I found this Mabon stew recipe through my facebook connections and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy
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Pagan Blog Project: B- To begin
Beginning your path
Over the last few weeks I have given you a lot of information about researching and answering questions related to your path. I gave you advice on how to choose your directions and even some concepts on divinity to start with. These are all great things to know and have as an idea before you actually begin your path. However once you know where you are going, what your views on deity are and the cultures you are basing your practices off of how do you actually start to begin your practice and path? This is the question we are going to focus on and answer for you today.
There are many different ways that you can actually begin your path. The important thing is to try and spend as much time doing research and reading about new beliefs and practices you want to explore as it is to actually spend the time doing the work. If all you do is read and research and reflect on what you read and research you will have a lot of book knowledge and some great opinions. You just wont have any experience and you wont actually “know” the processes, the spirits, the Gods, or even the effects of the practices you have been dedicating your time to.
Ways to begin your practice
I remember when I took my first steps on my path as a witch I was very nervous. I was afraid of doing things wrong. I was afraid that the Gods and the spirits wouldn’t listen to me. I had no formal teachers or training. I was simply stumbling in the dark. So I remember the anxiety. It was both a positive anxiety as well as a negative or hesitant type of anxiety. I had the same feelings when I started to practice Germanic Paganism. The important thing is that you work through the anxiety and the sensations and start on the path.
So what can you do to start on your path? You can build an altar. You can start a magical journal or spiritual record of your practices. You can start a meditative practice. If you are very confident in your connection to your path you can perform a rite of dedication and direction. Finally the most important thing you can do is try the exercises you encounter in the books and websites you use as tools and references in your studies.
There are as I said many different things that you can do to start walking your path. You may not be able to do as much as you would like right away and that is ok. You may miss sabbats and opportunities for rituals and worship as you learn the important dates and times in your chosen spiritual path. The Gods know you are human and you are learning. So long as your heart is in your path and you work hard you will be amazed at the path you will create for yourself.
Altar creation
One of the things you can do to begin your path is start an altar. Altars are a wonderful way to express your spirituality. By creating an altar you are creating a sacred space in which you can focus on performing your spiritual work and practices. Altars can be very simple or they can be very elaborate. There are many different things that you can put on an altar and there are many different ways that an altar can be set up.
My basic altars when I am working with a new spirit or starting to work with new Gods are very simple. They typically include a candle that I light when I am praying to that spirit. I also light the candle as an offering to them. I also if I have them have an incense burner for burning incense as offerings to the Gods and spirits and to help as a focus when I work on meditation. I also typically have a cup or bowl for any liquid offerings I may give the spirits.
No two altars are going to be the same. If you do decide to set up an altar let it be a reflection of your relationship with the spirits you are working with. Your altar is for you and your practice alone. It doesn’t matter what it looks like or what you have on it at this point in time. Its just there as a focal point and expression of your relationships with the spirits you work with.
A lot more can be said about altar creation. I have written two entries elsewhere on this blog that deal with altar creation. If you decide to start with the creation of an altar I would recommend you look at the articles. They contain several examples and some exercises for you to use as you build your altar.
Altars part 1: 6 exercises and points for altar building
Altars part 2: Specifics for paths and practices
Magical and spiritual record keeping
The second thing I mentioned you could do as a formal start of your path is to create a spiritual journal. This journal may have already been started if you have been following the exercises and advice I have been giving you on this blog. Some traditions have specific names for the journals that are kept and others are incredibly personal. In all traditions though the personal spiritual journal is a very powerful sacred personal object.
One thing I mentioned previously is that as you do your research into the various paths out there was take note of things that you agree with and things you disagree with. I also advised you to write down quotes that gave you something to think about. I have also given you several different types of questions to answer and reasons for asking those questions.
All of the notes you have taken, the questions you have asked, and the answers you have given yourself are the start of a very important document. This document or well book is very important. This book is going to serve as your record of spiritual growth. This book will have a lot of information in it as time goes on. It is also one of the most personal spiritual items and tools you will ever make.
You may be asking why a journal of your spiritual experiences, thoughts, and beliefs is important. The answer is simple. This book and journal will show how you have grown and developed spiritually. This book will contain things you agree with and things you disagree with. You will basically put anything in here that you feel is important information about your path. There really isn’t anything you can’t put in this journal.
The act of working on this spiritual journal is also a way to connect your mind and emotions with your actual soul and spirit feelings. By writing out your thoughts and reflections to ideas and concepts you are processing how your spirit feels about these things. This allows your mind to understand what drives you and allows your mind to spend time finding ways to include those thoughts, beliefs, and practices in everything that you do.
Writing in a journal is a very therapeutic thing. It helps you process the day and it helps you really sort out how you really feel and think about many concepts and ideas. In many different spiritual paths one of the key concepts or ideas to strive for is to know yourself. Writing in a journal is one of the best ways to know yourself as you are truly honest to yourself about how you feel and what is on your mind. By knowing yourself you also know what your real needs, wants, and desires are. In spirituality this can also mean knowing exactly the type of connection you are actually seeking with the Spirits and the universe.
These books will also serve as your references for your personal experiences. In them you should include exercises you have done (the steps of the exercise and your experiences), prayers you have said and or rituals you have done. It can also include prayers and spells you have found inspiring from other sources. If there is poetry or myths you find inspiring and directly related to your path you can put that in there. Its your guide to your experiences and your development as a spiritual person.
In witchcraft most often there are two terms for these spiritual journals. One of them is occasionally called a mirror book. That book is full of your reflections and ideas. Its where your theories and beliefs are recorded. Its a reflection of your innerself and your soul. This is a very personal book and is often not shared.
The other book is often called the Book of Shadows. The book of shadows is a book containing spells and rituals. It also has the lore of the practice. In solitary practice this book is your sacred text basically. It forms a workbook for formulating spells and rituals. Its your tool in your acts of priesthood. This book can be shared with people if a solitary chooses to share their work. Typically if it is handed down it will be to children or very specific family members interested in the practice all at the individuals discretion.
In covens and in specific traditions there is a Book of Shadows that is specific to that coven or tradition. Members are expected to hand copy or make themselves an exact copy of the book for their own use. Like the individual book this also contains all the materials needed to form the rituals and practices of the coven. It may also contain coven history and tradition history. These books are also used as teaching materials to preserve the practice and and ensure that all members have the same information to go from. Ceremonial Magic has a similar practice called Grimoires, and some witches elect to call their ritual and theory books Grimoires as well.
Meditative practice
One element that is common among spiritual paths is some sort of meditation practice. This practice is a way for you to go within yourself and reflect on things. It can also be a way for you to communicate with spirits and Gods. Meditation is a very powerful tool for spiritual development and daily spiritual practice. This is one tool that comes in many different forms and has different uses.
One use for meditation techniques is to understand different philosophic principles. By working with different powers of the mind in meditative states you can learn and experience different philosophies which will create spiritual experiences. Often times these meditative techniques also are building blocks to deeper spiritual techniques and can also be magical techniques as well.
Meditation techniques can also help you learn how to better focus and use the powers of your mind. Through meditation you can travel to the spirit worlds. You can meet many different spirits and interact with them. You can experience the mysteries in the universe. These mystery experiences will provide you understanding and spiritual growth. These are things that will also make your spirit and you feel at home and have deeper understandings and connections to the world around you.
Basically meditation can work for psychic development, spiritual development, mental development, and the development of focus skills. Meditation has many different effects and uses spiritually and practically. Its worth an entry all of its own. When you engage in meditation as the starting point or beginning of your practice you will want to explore many different philosophies and types of techniques. Remember to record and write down what you experience in meditation and what the techniques were.
Dedication ritual
This is often the first real serious step a person takes on their spiritual path and practices. Dedication rituals are very serious acts and indicate a specific level of commitment. When you are dedicating yourself to your path you are promising any and all spiritual powers on this path that you are there to serve them and to learn from them. You will listen to them and you will do all that you can to live your life the way they ask you to. It also shows that you are ready to make your path an intricate part of all aspects of your day to day life in some manner. You are ready to not just be a student and exploring of the path. You are ready to say this is my path. I will follow you for as long as I can.
If this is what you want to do for your first step on your path than you should go for it. If this is your choice then you have done enough research and had enough of an emotional connection and response that you know that this is where you want to go for now spiritually. Taking the step of dedication is a big step and its one that should not be taken lightly. In some paths a self dedication is the equivalent of an initiation of sorts. In other paths its a phase of learning before swearing a deeper oath and practice. For myself dedication is both a learning period and a way of swearing an oath.
I am not going to write any more on dedication here. It is a first step in a path and it is a way to begin your path. I have written an essay on this blog earlier in more depth about dedication and the types of dedication there are. That post even has two different types of dedication rituals.
Do the Exercises
Many books on spirituality and spiritual paths will have exercises scattered throughout the chapters to illustrate and give you personal experience with the concepts being discussed. Most of the exercises do have a practical aspect to them. When it comes to spirituality and magical practices the only way to really understand the concepts of energy and spirit is to have experiences. The experiences do more to teach you the philosophies and world views than just the books ever could.
Sometimes it may not be easy to see the meaning or reason behind the exercise being placed where it is. If this is something you experience that is fine. In this case finish the chapter. Read the exercises and the rest of the chapter. Reread it a few times if you have to. However once you have an idea of what the exercises and the chapter together are teaching you need to do the exercises. The exercises will actually show you more than any words can.
In spiritual paths the concept of mysteries and how they must be experienced is often brought up. The exercises including guided meditations and occasionally mini spells or rituals are there to have you gain access to the particular mysteries of that path. The author of those exercises has used them several times themselves and seen how they worked for their spiritual paths and development. By publishing those exercises in a book, website, blog, or podcast the author is providing access to the mysteries for others. They want you to share the experiences they have had.
When you do an exercise be sure to write down the exercise in step by step processes so you can repeat the exercise. Also write down everything you experience while doing the exercise. You will find that some of the techniques out there will be more effective for you than others. That is ok. By having the experiences and by doing the exercises and the work you are knowing yourself and your spiritual path bringing both into closer harmony.
Conclusion
In this post I have illustrated several different ways that you can start practicing and walking your path. Each of these first steps has a benefit to them and they also have their down sides to. Each step also plays its own role in your development spiritually and personally. These steps are all good ways to start including your path in your life in a more direct and outward way.
My personal suggestion would be to do a mixture of the journal, meditation, and exercises for a while. Then after you know a bit more about the spirits you are working with and you have gained some experiences I would set up an altar. Now the altar can be a tool for meditative focus and spiritual development. I would work with these combinations for a few months before I performed an act of dedication.
I hope that these steps help you find and develop your spiritual path. As always if you have any questions or comments please let me know. If you feel that there are other steps out there I could have mentioned also please let me know.
~Loona Wynd~
Pagan Blog Project: Beginnings
The most common question I am asked is how did I actually begin my practice. I’m sure that you readers are now wondering the same thing. You have looked at your own beliefs. You have come to have a decision and a direction, and you have figured out your concept of the divine. Now that you have all of those choices and all that work done what do you do? You actually begin your practice.
Beginning Your practice
The first step on your path is to perform a rite of introduction to the Gods and spirits of your practice. By now you should have read a few books on the practices of the path you are taking. If you have a reference for this then that is great. If not I am going to give an outline for an introduction rite. Yes before you begin performing offerings on a regular basis it is important that you at least introduce yourself to the pantheon and the spirits you intend to work with.
Now it is important to note that an introduction rite is not the same as a dedication rite. That is something we can cover another time. An introduction rite is a more formal way of saying hello. You may have prayed and gave offerings before as part of your decision making. Thats good. Its a start. Now you are formally declaring your intent to study their ways and work with them. Before it was a “Hi this is for you if you want”. Now its more formal.
So what was the point of the ritual before hand if we are beginning with a deeper more direct ritual? This ritual is a step below actual dedication. You have not completely dedicated yourself to their service but you are basically promising to study their ways for a year or so. During that year you will perform rituals, pray, meditate, read, and reflect. If after your year of studies you have formed strong bonds and feel called to do further work on that path then you will perform a rite of dedication. For now a rite of introduction is still important.
What does this rite entail? It entails preparing yourself mentally and physically before the ritual. Its going to entail blessing the offering in their names. Its going to entail prayer and meditation. Its a very simple and basic ritual. However when you put all your emotions into the ritual you can find that even the smallest ritual gesture like lighting a candle with intent can produce substantial results.
The Ritual
Materials:
- Candle to represent your passion and your flame
- Note book to write down the ritual and any personal messages you get during the meditation
- Fresh soap for the ritual shower & your normal shampoo and conditioner
- Candle for the God and or Goddess
- if you are 21+ an alcoholic drink to share as a communion if not sparkling ciders are good
- Chalice
- An incense you find appealing
- Water
- Salt
Here is the rest of the ritual
Ritual Shower:
- Set the shower at as high a temperature as you can stand and get in.
- Begin to wash your body with you soap. Using the soap suds see the soap becoming all negative energy and all doubts from the day. See them coming from your body into the soap. Put the soap down and rinse your hands. Let the soap stay on your body for a moment and let it continue to absorb your negative energy and thoughts.
- Take your shampoo and lather your hair. Do the same thing you did with the body to your hair. This time focus on intense emotions and thoughts. Focus on stress and frustrations during the day. See those items become the suds in your hair.
- Rinse your hair and place the conditioner in it. Let the conditioner soothe those thoughts and feeling. Let the conditioner bring you a sense of peace and relaxation. Work that sensation all through your hair. Let is set for about five minutes.
- Stand in the shower in a position where your hair wont get wet but parts of you can. Start to rinse yourself off. As you start to rinse see the shadowy soap bubble run down the drain and fade away.
- After a few moment step under the shower directly and rinse completely, This time seeing everything run down that has not already gone away.
- Repeat the shower one more time. This time chanting “Water Water Wash Away. Water Water Cleanse today”
- End the shower. As you towel off wrap yourself up in a white light of positive energy. This will replace and replenish the energy that was removed through the cleansing shower.
Introduction rite:
- Get dressed and set up the altar or place for the ritual. Make sure you have a container for the water and a container for the salt as well as your offering of food and drink to the Gods.
- Mix a pinch of the salt into the water. You are making Holy water right now. As you mix the salt and the water see any impurities in the water be gone. See the water being filled with sacred light from the great divine forces out there.
- Light your incense
- Take the salt water and either in a circle or simply by sprinkling the water in the four directions dedicate the space as being sacred. Call upon any guards and guides as you see fit to witness this rite.
- Repeat the process with incense. Now you have consecrated the space with all the elements. Earth and water in the holy water and fire and air with the incense. The place is now set for spirits and gods to come and answer. At this point it is best to remain in the ritual area. You should only leave in an emergency situation. If you do say a quick prayer for exiting and a prayer for entering. Other traditions have other ways of entering and exiting the space in ritual but this prayer will work for now.
- Light the Candle for the God and Goddess (both or just one depending on what you had chosen to do)
- Call to the Gods. If you have read an invocation or prayer to them for calling them to a ritual now would be a great time to recite that work. Basically ask them to come with you now and to join the rite.
- Light the candle to represent yourself. State your intention to learn the ways of those Gods and their followers. State who you are and why you are serving and learning their ways. Promise to do your best to learn all you can and integrate what you learn into your life.
- Bless the drink and pour a drink for them and for you. Share this drink with them. You can praise them or you can silently meditate on their presence and the meaning of the rite. You should have an idea at this point if they are accepting of you and listening to you,
- When you are ready thank the Gods and the spirits for attending the rite. If you formally laid a circle or walked a circle you can release it now. If you just sprinkled some water and consecrated the ground by extinguishing the incense and the candle the space is being released. You can then extinguish the candles. You can pick up and put away. You may now say a final prayer of thanks and wishes for continued guidance as things get put away and cleaned up.
- Record the ritual in the notebook. Write down everything you did all your feelings and all your emotions. Write down what you think about what you did and how you felt before and after.
You have now formally introduced yourself as their student. You have now taken a step into letting the Gods lead the way and be your teachers. Now you just need to listen to what they have to say. You may find the lessons come in very strange forms and you may find that things come into your life for no reason after doing this. These actions are a result of your introduction and prayer manifesting. The Gods are listening.
Whats new?
So I am going to be reworking this blog a bit. The name is still staying the same. Though this blog is going to mostly focus on my spiritual studies and developments. This blog was always about the formation of the tradition I would like to teach and pass on. So for this to continue to have that focus I am just going to rework and redo things a bit on this blog.
From now on the posts are going to consider of:
-Reflections on what I am reading at the moment
-Spells and rituals I am working on
-Gods and spirits I interact with
-Some Daily Exercises
-Training experiences and updates
-Pagan Blog Project Entries
There will be new pages added as well. After much debate I have decided to have a section of this site dedicated to various spells I have performed. So those pages will be coming soon. These spells will provide any seekers a starting place but also give experiences practitioners things to try as well.
So this blog will continue to serve as a place for me to process my experiences and my beliefs. Through the posts on this blog I hope to be able to establish my core and build my tradition from the ground up. Later today there will be one of the first entries on reflections of what I have been reading and studying at the moment.
Review: I am Healer, Story Teller, and Warrior Priest: Learning from Arianrhod
The book I am Healer, Story Teller, and Warrior Priest: Learning from Arianrhod is a short book. This book focuses on the lessons of one specific Goddess within the Celtic pantheons. This book covers many different lessons for personal and spiritual development. The overall concept and goal behind the entire book is to gain a better sense of Self and the relationship to the divine.
The author divided the book up into 4 different sections. Each section of the book had a specific set of lessons in them. The first section of the book is basically an introduction section. Here you are given a starting point for the journey of the book. This is the only section of the book that is made up of one chapter.
The second section of the book is about myths and legends. This section of the book provides two key mythological tales from Celtic lore. The section here then discusses and provides and overview of those two mythic tales and the various lessons in them. Here we learn about some important deities in Celtic spirituality but also learn quite a bit about the relationships between the different divine groups within the Celtic pantheons.
The third section of the book covers the topic of the Goddesses Arianrhod and Bloudeuwedd. Here we get information about their specific characters and their roles in the mythos. We also learn about the symbols of these Goddesses and how they can be worked with spiritually. Section three is also made up of one chapter.
The final section in the book is titled “Manifesting the divine”. This is the section that finally ties in the title of the book to the rest of the book. Here we finally see the roles of the warrior, the healers, the priests, and other ways of manifesting and working with the divine energy explored earlier in this book. Here we get into some practical work and can find spiritual development.
The first chapter in the book covers the concepts of what which has been lost and that which has been found. Here the author introduces the concept of the self as a relation to the divine and the divine energy of the universe. The author touches on Jungian psychology and philosophy. This chapter forms the basic concept of the book which is to gain connection to the divine and the Gods.
The second chapter begins the section on mythology. Here the author starts us off by introducing the first set of myths one should read in regards to Irish paganism. These are the invasion cycles covering the three groups that battled over time for control of Ireland.
The third chapter talks about one of the most famous groups mentioned in the myths of Celtic tribes. This is the group called the Tuatha De Dannan. These are the people known as the fae and fairies to the Christians, while to the Celts these people were there deities and are deities to those who practice modern Celtic spirituality.
Chapter four is called “The ‘Tyranny’ of Bres”. This chapter covers a series of battles and challenges faced by the Tuatha de Dannan as they were ruled by this king. Here we learn of many hardships the Tuatha De Dannan are forced to face and how their teachings are forbidden.
Chapter five gets into some of the symbols that come up in the myths regarding the Tuatha De Dannan. Here the author provides insight as to some deeper meanings and concepts in the myths just read.
In chapter six we are introduced to The Mabinogion. Here the author gives an account of the various books and tales within this collection of Welsh myths. The author while not providing the entire extensive texts provides you with enough understanding to be able to know what the story contains and who the characters are.
Chapter seven discusses the importance of the Mabinogion in today’s world. Here the author discusses the themes and concepts found within the Mabinogion. You are provided with heroes and gods and how their symbolism and their stories are still relevant in the world we live in today.
Chapter eight makes up the entirety of the third section. This chapter focuses on two goddesses from The Mabinogion and their symbolism. We are taught their sides of the story and the symbols in the myths. Here we even learn the meanings behind the use of the flowers that make up the Goddess Blodeuwedd and how that plays into her character.
Chapter nine is where we enter the final section of the book. here the author discusses and goes over the concept of the wounded healer. Here we learn what it means to heal from wounds and what it means to be a true healer. Here we learn that it is ok for us to show our scars from healing ourselves. This shows that we can go on and live with the pain.
Chapter ten starts a discussion on shamanism. Here we learn the authors concept of the shaman soul. We learn about the different aspects of ourselves and how to work them together.
Chapter eleven teaches us some magical and spiritual philosophies involved in manifesting the divine and creating a relationship with the divine. Here the author gets into a few of the concepts found in The Kyballion.
In chapter twelve the author gets into their views on the different bodies that a person has. The concepts here include the emotional body, the physical body, the spiritual body, and the mental body. The author also gets into their relationship to each other and how they work to make us a whole person.
Chapter thirteen teaches us about being a spiritual warrior. Here the author talks about the concepts of what it means to be a warrior and the traits of a warrior. Here the author gets into our responsibilities in the role of a warrior, self discipline, and being honest with oneself.
Chapter fourteen is a Mandala created by the author for Warriors. Its a way of mapping all of the selves. It is a way of showing consequences and actions. This is a “living” document according to the author as it changes and evolves as each individual grows and involves. Its a tool for showing and exploring spiritual and personal growth.
The fifteenth chapter of this book is all about the healer. Healers have always had an important role in religious and spiritual traditions. Here the author gives us a unique healing technique that they created. The author then goes into many other spiritual healing traditions including sweat lodges, Reiki, and affirmative prayer to name a few.
The sixteenth chapter in this book gets into the concept of the storyteller. Here the author explains why we need storytellers today and how they can fill a spiritual void. The author here gets into the spiritual roles as well as the practical roles of the storyteller.
The final and seventeenth chapter in this book covers the concept of the priesthood. The concept of priesthood in pagan and alternative spiritual paths is not always understood today. Here the author gets into the importance of the education that the members of the priesthood have to get in order to best serve their gods. The author talks about how the priesthood has a concept of service and how those who are of the priesthood must provide service of some sort to the community. The author also touches on how it is important to have recognition by others that you are of a service to the community.
The author ends the book by giving some advice on finding balance between all of these concepts. The author continues to explain and expand on the concept that it is up to you to do the work to make the connection and develop yourself spiritually.
Overall this author provides a lot of concepts to consider for developing your spiritual path. The author does well to tie in the concepts to Celtic spirituality specifically as that was the focus of the book yet leaves it open enough for you to find your own paths and relationships. The author does a good job of introducing some of the myths and the lore of Celtic paganism while giving the reader something to read and need to research on their own. This book provides an excellent starting point for Celtic spirituality while giving those on other spiritual paths many things to think about.
Magic-The creative and destructive forces of the universe
Magic is a powerful force. This is the force that allows witches and other magical traditions and practices to be able to cause the great changes they do in the world. This is a force that is neutral in nature. This is a force that is used to both create and to destroy. It is the same force used to heal and to bless that is used to harm and to curse.
By itself magic has little to no direction. Magic as a force will simply work to cause changes in the lives of the world. That is what magic is. Magic is the subtle forces that effect changes. These are the forces caused by thoughts and actions as well as emotions. The energy which makes up magic is the very energy of life which is why thoughts and emotions are key to the way magic works and acts.
There are many different names for people who practice magical arts. Witches are one. Shamans practice a form of magic as do many other tribal Wisemen and women. One thing that unites magic practitioners is some form of mental discipline and training. This training is what allows them to connect to the creative forces of the universe however they envision them.
It was mentioned above that thoughts and emotions are key to manifesting and making magic work. It was also mentioned that those who practice magic are often trained with some form of mental discipline. These two statements illustrate the reason why magic is both creative and destructive. Human thoughts and emotions are creative and destructive, This is also why with out direction and manipulation magic is simply a neutral force that creates changes in life.
When a person works a spell it is the intent behind the spell that gives form and direction to magic. Intent is made up of thought and emotions. The actions performed during spells and magical ritual are items used to focus and intensify concentration on desires- the intent of the spell. The desire or intent has an emotional basis. The stronger the emotion the more powerful the spell or ritual action will be,
The energy raised in the spell has direction. It has purpose. In order to allow the spell to work the magic will destroy some options and possibilities and create another. This is why magic as a tool and as a practice is always creating and destroying. It is a force that causes changes. This is the force of the cosmos.
For something to be created something else must be destroyed. This is a truth of nature. This is a truth of the cosmos. New planets and stars are created out of the debris of older planets and stars. This is also the true meaning of what they mean when they say that matter can never be created or destroyed-merely changes form.
Magic is part of the universe. It is the force which allows things to be created. It is creation and destruction. It is that which allows the universe to continue in expansion.
D: Dedication
Dedication
The subject of this post is something that I actually have to think long and hard about. Lately when I think about it I can’t honestly say that I have been fulfilling my honest statement of being dedicated to serving my readers and myself on my personal spiritual journey. The last few weeks have been full of self doubt and self assessment. To be honest I even asked myself what right I had to run and even continue to post on a blog dedicated to helping newbies and seekers find their own paths.
I honestly felt that there was no reason for me to continue posting this blog. I have had a crisis of self esteem and self worth. It just hit me recently that while I may not be exactly where I thought I would be at this point in my life I am exactly where Fate has dictated I belong. This for me was a central part of accepting my current situation and current feelings of worthlessness.
During this time I have had to take a look at where I stand spiritually. I have to admit I have never completed any training beyond my Reiki 1 certification. I am proud to be a dedicant in the Temple Tradition. This to me also shows and states quite a bit about the truth regarding myself. I consider myself dedicated to the truths of witchcraft and finding my own path.
So this post is about the process of dedication and what exactly dedication means. It is actually something that I consider several times a year as I look at my studies in witchcraft, paganism, philosophy, and magic. With everything that I want to do in my life I have to make sure I study diligently .
Dedication or Initiation?
One of the most common things that new witches find in books on solitary witchcraft is a self initiation ritual. A self initiation ritual does not work. One can not self initiate. To be initiated means that you are being brought into the religion or tradition. You can not bring yourself into a religion or tradition. You can however perform a dedication ritual announcing to the Gods and yourself that you are going to be following their path.
As a person seeks their spiritual path they are going to have to decide at some point if they want to a solitary practitioner (alone or maybe with a close friend or family member or if they want to seek out a group. There are benefits to both of these choices. I have never been a member of a group so I can’t speak for the benefits, though I am seeking one for fellowship and joint worship. Groups may call for initiation rituals (Any British Traditional Witchcraft coven will require it and other traditions are also initiatory). This is choice will found the rest of your path for the near future.
Types of dedication rituals
As dedication rituals are personal there are many different ways and many different types of doing a dedication ritual. When I am exploring the worship of a religion I have not studied I perform a different type of dedication ritual than I do when I committing myself to the worship of specific set of deities. All of these dedications are important rituals to be taken seriously. Each type signifies a different level of commitment to a relationship with deities.
The first type of dedication is one of an introduction. An introduction ritual is one where you are telling the Gods that you want to learn about them and their worship. That you are opening yourself to them and that you are finding your path. In this way you are not saying that you are going to stick around forever but that you are exploring and wishing to get to know them.
Here is a simple introduction ritual. It is this ritual I have used when I introduced myself to the Germanic pantheons. I will make similar rituals when I go back and study Hellenic Paganism, Roman Paganism, and Kemetic recon. This ritual is only used when I am simply saying “Hi. I’m…. I want to learn more about you and will try to honor you as I study about you, your culture, and your history”. For me it is a sign of respect to introduce yourself before you start blindly studying and working on a base relationship.
Introductory Ritual:
Supplies:
White Candle
Offering of milk,ale,red wine, or incense
Sea Salt
Table to work as an altar (see Altar entry 1 and Altar entry 2 )
Water
Ritual:
Place your hands over the water and state “By water’s natural cleansing I cleanse this water”
Take a pinch of pure sea salt and place it in the water. State “With salt this water is pure”
Take your finger and stir the water together creating a sacred holy water.
Walk around the ritual space and state “By the purity of this sacred water this space in prepared for ritual”.
Go to the altar and light the candle.
Here is where the ritual is going to essentially different for each person. Every culture and every religious tradition out there will have a different sort of prayer style. Some prayers are invocatory and others are more free form. This is where a seekers early research should pay off as they should have some sort of idea as to what rituals the Gods of that pantheon like. This is where you will state in ritual and prayer you intent to learn about them and is the first step in developing a relationship with the deities.
Say the appropriate type of prayer for the pantheon and culture in mind
Sit in silence for a few minutes.
Go to the what ever you are offering.
Place your hands over the offering and state “This is my gift to you may it nourish you and bring your much joy”
Pour the offering into the plate or bowl.
Keep the offering out for a while letting the liquid be absorbed into the atmosphere or our it onto the ground the next day
You have to keep in mind that was just a simple outline for some one who has no real experience or any real knowledge of ritual structure and organization. The more experience you have the more complexity you can add to the ritual if you so choose. This ritual was simple because it is simply an introduction and they can be very simple.
The second type of dedication ritual is one that is sort of like a marriage. You are committing yourself to your path for actual service to the Gods. During this point in time you will have many trials and tests as you figure out your role and what the deities want from you. Some its teaching, others it’s healing. Some people never quite find exactly what the deities they worship want out of them for service, so they do what comes naturally to them or they simply continue to hold rituals in honor the memory of the Gods they worship.
One thing I did for the longest time to help me gain confidence and keep on track with my spiritual studies and practices was to do a renewal ritual. This ritual always renewed my spirit in the process. It also always brought me back into myself and into my place in my studies. It also always seemed to bring me closer to the deities I had introduced myself to.
Recomitment ritual:
Supplies:
White Candle
Offering of milk,ale,red wine, or incense
Sea Salt
Table to work as an altar (see Altar entry 1 and Altar entry 2 )
Water
Ritual:
Place your hands over the water and state “By water’s natural cleansing I cleanse this water”
Take a pinch of pure sea salt and place it in the water. State “With salt this water is pure”
Take your finger and stir the water together creating a sacred holy water.
Walk around the ritual space and state “By the purity of this sacred water this space in prepared for ritual”.
Go to the altar and light the candle.
Say the appropriate type of prayer for the pantheon and culture in mind
Sit in silence for a few minutes.
Go to the what ever you are offering.
Place your hands over the offering and state “This is my gift to you may it nourish you and bring your much joy”
Pour the offering into the plate or bowl.
As you place your offering state your promise to start serving with more honesty and more dedication. Announce proudly that you are giving yourself to service to these Gods for however long you are planning to keep at this level of service.
Look for any signs in your dreams or day to day life that the deities are listening to you and ready to accept your service to them.
Keep the offering out for a while letting the liquid be absorbed into the atmosphere or our it onto the ground the next day.
The ritual you see out there is one of my reasons for having such a strong connection with the Germanic deities. I have spent a lot of time working ritual in honor of the Germanic deities. It has fostered my relationships with several different deities in the Germanic pantheon. In some ways this is a connection to my believed ancestral path.
The last name of Boynton is very Germanic. There is a shire in Yorkshire England which holds the name Boynton. My research has indicated that this shire would have been under control of the Saxxons. This is a place I need to visit when I next visit England. I mean a shire which has the same name as my biological surname? How can I not visit that place? In which case the Germanic pantheon (which includes the Anglo’s, The Saxon’s, The Franks, The Norse, and several more tribes) would be a home coming for me which is what it felt like to me.
The third type of ritual is one that indicates a more serious commitment. In this final dedication ritual you are completely giving yourself to everything any anything that the deities you worship desire. This is a very difficult and very important type of ritual that will cement your future. Here you are asking to become an active priest or priestess.
The final dedication is one of an initiation from the Gods. When witches talk about how only the Gods can initiate and make some one a priest or priestess of their path this is the sort of ritual that they have in mind. This is a life changing ritual and is one of deep meaning. It is this ritual where you finally accept what it is that the Gods truly desires.
This is where one becomes a true servant of the Gods. You are not only doing rituals for the Gods, but you are also offering services to the community. You may start doing more volunteer work, you may teach a few people, you may even become an interfaith Chaplin. In accepting the true mantle of what it means to be a member of the clergy (a true priest and priestess) one has given all that they are to their deities.
Remember when I said that a person would have to choose between being a solitary practitioner and as a member of a group and how I mention that BTW requires an initiation of sorts? The level of commitment that this dedication entails is the same as an initiation into a BTW Coven. How can I say that with out actually being initiated into BTW? It’s simple. I have enough friends within various BTW traditions both with valid initiations and one oath breaker related tradition to say for sure that initiation into BTW makes you a priestess of those deities. That means that within your coven and in your day to day life you are serving the needs of those Gods in what ever way they need from you. That is the sort of commitment that this level of dedication and initiation requires.
I am actually at this point in the development of my own witchcraft tradition. I have yet to formalize the arrangement through a ritual. This is something I am working on. I have some what reluctantly accepted the mantled of priestess. Perhaps this is the only way I can develop access to the mysteries that my Gods have instore for me. For this reason I can not give a sample ritual. If you are looking for some ideas you might want to look at:
- A witches Bible By Stewart Farrar
- What witches do by Stewart Farrar
- Solitary Wicca by Scott Cunningham
- Witchcraft for Today by Gerald Gardner
- Wicca for One by Raymond Buckland
- The Outer Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczack
Samhain and Hallowmas- The festival of the dead and the ancestors (Pagan Blog Project)
Samhain and Hallowmas:
The Holy Week:
Death and Rebirth in the cycle becomes complete
Part 1: The Spiritual Aspects and implications
I write this as Samhain and Hallowmas come to a close. The festivals of the dead and the transition from the lords of the land to the lords of the underworld completes the transition. I figured that as part of my job to help seekers on their search for questions I should provide some insight as to exactly what this sabbat is about and why people celebrate the sabbat in the ways that they do. Like everything else there are many ways to explain and experience the mysteries of these sabbats and not every ones view will agree with yours or even make sense to you. All I can do is provide my own insight based on my personal experiences and sources.
As I have started to develop my own personal theology this sabbat has come have a different meaning to me than other people might have. That is why in my own practice I call the holiday I celebrate Mortedon. However since most people are familiar with the names Samhain, Halloween, All Hallows Eve, and All Saints Day that is what I will use here.
According to many sources this time of year could easily be considered the witches new year. The God is officially dead and in the underworld. He wont be born again until the Winter solstice and as such he is dead and in the underworld. This is the time to transit between one working season and the other. It is a time of completion and reflection that may bring about the planning ad start of the new planting season for the next harvest.
In many ways the major difference between those who call themselves Traditional witches and those who consider themselves Wiccan is that the majority of the rituals in traditional witchcraft deal with ancestral veneration and ancestors as divine while the rituals found within Wicca focus on the God and Goddess or Lord and Lady rather than the ancestors. This is alright. Not every one is meant to worship and venerate the ancestors. Anthropologically it has been said that ancestral worship was the first form of worship, which is why for me it has become a source of my foundation.
I actually appreciate these different theological styles. There is one holiday in which they both meet and they both share the same view. It is viewed by both paradigms (Wicca and Traditional Witchcraft) as a day to honor both the dead and the ancestors as well as the God and Goddess. It is also an acknowledgement by both sides that the season of reflection is upon us. It is now that we must spend our time upon reflection and preparation for the new year and seasons.
Samhain, All souls Day, All Saints Day, Ancestor Night…all of these are names for essentially the same festival. This festival is an acknowledgment of every one who has gone before us. It is also an acknowledgement that there is life after death. It is here we can really see how even though the people we love and cherish may have passed on from this life, they really are still near by and watching us.
In many ways this is the time of year where the festivals a person honors and celebrates explains at least in part what their view of the afterlife is. For some people who believe in reincarnation this is also a time to connect with any of their past lives so that lessons they have to impart may be gives. This is the second festival where the veil between the worlds of the living and dead as well as spirit worlds is lowest. That is why contact with spiritual allies at this time of year.
Part Two: The Theology and Mythology of the Sabbat
Folkore and myth united
This is according to many sources the last sabbat of the year. For many witches the year starts at Yule and ends at Samhain and begins at Yule. In reality there is no real start or finish to a cycle. Cycles are circles and will always come back to a point and start again. This is how the world and the universe exist. Everything in the universe will be used again in the universe at some point in time. Every thing physical you see on this planet is made of of a star that existed eons before we were born:
Theologically, spiritually, and mentally it makes sense that the world as we know it would work in cycles. The physics at work in the universe simply provide a non-disputed example of how reincarnation exists. Here at Hallowmass and Samhaintide we are really able to see and understand how death and destruction/decay are essential to the growth and development of future lives and crops.
According to the Cycle of the Year and the 8 sabbats within Wicca and Eclectic witchcraft Samhain is when the God is dead. He was sacrificed at Mabon to ensure the fertile grounds of the next harvest. At one point in history it was believed that the king was sacrificed to bring life to the land for the next year. This was symbolic of the God’s death for the fertility of the land. Latter corn dollies were sacrificed instead of a human.
Blood was and still is the essential life force. If a creature is alive it bleeds. By the God sacrificing himself his blood (his life force) goes into the land giving life to the land. He knows that he will be reborn in his son in the end of winter and he will from the underworld guide and symbolize his son’s birth and his return by the return of the sun’s light starting at the Winter solstice (Yule).
It was believed that once a person died their body became the land. The blood of the sacrificed victim nourished the spirits of the land for the winter and would gain their favor for the spring.At Samhain the ancestors and other spirits from the land of the dead returned to give their blessings for the following year to their descendants.
The God at this time was in the Underworld understanding and being reborn. At Beltaine he had impregnated the Lady, his lover and wife, who would bear the child of promise who would carry and light the way for the Lord to be reborn at Yule (the light returning slowly) with his actual birth at Imbolc. The rest of the sabbats continue along this line. So in some ways Samhain is both the start and the finish.
The knowledge that there is life after death and life in death is symbolized no better than with ever greens (one of the reasons why those trees are decorated at Christmas). It’s also one of the reasons I feel that the hope to get through the winter for the spring exists. To see something that is alive and producing chlorophyll in the winter while the rest of the trees are inherently dead proves that there is life in death. It is one of the reasons I can see that death allows for the continuation of life.
With these thoughts in mind it is time to get to:
Part 3: A sample ritual
Ways that honoring the ancestors can be done
Now that it has been established why honoring the ancestors is so important I can start to give you some ideas as to how you as a seeker or as an active Pagan could honor your ancestors and the Gods and celebrate this sabbat and simply begin or further expand your understanding of this sabbat. For myself I gained even deeper insight into the mysteries this Samhain. As I post this the gates start to begin closing and the path seems to close, yet the creepy and spooky nature that is Samhaintide and Hallowsmass remains, the time to honor the ancestors comes to a close.
I have had a week to reflect on what I wanted to write for this entry and I have finally come to the last part of the entry where I can really start to explain how one can go about celebrating this sabbat. For many years as a seeker I was honestly unsure of what to do with my offerings for any sabbat. Samhain was another one that left me confused, so now I feel it it is time to give some sort of explanation as to how you can give your offerings to the Gods and the ancestors.
So here is a very simple ritual:
Ancestral Ritual For Samhain:
Materials:
Apple or Pomegranete Juice/alcohol
Red Apples or Pomegranete fruit & Seeds
Two cups
1 tree
Ritual:”
As you pour your drink concentrate and think of your ancestors and the Gods and the land. Focus intently and place this light into the food and drink blessing it in the names of the spirits, the ancestors, and the Gods. You then pour two drinks one for the Spirits, ancestors and Gods and one for your self.
As you take your drink say a prayer for what you are thankful and towards any ancestors you wish to contact and communicate with. Take a moment and think of them. Then get into your trance position. For this it may be best of you lie facing down with your hands working as a head rest head in a comfortable position. After you get into position think and state to your self:
“I Vibrate in harmony with the Underworld and the Gods of the Underworld”.
Repeat this statement over and over until you reach a state where you see and become one with the God or Goddess of the Underworld. Continue the trance until you have gained all the insight you will receive. Slowly reduce your vibration into yourself. Once you are back into yourself take another drink in honor of the Gods and the lesson you learned.
Eat the red apple or the pomegranate seeds. If you eat the apple place the seeds aside till the morning. If you eat the pomegranate seeds place a few aside till the morning.
Go to bed expecting dreams based on the rite you performed. The following morning write down any dreams you may have had. When done and dressed for the day take the seeds and the same drink you had the night before and place them in a whole at the trees base.
Reasoning behind the ritual:
By taking in that blessed drink you understand that the drink is the fruits of the Gods who you worship as well as the ancestors who literally are the land. This drink is their blood after the sacrificial blood of the god had been spilled, this is their response. When you eat the fruits of the land or drink of the liquids you are taking in the essence of the land and your ancestors.
When you let a drink in a cup evaporate overnight that drink is consumed by the air and the essence of life. The ancestors who have returned to visit partake of this liquid. In the morning the seeds and the remaining liquid are returned to the ground. This nourishes the ancestors and the spirits as well as the gods. This is how we can honor and nourish them.
Part four: My conclusion:
For me this really explains a lot. Through the ritual expressed above I was able to understand the roles of the Gods and the Goddesses that I worship. I was also able to understand exactly what the underworld does to work with rebirth and reincarnation. Finally When I look at astrophysics and how the creation of new universes begin and what black-holes really are I can see how my theology and philosophy line up with science.
I really recommended that any seeker of the wisdom of the cycle of destruction, reformation, creation, growth, and development take a basic physics course. This course will explain how the various galaxies came into being, how stars and suns are born, and how new universes are created. In some ways it may also lead a seeker to see how magic could be seen to be the force that keeps all of these things working in balance. That is what Samhaintide and Hallowmas is all about.
Welcome back!
Welcome Back
Hello every one. Loona Wynd is back from her long absence. I am sorry that I have been away. Things happened in life. The first thing that happened was that I had to finish college strong. I had been struggling with completing my associates degree for six years. On may 20th 2012 I finally completed my degree and attended graduation.
At the same time I was also starting to pursue a modeling career in addition to a writing career (articles, books, ect). As part of my modeling career I have decided to also start a blog on my modeling career and my personal insight into the world of being a freelance model. I do all my own bookings and manage my own finances earned from gigs. When my modeling blog is up I will let you all know.
The rest of this post is going to be mainly pictures and then a bit on what has brought me back.
Enjoy!
The first shot was done both as a model and as a gift for graduation.
!
This shot was taken by my friend who does professional photography. Her studio is known as Akelis Studios. She did this for me and my family and I couldn’t be happier
The next shots are from graduation day, one of me in the arena waiting and one of me at the podium getting my diploma.
The next shot is from my modeling portfolio. It remains one of my favorite shots:
Finally we will get into what brought me back to my writing and to my practice. While I was starting to work as a model my fiance’ and I started upon some real hard times. One of the ways we got through this real hard time was by going camping. During this time camping I was able to reconnect to nature and her role in my life. For the first time in several months I had started to feel like myself.
During camping we not only had a beautiful site:
This is a shot from camping with my fiance. 20 seconds after lighting the fire
After doing some spontaneous rituals including dancing around the fire I knew once again that I was and am a Witch. I felt once again to call to return to my spiral path. That is what has brought me back into my self and back to writing. I am happy to be back. Thank you very much for sticking with me 🙂
Tomorrow I will be back to my regular posting schedule 😀
Wicca pretending to be an ancient religion since 1950
This is the very first essay I ever wrote on the subject of Wicca. It was the research I did for this essay that really started me to question my beliefs and perceptions that has ultimately lead to the development of my own path: Pentalism.
Wicca and Witchcraft are two very powerful words. Many people believe them to be the same. Others find them to be very mysterious. Overall there are many misunderstanding between the two words. History is a real issue that needs to be addressed.
Witchcraft has been around for centuries. It is a practice that can be part of any religion in the world. Witchcraft is also considered to be a religion in and out of itself. You can trace Witchcraft all the way through Paleolithic times.
Shamanism is associated with Wicca and Witchcraft. Shamanic religions were the first in the world. Magical practices with in the shamanic religions of the world slowly created Witchcraft. In some areas Witchcraft became a religion. To this day it is still practiced as a religion in those areas.
Witchcraft however is not a religion. It’s a way of life. Wicca is a religion that embraces witchcraft. It is for this reason that Witchcraft and Wicca has become the same thing. They are not the same. There are many differences between the two of them. One of the differences being in the history of each one. Another difference would be the actual practices related to Wicca and witchcraft.
Gerald Gardner is part of the reason that they have become the same thing. People have taken his words and believed them to be true when they were only made to gain acceptance in the world. Wicca is only 50 years old. Witchcraft is as old as time. I intend to show the differences between the two as well as dispel any and all myths associated with Witchcraft.
The first myth to be busted is Witchcraft as a religion. Now there are many witches out there who will claim that Witchcraft is a religion, not only that, but that it’s one of the oldest religions on this planet. While I can see how it may have become like a religion to people over time, Witchcraft is not a religion by itself. It’s more of a practice and a way of life.
I begin with the definition of religion: A cultural set of beliefs and
practices that are commonly centered on a view of the divine. Now Witchcraft can be found all over ancient Europe. Each European Culture had its own divine beings that they believed in. According to our definition of religion for witchcraft to be a religion the divine beings would have to be the same all over Europe.
Yet all over Europe Witchcraft traditions and practices can be found. So what is it that connected Witchcraft over Europe? The answer to this is simple: Folk Magic and Beliefs. Witchcraft is really the practice of different types of folk magic around the world. Since Europe has many different traditions of folk magic it only makes since that Witchcraft would be found throughout Europe.
Since Witchcraft is found throughout Europe and Witches share similar beliefs, what do they all believe in? Unfortunately there is no straight answer for that question. Each witch you ask is going to have a different answer. The only real common belief is that magic works. Magic in this situation refers to the art of causing change in accordance to your will. How do witches do this? Once again it depends on the witch that you ask. Each witch will use what works for them. Here are some common forms:
Herbal: The use of plant properties in various stages to gain something
Candle: The use of etching and colors over wax burnt down to the desire
Cord: The use of colors and knots to attain a goal
Sympathetic: The idea that Like attracts like (meaning acting out the desired effect).
Now, Wicca has become associated with witchcraft. Many people believe that you have to be Wiccan to practice witchcraft. This is not true at all. A witch that I interviewed (whom I’ll call Lune) had this to say “Any one of any religion can be a witch. They do not have to be Wiccan. This is clear when one gets to meet many different witches. I’ve met witches who were Wiccan, Christian, Kemetic (Egyptian), Hellenic (Greek), and Satanic. Some even have no religion at all be they Atheist or agnostic.” As said before the only real common belief is a belief that magic works.
Today many people are writing books on witchcraft. They are claiming it to be a religion. Not only that, but they are stating that it is the same as the Wiccan religion. This is not true in any way shape or form. Not all Wiccans are Witches and not all Witches are Wiccan. The two can and should be separate.
Wicca is a very specific religion. Yes it embraces Witchcraft, but it’s not the entire religion. In fact witchcraft and magic is only a small aspect of Wicca. The worship of the God and Goddess of Wicca is the important thing. The core of the religion is kept secret, and away from the public, though there will be more on that later. What is important is that Wiccans get to know the basics of the religion and that Witchcraft is only a fraction of the religion.
Wicca is a very mysterious religion. Most of the information regarding the “real” religion is kept secret. Some core beliefs have been let out to the public. Yet what we know and can find in books is only the surface of the religion. It actually goes much deeper than that. This makes Wicca an oath bound religion.
Gerald Gardner has let some very small information out. When he and Alex Sanders were alive the only way to learn about Wicca was to know someone who was Wiccan and who was initiated into a Coven. That is not the case today. Unfortunately this has also opened up the flood gates to the public. There are many people wandering around claiming to be Wiccan, yet they don’t even know the mysteries of the religion.
The Charge of the Goddess is a poem that was written by one of the founders of Wicca. It was written to create an idea as to what the Goddess was and how Wiccans were supposed to relate to her. The poem is very beautiful and is recited by the High Priestess at every Sabbat. It has become a staple in Wiccan writings.
Many people believe that because the Charge was written publicly that they can believe in which ever Goddess they want and have it be Wicca. This is not the case. Wicca has a very specific God and Goddess. Only those that have been initiated into Wicca can and do know the real names. However to keep seekers interested and not deterred, Cerrunos and Aradia are the names used in the outer court.
Which leads me to my next point. Wicca is not a solitary religion. One of the laws of Wicca states that “Ye may not be a Witch alone”. In this situation the word witch means Wiccan. The two terms have become interchangeable. For this reason it is important to know what the context of the word.
Gerald Gardner stated in several writings that “Only a Wiccan can make a Wiccan”. He believed that Wicca should be taught from male to female and vice versa. Wicca is a fertility religion. That is one of the reasons why everything goes from male to female and from female to male. Even iniations are done in this way. The high priestess presides over Male initiations and the High Priest Female. Tools of the craft are often charged in this way as well.
Wicca is a young religion. It is only about 60 years old. Witchcraft is as old as time. The history of witchcraft can be traces back through the middle ages and possibly beyond. Though there is no guarantee of how old Witchcraft is. It is believed that the Norse and the Celts practiced a form of Witchcraft in their religious worship. There is not proof to deny or make this claim plausible. We only know what the Romans wrote down.
Witchcraft was not always against the Church. Many people site the verse “Thou shalt suffer a witch to live”. That was not the original verse in the bible. King James was paranoid about being poisoned. He knew that Witches in England knew about different plants that could be used to poison others. He changed the bible verse from “Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to Live” to the commonly cited “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”.
As you have seen Witchcraft has a very extensive history. During the “Burning Times” Witchcraft had to become a hidden practice. Not only was it against the Church, but it was also against the law. In this time period Witchcraft started to become a folk tradition and religion that was kept within families. They kept their old Gods and practices and made them work with the new religion.
The term pagan comes from this time period. Pagan meant non city dweller. During this time period the people of the country were the last to convert to Christianity. It was not uncommon for families to only partially convert to Christianity. In order to gain more coverts Christianity made some of the local Gods and Goddesses Saints. It was this factor that allowed the people to keep their traditional folk practices and beliefs.
This went on for centuries. In the Victorian Era people became interested in Magic once more. This lead to the development of systems like the Quablah and societies like Free Masons, Golden Dawn, and other hermetic orders. They kept their practices to members only.
Gerald Gardner was a member of one of these orders. When he was in his 60’s he was initiated into a Family tradition of Witchcraft. He admitted on several occasions that the rituals he was handed were fragmentary and in need of repair. This is where the history of Wicca and modern Witchcraft overlap.
To supplement the rituals he had been handed Gardner used aspects of religion from many different cultures. He worked with other occultists and tried to create an extensive new complete religion. That religion is the religion of Wicca. Before the 1950’s there was no religion that was a combination of Witchcraft, Golden Dawn, Celtic, Norse, Ceremonial Magic, and the like. Gardner created a new thing there.
Yet there are many people who claim to have “hereditary Wicca”. They believe that they can trace Wicca back several generations. Gardner did claim that Wicca was the survival of the ancient Witch cults in Europe. However this is not true. Wicca is its own religion and own practices. In these situations I believe they mean Witchcraft.
It is very possible to have hereditary links to Witchcraft. Gardner was initiated into one of these surviving traditions. In twenty years or so I might believe in Hereditary Wicca, but not for a while. Hereditary Witches can be solitary. You cannot be a solitary Wiccan.
One of the rules and practices Gardner put into Wicca was that of Initiation. He took this from the Golden Dawn. He required his students to be trained by a high Priest or Priestess. At first these covens were small, but now they can be larger.
Today you no longer need to know some one of the craft to be initiated into Wicca. There is a-lot of information out there. This information can give a dedicant or seeker a good idea as to if they want to be a member of the religion or not. After all a Coven wouldn’t want to take the time to train someone if they were not going to stick with the religion.
There are many pagans out there who consider themselves Wiccan. They have read a few books on the subject and believe what they say. Unfortunately Wicca is not an Orthodox religion. It’s an Orthapraxic religion which means right of practice. You need to be initiated in order to know how to practice the religion.
Today Wicca has become a “Do as you will” religion. It has been mutilated and destroyed. Hardly any of the “Wiccans” out there have actually taken the work to become Wiccan. They just think they are because some authors said that you could be a solitary Wiccan.
Wicca is a very dogmatic religion. It has specific rules and guidelines. There are specific Gods and Goddesses. I don’t believe that Gerald Gardner wanted this religion to be as open as it has become. In fact it’s no longer a mystery religion. There are those out there who would like to keep Wicca the way it was meant to be. Unfortunately this is not an easy task. Wicca is not as it seems. It is a religion open to initiates only.
So we have covered quite a bit. It is my hope that you have learned about the differences between Witchcraft and Wicca. After all the books on Wicca and Witchcraft are often clouded with mistakes, which makes learning the differences and finding the mistakes difficult. People can learn, and I hope that they will.
Mystic Echoes 