| "And then the hand of God swept away the heathen witches, and their village was leveled and burned to the ground. This I saw with my own eyes." -Susanna Garvey,Cumberland, England, from A BRIEF COLLOQUIAL HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND, Thomas Franklinton, 1715 "The barrier between the world and the netherworld is both stronger and weaker than we ken. Strong in that it never breaches by itself, come earthquake, floods, or famine. Weak in that one witch with a spell can rend it, allowing passage of things unnamable." -Mariska Svenson, Bodo, Norway, 1873 "Young Michael Orris was down to the shore, fetching seaweed for the garden. He looked up and saw a black curtain falling over the land like a sunset. Being a lad of six, he were scared and hid behind a rock. When the sun came out, he ran home to find nothing but broken stones, still smoking. Years later I heard he never made his initiation. Didn't want to be anything like a witch, not ever." -Peg Curran, Tullamore, Ireland, 1937 "The question is, are we going to tolerate witches who are of mixed or unknown clans? Witches whose view of magick is contrary to what we know and hold to be true? Why should we? Why should a clear stream allow mud to cloud its waters? And if we choose to keep our lines pure, how do the other clans fit it? They don't." -Clyda Rockpell, Albertswyth, Wales, 1964 "Before the dark wave could be reproduced pretty much anywhere, the most we could have pulled off would be an epidemic, like the plague. And that's so hit-or-miss." -Doris Grafton, New York, 1972 "It is the International Council of Witches' considered opinion that the phenomenon of the "dark wave of destruction" is without question the most evil spell a witch can perpetrate. To create, call on, participate in, or use such evil is the very antithesis of what being a witch should be." -Dinara Rafferty, ICOW Elder, Loughrea, Ireland, 1994 "The first time I saw one was in Scotland. I didn't take part, of course -I wasn't strong enough yet. But I watched from a distance as it rolled across the countryside, purging the land of everything unclean. I almost wept with the glory of it." -Molly Shears, Ireland, 1996 "Tonight we opened a rift in the world, in time, in life. I fell to my knees in awe as the source of our power swelled above my head. I could only stare in wonder as my coven leader called upon the dark power, right in front of us. Everyday I thank the Goddess I found this coven, Amyranth." -Melissa Felton, California, 1996 "There can be great power in darkness. There can be great ecstasy in power." -Selene Belltower, New York, 1999 "The secret of a successful dark wave is in creating its limitations. Be clear in your intent, unemotional. Act because of a calm, logical decision -not out of anger or revenge." -CiaranMacEwan, Scotland, 2000 "During the flu epidemic, a coven leader from Dover wanted to use a dark wave on her city. If Dover were leveled, it would reduce the chances of the disease spreading. Sound reasoning, but of course the council couldn't approve it." -Frederica Pelsworthy, NOTABLE DECISIONS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, Adam Press, 2002 "It's a thin line between light and dark, between pain and pleasure, between heat and cold, between love and hate, between life and death, between this world and the next." -Folk saying "The thing about magick is: sometimes it looks like one thing, but it turns out to be something quite different." -Saffy Reese, New Yorl, 2001 " I see one day when all witches everywhere are united in one common doctrine, one common cause. I see Woodbanes everywhere safe from prejudice. I see our detractors, our persecutors, our enemies, a threat no longer. I see one great clan, not seven, with all the members of that clan Woodbane brothers and sisters. This is my vision, the one I am working toward." -X, an Amyranth leader, London, 2002 "The Nal Nithrac spell is lengthy and difficult, but not impossible for one witch to perform. While the basic spell can be utilized against any dark wave, care must be taken to make it accurate as to the place, time,and people involved. As was shown in Widow's Vale, it is of great value to have some item that carries the vibrations of the wave creator, but it is not always necessary." -Daniel Niall of Turloch-eigh |
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