What is Witchcraft?


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Music!

What is Witchcraft?~~the question has been answered in almost as many different ways as there are people. During the Inquisition churchmen and clerics believed it to be the work of the devil. More recently, Marxist philosophers, eager to display their logic, declared that the witchhunt was simply the result of fear, ignorance, and superstition. Anthropologists aver that witchcraft is the survival of a pre-Christian religious group driven underground. Most psychologists see in it the evidence of a disturbed mind. The public, anxious to grasp any explanation, accept any or all of these and attribute evidence to the contrary to coincidence or historical error.

Robert Graves, noted poet and author of The White Goddess suggests the presence of natural occult power in all people and draws a parallel between this power and poetic inspiration. Like artistic talent, psychic gifts may be bestowed on some while denied to others. If you are the recipient of the gift, accept it. Don't try to explain it. Many things in this life are too elusive to be put into words. Turn the page, hear the faint but undeniable music coming from a nearby oakgrove, let the dance begin.


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The Bible

If you take a bible and put it out into the wind and rain
soon the pages on which the words are written
will disintegrate and disappear.
Our bible IS the wind and the rain.
~~~~~Author Unknown
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Now, here are our ideas on the question we posed on the homepage:



Why does the Sun burn?

The question asked by ancient Native American tribes from generation to generation.
We at Cerridwynn have given this some thought, and we believe that this age old question has as many answers as there are people. Each person would have his or her own interpretation. However, we think that most Pagans would believe that the Sun burns to give life to the Earth Mother and to us, their children. This seemingly unanswerable question seems like a Zen koan(i.e., What is the sound of one hand clapping?), meant to engender meditation. When this sun dies there will be another to take its place and another and so on, so that we may finish the karmic drama which is our destiny. If you have another idea, we would enjoy hearing it.
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One of our visitors has volunteered her thoughts on the subject:
"The Sun burns just as life is, neverending and never beginning. It is life sustaining. 'The giver of life.' Our Father, the Sun & our Mother the Earth.
Eve

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A Beautiful Story of Creation! Please don't forget to come back when you've finished reading. The webmaster of this page kindly gave me permission to include her ideas on this page! Thanks!

Pantheism

The Pagans whom we have met are by and large, pantheistic. This means that we believe and worship more than one god or goddess. The old gods are very close to man (and woman). They reflect our souls and our emotions.When one conjures a god or goddess, one does not invoke them from a far distant place, but draws them from within us. Each of us has a spark of divinity within. The god or goddess you choose to call will fill you for a short time. You may lose yourself within him or her. But this is not to be feared. The evocation gives us strength to carry on with mundane tasks with which we must cope whether we be housewives, construction workers, executives or elderly souls waiting wearily to be called back to the Elysian Fields. The vain struggle to find a strand of faith in this life is futile unless we can reach out for a bit of the old magicke(not the "Old Black Magick" from the song). To do good for others without expecting anything in return is the noblest of endeavors. With the help of the gods and goddesses you may find that you can help your friends, your family and then ultimately, yourself. For you will benefit from your practices. The gods will not allow you to go without reward. They wait patiently for a few words of praise. And if, in the coming years, you can find it within yourself to do a daily, or even a monthly ritual, just giving praise to the Earth Mother, you will find your life enriched. This is not to say that you will be rich monetarily. But you will find peace. We are all searchers on the same road. Some of us travel in different garments. Some of us walk on one side or the other, but we are all moving slowly or quickly back towards the Great Place of Origin. Comfort along the way is difficult to come by. But it can be found.
END How Can I Be Sure There Is Anything On the Other Side?~~ This is a good question. Like most good questions it has more than one answer. What works for me may not be decisive for you. In our estimation, this one point is the most important distinction between Christianity and Paganism. Pagans are never asked to take anything on pure faith. An answer is always forthcoming. Though it may not be the answer for which you were hoping, there will be an answer. We here at Cerridwynn have found much interest in the field of astral projection. This seemingly simple feat has transformed our ideas and helped us to move forward in the lifelong search. As the runes and tarot cards keep reminding us, the quest for faith lasts from cradle to grave. If you turn away from it you set yourself back. Controlled astral flight (even though it may be short-lived) may give you the strength to go on investing your days and nights to study of the occult. Pulling yourself free of the bonds of physical restraint will give you the sense of your true self--the beautiful spiritual being that lies trapped inside the aging flesh of your phsical body. Rest assured, there is always a reason. We are meant to be here on this plane in order to learn and grow spiritually and to help others to learn and to grow. We must find this within ourselves. But how can we find the strength to worship and teach until we find a concrete basis for our personal beliefs? You may email us regarding any questions you have on astral projection (or anything else for that matter), or you may find books galore on the subject. It is truly a simple art and should be experienced. Will this be enough to shore up your belief system? Perhaps not. If not, then you must continue to study until you find your personal epiphany. Know this: You will find yourself. Each of us has a path and we must find it in order to show others the way. We here at Cerridwynn do not believe that Witchcraft or even Paganism is for everyone. Each soul will find his or her own direction. Until such time as we find our direction we will feel lost. The gods and goddesses of old still live today. They live within us; they reflect each and every human emotion and desire. They can be conjured. They will gladly come to aid us in our endeavors. All we must do is to ask. If you do not ask you will never know.

This poem came to us from a family member who is NOT a Pagan (nor a Christian) but we felt that it expressed a thought we all could gain from.

How Do You Live Your Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth.
And spoke the following date with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.(1900-1970)
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars...the house...the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile...
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

~~Anonymous

If this poem is your creation please let us know if you would prefer we would not use it.

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Why Emphasize Goddess Worship?
The reason witches emphasize Goddess worship is simple (also, we may be oversimplifying this a bit). For thousands of years, the world was dominated by matriarchical societies. During this period the civilized parts of the world were dedicated mainly to artistic and aesthetic pursuits. War and territorialism were secondary. Then came the shift with the age of Capricorn. Male dominance was prophesied and it came to pass. Wars such as the Crusades have reigned supreme during this tenure. Art, although still very much alive, has suffered at the hands of the conquerors. Many wonderful architechtural wonders and breathtaking works of art have been destroyed. When the age of Aquarius finally stretched, yawned, and opened Her eyes, it was prophesied that women would, once more, become a more forceful presence. It is not supremacy that women seek, it is equality. We do not deny the existence of the male deity~~I see Him regularly in the eyes of my husband. THEY BOTH LIVE AND THRIVE! But by the same token, we cannot deny the existence of the female or creative essence. Christians have, for the most part, sublimated the female image into the Virgin Mary. Most Christian sects are strongly dominated by male voices.

Witches celebrate Nature; that much maligned living organism we call the Earth. The Earth gives us life. From Her we draw our sustenance. It is this energy that we draw close to in the practice of Paganism and Witchcraft. She will never fail us or leave us, as long as we remain steadfast in our homage to Her. Her monthly cycle, in the form of the moon, is visible and accessible. She is willing and able to reach out to us as we move toward Her. This is not to say that the Father God is not also present. His yearly cycle is of the utmost importance also. The God and Goddess of Nature work together and so must we.

Bardic Tales~~

The Tale of Ceridwen


According to the Mabinogion

It is said that, about one and a half thousand years ago, in the island of Britain, there lived a woman called Ceridwen. Like many in those heathen days, Ceridwen practised witchcraft. She had two children, one a girl, who was very beautiful, and a hideously ugly boy, by the name of Afagddu. To compensate for her son's deformed visage, Ceridwen decided to concoct a potion that would transform her otherwise socially disadvantaged son into a man of high intelligence and great vision. Carefully gathering together certain herbs with magical properties, she placed them in her enchanted cauldron, and, no doubt with the help of some water from a sacred spring, or even some mead left over from the previous Beltane, she began to brew the mixture. Unfortunately the prescribed cooking time was a year and a day, and not even Ceridwen, despite having two children who constantly kept her awake, could go that long without sleep. So she entrapped a boy named Gwion, and made him stir the mixture. Whether or not Gwion knew from the beginning what the bubbling and steaming liquid he was in charge of could do does not seem to be known, but towards the end of the year he succumbed to temptation and took a tiny droplet of the burning syrup from his finger. At once he was filled with knowledge and wisdom, leaving none for Afagddu. Ceridwen noticed the change in the boy, but didn't act soon enough, and Gwion fled, leaving behind him the now worthless contents of the cauldron. Gwion changed himself into a hare to escape Ceridwen, but the witch matched him by becoming a greyhound. Into the river they plunged, Gwion becoming a trout, his enraged employer an otter. Again Gwion escaped by changing form, soaring from the water as a swift, but followed by Ceridwen as an eagle. In the end, Gwion turned himself into a grain of wheat, hoping he would not be noticed, but Ceridwen metamorphosed into a hen and ate him up. Yet it appears that Gwion had managed to pull off the most skilful transformation of all, for when Ceridwen resumed human form she found she was pregnant. Some months later she gave birth to Gwion. Although she still hated the boy for robbing Afagddu of his inheritance, he was now her own flesh and infanticide was suddenly beyond her. She put him in a leather bag, and threw him into the turbulent waters of the River Wye. As luck would have it, the bag was caught in a weir belonging to Prince Elphin, who found it and opened it. Struck by the appearance of the baby, he cried "Radiant Brow!" and that duly became the boy's name, or rather, as it was said in the tongue of those parts, Taliesin. Of course, Taliesin grew up to become one of the greatest bards of Britain.

Please take note: Sometimes people are thoughtless and discriminate against those who hold different ideas. It is time to help put an end to negative ideas about Paganism and Witchcraft. The Witches Anti-Discrimination League is moving in that direction. If you feel you might contribute to the struggle please click on our link below:

Member of WADL


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Cerridwynn~~Pagan Poetry