesto by any member who accepts sponsorship of that candidate at the onset of
their relationship. The suggested sponsorship period is three months, at the end of
which the co-sponsors mutually decide upon whether or not initiation should take
place.

The sponsored candidate is requested to provide information regarding any personal


magical work done in a journal or magical record. The candidate may in turn be
given any part of the Corpus Fecundi other than the Contacts Listing (see below)
that the sponsors deem appropriate at any time. Initiation may be performed by one
or both of the sponsors and/or an y other members of the AX with the consent of the
sponsors. The candidate must provide a record of a magical working whi
ch has resulted in mani-festation of the intent at least two times, and design a
self-initiation ritual. All initiation s must be performed in person. At the
climax of the initiation, the new member
is handed the current Contacts Listing ( on a scroll) and the remainder of the
Corpus Fecundi.
:: The Corpus Fecundi ::
The Corpus Fecundi comprises a record of research, technical experimentation and
ritual methods that have arisen since the emergence of this guild of Chaos. The
entirety of this information is provided only after a period of sponsorship
resulting in initiation and excludes non-req uested information of a political or
genealogical nature.
It is the personal responsibility of each member of the AX to update their copy of
the Corpus Fecundi as new information becomes available. An active member of the AX
is any person who is on the Contacts Listing. All information for inclus ion into
the Corpus Fecundi is
transferred throughout the network on at least a quarterly basis.
The Corpus Fecundi consists of three parts, as follows:
The first part is the "Contacts Listing," which includes all participants in the AX.
All are listed by their appellation (any titles may be chosen), mailing address,
Working Group and/or Project involvement information, and a brief biography (bio) of
personal interests, researches, requests for information on any topic, etc. To
remain on the Contacts Listing each member is responsible for making their
membership known by interaction with other members. If for any reason this cannot be
done, membership requires that the current AX curators are notified of continued
participation in the net-work by a work record semi-annually.
The second part is an "Index" of all works currently making up the Corpus Fecundi.
All members are responsible for ensuring that their copy is complete via this Index.
The author of each item will be
listed here, rather than on the items themselves.
:: The Curators ::
The issuance of Contacts Listings and Indexes are provided by the AutonomatriX
curators, who ensure that each display the name and emblem of the AX upon them. Two
curators are randomly chosen on June
27th of each year from volunteers to update and maintain securely the hard-copies
and electronic copies of all material in the Corpus Fecundi. The Corpus Fecundi is
maintained in its entirety in both formats at all times. Any individual in the
network may assume these responsibilities, although no curator may have successive
terms of office.
:: Working Groups ::
Each member of the AX is encouraged to form autonomous Working Groups. All WGs may
be designated by whatever name (Coven, Project, Team, Clan, Temple, Group, Cabal,
Tribe, etc.) deemed appropriate by those directly involved. A Working Group is
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composed of at least two active me mbers of the network and as many nonmembers as
desired by them.

Each Working Group is inaugurated by the generation of its own unique


manifesto, accepted by all participating in that WG. It must be distributed by the
AX members of that group to all on the current Contacts Listing. This particular
manifesto should be made as detailed as possible, to outline the WG's objectives and
intent, protocol, any offices assumed within the WG's internal structure, and
whatever else the WG decides upon. Accompanying the manifesto should be each
participant's signature (of their chosen appellation), mailing address, and bio. The
AX will in no way interfere in matters of any Working Group's internal structure or
protocol, with the fullest intention being to keep regulation to a minimum in
regards to the network's guild structure.

Each WG is encouraged to access any form of media available for wider


distribution of ideas and material, and the AX pro vides encouragement and/or
assistance to members who have material suitable for this purpose.
:: Projects ::

Projects or Operations which include any member of the AX within or without one's
Working Group are to be listed in the Contacts List. An "Operation" is usefully
described as an extended working for a specific goal carried out by two or mo re
members of the guild regardless of WG affiliation.

:: Main Contact Points ::

It is recommended that each WG and Operation designate a Main Contact Point (or MCP)
elected by the members in that Working Group, for response to inquiries and
distribution of information. It is the responsibility of the acting MCP of that
group to distribute all information for inclusion into the Corpus Fecundi of the
members in hir Working Group and/or O peration.

:: Information Transference ::

Information is distributed throughout the entire active membership of the network in


the issuance of the Contacts Listing and Index of the Corpus Fecundi by the AX
curators. The authors of any item produced and distributed for inclusion into the
Corpus Fecundi are responsible for the distribution of that information throughout
the network. Any item may be marked "Private" by its author, and this is understood
to mean distribution via the Corpus Fecundi only (not for public consumption). No
items intended for the Corpus Fecundi may be marked with the
author's appellation, although it is recommended that each item is accompanied by a
cover letter providing whatever personal data the author or distributor desires.

:: Voting ::

When voting is required within the AX as a whole, all members must provide a written
response of yes, no, or abstinence. The votes of each member are then listed beside
their name on the next Contacts Listing. A measure's success depends upon at least
a two-third's majority of all members of the AutonomatriX. All members are
encouraged to voice their own o pinions at all times.

:: Identification ::

The AX does not employ any single clue to disclose membership in the guild.
However, objects that are easily available are periodically chosen to represent
active participation in the network, such as a certain semiprecious stone or a
color-specific pen for example. At any time, suggestions may be supplied to a
curator for random selection. The identifier is described as briefly as possible at
the top of each Contacts Listing. Aside from this, each WG and Operation is encou
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raged to generate totems and/or fetishes to designate themselves symbolically within
the guild.
:: Accessories ::
Each Working Group in the AX chooses what ritual accessories are necessary. Some may
choose specific forms of jewelry or ritual garments as a group. Each member must
possess the current identifier
object of the AX in the working area at the time of any meeting attended.
The AutonomatriX may be reached via
Temple Babel
PO Box 26362
San Francisco, CA 94126
Vox Mail: 415- 267-6937
or via the
PSYBERNET BBS: (805)772 AS IF
ON THE NATURE OF THE AETHER

by: Anthra Andromda

[1] The Anahat Shabd, the "soundless sound", is the subtlest element of all. It
is the etheric essence, finer than earth, air, water, or fire, beyond the speed of
light... all pervasive, the source of cohesion, of electricity, of magnetism and
gravitation, of all that exists.

The modern physicist E.C.G. Sudarshan has described the etheric essence of the
Anahat Shabd in scientific terms as follows:

"The ether as superfluid is consistent with relativity and quantum theory.


It is the support of all light, in it all bodies exist,it is attached to none, it
is ever present beyond the limitations of time and space. It has no inertial
qualities, no interactions, yet it is the very substance of illumination."
E.C.G. Sudarshan (preprint, University of Texas, 1974)
Such is the Eastern view of the aether, in the west it has been given the following
definition:

1. An imaginary substance regarded by ancients as filling all space and making up


the stars, etc.

2. In physics, as a hypothetical, invisible substance, postulated as


pervading space and serving as the medium for the transmission of light and other
energies.

This Aether has been theorized and expounded upon by metaphysists for hundreds,
perhaps thousands of years (I have so far been unable to find the true source of the
idea). Back in the 1600 there were several Aethers, but around 1638, Rene' Descartes
postulated a single Aether that was "all-pervasive".
As recently as a hundred years ago this idea was quite popular, though now it is
dismised by science, or at least most of science. There are now several physists who
are beginning to develop theories about the universe that look for all the world
like theories of the Aether, though, they are using different names for the very
ideas that the ancient metaphysists proposed.

Consider these two exerpts from papers written by modern physists. They are
going to describe two "fields" that exist in their theories, and are in all
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likelyhood what the ancients called; the Aether.
[2] Space is filled with an energy field, the energy concentration of which is
extremely large (for the layman, the energy field in this lecture room could
correspond to the energy of several bombs.)

This energy field has little to do with light energy or solar energy,
and instead is called the GRAVITON FIELD, TACHYON FIELD or NEUTRINO FIELD.
There are two essential models of imagination for this field and the tachyon.
We are either dealing with EXTREMELY SHORT WAVES which possess VERY HIGH
ENERGY electromagnetic radiation, or we are dealing with very small energy
units which display a PULSATING BEHAVIOR which, in turn, determines their energy.

[...]
The majority of them (tachyons) may remain relatively stationary (these
are called BRADYONS) and because of their OSCILLATORY BEHAVIOR (Prof. Seike
calls it "trembling motion" [Zitterbewegung]), they HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF
ENERGY.
This means that ALL MATTER is immersed in an EXTREMELY DENSE ENERGY FIELD
which we cannot percieve.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Vangard note...
Think of the Bradyon field in its continuous jiggle as having a
composition similar to syrup. Rapidly moving Tachyons can be thought of as water
or gas.
Comparison of the flow speed of the two fields shows how the Bradyon
field could "sustain" the holographic (3d) image of the universe in a matrix of
living energy.
This opens up very interesting concepts relating to Sheldrake's
Morphogenetic Fields and Burrs' Electrodynamic Fields of Life.
-------------------------------------------------------

[3] QUANTUM MAGIC

REALITY AS DESCRIBED BY QUANTUM MECHANICS


In quantum mechanics, reality is described by waves defining the
probabilities of different outcomes from the same interactions. These waves manifest
as what we have been taught to call matter, energy, particles, and/or waves when
observed.
These probability waves overlap and continue forever. The interactions between
different entities constitute a single structure of linked wave patterns, so that
the entire universe can be thought of as an unbroken whole. The waves form a matrix,
with all parts of the system affecting all other parts. Non-local relationships
exist between parts of the system that are distant from each other. It is
impossible to distinguish two particles of the same type in a region of space in
which they may be found simultaneously. Particles loose their individual identity in
such regions. Thus, the physical universe is fundamentally unified.
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[...]
SCIENTIFIC THEORY
Mr. Walker's ideas and equations would only be hypotheses if it weren't for the fact
that they have been tested experimentally and found to predict the results of
experiments with reasonable accuracy [4]. The evidence meets the usual rules of
proof for scientific theory, and this makes Walker's equations legitimate scientific
theory.
The non-local underlying wave patterns beneath manifestations of matter and energy
that we hold in common with our surroundings allow us to influence reality and to
obtain information about it using the power of the mind. This underlying
interconnecting pattern is the very stuff of consciousness and manifests, not only
as matter & energy, but also as psychokinesis, precognition and other phenomenon
that are only now beginning to be recognized and embraced by some theories of modern
physics.

[...]
Whatever the subtle level of reality underlying matter and energy, we are that
(including our consciousness). If hidden variables exist, we are the hidden
variables. It has been theorized that consciousness is an inseparable aspect of
this underlying reality. When our awareness connects with the deepest layer of
reality interconnecting everything, we may experience the level of consciousness
beyond time and form reported by many mystics. It is this non local structure that
we share with nature that makes it possible to "attune to nature," to psychically
participate in nature, and to live in accordance with
it.
What we are usually aware of (normal waking consciousness) is a relatively
superficial movement in the order of things. Behind the things we are aware of in
waking consciousness are a vast array of less strongly linked phenomena. This
latter realm is commonly called the unconscious (and parts of it the subconscious).
The unconscious is not very accurate, since it forms a kind of ground of
consciousness. Our awareness can link with this ground of consciousness to gain
information and to influence events.
-------------------------------------------------
As may be seen from the two quotations above modern science is developing theories
that are harmonious with the Thelemic concept of the Universe. True they are using
different names for the particles and fields, but they are none the less the same.
It should be noticed in the above that one writer talks about a particle field,
while the other writes about probability waves. These should not be confused -- it
is entirely likely that these are one in the same -- much like the photon, which is
alternately thought of as a particle and a wave -- yet it is still our mundane
light.
This Tachyon field is in all likely-hood a field of Hadits -- after all Hadit is
omnipresent. At any rate this does seem to fit into the current Thelemic and
Enochian theories of that which underlies reality, and even in the worst case
science is describing a field of RA-HOOR-KHUITs. This goes a long way to explaining,
in modern scientific terms, why and how Magick works.
---------------------------------------------------------
It is Descartes' "All-pervasive Aether" or field of infinitely small particles that
is becoming known as the Tachyon or neutrino field by modern science.

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In the Enochian theories, the universe is filled with a virtually infinite number of
'infinitely small' points of consciousness, these are known as the 'Monad'. These
Monads are the very stuff of which all things are made, and are in all likelyhood
the 'fundimental particle' of modern science. These monads then would also be the
'unit' particles which make up what the ancients called the aether, since at this
level they would be indistinguishable from energy. They would also form a great
'matrix' which would fill the material universe.

Since these particles are not only infinitely small, but are infinitely close
together, any action on one given particle would have an effect on ALL others. As
was noted above; these particles are 'points' of consciousness. This brings to mind
statements made by Hermes; The ALL is MIND (or something to that effect). If these
infinitely small particles are indeed consciousness, then it would follow that the
All or the Universe is mind. The universe would indeed be a living 'thinking'
creature in itself -- this idea is consistant with the theories of Enochian Physics.

But I think I digress. As is pointed out above, modern physics is beginning to


formulate theories that there is an 'all-pervasive' field or structure that includes
and penetrates all things. This idea is harmonious with the ancient idea of the
aether. Science postulates that this 'field' underlies all manifestion, the two
exerpts above seem to agree on this point, as do the ideas of the aether. It seem to
follow that the 'waves' that Mr. Cornett speaks of are what 'cause' what we call
"physical manifestation", and that these waves are caused by mind (did the universe
litterally 'think' itself into existance?). These waves could also be caused by
aggreates of monads acting as a unit (the manifestation of an intelligent creature).

The possibilities are endless, and all equally valid. So what does all this
have to do with the price of tea in China? Just this;
1. It goes a long way in proving the Thelemic Cosmology, though we Thelemites would
use different nomenclature. The Ideas of Nuit (infinite space) and Hadit (the
infinitely small particle which fills and manifests Nuit) are beginning to be
accepted by modern physics. The conjunction of these infinites, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, any
and all events occuring within Nuit and Hadit, is therefore a 'given'.

2. It shows the mechanics of Magick. Since it can be observed that one consciousness
affects another, it follows that one may affect the entire universe by simply
'fixing' an idea in their consciousness. This may seem a bit over-simplified...it
is! The process is not an easy one, however, the rituals and processes that have
been given us by the ancients do begin to make some sense in the light of modern
physics. It is these ancient mechanisms that allow us to put our mundane minds into
the proper 'frame' and therefore 'excite' our consciousness, thus allowing us to
have a 'physical' effect on
or enviroment.

References:

1. S.S. Guruka Singh Khalsa, Research Associate


Department of High Energy Physics
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

December 13, 1987

2. The Symposium on Energy Technology in Hannover


November 27 and 28, 1980

Topic of the Symposium (Tachyon Field)


Dr. Hans A. Nieper

3. AMARANTH Vol. E.1.1: QUANTUM MAGIC


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An Electronic zine by Larry Cornett 8/22/88
4. Evan Harris Walker...Scientst and author. Worked for US Army
Ballistic Research Labs. at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. He
is the author on several papers and book concerning psychic and other
para-normal phenomenon.

By: Dan Holdgreiwe


To: Adrienne
Re: Dangers of Deity?
-----------------------

In the presence of the Goddess, Adrienne said to Dan Holdgreiwe:


PH> ...to suggest that the human psyche, confronted with the Divine PH> presence
without being built up to sustain that impact, can frag ment.
DH> I don't buy it, at least not in those terms. This sort of thing makes for
impressive sermons, but it does not correspond to the Divine reality that I have
experienced.

Ae> Then you're lucky. I'm with Paul Hume on this one.

Well, I've been rethinking this myself, mostly because I realized that in other
contexts I make a big deal about the "dangers" of confronting the Divine. So why
was I so critical of the dangers espoused by Paul and others?
A major reason, I beleive is that I was taking their statements too literally. I
can't take the image of God as a high voltage line seriously. For that matter, I
find myself more and more disatisfied the the electrical metaphor that so permiates
modern discussions of magic. Words such as "charging," "grounding," and "energy"
capture only one side -- and not the most important side -- of ritual work. My over
literal reading of their posts conjured up a ridiculous image in my mind, which I
emphatically rejected.

Let me say instead that the dangers of encounter with the Divine are not electrical,
but rather are moral and intellectual. If one demands a relationship with Deity
which exceeds one's moral maturity, one does indeed face serious risks. I suspect
that most of these risks are related to self-deception and self-indulgence, but I
suppose that in extreme cases the damage to the personality could be more rapid.
All this, of course, presumes a basically healthy psyche.
On the other hand, approaching Deity often feels much more dangerous than it is. We
are likely to feel a great deal of fear as our pretensions and denials are stripped
away by the appraoch of the Divine presence. This feeling of fear is necessary and
good, but it is fear of change as much as fear of real danger.
Ae> Traumatic not just for the unwilling. I recently had a pries tess of
mine who did the Drawing Down for the first time and she was profoundly
disturbed by it. Not in an unpleasant way, but she's well trained and she
still found the whole experience hard to deal with on an emotional level.
Some people can shrug it off, others find it hard to incorporate into
themselves. Kinda like losing one's virginity...
I wasn't thinking that "emotionally hard to deal with" was what Paul et al. meant by
"zapped" or "crispy." Certainly such experiences can be emotionally hard to deal
with (although I have never found them so myself).

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Ae> To be blunt, bullsh*t. Sure it can. The Gods sometimes force us to
prove our mettle, *especially* if we ask them to. If we are strong
enough,fine. If not...
Prove our mettle at what exactly? Lightning bolts at fifty paces? I probably agree
with you, but I reject the idea that we are tested like transistors -- turn on the
juice and throw away the ones that burn out.
Ae> Besides, the biggest danger isn't in the presence of the Divine. It's
when the mage/priest *thinks* the Divine is there and is deluded. The
unconscious mind will happily produce all sorts of fantasies if you ask.
This I agree with 100%
Ae> It isn't a case of how effective the participants are, rather, how
ineffective. Delusion is a stock in trade for the occult arts.
Here you seem to have come around to my side. Most dangers come not from the
presence of the Gods, but rather from their absence. An imaginary power line isn't
dangerous, but an imaginary like with God/dess is.
Blessed Be
Dan
By: Paul Hume
To: Dan Holdgreiwe
Re: Re: Dangers of Deity?
----------------------------
Dan -
The zapped or crispy metaphor (hmmm, more Divine Electricity imagery) could include
"emotional discomfort," though I find that to be so basic an element in dealing with
Divine encounters (in my *vast* experience (g)), as the ego tries to relate to what
has just happened, that I don't really consider it at issue.
Someone who shrugs and mutters "No big deal," whether they've Drawn Down a God for
the first or five hundredth time has more of a problem, in my arrogant opinion, than
someone who throws shrieking fits in the wake of the experience (assuming they get
to stop screaming, eventually).
Yes, the crispness of the unprepared is, in fact, a metaphor for psychological
disintegration, an explosion of "mundane consciousness" in the wake of an experience
which blows the underpinnings out from under it. In a not uncommon example,
priesthood who begin to expect, to demand, the reverence shown them when they are
vessels of the Divine be shown them when they are not exercising their theurgic
office. Whether it is a Wiccan HPS or a Catholic monsignor (or
what you will), this is a typical poison that can breed in the wake of the Divine
invocation.

Psychically, the Gods ARE high-voltage lines, whether you accept them as "real" or
"mere archetypes," or whatever. They, by definition, function on a level of
consciousness that is tremendously potent in the context of day-to-day awareness.
And they may be as solicitous of humans as a human is when caring for a small and
fragile animal, but They also do not exercise the same controls on humans that
humans do on animals, and rarely force us to turn away from danger, though They try
and protect us when we think to ask for it.

The fact that humanity contains (in my view) Divine potential in its own right
allows for humans to confront Deity on its own plane, even at the cost of the
present incarnation.
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Paul
By: Dan Holdgreiwe
To: Paul Hume
Re: Re: Dangers of Deity?
--------------------------
In the presence of the Goddess, Paul Hume said to Dan Holdgreiwe:

PH> The zapped or crispy metaphor (hmmm, more Divine Electricity


imagery) could include "emotional discomfort," though I find that to be so
basic an element in dealing with Divine encounters (in my *vast* experience
(g)), as the ego tries to relate to what has just happened, that I don't
really consider it at issue.

Really? My own experience has included more than a little emotional


discomfort, but almost all of it was in those periods when I wasn't receiving
palpable confirmation that the work was acomplishing anything. Breaking through to
the Divine, on the other hand, is usually a joyful, ecstatic experience for me.

Part of this may be training (I spent about 10 unpleasant but productive years under
the disipline of a very demanding spiritual group) and part of it may be a matter of
pre-stripping the ego in anticipation of contact with the Divine (a less than common
practice among Pagans, who tend tobe suspicious of anything that smacks of
humility).

PH> Someone who shrugs and mutters "No big deal," whether they've Drawn
Down a God for the first or five hundredth time has more of a problem, in my
arrogant opinion, than someone who throws shrieking fits in the wake of the
experience (assuming they get to stop screaming, eventually).
I would agree, but I find the more common reaction to be along the lines of "Oh,
wow!" or even "Mmmmmmmmmmm, yes!" Perhaps this means I'm not "plugged in" to the
high-amp Deities (like maybe Cthulu). <g>

On a more serious note, I probably use an egregore that mediates the


relationship with God/dess in ways that make screaming fits less likely -- thought I
suppose it could be disputed whether this was good or bad.

PH> Yes, the crispness of the unprepared is, in fact, a metaphor for
psychological disintegration, an explosion of "mundane con sciousness" in
the wake of an experience which blows the under pinnings out from under it.
In a not uncommon example, pries thood who begin to expect, to demand, the
reverence shown them when they are vessels of the Divine be shown them when
they are not exercising their theurgic office. Whether it is a Wiccan HPS
or a Catholic monsignor (or what you will), this is a typical poison
that can breed in the wake of the Divine invocation.
Ah, this is where your metaphor confuses me. You speak of an "explosion" but your
example is more akin to a cancer -- not a dramatic shattering of the personality,
but a gradual corruption. The latter is a danger that I readily acknowledge.
PH> Psychically, the Gods ARE high-voltage lines, whether you accept them as
"real" or "mere archetypes," or whatever. They, by definition, function on a
level of consciousness that is treme ndously potent in the context of
day-to-day awareness.
PH> The fact that humanity contains (in my view) Divine potential in its own
right allows for humans to confront Deity on its own plane, even at the cost
of the present incarnation.
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The Lord and Lady are indeed potent, but their energy is wisely controlled. Each of
us, hoever, is a high-voltage line in much less capable hands. I believe it is not
God/dess, but our own Divine potential which will "zap" us if we are careless in its
use.
Blessed Be
Dan

RITUALS AND SPELL OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN IN EIGHT MAGICS


by Pete Carroll
Our perceptual and conceptual apparatus creates a fourfold division
of matter into the space, time, mass, and energy tautology.
Similarly, our instinctual drives create an eightfold division of
magic. The eight forms of magic are conveniently denoted by colours
having emotional significance:
OCTARINE,
PURE MAGIC
RED, BLACK,
WAR MAGIC ÝÝÝÝ DEATH MAGIC
ÝÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ C H A O S ÝÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ BOX ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
ORANGE, ________ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ________ BLUE,
THINKING ________ÝÝÝÝÝ THE MAGICAL ÝÝÝÝÝ________ WEALTH MAGIC
MAGIC ÝÝÝÝÝ MAILBOX ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ04962577966ÝÝÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝ ÝÝÝÝ ÝÝÝ
ÝÝÝÝ
PURPLE or ÝÝÝÝ GREEN,
SILVER, LOVE MAGIC
SEX MAGIC YELLOW,
EGO MAGIC
The eight types of magic can be attributed to the seven classical
"planets", plus Uranus for Octarine. However in the cause of
expanding the parameters of what can be attempted with each of these
forms of magic, such an attribution will largely be avoided. The
eight forms of magic will each be considered in turn.

OCTARINE MAGIC
Following Pratchett's hypothesis, the eighth colour of the spectrum,
which is the magicians personal perception of the "colour of magic",
may be called octarine. For me, this is a particular shade of
electric pinkish-purple. My most signifikant optical visions have
all occured in this hue, and I visualise it to colour many of my
more important spells and sigils on the astral. Before I set sail in
a handmade open boat through the Arabian Sea I was tricked into
accepting a huge and priceless star ruby by a wizard in India. It
was of an exactly octarine hue. During the most violent typhoon I
have ever experienced I found myself shrieking my conjurations to
Thor and Poseidon whilst clinging to the bowsprit as mountainous
waves smashed into the boat and octarine lightning bolts crashed
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into the sea all around. Looking back it seems miraculous that I
and my crew survived. I have kept the octarine stone, uncertain as
to whether it was passed to me as a curse, a joke, a blessing, or a
test, or all of these things.

Other magicians perceive octarine in different ways. My personal


perception of octarine is probably a consequence of sex (purple) and
anger (red) being my most effective forms of gnosis. Each should
seek out the colour of magic for himself.
The octarine power is our instinctual drive towards magic, which, if
allowed to flower, creates the magician self or personality in the
psyche, and in affinity with various magician god forms. The
"Magician Self" varies naturally between magicians, but has the
general characteristics of antinomianism and deviousness, with a
predilection for manipulation and the bizarre. The antinomianism of
the magician self arises partly from the general estrangement of our
culture from magic. The magicial self therefore tends to take an
interest in everything that does not exist, or should not exist,
acording to ordinary consensus reality. To the magician self,
"Nothing is Unnatural". A statement full of endless meanings. The
deviousness of the magician self is a natural extension of the
sleight of mind required to manipulate the unseen. The god forms of
the octarine power are those which correspond most closely with the
characteristics of the magician self, and are usually the magicians
most important modes of possession for purely magical inspiration.
Baphomet, Pan, Odin, Loki, Tiamat, Ptah, Eris, Hekate, Babalon,
Lilith and Ishtar are examples of god forms which can be used in
this way.
Alternatively the magician may wish to formulate a magician god form
on a purely idiosyncratic basis, in which case the symbolism of the
serpent and the planet Uranus often prove useful starting points.

The magician can invoke such god forms for the illumination of
various aspects of the magical self, and for various works of pure
rather than applied magic. The category of pure magic includes such
activities as the development of magical theories and philosophies,
and magical training programs, the devising of symbolic systems for
use in divinations, spells and incantations, and also the creation
of magical languages for similar purposes. It is worth noting here
that chaos-magical languages are usually now written in V-Prime
before transliteration into magical barbaric form. V-Prime or
Vernacular Prime is simply one's native tongue in which all use of
all tenses of the verb "to be" is omitted in accordance with quantum
metaphysics. All the nonsense of transcendentalism disappears quite
naturally once this tactic is adopted. There is no being, all is
doing.
The octarine power is invoked to inspire the magician self and to
expand the magicians primary arcana. The primary personal arcana
consists of the fundamental symbols with which he interprets and
interacts with reality (whatever that may assault perception as),
magically. These symbols may be theories or kabbalas, obsessions,
magical weapons, astral or physical, or indeed anything which
relates to the practice of magic generally, that is not dedicated
specifically to one of the other powers of applied magic, whose
symbols form the secondary personal arcana of magic.

From the vantage point of the octarine gnosis, the magician self
should be able to perceive the selves of the other seven powers, and
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be able to see their interrelationship within his total organism.
Thus the octarine power brings some ability in psychiatry, which is
the adjustment of the relationship between the selves in an
organism. The basis difference between a magician and a civilian is
that the latter the octarine power is vestigial or undeveloped. The
normal resting or neutral mode a civilian corresponds to a mild
expression of the yellow power which he regards as his normal
personality or "ego". The magician self however, is fully aware that
this is but one of eight major tools that the organism possesses.
Thus, in a sense, the "normal personality" of the magician is a tool
of his magical self (and, importantly, vice versa). This realisation
gives him some advantage over ordinary people. However the
developing magical self will soon realize that it is not in itself
superior to the other selves that the organism consists of, for
there are many things they can do which it cannot.
The development of the octarine power through the philosophy and
practice of magic tends to provide the magician with a second major
centre amongst the selves to complement the ego of the yellow power.
The awakening of the octarine power is sometimes known as "being
bitten by the serpent". Those who have been, are usually as
instantly recognisable to each other as, for example, two lifeboat
survivors are.
Perhaps one of the greatest tricks of sleight of mind is to allow
the magician self and the ego to dance together within the psyche
without undue conflict. The magician who is unable to disguise
himself as an ordinary person, or who is unable to act independently
of his own ego, is no magician at all.
Nevertheless, the growth of the octarine, or eighth power of the
self, and the discovery of the type of magician one wants to be, and
the identification or synthesis of a god form to represent it, tend
to create something of a mutant being, who has advanced into a
paradigm that few others are aware of. It is not easy to turn back
once the jouney has begun, though quite a few have tried to abort
the voyage with various narcotics including mysticism. It is a
pilgrimage to an unknown destination, in which one awakes
successively from one nightmare into another. Some on them appear
vastly entertaining at the time. There are worlds within us, the
abysses are just the initiations in between them.
The evocation of an octarine servitor can create an invaluable tool
for those engaged in magical research. The main functions of such
entities are usually to assist in the discovery of useful
information and contacts. Negative results should not be ignored
here, the complete failure of a well prepared servitor to retrieve
information about the hypothetical cosmic "big bang", was a
contributory factor in the development of the Fiat Nox theory, for
example.
BLACK MAGIC
The Death programs built into our genetic and hence behavioral and
emotional structure are the price we pay for the capacity for sexual
reproduction which alone allows for evolutionary change. Only
organisms which reproduce asexually, to replicate endless identical
copies of their very simple forms, are immortal. Two conjunctions
with the black power are of particular interest to the magician: the
casting of destruction spells and the avoidance of premature death.
So called "Chod" rites are a ritual rehearsal of death in which the
Death-self is invoked to manifest its knowledge and wisdom.
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Traditionally conceived of as a black robed skeletal figure armed
with a scythe, the Death-self is privy to the mysteries of ageing,
senescence, morbidity, necrosis, entropy and decay. It is often also
possessed of a rather wry and world weary sense of humour.

Surrounding himself with all the symbols and paraphernalia of death,


the magician invokes his Death-self in a Chod rite for one of the
two purposes. Firstly the experience of the Death-self and the black
gnosis brings the knowledge of what it feels like to begin dying and
thus prepares the magician to resist the manifestation of actual
premature death in himself and perhaps others by, as it were,
knowing the enemy. A demon is just a god acting out of turn. In the
course of various Chod rites the magician may well experiment in
shamanic style by invoking into himself the visualised entities and
symbols that he associates with various diseases, to practice
banishing them. Thus the Death-self has some uses in medical
diagnosis and divination.
Secondly, the death-self may be invoked as a vantage point from
which to cast destruction spells. In this case the invocation takes
the same general form but the conjuration is usually called an
Entropy Rite. One should always look for any possible alternative
to the exercise of destructive magic, for to be forced into the
position of having to use it is a position of weakness. In each case
the magician must plant in his subconscious a mechanism by which the
target could come to grief and then project it with the aid of a
sigil or perhaps an evoked servitor. Entropy magic works by sending
information to the target which encourages auto-destructive
behaviour.
Entropy magic differs from Combat magic of the Red Gnosis in several
important respects. Entropy magic is always performed with complete
stealth in the cold fury of the black saturine gnosis. The aim is a
cold blooded surgical strike of which the target is given no
warning. The magician is not interested in getting into a fight,
merely in a quick and efficient kill. The supreme advantage of such
attacks is that they are rarely perceived as such by the targets who
have nothing but themselves and blind chance to blame for the
disasters which even magnanimity in victory does little to assuage.
One disadvantage however, is that it is rather difficult to present
invoices to clients for effects that appear to be due entirely to
natural causes.
God forms of the black power are legion; if the simple form of a
cloaked skeleton with scythe does not adequately symbolise the
Death-self then such forms as Charon, Thanatos, Saturn, Chronos,
Hekate the Hag, Dark sister Atropos, Anubis, Yama and Kali may
serve.
Servitors of the black power are rarely established for long term
general use, partly because their use is likely to be infrequent and
partly because they can be danger to their owner, thus they tend to
be made and dispatched for specific single tasks.
BLUE MAGIC
Wealth is not to be measured in terms of assets, but rather in terms
of how much control over people and material, and thus ultimately
one's own experiences, one achieves by economic activities. Money is
an abstract concept used to quantify economic activity, thus wealth
is a measure of how well you control your experiences with money.
Assuming that varied, exciting, unusual and stimulating experiences
are preferable to dull ones, and that they tend to be expensive for
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this reason, then the main problem for most people is to find a
highly efficient form of money input which has the above agreeable
qualities. The aim of wealth magic is to establish a large turnover
of money which allows agreeable experiences at both the input and
output stages. This demands what is called Money Consciousness.
Money has acquired all the characteristics of a "spiritual" being.
It is invisible and intangible, coinage, notes and electronic
numbers are not money. They are merely representations or talismans
of something which economists cannot coherently define. Yet although
it is itself intangible and invisible it can create powerful effects
on reality. Money has its own personality and idiosyncratic tastes,
it avoids those who blaspheme it, and flows towards those who treat
it in the way it likes. In a suitable environment it will even
reproduce itself. The nature of the money spirit is movement, money
likes to move. If it is hoarded and not used, it slowly dies. Money
thus prefers to manifest as turnover rather than as unexploited
assets. Monies surplus to immediate pleasure should be re-invested
as a further evocation, but the truly money conscious find that even
their pleasures make money for them. Money consciousness gets paid
to enjoy itself. Those in money consciousness are by nature
generous. Offer them an interesting investment and they will offer
you a fortune. Just don't ask for small cash handouts.
The attainment of money consciousness and the invokation of the
Wealth-self consists of the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of
the predilections of the spirit of money and a thorough exploration
of personal desires. When both of these have been understood, real
wealth manifests effortlessly.

Such invocations must be handled with care. The blue gnosis of


wealth and desire creates demons as easily as gods. Many
contemporary success and sales seminars concentrate on creating an
hysterical desire for money coupled with an equally hypertrophied
desire for the mere symbols of wealth rather than the experiences
the punters actually want. To work like a possessed maniac all day
for the questionable pleasure of drinking oneself into near oblivion
on vintage champagne every night, is to have missed the point
entirely and to have a entered a condition of anti-wealth.
However, the majority of those who are poor in relatively free
societies where others are rich, owe their poverty either to a lack
of understanding of how money behaves, or to negative feelings which
tend to repel it. Neither intelligence nor investment capital are
required in any great degree to become wealthy. The popularity of
tales about the misery and misfortunes of the rich is testimony to
the ridiculous myth prevalent amongst the poor, that the rich are
unhappy. Before beginning works of blue magic it is essential to
seriously examine all negative thoughts and feelings about money and
to exorcise them. Most of the poor people who win in lotteries, and
only the poor regularly enter them, manage to have nothing to show
for it a couple years later. It is as if some subconscious force
somehow got rid of something they felt they did not really deserve
or want. People tend to have the degree of wealth that they deeply
believe they should have. Blue magic is the modification of that
belief through ritual enactment of alternative beliefs.
Blue magic rituals may thus involve exorcisms of negative attitudes
to wealth, divinatory explorations of one's deepest desires, and
invocations of the Wealth-self and the spirit of money during which
the subconscious wealth level is adjusted by ritual expression of a
new value, and affirmations of new projects for the investment of
resources and efford are made. Hymns and incantations to money can
be delivered. Cheques for startling sums can be written to oneself
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and desires can be proclaimed and visualised. Various traditional
god forms with a prosperity aspect can be used to express the
Wealth-self such as Jupiter, Zeus and the mythical Midas and
Croesus.

Simple money spells are rarely used in modern blue magic. The
tendency nowadays is to cast spells designed to enhance schemes
designed to make money. If one fails to provide a mechanism through
which money can manifest then either nothing will happen or the
spell will flesh by strange means, such as a legacy from the
untimely death of a much beloved relative for example. Serious blue
magic is never attempted by conventional forms of gambling.
Conventional gambling is an expensive way of buying experiences
which have nothing to do with increasing one's wealth. Blue magic is
a matter of carefully calculated investment. Anyone but a fool
should be able to devise an investment that offers better odds than
conventional forms of gambling.

RED MAGIC

As soon as humanity developed the organisation and weapons


technology to defeat its main natural predators and competitors it
seems to have applied a fierce selection mechanism to itself in the
form of internecine warfare. Many of the qualities we regard as
marks of our evolutionary success, such as our opposable thumbs and
tool handling abilities, our capacity for communication by sound,
our upright posture, and our capacity to give and receive commands
and discipline, were almost certainly selected for during millennia
of organized armed conflict between human bands. Our morality
reflects our bloody history, for whilst it is taboo to attack
members of one's own tribe, it remains one's duty to attack
foreigners. The only debate is over who constitutes one's own tribe.
When enthusiasm for war is limited, we devise sports and games in
which to express our aggression. From the whole ethos and
terminology of sport it is plain that sport is just war with extra
rules.

However, it should not be supposed that war is completely without


rules. Wars are fought to improve one's bargaining position; in war
the enemy group is a resource that one wishes to gain some measure
of control over. Wars are fought to intimidate one's adversaries,
not to exterminate them. Genocide is not war.

The structure and conduct of war reflects the "fight or flight"


program built into our sympathetic nervous system. In battle, the
aim is to intimidate the enemy out of the fight mode and into flight
mode. Thus, assuming there is sufficient parity of force to make a
fight seem worthwhile to both parties, morale is the decisive factor
in conflict. Indeed, it is the decisive factor in virtually any
inter-human competitive, sporting or military encounter.
Red magic has two aspects, firstly the invocation of the vitality,
aggression, and morale to sustain oneself in any conflict from life
in general to outright war, and secondly the conduct of actual
combat magic. A variety of god forms exist in which the War-self can
be expressed, although hybrid or purely idiosyncratic forms work
just as well. Ares, Ishtar, Ogoun, Thor, Mars, Mithras and Horus in
particular are often used. Contemporary symbolism should not be
neglected. Firearms and explosives are as welcoming to the red
gnosis as swords and spears. Drums are virtually indispensable.
Sigils drawn in flammable liquids, or indeed whole flaming circles
in which to invoke should be considered.

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Combat magic is usually practised openly with the adversary being
publicly threatened and cursed, or finding himself the recipient of
an unpleasant looking talisman, spell or rune. The aim is
intimidation and control of one's adversary who must therefore be
made as paranoid as possible and informed of the origin of the
attack. Otherwise combat magic takes the same general form as that
used in Entropy Rites, with sigils and servitors carrying
auto-destructive information to the target, although with sub-lethal
intent.

However, the real skill of red magic is to be able to present such


an overwhelming glamour of personal vitality, morale and potential
for aggression that the exercise of combat magic is never required.
YELLOW MAGIC

Most of the extant texts on what is traditionally called "solar


magic", contradict each other or suffer from internal confusion.
Astrological commentaries on the supposed powers of the sun are
amongst the most idiotic nonsense that discipline can produce. This
is because the yellow power has four distinct but related forms of
manifestation within the psyche. This fourfold division has led to
immense problems in psychology, where various schools of thought
have chosen to emphasise one in particular and to ignore those which
other schools have alighted upon.

The four aspects can be characterised as follows. Firstly the Ego,


or self image, which is simply the model the mind has of the general
personality, but excluding most of the extreme behaviour patterns
that the selves are capable of. Secondly Charisma, which is the
degree of self-confidence that a person projects to others. Thirdly,
something for which there is no single English term, but which can
be called Laughter-Creativity. Fourthly, the urge to Assertion and
Dominance. All these things are manifestations of the same yellow
power; although their relative emphasis varies greatly between
individuals.

Success in most human societies usually results from a skilful


expression of the yellow power. The strength of the yellow power in
an individual seems to bear a direct relationship to levels of the
sexual hormone testosterone in both sexes; although its expression
depends on personal psychology. There is a complex interplay
between testosterone levels, self image, creativity, social status
and sexual urges, even if they are unexpressed. In esoteric terms,
the moon is the secret power behind the sun, as most female
magicians realise instinctively, and most male magicians discover
sooner or later. The Ego gradually accretes through the accidents of
childhood and adolescence, and, in the absence of particularly
powerful experiences thereafter, remains fairly constant even if it
contains highly dysfunctional elements. Any type of invocation
should make some difference to the ego, but direct work with it can
achieve much more. Several tricks are involved here. The very
recognition of the ego implies that change is possible. Only those
who realize that they own a personality rather than consis of a
personality, can modify it. For most people a preparation of a
detailed inventory of their own personality is a very difficult and
unsettling activity. Yet once it is done it is usually quite easy to
decide what changes are desirable.

Changes to the Ego or self image or personality by magic are classed


as works of Illumination and are mainly accomplished by Retroactive
Enchantment and Invocation. Retroactive Enchantment in this case
consits of re-writing one's personal history. As our history largely
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defines our future, we can change our future by redefining our past.
Everybody has some capacity to re-interpret things which were
considered to have gone wrong in the past in a more favourable
light, but most fail to pursue the process to the full. One cannot
eliminate disabling memories, but by an effort of visualisation and
imagination one can write in parallel enabling memories of what
might also have happened, to neutralise the originals. One can also,
where possible, modify any remaining physical evidence that favours
the disabling memory.

Invocations to modify the ego are ritual enchantments and


personifications of the new desired qualities. Attention should be
given to planned changes of dress, tone of speech, gesture,
mannerisms and body posture which will best suit the new ego. One
manoeuvre frequently used in yellow magic is to practice the
manifestation of an alternative personality with a specific mnemonic
trigger, such as the transference of a ring from one finger to
another.

Various god forms such as Ra, Helios, Mithras, Apollo and Baldur are
useful to structure fresh manifestations of the ego, and for
experiments with the other three qualities of the yellow power.
Charisma, the projection of an aura of self confidence, is based on
a simple trick. After a short while there is no difference at all
between the pretence and the actuality of self confidence. Anyone
wishing to remedy a lack of confidence and charisma, and uncertain
as to how to begin pretending to these qualities, may find that a
day or two spent pretending to absolute zero self confidence will
quickly reveal both the effectiveness of pretence and the specific
thoughts, words, gestures and postures required to project either
pretence.

Laughter and Creativity may not immediately seem to be related, but


humour depends on the sudden forging of a new connection between
disparate concepts, and we laugh at our own creativity in forging
the connection. Exactly the same form of elation arises from other
forms of creative activity, and if the insight comes suddenly,
laughter results. If you don't laugh when you see a seriously
brilliant piece of mathematics then you have not really understood
it. It also take a degree of positive self-esteem and confidence to
laugh at something creatively funny. Persons of low self-esteem tend
only to laugh at destructive humour and the misfortunes of others,
if they laugh at all.

Laughter is often an important factor in the invocations of the god


forms of the yellow power. Solemnity is not a prerequisite for
ritual. Laughter is also a useful tactic in drawing conscious
attention away from sigils or other magical conjurations once they
are finished with. The deliberate forcing of hysterical laughter may
seem an absurd way of ending an enchantment or an invocation, but it
has been found to be remarkably effective in practice. This is yet
another sleight of mind manoeuvre which prevents conscious
deliberation.

The "pecking order" within most groups of social animals is usually


immediately obvious to us, and the animals themselves. Yet within
our own society such dominance hierarchies are equally prevalent
within all social groups; although we go to quite extreme lengths to
disguise this to ourselves. The human situation is further
complicated by the tendency of individuals to belong to many groups
in which they may have different degrees of social status, and
status is often partly dependent on specialist abilities other than
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displays of naked force.
However, assuming that a person can appear competent in the
specialist ability that a social group requires, that person's
position in the group depends almost entirely on the degree of
assertion and dominance that person exhibits. It is basically
exhibited through non-verbal behaviour which everybody understands
intuitively or subconsciously but which most people fail to
understand rationally. As a consequence they cannot manipulate it
deliberately. Typical dominance behaviours involve talking loudly
and slowly, using lots of eye contact, interrupting the speech of
others whilst resisting the interruption of others, maintaining an
upright posture of concealed threat, invading the personal space of
others whilst resisting intrusion into one's own, and placing
oneself strategically in any space at the focus of attention. In
cultures where touching is frequent, the dominant always initiate
it, or pointedly refuse it. Either way, they control it.
Submissive behaviour is of course the reverse of all the above, and
appears quite spontaneously in response to successful dominance from
others. There is a two way interaction between dominance behaviour
and hormone levels. If the levels change for medical reasons then
the behaviour tends to change, but more importantly, from a magical
point of view, a deliberate change of behaviour will modify hormone
levels. Fake it till you make it. There is nothing particularly
occult about the way some people are able to control others. We
simply fail to notice how it is done because nearly all the
behavioural signals involved are exchanged subconsciously. Dominance
signals do not tend to work if their recipients perceive them
consciously. Thus in most situations they must be delivered subtly
and with gradually increasing intensity. One of the few situations
where such signals are exchanged deliberately is in military
hierarchies, but this is only possible because of the immense
capacity for direct physical coercion that such systems exhibit.
Break the formal rules of non-verbal communication with an officer
and he will have a sergeant instil some submission by direct means.
Eventually the formal rules become internalised and function
automatically, allowing enough obedience to permit mass
self-sacrifice and slaughter. The yellow power is the root of most
of the best and the worst of what we are capable.
GREEN MAGIC
There is inevitable a considerable overlap in what is written in
popular magic books on the subject of venusian (love) and lunar
(sex) magic. Consequently a planetary nomenclature has been largely
avoided in this text. Although love magic is frequently performed in
support of sexual objectives, this chapter will confine itself to
the arts of making other people friendly, loyal and affectionate
towards oneself.
Friends are probably anyone's greatest asset. My adress book is
easily my most valuable possession. As with erotic attraction, it is
first necessary to like oneself before others will. This ability can
be enhanced by appropriate invocations of the green power. Most
people find it easy to elicit friendliness from people that they
like themselves; but making persons who are not disposed to
friendship towards you, become friendly, and making persons who you
do not like at all friendly towards you, are valuable abilities. An
unreciprocated friendship is a disability only to the person
offering it.
Invocations to the green power should begin with self-love; an
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attempt to see the wonderful side of every self one consists of, and
then proceed into a ritual affirmation of the beauty and loveability
of all things and all people. Suitable god forms for the Love-self
include Venus, Aphrodite and the mythical Narcissus, whose myth
merely reflects a certain male prejudice against this type of
invocation.
From within the green gnosis, spells to make people friendly may be
cast by simple enchantment or by the use of entities created for
this purpose. However it is in face to face meetings that the
empathic abilities stimulated by the invocation work most
effectively. Apart from the obvious manoeuvres of showing interest
in everything the target has to say and affirming and sympathising
with most of it, there is another critical factor called "behavioral
matching", which usually takes place subconsciously. Basically, in
the absence of overtly hostile postures on the part of the target,
one should attempt to match the non-verbal behaviour of the target
precisely. Sit or stand in the identical bodily posture, make the
same movements, use the same degree of eye contact, and talk for
similar intervals. As with dominance behaviour, such signals only
work if they are not consciously perceived by the recipient. Do not
move to match the target's moves and postures immediately. It is
also essential to try and match the verbal behaviour and to
communicate with the same level of intelligence, social status and
sense of humour as the target.
Before I made myself wealthy, I used to practice these abilities
when hitch-hiking. Soon, even people whom I found quite ghastly were
buying me lunch and transporting me far out of their way. Empathy
will get you anywhere.
ORANGE MAGIC
Charlatanry, trickery, living by one's wits and thinking fast on
one's feet are the essence of the orange power. These mercurial
abilities were traditionally associated with the god forms which
acted as patrons to doctors, magicians, gamblers and thieves.
However the profession of medicine has now partly dissociated itself
from charlatanry since doctors discovered that antibiotics and
hygienic surgery actually worked. Nevertheless about eighty percent
of medications are still basically placebos, and the profession
still retains the mercurial caduceus for its emblem. Similarly the
profession of magic has become less dependant on charlatanry with
the discovery of the quantum-probabilistic nature of enchantment and
divination and the virtual abandonment of classical alchemy and
astrology. Pure magic is now best described as an expression of the
octarine power, having an Uranian character. Yet charlatanry still
has its place in magic as in medicine. Let us not forget that all
"conjuring tricks" were once part of the shamanic warm up repertoire
in which something lost or destroyed is miraculously restored by the
magician to get the audience in the right mood before the serious
business of placebo healing began. In its classical form, the
magician puts a dead rabbit in a hat before pulling out a live one.

To the list of professions drawing heavily on the orange power one


must now add salesman, confidence trickster, stockbroker and indeed
any profession with an extreme heart attack rating. The motive power
of the orange gnosis is basically fear, a species of fear which does
not inhibit the user, but rather creates an extraordinary nervous
speed that produces quick moves and answers in tight corners.
The apotheosis of the Wit-self is the ability to enter that state of
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mental overdrive in which the fast response is always forthcoming.
This ability is,, paradoxically enough, created by not thinking
about thinking, but rather allowing anxiety to partially paralyse
the inhibitory process themselves so that the subconscious can throw
out a quick witted response without conscious deliberation.
Invocations of the orange power are best delivered at frantic speed
and gnosis can be deepened by the performance of mentally demanding
tasks such as adding up large lists of numbers in one's head or
ripping open envelopes containing difficult questions and answering
them instantly; activities which should be persisted with until a
breakthrough to the experience of thinking without deliberation is
achieved. Varied god forms can be used to give form to the Wit-self.
Hermes, Loki, Coyote the Trickster and the Roman Mercurius are often
employed.
Orange magic is usually restricted to invocations designed to
enhance general quick wittedness in secular activities such as
gambling, crime and intellectual pursuits. Enchantments and
evocations performed subsequent to an invocation of the orange
gnosis rarely seem to give results as effective as the invocation
itself in my experience. Perhaps something should be said about
crime and gambling for the benefit of those hotheads who may
misunderstand what can be done with orange magic in support of such
activities. Theft is ludicrously easy performed methodically yet the
majority of thieves get caught after a while because they become
addicted to anxiety, which they experience as excitement and
start taking risks to increase it. The novice thief who, in state of
extreme anxiety, takes something in a situation of zero risk, does
not of course get caught and neither does the careful professional.
However there are few careful professionals because there are far
easier ways of making money in most societies for people with that
kind of ability. The great majority of thieves however always manage
to find some way of incriminating themselves because the anxiety of
the theft itself fades, only the anxiety of punishment remains.
Those quick witted and outwardly cool enough to thieve successfully
can easily make more from salesmanship.

There are three types of persistent gambler. The losers account for
two types. Firstly there are those addicted to their own arrogance,
who just have to prove that they can beat pure chance or the odds
set by the organisers. Secondly there are those addicted to the
anxiety of loosing. Even if they win, they invariably throw it away
again soon afterwards. Then there are the winners. These people are
not gambling at all, either because they are organising the odds and
stakes, or because they have inside information, or because they are
cheating. This is true orange magic. Poker is not a game of chance
if played skilfully, and skilful play includes not playing against
persons of equal or superior skill, or persons holding a Smith and
Weston to your Four Aces. Most conventional forms of gambling are
set up in such a way that the use of anything but the most extreme
forms of psychic power will make little difference. I would not
bother to bet on odds that I had reduced from an hundred to one to
merely sixty to one. However certain results obtained using double
blind prescience with horse racing show encouraging potential.
PURPLE MAGIC
A large proportion of all the cults throughout history have shared
one particular characteristic. They have been led by a charismatic
man able to persuade women to freely dispense sexual favours to ther
men. When one begins to look, this feature is startlingly common to
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many ancient cults, monotheistic schismatic sects and modern
esoteric groups. Many, if not the majority of adepts past and
present were, or are, whoremasters. The mechanism is quite simple,
pay the woman in the coinage of spirituality to service the men who
repay you with adulation and accept your teachings as a side effect.
The adulation from the men then increases your charisma with the
women creating a positive feedback loop. It can be a nice little
earner until old age or a police raid catches up with the
enterprise. The other danger is of course that the women, and
eventually the men, may come to feel that constant changes of
partners work against their longer term interests of emotional
security and reproduction. The turnover in such cults can thus be
high, with young adults constantly replacing those approaching early
middle age.

Few religions or cults lack a sexual teaching, for any teaching


provides a powerful level of control. The vast majority of the more
durable and established religions trade on a suppression of so
called free love. This pays considerable dividends too. Women's
position becomes more secure, and men know who their children are.
Naturally adultery and prostitution flourish in such conditions
because some people always want a little more than lifelong monogamy
has to offer. So it's quite true that brothels are built with the
bricks of religion. Indirectly so with conventional religions,
directly so with many cults.

All this begs the question of why it is that people have such an
appetite for wanting to be told what to do with their sexuality. Why
do people have to seek esoteric and metaphysical justification for
what they want to do? Why is it so easy to make a living selling
water by the river?

The answer, it appears, is that human sexuality has some built in


dissatisfaction function of evolutionary origin. Our sexual
behaviour is partly controlled by genetics. Those genes most likely
to survive and prosper are those that in the female encourage the
permanent capture of the most powerful male available and occasional
liaisons (clandestine) with any more powerful male that may be
temporarily available. Whereas in the male, the genes most likely to
prosper are those encouraging the impregnation of as large a number
of females as he can support, plus perhaps a few on the sly that
other men are supporting. It is interesting to note that only in the
human female is oestrous concealed. In all other mammals the fertile
time is made abundantly obvious. This appears to have evolved to
allow, paradoxically both adultery and increased pair bonding
through sex at times when it is reproductively useless. The economic
basis of any particular society will usually supply some pressure in
favour of a particular type of sexuality and this pressure will be
codified as morality which will inevitably conflict with biological
pressures. Celibacy is unsatisfactory, Masturbation is
unsatisfactory, Monogamy is unsatisfactory, Adultery is
unsatisfactory, Polygamy and Polyandry is unsatisfactory and
presumably Homosexuality is unsatisfactory, if the renetic
merry-go-round of partner exchanges in that discipline is anything
to go by.
Nothing in the spectrum of possible sexualities provides a perfect
long term solution, but this is the price we pay for occupying the
pinnacle of mammalian evolution. So much of our art, culture,
politics and technology arises precisely out of our sexual
yearnings, fears, desires and dissatisfactions. A society sexually
at peace with itself would present a very dull spectacle indeed. It
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is generally if not invariably tha case that personal creativity and
achievement are directly proportional to personal sexual turmoil.
This is actually one of the major but often unrecognised techniques
of sex magic. Inspire yourself with maximum sexual turmoil and
confusion if you really want to find out what you are capable of in
other fields. A tempestuous sex life is not a side effect of being a
great artist for example. Rather it is the art which is the side
effect of a tempestuous sex life. A fanatical religion does not
create the suppression of celibacy. It is the tensions of celibacy
which create a fanatical religion. Homosexuality is not a side
effect of barracks life amongst elite suicide shock troops.
Homosexuality creates elite suicide shock troops in the first place.
The Muse, the hypothetical source of inspiration, usually pictured
in sexual terms, is the Muse only when one's relationship to her is
unstable. Every possible moral pronouncement on sexual behaviour has
doubtless been given a million times before, and it would be
unseemly for a Chaoist to re-emphasise any of it. However, one thing
seems reasonably certain. Any form of sexuality eventually invokes
the whole gamut of ecstasy, self-disgust, fear, delight, boredom,
anger, love, jealousy, rafe, self-pity, elation and confusion.It is
these things which make us human and occasionally superhuman. To
attempt to transcend them is to make oneself less than human, not
more. Intensity of experience is the key to really being alive and
given the choice I'd rather do it through love than war any day.

A dull sex life creates a dull person. Few people manage to achieve
greatness in any field without propulsion that a turbulent
emotional-sexual life supplies. This is the major secret of sex
mgic, the two minor secrets involve the function of orgasm as gnosis
and the projection of sexual glamours.
Anything held in the conscious mind at orgasm tends to reach down
into the subconscious. Sexual abnormalities can readily be implanted
or removed by this method. At orgasm sigils for enchantment or
evocation can be empowered either by visualisation or by gazing at
the sigil taped to one's partner's forehead for example. However
this kind of work is often more conveniently performed
auto-erotically. Although the gnosis offered by orgasm can in theory
be used in support of any magical objective, it is generally unwise
to use it for entropy or combat magic. No spell is ever totally
insulted within the subconscious and any leakages which occur can
implant quite detrimental associations with the sexuality.

At orgasm an invocation can be triggered, this operation being


particularly effective if each partner assumes a god form. The
moments following orgasm are a useful time for divinatory vision
seeking. Prolonged sexual activity can also lead to stages of trance
useful in visual and oracular divination or oracular states of
possession in invocation.
The projection of Sexual Glamour for the purposes of attracting
others depends on far more than simple physical appearance. Some of
the most conventually pretty people lack it entirely, whilst some of
the plainest enjoy its benefits to the limit.
To be attractive to another person one must offer them something
which is a reflection of part of their self. If the offer becomes
reciprocal then it can lead to that sense of completion which is
most readily celebrated by physical intimacy. In most cultures it is
conventional for the male to display a tough public exterior and for
the female to display a softer persona, yet in a sexual encounter
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each will seek to reveal their concealed factors. The male will seek
to show that he can be compassionate and valnerable as well as
powerful, whilst the female seeks to display inner strength behind
the outward signs and signals of passive receptivity. Incomplete
personalities such as those which are machismo to the core, or
consist of the polar opposite of this, are never sexually attractive
to anyone except in the most transient sense.
Thus the philosophers of love have come to identify a certain
androgyny in either sex as an important component of attraction.
Some have taken the poetic license to express the quaint ideal that
the male has a femal soul and the female a male one. This reflects
the truism that to be attractive to others you must first become
attracted to yourself. A few hours spent practising being attractive
in front of a mirror is a valuable exercise. If you cannot get
mildly excited about yourself, then don't expect anyone else to get
wildly excited.

The "moon glance" technique is often effective. Basically one


briefly closes the eyes and momentarily visualises a lunar crescent
in silver behind the eyes with the horns of the moon projecting out
of each side of the head behind the eyes. Then one glances into the
eyes of a potential lover whilst visualising a silver radiance
beaming from your eyes to theirs. This manoeuvre also has the effect
of dilating the pupils and usually causes an involuntary smile. Both
of these are universal sexual signals, the first of which acts
subconsciously.
It is generally unwise to cast spells for the attraction of specific
partners but better to conjure for suitable partners in general for
oneself or others. One's subconscious usually has a far more subtle
appreciation of who really is suitable.
Sexual magic is traditionally associated with the colours of purple
(for ppassion) and silver (for the moon). However, the effectiveness
of black clothing as either a sexual or an anti-sexual signal,
depending on the style and cut, shows that black is in a sense the
secret colour of sex, reflecting the biological and psychological
relationship between sex and death.
________________
This text is out of Pete Carroll's book
"Liber Kaos, The Psychonomicon" (Weiser)
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *

Dedication Ritual
Lammas, 1992 Khaled Quicksilver
OPENING: Put up circle as per usual, up to but not including DDTM. Principal
witness is Priest or Priestess, whichever is opposite gender to the Candidate.

Candidate (with sponsors, stands facing Priest/ess:


"I, (full given name), have decided to dedicate myself to the keeping of the
Gods, and I wish to so swear, with this Circle of the Craft of the Wise as witness."
Priest/ess (to sponsors):
"Is (candidates full name) a proper person, of good report and standing in
both communities, sacred and profane, who resoects our ways and wishes to learn the
path of Wisom from the Lord and Lady?"
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Sponsor:
"I have found her/him to be so."
Priest/ess (to Candidate):
"What is the Rede?"
Candidate:
"An it harm none, do what ye will."

Priest/ess:
"Truly an Ethical core. And art willing to make oath to the Gods?"
Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess:
"Art willing to ever keep secret what is unfolded before you, even though it
should cost thee thy life?"

Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess:
"Art willing to swear so before the Gods, and before these here assembled?
Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess (to Sponsor):
"Has s/he the password to enter into the worlds where such a compact must
needs be made?

Sponsor:
"S/he has it not. I give it for him/her, so she may enter into compact."

Dedication (continued)
Priest/ess:
"By what Right or Privelege do you ask admittance into our Rites and into
the company of the Gods?"

Sponsor:
"By the right of two passwords. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust!"
Priest/ess (to dedicant):
"The door has been opened for you. But you must make the step alone. By
what right do you enter?"

Dedicant:
"By those very passwords. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."
Priest/ess:
"I give thee a third. (Kisses Candidate)
DDTM is then performed.

Priest/ess:
"You may now proceed with your wish."
Candidate:
Gives dedication oath. (this should be written by the candidate with the
help of the sponsor(s), so that all the elements required are included, but should
not follow a "canned" script.)
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Priest/ess (to those assembled):
"We have heard (Canddates name)'s intentions. Have you any questions or do
you wish any clarification?"

Each covenor does so, if they want a clarification. This continues until
all are satisfied as to the meaning of the candidate's oath and are satisfied that
the candidate has promised to live up the the Rede, to the best of his/her ability
while a student and to keep the Secrets, whether they stay in or not. (NOTE:
Promising more than is outlined is grossly unfair -- The candidate MUST fully
cognizant of what has been promised!)
Priest/ess:
"We have heard your Oath and your meaning. Remember that you Oath binds
you, for it has been made in the presence of the Gods and witnessed by the Craft of
the Wise."
Priest/ess then introduces the new dedicant to each member of the group, then to the
Quarters, and finally to the Gods:
Priest/ess:
"Lord and Lady, here is your Child, (name) who has sworn his/her devotion to
you. Treat him/her gently and with justice, for s/he is young in the ways of the
Wise. Teach us to do the same."
Cakes and Wine, with the new Dedicant fiven the first drink in honour of his/her new
status. Dismiss the Circle.

The Witches' Creed


Doreen Valiente
Hear Now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.

Mysterious water and fire,


The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.

The birth and rebirth of all nature,


The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat


Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.

When day-time and night-time are equal,


Whensun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,


Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thiteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.

The power that was passed down the age,


Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
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Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the gorces divine.

The Witches' Creed (cont.)


The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
Thet dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!
Doreen Valiente,
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow"
pp.172-173
SAMHAIN CHANT
Fire red, summer's dead
Yet it shall return.
Clear and bright, in the night,
Burn, fire, burn!
Chorus:
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Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.

Fire glow, vision show


Of the heart's desire,
When the spell's chanted well
Of the witching fire.

Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire spark, when nights are dark
Makes our winter's mirth.
Red leaves fall, earth takes all,
Brings them to rebirth.
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire fair, earth and air,
And the heaven's rain,
All blessed be, and so may we,
at Hallows-tide again.
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" p. 193
HORN SONG
Great stag's horns are sprouting out of my head!
Now I sing great songs!
Thundering voices roar
Ancient melodies
That now are caught in my magickal horns
To power my soul
And to heal my body
And enrich my mind!
Listen as I soar! Listen as I sing!
My words are power
To heal bodies, minds, soul
And to conquer death!

Date: 01-29-89 14:07


From: Hugh Read
Origin: FIRE OPAL - A Gem of an OPUS [Minneapolis, MN
(612) 822-4812] (Opus 1:282/8)

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PAN TO ARTEMIS
Uncharmable charmer
Of Bacchus and Mars,
In the sounding, rebounding
Abyss of the stars!
O virgin in armour,
Thine arrows unsling
In the brilliant resilient
First rays of the spring!

By the force of the fashion


Of love, when I broke
Through the shroud, through the cloud,
Through the storm, through the smoke,
To the mountain of passion
Volcanic that woke--
By the rrage of the mage
I invoke, I invoke!

By the midnight of madness,


The lone-lying sea,
The swoon of the moon,
Your swoon into me;
The sentinel sadness
Of cliff-clinging pine,
That night of delight
You were mine, you were mine!

You were mine, O my saint,


My maiden, my mate,
By the might of the right
Of the night of our fate.
Though I fall, though I faint,
Though I char, though I choke,
By the hour of our power
I invoke, I invoke!
By the mystical union
Of fairy and faun,
Unspoken, unbroken--
The dusk to the dawn!--
A secret communion,
Unmeasured, unsung,
The listless, resistless,
Tumultuous tongue!--

O virgin in armour
Thine arrows unsling,
In the brilliant resilient
First rays of the spring!
No Godhead could charm her,
But manhood awoke--
O fiery Valkyrie,
I invoke, I invoke!
ALOHA, Serge King -- a full moon blessing

The only Temple of Peace worth building


Is in your heart, Serge
Is in the human heart
In your students hearts

Peace can not be won with money, Serge


Peace can not be bought
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Nor can peace be sold
But peace must be earned
In loving, selfless service to us all
Giving, regiving
Just for the Joy of It
THAT is Aloha
Aloha is never prosperity, Serge
Bought with the money
Tinkling in your pocket
Aloha is free
Giving, regiving in poverty
Sings an ancient song
Full of Joy, Bliss and Love
The true coin of Peace
A so is giving, regiving in wealth
A thing of beauty
Filled with ancient glory
Unsurpassable
With blessings and thanks, I give you this gift
May it touch your heart
And open your heart
May it touch all hearts
ALOHA, Serge King!
Date: 01-22-89 05:33
Hugh Read
BURNING TIMES
The songs are sung to rouse our anger
Of martyred witches gone to the fire
But what is served by righteous singing
When 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-passed dead
When we are alive in times like these?
cho1: 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 do we have a Craft to practise?
Our ancestors knew how to fight and survive!
How do we honour our blessed dead?
Slavery threatens all but the few!
We must teach their cunning ways;
Everyone needs the skills they knew.
cho: 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'll not cast off science's works
Witches all forces to Will can bend.
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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?
cho: 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 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!

BURNING TIMES (cont.)


cho: 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 hide in my sacred grove --
The factories and cities yet ring me about.
I will not climb my ivory tower --
The real world exists though 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!
cho: 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.
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!
cho: 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.
copyright 1988, Leigh Ann Hussey
ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93)

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CHANGE
I wonder if the sadness I feel
Is the shadow
Of my profound happiness
Something is finished
That was filled with wonderful excitement
The search is over
Now it is time to work
This is something new
It is as if a tiger were lurking
Unseen and waiting
To pounce on me and kill
This, my new beauty
01-10-89 Hugh Read
FIRE OPAL - A Gem of an OPUS [Minneapolis, MN (612) 822-4812]
(Opus 1:282/8)

To Greyshield, with love


The circle cast about us.
The Gods bear witness to our love.
The Watchtower Guardians keep
silent vigil.
Our brothers and sisters stand with us.
The Lord and Lady have granted
us audience.
The candlelight reflects the love
in your eyes.
A love that we have shared before,
Not even death to come between us.
We stand together, hand in hand.
Our paths have merged again.
The Moon beckons us to join Her,
gladly we go.
The Lady smiles upon us.
Phoenix
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)

A PAGAN AWAKENING
A new life is there,
You hear Her now,
She was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So listen to Diana, and accept Her love.
Hoard not Her gifts : feeling, renewal, music.
A new life is there,
You see Him now,
He was always there,
and you're forever changed.
So look to Apollo, and receive His light.
Hoard not His gifts : healing, growth, joy.
A new life is there,
Your hands reach it now,
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It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So touch the earth, and partake of it's sustenance.
Hoard not it's gifts : body, green, silence.
A new life is there,
You soar with it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So breathe in the air and gather the wind.
Hoard not it's gifts : mind, dreams, empathy.
A new life is there,
You're warmed by it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So build the flame and brave it's heat.
Hoard not it's gifts : spirit, will, energy.
A new life is there,
You flow with it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So study the ocean and follow it's tides.
Hoard not it's gifts : self, courage, sorrow.
A new life is there,
You're one with them now,
They were always there,
and You're forever changed.
So take Their gifts and return them threefold.
Share this magic : friendship, love, trust.
.... Jeff A. Bordeaux 4 Jan 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)

A CALL TO LORD AND LADY


She lives and breathes upon the Earth
Her wheel spins round the hub of June
She is the web of life and birth
Her smile floats softly with the moon
Heart of life, and caring mother
Loving sister, noble princess
Firebird spirit, restless lover
Shadowy hidden sorceress
His strength is there in mountains high
His lightning flys from air and cloud
His horn heralds the wild hunt's ride
He quickens forest, roaring proud
Children's friend, protecting father
Watchful brother, noble fighter
Laughing wise one, dark magister
Player of pipes, thoughtful sheperd
Their faces many, countless names
Pan, Diana, Zeus, Astarte
Teachers from dreams, oracle's flames
Speak, and guide us within our hearts
- J.A.B. 14 Feb 89

SEEKING THE SIGN TO DRAGONHEIM


-
Mighty wings once carved the cumulus
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sowing storm filled clouds and reaping rain.
Soaring, we bounded the radius
of the peak crowned heights of our domain.
-
How long is the road to Dragonheim?
The length of a dreamer's call.
How number the miles to Dragonheim?
It is none, I say, and all.
-
And the sky roared when touched by our flames
it sang to words wrought in fume and smoke.
Firey visions dwelt within the names
of numberless tribes of dragon folk.
-
Where winds the path to Dragonheim?
Hidden in a name; a secret sound.
Where stands the entrance to Dragonheim?
In the place never lost, though seldom found.
-
Majestic mountains once housed our young
born from crystal eggs that caught the light.
In strong shadowed heights our dwellings hung
ne'er crossed by the foes who feared our might.

What shapes the trail to Dragonheim?


A maze of dreams, pointing streight.
How travels the way to Dragonheim?
On paths of heart, devoid of hate.
Now the lands are gone, scourged by the ire
of the modern day people's decree.
But spirits live on, look to the fires.
You must catch our souls to set us free.
In what age stands the halls of Dragonheim?
Time beyond time, between the worlds.
Where dwell the inhabitants of Dragonheim?
They smile as your spirits soar and curl.
** - J.A. Bordeaux (Steorra Rokraven) , 17 Feb 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)

TO THE DRAGONS, REBORN


-
They say the flame wrought winds are dead;
Ethereal dancing, jeweled wings - no more.
Monolithic rationality is the head.
Noble dreams and works - shattered, torn.
-
Their world was theirs - never doubt.
But the magic and power faded away,
When the light gave way to spiritual drought
and Oppenheimer replaced Morganna Le Fay.
-
But in some strange souls they found a home:
Those inspired, lost, exiled castaways.
Music and verse and The Craft are the bones
Of these long lost archetypes of elder days.
-
And it takes a mere seed to create an oak,
and music and light, rain and mirth,
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bridging land and sky with it's growth;
fulfilling the call to renew the Earth.
-
So nurture these dragons who live within you-
The Burning has ended and they may go free.
Let them grow so that their work may continue.
An it harm none, do what ye will - Blessed Be!
-
Jeff A. Bordeaux 3 January 1989
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)

EARTHDREAM
-
I feel earth drums deep in the mountain's feet;
Compelling rhythm driving from the core.
I quicken to the flow of molten heat,
and sing with earth song felt in granite's roar.
-
And overhead, elusive secrets heard
in rushing air, bright lightning's stormy ring.
The wisdom of the dragon, cloud and bird
I hear in wind, and see in eagle's wing.
-
A roaring flame will dance and show it's gaze
and speak with firey language, spark and smoke.
My needful spirit feeds upon this blaze
and feeds the source with rowan, ash and oak.
-
The swelling ocean, graced with moon's soft kiss
will heal and bathe the heart within it's wake.
The clear blue source of flowing feeling's bliss
is found in winding stream, dark pool and lake.
-
This dream surrounds and makes our spirits one.
Learn from the Earth, her smile, her forests green;
To watch and listen, feel the visions come,
to find the center, find the worlds between.
-- J.A.B. 15 Feb 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)

ELF
Wilst I think,
And sit and dream within the forest,
soft footfall comes up behind me,
as I think.
A soft cool hand touches my shoulder
and whispers like the wind enter my ear.
Her perfume preceeds her words,
her intentions reflected ,
in the calming mist.
Like dust, sleep overcomes me,
as soft secrets fill my thoughts,
the hand releases its elfin grip,
And I drift into sleep...
Marcus
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Baker Street Irregular * Ft Walton Beach FL (1:366/222)

LYRA
Lyra
In her bubble
Dances near me now
Tiny seer
You never wobble
As you dance the Tao
Rainbow Fire
Like the Maple
And the Oak Tree, too
Flumes your Air
Suppley
Beauty! Wow!
(Us little people gotta stick together even at a distance...maybe better at a
distance )
Hugh Read
The Terraboard, Minneapolis, MN (Opus 1:282/341)

The Goddess is Alive


Moon shines down upon a sea of Light,
Shifting sands lay singing in the Heart of the Night.
I looked upon a scene that gripped me to the core,
White-clad maidens below were dancing on the shore.
Sweet sounds slipped from moon-lit throats,
Wind whipped hair abound,
Lit by the light within and without,
The Women circled 'round.
As I stood, water engulfed my feet,
My body swayed to your Heavenly Heart beat.
Wind and wave and fire light,
Paled in my mind Earthly delight.
Time slipped by me as you held your embrace,
And windblown spray covered my face.
Protected deep within your Womb,
I could feel the tender pain of Life's bloom.
Candles flared high as the Dance progressed,
Deep inside with a healing touch you blessed.
All around, wind, wave and fire shouted of your life,
Your light speared deep within, soothing my strife.
Divine Mother, Goddess of Light,
To you I come seeking protection from the night.
Come home to shelter within your arm,
Surrounded by Love, hidden from harm.

Holy Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth,


From you we all trace our Birth.
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Heavenly Goddess, light from above,
Shine down upon us, we pray for your Love.

HUNTER'S WARNING
-
I have a tale, all grim forbode
of one who sought the night.
He mounted, then in darkness rode
to work upon the height.
Control and power over all,
the essence of his quest.
The people he would hold in thrall.
Ill omen was his crest.
He found a cliff beside the sea.
A glowing circle cast,
with magic burnt the Sacred Tree
and drawing sword, stood fast.
The ocean swelled, and gale winds cried-
a storm of ice and chill.
Bright lightnings slashed and burned the sky
imposed by dark'ning will.
A gateway through the Other World
was opened by his hand,
For from the clouds a funnel swirled
and Bifrost's road did stand.
A raucous army then came down
and rode upon that coast.
Weird hoofbeats rang upon the ground
from steeds who were as ghosts.
Just from the Hunt they had returned
to challenge fox, and deer.
And from the leader, one eye burned
and sighted down his spear.
'What magus honors not my name?',
a booming voice then cried.
'What fool does play this ill wrought game?
Best answer quick - or die.'
'My title matters not, O Lord.',
the sly tongued one did speak.
'We share the spirit of the sword-
your wisdom I would seek.'
'My secrets will I gladly give
to all who share my way-
but test ye must, to die or live-
one chance to go or stay.'
'Though death is not the thing I crave,
your questions will I bear.
And favour lacking, to the grave
and thralldom will I swear.'
'But I am learn'ed, wise and strong
so if your test surpassed
you must then swear before your throng
your power you will pass.'
The Hunt Lord scowled, and it was done,
then said with frosty breath:
'Unto me you will answer one-
what purpose does serve death?'
'My foes have often met their end.
I glory in the kill.
My way will use the death to bend
the people to my will.'
The Goddess Freyja then impart:
'What say you of the dove?
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What use to you are things of heart?
Regard ye what of love?'
'I scorn all love, I favour wrath,
tis best left for the meek.
And peaceful ways cross not my path,
tis only for the weak.'
'War is my art, so answer this:',
spoke grim one handed Tyr.
'Affairs of state, when go amiss-
is honor in your sphere?'
'All honor I return to friends
and other Lords deserved.
I say again, foes meet their ends
when wrath has been incurred.'
'Unto us now, one more reply
before you hear our will.
of spells and power - magic high,
of what does this fulfill?
'To honor you, I would enshrine,
the world then I would take.
To snare, all shiftless peoples bind
with forces I would wake.'
All Asgard's dwellers, looking grim,
then nodded to this king.
Triumphant mein came over him-
his darkened soul did ring.
But Odin set his rage filled face-
the mages blood ran cold.
'Ye think that thou hast won our grace
with naked evil bold?'
'All death is but the way to birth
and peace is men's desire.
Our way is to renew the Earth-
despoiling not in ire.'
'This and the magics meant to heal
and guide on wisdom's path.
So this is why the powers wield-
you have incurred our wrath.'
'But go in sorrow - life we give,
along with this one curse-
That ever long as you shall live
your life now is reversed.'
'Harm with your magic, and you die
a death forever long.
Hurt with your guile, and you shall cry-
your way is twisted, wrong.'
They rode like leaves upon the wind.
Ensorcelled mage grew mad.
He wanders - never trust or friends.
Just woe, dark soul, nomad.
Pay heed, all seekers on the path
to shadow's knowledge earned.
To evil go, you gain the wrath
of Powers great and stern.
- J.A. Bordeaux 8 Mar 89
THE MOONPOOL
-
It is a lazy, restful time
here in the forest glade.
The sun is departing, the stars arriving
and the trees are a darkening jade.
-
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An air of buzzing, drowsing stillness
invades the meadow, lends weight to my head
as I settle down - bedroll, backpack
and strains of music are seemingly played.
-
A deep, cool, dark pool is here,
mirror clear, reflections of skies,
as peace fills my mind, my soul
and sleep gently touches my eyes.
-
I know not whether I was awake, or in dream
or how much time had passed,
when I felt the magic of this place
camped there, upon the grass.
-
No sounds - no crickets? (The Music!)
As the Moon awakens the pool, so bright.
Why this anticipation, premonition,
this magical feeling, this ghost haunted night?
-
Then, a siamese cat enters the meadow-
silver grey, regal compusure, flowing lines.
And somehow I know - I see intelligence
and wit, and power, as she looks into my eyes.
-
How does she speak without speaking?
But somehow, she communicates good will, and cheer.
'Stay quiet, childe of man.', she says.
'Be still - you are but a guest here.'

Then a parade of feline musicians


wandered in singing from the right.
I shake my head *bedazzled*; Am I dreaming, or mad?
Why me - here to witness this eldritch sight?

THE MOONPOOL (cont.)


-
A troupe of dancing, cavorting gnomes
made their appearence upon a rocky stage.
And following them : silver clad, haughty elves
accompanied by a wizened old mage.
-
Now, many strange but noble presences made manifest
on that starlit night in June.
And I witnessed and heard sweet music, high magic, secrets
until dawn, with the passing of the Moon.
-
And the high bred Queen of Cat Folk
smiled with warmth, and left.
Left me shaking with these visions,
and nodding, I finally slept.
-
I return often to these stately woods, seeking
but never finding the sacred pool, so bright.
It makes me sad - very sad to think
that it was but a dream, a peculiar night.
-
But sometimes, at the edge of sleep,
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soft music slowly beckons, and calls.
And I know with every fiber of my being
that I will again visit these magical sylvan halls

Jewel
Sparkling like a priceless gem,
Your eyes glisten, a living diadem.
Touched from the past brought forth Today,
And once again my Heart is brought to bay.
I remember when we rode the Field,
Banner flying, raised the shield,
And then the time we loved and lost
And the unforgiving sea claimed a deadly cost.
Once in a village, poor and downtrodden,
Once with new birth our life was broken,
Lover I remember you when,
Ages past we wandered a glen.
Many lives have come and gone,
But for a while, with you I would be alone.
An oasis in the desert of life,
An island of Joy in an ocean of Strife.
It seems so strange the day we met,
Our eyes crossed briefly and our gazes met.
Stars in our eyes we heard them say,
But then you had to turn away.

Departing you went with backwards gaze,


My eyes followed you gently and my heart was ablaze.
Visions of the Past and Future days,
And all I could see was the Sun's bright rays.
It seems so fateful that you walked in that day,
And to your smile my heart fell prey,
Eyes that dance filled with moonbeams of light,
While under your breast beats a heart filled with Life.
Into my arms I call you to me,
Eager our love to set free,
Into the air, like Hawks on the wing,
My love I give to you without any strings.
You say that you need time to be sure,
Lover, I tell you, that our love will endure.
This lifetime or next, only time will see,
But sooner or later, our love it will be.
Shining like diamonds caught in the sky,
A beacon for others, calling them to fly,
Showing no limits, teaching others to be free,
Visions of Love and Life we will be.
Shadow Hawk, 03-12-89 14:07
The Coming of Lugh
by Iarwain
Lugh the Il-Dana came to the Tara
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Lugh Samildanach came to the palace of the Tutha De
Lugh, master of all arts, came to Eireann

The gate keeper did not recognize Lugh


The gate keeper asked the Il-Dana his name
The gate keeper asked Lugh Samildanach what skill he possesed
Lugh said:

I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of battle

The gate keeper said:

We have no need of a battle master


King Nuada de Danann is our battle master
Nuada Airgitlamh is our battle master

Lugh said:

I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of healing
The Coming of Lugh (cont.)
The gate keeper said:

We have no need of a master of healing


Diancecht de Danann is our master healer
Diancecht is master of all herbs and healings

Lugh said:

I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of knowledge

The gate keeper said:

We have no need of a master of knowledge


Oghma de Danann is master of all learning
Oghma is master of all knowledge

Lugh said:

I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of Sailing

The gate keeper said:


We have no need of a master of sailing.
Mananan mac Lyr de Danann is our master of ships.
Mananan mac Lyr, son of the sea, is our master of sailing
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of sorcery
The gate keeper said:
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We have no need of a master of sorcery
The Badb de Danann are mistresses of all sorcery
The three sisters Macha, Nemhain and
Morrigan are mistresses of all witchcraft
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of smithing
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of smithing
Goibniu de Danann is our master of smithing
Goibniu is a master of all crafts
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of the battle
I am Lugh, master of healing
I am Lugh, master of knowledge
I am Lugh, master of sailing
I am Lugh, master of sorcery
I am Lugh, master of smithing
I bid you, unless you know of another who is master
of all these arts, take me to Nuada Airgitlamh,
take me to Nuada, king of the Tutha de Danann.
The gatekeeper went to Nuada.
When Nuada heard of Lugh's coming he said:
Let him come in, for never has his like entered
this fortress
Lugh the Il-Dana was admitted to the Tara
Lugh Samildanach was admitted to the palace of the Tuatha De
Lugh master of all arts found his place amongst the Tuatha de Denann
Night Wind
Night Wind whispers gently through the trees tonight,
Soon, softly, soon they whisper in delight,
Flights of Night Visions take wing in the night,
Off to the slumbers of children to bring Joy and Fright.
Over house, street, mountain and meadow
Wind flies swirling, fast and then slow,
To windows of children, it's dreams to bestow,
Dreams of Heros, Dragons, Maidens and more.
Little faces move in the night,
Eyes seeing Night Dreams of Horror and Delight,
Innocent faces asleep in the night,
While mighty undertakings go on with Inner Light.
Strong do they battle, they play in the night,
While parents lie dreaming of their own fear and delight.
Deep in the Heart of the Night Wind they soar,
No longer Children, but Adventurers and More.
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Explorers and Travellers, Saints and Devils,
The Children of Day become Night's greatest Messengers,
Carrying word of Great Cities, Underground Oceans and Life,
Back to the day to see the Sun's light.
And in the morning as Night Wind retires,
Bright little faces alight with the glow,
Tell Tales of Valour and Strife into he night,
and condescending pats on their Heads is their plight.

Off to your play they are told in the Day,


Enough of this dreaming they are told is the way,
That they are growing up and that this is the Real Way,
Dreams are for nighttime, and not for the day.
Dreams are for Dreamers, now you go and Play,
And the Mighty Warriors on the Night go into the Day,
Playing with dolls and trucks and clay,
The mighty forget Night's battles along the way.
But Deep in the forest, the cave, and the Dark,
Night Wind lies Dreaming and awaiting the Time,
When Night visions once more take to flight,
And Children of Day become Warriors of the Night.

Shadow Hawk, 03-12-89 14:06

A TREE SONG
by Rudyard Kipling
Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater is none beneath the sun,
Than Oak, and Ash, and Thorn.
Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs,
(All of a Midsummer morn!)
Surely we sing of no little thing,
In Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Oak of the Clay lived many a day,
Or ever Aeneas began.
Ash of the Loam was a Lady at home,
When Brut was an outlaw man.
Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town
(From which was London born);
Witness hereby the ancientry
Of Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Yew that is old in churchyard-mould,
He breedeth a mighty bow.
Alder for shoes do wise men choose,
And beech for cups also.
But when ye have killed, and your bowl is spilled,
And your shoes are clean outworn,
Back ye must speed for all that ye need,
To Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Ellum she hateth mankind, and waiteth
Till every gust be laid,
To drop a limb on the head of him
That any way trusts her shade.
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But whether a lad be sober or sad,
Or mellow with wine from the horn,
He will take no wrong when he lieth along
'Neath Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

Oh, do not tell the priest our plight,


Or he would call it a sin;
But--we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you good news by word of mouth --
Good news for cattle and corn --
Now is the Sun come up from the south,
With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs
(All of a Midsummer morn)!
England shall bide till Judgement Tide,
By Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!

THE CLOUD SCULPTORS


Staeorra Rokraven
-
The air finds flight in forms of lofty wind
As one with nature's children taking part
And soaring up to go and find a friend
Then join with water spinning wispy art.
-
This nature's process has eternal known
The way to hang up on the sky these drapes
But wonder not how these soft clouds have grown
From fleecy strand filled webs to take their shapes?
-
Perhaps the artist's brush a thing unseen
With living tools the Elder Gods express
Those firey ones whose scales and talons gleam
To grace the heavens with their soft caress.
-
Now see the strokes of carving wings along
With falling rain - the strains of Dragon song.

A DREAMING DESIRE
Staeorra Rokraven
-
A spark comes coiling to the edge of sleep
From realms arcane which have become unknown
And from this psychic well does beauty leap
A vision cherished for to call my own.
-
This wispy strand now takes it's shape in fire
And fueled by sources boldly to enchant
Then forming curves from wish of heart's desire
A Woman's eyes all graced with Elvish slant.
-
The shield maid's arms then reach and wanting clasp
We intertwine within her streaming hair
Then sighing voices send a heartfelt gasp
As fragrance heralds tawny skin now bare'd.
-
This honored Lady may in shadows walk
But fate may someday find my heart unlock.
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TO THE BONFIRES
Staeorra Rokraven
-
A circle gathered round a roaring pit
All joining hands to bask within it's glow
And under Moon crowned sky all starry lit
We sing and praise the Power's shadowed flow.
-
For some the flames form dancing Dragon's wing
And other smoke wrought visions climb the air
For all a caring closeness will this bring
And psychic current bonding hearts to share.
-
We charge this timeless place between the worlds
To call the Goddess' love within our hearts
And join with her our joyous souls unfurled
Our spirits dance with her by ancient arts.
-
This night forever captured in this glade
To see old souls re-met and friendships made.
- J.A. Bordeaux (S.R.) -

AMPHITRITE
The Lady went out sailing,
She spoke to all She saw,
And all who heard took ship with Her
And signed the sailors' law.
She sailed across the foamy waves,
Her trident in Her hand,
Her throwing-net beside Her,
And little thought of land.
The Lady went out sailing.
Her vessel had a heart of oak,
And hearts of oak her crew,
Her rig was square, five-masted,
Her compass always true.
The mermaids swam before her,
The whales swam in her wake,
The dolphins on her bow-wave,
On any course she'd take.
The Lady went out sailing.
The young and brash Earth-Shaker
Espied the Lady's ship
And vowed he'd have both Lady
And boat beneath his whip.
He hungered to be Sea-Lord;
He took his winged horse
And busked them both for battle,
And dogged the Lady's course.
The Lady went out sailing.

AMPHITRITE (cont.)
At length, he overtook them,
And lighted on the stern.
He drew his sword for boarding;
He felt his passion burn.
The oaken-hearted crewmaids
Dodged as he swung apace
They made a path before him
To give their Captain space.
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The Lady went out sailing.
The Lady stood before him;
He raised his sword to slice.
She stood firm; with Her trident
She smote the deck thrice.
A wrenching seized his belly;
He rushed to the lee side
To puke his guts while laughter
Assailed his godly pride.
The Lady went out sailing.

"And what would you, bold pirate?"


The Lady asked with force.
"I just want off this vessel!"
They led him to his horse.
He mounted to take leave of those
Who at young gods would scoff.
But he'd barely room for landing--
And none for taking off!
The Lady went out sailing.

"You've lost!" cried Amphitrite


Her net stopped his career
"Now--tell me what you came for
You half-baked buccaneer."
"I came to take your crewmaids
And vessel for my fee,
But most of all your maidenhead
And Lordship of the Sea.
The Lady went out sailing.

"I think you're cute", the Lady said


"Too cute to feed to fishes,
"And so that Zeus might call you strong
"I'll grant most of your wishes.
"You may have My net and fork;
"I've better stored below,
"And you may have My oaken car
"To sail where winds might blow."
The Lady went out sailing.

"My crewmaids are not Mine to give,


"But you may call Me wife.
"Our wedding night, Poseidon dear,
"Must last you all your life,
"For you shall rule the Middle Sea
"And none shall take your place,
"But I shall rule the Ocean
"And the boundless deeps of Space."
The Lady went out sailing.

--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson


The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do anything."(1:104/45.5)
HEAVEN IS A RESTING-PLACE

I reject the mortal fear


Which brings on doctrine-strife,
For I have seen with poet's eyes
The Door twixt Death and Life.
I know not what might lie beyond;
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That time is yet to come.
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
The churchmen argue overmuch
On who is out and in,
On how they should be organized,
And how their neighbors sin.
The flag is not the nation;
The whole is more than sum;
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
When God is shrunk to fit a Church,
The greater part is lost,
The Holy Ghost too oft gets thrown
When "heathen trash" is tossed.
If God's knocked down to Patriarch,
Full half of God's struck dumb.
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
I shall fear not for my friends,
Nor worry for my kin,
And when I face that bright-lit Door
I'll joyfully go in.
All those dear to me will join
The Feast of Friends to come:
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)

PRAYER DRIVE
With every turn of the disk in the drive:
To him who helps the poet thrive
By swapping silver for the use
Of verse, sweet blessings from the Muse.
But woe to him who plays the thief,
Deletes this message--grant him grief!
For every time the disk spins around,
His luck shall tumble to the ground.
--Copyright (c) 1987 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)

ELEGY: JAMES DOUGLAS MORRISON


Deirdre and Eogan and Conchobar
Ride the King's Road in an open car.
Deirdre stands proud as the car scrapes the walls.
The clearance is low; the bright lady falls.
Swept to the road, she's gone for a ghost,
Gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
Who, now, shall mourn for Usna's dead?
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Who will drink poteen o'er Deirdre's fair head?
Her sorrow is spent, her howling is done,
For Alan and Arden and Naoise are gone.
Swept as if mines, they're gone for a ghost,
Gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
A spirit in frenzy arises from flames,
A poet out seeking the elder gods' names.
A swan in a duck-nest, a bow strung and drawn,
A druid a-singing to greet the pale dawn.
Swept by a vision, he chases a ghost
To exile, out on the Golden Coast.
Shaman and singer, he screams to the skies
His pain and his vision. An arrow, he flies
Attended by Serpents, by Lizards, by Pan--
Fair Deirdre's returned in the guise of a man.
Swept by her spirit, possessed by a ghost,
He leads the fey young of the Golden Coast.
In Eogan and Conchobar's car they now go,
He stands proud, defiant, where clearance is low.
The arrow has fallen, the sorrow has burned.
Who, now, will mourn the grave howler returned?
Swept by her darkness, he's gone for a ghost.
The Druid, the Changer, the Poteen-mad Host
Is gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson

ANOTHER ONE FOR JIM MORRISON


Where did he go, that vision-mad soul?
What did he see on his quest?
Who did he meet at the end of his night?
Why did he fail the test?
The shaman is old, a new must be found,
Take the young ones to a height.
Those who would be a shaman must jump.
The one who survives will be right.
He jumped--the serpent-strength filled his soul.
He jumped--the new lizard king.
He jumped--to the Lady he feared would be there.
He jumped--but rose not to take wing.
And I would now follow that worthy's descent,
I would dare Medicine's dive.
For I love the path he blazed for us all,
But I, unlike him, shall survive.
I jump--the snakes I feared buoy my soul.
I jump--my spirit now sings.
I jump--to the Lady I know will be there.
I jump--can it be I've grown wings?
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)

BENEATH THE FULL MOON


Come, I will sing it in your ear:
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Your dancing days are come.
All the feeling you hold dear
Will lift your spirit some;
Dance until the rosey dawn
All in a gay, glad rag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.
And I will sing you merrily
Into my ring of dooms,
And I will twine into your hair
A wreath of maiden blooms.
You'll turn, when dancing days wane low
To Crone, but not to Hag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.

As Maiden grows to Mother,


And Mother into Crone,
Dance, My darling daughter,
Beneath My rounded Moon.
Dance in argent splendor
Until your spirits flag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)

Computer Blessing
Blessings on this fine machine,
May its data all be clean.
Let the files stay where they're put,
Away from disk drives keep all soot.
From its screen shall come no whines,
Let in no spikes on power lines.
As oaks were sacred to the Druids,
Let not the keyboard suffer fluids.
Disk Full shall be nor more than rarity,
The memory shall not miss its parity.
From the modem shall come wonders,
Without line noise making blunders.
May it never catch a virus,
And all its software stay desirous.
Oh let the printer never jam,
And turn my output into spam.
I ask of Eris, noble queen,
Keep Murphy far from this machine.
1988 Zhahai Stewart
Adelante - 300 meters above Boulder, CO (Opus 1:104/93)

Quarters Chant
<chorus>
Chant the quarters
one by one
chant the quarters round
Chant the quarters
one by one
and set the circle sound
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.
Incense burn and
spirits lift
Chant the quarters round
Air comes to guard the east
to set the circle sound
.
<Chorus>
Flames ignite and
spirits fly
Chant the Quarters round
Fire comes to guard the south
to set the circle sound
.
<Chorus>
Moisture comes and
spirits fill
Chant the quarters round
Water comes to guard the west
to set the circle sound
.
<guess what? Chorus...>
Life comes forth and
spirits soar
Chant the quarters round
Earth comes to guard the north
to set the circle sound
.
<one last time for the chorus...>
Quarters called one
by one
chant the quarters round
Circle raised as on
my friend
and sets the circle sound.
.
Damon
The Masterwork Opus * Aurora, CO (303) 341-6614 * (1:104/55)

THE RIVER
In the midst of death and violence
A light kindling in my heart
Is beginning to warm my soul
With new life.
I look back at the white water boiling behind me
With a shuddering anger at the treacherous, roiling white light.
I look ahead at the broad, black expanse
Smooth, yet turbulent and rich with wonderful power.
Deep moments of peace are the essence of what is coming
Deep pools of bliss are the essence of what is coming
Troubles are the food that nourishes a peaceful life
Troubles gently feed bliss with subtle flavours of delight
I bow to all the Deities who are bringing me wealth unmeasured
And I thank the Lord, and I thank the Lady, and I thank my Self.
Hugh Read , 02-15-89 12:17
The Terraboard, Minneapolis, MN (Opus 1:282/341)

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SNOW
Goddess is beautiful dressed in white
The tiny white crystals that fall through the night
They fall so gentle, don't make a sound
As they drift to Earth and lay on the ground

Looking up, snow melts on my face


as I leave behind the hectic pace
I'm in another world, one of love
communing with the Goddess above

Drawing the power from all around me


one with Her, I truely wish to be
This is the quest for which I strive
It is my reason for being alive

Standing alone, staring at the sky


I feel a tear coming to my eye
The feeling of peace is awesome you see
I feel the Goddess surrounding me

(C) 1989 - Steve Earl


Excelsior AIBBS - Monroe CT 203-268-1222 (1:141/222)

The Shaman's Call


The Night Bird's call draws evening near,
Stars and planets in the Darkening Sky appear,
People of the day to their beds retire,
Except for some Old Souls about a fire.

Sounds begin to rule the night,


As the Sun's bright rays fade from sight.
Evening noises begin to grow,
Cricket, Owl, and Wolf's lone howl.

Deeper into the Night we go,


The landscape lit by the fire's glow,
One old man begins to sway,
And one lone drum begins to play.

Boom goes the drumbeat soft and slow,


Tapping out the Heartbeat of the World Below,
Boom echoes the drumbeat's call to go,
To begin the ride to the World Below.
The flames leap high into the night,
And the World around us takes to flight,
Senses shift in the darking light,
And the Darkest Cave draws our sight.
Enter the Cavern, down we speed,
Into the Underworld the Drumbeat leads.
Faster than Dragon, than Hawk, than Snake,
Down the path the Shaman's feet race.
Deeper and deeper into the Womb of the Night,
Till up ahead appears the Light.
Boom thunders the drum, and the walls seem to shake,
And out of the Cavern I stop by a lake.
I look around and I see Land so bright,
That I know mortal eyes have never beheld this sight.
In the Sky wheels Gods and Dragons in Flight,
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While bathing in the Lake is the Goddess of the Night.
Her eyes see me clearly and I'm pierced by their Sight,
There is no hiding in the Night of Her Light.
The Animals come to Her call as she sings,
And drumbeat from above gives me wings.
Into the Sky my form changes still,
On Hawk wings I ascend from the hill.
Higher and higher into the Magical Sky,
I soar on Wings lit in Magical Fire.
This Bond, this chain, this freedom sublime,
The Shaman's gift, boon, bane, the Drumbeat Divine.
The Dream that brings Visions into the Night,
The Night that is brighter than any Daylight.
The sight of a Tree draws me near,
The Great World Tree has brought me here.
The Tree of All Knowledge grows out of sight,
Even Hawk eyes are dimmed by it's light.
Form changes swiftly, Snake am I now,
Across the World Tree I wander uncowed.
The Tree of Life, of Knowledge, of Power and Death,
The Tree that for Shaman will give Shaman Breath.
The Drum fills my body,
My brain is on fire,
Visions of Forces dance in the Light,
And the drumbeat caresses me, somewhere in the Night.
The Tree fades from view,
My Soul takes to flight,
And into the World, Dragon Stalks the Night.
Back to the Cavern the worm passes nigh.
Drumbeat calls, caresses, commands,
Back to the Waking World the drumbeat demands.
Up through the cave I ascend in the Night,
Form shifts so slightly in my bemused sight.
Dragon claws to Human feet,
And to the fire where the Shaman meet.
Around the fire slowly the Drummer keeps beat,
Drawing home the Voyagers to the fire's night heat.
Glazed expressions look into the night,
But in Shaman's eye is still the Light.
Slack faced expressions for others to see,
But in Shaman's eye, is the Fire that Frees.
Shaman stares into the fire,
Then quietly into the night he retires.
Off to his rest he fades from sight,
Until the Drum calls once more to Night's Light.
Shadow Hawk
Baker Street Irregular * Ft Walton Beach FL (1:366/222)

Storm
Lightning flashing, wind howls through trees,
Storm is rising, Mortals flee.
Like armies marching, clouds parade by,
Thunder shaking, rain hides the sky.
Earth trembles under Titan's fist,
As Elementals meet in their violent tryst.
Jagged bolts from Heaven descend
and Tree their goal to rend.
Fierce are the powers of the storm,
Chaos rules and dissolves Reality's form.
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Fear walks the Earth in the Lightning's stark Kiss,
While rain hides the Shadows in Unholy mists.

But like all things this to must pass,


And after a time, storm ceases to harass,
The wind abates and the thunder mutes,
And Lightning ends it's violent pursuit.

Sun peeks shyly from behind Thunderhead,


And a faint rainbow across the sky does thread.
One lone frog begins to sing,
And a few bright birds take to wing.

Slowly the mortal creatures crawl forth,


To bask in the Sun's strengthening warmth,
But even as the light returns to day,
Elsewhere Storm will enter the fray.

Storm into peace, night into day,


This is the circle, the Divine at play.
First one then the Other is the cycle of Life,
No stagnation, no quiet, just unending strife.

The Circle of Life is the Game we play,


While upon this Earth our bodies decay,
And when our storm of Life goes by,
Into the Light we must all die.

Life into death, dark into light,


This is the Circle, the Divine delight,
To experience death, and be reborn from the night,
To once again behold Divine Starlight.

Circling endlessly Eons fly past,


But even this too in the end won't last,
When the last sparrow falls and night draws to a close,
The last to die is one final rose.

Storm (cont.)
When all is merged in Divine Bliss,
And nothing is left the Divine to kiss,
Then up from the wells of Chaos will flow,
New Life, new forms the Divine to know.

Cycle upon cycle, Life upon death,


The Eternal cycle, Brahman's breath,
Form into Chaos, Chaos into form,
This is the Rule to which Life will conform.

One rule for life, one rule alone,


That nothing is Changeless, and Chaos follows form,
One Rule for Day and One rule for Night,
That Nothing is Eternal in the Eternal's sight.
Shadow Hawk , 03-12-89 14:19
A VICTIM OF IDEOLOGIES
PLACE was just a place.
without form or future,
barren of inhabitants.
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-
Then RAIN appeared - and gave PLACE moisture.
And SUN lent PLACE light.
And EARTH molded PLACE into form.
And WIND and BREEZE breathed
sweet airs into PLACE.
-
And CLOUD smiled and MOON shone.
And STAR brought forth beauty,
wonder, magic.
-
And PLACE awakened.
And grew trees, and grass.
Animals appeared.
And PLACE was graced with
lakes, and ponds,
and light, and shadow.
-
'Thank you!', cried PLACE.
'I am alive. Thank you.'
-
And the elements conferred
among themselves,
And preened, and swelled, and gloated.
'See!', cried SUN. 'We are all powerful-'
'we have a RIGHT to be proud!'
-
'Ah!', said RAIN. 'But I was the first!'
'And without me', said EARTH,
'PLACE would be shapeless!'
-
And the elements fought, and argued, and battled
RAIN and WIND changed to STORM,
killing, ripping trees asunder.
EARTH shook, imposing vast destruction.
CLOUD, MOON and STAR retreated,
while SUN flared, burning all to ruin.
-
And angered, with bruised pride,
the elements departed.
Only BREEZE remained upon this barren,
blackened desert that was PLACE.
-
'Oh cruel brethren! What have we done?'
and BREEZE tried to resurrect PLACE,
but it's power was too weak.
-
And so dead PLACE remains
the mournful cry of BREEZE
it's only voice.

Shadow Hawk
Deep in Shadow, hidden from sight,
Wandering by, like a thief in the night.
Slipping through cracks in Reality's wall,
Flying alone through Chaos' Hall.

Alone in the world, away from the Light,


Except for the company of the Goddess of the Night.
Deep is the Well of Humanity's Soul,
And deeper still the place I must go.
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Hawk on the Wing, silent in flight,
Hunter unseen, hidden by night.
Lost in the Shadow, beyond mortal sight,
Ascending beyond the Gods' lofty height.
Wings of Fire carry me free,
Far from this place I will be.
Left behind the ones I knew,
Fellow travellers there are but few.
Chaos spins by unblinking eyes,
Reality splits and reason flys,
None can follow me in this Place,
Lost to the world without a trace.
Realities come and Realities fall,
Yet onward I fly heeding the Unknown call.
Farther and faster the message I heed,
Flying alone, spurred on by need.
None may go where Chaos hold court,
But there my mind seems to cavort.
Alone and silent I scream in the dark,
While visions and sunbursts tear me apart.
Realities flow with plastic speed,
Angels and Demons from me do feed.
The world whirls wildly around the Tree,
But soon, I know, I will be free.
Marcus, Baker Street Irregular * Ft Walton Beach FL (1:366/222)

Magickal Reveries
Dedicated to Bill Heidrick
...who opened the door...

I am as the Moon
Our Light is ever changing
Healing, gathering
copyright, Hugh Read, 1987 Permission is herby given for
noncommercial reproduction of this copyrighted work, so long as
it is reproduced in full and this notice is included.

As Capricorn begins the year darkly


From the depths of light
As the distant Sun
Begins Her Northward Path
Saturn begins her leaden rainbow dance
Giving form to time
The Gates to Formlessness
Make way for new forms
To emerge out of Saturnian Black
Gates of Formlessness
Are now used by wise souls
Seeking Endlessness
As new forms dance in, wise souls may dance out
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To Eternity
To explore timeless states
And spaceless being
Saturn planet of time and timelessness
Space and spacelessness
Of limits and freedom
Is our leaden key
To the golden place of immortality
The Bliss of Saturn
Is sweet, rich bliss, indeed
In dark Capricorn
Agape is subtle wine, holy...pure
While Chubby Eros
Is a belching beer
Good old, sad old lust

Is Thelema will with desire charged


Is Thelema greed
Drunk on yeasty-rich lust
Rapine in her heart
Or is Thelema subtle will, divine
Heaven's Spirit scent
Beyond sight, will or mind
Like good Christian Faith

As Capricorn begins the year darkly


From the depths of light
As the distant Sun
Begins Her Northward Path

Saturn begins her leaden rainbow dance


Giving form to time
The Gates to Formlessness
Make way for new forms

To emerge out of Saturnian Black


Gates of Formlessness
Are now used by wise souls
Seeking Endlessness

As new forms dance in, wise souls may dance out


To Eternity
To explore timeless states
And spaceless being

Saturn planet of time and timelessness


Space and spacelessness
Of limits and freedom
Is our leaden key

To the golden place of immortality


The Bliss of Saturn
Is sweet, rich bliss, indeed
In dark Capricorn

Isis spread your loving wings over me


Enfold me within
Protect me, Mother,
In my loneliness
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Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Lead me to earthly love
Lead me to my Self
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Surround me with lovers
Who heal me with love

Isis spread your loving wings over me


Enfold me within
Allow me loving friends
Who heal me with love
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Lead me to earthly love
Lead me to my Self

When bright spark was struck at dark equinox


Hard clarity came
As Sun struck Saturn
In His Earthy home

The Astral Year begins in Saturn's house


In chill mystery
The leaden wheel begins
Her twelve month circle

From Earth to Air to Water to Fire


Then again begin
Spinning wheel of magick
Through time and through space

Twelve stations of the Elemental Cross


Break the calender
Wear tattered calender
Like torn beggar's rags

Twelve mundane months slip over Heaven's Year


Solstice to solstice
Tearing the paper year
With ancient power

Now the dark solstice has come and has gone


Year is born anew
New Year's day ahead
Surly overlay

Vying with our more ancient starry year


The New Roman Year
Trys hard to hide the Gods
Nor can it hide them

For their power is born ever anew


Through the twelve stations
And deep in each month
Their Life births Magick

As Virgo dies the dark Crone encroaches


Hard with Grey Power
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Harsh-shrivelled with Wisdom
Of a long chaste life

What seems to be ugly, mean grows in strength


Like a walnut shell
Wrinkled shell, wrinkled nut
Wrinkled wise, old brain
Cruel Death mercifully releases Beauty
Libra roses rise
Gentle Autumn breezes
Pink, red, soft petals

From peak to craggy peak the Horn'd One leaps


Fire in his eyes
Hard shouldered...white-hot chest
Antlered man on high

Blue lightening flashes from his bright-hot thighs


Swift knees crash through trees
In the ancient forest
Of my ancient mind

From those depths my ancient powers rise


Fire in my eyes
Soft heart hardens. Wisdom
Surges in my thighs

Knees and ankles loosen, muscles tighten


I am the Horn'd One!
I am He! I am Free!
Ancient One in me!

Affirmation: I am Pan! I am Cernunnos! I am the Horn'd One. I am


Shiva! I am He! I am Atman! I am Free!

Is Peace possible on Battlefield Earth


No. Not now, Kali
Your Yuga demands War
War is our teacher

Only through War can we learn to escape


Your prison of Time
The only Peace there is
Is hidden within

Each individual heart. Turn within


Make that your War
Exploit the Battlefield
By turning away

That is War enough in Kali's prison


Of Time and of Space
Learn to reverse the Field
And find your own Peace

WHEN SATURN RULED AQUARIUS

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The Kiss of Saturn is hot, black, fierce, deep
A hint of Wild Ass
In her blue-black hair
Breasts soft as black Lead

Moulten hips steaming with empowerment


Belly bold with Lust
That heals...and heals...and heals
Uranus! She cries.

"Wild Ass!" I reply. "I am set on you!"


My Wild Ass prances
"For I am Set, my Nepthys
My sweet Wild Ass

I come to claim your dark powers tonight


In Binah tonight
For we are in Binah
Deep set in Binah

Saturn am I! Shivah am I! I AM!


I am Atman! THAT!
I claim you Dark Nepthys
THAT we may be ONE!"

In Atman hide the Secrets of Maya


Terrible Maya
(When we are in Her Claws)
Is kind in Atman

There is a reversal in Atman


Of subtle beauty
Maya becomes God's Will
And I am as God

In Atman. I am as God, Will Supreme


Soft as a Feather
Strong, gentle, wise and firm,
Free! I am Atman!

I am Atman. I am Free. I am He.


In Atman, I AM
As God in Atman.
Free! I am Atman!

SCARABEUS

Golden Fire in my Heart, Immortal!


Dark Sacred Beetle
Flaming in my breast!
Immortality

Hidden in the dung of my existence!


That filthy dung
I roll across my Sky
For all to distain

Hides The Stone of the Wise from prying eyes


And the Mid-night Sun
Hidden by dung-like Earth
Yet lighting the Moon

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Hides behind my life lighting up my Soul
As I roll my dung
Making Soul immortal
As I roll my Stone

Minerva
I met Minerva just now near her tree
Resting from battle
Her helmet on her knee
Hair tumbled on breasts
Parted by brass, surrounded by steel plate
Dark nipples glistened
With dew-like sweat of war
Pale arms quivering
Eager for battle's harsh life-death embrace
Yes! She said to me.
Hell yes! she said. Get laid!
Enter the battle.
My Virgins serve me well, my son! Get laid!
Let your juices flow!
(She spit an olive pit)
Get in there and fight!
She gathered her pale skirts around her hips
Stood, covering strong thighs
Took her shield, sword, helmet
With war shriek was gone

LOVE IS THE LAW


Do what thou wilt is the Whole of the Law
The time of The Will
Bursts forth Now, in the Spring
Implacable bud!
Let your Love burst forth and blossom freely
Thunder of roses
Unfettered by harsh will
Love willed to be Free
To soar with on Her Wings into New Heavens
Over pure New Earths
Love is Will purified
Love is Her own Law!
Sun is born again in primitive Light
With Arian Force
In the Spring House of Mars
New Life Exploding
From cold Winter's Icy dark Womb
Gives force to our Wills
Time of re-SOL-ution
We are born again
Juices of Spring wash us from Winter Womb
As Spring buds push out
We drop from Her belly
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Like damp, new born colts
This is the time to re-SOL-ve our new lives
With Nature's Forces
Supporting and healing
As Old Winter dies

MAY EVE
Walpurgis Night, the time is right,
The ancient powers awake.
So dance and sing, around the ring,
And Beltane magic make.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
New life we see, in flower and tree,
And summer comes again.
Be free and fair, like earth and air,
The sunshine and the rain.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
As magic fire be our desire
To tread the pagan way,
And our true will find and fulfil,
As dawns a brighter day.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
The pagan powers this night be ours,
Let all the world be free,
And sorrows cast into the past,
And future blessed be!
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow", pp. 192-193
INVOCATION OF THE HORNED GOD
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Horned One!
We call thy name into the night,
O Ancient One!
Thee we invoke, by moon-led sea,
By the standing stone and the twisted tree.
The we invoke, where gather thine own,
By the nameless shrine forgotten and alone.
Come where the round of the dance is trod,
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Horn and hoof of the goatfoot god!
By moonlit meadow on dusky hill,
When the haunted wood is hushed and still,
Come to the charm of the chanted prayer,
As the moon bewitches the midnight air.
Evoke thy powers, that potent bide
In shining stream and the secret tide,
In fiery flame by starlight pale,
In shadowy host that rides the gale,
And by the fern-brakes fairy haunted
Of forests wild and woods enchanted.
Come! O come!
To the heart-beat's drum!
Come to us who gather below
When the broad white moon is climbing slow
Through the stars to the heaven;s height.
We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night!
As black tree-branches shake and sigh,
By joy and terror we know thee nigh.
We speak the spell thy power unlocks
At solstice, Sabbat, and equinox,
Word of virtue the veil to rend,
From primal dawn to the wide world's end,
Since time began--
The blessing of Pan!
Blessed be all in hearth and hold,
Blessed in all worth more than gold.
Blessed be in strength and love,
Blessed be wher'er we rove.
Vision fade not from our eyes
Of the pagan paradise
Past the gates of death and birth,
Our inheritance of the earth.
From our soul the song of spring
Fade not in our wandering.
Our life with all life is one,
By blackest night or noonday sun.
Eldest of gods, on thee we call,
Blessing be on thy creatures all.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 190-191

INVOCATION OF THE MOON GODDESS

Diana, queen of night,


In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gate of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!
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Doreen Valiente
"Witcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 189-190
THE SPELL OF THE CORD

By the knot of one


The spell's begun.
By the knot of two
It cometh true.
By the knot of three
Thus shall it be.
By the knot of four
'Tis strengthened more.
By the knot of five
So may it thrive.
By the knot of six
The spell we fix.
By the knot of seven
The Stars of Heaven.
By the knot of eight
The hand of fate.
Byt the knot of nine
The thing is mine.
Doreen Valiente
"Wichcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 188-189

THE COVEN SPELL


O ancient ones of heaven, earth and sea,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To music of the night-wind blowing free,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
The owl hoots within the hollow tree,
The black cat runs by night silently,
The toad beneath the stone dwells secretly,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To moon that draws the tides of air and sea,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To god that bides beneath the greenwood tree,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
By witches' garter bound about the knee,
By staff and cauldron and all powers that be,
We will the thing in our minds we see,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
(Pause..........)
The Spell is flowing like the sea,
The spell is growing like the tree,
Like flame that burns and blazes free.
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
IT IS!
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 181-182

INVOCATION
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(traditionally used after the Communion of the five senses)
Diana of the Rounded Moon,
The queen of all enchantments here,
The wind is crying through the trees,
As we invoke thee to appear.
The cares of day departed are,
The realm of night belongs to thee;
And we in love and kinship join
With all things that are wild and free.

As powers of magic round us move,


Now let time's self dissolve and fade.
Here in place between the worlds
May we be one with nature made.
Thy consort is the Horned One,
Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet.
Old Gods of life and love and light
Be here as merrily we meet!
For ye circle's round we tread,
And unto ye the wine we pour;
The sacred Old Ones of this land,
Ye we invoke by ancient lore --
By magic moon and pagan spell,
By all the secrets of the night,
Dreams and desires and mystery,
Borne on the moonbeam's silver light.
Now may we hear, or may we see,
Or may we know within the heart,
A token of true magic made,
Ere from this circle we depart.
(Pause...........)
O goddess-queen of night,
O Horn'ed One of might,
In earth and sky and sea
May peace and blessing be!

Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 168-169

The Pentagram

I invoke Ancient Powers of The Star


The Powers of Five
The Spiral Powers
The Powers of Earth
I invoke the Ancient Powers of Life
Star in the Circle
In the Iron Circle
Quaint, ancient symbol
So ancient, primordial and timeless
Dark symbol of life
On planets bearing life
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Deep in DNA
Deeply branded in the Heart of our Earth
Touchstone of Wisdom
Of Ancient Knowledge, NOW,
Living in the stars
I call out through the Circled Iron Star
For my Star Power
Out through the Galaxies
Claiming Dark Powers
Similodon

Blood

Is that you that I hear?


Your footsteps on the ground above my head.
Your hands apon the headstone that bears my name.
You are a dweller in the night! Beware I bite!
On cloak as black as sin, I float, I fly.
In hunger burning bright, seaking prey.
Life is flowing deep within.
I send it bubbling fourth.
and then I drink it in again.
Another night, never day.
Away away, into the dark I flee!
where I might hide.
waiting for another night.
Did you hear?
Did you see?
Do you flee?
Or is that your hand I find near mine?
In the dark! Dwellers in the night!
Beware we bite!
Similodon

PANDEMONIUM
Hi, ho, it's Spring again,
Out of my eye's corner
I thought I saw the Horned Man, the Green Man
Charging down the glen,

It was not Pan,


I did not get that freezing in the bone,
Half fear, half ecstacy.
Perhaps I was mistook,
And only wished I saw,

And maybe Pan is playing in a rock band,


Traveling in a wave of liquorous riot,

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George 'something' and the Destroyers
Sonia Brock
New Words & Old
In the autumn of the lightnings, in the mighty-voic`ed throng
In the twilight were the offerings, with both chants and full-throat song:
These the People, born to silence
These the Seekers, born to sight
These the Wanderers, born to roaming
These frail Humans, born to night...
In the winter's swirling blizzard, in the quaking of great trees In the
night-black child of charring, in the wavering, fitful breeze:
These the Wicca, seeking knowledge
These the Shamen, knowing care
These the Students, always reading
These the Hopeful, who despair...
In the spring-tide's joyous growing, in the flower and the leaf In the summer's
dearth and plenty, saving up to stoke Belief:
Hear the Mother, gentle-voicings
Hear the Father, rumbled whisper
Hear the Children, gay and laughing
Hear the Many -- sing your vesper...
Now the Bard and Druid gather
Now the Priestess calls afar
Now the Time to Watch and Listen
Now the Time to practice more!
+*+*+
Kihe Blackeagle

SPRING/SUMMER POEM
By: Shadow Hawk
Falling
Circling skyward on wings of fire,
Drawn aloft by heart's desire,
Endless expanses of starry night,
In Endless freedom he finds his delight.
Down below whispers rise to his ear,
The green earth lays calling, calliing him near,
Circling skyward he hears the sweet call,
And folding his wings, begins the great fall.
Wind whispers then sings then a great roar,
From the high heavens his body he tore.
Faster than Eagle he falls to the ground,
Till even the sky's call was lost in the sound.
Below lays the Earth, she holds out her arms,
Enfolding her Lover with her Endless charms,
Deeper he plummets into that fair place,
Blinded and bewildered by her loving grace.
Mountians and hills, river and sea,
Summon him near, and answer his need,
Stretching her arms, she gathers him nigh,
As stonelike he falls, a mote from God's eye.
Hurry, oh hurry, she beckons him come,
As mountains surround him, blocking the sun,
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His breath is fire, igniting her love,
Her lover returns, from Sun far above.
Deep in her body he plunges his fire,
Passion to passion, fire strikes desire,
Shudderingly, shakingly, he rises above,
Surrounded by the warmth of his Lady's love.
Sinking once more, she pulls him near,
Gathering him close the stars reappear,
Deep in her body, awaiting the day,
Till once more, skyward, He rises to play.

A Healing Spell

Wrap thee in cotton


Bind thee with love
Protection from pain
Surrounds like a glove.
May the brightest of blessings
Surround thee this night.
For thou art cared for,
Healing thoughts sent in flight...

Banishing The Circle


By: Devin Storm
The Circle is open
But not forgotten
The Circle is unbroken
Nothing is forgotten
The Circle is free
Nothing is EVER forgotten
Blessed Be!
by Devin Storm

The Fool
By: Stormy Gael

Fool! Fool! Fool!


Where is thy strength now oh mighty warrior?
In the hands of another?
Oh trusting fool that thou art,
Have you no experience to teach you better?
Thou hast lived many years.
Where is thy wisdom?
Even the youths know better.
Keep your own counsel, old one,
And be safe; share it and die.
Stand alone against the world
And increase your strength a hundredfold.
Build you thine own armor and fight;
Forge thine own sword with the blood of life
And none can touch thee.
But you, you fool,
You have put your trust in another,
A veritable stranger in your own camp.
Who is the wiser? I ask,
The giver or the taker?
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Methinks you tread a dangerous road.
Walk easy, old one; pay heed to your steps.
Perhpas there is hope, yet.
Survival may still be yours,
But at what price?
A price I willingly pay.
Enough said, young counselor.
HYMN TO ARTEMIS
by
FRATER U.'.D.'.
Artemis, my sibyl sibling
huntress of the earthy skies,
wayfaress in silver rippling -
in your hands my power lies ...

lies my dream and all my making


muted might in liquid pose,
lies my giving and my taking,
caressing friends and smiting foes
in your light and metal sheen,
waxing, waning, touched, unseen,
ever-moving curv‚d bow
ever-whirring arrow's flow
to the core of mine own heart
hitting mark, a gentle dart
strikes my body, strikes my soul,
fondles part and fondles whole
towards my ever-pulsing spell:
give me heaven, give me hell
take from me what makes me sink
with your sleight of hand and wink -
Goddess of the nightly sweep,
through the starlit mires seep,
never solemn, yet possessed,
by your mastery expressed,
all your vision's harvest keeps ...
all your vision's harvest keeps ...

Today the Moon is There


Hugh Read

In that mighty, non-human Power Place


Of mind that Is Not
Lord of the Galaxy
Can you hear my cry

For fulfilment of my broken being


Faulted, cracked, torn
From that first painfilled day
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Of savage, late birth
Send to me streamers of healing power
That will make me new
Of more eternal stuff
Than this failed human
Being is moulded from...fill in the sad cracks
Seal the aweful breaks
Smooth and fill the fissures
With eternity
That I may serve humanity wisely
With pleasure and joy
Being more than human
Helping others grow
Into the same places of dark power
That are full of light
That I hunger to touch
And to feed upon
Touch me now, this day
Lord of the Galaxy
Put me on thy Way
Lord of the Galaxy
Put me on my Way

the witches ballad

Oh, I have been beyond the town, Where nightshade black and mandrake grow, and I
have been and I have seen What righteous folk would fear to know!
For I have heard, at still midnight, Upon the hilltop far, forlorn, With note that
echoed through the dark, The winding of the heathe horn.
And I have seen the fire aglow, And glinting from the magic sword, And with the
inner eye beheld The Horned One, the Sabbat's lord.
We drank the wine, and broke the bread, And ate it in the Old One's name. We linked
our hands to make the ring, And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.
Oh, little do the townsfolk reck, When dull they lie within their bed! Beyond the
streets, beneath the stars, A merry round the witches tread!

And round and round the circle spun, Until the gates swung wide ajar, That bar the
boundaries of the earth, From faery realms that shine afar.
Oh, I have been and I have seen In magic worlds of Otherwhere. For all this world
may praise or blame, For ban or blessing nought I care.
For I have been beyond the town, Where meadowsweet and roses grow, And there such
music did I hear As worldly-righteous never know.
Enjoy!!!!!!!
Blessed Be

Inquisition
Again the burning came,
She felt the heat, the searing pain
a cry lanced through her heart
"Why, My Lady, Why"
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She lay quietly, remembering
lost within the labrynth of the past
and the future
she did not feel the bite of the cruel blade.

Bleeding, moaning, she saw the man


his face, and heart masked with black
she knew his choices and his pain
Oh, to cause pain, to accept his own
if only she could Touch him, Heal him.
"I love you" she whispered
dark eyes calm, yet full of pain
"Don't " cried the man "I want to see you die"
"I love you and forgive you" she said
tears rolled freely down her cheeks
Again, and again the searing pain
As the man applied the red hot blade
"Do you still love me, and forgive me" he screamed?
Despite the pain she answered strongly
"I do", She smiled
"Blessed be" she whispered.
A wave of pain sent her among the stars.
"My Lady" she cried "I'm frightened"
Strong arms held her close
"You have done well my child, rest now"
The man watched as the blade grew cold
As the young body before him cooled
tears streamed down his face
and he whispered
"Forgive me"

2 Ritual Prayers
Copyright 1991 Anahita-Gula (pseud.). May be reproduced with acknowledgment.

We clean this night our altar and our room


To build our Temple. Here then, we have spread
The pentacle, athame and the broom,
With God and Goddess candles at the head.
So dress we now our Priestess in her Crown:
The Circle's cut in perfect Trust and Love.
So call the Quarters, dance the Witches' Round
And beckon down the Moon from high above.
Sept. 1987.

Another sample: this one is sung to the "Witches' Rune":


(Introduction is spoken, as an Invocation)
"Indeed, they occupy the throne room together.
In the divine chamber, the dwelling place of joy,
Before them their gods take their places.
To their utterances their attention is turned."
From the Akkadian Hymn to Ishtar.
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Lord of Sun and Lady Moon,


Dark at night and bright at noon,
See my off'ring, hear my call:
Lord and Lady, guard us all.
Sky-God An, Earth-Goddess Ki,
All do honour unto thee.
Spread your seed upon the ground,
Bring forth life fecund and round.
Holy Queen of living things,
She whose bloom the summer brings,
Bless us, Lady, give us cheer
As we wander through the year.
Royal Shepherd, Mountain King
Lofty Bull of whom we sing,
Fill our bowls with waters sweet,
Spread the seeds of corn and wheat.
Bless our lips and bless our breast,
Guide us gently to our rest.
Bless our sheep and bless our corn,
Ease our grief when we must mourn.
Sing the song and join the rite,
Praise the day and bless the night.
Thank the Gods for what They bear:
Earth and Water, Fire and Air.
November 1983.
I may be reached at P.O. Box 732, Station B., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

"Rainbows"
Jennifer Holding
Where dwelleth my Lady in this land of Night?
She dwelleth in stars and satin moonlight.
She veileth her visage 'neath clouds spun of silk,
And the Night-Sky's a river of my sweet Mother's milk.
Where dwelleth my good Lord on this Summer's day?
He dwelleth in birdsong and fragrance of hay.
He sleeps by the river with pipes in his hand,
And he sends his love smiling through the fruit of the land.
Where dwelleth my Lady at Morning's first light?
And where is my Lord on the eve of the Night?
At Luna's last shining, or Sun's final ray,
Their passion paints Rainbows 'tween the Night and the Day!

ELEMENTS
Fire on Fire
Light and Power,
Warmth and Energy
They did generate.

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Earth joined them then
To Life She gave Birth
And solid Foundations built.
Along came Water
Some Channels to carve
Through which all Energies flow.
Around them All
The Air did blow
Winds of Thought and Deed
intertwined.
Power raised, Power spread
Thus It Was
So Mote It Be. .....Alernon
........from RMPJ Oct. '86
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
BATTLE HYMN OF THE ERISTOCRACY
(Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic)
1. Mine brain has meditated on the spinning of The Chao;
It is hovering o'er the table where the Chiefs of Staff are now
Gathered in discussion of the dropping of The Bomb;
Her Apple Corps is strong!

Chorus:
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Her Apple Corps is strong!

2. She was not invited to the party held on Olympic;


So she threw a Golden Apple, 'stead of turned the other cheek!
Oh, it cracked the Holy Punchbowl and it made the nectar leak;
Her Apple Corps is strong!

3. For the Apple Hera offered Paris all the wealth she could;
Athena promised that his enemies bodies would be strewed;
But Aphrodite offered Helen - and EVERYONE got screwed!
Her Apple Corps is strong!

THE PRETTIEST ONE


(Tune: To God Be The Glory)
by Talespinner

1. To Goddess be glory, we all will have fun!


And warm is our love of "the prettiest one",
But warmer and glowing and deadly will be
The planet Earth after they start World War III.

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Chorus:
Hail Eris! Hail Eris! Let the Goddess be praised!
Hail Eris! Hail Eris! Let your glasses be raised!
Reality comes from the mouth of a gun,
But all can be changed by "the prettiest one."
2. To Goddess be glory, we've hardly begun
To alter our minds for "the prettiest one."
To the Ultimate Mindfuck our allegiance we pledge;
We'll push all the greyfaces over the edge!

The Lady's Brothel


(to the tune "Nonesuch" also used for the "Lady"s Braisle")

For She will bring the bugs in the Spring


And laugh when She's deflowered.
When She's in heat, She'll give you a treat,
But you'll get disemboweled.
She rots the grain and spreads ptomaine,
When fruits of fall displease Her.
The moons and suns all turn their buns
In joint attempts to freeze Her.
- by Steven Posch-Coward (1980)
The Cauldron Chant
by Ammond ShadowCraft
We form the Circle,
The Circle most round.
We form the Chalice,
The Chalice now found.
We call the Goddess,
to meet the great need.
We call the God,
To plant His fertile seed.
We call the quarters,
which we call four.
We summon the powers,
that contain the force.
We stir the Cauldron,
from which we were born.
We call the Gods,
from whom we were torn.
We say the words,
which lead us round.
We pass the kiss,
with our lovers found.
We face our dreams,
in nights psychic flight.
We face our hopes,
in bright moon of the night.
We face our fears,
on the Dark Lords Horn.
We face our failure,
in the Mothers new planted corn.
We live our lives,
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druming and dancing on the meadow.
We confront our Death,
in the dancing moon light shadow.
Our paths run quickly,
on fleet foot and wing.
Our Circle is joyous,
with our Queens and our Kings.
Let our little Circle be happy,
with Bell, Bowl or Bow.
And form now this Circle,
with gracious Love, Joy and Hope.
BLESSED BE

CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE


copyright 1984 W. J. Bethancourt III
recorded: CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE
WTP-0002
tune: Same Old Man/Leatherwing Bat
Hi said the Norn, sittin in the sand
once I talked to a great Grey Man
spun three times and said with a sigh
"Hadn't been for the Runes had his other eye!"
Chorus: hi diddle i diddle i day
hi diddle i diddle i diddle ay
hi di diddle i diddle i day
fol the dink a dum diddle do di day
Hi said the Lady, dressed in green
prettiest thing I've ever seen
she went down underneath the hill
and came back out of her own free will
Brian Boru, on Irish ground
walked three times the Island round
Norsemen came lookin for a fight
just another Irish Saturday night!
Hi said Lugh on the banquest night
a poet and a player and a good wheelwright
a harper and a warrior and none the least:
a Druid and he got in to the Feast!
Harold Haardrada's face was red!
Came to Britain and he wound up dead
Stamford Bridge is where he's found
got six feet of English ground
The Legion with it's Eagles bright
marched into the Pictish night
met them there upon the sand
gave em up to the Wicker Man!
Eight-legged steed and hound of Hel
the one-eyed Man, he loves ya well
fire burn and fire spark
are you then feared of the dark?

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The Circle forms, the Circle flows
the Circle goes where no man knows
Hail to the Lady, one in three:
Present is Past and Past is Me!
Rhiannon's Birds are still in flight
all thru the Day all thru the Night
Hail to the Lady, one in Three
Present is Past and Past is Thee!

Hi said the Lady dressed in white


sang the Day and sang the Night
sang the Land and sang the Sea
sang the Song, and then sang Me! (extra verses:)
Salt and oil and mirror bright
fire and fleet and candlelight
by fin and feather, leaf and tree,
fill the cup and blessed be!
From the misty crystal sea
came the Lady to the lea
Sword and Roses in Her Hand
spread their seeds thruout the Land
Came the Stag from oaken wood
saw the Lady where she stood
by the fire burning bright
came to know his heart's delight! (end of extra verses)
By Sword and Harp, and Irish Hound
Blessed Be: the Day I've found
Hail to the Lady, one in Three
Present is Past and Past is WE
By Oak and Ash and Holy Thorn
blessed be the Day you're born!
Fire burn and fire bright
walk in safety thru the night

Green Grow the Rushes Oh!

I'll sing you one, oh


GREEN GROW THE RUSHES OH!
AND WHAT IS YOUR ONE, OH?
One is one and all alone and ever more shall be so.

I'll sing you two, oh


GREEN GROW THE RUSHES OH!
AND WHAT IS YOUR TWO, OH?
Two, two, the two-faced God in gold and red and green-oh,
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be so.
I'll sing you three, oh
GREEN GROW THE RUSHES OH!
AND WHAT IS YOUR THREE, OH?
Three, the Triple Goddess,
Two, two, the two-faced God in gold and red and green, oh,
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be so.

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...
I'll sing you thirteen, oh
GREEN GROW THE RUSHES OH!
AND WHAT IS YOUR THIRTEEN, OH?
Thirteen rounds of the silvery wheel,
Twelve for the heavenly augurs,
One and one for the Year-King's reign,
Ten for the Celtic Reading,
Nine for the nine-foot circle,
Eight for the eight great Sabbats,
Seven for the Gates between the Worlds,
Six for the Book of Changes
Five for the fiery points of light,
Four for the Guardian Towers.
Three, the Triple Goddess,
Two, two, the two-faced God in gold and red and green, oh,
One is one and all alone, and ever more shall be so.

The Dark Time


By: Shadow Hawk
It is the time of the Long Night, and I have laid my thick
mantle upon the ground. The branches are bare, the water
hardens, and life slows to a crawl.
Those that could have long since fled south to the warmth
of my brother, Fire, and the lands of the Sun, while I walk
the Earth that lays Submissive at my feet.
My breath runs hot, and my eyes are cold. Death is in the
air, and the Moon reflects red off of my Horns.
Glistening like diamonds, the stars fill the night sky, and
the wind howls like a lonesome wolf, and I feel the pulse of
Her that fills my veins with heady wine. I lift my muzzle to
the sky, and bugle my challenge loud and far. Who will meet
my challenge? Who will Dance the Dance of Life with the Lord
of Death? My hooves ring like steel against the stone
beneath the snow, sparks lighting up the night, and the
sounds of my movement shakes the slumbering trees.
From the forest, a soft glow appears. A woman old, and
wrapped warmly against the wind approaches. Frail she seems,
but there is fire in her eye. "I will dance the Dance" she
says. Her legs begin to shuffle and sway, while I watch,
intrigued by the woman, and I begin to answer her motion with
movement of my own. And the Dance unfolded.
Round the forest we whirled, and the wrinkles slipped away
from her. Younger she became, as veil after veil fell away,
taking the years with them. The Stars danced above in silent
awe, while the Moon flooded us with cold light.
Faster and faster the dance went and our eyes grew wild
with the thunder of the pulse of the dance, and our feet
drummed the dance, hooves and horn, laughter and the slapping
of feet pounded out the beat. And the steam rose from our
bodies.
The Earth herself split open from the Dance, and I led her
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down, down into the depths of the Earth, and she shed her
veils along the way, twirling and swirling, and the Dance
moved on. At last, I stood in the place of my Power, and the
Throne of Death stood silently waiting.

"Milady, will you stay here at the Throne of Death with me


and dance the Eternal Dance, for I am struck by your beauty
and would have you for my Companion".

"No, for I love you not", was the reply.

Looking at the Radiant Woman who stood in front of me, I


said, "Milady, you have Danced the Dance of Life with me as
none has Danced before, what Boon may I grant you?"

With stars in her eyes, she replied, "I want the spirit of
my Son returned to Life. I want to know the secrets of
Death."
"None has asked such a boon, how dare you so much?" I
asked.
"The Earth needs my Son to live. They must have the light
and joy of Spring, the Heat of Summer, and the Harvest of
Fall to survive. They need my Son. The Dance must go on"
she softly spoke.
"Then kneel, and learn the Secrets of Death", I answered.
And I taught her, with pain and scourge, with laughter and
love, with youth and age and darkness I taught her. I showed
her the heights and the depths, and at last, I taught her the
peace of the Slumber of the Dead.
Laying my Lady down in the Earth, she would sleep, and
dream of Spring, and of the Dance, and the Seed in her belly
would swell and bring life to a new world. And she and the
child would Dance, and Sing, and grow old, and the child,
lover, king will die. Once again, as the Circle goes round,
she will come to me in the Woods, and we shall Dance the
Dance of Life once more.
But for now, it is quiet and dark, and the Moon is bright,
and the wind howls, and I walk the world alone.
LAMMAS NIGHT
Words mostly by Elexa
Tune: "I gave my love a cherry."
I stood before my altar at Lammastide
And asked the Lord and Lady to be my guides.
"Please show to me a vision that I may see
What sacrifice is worthy to give to Thee."
They showed to me an apple without a core.
They showed to me a dwelling without a door.
They showed to me a palace where They may be
And unlock it without a key.
How can there be an apple without a core.
How can there be a dwelling without a door?
How can there be a palace where They may be
And They may unlock it without a key?

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My spirit is an apple without a core.
My mind is a dwelling without a door.
My heart is a palace where They may be
And They may unlock it without a key.

I stood before my altar on Lammas night.


And gave my mighty Lord and Lady bright
The sacrifice They asked for--with spirit free,
Upon that Lammas ev'ning, I gave them me.

Blessed be.

ELEXA

LILITH
(copyright 1985, Leigh Ann Hussey)
Cool in the hot night,
Draped, hidden in speckled shadow
Under moon waiting
Waiting in the Tree,
The earth-serpent. Patient, coiled.
Sweat on moon-paled flesh;
She walks, sleepless, wanting -- what?
Something the man-one
Asleep in the heat,
Will not give. Serpent uncoils.
Cool fruit hangs, luring.
She thirsts, but is uncertain;
Which one was denied?
She sits at Tree's foot,
Legs spread, trying to ease heat.

A cool smoothness touches!


Languid, she lets it touch her.
Smooth over bare breasts
Cool on her belly;
She cries out at the next touch.
Long coils entwine legs,
Rippling muscles press, release,
Double tongue flickers;
She writhes, strains vainly.
White fire blooms between her thighs.
Side to side her head
Thrashes, hoarse cries from her throat.
Hard muscle presses,
Soft scales slip gently;
She screams; her body stiffens.
At once, touch is gone.
Serpent climbs spiralling up.
She tips her head back,
Her parched throat stretches;
A whisper hisses: "Take; eat."
Sweet cool juice trickles,
Stings dry throat, tingles on tongue.
She bites more, greedy.
Knows what she wants, now.
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She will show the Man the way.
Man is still sleeping,
Lethargic, unresponsive.
Turns over, snoring.
She leaves in anger.
Stupid Man! She needs him not.
Soon again she wants;
Moves hands to ease discomfort --
She learns something new:
Her hands work as well.
Stupid Man! She needs him not!
Branches brush her breasts,
Rough bark rubs and holds her up.
Grainy between thighs,
Earth meets all her needs.
Foiled, the Serpent waits again.
MAGICK MAN
By: Taarna Savet

The child within me And now inside me


Now is dead, The pieces lay,
All her dreams were shattered. Like shards of
bitter hate.

She met the man For who are you


Behind the mask, I ask myself,
He left her torn and tattered. To try and seal my fate?
One she wished It seems to me
And once she hoped, For one so "old",
Now all she does is cry. You missed the truth divine.

For like the bird That like our love


Who's wings are broke, Left unnurtured,
N'ere again she'll fly. Your illusions fade with time.

Why have you done this So listen now


Master of Illusions, Oh, Magick Man,
Did you find it fun? Your fate to me is known.
She turned her head Until you learn
And walked away, To give yourself,
Knowing he had won. You'll dance thru life alone.

Time heals all


Including me,
I know agains I'll soar.

But as for the child


You took from me,
She's gone forever more.

************************************************************
RED AND GOLD (13 May, 1989 CE)
(c) copyright 1989 W. J. Bethancourt III

Golden as a Dragon's hoard:


Sunrise in my heart today.
Redder than the Rose's bloom:
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Sunset stole my heart away.
Sunrise stole it back again,
Held between them, hand in hand,
Sunset red and sunrise gold
And I, as Day, between them stand.
Sunrise red and sunset gold...
So my Days go, hand in hand,
Wonderment within my eyes;
The Universe wherein we stand.
Sunrise, sunset, every day:
My Ladies stole my heart away.
************************************************
The Charge of the God
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all
things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death,
whose Call all must answer:
I am the fire within your heart...
The yearning of your Soul.
I am the Hunter of Knowledge
and the Seeker of the Holy Quest
I - who stand in the darkness of light
am He whom you have called Death.
I - the Consort and Mate of Her we adore,
call forth to thee.
Heed my call beloved ones,
come unto me and learn the secrets of death and peace.
I am the corn at harvest
and the fruit on the trees.
I am He who leads you home.
Scourge and Flame,
Blade and Blood -
these are mine and gifts to thee.
Call unto me in the forest wild
and on hilltop bare
and seek me in the Darkness Bright.
I - who have been called;
Pan,
Herne,
Osiris ,
and Hades,
speak to thee in thy search.
Come dance and sing;
come live and smile,
for behold:
this is my worship.
You are my children and I am thy Father.
On swift night wings
it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet
to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to seek me,
know that I am the untamed wind,
the fury of storm and passion in your Soul.
Seek me with pride and humility,
but seek me best with love and strength.
For this is my path,
and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear my call on long Winter nights
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and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth
as She sleeps.

EQUINOX
The high moon, full, trickles illumination
Over the lip of the cup, heavey laden
With its light, like blood-runnels down a blade
As it is quenched in the breast of a beast.
The Great Oak's nightly-dancing children
Do not count themselves amoung the least.
Luntatic light lightens every least
Corner with it's whispered illumination.
So begins the feast of Sylvan Children.
And the celebration of bending branches laden
With decay. Afar, the howling of the Beast
Proclaims, " Make ready! Sharpen the Blade!"
A prietess, robed in white, caresses a blade;
Her eyes follow the sickling curve at least
As far as light will grant before the Beast
Closes the eyes against its illumination.
Earth and sky, pounding, seething, laden
With drum, dance, and chant birthed by children
Who know no more of song than the children
Who came before them--only that song, like a blade,
Cuts through night, through day, dark light laden
With future-promised springs, fertility--not least
Among these, a new-old illumination
Unforgotten--if only they appease the Beast.
Men lead a raptured man like a beast
Before the ravenous, raging children
To their Mother, Priestess, Their Illumination
In a world where dark dooms descend like blades.
She shall comfort them, save them--at least
Make bearable the burdens with which they are laden.
And he shall help, this "beast-man,' laden
With all their hopes of appeasing the Beast
For yet another season's turn--at least
Until after the births of healthy children,
After good harvest has fallen to the blade
Of the scythe again. "Let not the sun's illumination
"Desert us!" they beg the Beast. "My weary children!"
Thier Mother calls, laden with illumination.
"We offer not the least!" A howl and a descending blade.

**ENDYMION

The song is sung to the tune of Amazing Grace. Enjoy!

Verna Knapp

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Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore a witch like me!
I once was burned, now I survive,
was hung and now I sing.
T'was grace that drew down the moon
and grace that raised the seas.
The magic in the people's will
will set our Mother free.
We face the East and breathe the winds
that move across this earth.
From gentle breeze to hurricane
our breath will bring forth the change.
Turn towards the South and feel the fire
that burns in you and me.
The spirit's flame will rise again
and burn eternally.
We greet the West, our souls awash
in tides of primal birth.
Our tears and blood, our pain and love
will cleanse and heal the earth.
Reach into the North and know your roots
down deep ancestral caves.
We find the wisdom of the Crone,
Of circles we are made.
Amazing earth, enduring life,
from death into rebirth.
T'is earth I am and earth I love
and earth I'll always be.
Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore witches like we.
We once were burned, now we survive,
were hung and now we sing.
Goddess bless, so mote it be,
Our magic spirals on.
Merry meet and merry part
and merry meet again.

THE HORN OF PLENTY


Oh, what's in your basket, your horn of reeds woven?
What bear Ye, my Lady, upon Your stooped back?
What do you bring, from fields not yet frozen By Winter's
harsh hand, what fills up Your pack?
Oh, what do You carry that weighs on Your shoulders?
What harvest dost burden my dear Lady so?
What reaping so heavy from an Earth grown colder By Winter's
harsh hand, what have You to show?
I bear in my basket the babes of the season,
The fruits and the grains from the fields I have sown.
I've gathered them up for the ground is soon freezing
By Winter's harsh hand. I bring the meal home.
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Come look in my horn of reeds woven tightly.
What see ye, my children, that fills full its curve?
What harvest is born here? What miracles mighty?
Now that Winter's harsh hand My sentence dost serve?
We see in your basket the children of New Year; The fruits of the
seeds we planted months past.
We see in your great pack the harvest of actions
Now stilled by the harsh hand of Winter at last.
There is in your fine horn plenty of reaping;
Lessons hard learned by Thy trial and Thy test.
And blessings unending to gentle our sleeping
As Winter's harsh hand brings us comfort and rest.
...Linda C., Ohio, Circle Network News Fall '84

PEGASUS
Where is the man who will mount the wind?
Where is the man who will fly
From here to the stars in a heartbeat
Past the pillars that hold up the sky?
.
For there is a steed, of a heavenly breed
Who longs for the touch of a man.
What you never dared do in your dreams
On the white one, the wild one, you can.
.
For Pegasus rests on a lightning bolt
And spurns the stars beneath.
At sunset he tramples the day to death;
Then rears on the blasted heath.
.
And yet, he treads on the spiderwebs
And never bruises a flower
Who circles around the virgin moon
In half of a half an hour.
.
The milky way is his drinking pool.
His stable the cave of night,
The whole bright sky his grazing
When he puts the stars to flight.
.
Fabulous wealth, prize and pelf
He to his master brings,
But he will not be curbed by bridle or bit
And fears are a weight on his wings.
.
So where is the man who will mount him
And never look back with a sigh?
Where is the man who will joyously ride
When he know that to fear is to die?
.
His master must be a man soul-free
Who calls "faster" at every breath,
And knowing his mount is immortal,
Rides with a laugh to his death.

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I AM SPRING
I am spring
Green fits me best.
While I fight winter, my smartest enemy.
So I can give the birds all the songs they sing
in one days life.
And so I can toy with the kites
like march in the suns sparkling face.

Jack H.R. Seymour


04/03/91
WHY I LOVE THE DARK
by
Gerald del Campo
Tis the coldest place imaginable,
this void within the heart,
the place most adventurers wander,
expecting to be torn apart.
Some have walked there for eternity,
seeking to find some Light,
a small glimmer or a flicker,
to end the endless night.
The fowl wind howls insanity,
it passes through the body like a ghost,
the chill can freeze the very Soul,
survive if you are more skilled than most.
Despite the hideous experience,
which one encounters in the Dark,
the journey is very worth it,
make sure to leave your mark.
So listen up weary traveler,
strike with all your might,
but rejoice in the journey,
in the Dark you'll find the Light.

TEARS FOR AN ANGEL


by
Gerald del Campo
I let them fall for so long
they tasted so sweet
the dew of the face of the Angel
that I would one day meet.
I kept them in a jar
I made sure they were clean
to offer to my beloved
the one of whom I dreamed.

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I sat alone one gloomy day
while listening to the rain
as it danced on the window
feeling the pain.

Pain of a thousand martyrs


I wept, I sang, and I cried
waiting for the promised vision
feeling I had been denied.

Later that day


when the clouds moved away
the Sun shined gloriously
and next to me She laid.

I offered the tears


the ones I had saved
and when they touched Her white hands
they faded away.

PRELUDE TO DISCOVERY
By Gerald del Campo
As you try to deny
that kicking inside
which leads you
to the Knowledge of Yourself.

It comes as no surprise
the intensity of your despise
you hate everyone and everything
because all things you see are you.

It's easy to demand


that others understand
and except you as you are
even if you are not what you seem.

But you wont find happiness


or shake the loneliness
until you become
the Star you oppress.

Comes The Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference


Between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning,
And company doesn't mean security,
You begin to understand that kisses, aren't contracts,
And presents aren't promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head held high and your eyes wide open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build your roads
On today, because tomorrow's ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine
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Burns if you get too much,
So you plant your garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
and you learn and learn
With every goodbye you learn.

SIMPLE

This is a time from in between


the time of Hallowe'en
leaves are falling
winter's calling
nature is closing down
that marks this time from in between
the time of Hallowe'en

the Gods renew


my oaths will too
just living for their crown
that is the time from in between
so happy Hallowe'en
- - -
Bright Blessings
GardenStone

Just thinking of all Wiccans on Samhain.

T'was the night before Samhain and all through the house.
Not a creature was stirring except for my spouse.
The incense it burned in his Caldron so black,
For withchraft and magic he'd a wondrous knack.
The circle was drawn with the athame of power,
The guardians were called to each quarter tower.
The Lord and the Lady attended our rite,
In wonder and glory and power and might.
The dearly departed came as our guest,
To live once again after their rest.
We bid them goodbye with a tear in our eye,
Such a lovely presence of loved ones so nigh.
The candles danced in the flickering light.
With the Great Rite we bid them all a good night.
The guardians thanked, have all sped away.
The Lord and the Lady, thanks for the day.
The night before Samhain, Gods Bless this house.
A circle of wonder 'round me and my spouse.
Masochistic Maiden

I Saw Something Beautiful

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I saw something beautiful today.
I was sitting by a tree
along a wooded path,
when I heard two lovers talk
as they came near me
along the wooded path.
She said she hoped he'd never go
until she'd passed away
for she was to weak to go alone
and he said that he'd not go
until her life was gone
because she was his morning
and she was his sun.
That she'd never face a day alone.
What love this couple has I thought
As these endearing words I caught.
I envisioned them as lovers in a fairy tale,
Him tall and dark, her small and pale.
So when they chanced to pass my way
I looked to see such young lovers.
But this is what I saw,
an elderly man with eyes now dim
an elderly lady accompanying him.
This is what I saw,
The beauty of an ageless love
Blessed by Goddess above
Endless even in old age.
And somehow I knew there was no gage
By which to measure this
My wish for them is one of eternal bliss.
Yes, I saw something beautiful today
And I'm better for it crossing my way.
DEMETER'S HYMN
Maiden and youth, as fresh as the dew,
new life unfolding, golden in hue.
In the eyes of the young, the wheel never turns,
spring is unending, the lamp always burns.

Youth is protecting, exultant and bright,


his arms encircle his maiden of light.
A chalice of crystal, to the athame a sheath,
the maiden enfolding, new life now beneath.

The seed has been planted, the new life will form,
daughter of promise, Maiden of corn.

Mother and Father, consort and queen,


they dance through the forest, they dance on the green.
They see the wheel as it sins in its ways,
marking the seasons, counting their days.
Their children dance with them, golden and warm,
the harvest is ripening, ket safe from all harm.
Like silver and coer, life burnished bright,
the fruits of the summer, they shine in the light.
Sweet horn of plenty, may your promise be born,
Bountiful Lady, Mother of corn.
Grandmother, grandfather, they stand arm in arm,
their circle near ending and waiting the dawn.
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They know well the wheel as they circle about,
their voices speak softer, no need to shout.
New life and old, they faced each in turn,
Knowing thatnew from the old will return.
He dreams in the night of what he had been,
Lord of the forest, Lord of the green.
But the bones of an old man are ainful and worn,
will his Lady remember her Lord of the Horn?
She sees him still as virile and young,
blind to the changes the long years have wrung.
A Chalice of crystal, with the eyes of the wise,
knowing that love that is true never dies.
The harvest is gathered, how full is the horn,
Lady of wisdom, Crone of the corn.
The wheel it has circled, time without end,
old life remembers, and welcomes the grain.
For the corn and the seed are one and the same,
that which has been, will be again.
Demeter our mother, Behold the newborn,
Mother of all, Behold the Corn.
Lyn Hubert.
What is Love?
Perhaps a commitment of kindred souls -
There are so many different levels yet all are as one in quality -
A commitment to share -
Acceptance of each other
Understanding and Consideration
Trust and Honesty
Common Respect for each other
A pledge to be there for each other whenever possible
to share joy and laughter, strength and weakness,
and when necessary - grief and tears...
To allow each to grow to their own potential
Love nurtures a bond between souls
A bond stronger than petty emotions - jealously, envy, condemnation and fear
The truth of Love is not as a bond representing a chain of bondage,
but as a release of one's soul-
a true acceptance of one's spirit, one's being
a healing acceptance
That is unconditional Love
Love can only be given freely and openly
Never co-erced, bought, traded or forced
Love is feared only because there are so many false representations of it
that cause pain to one's soul - damage to one's fragile spirit.
Love is a fire that does not burn
A soul-bourne wind that does not chill
A sirens song that does not lie
A soft rose petal that has no thorn....
Love takes nothing, only accepts and gives freely...
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Love is a tranquil lullaby - bringing sweet and restful peace to a restless,
weary soul.
Love is a tentative quiet call upon the door of one's soul - a shy and gentle
searching spirit whose touch seeks kindred soul to share that closest
paradise within that we mortals may achieve to the reality of that perfect
love given only by that creative essence of the All - which is ALL Love.
And as the All is omnipotent...so is this spirit - and that spirit is Love

11/87
Namastai.... Ravenna
Just A Poem
Deep in the dark, silent forest
The Lord and the Lady and me,
Walk in reverent wonder
At the mystery of beauty we see.
Misty clouds and moonbeams
Play a silent symphony,
Filled with awe and peace
that They should walk with me.

Deep in the dark, silent forest


Where first they came to me,
The Lord of the Woods, the Green Man,
And the Lady in majesty.
There 'neath the moon I adore them
with the beauty of nature around.
The Athame in blue white splendor
then draws the circle round.
Deep in the dark, silent forest
The Lord and the Lady and me
Create a space of wonder
Just large enough for three.
Earth and Air, Fire and Water
Thrice the circle drawn.
Enchanted space of ritual
until the morning dawn.
Deep in the dark, silent forest
The Lord and the Lady and me,
At the end of the long nights ritual
Are content and happy we three.
We watch the glow of the embers
As the heat of the fire dies low.
A few moments of meditation
and then it's time to go.
Deep in the dark, silent forest
Here by the wide open sea,
The Lord and the Lady go walking,
The Lord, the Lady and me.
Here in the dark silent forest
I've learned a great mystery.
They are each a part of the other,
And each a great part of me.
Masochistic Maiden
THE MAN IN THE MOON
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by
Gerald del Campo
She comes in like the Darkness
On a cold winter night;
A child, pale, the consort of the Angel of Death
With lips as red as the finest rubies
And as crimson as the blood which runs through my veins.
Eyes, haunting; dark and mysterious
As the bottomless depths of the ocean.
Double faced woman in mourning and in laughter
Torn between the magick and the tragic
Essence of the realm of desire.
Uncharted, unexplored; a virgin
From the joys and pleasures of this world,
Oh, fruit not tasted, passion wasted
From fear of the wrath
Of some loveless god.
Inspired by her Beauty I lie
Awaiting the last beat of my heart;
I sink into the blood red lips
In hopes that soon, as I expire, as we embrace
We may enter the world christened Forever.
Our blood, mingled, spilled upon the earth
Like seed scattered in passion
Dispersed on some impossible soil.
With one scream for pain and one for pleasure
Two roses emerged to face the Rising Sun.
A Riddle
The smooth curve of a woman's hip
stroked by a black gloved hand
back arched in love
echoing the fertile land.
Who am I?
The steel sword of war
flashing in the noonday sun
pounded from a plow-share
wielded by a beggar's son.
Who am I?
The sweet smell of resinous incense
rises from the censer
held aloft by a child
given to a woman beyond censure.
Who am I?

The joyous call of laughter


echoed from friend to friend
and from brother to brother
in the joy of fellowship, and no sorrow to spend.
Who am I?
The salt tang of shed blood
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fresh from pass'ed life
drips from the lover's hand
which hold the wind-sharp knife.
Who am I?
The bright echo of stars
lying on the becalmed sea
reflections of The Lady
who loves all, and leaves free.
Who am I?
The center point of all that live
always moving and never still
sire of all action
progenetor of every will.
Who am I?
Hawk-headed Lord of force and fire
flame-feathered wings cup the morning wind
a raptor's battle cry shatters the early silence
the child's twin is mute from forever till the end.
Who am I?

The Birthday of the Light

On the Christmas morning comics page


two people slogging through the crowds of shoppers
pause to ask one another
"Isn't this all supposed to be somebody's birthday?"

Yes, it is.
This is the birthday of the Light.

Different people see the Light differently:


To many the Light is a babe in a manger,
A child destined to grow into a great teacher and healer,
Bringing the light of love to a world lost in darkness.
To others the light is the light of freedom,
Seen in the miracle of a lamp burning
Far longer than its meager supply of oil should have lasted
After the conquerors were driven from the Temple.

And still others celebrate winter sinlight


Bringing the promise of springtime
And reminding us to look at endings
As opportunities for new beginnings.

But even though we see the Light differently


And hold different days in this season sacred to it,
Let us all look into the light together
To see opportunities for new beginnings
For a world of freedom and healing and love.

--Thomas G. Digby
written 1230 hr 12/25/91
A LADY CALLED TRUTH

by

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Gerald del Campo
A Lady called Truth is the darkest of all secrets. As
unattainable as the Light which belongs to no one; like moths men
are driven mad to enslave Her.
I Once drank from lips that beacon me. The musky fragrance of
her femininity permeates through every pore of Her lily white
body.
Driven by the desire of total ecstasy our bodies locked in a
never ending embrace of passion.
And like all the men before me, she escaped the bondage called
Love. I was never to feel her caress again, until I realized
that like all truly Bautiful things, Truth is meant to be shared.

OCEAN
by SKYBANE
The ocean Rolls
One voice in nature's
fugue; growing in
stregnth and power.
The lord and lady
dance in the salt spray
and my soul flies free.
-=Skybane=-

SLEEPER
Mother, dear Mother, the day has begun,
come with us dance, come dance in the sun.
Mother, dear Mother, the moon it is high,
she circles and dances, like birds in the sky.
The music is calling, come dance in the light,
come dance with the moon, we'll dance through the night.
The dark clouds have gathered, how dark its become,
Your ways are forgotten, the fires have begun.
In the womb of the earth, come with me sleep,
We'll lie 'neath the ground, your secrets to keep.
Till your children remember, we'll sleep 'neath the plough,
I'll lie in your arms, come sleep with me now.
How long we have waited, how long we have slept,
throughout the long night, your children have wept.
The new day has dawned, Your dance has begun,
the moon and the sun have risen as one.
Silver and gold, they glide arm in arm,
beacons of hope, we are safe from all harm.
The wheel it has circled, the wheel it has turned,
the witches, Your children, have all returned.
The sun has arisen, how bright is the light,
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the moon she is dancing, in joy at the sight.
Dance with us, Mother, come dance in the sun,
come dance with the moon, at last we are one.
Come dance with us Mother, at last we are one.
Lynn Hubert
THE AWAKENING
Let me sing you a tale of magics of old,
of powers that slumbered through long years untold.
Let me weave you a song of a memory revived,
calling the Old Ones, their time has arrived.
Bale fires are lighting through all of the land,
the fey folk are dancing, their hour is at hand.
Their music is heard in the chattering stream,
their call echoes out on the wings of a dream.
Beyond the townships, where common folk sleep,
in moors and in medows, in forests so deep,
Withces are gathering at the dark of the night,
to dance and to worship, bathe in moonlight.
They've winded the horn, they have opened the door,
the magics returning to slumber no more.
By the spells they have woven, the runes the have told,
they've awakened the Goddess, and the Horned One of old.
And those who have gathered now join hand in hand,
their voices are chanting, throughout all the land.
The God and the Goddess, at last will be heard,
their children, the witches, are spreading the word.
They sing songs of power when the moon, she is high,
They chant songs of joy when the sunrise is nigh,
They dance through the medows, and through darkened streets,
join their ancient rythem, when your circle meets,
Come dance to their rythem, when your circle meets.

Andrew Daws
1.Mellaart, James, Catal Huyuk: A Neolithic Town in Anatolia (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1967)
??

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