201
I. The Board shall meet regularly, at least four times per year, at
a time and place to be fixed by the Board. Additionally, The
Chair or any two Directors may call a Board meeting upon giving
at least 7 days notice to all Directors by U.S. Mail, or upon at
least 2 days notice given by telegram. Said notice will be
deemed delivered when deposited in the U.S. Mail with the last
known address of the Director and proper postage thereon prepaid,
or when the given to the telegram company. Any Director may
waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a Director at any
meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice, except when the
Director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting
to the transaction of business because the meeting has not been
lawfully called or convened. The notice of meeting need only
contain the date, time, and place of the meeting.
J. The Board may make rules to govern the conduct of its own
meetings.
K. All Board Meetings are open to the membership of DAWN.
Accordingly, any Director is required to furnish information
regarding dates, times, and places of upcoming Board meetings to
any DAWN member upon request.
II. STEERING COMMITTEE
A. The Steering Committee shall be composed of the Directors, one
representative from each member coven and proportional
representation for such DAWN members as do not belong to any
member coven (hereinafter referred to as Solitaries). The method
of choosing a coven representative is left to the discretion of
the individual coven. A method for choosing representation for
Solitaries will be determined by said Solitaries, subject to
approval by the Board. There shall be at least one (1)
representative of the Solitaries, who is not a Director, on the
Steering Committee.
B. Steering Committee members must commit to serve for at least six
(6) months. They may serve as long as their constituents wish
them to serve.
C. The Steering Committee shall elect a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and
Clerk of the Committee from among its members.
D. A quorum of the Steering Committee for the purpose of amending
the Bylaws or Constitution shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the
committee. A quorum for other business shall be a majority of
the Committee.
E. Steering Committee members will not have alternates.
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202
F. The Steering Committee may make rules to govern the conduct of
its own meetings.
G. Decisions made by the Steering Committee shall be referred to the
Board for action, except as otherwise provided for in these
Bylaws.
H. Any recommendation that dues be levied or changed must receive at
least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast by the Steering
Committee, ten (10) days notice having been given that dues will
be discussed.
I. The Steering Committee shall meet regularly at a time and place
to be fixed by the Committee. Additionally, the Board may call
Steering Committee meetings with 15 days notice should such
meetings be necessary.
III. OFFICERS
A. Chair - duties shall include:
1. Presiding over meetings of the Board.
2. Presiding over meetings of the general membership of DAWN.
3. Preparing an agenda for Board meetings.
4. Preparing an agenda for meetings of the general membership
of DAWN.
B. Vice-Chair - shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair
is absent or incapacitated.
C. Secretary - duties shall include:
1. Maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of
the Board and all business related meetings of the general
membership of DAWN. All such minutes are to be made
available, upon reasonable notice, to all members of the
body so recorded, and are to be presented at the next
meeting of the Board for
approval.
2. Handling correspondence other than the newsletter and
general announcements.
3. Maintaining an accurate and current list of members and
friends of DAWN. The Secretary may NOT release the
addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person
associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to
any person, without specific permission from said person.
The Secretary will share this list with the Newsletter
Editor. When leaving this job, the Secretary will turn over
all copies of the membership list, in whatever form, to
their successor in these duties.
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203
D. Treasurer - is responsible for maintaining all the financial
records of DAWN. The Treasurer is also responsible for the
safekeeping and expenditure of the monies held by DAWN as
directed by the Board.
E. Speaker - shall preside over meetings of the Steering Committee
and prepare an agenda for said meetings.
F. Deputy Speaker - shall perform the duties of the Speaker when the
Speaker is absent or incapacitated.
G. Clerk of the Committee - is responsible for maintaining accurate
and current minutes of all meetings of the Steering Committee.
All such minutes are to be available to members of the Steering
Committee, and are to be presented at the next meeting of that
body for approval.
H. Newsletter Editor - duties shall include:
1. Providing timely announcements of meetings and other DAWN
functions.
2. Providing a regular newsletter in keeping with DAWN
policies.
3. Maintaining an accurate and current list of newsletter
recipients. The Newsletter Editor may NOT release the
addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person
associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to
any person, without specific permission from said person.
The Newsletter Editor will share the mailing list with the
Secretary. When leaving this job, the Newsletter Editor
will turn over all copies of the mailing list, in whatever
form, to their successor in these duties.
IV. AMENDMENTS
In orderto amendthis document, theproposed change mustreceive the
votes of at least two-thirds of the Directors and must receive at least
two-thirds of the votes cast at a proper meeting of the Steering Committee,
both bodies having received at least 20 days notice of the proposed
amendment.
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204
V. ELECTIONS
Onthe secondSunday in October,The Steering Committeeshall meet to
hold an election. At this time, the Steering Committee will elect
replacements for Directors whose term is expiring. Names will be taken in
nomination, consent obtained from those nominated, and one ballot cast.
Each Committee member, including retiring and interim Directors, shall have
as many votes as there are vacancies. The qualified candidate with the
most votes will fill the first vacancy - two year terms being filled first.
As each vacancy is filled, members of the successful candidate's coven are
stricken from the list. If only one vacancy remains and either part I.A.2
or part I.A.3 of the Bylaws has not been fulfilled, then only those
candidates who meet the criterion can be selected; otherwise, the position
will remain vacant to be filled by the Board, as soon as possible, by
appointment. If a tie exists between equally qualified candidates, where
all may not serve, a runoff election shall be held between those
candidates. Misspellings shall not invalidate ballots where the
appropriate person can be discerned; nor shall voting for fewer than the
number of vacancies. Voting for too many candidates shall invalidate that
ballot. No individual shall vote more than one time for the same person;
therefore duplicate names on a single ballot shall count as only one vote.
All elected persons take office at the first meeting in November.
VI. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (copyright 1970) will govern in
any circumstances not covered by the Rules, Bylaws, or Constitution of
DAWN.
VII. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS ON DISSOLUTION
In theevent of dissolutionof theorganization, all remainingassets
will be delivered to a tax-exempt organization to be chosen at the time of
dissolution by the Board of Directors.
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205
GLOSSARY OF TERMS COMMONLY USED IN WICCA
Copyright 1992 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara
AKASHA- the spiritual ether (or Aether); the omnipresent
fifth occult element which embraces the other four- earth,
air, fire, and water; and from which they stem. This is the
realm of "pattern" or causality, from which the realm the
normally thought of "five senses manifests. Some define it
is the "other" of the "two worlds" that the witch or
magician walks between.
ARADIA- Daughter of the Goddess Diana, and a name for the
Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in
many Wiccan traditions today.
ASPECTING- Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner
manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought,
feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.; Often as a direct result of a
"Drawing Down". Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with
the selection of a "Magical Name", of Craft Name.
ASPECTS- Forms, facets, or personas of Deity: for example, Brighid,
Iseult,Eos, and Kore are all aspects of the Maiden, and the Maiden
is an aspect of the Goddess.
ATHAME- black handled, double edged dagger. Principally used
to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is
interchangeable with the magic sword. A tool of the
"Element" of Fire in the Georgian Tradition and some others.
BELTANE- May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic "Fire
Festivals." on this night, the cattle were driven between
two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing
for fertility would " jump the fires" on Beltane night. Also
the traditional Sabbath where the rule of the "Wheel of the
Year" is returned to the Goddess. This Festival also marks
the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from
those of Maiden to Mother.
BOOK OF SHADOWS- Traditionally hand copied book of rituals,
recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other
materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each
tradition has it's own standard version of the Book and each
Witch's book will be different as he or she adds to it with
time from many different sources. Only another Witch can see
your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never
leave your hands or possession until death, when it should
be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven
to be disposed of.
BURNING TIMES- a term used by some Witches for the period of
persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a
misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in
Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the
U.S., they were hanged.
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CANDLEMAS- Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the 4 Celtic
"Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess
from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of
Spring. Also called "Imbolc" (the old Celtic name). This is
the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the
return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of
leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other
words, it is the festival commemorating the successful
passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural
year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the
threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.
CARDINAL POINTS- North, South, East, and West, marked in the
Georgian Tradition by candles of green, red, yellow, and
blue, respectively. The Circle is drawn to connect these
four points.
CHALICE- one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar
to represent the element of Water.
CHARGE OF THE GODDESS- The Traditional words of the Goddess
to her followers, or "hidden children". Normally declaimed
by the HPS at every coven Circle.
CIRCLE- the area in which the magickal worship and spells
takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular
group of Witches or Pagans such as "Silver Acorn Circle".
CONE OF POWER- power raised in the circle by the Witches
assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is
usually visualized as being retained and built in the form
of a "cone" prior to release.
COVEN- an organized group of Witches, led by a High
priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for
worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is 13,
but in fact most covens number considerably less. 3 is the
minimum in the Georgian Tradition. In Middle English,
"Covin" a group of confederates; In Old French "Covine" a
band or group with a single purpose; Latin "Com"-together,
"Venire"-to come or move.
COVENSTEAD- regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the
home of the High Priestess or High Priest.
COWAN- a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory
manner. Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non
initiate and/or pretender to "real craft". Not often used
today among most Witches.
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COYOTE ENERGY- trickster energies. Named for the American
Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what
he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and
clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many
traditions.
CROSS QUARTER DAYS- The modern name for the Celtic Fire
Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas.
DEOSIL- clockwise, or sunwise. Traditional direction for
working "building" magick.
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON- Ritual invocation of the spirit of
the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High
Priest.
DIVINATION- magical method of exploration or inquiry into a
situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I-
Ching, etc.
ELEMENTS- Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which
includes them all. These are regarded as realms or
categories of nature (both material and non-material) and
are not to be confused with the physicists table of
elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts.
ESBAT- weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Traditionally
held either on the full moon or the new moon.
FAMILIARS- Either a Witch's pet animal which has been
trained to be a magickal helper, or an artificially
created "elemental" which performs the same functions as
the animal friend.
FIVEFOLD KISS, FIVEFOLD SALUTE- The Witches' ritual salute,
with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above
the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips-
really 8 kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle,
but the words that go with it are the origin of "Blessed
Be."
GARDNERIANS- Tradition of Witchcraft descended from the
teachings of Gerald Gardner.
GNOMES- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element.
GREAT RITE- The rite which is the main feature of the third
degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain
festivals. It is sexual in nature, but may be `actual'
(and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the
participants wish.
HALLOWS- name used by some traditions for Samhain, or
Halloween
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HANDFASTING- Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made
legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as
clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be
considered binding within the coven.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS- Technically speaking, a Witch who has
received the 3rd. degree initiation. More usually, the male
and female leaders of a coven.
IMBOLC- Celtic name for Candlemas.
INVOCATION- The ritual "calling-in" of an entity (or
energies) higher than human, either for communication with
the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or
else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the
Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer.
LAMMAS- August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for
this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the
First Fruits, and is the first of the 3 harvests. This
festival also marks the change of the Threefold Goddess
energies from that of Mother to Crone.
MAIDEN- An appointment held by one of the women of the
coven. She is virtually the assistant High Priestess. This
term is also the descriptive term used to describe the first
of the aspects of the Threefold Goddess Energies (Maiden,
Mother, and Crone). It is traditionally associated with the
Waxing Moon, and the period from Imbolc (Candlemas) to
Beltane (May eve) where the energies are those of
initiating, beginning, and creation.
OLD RELIGION- another name for the Craft.
PAGANING- Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the
Gods.
PENTACLE- a disc shaped talisman; in particular, the metal
disc which represents the earth element among the witch's
working tools.
PENTAGRAM- The five-pointed star. With a single point
uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two
points uppermost, it can have Satanist associations; but not
necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted
pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree.
QUARTERS- The North, East, South, and West parts of a
magickal circle or other ritual area. (See also
"Watchtowers")
REDE- rule or law.
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SABBAT- one of the Eight festivals or high holy days of
Wicca.
SALAMANDER- an entity that dwells in the realm of Fire.
SAMHAIN- The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on
the eve of Nov. 1st. It is the last of the three harvests.
This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the
"Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the
God.
SCRYING- divination, usually using such methods as crystal
gazing, or divination via incense smoke, or water as opposed
to tarot or other manipulative means.
SPELL- a prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies
toward the accomplishment of some goal.
SUMMONER- The male officer of the coven who corresponds to
the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest.
SYLPH- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Air or is associated with the AIR Element.
TRADITIONS- any of the various "sects" of Wicca such as
Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc.
UNDINE- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Water or is associated with the WATER Element.
WAND- A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used
for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some
form of power.
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WARLOCK- a term coined in the Burning Times . It was used to
denote a traitor to the Craft, or one who had betrayed the
followers of the Old Religion. It's origin is Scottish.
Because of the negative connotations, it is not used by most
Wiccans today.
WATCH TOWERS- Originally from the Enochian branch of
Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many "Traditions"
of Wicca, these are the four elemental "directions" or
"quarters" (corresponding to the appropriate points on the
compass) called to protect the Circle during its
establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between
the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst
different traditions) color associated with them.
WICCA- the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft.
It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, meaning to bend or
to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker.
WIDDERSHINS- counter clock wise. Used for "tearing down"
OR BANISHING magick.
WHITE HANDLED KNIFE- the working knife of a Witch. It is
used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools.
Traditionally, it can only be used in a Circle.
Copyright 1991 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara.
Permission to reprint for educational purposes at no cost is hereby granted
to all and sundry, provided the text is not altered in any way.
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MOON WEB
C/O Michael Harismides
PO Box 4538, Sunnyside, New York 11104-4538
Subscription $3.00 a year
RITUAL FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION OF RAINFORESTS
May 24th, 1988
8 pm local time
(Individual version):
Cast a circle
Invoke elements by calling upon them in protective aspects (for example,
you might invoke Watchfires or Beacons in the South).
Chant the names of the Earth Goddess, beginning with your personal
favorites, then naming as many as you can think of.
Take a piece of green string. Begin to tie knots in it, while chanting:
Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth;
We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth.
(The knots may be simple or elaborate, but leave enough string to tie
together at the end.) As you chant, see the world as a network of
connected systems. Breathe the air that comes from the jungles of South
America. Feel the living fire of an ocelot's power. Taste the rain on the
leaves at the tops of the trees. Feel the delicate structure of the soil
at the forest floor.)
Tie the cord together in a loop; hold it up, strung around your two hands,
and begin chanting:
We are the Flow and we are the Ebb;
We are the Weavers, we are the Web.
As you chant, see yourself standing guard over the borders of the
rainforest. See yourself with others, protecting rainforest as you would
protect yourself,_because that's what you're doing._
Bury the cord in a container of earth. Earth the power; thank the Deities
and elements; open the circle. Later bury the cord in the forest if
possible.
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(If circumstances make the above impossible):
Sit quietly and see: the network of ecosystems that make up the world; the
rainforests thriving; plants and animals breeding; the Earth, green and
filled with life; yourself, standing guard. Breathe, and know that the air
comes from the sea and the jungles of Brazil. Drink and know that the
water has been around the world, and circulates through you as it does
through the air, land, and sea. Stand up and stretch; the strength of your
body is the Earth's strength.
RITUAL
FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION
OF RAINFORESTS
(Group version):
Facilitators give each participant a slip of paper containing the name of
an Earth Goddess and a Nature God.
Facilitators invoke elements, stressing protective/preservative aspects of
each one and ending with "Into this circle I call the Element Air! (Fire,
Water, Earth.)" After each such invocation, a dancer or dancers
representing the particular element come into the circle from outside and
do an elemental dance.
A facilitator says: "We now call upon the Earth Goddess by her many
names!" Participants call out the Goddess name on their slip of paper,
then any other Goddess names they wish. This ends on a signal from the
drums.
A facilitator says: "We now call upon the God of Nature by his many Names!"
The God is invoked in the same fashion as the Goddess, ending with a drum
signal.
The elemental dancers go to the quarters and begin passing out pieces of
green string, while a facilitator explains that the condition of the
rainforests affects us all, that all things are connected, and that the
worldwide climate is changed every time another acre of rainforest is lost.
S/he explains that these sections of cord represent parts of the Life
Circle of Earth, and that they must be joined to protect her.
When the above speech has been made and all the cords have been passed out,
a facilitator ties the first knot, saying that tying the cord is renewing
the Earth, that we are her children, bringing her rebirth. This is the
signal to begin the chant:
Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth;
We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth.
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213
Clockwise around the circle, one by one, each cord is tied to the next.
When the circle is complete, the elemental dancers go to the quarters and
hold the cord aloft (participants should not let go yet). The chant
continues until the facilitators begin a second chant:
We are the Flow and we are the Ebb;
We are the Weavers, we are the Web.
(Since this is to the same tune, the transition should be easy and
seamless.) When this chant begins, the elemental dancers begin to gather
in the cord, gently pulling it away from the participants, who gently
release it. The elementals bury the cord in a container of earth in the
center of the circle, then return to the outside to lead a spiral dance in
to the center and back out (once) as the chant continues. When the
participants are standing in a circle once more, the chant builds to a cone
of power and fires.
The Deities and Elements are thanked, the power is earthed, the circle
opened, hugs exchanged. Later bury the cord in the woods.
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WHAT ARE RUNES
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
LOKRIEN
In the most mundane sense, runes are an alphabet much as our own
alphabet and others such as the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets. Each rune
represents a sound and was/is used to write words with.
But that is in the most MUNDANE of senses.
Runes were used long before the concept of writing was around. Each rune
is an archetype of a force. People had concepts for such things as Fire,
Honour, Birth, et.al. and each of these concepts were given names to make
them easier for us to comprehend. In this way, runes are very similar to
the Hebrew alphabet. Each 'letter' not only has a sound and a name, but
is a complete word with all associated concepts.
This similarity with Hebrew extends even farther. Each hebrew word is
made of several Hebrew letters, therefore each Hebrew word is made of
several Hebrew words. The initial letters of several words in a sentence,
or of the first letters of each sentence or paragraph may be gathered to
form a new word that is used to help explain and expand upon what is
already written. The same can be done with runes.
Runes lend themselves readily to numerology. The Runic alphabet is
properly shown as three rows of eight letters. Therefore each letter can
be identified by row:column number. Additionally, each rune has it's
sequential number identified by it's placement in the alphabet. Much like
us numbering A as 1, B as 2, ... , and Z as 26.
Each rune can be placed in position on a tree pattern much like the
traditional Qabbalah. They may represent the different worlds or paths of
the tree and can be expanded and expounded upon as much as the Qabbalah
itself is. In fact, Runic Qabbalah is quite intriguing and does contain a
life of study (as do all other facets of Runework).
Runes can be used for fortunetelling. They can be drawn and placed and
read much like tarot cards. The can be cast or strewn and the
relationship of groupings, distance and angles and patterns formed will
tell the caster what he wishes to know.
Runes are also entities in and of themselves. Much like the angels,
princes, demons, sylphs, undines and watchtowers of the ceremonial
magician. Each rune can be invoked or evoked and the power harnessed to
work ones will to enlighten the intellect. They are a fantastic meditation
tool and will always increase ones knowledge.
Much as the primal elements of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit, each
rune also has it's part in the manifestation of all things manifested.
Chaos, grass, people, sunlight, honour, dragons, hopes, and sex are all
replete with runes are could not ever exist without the runic force that
creates, shapes, releases, destroys and changes them.
I have equated runes to many other branches of esoteric, occult,
phsycological and intellectual pursuits. This is in the hopes that if you
are already familiar or interested in one of these, you will realize that
runes are already familiar to you or that you are already interested in
them and don't yet realize it.
May you approach the Well of Wyrd and may your sip there only increase
your thirst.
Lokrien @ The Sacred Grove
(206) 634-1980 (WA)
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MODELS OF MAGIC
by Frater U.'.D.'. (Germany)
In the course of exploring the possibilities of new, more
efficient techniques of magic I was struck by the fact that a
structuralist view of the history of magic to date might prove
helpful. After all, magicians have always aspired to restate the
theory and practice of magic in the language of their times i.e. in
different models pertaining to current world views.
There is, however, some risk involved in such an approach:
models do not really explain anything, they are only
illustrations of processes, albeit rather useful ones. What's
more, over-systematization tends to obfuscate more than it
clarifies and one should not mistake the map for the landscape
anyway, a fallacy a great many kabbalists seem to be prone to.
Thus, the following five (or rather: four plus one) models
of magic should be seen as a means of understanding the practical
possibilities of various magical systems rather than as
definitive theories and/or explanations of the way magic works.
It has proved effective in practice to view magic under the
following categories:
THE SPIRIT MODEL
THE ENERGY MODEL
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
THE INFORMATION MODEL
THE META-MODEL
***
THE SPIRIT MODEL
This is purportedly the oldest model of magic though it may very
well have come into existence after or simultaneously with the
energy model. We can find it worldwide in shamanic cultures as
well as in many religions. Its basic premise is the existence of
an otherworld inhabited by more or less autonomous entities such
as spirits, angels, demons, gods etc. The shaman or magician is
someone who can enter this otherworld at will, who has travelled
widely in it, knows its language and customs and has made
friends, smitten enemies and/or acquired allies and servitors
there. This is important as all magic is of these entities'
making. The modern German word for witch, "Hexe" (f.) illustrates
this rather neatly if we take a closer look at its etymology. It
derives from Old High German "hagazussa" which translates as
"fence rider". The hagazussa is riding the "fence between the
worlds" i.e. she is at home in the world of everyday life as well
as in the magical otherworld of spirits.
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In the spirit model magic is seen as being effected by these
entities who are usually invisible, at least to the average
punter, and it is the shaman's or magician's task to make them
put his will into effect. This may be done by prayer, by barter,
by cajoling or even - vide medieval demon magic - by the
application of magical force, threats and pressure.
The otherworld may have its own geography but it is usually
considered to coexist with the world of everyday life. The key to
entering it is an altered state of consciousness, controlled
trance or ecstasy of which the shaman is an expert.
The spirit model has prevailed in traditionalist or Dogmatic
magic until today, some of its most noted exponents being Franz
Bardon and, at least to a great extent, Aleister Crowley.
THE ENERGY MODEL
The rise of the energy model in the West is marked primarily by
the appearance of Mesmerism towards the end of the 18th century.
Anton Mesmer, who was not an occultist but who was on the other
hand regarded by his contemporaries to be a "miracle worker" of
sorts, rediscovered amongst other things the ancient healing
disciplines of hypnosis and magnetism. He popularized his theory
of "animal magnetism" which he saw as a subtle force inherent in
organisms, but he also made heavy use of metal magnets for
healing purposes.
While the French Revolution put a temporary end to Mesmer's
movement, his ideas were not lost. They were taken up by a number
of others, primarily occultists, who drew on them while
developing their own theories of magic. One of the first to do so
was Bulwer Lytton of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA),
who postulated the existence of a subtle energy which he termed
Vril, possibly deriving from Latin virilitas or "force, power,
strength". (This was actually the model for the naming of Bovril,
from Latin "bovis" or "ox", and Vril or "life force".) We can
observe interesting parallels to this concept in the vitalist
theories of biology which emerged around the same time. Other
exponents of the energy model of magic (not then so termed) were
Reichenbach with his concept of Od, Eliphas Levi and his Astral
Light and Mme. Blavatsky, who adopted the theories of Prana from
Yoga physiology. This was also the time when anthropology and
ethnology discovered the Polynesian concept of Mana and Asiatic
scholars began to concern themselves with the Chinese principle
of Ki or Ch'i (Chi). The latter two go to show, of course, that
the idea of subtle energies utilized by magic is far older than
the 18th century. In fact, we can observe it already in early
shamanic cultures. Shamanic magic is very frequently a mixture
between spirit and energy model, e.g. the shaman may call upon
his spirits or gods to give him "power" or he may, vice versa,
use his power to extort favors from them.
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In its pure form, however, the shaman or magician is not in
need of spirits and other entities. The world is viewed as being
"vitalized" by subtle forces or energies and his primary task
consists in mastering the art of perceiving and manipulating
them. As all phenomena are basically energetic in nature, the
existence of an otherworld is not strictly required. Thus, the
magician is more of an "energy dancer" than a "fence rider" or
go-between. But even here the key to the perception, charging and
general utilization of these forces is again the magical trance
or, as Chaos Magic terms it, gnosis.
Theories and practices pertaining to the energy model can be
found with many magical authors but it has seen its real, large
scale popularity only since the seventies of our century when the
general influx of Eastern thinking (pace the Hippie movement)
made concepts such as chakra and kundalini work a mainstay of
most occult disciplines. Strong energy model elements can also be
found in Franz Bardon's system of "electromagnetic fluids",
"condensators" etc.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious revolutionized Western
thinking in general and psychology (which he did not, as some
people are wont to believe, invent all by himself) in particular.
Suddenly, man was seen as a being which was only partially
conscious and in control of itself. While psychology is still
fighting for its academical recognition as a science, it has
stamped its mark on therapeutic disciplines - and on magic.
The psychological model of magic does not purport to explain
how magic works, its only premise is that the subconscious (or,
as Carl Jung later retagged it, the unconscious) will do the job
if it is properly addressed and/or conditioned. This again is
achieved by magical trance, suggestion and the use of symbols
(i.e. selective sensory input) as tools of association and as a
means of communication between the magician's conscious will and
his subconscious faculty responsible for putting it into effect.
Aleister Crowley dabbled a great deal in the psychological
model which comes as no surprise as he not only tried to keep up
with all major academic disciplines of his time but thought
himself to be the world's greatest psychologist into the bargain.
But all considered he remained a traditionalist exponent of the
spirit model: after all Aiwass was, in his belief, a
preternatural entity. Nevertheless he did have a knack of
explaining magic in psychological terms to make it sound sensible
to the skeptics of his time.
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A more radical approach was taken by Austin Osman Spare
whose sigil magic rests on the basic tenets of the psychological
model. Spare's brilliant system is in principle an inversion of
Freud's theory of complexes: by actively suppressing his will in
the form of a graphical sigil and forgetting it, the magician
creates an artificial "complex" which then starts to work on
similar lines just as suppressed, subconscious traumas will cause
neurotic behavior etc.
The psychological magician is a programmer of symbols and
different states of consciousness. He is not necessarily in need
of a transcendent otherworld or even subtle energies, though in
practice he will usually work on the assumption that one or the
other (or both) do in fact exist and can be utilized by his
subconscious.
Authors such as Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune, William
Butler, Francis King, William Gray and to some extent Pete
Carroll subscribe to the psychological model which seems to be
the primary domain of the English speaking world of magic and
which has become the prevailing paradigm ever since the seventies
of this century.
THE INFORMATION MODEL
The information model of magic is being developed since about
1987 and there is still considerable debate about the direction
it shall ultimately take. Its basic premises to date are as
follows:
a) Energy as such is "dumb": it needs information on
what to do; this can be so called laws of nature or
direct commands.
b) Information does not have mass or energy. Thus, it is
faster than light and not bound by the restrictions of
the Einsteinian spacetime continuum. It can therefore be
transmitted or tapped at all times and at all places. In
analogy (but of course only as such!) it may be likened
to quantum phenomena rather than relativistic
mass-energy. It can, however, attach itself to a medium
e.g. an organism or any other memory storage device.
At the start of the theoretical debate it was still believed that
the postulation of morphic (or, more precisely, morphogenetic)
fields as hypothesized by Rupert Sheldrake had to be an essential
factor by way of explaining the mode of actual information
transmittance. This, however, while still being discussed, does
not appear to be strictly prerogative though it cannot be not
ruled out that an act of information magic may create such
fields. It does seem more probable, though, that the concept of
information matrices will prove to be the most promising theory
in the long run.
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The application of the as yet evolving information model has
led to the discipline I have termed Cybermagic (from
"cybernetics" or the "science of control systems"). Contrary to
the other models described above, Cybermagic does not rely on
magical trance to achieve its effects. Rather, the Cybermagician
activates either his own main memory banks, namely brain and
spine (the Golf-club chakra, so-called because of its shape
reminiscent of a golf-club) or those of the target person. The
desired information is then called up and transmitted quite
similarly to a copy command on an MS-DOS computer. The copy
command analogy holds good insofar as the information (not having
mass) is not actually "lost" in the process (as energy would be)
but rather is duplicated. This is an important point as it allows
for the magician to perform his magic even in a state of very low
physical power, possibly even when almost completely intoxicated,
as long as his basic "life support systems" are still functional
and the command syntax is employed correctly.
It is, however, obvious that this technique demands a fair
control of what used to be termed kundalini effects and practice
has shown ever and again that a good amount of Yoga and
meditation experience is a great help in achieving to Cybermagic.
Unfortunately, the full theory and practice of Cybermagic
cannot be described here due to lack of space and will thus have
to be the subject of a separate article to be published later. To
date the main experimental research work is being done within the
Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) and some
quite astounding results have already been achieved, especially
in the field of language and knowledge transfer as well as
magical healing.
In spite of its very modern, untraditionalist outlook the
basic principles of Cybermagic may in truth well be the oldest
form of magic extant. For we can, for example, find a number of
reports in the East to the effect of a guru transferring all his
knowledge to his successor before his death, which is usually
achieved by an act of long, mutual meditation.
This goes to show that magic as a whole has always existed
in many, coexisting models. What has changed, however, is the
stress laid on one model or the other in the course of time.
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THE META-MODEL
The meta-model of magic is not a model as such but rather an
instruction on the use of the others. For its only advice to the
magician is: "Always use the model most adequate to your aims."
This may sound a bit trite but we will see that it is not quite
as self evident amongst magicians as one might expect. It is
rooted in Chaos magic's assertion "Nothing is true. Everything is
permitted", which ultimately boils down to pragmatic
utilitarianism. Before this aspect is enlarged upon, though, let
us look at an example of the models presented here as applied in
practice.
We shall take the situation of magical healing to demonstrate how
these models differ from each other.
In the spirit model healing is regarded as an exorcism: illness
is caused by "evil" or, at least, undesired entities which have
to be negated.
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The Eight Paths and other Wiccan miscellany
Dogs in the Temple:
The "dogs" were MALE Canaanite temple prostitutes
(normally eunuchs, as I understand it), with whom male worshippers had
intercourse in order to obtain various boons from the gods, of which
the fertility of themselves, their herds and their crops were the
chief. A "dog"'s earnings couldn't be contributed to Yaweh's
treasury. (Nor could that of a FEMALE temple prostitute!) Now if
they were doing the Great Rite with male priests way back when TO make
things more fertility, why should Stewart Farrar have a cat over gay
men and lesbians being involved in the Craft now?!? (Although, in
fairness to him, I'll bet he's never thought of it that way! He
strikes me as a reasonable man, all in all... )
As for the Paths:
Meditation is the first and--in my opinion--the most basic,
because you use it to get to or enhance some of the other Paths.
Trance work is the second, which includes astral projection exercises.
Perhaps it's the most important, because it gets us where we go to
exercise the power or obtain the wisdom that we want to.
Dancing is a Path that I personal can't use because I'm lame; but I've
been told by able-bodied Pagan friends that it's great because it
engages the whole self--and especially it helps you be grounded AND
Elsewhere at the same time. Binding with cords and other forms of
sensory deprivation are good for helping the mind travel beyond the
body's limits because one wishes to escape the tedium and discomfort
of them. (I'm sorry, but even a flotation tank gets uncomfortable
eventually!) Scourging and other repetitive acts also use tedium as a
release but are more stimulating than being bound or floating in a
tank. (They do NOT use pain. If they're being done THAT intensely,
they're being done incorrectly... )
Chanting and mantras use repetitive sound and the inherent nature of
some sounds to produce altered states of consciousness.
Drugs (which normally means incense and MAYBE alcohol but NOT
hallucinogens and such) variously stimulate, relax, disinhibit or
otherwise change one's mental state.
And that brings us back to the Great Rite and other forms of sex
magick, which attempt to involve all levels from the physical to the
Divine Within at one time. That's VERY thumbnail; but if anyone wants
to know more, I'll be glad to elaborate on the ones I use or have seen
used. Oh, and I can--and should--add that the various Paths can be
used in combination as well as separately, that there's some variation
from one tradition to another as to what the Eight Paths are, and that
not ALL traditions have Eight Paths per se!
Bright blessings! Granny Spider
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Balance of the God and Goddess
Adrienne
I see the God as That is Created and Destroyed; the Goddess is the
Creator and the Destroyer. His knowledge is experiential and he sees
the cycle of rebirth from the unique perspective of the being that
experiences it. He understands, more so than the Goddess, how the
cycle shapes the world of the living. His life cycle of birth to full
power to age to death to rebirth parallels our own lives on this
earth. The Goddess loves Her children, the God understands His.
Through the love they bear for each other, they share in both the
knowledge of the mystery of rebirth and in the power, but the
knowledge remains His province and the power rests in Her.
--- Maximus-CBCS v1.02
* Origin: Pandora's Box, Ottawa, Ontario (93:9630/1)
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Where do we go from here?
By Pete Carroll
Occult revivals occur when the social, economic or intellectual
status quo is disturbed by the unexpected. Affluence combined
with the collapse of the Roman state religion caused one revival.
The rediscovery of classical knowledge in the Renaissance brought
about another. Dissatisfaction with catholic hellfire
christianity spawned spiritualism, theosophy, the Golden Dawn and
Crowley. In our own time anti-semitism, affluence, drugs and
oriental ideas spawned another outburst.
Occult revivals are stimulated by economics and by the availability,
rather than the creation of ideas. Roman culture was subject to a
huge influx of ideas, cults and philosophies from conquered peoples.
Written material surviving from this synthesis appeared again
as hermetics in the Renaissance. The revivals of the late
nineteenth century and the nineteen-sixties owe much to the
availability of scientific ideas and oriental philosophies. It is
probably more useful then, to look for impending changes in the
general situation rather than within the occult itself if we want
to second guess the next revival. The period between one revival
and the next is shortening rapidly and we are probably due for
another around the turn of the century, give or take a decade.
I`d like to try and identify some of the factors which may help
shape it.
Firstly the millennium. Christianity is unfortunately not yet
completely extinguished and humanity will have to cope with a
rising tide of apocalypse mania as the calendrical millennium draws
closer. Right wing christian fundamentalists in America may even be
in a political position to inaugurate a real Armageddon by then.
I hope that whatever courage and imagination there is in the occult
is put to good use in undermining this sort od idiocy. Those
occultists who do jump on the millennial bandwagon have only
disaster or ridicule to look forward to.
Economics has a powerful effect on the occult climate. A fairly
rapid increase in affluence will often provoke a revival as leisure
time becomes available and some minds turn to higher things.
Conversely, a decline in living conditions will sometimes make
people seek what they have lost, or a substitute, by occult means.
Boom propelled revivals are usually much more fun than slump
propelled upsurges. In this country, any increment in occultism
arising from socio-economic desperation, is likely to be some
species of neo-nazi mystic nationalism. As with millennium madness,
the greater honour will, in the long run, go to those occultists who
oppose such nonsense. However, the metaphysical fallout from the
sixties may yet carry us through to the next boom revival and these
problems may not yet arise.
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It seems unlikely that anthropology or archaeology will be able to
make fresh ideas available for cannibalization by the occult in the
next revival. Computerized libraries, satellite photography and
global communication systems leave few stones unturned. There seems
little chance lost ancient manuscripts, magical tribes or forgotten
occult civilizations coming to light nowadays. So it is to science
itself that I think we should turn for fresh ammunition.
There are already discernable strains of space mysticism in some
quarters of the occult. Questions about the reality or otherwise of
supposed visits by aliens should not distract us from recognizing
that UFO-mania itself is a mystico-religious phenomena. The
UFO-ologist wants to personally receive wisdom for the whole of
humanity from some superhuman being. Seeking angels in space suits
is to repeat humanity`s perennial mistake, pretending to look
outside for what is really inside ourselves.
Quantum physics has been quietly undermining the whole basis of
mechanistic cause and effect type science for nearly sixty years. It
has been said that if you are not shocked by the implications of
quantum physics then you have not understood it. This may be
perfectly true for the scientist but for the magician, quantum
physics provides elegant confirmation of many of his theories. A
quantitative approach to quantum physics is beyond all but the best
mathematician. Many of the principles are enshrined in equations for
which we have few verbal or visual analogies. Because of this very
few laymen or philosophers have been able to appreciate what has
been going on.
Briefly in qualitative terms, we now have hard experimental evidence
which strongly implies that physical process are, at root, acausal;
they just happen out of themselves and that consciousness, or at
least the decisions of the observer, can modify or control what
happens. Secondly it would seem that pure information can travel
anywhere instantaneously and perhaps persists indefinitely,
providing there is some sort of affinity, or magical link as we
would call it, between that which emits and that which receives.
Very few liberties need to be taken with quantum physics to fit in
virtually the whole of parapsychology. It remains to be seen if
quantum physics can be presented in sufficiently accessible form to
provoke another occult revival.
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A quantum based revival would effectively demolish the spirit
hypothesis. A "spirit" would have to be recognized as nothing more
than the information that a phenomenon emitted about itself when it
existed physically. Anything else would have to be put down to the
creativity of the observer`s subconsciousness. Thus the "tree-ness"
of a tree or the quality of a thought is just an extension of the
object itself on the plane of non-local information. If you talk to
Egyptian gods your subconsciousness is, at best, simply animating
the general personality characteristics of the gods projected by
their worshippers millennia ago. Spirits cannot be gaseous
vertebrates with powers of independent discursive thought. On the
practical level quantum physics implies that the medium of magic is
not some sort of nebulous psychic energy or force, it is simply a
transfer of information. Magical healing or attack is accomplished
by long range telepathic suggestion not by astral bandages or
thunderbolts. The quantum paradigm forces a re-examination of
reincarnation. There is no reason why anybody should not be able to
tap the memories of any historical person. Conversely we can all
look forward to fragments of our ideas and personalities manifesting
in other people in the future.
Telekinesis and related phenomena can be accommodated within the
quantum paradigm if we allow intent to expand upon the small degree
of fundamental uncertainty, or more properly indeterminacy, in the
position and momentum of any object. Prophecy is always the most
doubtful of the magical arts although short term prediction or
precognition can often be impressive. The quantum model allows for
this providing the operator later observes the precognised event.
Such apparent nonsense as astrology and homeopathy begin to make
more sense in a quantum paradigm which suggests that expectation can
have real effects via what one might call a magical level. This is
quite over and above the purely psychological effects of expectation
that materialists usually invoke to explain away these things.
I`ve heard the quantum occult paradigm described as Big Bang
Mysticism and Electro Gnosis. I rather like this, for it implies
that the universe is being viewed as a self-created magical organism
and that magic itself is a technology we can potentially master
because it is a part of the nature of ordinary reality. Of course,
what is missing in this scheme are the pseudo certainties of belief
in gods and higher powers or even a benign cosmic mind. It throws us
back on our own powers and ingenuities, but isn`t this what the best
occultism has always been about anyway ?
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(811) Mon 29 Apr 91 3:26
By: Madoc
To: Chris Anderson
Re: What's this "Right" stuff, anyway?
St:
------------------------------------------------------------
@PID: RA 1.01
@MSGID: 8:7703/8 4dba2fe8
>What would a Wiccan provide as an explanation for behavior that was
>"contrary" in the sense that you've given? We've all seen folks
behave in a way that is *apparently* inconsistent with stated beliefs,
even those that are closely held. What do you believe is the basis
for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and
actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks
"the Path"? The answer is stated clearly enough for many other
religions, but I've never had the opportunity to hear a Wiccan add
his/her windage on this topic. Flip Wilson's answer obviously isn't
going to apply, so where do we go with it? ;)
Chris, sorry for the delay in answering your question. I have written
and re-written my response, and although I still may not have answered
your question herein, I feel that I must reply at last.
First, I must stipulate that what follows is my own interpretation of
Wiccan belief, and my own sense of "morals." You know, the usual
disclaimer.
Second, I wish to deal briefly with the concept of separation of Law
and Moral. What I am writing here has absolutely no relation to the
practice of law. I do not advocate murder, for example, nor do I think
that murder should go unpunished by the State. I recognize that we
live in a society which must have rules in order that the maximum
amount of freedom may be enjoyed by all. I would not hesitate, if I
were a juror, to vote to send a proven criminal to jail, or even to
death, if the situation warranted it. Therefore, let none who read my
words mistake my moral convictions with my beliefs about our judaical
system - I am not in disagreement with the majority of our laws as
they exist.
Finally; the point:
To save space, I'll omit the dictionary definition of 'sin.' I think
we all understand that Christians believe in sin, Wiccans do not. As
you have stated, members of other religions have their rules clearly
stated, so that one may easily decide if one is in error or not
(although it's often not quite *that* easy). Wiccans claim to follow
only the Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt."
You have asked how a Wiccan can stray from such a path. The answer is
complex and far-reaching, and even delves into (ugh) philosophy. I'll
try to keep it succinct.
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If one thoughtfully examines the Rede, it quickly becomes apparent
that almost every action has the potential to harm some creature in
some way. Drawing breath can kill micro-organisms that float unseen,
in the atmosphere. Drinking water does the same thing. One could
choose to marry, and ultimately bring pain and suffering on future
generations of children by way of an unhappy union. There is literally
no way that one could possibly foresee all circumstances and avoid
harming anyone. Yet, that is what the Rede demands. What is the
answer?
In my opinion, the answer is obvious. The Wiccan must choose. Each and
every Wiccan is responsible for their own actions, and will be
accountable to themselves for the results of those actions. The wheels
turns, and each Wiccan reaps what they have sown. No Godly mandate or
indulgence can save us from the results of our own actions, be they
good or bad. But, with ultimate responsibility comes ultimate freedom.
No God can shackle my soul or subject me to that which I do not Will.
I am supreme within myself, and I am the "captain of my soul." I have
chosen to obey certain of society's laws and mores. I have chosen to
be a "good" man. Mine is the reward for choosing such action, and mine
will be the punishment if I fail to meet my self-imposed
responsibilities. As you jested, I cannot claim Flip Wilson's
famous defence. Nor do I claim that such things as I do well stem from
my Creator - in ultimate hubris, I claim that "As I Will, so mote it
be."
Every day, I am met with new decisions. I make those decisions, and
then I live with the consequences of my actions. In my opinion, that
is what makes me human, what sets me apart from the animals. Man alone
can choose, man alone is not chained to genetically imprinted
behavior.
I have been asked why, if there is the possibility that the Christian
deity exists, do I not choose Christianity on the possibility that it
is correct? This is Pascal's famous wager. If I wager that (the
Christian) God exists and I am correct, then I win all. If I am wrong
and God does not exist, then I have lost nothing, and have lived
(hopefully) a good and productive life in the bargain. Why would
anyone not accept this wager? My answer to that is that I would not
willingly serve any God that would choose one of His/Her creations
over another, the good over the bad, the shriven over the heathen. If
I had definitive proof that such a God existed, I would actively
oppose Him/Her. I would rather suffer the cold comfort of damnation
than continue to exist in a hereafter peopled with only the "saved."
This is my choice, and again, as I Will, so mote it be.
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>What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a
"positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is
contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"?
A fine, difficult question, Chris. As you've stated elsewhere, we've
been dancing all around this one for some time. Here goes:
I cannot determine what any one individual's Path is. I am not even
sure of my own. I often follow forks in the road until they come to a
dead end, and have to double back. Of course, that's the problem one
faces in following one's own Will, and not a set of directions laid
down by God. My concept of the Path is that it is like many roads, all
of which lead eventually to self-knowledge (enlightenment, Godhead,
nirvana, and so on). In my theology, my ultimate goal is to become one
with the God of my creation by gaining divine knowledge, or gnosis.
We've discussed the concept of "hidden knowledge" in the past, yet I
feel that my understanding of gnosis differs from yours.
The entire concept of the ancient mystery religions, and of modern
"occult" (which mean only 'hidden' after all) religions and practices
was based on the concept of the inverted filter. Each person passed
through successive layers of filters, gaining knowledge and
understanding at each stop, until they could absorb no more (and so
could not pass through the next layer of filter). Of course, at each
level, the initiate was given to believe that they were now in
possession of secret knowledge, and ultimate truth. If they could find
legitimate questions that led them to reject or doubt those 'truths'
and seek deeper meaning, then they passed through to the next level of
understanding. If they did not question, then they were satisfied that
they had gained truth.
This 'hidden knowledge' can be obtained outside of the constraints of
organized religion; in fact it originally was obtained independently.
Just as Newton's Laws could eventually be figured out by a person
ignorant of his discoveries, one could find a Path to enlightenment
separate from any of the mystery religions. However, just as one
attends school to learn that which is already known, so one pursues
illumination from the teachings of those who have already achieved
more than oneself.
Further, I do not believe that there is one 'right' Path. I accept
that the OTO has valuable knowledge to impart. I accept that Christian
Mystics, Jewish Quabalists, Muslim Sufis, and so on all have some
piece of the puzzle, and that all will eventually converge on the road
to wisdom. I know because I have been to that intersection once or
twice, although I am not there now. My Path is my own, and as Van
Morrison said, I have "No teacher, no guru, no method."
Can I move in a direction that is contrary to positive movement
towards the Laughing Light? You bet. The tough part is that the
definition of what is or is not 'positive' is not static. An example:
it might be proper that I learn what it means to take another human
being's life by killing an intruder in my home. It might not be proper
that I learn that lesson by following the orders of a superior officer
in time of war. OR VICE VERSA. I must choose at every instance, and I
might not immediately know if my choice has given or taken from my
search for truth.
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There are also times when I might know that I am actively choosing to
deviate from my Path. I might choose to sooth a feeling of anxiety
about whether or not I can pay the rent this month by yelling at my
wife. I'm not using this as an example because it is traditionally
"wrong," but because I know that I cannot solve my problems by
transferring my anxiety to others. If I choose to ignore what I have
already learned, then not only have I lost ground, but I will have to
deal with the anger that I've given out at some point.
In conclusion, I believe that I am responsible for my own actions, as
others are for theirs. I also believe that if I commit an action which
may seem 'right' to me, but which society has deemed to be a crime,
I'll be punished by society for breaking that law. I would punish
those who break the laws which are meant to hold our society together,
such as prohibitions on murder, burglary, and so forth. I believe that
my moral convictions are binding only on myself, not on others, and
that I'll ultimately deal with the consequences of my thoughts and
deeds. I believe that I have no right to judge the moral content of
another's actions. I believe in the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do
as thou shalt," and I further believe that it is meant to make me
consider my actions and their consequences, and to make my own
decisions, rather than as a prohibition against any specific action.
There is much that I do not know about Godhead; much that I do not
know about Right and Wrong. I have only my instincts and intellect to
guide me, but I trust myself to make the right decisions eventually.
Madoc
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Sex & Magic
Fra.: Apfelmann
In this article I would like to address the issue of sex and magic.
I am quite aware of the fact that this is a loaded subject. It is
one of the oldest disciplines in occultism and virtually every magic
tradition applies it somewhere down the road. Yet it has always been
regarded as the innermost secret discipline. Witches, Shamans,
Runesters, Yogis and Magicians of all varieties work with it in one
form or another.
To build up, strengthen, direct and aim this powerful energy is an
awesome magical tool, as anyone who has ever worked with it knows.
Being limited in time and space, but having such a wonderful and
eclectic medium to work with, I want to give you a few unbiased
ideas on the subject.
No discipline of magic has attracted as much mumbo jumbo or
misinformation as sex magic does. Nothing stirs the mind more than
the left and right of the so-called middle path quite as vividly.
Nothing is more ancient, powerful and misunderstood as Sex magic.
Yes, the market on Tantra is booming, as a visit to any occult book
shop will show you. Yet well researched, practical introductions
into sex magic are virtually non-existent. Male sexist tunnel vision
abounds.
One of the reasons being that the general approach towards sexuality
and women is steeped in Judeo-Christian hang ups.
The most common approach seems to be: "Just lay down and be the
altar dear, you are going to love it." Even such revolutionaries as
Aleister Crowley have done very little to improve this. Louis
Culling even dares to state in his contemporary work (1971), that a
frigid woman is more conductive to sex magic practice than a sensual
or, mind you, sexually aggressive one. For this would surely disturb
ones concentration on the Great Work.
No wonder that there are few women attracted to these kinds of
partners! You will always get what you want in magic and the
so-called true will does reveal itself in strange ways. Doing some
soul searching and clarifying your motives is quite effective.
Now, regarding literature on this subject there is hope. My german
friend Fra.: U.D. has written a comprehensive, pragmatic book on sex
magic. It`s title is "Secrets of the German Sex Magicians"
(Llewellyn) and he told me last weekend that it is available in the
States right now. (I hope he will give me some extracts to post them
here...) It beats everything that has ever been published on the
subject. Get it!
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Now let me point out, one more time, that magic is a practical
science. Merely reading about it or going to a workshop will not get
you anywhere.
The multitude of sexual expressions is just as great and manifold as
human behavior in general. Here, like everywhere in Chaos Magic, it
is useful to keep in mind that if it works for you, use it!
Remember, the real sex magicians, male and female, have always known
that and discarded social conditioning and taboos, right along with
the do`s and don`ts of dogma.
We do magic to liberate ourselves. So if it is possible for one
thing to be sacred we logically conclude that everything else can be
sacred too.
Auto-, Hetero- and Homosexual expressions are equally valid in
sex magic. It is more about expanding ones horizons that about
finding a certain "right" way, partner or ritual to do it. The Chaos
Magical paradigm kicks right in: Nothing is True, and Everything is
Permitted!
The next issue I want to address is the Auto-erotic practice. So let
me state this loud and clear: Without auto erotic practice it is
impossible to achieve anything in Sex magic!
Auto-eroticism is of central importance because it is the ideal
practice and playground. It constitutes a powerful technique in
itself, and it makes us independent of partners. Especially in the
beginning it is much easier to explore, prolong and amplify orgasmic
trance states. For this very same reason it is possible to do
effective sex magic with a partner who knows nothing about it but
working with a partner who is equally trained in this art is ever so
much more effective. Most amateurs believe that sexual magic is
something that solely happens between partners in a ritual, but in
reality the vast majority of sex magical arts are performed
auto-erotically.
Regarding the physical aspects of the sexual magical training first
thing to consider is that your body is really _your temple_. And for
it to be your ultimate tool and asset it has to be in peak
condition. Physical and mental dependencies, be it alcohol,
stimulants or even tobacco, will interfere with your ability to
develop and direct this tool. I do not want to project a moral
attitude on this, or any other subject, but mind, spirit and body
are deeply intertwined. And the more you alter your mind from the
outside by using drugs of any sort, the harder it gets to focus your
will and physical reaction. If you are in a frizzy condition, you
will get frizzy results! Here, as in all magic, the borders are
fluid. A good training in practical magic will greatly enhance your
sexual magic and vice versa.
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A lot of physical exercises in sex magic derive from Tantra Yoga.
The only point of disagreement appears to be the way of using the
orgasm. In particular, the "traditional" Tantra authors seem to cling
to the idea that there is only a limited amount of sperm available
to men. Therefore this precious substance is carefully guarded, held
back and reassimilated when spent. Western magic does not agree
with this belief. Its approach is rather like: the more you spend -
the more you get! This applies to male magicians, women have always
been pretty much inexhaustible in their orgasmic capacity. What
joins both is that the intent in Sex magic is much more result
oriented and concrete than in Tantra, where it is mainly
transcendental.
The longing for transcendence seems to be inherently natural in
human behavior. Yet being western magicians living in the nineties
we know that we have to handle the "real world", our physical
reality first, and then we can move on to the loftier goals.
A good manual for your physical preparation and training is
"Stalking the Wild Orgasm" by Christopher Scott Kilham. Hie work not
only includes some excellent yoga exercises, but also gives you some
great clues regarding nutrition and aphrodisiacs.
When you get going in this direction you will find that it soon
penetrates into many other areas of your magical work. You will be
in better physical shape, more relaxed, focused and grounded. Magic
is a gut level art. We have to remove it from the intellectual
stuff. Trust your own experiences. Strive to conduct your magic work
from this part of your body where all magic originates - your loins.
Have fun!
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
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THE RIDDLE OF THE TRICKSTER
a cross-cultural overview
by
Thunderspud of Dragonfhain
Who is this trickster archetype, the one who inspires such mixed
feelings and brouhaha? Trickster has been with us from the
beginning. Trickster will be there at the ending. (If there is an
ending, Trickster will probably trigger it). Trickster is a creator,
a transformer, a joker, a truth teller, a destroyer.
Whoever has created a dance, a song, written a ritual, tailor-made a
job, birthed a child or invented a game has partaken of a controlled
Trickster energy. After all, in Northwest Native and Inuit
tradition, Raven created the world; Loki is known to the Norse as a
co creator (and the bringer of Ragnarok); Anansi the spider-trickster
among the Ashanti of Ghana and Nareau the spider in Micronesia;
Coyote among the Southwest Natives --these are the creator aspects of
this wild and uncontrolled energy. Trickster often begins in the
void, desiring to bring Order out of Chaos; once Order is imposed,
however, Trickster represents the breaking free of negative power
from the Universal Order of things.
As a shape-shifter, Trickster is all things to all people, at one
time or another, and often simultaneously. Of course Trickster is a
creator and a destroyer. Sure he's a family man and a vagabond.
Naturally he gives fire to humans and then steals their food before
they can cook it. This is his style; when he acts out of
selfishness, everyone benefits -- Maui of the Thousand Tricks might
snare the Sun to slow it down, making life easier for humans, but he
did it so his mother would have more time to cook for him. When he
acts out of altruism, there's most always a negative effect --Marawa,
a Lou Costello prototype from Banks Island carved human figures from
wood and put them in the ground so they would grow and be strong;
however, they merely rotted and death came into the world of humans.
This shape- shifter not only moves from shape to shape, but from
world to world. Number Eleven suffered at the hands of death to free
his brothers; his brothers then took his lifeless body away and
revived him. In the Winnebago cycle, Trickster dies three times and
returns to life three times. In just one collection of Coyote
stories, Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter, Coyote
dies of a snake bite, a gunshot, an arrow wound, a broken heart, a
rock-fall and a drowning; this resembles nothing so much as a
Roadrunner cartoon.
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Trickster fuzzes the lines between Male and Female, between cunning
and stupidity (in one story Coyote steals a horse, in another he
almost drowns trying to eat some berries reflected in a stream),
between wisdom and stupidity. Trickster tells us the truth about our
selves, showing us with truth and wit the sides of our nature that we
may be more comfortable not acknowledging; he's the one who points at
the Emperor's nakedness, he's Lenny Bruce and Ashleigh Brilliant, Ken
Kesey and Uncle Remus, Opus, Geech, Tom Robbins, Abbie Hoffman, Don
Becker, Weird Al Yankovich and David Letterman, holding up a skewed
mirror of reality for us to look into. Among the Aztecs, as serious
a culture as this continent has ever seen, Ueuecoyotl, a funny and
outrageously unacceptable clown figure; in the Southwest, at serious
rituals, he's the Koshare speeding around the circle with tickling
feathers and rattle, being ignored completely by the priest.
Trickster shines on as a culture bringer: Prometheus steals fire for
his poor stunted creations, and pays a terrible and eternal price for
his philanthropy. Loki also steals fire for humans, as do Anansi,
Raven, Coyote, Maui; so far I have found no less than seventeen
stories from different cultures on this theme. Anansi tricked
Nyankopon the Sky-God out of his stories and gave them to the humans.
Clat, from Banks Island, taught humans how to sleep.
In the stories of the Ashanti, Anansi invented the tar-baby as a ruse
to trap an elemental spirit, but in the Native American stories,
Coyote is trapped by a tar-baby set up by a farmer. Actually the
farmer had caught a rabbit with his tar-baby, but Coyote happened
along and asked Rabbit what he was doing there. "The farmer who owns
this field got mad at me because I wouldn't eat his melons, so he
stuck me here and said he'd come back and make me eat chicken."
Rabbit replies, "But I told him I wouldn't do it." Of course, greedy
Coyote extricates Rabbit and wraps himself around the tar-baby where
he still his when the farmer comes out and shoots him.
So this is the Trickster, the energy that allows us to break out of
our stereotypes, whether they've been imposed by ourselves, our
families, our culture. This is the energy that opens the world of
limitless possibilities and it behooves us all to work with it before
it destroys us, to touch the Trickster as he touches us.
...........from RMPJ, Oct.'86
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Notes on Kabbalah (a continuing series of many parts)
Copyright Colin Low 1991
Chapter 1.: The Tree of Life
At the root of the Cabalistic view of the world are three
fundamental concepts and they provide a natural place to begin.
The three concepts are force, form and consciousness and these
words are used in an abstract way, as the following examples
illustrate:
- high pressure steam in the cylinder of a steam engine
provides a force. The engine is a form which constrains the
force.
- a river runs downhill under the force of gravity. The
river channel is a form which constrains the water to run in
a well defined path.
- someone wants to get to the center of a garden maze. The
hedges are a form which constrain that person's ability to
walk as they please.
- a diesel engine provides the force which drives a boat
forwards. A rudder constrains its course to a given
direction.
- a politician wants to change the law. The legislative
framework of the country is a form which he or she must
follow if the change is to be made legally.
- water sits in a bowl. The force of gravity pulls the water
down. The bowl is a form which gives its shape to the water.
- a stone falls to the ground under the force of gravity.
Its acceleration is constrained to be equal to the force
divided by the mass of the stone.
- I want to win at chess. The force of my desire to win is
constrained within the rules of chess.
- I see something in a shop window and have to have it. I am
constrained by the conditions of sale (do I have enough
money, is it in stock).
- cordite explodes in a gun barrel and provides an explosive
force on a bullet. The gas and the bullet are constrained by
the form of the gun barrel.
- I want to get a passport. The government won't give me one
unless I fill in lots of forms in precisely the right way.
- I want a university degree. The university won't give me
a degree unless I attend certain courses and pass various
assessments.
In all these examples there is something which is causing change
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to take place ("a force") and there is something which causes
change to take place in a defined way ("a form"). Without being
too pedantic it is possible to identify two very different types
of example here:
1. examples of natural physical processes (e.g. a falling
stone) where the force is one of the natural forces known to
physics (e.g. gravity) and the form is some combination
of physical laws which constrain the force to act in a well
defined way.
2. examples of people wanting something, where the force is
some ill-defined concept of "desire", "will", or "drives",
and the form is one of the forms we impose upon ourselves
(the rules of chess, the Law, polite behavior etc.).
Despite the fact that the two different types of example are
"only metaphorically similar", Kabbalists see no fundamental
distinction between them. To the Kabbalist there are forces
which cause change in the natural world, and there are
corresponding psychological forces which drive us to change both
the world and ourselves, and whether these forces are natural or
psychological they are rooted in the same place: consciousness.
Similarly, there are forms which the component parts of the
physical world seem to obey (natural laws) and there are
completely arbitrary forms we create as part of the process of
living (the rules of a game, the shape of a mug, the design of an
engine, the syntax of a language) and these forms are also rooted
in the same place: consciousness. It is a Cabalistic axiom that
there is a prime cause which underpins all the manifestations of
force and form in both the natural and psychological world and
that prime cause I have called consciousness for lack of a better
word.
Consciousness is undefinable. We know that we are conscious
in different ways at different times - sometimes we feel free and
happy, at other times trapped and confused, sometimes angry and
passionate, sometimes cold and restrained - but these words
describe manifestations of consciousness. We can define the
manifestations of consciousness in terms of manifestations of
consciousness, which is about as useful as defining an ocean in
terms of waves and foam. Anyone who attempts to define
consciousness itself tends to come out of the same door as they
went in. We have lots of words for the phenomena of consciousness
- thoughts, feelings, beliefs, desires, emotions, motives and so
on - but few words for the states of consciousness which give
rise to these phenomena, just as we have many words to describe
the surface of a sea, but few words to describe its depths.
Kabbalah provides a vocabulary for states of consciousness
underlying the phenomena, and one of the purposes of these notes
is to explain this vocabulary, not by definition, but mostly by
metaphor and analogy. The only genuine method of understanding
what the vocabulary means is by attaining various states of
consciousness in a predictable and reasonably objective way, and
Kabbalah provides practical methods for doing this.
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A fundamental premise of the Cabalistic model of reality is
that there is a pure, primal, and undefinable state of
consciousness which manifests as an interaction between force and
form. This is virtually the entire guts of the Cabalistic view
of things, and almost everything I have to say from now on is
based on this trinity of consciousness, force, and form.
Consciousness comes first, but hidden within it is an inherent
duality; there is an energy associated with consciousness which
causes change (force), and there is a capacity within
consciousness to constrain that energy and cause it to manifest
in a well-defined way (form).
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ \
/ \
Capacity Raw
to take ________________ Energy
Form
Figure 1.
What do we get out of raw energy and an inbuilt capacity for form
and structure? Is there yet another hidden potential within this
trinity waiting to manifest? There is. If modern physics is to be
believed we get matter and the physical world. The cosmological
Big Bang model of raw energy surging out from an infinitesimal
point and condensing into basic forms of matter as it cools, then
into stars and galaxies, then planets, and ultimately living
creatures, has many points of similarity with the Cabalistic
model. In the Big Bang model a soup of energy condenses according
to some yet-to-be-formulated Grand-Universal-Theory into our
physical world. What Kabbalah does suggest (and modern physics
most certainly does not!) is that matter and consciousness are
the same stuff, and differ only in the degree of structure
imposed - matter is consciousness so heavily structured and
constrained that its behavior becomes describable using the
regular and simple laws of physics. This is shown in Fig. 2. The
primal, first principle of consciousness is synonymous with the
idea of "God".
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First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Capacity | Raw
to take _____________ Energy/Force
Form |
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Matter
The World
Figure 2
The glyph in Fig. 2 is the basis for the Tree of Life. The first
principle of consciousness is called Kether, which means Crown.
The raw energy of consciousness is called Chockhmah or Wisdom,
and the capacity to give form to the energy of consciousness is
called Binah, which is sometimes translated as Understanding, and
sometimes as Intelligence. The outcome of the interaction of
force and form, the physical world, called Malkuth or Kingdom.
This quaternery is a Cabalistic representation of God-the-
Knowable, in the sense that it the most primitive representation
of God we are capable of comprehending; paradoxically, Kabbalah
also contains a notion of God-the-Unknowable which transcends
this glyph, and is called En Soph. There is not much I can say
about En Soph, and what I can say I will postpone for later.
God-the-Knowable has four aspects, two male and two female:
Kether and Chokhmah are both represented as male, and Binah and
Malkuth are represented as female. One of the titles of Chokhmah
is Abba, which means Father, and one of the titles of Binah is
Aima, which means Mother, so you can think of Chokhmah as God-
the-Father, and Binah as God-the-Mother. Malkuth is the
daughter, the female spirit of God-as-Matter, and it would not be
wildly wrong to think of her as Mother Earth. One of the more
pleasant things about Kabbalah is that its symbolism gives equal
place to both male and female.
And what of God-the-Son? Is there also a God-the-Son in
Kabbalah? There is, and this is the point where Kabbalah tackles
the interesting problem of thee and me. The glyph in Fig. 2 is a
model of consciousness, but not of self-consciousness, and self-
consciousness throws an interesting spanner in the works.
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The Fall
Self-consciousness is like a mirror in which consciousness
sees itself reflected. Self-consciousness is modelled in Kabbalah
by making a copy of figure 2.
Consciousness
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Consciousness | Consciousness
of ________________ of
Form | Energy/Force
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of the
World
Figure 3
Figure 3. is Figure 2. reflected through self-consciousness. The
overall effect of self-consciousness is to add an additional
layer to Figure 2. as follows:
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Capacity | Raw
to take _____________ Energy/Force
Form |
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Consciousness | Consciousness
of ________________ of
Form | Energy/Force
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of the
World
|
|
|
Matter
The World
Figure 4
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Fig. 2 is sometimes called "the Garden of Eden" because it
represents a primal state of consciousness. The effect of self-
consciousness as shown in Fig. 4 is to drive a wedge between the
First Principle of Consciousness (Kether) and that Consciousness
realized as matter and the physical world (Malkuth). This is
called "the Fall", after the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden. From a Cabalistic point of view the story of Eden, with
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the serpent and the
temptation, and the casting out from the Garden has a great deal
of meaning in terms of understanding the evolution of
consciousness.
Self-consciousness introduces four new states of
consciousness: the Consciousness of Consciousness is called
Tipheret, which means Beauty; the Consciousness of Force/Energy
is called Netzach, which means Victory or Firmness; the
Consciousness of Form is called Hod, which means Splendor or
Glory, and the Consciousness of Matter is called Yesod, which
means Foundation. These four states have readily observable
manifestations, as shown below in Fig. 5:
The Self
Self-Importance
Self-Sacrifice
/ | \
/ | \
| | |
