element: Usually counted as four: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. However, many Witches add Spirit or Akasha to this category, as well. Each element has a direction within a magick circle or working: East = Air; South = Fire; West = Water; North = Earth; Center = Spirit or Akasha.
I'm also a little bemused at the order in which the author chose to list the elements. Going around the Circle, even if you start at the North [my Tradition generally starts in the East, but different Traditions have different traditions, so to speak], you'd have Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Enchantment: A magickal object that must be kept absolutely secret and hidden from all human eyes and affects a hidden aura. Enchantments must be charmed first. Gems and magickal writings are good items to use for Enchantments.
Guardians: Ceremonial magicians use the Guardians of the Watchtowers or Guardians of the Four Quarters. Some Witches use them too. There are those that see these Guardians as ugly little biddies, such as lizards, dragons, etc. But I have always envisioned them as the angels Michael, Ariel, Raphael, and Gabriel.
First of all, this doesn't tell a newcomer anything about who/what the Guardians are. It's singularly unhelpful in this regard. Why even bother to put in the entry if you're not going to put in a useful entry?
Second, apparently Ms. Ravenwolf has a personal aversion to things reptilian ["ugly little biddies, such as lizards..."]. That's fine and dandy for her, but I question whether she should be coloring her presentation with those personal issues. Further, to refer to lizards and dragons as "biddies" seems highly inappropriate in and of itself. According to Dictionary.com, a "biddy" is:
bid·dy1
n. pl. bid·dies
A hen; a fowl.
[Origin unknown.]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Used here without permission under "fair use" provisions of copyright law.
bid·dy2
n. Slang pl. bid·dies
A woman, especially a garrulous old one.
[Nickname for Bridget.]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Used here without permission under "fair use" provisions of copyright law.
biddy
\Bid"dy\, n. [Etymology uncertain.] A name used in calling a hen or chicken. --Shak.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. Used here without permission under "fair use" provisions of copyright law.
biddy
\Bid"dy\, n. [A familiar form of Bridget.] An Irish serving woman or girl. [Colloq.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. Used here without permission under "fair use" provisions of copyright law.
biddy
n 1: adult female chicken [syn: hen] 2: young bird esp. of domestic fowl [syn: chick]
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University Used here without permission under "fair use" provisions of copyright law.
I don't see how "biddies" can be considered a viable, reasonable or respectful appellation for the Guardians, regardless of Ms. Ravenwolf's personal feelings about lizards and dragons. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Third, I consider the use of Christian angelic imagery more than a little inappropriate in a Wiccan context. I won't go into this at great length, since it seems to me to be pretty self-evident, but let me point out that in Christian imagery angels are considered to have been the first beings created by YHWH. Why are we involving ourselves with them and their creator? Are not our own Gods and Goddesses good enough?
Pagan/Neopagan: Follower of a nature-based religion. The term Neopagan means "new Pagan" and is not a popular term. It seems to be a direct result of New Age lingo.
pentacle: A circle surrounding a five-pointed, upright star (known as a pentagram). Worn as a symbol of a Witch's belief and used in magickal workings and ceremonies. Each point on the star has a specific meaning; Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. Pentacles are never worn inverted in the Craft. Many Witches consider this blasphemy of their faith. However, an inverted pentagram is used in some second degree initiations, not to indicate evil, but to fulfill a function of growth.
I also question her definition of "pentacle." The pentagram is the symbol [five-pointed star within a circle], and can be a piece of jewelry, painted onto something, woven into a piece of fabric etc., but a pentacle is a specific tool used on the altar. The etymological origin is the word "panticle," an archaic term for "plate."
I'm also struck by the apparent contradiction where she says that the pentagram is never worn inverted [i.e. with a single point downward], yet in the next sentence she admits that it's used in some Second Degree initiations without being considered any kind of blasphemy. The fact of the matter is that an inverted pentagram is far more common in the UK, and does not carry the heavy Satanic symbolism that it often does in the US.
vision question: Using astral projection, bi-location, or dreamtime to accomplish a specific goal. Also called pathworking
By the first Turn of the Wheel, you may find that you have missed some of your special days. I know I did. Don't worry about it. It is difficult to expect a person to totally trash how they have been living for several years and pick up a whole new set of realities, including holidays! The God and the Goddessa renot going to destroy your happy home because you forgot.
They don't dispense lightening (sic) bolts to your front door if you really aren't comfortable with some of the special days, or don't feel up to celebrating others ... Grandma may be down with the flu, and you are staying with her until she is better, or your parents may have flown in from Madagascar and you have to pick them up at the airport. Imagine their surprise if you told them "Gee, sorry folks, I'm a Witch now and I can't possibly pick you up because I will be dancing naked in my backyard under the Full Moon!" That would certainly impress them.
These are excellent points. Sabbats and esbats should be something to which one looks forward, not a chore -- a celebration, y'know?. Furthermore, Wicca is a practical path: if the house is on fire, don't plunge back into the flames to get your Book of Shadows. Don't trust to the Gods to keep you from getting pregnant during a Great Rite. And don't get stressed because you weren't able to be "naked under the Full Moon" at the precise moment of the Winter Solstice.
Beltane
...the traditional colors for Mayday are red and white, representing the blood that flows from a woman when her purity is taken.
I suspect that she's referring to sexuality rather than menstruation because of the reference to "purity" being "taken." How can I possibly have respect for someone who thinks that sex makes someone impure? How can I consider her a member of my religion, a religion that celebrates joyous experiences of life? "Behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals," says the Charge of the Goddess, but apparently the author seems to have some doubts about this.
Now, if we were talking about an incident of rape, I could see some notions of violation, corruption and defilement, but unless she has a wildly different notion of what Beltaine's about than I do, that doesn't seem to be relevant here. I am, quite frankly, appalled.
At dinner on Samhain, our family sets an empty place for those who have departed who were dear to us. Since the passing of another family member last year, we have begun to set a separate table for them as they were crowding out the hungry living tummies at the main table.
What is important is that you pick a pantheon and stick with it while you are learning the Craft. Do not mix pantheons or interchange deities from different pantheons in the same ritual; you are likely to screw up your magick ... if you do.
I cannot agree too strongly. While it's possible to work with deities from different pantheons at different times, I consider it unwise to try to mix them in a single ritual: it would be like asking a group of soldiers from different countries, with different uniforms, traditions, equipment, insignia, and languages, to get together and carry out a mission together on short notice. Ain't gonna work.
It's my personal feeling that while one may choose to interact with deities from many pantheons, one will eventually find one pantheon that feels like a better "fit" than any other. That doesn't mean one must exclusively work with that pantheon, but that one is likely to get the best connection and the most intense and important experiences from doing so.
...we Witches are allowed to clear out negative emotions by crying.
My logical mind told me to determine what physical things created the shadow (as it was not that of a living cat), until I remembered that magick and spiritual attunement come to one in the most practical ways. What was important is how I felt inside and the energy I absorbed in that moment.
When studying pantheons, keep the following in mind...
When researching deities, try to answer the following questions...
These two series of questions are outstanding. The highest compliment you're likely to see me give something like this is "I'll be using this with my students."
I'll be using these with my students.
Lilith: Hebrew; Adam's first wife and said to be turned into a demoness; however, if you have ever read any of Zecharia Sitchin's work, you may change your mind. In my opinion, Lilith was a Star Woman bred with Adam. This would make her a goddess of Higher Intelligence or a representation of the Star People.
the Anunnaki came to Earth some 450,000 years ago from the planet Nibiru – a member of our own solar system whose great orbit brings it to our part of the heavens once every 3,600 years. They came here in need of gold, with which to protect their dwindling atmosphere. Exhausted and in need of help in mining the gold, their chief scientist Enki suggested that they use their genetic knowledge to create the needed Primitive Workers.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a classic case of people who can't keep their subcultures straight. If you want to theorize that we've been visited by extraterrestrials in the past [leaving aside the issue of the plain bad science in Mr. Sitchin's site], that's fine, but I cannot see how it is in any way whatsoever relevant to a book on Wicca. This sort of thing reminds me of people who wear their Star Trek uniforms to Pagan festivals, or enormous pentagram pendants to SCA events, even though loudly proclaiming one's adherence to a non-Christian religion was an insane and dangerous thing through much of the SCA's historical period. I used to take my pentagram pendant off when I went to an SCA event, for that very reason...
It's passages like this that make me think this is a book that should be read under the supervision of an experienced teacher, not handed out like a reliable primer. My wife commented that this book sounds like it was written by someone who had heard a lot of rumors about Wicca.
Nuit: Egyptian; Sky Mother. Often seen depicted in circular fashion cradling the stars.
Furthermore, Nut is almost always depicted in a squared-off form, arching over the Earth:
She may have stars within Herself or may not, but I've never seen Her depicted as "cradling the stars" or in a circular fashion. Even allowing these depictions [which are, I believe, fairly representative of artistic renditions of Her] as representing curves, that's still a long way from "circular."(to see the source documents for these images, simply click on them)
Although the Goddess plays an important part in Witchcraft, the God should not be looked upon as any less important. He is the necessary balance to obtain harmony and has his own power and expertise.
The study of Witchcraft is hard work if you wish to reach any level of proficiency. It is not a faith where you can dress up, go to church on Sunday, listen to the drone of the sermon and go home and forget it for the rest of the week, assured that your soul has been saved for at least the next six days.
It isn't the study where you pick up a single, all-encompassing book and find a passage, believing that by reading the words all your problems will fade away.
It is not an organization that assures you that if you give it money, you will be forgiven for cheating on your spouse or fudging on your income tax return. Even if the person who cashes your check forgives you, I doubt either your spouse or the IRS will be so charitable.
(discussing magickal tools:)
2. No tool or accessory should be used for anything other than the purpose of magick or ritual celebrations
3. Never, ever touch someone else's tools and accessories without their permission. Likewise, never allow anyone else to touch your magickal items unless you are absolutely sure that the person's energy is synergetic with yours. The only exclusion here are the Tarot cards or some other types of divination tool that may require the energy of the querent
I tend to agree with the thought process of the Native Americans. They feel that if you spend time making an item for ritual use, concentrating your energy and thought process on the creation of the object, you have already brought half of the magickal intention into form.
The Athame/Sword
The athame is used for commanding and manipulating power. This knife is usually doubled-edged (sic) and dull as it does not actually cut anything on the physical plane.
There's a lovely quote on page 268 of "Lord Darcy," by Randall Garrett (published by Baen Books. Compiled and edited by Eric Flint and Guy Gordon., ©2002 by the Estate of Randall Garrett. ISBN 0-7434-3548-6) that touches on this. Even a non-Wiccan gets the idea...
"...it's only used as a symbolical knife, d'ye see. We never actually cut anything material with it, so it never needs to be sharpened again if a man's careful."
"But if you never cut anything with it," said Lord Bontriomphe, "then why sharpen it at all? Wouldn't it work as well if its edges were as dull as, say, a letter opener?"
Master Sean gave the London investigator a rather pained look. "My lord," he said with infinite patience, "this is a symbol of a sharp knife. I also have a slightly different one with blunt edges; it is a symbol for a dull knife. Your lordship should realize that, for many purposes, the best symbol for a thing is the thing itself."
The wand and the athame are basically interchangeable
If the wand and athame are basically interchangeable, why do we have both? If you look at some of the classic works on the subject such as the Farrar's "Witch's Bible Complete," you'll see that the wand and athame are distinctly different tools, attributed to different elements, and have their own uses. These two tools come to us through Ceremonial Magick, where they have seriously disparate uses, as I believe you'll find if you check such texts as Israel Regardie's "The Golden Dawn" or Aleister Crowley's "777". There's some controversy as to which is the tool of Air and which of Fire, but I have no idea where the notion comes from that they're interchangeable. Sloppy teachers? Lazy students?
The athame stands for intellect, right thinking, and calculation. I do not use mine very often...
For example, for Earth you could use sea salt, dirt, rice, corn meal etc.
In a coven, each compass point is represented by an individual person, sometimes called an Officer.
Why Not Use Rituals Written by Somebody Else?
My only advice is that if it doesn't feel right, don't do it.
...don't fall into the trap of thinking that someone is an adept just because they have been involved in the Craft longer than you have. When someone starts spouting to me how many years they have been in the Craft before we've had a decent general conversation, I get suspicious. You can be a Girl Scout for eleven years and still get lost in the woods.
This is another chapter that's pretty good, and I highly recommend you read the caveats and cautions.
Runes: Divination by the use of stones or ceramic squares inscribed with the magickal alphabet of the Germanic, Scandinavian, or Norse symbols. Runes are excellent for dream analysis, spells, talismans, as well as general divination.
Conversely, I strongly recommend you Stay Away From Ralph Blum's Material.
Graphology: The study of an individual's script or handwriting. This is extremely useful in webweaving and also adds to any other reading you may be doing.
The Runes One of the best known books on the subject is The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum. Although I began my first experiments iwth the use of this particular text, Blum's use of the Christian religious system really bothered me.
The interpretations the author gave, though basically sound, did not seem to fit the magickal alphabet. I felt that much was lost.
...productive energy (referred to as the cone of power)
Many Witches believe that groups of souls become incarnate at the same time in different areas of the world to work together toward a common goal. Hence, you may hear yourself called "my brother" or "my sister" even though there is no blood relation and you may never have even met each other face to face.
What happens between incarnations is a puzzle to many. Do we float around as ghosts? Do we fill the position as "Guardian" of a loved one or a stranger? Do we become Angels? And what are Angels, anyway? Are they beings like us, or very unlike us? Do we go to another planet, or perhaps to another dimension with living, breathing people who are more evolved than ourselves? Or do we go to a place to rest and relax, shoot the shit with those we missed in the last incarnation, and prepare a complete documentary of what we have learned and what we didn't?
"What are Angels?" I dunno: why don't you ask a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim?? Angels are Biblical in origin, and so not really relevant to non-Biblical religion.
"Do we go to another planet, or perhaps to another dimension with living, breathing people who are more evolved than ourselves?" Oh, grief. First, let's not mix up astronomy with religion, folks. That's for the people who like to read the National Enquirer "articles" about the Hubble taking pictures of Heaven. Similarly, the notion of other dimensions is a scientific one, not really applicable to spiritual matters. How would we get there? Would we float around there as ghosts, or appear with solid bodies? If so, how? Why? And why expect people in other dimensions to be more evolved than we? Might they not be less evolved than we? Are we the least-evolved beings around?
"Shoot the shit?" I'm sorry, but this phrasing seems out-of-place, to say the very least. Surely the author could have found a more professional way of phrasing this? So I'm left wondering: was this the author's phrasing that the publisher didn't edit, or the publisher deciding to muck with the author's phrasing? Either way, someone should be embarrassed...
...there is some type of "holding pen" for truly perverted people (I hope). Though I don't believe in the typical Hell, I certainly hope there is something like it for people like Hitler and a few other bad eggs I can think of.
"There are no victims, only volunteers." ... I believe that you can choose your parents, the society in which to return, the type of career you will have, who you must help or what you must do (that feeling of you've got a purpose, but you don't know what and time is running out) and I believe you choose your own time and method of death. You also choose your own physical condition, your body chemistry and your DNA structure -- which is why some of us have the capability to be rocket scientists and others fill the roll (sic) of artist or writer. This does not mean that everything is set in stone when you get back here, but that you have laid out an itinerary and whether or not you follow it once you get here is entirely up to you.
She also turns right around and contradicts herself at the end, saying you don't need to follow the itinerary you've set for yourself. That's like having someone else plan your vacation trip for you, then not tell you anything except "Start off by turning right."
This idea is popular in some Newage circles, but I suspect you'll find it has less credence among the homeless, the chronically ill, and anyone else who's suffering badly. It's fine for people with comfortable, middle-class lives who can reasonably expect to die in a nice comfortable bed, I think if you ask someone who's about to be "necklaced" in Rwanda you'd get a different answer.
I recently read a statement noting that there are more people alive today than if you added all the people up since time began. Does this throw a kink in the reincarnation theory? If all those people are alive today, they they (sic) all have been reincarnated from an earth life. This is true.
However, I believe that there are many souls here at this time who have not been earthlings before. Society today plays hard with the idea of other inhabited planets and dimensions. Just about everyone these days has seen at least one UFO.
Leaving that aside, are we to assume, under this theory, that these other planets are suffering mysterious drops in the birth rate there?
When you are considering theories, don't forget the one on genetic memory which is responsible for many of our fight-flight instincts and who knows what else, including possible lineage from either apes or star people or both!
"Star people?" I don't think there's much evidence of this. Even if there is, is this really relevant to the book?
Azrael is the proper name of the Angel of Death. His status in the "other worlds" is the same as that of the other Angels you hear of so often: Michael, Raphael, Ariel and Gabriel ... He is, perhaps, the loneliest Angel of the lot. If you wish to learn more about Azrael and his world, check the suggested reading list at the end of this chapter
...although Witches are quire comfortable with the color black for fashion dressing, one will see them wearing white at the funeral of any beloved person.
As death indicates rebirth into a purer form or light form, white is used to reflect that thought. It is a Witch's way of honoring the dead.
If you plan to be a leader of an organization of Wiccans or Witches, or choose to be a High Priest or Priestess of a coven, you would be expected to be able to perform a handfasting ceremony (marriage), a christening (for the birth of new babes) and funeral rites.
It is my belief that handfastings are far more sacred marriages than those conventionally performed by any state or standard religion.
Just for the record, I want to state without reservation that I utterly repudiate this notion.
In this ceremony, you are creating a bind that will exist after this incarnation is over.
Why discuss handfastings and christenings in a chapter on death and reincarnation? A marriage denotes the partial (note I say partial) death of self and the incarnation of a new life form -- the union. A christening of a child denotes a celebration of their rebirth to this earth plane, where death has gone before.
...a God-Father and a Goddess-Mother (gee, I wonder where they originally got the idea?)
Time and Perception The human sees time, and in fact invented it, in order to give life a logical sequence for completing specified tasks as one grows to perform them.
we move ever closer to the "Federation of Planets"
(the Mona Lisa) is probably smiling at the folly of the human who sticks to linear time
What is happening to you may not be the result of a past life boo-boo. One question I hear often when divining for magickal people is, "Is this difficulty a direct result of something I have done in a past life?" Too many people are willing to accept a bad situation by interpreting it as a punishment because of foul deeds done in another life time (sic). For some strange reason, it makes the difficulty easier to rationalize and handle.
This gives us fine justification for rolling over and saying, "Gee, kick me again!" in a volatile situation, turning everything over to an Almighty Purveyor of Justice to squash their hopes and dreams without so much as a cry of indignation. "I must have deserved it" is not always the correct response.
Karma does not exist to be used as the easiest road in times of crisis. It exists to bring things into balance, yes, but the Universe does not revolve around this doctrine as the one and only rule. There are others. Cause and effect are important, but not everything.
You are here to learn many lessons, but you are also around to assist others in accomplishing their goals and lessons as well. Not every situation you encounter is a result of the law of Karma. Not every difficulty you are involved in is a result of Karmic backlash. Likewise, not every person you meet is really someone you have known well or dealt with before.
Hold your ground and stay calm in verbal confrontations. Do not take a defensive posture; take an offensive one.
...the breakdown of the patriarchal religions will be complete ... The Savior of the Christians will finally have his bride -- but it won't be the Church, as they would like you to believe. It will be the Goddess, in whatever form she sees fit to take. The Almighty Jealous Father syndrome will bite the dust.
I don't believe I will see it in my life time (sic), but my children may actually experience the moment when all religions suddenly realize that they are heading in the same direction (which they are). And, on day, they will be One.
Vive la difference!
Some New Generation Witches do not move beyond the "flash" of the Craft. These are the people who waltz about town, invariably dressed in black, with tons of magickal jewelry dripping from just about every protruding part of their body (sic). We all go through this stage, but we all don't get stuck there. If your dress and mannerisms are constantly screaming "look at me -- oogie boogie!" you are betting for trouble.
Incidentally, I wouldn't say that we all go through this phase. Some do; perhaps even many, but all? I think not. Not everyone expresses their new-convert enthusiasm by wearing black clothing and forty pounds of silver jewelry. Really.
Interestingly enough, we all consider ourselves equal. The Witches aren't better than the Catholics; the OTO ladies aren't a cut above the Witches.
Deidre and Andrus Corbin
This statement (the Earth Religion Anti-Abuse Resolution )went far beyond human egoism by showing the entire Pagan community that there are enough active Witches and Pagans who are willing to work together to assist their community, and that we are our own worst enemies.
...It is high time we understand that strife among our own causes the most difficulties in our religion.
...I have watched prominent Craft members being trashed by not so prominent ones, which in turn makes everybody prominent. Ahem.
...If you think this is all tripe, your (sic) are correct.
Now, before someone complains that I'm doing just that with most of this review, let me point out that my comments aren't aimed at the author per se but at the material. If Ms. Ravenwolf wants to put out a good book, I'll be happy to speak well of it. Sadly, this book does not qualify.