1001
7- In the Middle Ages, priests actually said "Masses" to impose death
spells on humans. Is such ritual being practiced today? We will probably
never know, because secrecy in such groups would be assumed as * very *
tight. As so many law-enforcement officers seem to be Christian, and
many of the European governments are enthralled by this cult, we will
probably * never * be able to find out the truth of this.
8- At every Christian service, donations from the membership is
encouraged, and, as most such donations are done publically,
"peer-pressure" to give large amounts of money is very high, and a
feeling of guilt over * not * contributing could lead to psychotic
episodes! The cult's attitude towards sexual feelings, that even *
looking * at a person with even the tiniest feeling of "lust" is a
"sin," is so rigid as to exclude at least 99 percent of the World's
population from "Heaven" and thereby lead to irreconcilable guilt
feelings on the part of the "sinners!" Could it be that many of the
modern world's psychiatric problems can be traced to the beliefs of this
cult?
9- The intolerant behaviour of Christianity is also well-documented in
history, with its pogroms of Jews, burning of witches, Crusades against
Islam,culture destruction and outrightgenocide in thePacific islands
and Central and South America, and hatred of anything that is not
"Christian." This has even extended to disruption of non-Christian
religious services, and violent behaviour that is touted as simple
"civil disobedience." Can such past behaviour repeat itself? History
shows it does.
10- Proselytization, or the "conversion" of new members to the cult, is
carried on in any number of ways, both with subtle blandishments and
by outright fear and threats. To watch and listen to some
street-preachers is aneducation inthe useof fear-inducingtechnique,
and also of individual and mass hysteria similar to that inducedby
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebells! Why do these preachers do their best
to induce such mass hysteria? One could ask the same question about Hitler
and Goebells, and maybe get the same answer!
---------------------
If your child, or a member of your family, is involved with this
cult, * please * seek help NOW!
---------------------
The author wishes to thank the publishers of "File 18," and all
the other cult-hunters and watchers out there, for their good and
constant demonstrations of the techniques used in this article.
1002
M O D E R N P A G A N I S M :
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
To promote community harmony and freedom of religious practice.
Distributed by : The Committee for Religious Freedom, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Thanks to LesleyPhillips andLinda Pinti ofThe Covenantof
Unitarian Universalist Pagans for original material.
Contemporarysociety isexperiencingaresurgence ofinterest
in earth- and nature-centered spirituality. Modern Paganism is a rich
and diverse religious movement drawing the attention of the media,
law-makers, and spiritual seekers. This pamphlet attempts to answer
some of the questions frequently asked about modern Pagan beliefs and
practices.
What is Paganism?
Theterm"Pagan" comesfrom aLatinword for"country dweller"
first used in early Christian times to refer to those not yet
converted to Christianity. "Pagan" was an epithet that cast aspersions
on those not seen as "true believers." Today, it refers more general
to the faith of those whose spiritual center is drawn to native and
natural religions, usually pantheistic or polytheistic, and almost
always earth-centered.
What then is "Modern Paganism"?
ModernPaganism,orNeo-Paganism, isamodern, Earth-centered
religious perspective which borrows and adapts from pre-Christian
paganism as well as from contemporary religious thought. While
reconnecting with ancient wisdom, it speaks eloquently to the needs
and concerns of the present.
What is meant by "The Old Religion"?
The term describes the pre-Christian religion of much of
western and northern Europe, which was based on the agricultural
cycles and other natural rhythms of the Earth. It coexisted with
Christianity for centuries, from the so-called "Dark Ages" up until
the Inquisition and the "Burning Times" (witch hunts) of the late
Middle Ages. It also can refer more generally to other
native and tribal religions of the world.
What is the difference between Paganism and Witchcraft?
SomecontemporaryPagans callthemselvesWitches.The termhas
many meanings, some carrying rather heavy negative baggage.
"Witchcraft" or "The Craft" is most properly applied to three broad
categories: Descendants of the European witches of the Middle Ages,
practitioners of the "reconstructed" Witchcraft of the 20th century,
and "feminist Witches" whose religion and politics center in the
contemporary womens' spirituality movement. It can generally be said
that all modern Witches are Pagans, but not all modern Pagans are
Witches. At least one writer, Aidan Kelly, has begun to use the term
"Neo-Pagan Witchcraft" to describe the largest portion of the
contemporary Pagan community.
1003
What is meant by the term "Wicca"?
Oftenused asa synonymfor Witchcraft,"Wicca" isthought to
derive from an Anglo-Saxon root meaning to bend or to turn. It is more
properly applied only to those Witchcraft traditions which originated
in or derive from practices in the British Isles.
What about Shamanism?
Shamanismisnot areligion, butaset ofspiritual techniques
used for healing and the acquisition of knowledge through forays into
non-ordinary states of consciousness. Now gaining increasing
attention in the counseling profession, this journeying is usually
aided by sonic driving (such as repetitive drumming or chanting) and
often involves interactions with totemic and archetypal figures. These
techniques are used in virtually every tribal society and are widely
used by contemporary Pagans.
What do modern Pagans believe?
The centralbeliefs ofmodern Pagansdiffer in specificsyet
share many fundamentals. Deity is seen as immanent rather than
transcendent. Experience is preferred over doctrine. It is believed
that there are and should be multiple paths to the Divine. There is
no prescribed creed, but there are a number of beliefs shared by most
contemporary Pagans, summarized at the end of this pamphlet.
Isn't this just Humanism by another name?
Noand Yes.Likereligious Humanists,modernPagans havealove
and reverence for this world and the physical plane generally. The
rational is seen as important. Great emphasis is also placed on the
intuitive, however, and the belief that the physical and non-physical
worlds are equally real, and are interconnected, interpenetrating
manifestations of nature. This means that spiritual work, whether
called meditation, prayer, or magic, and whether done as ritual,
worship, or celebration, is efficacious and can result in changes in
the physical world. The majority of Pagans also believe in the
survival of the consciousness or soul after physical death.
How do modern Pagans worship?
Some groups have formalworship services or similar group
meetings. Others conduct rituals that have varying degrees of set
forms. Some Pagans worship by themselves without formal ritual. Most
contemporary Pagans hold rituals corresponding to the turning of the
seasons and the phases of the moon. Rituals are often performed in a
sacred space defined by the demarcation of a circle, within which the
celebration and worship take place. Celebrations include eight major
seasonal holidays, sometimes collectively referred to as "Sabbats".
These Sabbats, as most frequently observed by North American and
European Pagans, follow the agricultural cycles of the northern
temperate zone, and include the solstices and equinoxes as well as
four intermediate festivals which fall in between, sometimes called
"cross-quarters," on or near the first days of February,
May, August, and November. Regular public Sabbat rituals, reflecting
a variety of contemporary Pagan styles, are held in many communities.
Rituals may include meditation, chanting, drumming, myth- and
story-telling, ritual drama, dance, and so on. Deeper ritual work is
most often practiced at private gatherings, which for many traditions
coincide with the phases of the moon. The work may include more
intense raising of energy, healing work, and personal spiritual
development.
1004
What about Satanism?
Contrary to the claims of ill-informed Christian
fundamentalists, the practices of modern Pagans are in no way related
to Satanism. Most Pagans do not even believe Satan exists. As a
profanation of Christian symbolism, Satan worship is a Christian
heresy, not a Pagan religion.
Do Pagans proselytize?
No,Pagansdo notproselytize.Most modernPagantraditions do
welcome newcomers. Most modern Pagans also do not discourage other
Pagans from integrating other religious and spiritual practices and
beliefs into their practice.
WHAT CONTEMPORARY PAGANS BELIEVE
while there is no set of beliefs shared by all Pagans, most would
agree that similarities far outweigh differences. There are a number
of beliefs held by the vast majority of modern Pagans. Some of these
are:
1. Divinity is seen as immanent.
2. Divinity is as likely to manifest itself in female as male form,
the God or the Goddess, in the interconnectedness of all life.
3. Multiple paths to the divine exist, as symbolized by many goddesses
and gods. These are often seen as archetypes or gateways to the
unconscious.
4. We respect and love Mother Earth as a living being, Gaia, of which
we are a part.
5. The physical world, as an emanation of the divine, is good and to
be enjoyed by all living beings in love and harmony.
6. Ethics and morality are based on avoidance of harm to other beings,
including Earth as a whole, which mandates environmental activism as a
spiritual responsibility.
7. Human interdependence implies the need for community cooperation.
8. The solar and lunar cycles and the cycles of our lives are
celebrated. This leads to the maintenance and revival of old customs
and the creation of new ones.
9. A strong commitment to personal and planetary growth, evolution,
and balance are vital.
10. One's lifestyle must be consistent with one's beliefs. The
personal is political.
11. A minimum of dogma and a maximum of individual responsibility in
all things are goals to strive for. Thus a healthy skepticism is to be
fostered, and ideas are not to be accepted without personal
investigation of their validity.
12. Messiahs and gurus are to be avoided. The mediation of another
being is unnecessary for an individual to commune with Deity.
Power-from-within is preferred to power-over.
13. All beings are personal emanations of the Divine. Thou art
Goddess, thou art God.
1005
CREED OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
We believe in one only God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator
of things visible such as this world in which our brief life passes,
ofthings invisible such as the pure spirits which are also called
angels, and Creator in each man of his spiritual and immortal souls.
We believe that his only God is absolutely one in his infinitely
holy essence as also in all His perfections, in His omnipotence, His
infinite knowledge, His providence, His will and His love. He is HE
WHO IS, as He revealed to Moses; and He is LOVE, as the Apostle John
teaches us: so that these two names, Being and Love, express ineffably
the same divine reality of Him who has wished to make himself known to
us, and who "dwelling in light inaccessible," is in himself above
every name, above every thing, and above every created intellect. God
alone can give us light and knowledge of this reality by revealing
himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose eternal life we are
by grace called to share, here below in the obscurity of faith and
after death in eternal light. The mutual bonds which eternally
constitute the Three Persons, who are each one and the same Divine
Being, are the blessed inmost life of God thrice holy, infinitely
beyond all that we can conceive in human measure. We give thanks,
however, to the Divine Goodness that very many believers can testify
with us before men to the unity of God, even though they know not the
mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.
We believe then in God who eternally begets the Son, in the Son,
the Word of God, who is eternally begotten, in the Holy Spirit, the
uncreated Person, who proceeds from the Father and the Son as their
eternal Love. Thus in the Three Divine Persons, COAETERNAE SIBI ET
COAEQUALES, the life and beatitude of God perfectly one superabound
and are consummated in the supreme excellence and glory proper to
uncreated Being, and always "there should be venerated unity in the
Trinity and Trinity in the unity."
We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Son of God. He is
the Eternal Word, born of the Father before time began, and
consubstantial with the Father, HOMOOUSIOS TO PATRI, and through Him
all things were made. He was incarnate of the Virgin Mary by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and was made man: equal therefore to the
Father according to His divinity, and inferior to His Father according
to His humanity, and himself one, not by some impossible confusion of
His natures, but by the unity of His person.
He dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. He proclaimed and
established the Kingdom of God and made us know in Himself the Father.
He gave us His new commandment to love one another as He loved us. He
taught us the way of the Beatitudes of the Gospel: poverty in spirit,
meekness, suffering borne with patience, thirst after justice, mercy,
purity of heart, will for peace, persecution suffered for justice
sake. He suffered under Pontious Pilate, the Lamb of God bearing on
Himself the sins of the world, and he died for us on the Cross, saving
us by His redeeming Blood. He was buried, and, of His own power, rose
the third day, raising us by His Resurrection to that sharing in the
divine life which is the life of grace. He ascended to heaven, and He
will come again this time in glory, to judge the living and the dead:
each according to his merits--those who have responded to the love and
piety of God going to eternal life, those who have refused them to the
end going to the fire that is not extinguished. And His Kingdom will
have no end.
1006
We believe inthe Holy Spirit, who is Lord,and Giver of life,
Who is adored and glorified together with the Father and the Son. He
spoke to us by the Prophets, He was sent by Christ after His
Resurrection and His Ascension to the Father; He illuminates,
vivifies, protects, and governs the Church; He purifies the Church's
members if they do not shun His grace. His action, which penetrates
to the inmost of the soul, enables man to respond to the call of
Jesus: BE PERFECT AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.
We believe thatMary is the Mother,who remained evera virgin,
of the Incarnate Word, our God and Savior Jesus Christ, and that by
reason of this singular election, she was in consideration of the
merits of her Son, redeemed in a more eminent manner, preserved from
all stain of original sin and filled with the gift of grace more than
all other creatures.
Joined by a close and indissoluble bond to the Mysteries of the
Incarnation and Redemption, the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate, was at
the end of her earthly life raised body and soul to heavenly glory and
likened to her risen Son in anticipation of the future lot of all the
just; and we believe that the Blessed Mother of God, the New Eve,
Mother of the Church, continues, in her maternal role with regard to
Christ's members, co-operating with the birth and growth of divine
life in the souls of the redeemed.
We believe that in Adam all have sinned, which means that the
original offense committed by him caused human nature, common to all
men, to fall to a state in which it bears the consequences of that
offense, and which is not the state in which it was at first in our
first parents, established as they were in holiness and justice, and
in which man knew neither evil nor death. It is human nature so
fallen, stripped of the grace that clothed it, injured in its own
natural powers and subjected to the dominion of death, that is
transmitted to all men, and it is in this sense that every man is born
in sin. We therefore hold, with the Council of Trent, that original
sin is transmitted to human nature, "not by imitation but by
propagation," and that it is thus "in each of us as his own."
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, by the Sacrifice of the
Cross, redeemed us from original sin and all the personal sins
comitted by each one of us, so that, in accordance with the word of
the Apostle, "where sin abounded, grace did more abound."
We believe in one baptism instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins. Baptism should be administered even to little
children who have not yet been able to be guilty of any personal sins,
in order that, though born deprived of supernatural grace, they may be
reborn "of water and the Holy Spirit to the divine life in Christ
Jesus.
1007
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, built by
Jesus Christ in that rock which is Peter. She is the Mystical Body of
Christ; at the same time a visible society instituted with
hierarchical organs, and a spiritual community; the Church in earth,
the pilgrim People of God here below, and the Church filled with
heavenly blessings; the germ and the first fruits of the Kingdom of
God, through wich the works and the sufferings of Redemption are
continued throughout humanhistory, and which looks for its perfect
accomplishment beyond time in glory. In the course of time, the Lord
Jesus formed His Church by means of the Sacrament emanating from His
plenitude. By these she makes her members participants in the mystery
of the Death and Ressurection of Christ, in the grace of the Holy
Spirit who gives her life and movement. She is therefore holy, though
she has sinners in her bossom, because she herself has no other life
but that of grace: it is by living by her life that her members are
sanctified; it is by removing themselves from her life that they fall
into sins and disorders that prevent the radiation of her sanctity.
This is why she suffers and does penance for these offenses, of which
she has the power to heal her children through the blood of Christ and
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Heiress ofthe divinepromises anddaughter ofAbraham according
to the Spirit, through that Israel whose Scriptures she lovingly
guards, and whose patriarchs and prophets she venerates; founded upon
the Apostles and handing on from century to century their ever-living
words and their powers as pastors in the successor of Peter and the
bishops in communion with him; perpetually assisted by the Holy
Spirit, she has the charge of guarding, teaching, explaining, and
spreading the truths which God revealed in a then veiled manner by the
Prophets, and fully by the Lord Jesus. We believe ALL THAT IS
CONTAINED IN THE WORD OF GOD WRITTEN OR HANDED DOWN, AND WHAT THE
CHURCH PROPOSES FOR BELIEF AS DIVINELY REVEALED, WHETHER BY A SOLEMN
JUDGMENT OR BY THE ORDINARY AND UNIVERSAL MAGISTERIUM. We believe in
the infallibility enjoyed by the successor of Peter when he teaches
ex-cathedra as pastor and teacher of all the faithful, and which is
assured also to the episcopal body when it exercises with him the
supreme magisterium.
Webelieve that theChurch founded byJesus Christand for which
He prayed is indefectibly one in faith, worship and the bond of
hierarchical communion. In the bossom of this Church, the rich
variety of liturgical rites and the legitimate diversity of
theological and spiritual heritages and special disciplines, far from
injuring her unity, make it more manifest.
Recognizing also the existence, outside of the organism of the
Church of Christ, of numerous elements of truth and sanctification
which belong to her as her own and tend to Catholic unity, and
believing in the action of the Holy Spirit who stirs up in the hearts
of the disciples of Christ love of this unity, we entertain the hope
that Christians who are not yet in the full communion of the one only
Church will one day be reunited in one flock with one only Shepherd.
1008
We believe that the Church IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION, BECAUSE
CHRIST WHO IS THE SOLE MEDIATOR AND WAY OF SALVATION, RENDERS HIMSELF
PRESENT FOR US IN HIS BODY WHICH IS THE CHURCH. But the divine design
of salvation embraces all men; and those WHO WITHOUT FAULT ON THEIR
PART DO NOT KNOW THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH, BUT SEEK
GOD SINCERELY, AND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRACE ENDEAVOR TO DO HIS
WILL AS RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE PROMPTINGS OF THEIR CONSCIENCE, they,
in a number known only to God, can obtain salvation.
Webelieve that theMass, celebrated bythe priest representing
the person of Christ by virtue of the power received through the
Sacrament of Orders, and offered by him in the name of Christ and the
members of His Mystical Body, is in true reality the Sacrifice of
Calvary, rendered sacramentally present on our altars. We believe
that as the bread and wine consecrated by the Lord at the Last Supper
were changed into His Body and Blood which were to be offered for us
on the Cross, likewise the bread abd wine consecrated by the priest
are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ enthroned gloriously in
heaven, and we believe that the mysterious presence of the Lord, under
what continues to appear to our sense as before, is a true, real, and
substantial presence.
Christ cannot be thus present in this sacrament except by the
change into His Body of the reality itself of the bread and the change
into His Blood of the reality itself of the wine, leaving unchanged
only the properties of the bread and wine which our senses perceive.
This mysterious change is very appropriately called by the Church
TRANSUBSTANTIATION. Every theological explanation which seeks some
understanding of this mystery must, in order to be in accord with the
Catholic faith, maintain that in the reality itself, independently of
our mind, the bread and wine have ceased to exist after the
Consecration, so that it is the adorable Body and Blood of the Lord
Jesus that from then on are really before us under the sacramental
species of bread and wine, as the Lord willed it, in order to give
Himself to us as food and to associate us with the unity of the
Mystical
Body.
The unique and indivisible existence of the Lord glorious in
heaven is not multiplied, but is rendered present by the sacrament in
the many places on earth where Mass is celebrated. And this existence
remains present, after the sacrifice, in the Blessed Sacrament which
is, in the tabernacle, the living heart of each of our churches. And
it is our very sweet duty to honor and adore in the Blessed Host which
our eyes see, the Incarnate Word which they cannot see, and who,
without leaving heaven, is made present before us.
1009
We confess that the Kingdom of God begun here below in the Church
of Christ IS NOT FROM THIS WORLD WHOSE FORM IS PASSING, and that its
proper growth cannot be confounded with the progress of civilization,
of science, or of human technology, but that it consists in an ever
more profound knowledge of the riches of Christ, an ever stronger hope
in eternal blessings, an ever more ardent response to the Love of God,
and an ever more generous bestowal of grace and holiness among men.
Without ceasing to recall to her children that THEY HAVE NOT HERE A
LASTING DWELLING, she also urges them to contribute, each according to
his vocation and means, to the welfare of their earthly city, to
promote justice, peace and brotherhood among men, to give their aid
freely to their brothers, especially to the poorest and most
unfortunate. The deep solicitude of the Church, the spouse of Christ,
for the needs of men, for their joys and hopes, their griefs and
efforts, is therefore nothing other than her great desire to be
present to them, in order to illuminate them with the Light of Christ
and to gather them all in Him, their only Savior. This solicitude can
never mean that the Church conform herself to the things of the world,
or that she lessen the ardor of her expectation of the Lord and of the
eternal Kingdom.
We believe in the life eternal. We believe that the souls of all
those who die in the grace of Christ, whether they must still be
purified in Purgatory, or whether from the moment they leave their
bodies Jesus takes them to Paradise as He did for the Good Thief, are
the People of God in the eternity beyond death, which will be finally
conquered on the day of the Resurrection when these souls will be
reunited with their bodies.
We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and
Mary forms the Church in Heaven, where in eternal beatitude they see
God as He is, and where they also, in different degrees, are
associated with the holy angels in the divine rule exercised by Christ
in glory, interceding for us and helping us in our weakness by their
brotherly care.
We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those
who are pilgrim on earth, the dead who are attaining their
purification,
and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we
believe that in this communion the merciful love of God and His Saints
is ever listening to our prayers, as Jesus told us: Ask and you will
receive. Thus it is with faith and in hope that we look forward to
the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Blessed be God Thrice Holy. Amen.
Pronounced infront of the Basilica of St. Peter, on June 30,
1968, the sixth year of our pontificate.
POPE PAUL VI
1010
THE
STANDING STONES
BOOK OF SHADOWS
by Scott Cunningham
excerpted from:
WICCA A Guide For The Solitary Practioner
PP. 111 - 187
1989, Llewellyn Publications
ISBN 0-87542-118-0
1011
WORDS TO THE WISE ....
O daughters andsons of theEarth, adore theGoddess and Godand
be blessed with the fullness of life.
Know thatThey havebrought youto thesewritings, forherein lie
our ways of the Craft, to serve and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the
tenders of the sacred flame of knowledge. Run the rites with love and
joy, and the Goddess and God will bless you with all that you need.
But those who practice dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath.
Remember thatyou are ofthe Craft. No moredo you trodthe ways
of doubt. You walk the path of light, ever climbing from shadow to
shadow to the highest realm of existence. But though we're the
bearers of truths, others do not wish to share our knowledge, so we
run our rites beneath moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we
are happy.
Live fully, forthat is the purpose of life. Refrain not from
earthly existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until
such time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till
we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call the
Goddess and God our kin.
Walk the fields andforests; be refreshedby the cool windsand
the touch of a nodding flower. The Moon and Sun sing in the ancient
wild places: The deserted seashore, the stark desert, the roaring
waterfall. We are of the Earth and should revere Her, so do Her
honor.
Celebratethe riteson theappropriate daysand seasons,and call
upon the Goddess and God when the time is meet, but use the Power only
when necessary, never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power
for harm is a Perversion of Life itself.
But for those who love and magnify love, the richness oflife
shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate.
So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!
1012
THE NATURE OF OUR WAY
* As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the
seashore, on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is
impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied
with fumes of flowers.
*Seek outwisdom inbooks, rare manuscriptsand crypticpoems if
you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and
in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and
the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is here that
the old secrets are preserved.
* Books contain words;trees contain energies andwisdom books
ne'er dreamt of.
* Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing
themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways
with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its
spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.
* Therecan be no monopolyon wisdom. Thereforeshare what you
will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from
the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases
their destruction.
* Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say
yours are greater in power or wisdom?
*Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do
shall return to you three-fold, good or bane.
* Be waryof one who would dominate you,who would control and
manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the
Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would
twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but welcome those
priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.
* Honorall living things,for we are ofthe bird, thefish, the
bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.
* And this is the nature of our way.
1013
BEFORE TIME WAS
Beforetime was, therewas The One;The One was all,and all was
The One.
Andthe vast expanseknown asthe universewas TheOne, all-wise,
all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.
And space moved. The Onemolded energy into twin forms,equal
but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The
One.
The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One,but
darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One.
So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and
planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes
and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.
Light aroseand the sky wasilluminated by a billionsuns. And
the Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and
were one.
From theirunion sprang the seedsof all life, andof the human
race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.
TheGoddess chose theMoon as Hersymbol, and theGod the Sun as
His symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.
All areborn, live, dieand are rebornbeneath the Sunand Moon;
all things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings
of The One, as has been the way of existence before time was.
1014
SONG OF THE GODDESS
I am the GreatMother, worshipped by all creationand existent
prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless
and eternal.
I am thechaste Goddessof the Moon,the Lady ofall magick. The
winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon
my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet
unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow.
Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.
I amthe blessed Mother,the gracious Lady ofthe harvest. I am
clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the
fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all
things come to fruition according to my reason. I am refuge and
healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.
Worship me as theCrone, tender of the unbrokencycle of death
and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the
tides of women and men and give release and renewal to weary souls.
Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my
gift.
I amthe Goddess of theMoon, the Earth,the Seas. Mynames and
strengths are manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and
wisdom. I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of
darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.
CALL OF THE GOD
I am the radiant King of the Heavens, floodingthe Earth with
warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into
manifestation. I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all
beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to flight
the powers of darkness.
I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the
swift stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.
The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of
the air sing of my sanctity.
I amalso the lastharvest, offering upgrain andfruits beneath
the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without planting
there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.
Worshipme as the thousand-namedSun of creation,the spirit of
the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly
cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such is
the destiny of all creation.
I am the sparkof life, the radiantSun, the giver of peaceand
rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and
strengthen the minds of all.
1015
THE CIRCLE OF STONES
The Circle of stonesis used during indoor rituals,for energy
raising, meditation and so on.
First cleanse the area with the ritual broom.
For this circle you willneed four large, flat stones. If you
have none, candles can be used to mark the four cardinal points of the
circle. White or purple candles can be used, as can colors related to
each direction - green for the North, yellow for East, red for South
and blue for West.
Placethe first stone(or candle) tothe North, torepresent the
Spirit of the North Stone. In ritual when you invoke the Spirits of
the Stones you're actually invoking all that resides in that
particular direction, including the elemental energies.
After setting theNorth Stone(or candle), placethe East,South
and West Stones. They should mark out a rough square, nearly
encompassing the working area. This square represents the physical
plane on which we exist - the Earth.
Nowtake a long purpleor white cordand lay it outin a circle,
using the four stones or candles to guide you. It takes a bit of
practice to smoothly do this. The cord should be placed so that the
stones remain inside the circle. Now you have a square and a circle,
the circle representing the spiritual reality. As such, this is a
squared circle; the place of interpenetration of the physical and
spiritual realms.
The size of the circle can be anything from 5 to 20 feet
depending on the room and your desires.
Next, set up the altar. The following tools are recommended:
* A Goddess symbol (candle, holed stone, statue)
* A God symbol (candle, horn, acorn, statue)
* Athame
* Wand
* Censer
* Pentacle
* A bowl of Water (spring, rain or tap)
* A bowl of Sea Salt (it can also be placed on the pentacle)
* Incense
* Flowers and greens
* One red candle in holder (if not using point candles)
* Anyother tools ormaterials requiredfor the ritual,spell or
magickal working
Set upthe altar accordingto theplan shown hereor accordingto
your own design. Also be sure to have plenty of matches, as well as a
small heat-proof container in which to place them when used. A
charcoal block is also necessary to burn the incense.
1016
Goddess God
Symbol or Symbol or
Candle Candle
Censer
Bowl of Red Bowl of
Water Candle Salt
Pentacle
Cup Incense
Cauldron,
or Spell
Wand Materials Knife
Bell Boline
Suggested Altar Layout
Light thecandles. Set theincense smoking. Lift theathame and
touch its blade to the water, saying:
I consecrate and cleanse this water
that it may be purified and fit to
dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.
In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,
I consecrate this water.
As you do this, visualize your athame blasting away all
negativity from the water.
The salt is next touched with the point of the athame while
saying:
I bless this salt that it may be fit
to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.
In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless this salt.
Now stand facing North,at the edge of thecord-marked circle.
Hold your athame point outward at waist level. Walk slowly around the
circle's perimeter clockwise, your feet just inside the cord, charging
it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your
visualization - with the power flowing out from your athame's blade.
As you walk, stretch the energy out until it forms a complete sphere
around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do
this say:
Here is the boundary of the Circle of Stones.
Naught but love shall enter in,
Naught but love shall emerge from within.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
1017
When youhave arrived backat the North,place the athameon the
altar. Take up the salt and sprinkle it around the circle, beginning
and ending in the North, and moving clockwise. Next, carry the
smoking censer from the altar, and finally sprinkle water around the
circle. Do more than carrying and walking; sense the substances
purifying the circle. The Circle of Stones is now sealed.
Holdaloft the wand atthe North, atthe edge ofthe circle, and
say:
O Spirit of the North Stone,
Ancient One of the Earth,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
As yousay this,visualize agreenish mistrising and writhingin
the Northern quarter, over the stone. This is the elemental energy of
the Earth. When the Spirit is present, lower the wand, move to the
East, raise it again and say:
O Spirit of the East Stone,
Ancient One of Air,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Visualize theyellowish mistof Airenergy. Lowerthe wand,move
to the South and repeat the following with your upraised wand,
visualizing a crimson Fire mist:
O Spirit of the South Stone,
Ancient One of Fire,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Finally, to the West, say with the wand held aloft:
O Spirit of the West Stone,
Ancient One of Water,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Visualize the bluish mist, the essence of Water.
The circle breaths and lives around you. The Spirits of the
Stones are present. Feel the energies. Visualize the circle glowing
and growing in power. Stand still, sensing for a moment.
The Circleof Stones is complete. The Goddess and God may be
called, and magick wrought.
1018
CUTTING A DOORWAY
At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of
course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle
dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut
a doorway.
Todo this,face Northeast. Hold yourathame pointdownward near
the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of
energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk
through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three
feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down
the other side until it is near the ground.
As you're doingthis, visualizethat area ofthe circle'senergy
being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing
passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's
wall. You're free to walk outside.
Onceback inside, close the door by placing the athame at the
lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the
circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the
Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out
from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is
done.
RELEASING THE CIRCLE
Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say:
Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone.
I give thanks for your presence here.
Go in power.
Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West,
substituting the proper direction in the words. Then return to the
North and hold the wand aloft for a few moments.
Lay the wandon the altar. Take up theathame. Standingin the
North, pierce the circle's wall with the blade at waist level. Move
clockwise around the circle, visualizing it's power being sucked back
into the athame. Literally pull it back into the blade and handle.
Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the outside world slowly
regaining its dominance in the area.
When you arrive at the North again, the circle is no more.
1019
VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE CIRCLE OF STONES
If you wish, you can back up the circle casting with the
following visualizations as you form the circle itself:
Prepare asusual. Approachthe Northand set theNorth Stone(or
the candle) on the ground. Then, visualize a stone slab standing
upright two feet to the left of and behind the North Stone. Visualize
this as being bluish-grey, two feet wide, two feet thick and six feet
tall. This stone represents the Goddess.
When thestone is really there- in your visualization- create
another stone of the same size and color two feet to the right of and
behind the North Stone. This represents the God.
Now visualize a capstone resting on top of the two upright
stones. It is about two feet by two feet by six feet. This
represents The One before the Goddess and God, the source of all power
and magick. The Northern Trilithon is now complete.
Thestones form anarchway, a symbolof the gatewayto the realm
of the element of Earth.
Firmlyvisualize this, then gazethrough the archformed by the
stones. See the greenish haze of the Earth energy.
Repeat the entire procedure to the East, South and West.
Visualize the appropriate elemental color within each trilithon.
Now purify salt and water,cast the circle as usual, andcarry
around the salt, censer, candle and water.
As youapproach each quarterto callits Spirit ofthe Stone,see
the trilithon firmly in your mind. Visualize it in all its Pagan
splendor. See the elemental hazes within them, boiling and writhing
in unmanifestedness. Stretch out with your feelings; sense the
arrival of the spirit of each stone, then go on to the next.
With practice this comes easily, but such visualizations are
never necessary.
THE BLESSING CHANT
The Blessing Chant can be said at the beginning of any type of ritual
as a general invocation. Separate invocations of the Goddess and God
may follow.
May the powers of The One,
the source of all creation;
all-pervasive, omnipotent, eternal;
may the Goddess,
the Lady of the Moon;
and the God,
Horned Hunter of the Sun;
may the powers of the Spirits of the Stones,
rulers of the elemental realms;
may the powers of the stars above and the Earth below,
bless this place, and this time, and I who am with you.
1020
THE SIMPLE FEAST
Hold up a Chalice of wine (or some other liquid) betweenyour
hands to the sky, and say:
Gracious Goddess of Abundance,
Bless this wine and infuse it with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless this wine (or brew, juice, etc.).
Hold upa plate ofcakes (bread,biscuits) with bothhands tothe
sky and say:
Powerful God of the Harvest,
Bless these cakes and infuse them with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless these cakes (or this bread).
CONSECRATION OF TOOLS
Lightthe candles. Set the incensesmoking. Castthe Circle of
Stones. Place the tool on the pentacle, or a plate of salt. Touch it
with the point of your athame (or your projective hand) and say:
Iconsecrate you, O Athame of steel(or wand of wood, etc.) to
cleanse and purify you to serve me within the Circle of Stones. In
the names of the Mother Goddess and Father God, you are consecrated.
Send projective energy into the tool, cleansing it of all
negativity and past associations. Now pick it up and sprinkle with
salt, pass it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame and
sprinkle with water, calling upon the Spirits of the Stones to
consecrate it.
Then hold the tool to the sky, saying:
I charge youby the OldOnes: By theomnipotent Goddess andGod:
By the virtues of the Sun, Moon and Stars: By the powers of the Earth,
Air, Fire and Water, that I shall obtain all that I desire through
you. Charge this by your power, Old Ones!
The toolshould immediately beput touse to strengthenand bind
the consecration. For example, the athame can be used to consecrate
another tool; a wand to invoke the Goddess; the pentacle to act as a
resting place for a tool during its consecration.
1021
THE FULL MOON RITE
Perform this at night,in the view ofthe Moon if possible. It
is appropriate for crescents, white flowers, silver and other lunar
symbols to be present on the altar for this ritual. The quartz
crystal sphere can be placed on the altar as well. Or, if you prefer,
use the cauldron (or a small white or silver bowl) filled with water.
Place a piece of silver into the water.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Stand beforethe altar andinvoke the Goddess andGod, with the
Blessing Chant and/or any other invocations (see Prayers, Chants and
Invocations in this Book of Shadows).
Now gaze at the Moon, ifpossible. Feel its energies sinking
into your body. Feel its cool Goddess energy wash you with power and
love.
Now say these or similar words:
Wondrous Lady of the Moon
You who greets the dusk with silvered kisses;
Mistress of the night and of all magicks,
who rides the clouds in blackened skies
and spills light upon the cold Earth;
O Lunar Goddess,
Crescented-One,
Shadow maker and shadow breaker;
Revealer of mysteries past and present;
Puller of seas and ruler of women;
All-wise Lunar Mother,
I greet your celestial jewel
at the waxing of its powers
With a rite in Your honor.
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon.
Continue chanting"I pray bythe Moon" foras long asyou will.
Visualize the Goddess if you so desire, perhaps as a tall, robust
woman wearing silver jewelry and white, rippling, draped clothing. A
crescent Moon may rest upon Her brow, or She may toss a glowing
silvery white orb in Her hands. She treads the starfield of eternal
night in an eternal round with Her lover, the Sun God, spreading
moonrays wherever She goes. Her eyes laugh, Her skin is white and
translucent. She glows.
Nowis the timefor magick ofall types, forthe full ofthe Moon
marks the height of its powers, and all positive spells cast then are
powerful.
FullMoons arealso excellenttimesfor meditation,mirror magick
and psychic workings, for such are often more successful within the
circle. Crystal-scrying is particularly recommended; flood the
crystal with moonlight prior to the ritual. If you have no crystal
sphere, use the cauldron filled with water and the piece of silver.
Gaze at the water (or at the Moon glinting on the silver) to awaken
your psychic awareness.
1022
Lunar liquids such as lemonade, milk or white wine can be
consumed during the simple feast that follows. Crescent cakes are
traditional as well.
Thank the Goddess and God and release the circle. It is done.
YULE (circa December 21)
Thealtar isadorned withevergreens suchas pine,rosemary, bay,
juniper and cedar, and the same can be laid to mark the Circle of
Stones. Dried leaves can also be placed on the altar.
The cauldron, resting onthe altar on a heat-proofsurface (or
placed before it if too large), should be filled with ignitable spirit
(alcohol), or a red candle can be placed within it. At outdoor rites,
lay a fire within the cauldron to be lit during ritual.
Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the cauldron and gaze within it. Say these or
similar words:
I sorrow not,
though the world is wrapped in sleep.
I sorrow not,
though the icy winds blast.
I sorrow not,
though the snow falls hard and deep.
I sorrow not,
this too shall soon be past.
Ignitethe cauldron (or candle),using long matchesor a taper.
As the flame(s) leap up say:
I light this fire in Your honor,
Mother Goddess
You have created life from death;
warmth from cold;
The Sun lives once again;
the time of light is waxing.
Welcome,
ever-returning God of the Sun!
Hail Mother of All!
Circle the altar andcauldron slowly, clockwise, watching the
flames. Say the following chant for some time:
The wheel turns; the power burns.
Meditate upon the Sun,on the hidden energies lyingdormant in
winter, not only in the Earth but within ourselves. Think of birth
not as the start of life but as its continuance. Welcome the return
of the God.
1023
After a time cease and stand once again before the altar and
flaming caldron. Say:
Great God of the Sun,
I welcome Your return.
May You shine brightly upon the Goddess;
may You shine brightly upon the Earth,
scattering seeds and fertilizing the land.
All blessings upon You,
reborn One of the Sun!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
YULE LORE
Onetraditional Yuletidepractice isthe creationof aYule tree.
This can be a living, potted tree which can later be planter in the
ground, or a cut one. The choice is yours.
Appropriate Pagandecorations are fun to make,from strings of
dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks (or popcorn and cranberries) for
garlands, to bags of fragrant spices which are hung from boughs.
Quartz crystals can be wrapped with shiny wire and suspended from
sturdy branches to resemble icicles. Apples, oranges and lemons
hanging from boughs are strikingly beautiful, natural decorations, and
were customary in ancient times.
Many enjoy the custom of lighting the Yule log. This is a
graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred
fire of the Mother Goddess. If you choose to burn one, select a
proper log (traditionally of oak or pine). Carve or chalk a figure of
the Sun (such as a rayed disc) or the God (a horned circle or a figure
of a man) upon it, with the Boline, and set it alight in the fireplace
at dusk on Yule. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within
it and think of the coming warmer days.
As to food, nuts, fruits such as apples and pears, cakes of
caraways soaked in cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are
traditional fare. Wassail, lambswool, hibiscus or ginger tea and fine
drinks for the Simple Feast or Yule Meals.
1024
IMBOLC (February 2)
Asymbol ofthe season, suchas arepresentation ofa snow flake,
a white flower, or perhaps some snow in a crystal container can be
placed on the altar. An orange candle anointed with musk, cinnamon,
frankincense or rosemary oil, unlit, should also be there. Snow can
be melted and used for the water during the circle casting.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Say such words as the following:
This is the time of the feast of torches,
when every lamp blazes and shines
to welcome the rebirth of the God.
I celebrate the Goddess,
I celebrate the God;
all Earth celebrates
Beneath its mantle of sleep.
Light the orange taper fromthe red candle on the altar(or at
the Southern point of the circle). Slowly walk the circle clockwise,
bearing the candle before you. Say these or similar words:
All the land is wrapped in winter.
The air is chilled and frost envelops the Earth.
But Lord of the Sun,
Horned One of animals and wild places,
unseen you have been reborn of the gracious Mother Goddess,
Lady of all fertility.
Hail Great God!
Hail and welcome!
Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze atits
flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed
energy and strength.
If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal
time.
Works of magic, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
IMBOLC LORE
It istraditional uponImbolc, atsunset or justafter ritual,to
light every lamp in the house - if only for a few moments. Or, light
candles in each room in honor of the Sun's rebirth. Alternately,
light a kerosene lamp with a red chimney and place this in a prominent
part of the home or in a window.
If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment,
recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an
image of the Sun on the snow.
1025
Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the
dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes
are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honor of the Sun are equally
attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks,
shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes
containing raisins - all foods symbolic of the Sun - are also
traditional.
OSTARA (circa March 21)
Flowersshould belaid onthe altar,placed around thecircle and
strewn on the ground. The cauldron can be filled with spring water
and flowers, and buds and blossoms may be worn as well. A small
potted plant should be placed on the altar.
Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God in whatever words please you.
Stand before the altar and gaze upon the plant as you say:
O Great Goddess,
you have freed yourself from the icy prison of winter.
Now is the greening,
when the fragrance of flowers drifts on the breeze.
This is the beginning.
Life renews itself by Your magick,
the Earth Goddess.
The God stretches and rises,
eager in His youth,
and bursting with the promise of summer.
Touch theplant. Connect with itsenergies and, throughit, all
nature. Travel inside its leaves and stems through your visualization
- from the center of your consciousness out through your arm and
fingers and into the plant itself. Explore its inner nature; sense
the miraculous processes of life at work within it.
After a time, still touching the plant, say:
I walk the Earth in friendship,
not in dominance.
Mother Goddess and Father God,
instillwithinme throughthis plantawarmth forall living
things.
Teach me to revere the Earth and all its treasures.
May I never forget.
Meditate uponthe changing of theseasons. Feelthe rousing of
energies around you in the Earth.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
1026
EOSTRA LORE
A traditional VernalEquinox pastime:go to afield andrandomly
collect wildflowers [Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before
picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in "An
Herbal Grimoire" elsewhere in this Book of Shadows]. Or buy some from
a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring
them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your
own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you've
chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.
It isimportant at thistime ofrenewed life toplan a walk(or a
ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green
places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other
mission. It isn't even just an appreciation of nature. Make your
walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself.
Other traditionalactivities include plantingseeds, workingon
magickal gardens and practicing all forms of herb work - magickal,
medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic.
Foods intune with thisday (linkingyour meals withthe seasons
is a fine way of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds,
such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts.
Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.
Flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also
find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make
spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation
petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made
with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.]
BELTANE (April 30)
If possible,celebrate Beltanein a forestor neara livingtree.
If this is impossible, bring a small tree within the circle,
preferably potted; it can be of any type.
Create a small token or charm in honor of the wedding of the
Goddess and God to hang upon the tree. You can make several if you
desire. These tokens can be bags filled with fragrant flowers,
strings of beads, carvings, flower garlands - whatever your talents
and imagination can conjure.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised:
O Mother Goddess,
Queen of the night and of the Earth;
O Father God,
King of the day and of the forest,
IcelebrateYour unionas naturerejoicesin ariotous blaze
of color and life.
Accept my gift,
Mother Goddess and Father God,
in honor of Your union.
1027
Place the token(s) on the tree.
From Your mating shall spring forth life anew;
a profusion of living creatures shall cover the lands,
and the winds will blow pure and sweet.
O Ancient Ones,
I celebrate with You!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
BELTANE LORE
Weavingand plaiting are traditionalarts at thistime of year,
for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the
spirit of Beltane.
Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as
marigold custard (see recipes - food) and vanilla ice cream are fine.
Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate.
MIDSUMMER (circa June 21)
Before the rite, make upa small cloth pouch filled withherbs
such as lavender, chamomile, St. John's Wort, vervain, or any of the
Midsummer herbs listed in "An Herbal Grimoire." Mentally pour all
your troubles, problems, pains, sorrows and illnesses, if any, into
this petition as you construct it. Tie it shut with a red string.
Place this on the altar for use during the rite. The cauldron should
also be there or nearby. Even if you use candles to mark the
quarters, the red candle in a holder should also be on the altar. For
outdoor rituals, light a fire - however small - and drop the pouch
into this.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised:
I celebrate the noon of summer with mystic rites.
O great Goddess and God,
allnaturevibrateswith YourenergiesandtheEarth isbathed
with warmth and life.
Now is the time of forgetting past cares and banes;
O fiery Sun,
burn away the unuseful,
the hurtful,
the bane,
in Your omnipotent power.
Purify me!
Purify me!
Purify me!
1028
Lay thewand onthe altar. Take up theherbal petitionand light
it in the red candle on the altar (or, if outdoors, the ritual fire).
When it is burning drop it into the cauldron (or some other heat-proof
container) and say:
I banish you by the powers of the Goddess and God!
I banish you by the powers of the Sun,
Moon and Stars!
I banish you by the powers of the Earth,
Air,
Fire and Water!
Pause,seeing thehurts andpains burninginto nothingness. Then
say:
O Gracious Goddess,
O Gracious God,
onthis night of Midsummermagick I pray that You
charge my life with wonder and joy.
Help me in attuning with the energies adrift on the
enchanted night air.
I give thanks.
Reflect upon the purification you have undergone. Feel the
powers of nature flowing through you, washing you clean with divine
energy.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
MIDSUMMER LORE
Midsummeris practically theclassic time toperform magicks of
all kinds. Healings, love magick and protections are especially
suitable. Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're
celebrating outdoors. Leap the fire for purification and renewed
energy.
Fresh fruits are standard fare for Midsummer.
1029
LUGHNASADH (August 1)
Placeupon the altarsheaves of wheat,barley or oats,fruit and
breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to
represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be
present there as well.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar, holding aloft the sheaves of grain,
saying these or similar words:
Now is the time of the First Harvest,
when thebounties ofnaturegive ofthemselvesso thatwemay
survive.
O God of the ripening fields,
Lord of the Grain,
grant methe understanding ofsacrifice as Youprepare to
deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the
lands of eternal summer.
O Goddess of the Dark Moon,
teachmethe secretsofrebirth asthe Sunlosesits strength
and the nights grow cold.
Rub theheads of the wheatwith your fingers sothat the grains
fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savoring its
flavour, and say:
I partake of the first harvest,
mixing itsenergieswithmine thatImay continuemyquestfor
the starry wisdom of perfection.
O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,
gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses,
I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth.
May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the
Mother's breast,
ensuring rebirth in the warmth of the coming Spring.
Consume the rest of the fruit.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
1030
LUGHNASADH LORE
It is appropriate toplant the seedsfrom the fruit consumedin
ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of
your connection with the Goddess and God.
Wheat weaving (the making of corn dollies, etc.) is an
appropriate activity for Lughnasadh. Visits to fields, orchards,
lakes and wells are also traditional.
The foods of Lughnasadh include bread, blackberries and all
berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all
grains and locally ripe produce. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider
is used in place of wine.
If youdo make afigure of theGod from bread,it can beused for
the Simple Feast.
MABON (circa September 21)
Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress
cones, ears of corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also
place there a small rustic basket filled with dried leaves of various
colors and kinds.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Standbefore the altar, holdingaloft the basketof leaves, and
slowly scatter them so that they cascade to the ground within the
circle. Say such words as these:
Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You,
O Great Sun God,
sail toward the West to the lands of
Eternal Enchantment.,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drop,
the hours of day and night are balanced.
Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments.
In this seeming extinction of nature's power,
O Blessed Goddess,
I know that life continues.
For spring is impossible without the second harvest,
as surely as life is impossible without death.
Blessings upon You,
O Fallen God,
as You journey into the lands of winter
and into the Goddess' loving arms.
1031
Place the basket down and say:
O Gracious Goddess of all fertility,
Ihave sownandreapedthe fruitsofmy actions,goodandbane.
Grantme the courageto plantseeds of joyand lovein the coming
year,
banishing misery and hate.
Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet,
O Luminous One of the Night!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
MABON LORE
A traditional practice is to walk wild places and forests,
gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to
decorate the home; others saved for future herbal magick.
The foods ofMabon consistof the secondharvest's gleanings,so
grains, fruit and vegetables predominate, especially corn. Corn bread
is traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash.
1032
Samhain (October 31)
Placeupon thealtarapples, pomegranates,pumpkins, squashesand
other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such as marigolds and
chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a piece of paper an aspect of
your life which you may wish to be free of; anger, a baneful habit,
misplaced feelings, disease. The cauldron or some similar tool must
be present before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other
heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A small, flat
dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel symbol should also be there.
[This is just what it sounds like. On a flat plate or dish, paint a
large circle. Put a dot in the center of this circle and paint eight
spokes radiating out from the dot to the larger circle. Thus, you
have a wheel symbol - a symbol of the Sabbats, a symbol of
timelessness.]
Prior toritual, sit quietlyand thinkof friends andloved ones
who have passed away. Do not despair. Know that they have gone on to
greater things. Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't the
absolute reality, and souls never die.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Lift one of the pomegranates and, with your freshly-washed
Boline, pierce the skin of the fruit. Remove several seeds and place
them on the wheel-marked dish.
Raise your wand, face the altar and say:
On this night of Samhain I mark Your passing,
O Sun King,
through the sunset into the Land of the Young.
I mark also the passing of all who have gone before,
and all who will go after.
O Gracious Goddess,
Eternal Mother,
You who gives birth to the fallen,
teach meto know that inthe time of the greatest
darkness there is the greatest light.
Taste the pomegranate seeds; burst them with your teeth and
savour their sharp, bittersweet flavour. Look down as the
eight-spoked symbol on the plate; the Wheel of the Year, the Cycle of
the Seasons, the End and Beginning of all Creation.
Light a firewithin the cauldron(a candle isfine). Sitbefore
it, holding the piece of paper, gazing at its flames. Say:
Wise One of the Waning Moon,
Goddess of the Starry Night,
I createthis firewithin Your cauldronto transform
that which is plaguing me.
May the energies be reversed:
From the darkness, light!
From bane, good!
From death, birth!
1033
Light thepaper in thecauldron's flames anddrop it inside. As
it burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves
you as it is consumed within the universal fires. [The cauldron, seen
as the Goddess.]
If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other form of
divination, for this is a perfect time to look into the past or
future. Try to recall past lives too, if you will. But leave the
dead in peace. Honor them with your memories but do not call them to
you. [Many Pagans do attempt to communicate with their deceased
ancestors and friends at this time, but it seems to me that if we
accept the doctrine of reincarnation, this is a rather strange
practice. Perhaps the personalities that we knew still exist, but if
the soul is currently incarnate in another body, communication would
be difficult, to say the least. Thus, it seems best to remember them
with peace and love - but do not call them up.] Release any pain and
sense of loss you may feel into the cauldron's flames.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
SAMHAIN LORE
It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food
outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the
window guides them to the Lands of Eternal Summer, and burying apples
in the hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey.
Forfood, beets,turnips,apples, corn,nuts, gingerbread,cider,
mulled wines and pumpkin dishes are appropriate, as are meat dishes
(once again, if you're not vegetarian. If so, tofu seems ritually
correct).
1034
A RITUAL OF GESTURES
Stand in the ritualarea. Stillyour thoughts. Breathedeeply
for half a minute or so until composed and calm. Turn your mind to
our Deities.
Face North. Lift bothhands to waistheight, palms down. Press
your fingers together, creating two solid, flat planes. Sense
solidity, foundation, fertility. Invoke the powers of the Earth
through the gesture.
Moments Later, turn toward the East. Raise your hands a foot
higher, your palms facing away from you (no longer parallel with the
ground), and elbows slightly bent. Spread your fingers and hold this
position, sensing movement and communication. Invoke the forces of
Air through the gesture.
Face South. Lift your handsfully above yourhead. Keepingthe
elbows straight, grasp your fingers into tight fists. Feel force,
power, creation and destruction. Invoke the forces of Fire through
the gesture.
Turn to the West. Lower your hands a foot or so. Bend the
elbows, turn your palms upward and cup them, pressing the thumbs
against the forefingers. Sense fluidity, the ocean, liquidity.
Invoke the forces of Water through the gesture.
Face Northagain. Throw yourhead back and raiseboth hands to
the sky, palms up, fingers spread. Drink in the essence of The One,
the unknowable, unapproachable ultimate source of all. Sense the
mysteries within the universe.
Lower your projective hand (your writing hand) but keep your
receptive hand high. Pressing the third, forth and fifth fingers
against the palm, lift the forefinger and thumb to create a rough
crescent shape. Sense the reality of the Goddess. Sense Her love,
Her fertility, Her compassion. Sense the powers of the Moon in the
gesture; the force of the eternal seas - the presence of the Goddess.
Lower your receptivehand; liftyour projective hand. Benddown
the middle and forth fingers toward the palm, and trap them with the
thumb. Lift the forefinger and little finger up to the sky, creating
a horned image. Sense the reality of the God. Sense the power of the
Sun in the gesture; the untamed energies of the woodlands - the
presence of the God.
Lower yourprojective hand. Laydown flat. Spread yourlegs and
arms until you've created the pattern of a pentagram. Sense the
powers of the elements running through you; merging and coalescing
into your being. Sense them as emanations from The One, the Goddess
and God.
Meditate. Commune. Communicate.
When finished, simply stand up. Your rite of gestures is over.
1035
THE LAW OF THE POWER
1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or
control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to
protect your life or the life of others.
2. The Power is used only as need dictates.
3.The Power can be usedfor your own gain, aslong as by doing
so you harm none.
4.It is unwiseto accept money forthe use ofthe Power, for it
quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions.
5. Use not the Power forprideful gain, for such cheapens the
mysteries of the Craft and magick.
6. Everremember that the Poweris a sacred giftof the Goddess
and God, and should never be misused or abused.
7. And this is the Law of the Power.
INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS
Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Elements of Astral birth,
I call you now; attend to me!
In the circle, rightly cast,
Safe from psychic curse or blast,
I call you now, attend to me!
From cave and desert, sea and hill,
By blade and wand, cup and pentacle,
I call you now; attend to me!
This is my will, so mote it be!
[This invocation may be chanted while moving or dancing around the
altar to raise elemental energy for magickal workings.]
PRAYERS, CHANTS AND INVOCATIONS
OF AND TO
THE GODDESS AND GOD
These prayers can be used toinvoke the Goddess and Godduring
ritual, just after the circle casting. Of course, any which you
compose or are inspired to say and be used as well.
A fewchants arealso includedto raise energyor tocommune with
the deities.
Someof theseinvocations rhyme, andsome donot. But recall the
power of rhyme - it link our conscious mind to the unconscious or
psychic mind, thereby producing ritual consciousness.
Some of these are related to specific deities but, as Dion
Fortune wrote: "All the gods are one god; and all the goddesses are
one goddess, and there is only one initiator."
1036
INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS
Crescent One of the starry skies, Flowered One of the fertile plan,
Flowing One of the ocean's sighs,
Blessed One of the gentle rain;
Hear my chant 'midst the standing stones,
Open me to your mystic light;
Waken me to your silver tones,
Be with me in my sacred rite!
INVOCATION TO PAN
O Great God Pan,
Beast and man,
Shepherd of goats and Lord of the Land,
I call you to attend my rites
On this most magickal of nights.
God of the wine,
God of the vine,
God of the fields and God of the kine,
Attend my circle with your love
And send Your blessings from above.
Help me to heal;
Help me to feel;
Help me to bring forth love and weal.
Pan of the forests, Pan of the glade,
Be with me as my magick is made!
ISIS INVOCATION
Isis of the Moon,
You who are all that ever was,
All that is,
And all that shall be:
Come, veiled Queen of Night!
Come as the scent of the sacred lotus
Charging my circle
With love and magick.
Do descend upon my circle,
I pray,
O Blessed Isis!
PRAYER TO THE HORNED GOD
Horned One of the wilderness,
Winged One of the shining skies,
Rayed One of the spen'drous Sun,
Fallen One of the Samhain cries-
I call amidst the standing stones
Praying that You, O Ancient One,
Will deign to bless my mystic rites-
O fiery Lord of the Blazing Sun!
1037
NEW MOON CHANT TO DIANA
Waxing, waxing, growing, growing-
Diana's power is flowing, flowing.
(repeat)
CALL TO THE GOD
Ancient God of the forest deeps,
Master of beast and Sun;
Here where the world is hushed and sleeps
Now that the day is done.
I call You in the ancient way
Here in my circle round,
Asking that You will hear me pray
And send Your Sun force down.
INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS
Gracious Goddess,
You who are the Queen of the Gods,
The lamp of night,
the creator of all that is wild and free;
Mother of woman and man;
Lover of the Horned God and protectress of all the Craft:
Descend, I pray,
With Your Lunar ray of power
Upon my circle here!
INVOCATION TO THE GOD
Blazing God,
You who are the King of the Gods,
Lord of the Sun,
Master of all that is wild and free;
Father of woman and man,
Lover of the Moon Goddess and protector of all the Craft:
Descend I pray,
With you Solar ray of power
Upon my circle here!
GODDESS CHANT
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
Bless me, bless me, bless me, Diana,
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
(repeat)
1038
EVENING CHANT TO THE GOD
Hail fair Sun,
Ruler of day;
Rise on the morn
To light my way.
(to be said while watching the sunset)
EVENING CHANT TO THE GODDESS
Hail fair Moon
Ruler of night;
Guard me and mine
Until the light.
(to be said while Moon-gazing at night)
GODDESS CHANT
Aaaaaaaaaaaaah
Oooooooooooooh
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Eeeeeeeeeeeeee
Iiiiiiiiiiiiii
[These are obviously, the vowels of the English language. Pronounce
them as: A-"Ah," O-"O," U-"Oo," E-"E," I-"Eye." Extend the vowels as
you vocalize them, stretch the sounds. This produces Goddess
awareness, and rouses the psychic mind]
1039
THE LORE OF NUMBERS
To be used in ritual and magickal workings. In general, odd
numbers are related to women, receptive energy and the Goddess; even
numbers to men, projective energy and the God.
1. The universe; The One; the source of all.
2. The Goddess and God; The perfect duality; projective and
receptive energy; the couple; personal union with deity;
interpenetration of the physical and spiritual; balance.
3. The Triple Goddess; the Lunar phases; the physical, mental and
spiritual aspects of our species.
4. The elements; the Spirits of the Stones; the winds; the
seasons.
5. The senses; the pentagram; the elements plus Akasha; a Goddess
number.
7. The planets which the ancients knew; the time of the Lunar
phase; power; protection and magick.
8. The number of Sabbats; a number of the God.
9. A number of the Goddess.
13. The number of Esbats; a fortunate number.
15. A number of good fortune.
21. The number of Sabbats and Esbats in the Pagan year; a number of
the Goddess.
28. A number of the Moon; a number of the goddess.
101. The number of fertility.
The planets are numbered thus:
Saturn 3 Venus 7
Jupiter 4 Mercury 8
Mars 5 Moon 9
Sun 6
1040
THIRTEEN GOALS OF A WITCH
I. Know yourself
II. Know your Craft (Wicca)
III. Learn
IV. Apply knowledge with wisdom
V. Achieve balance
VI. Keep your words in good order
VII. Keep your thoughts in good order
VIII. Celebrate life
IX. Attune with the cycles of Terra
X. Breathe and eat correctly
XI. Exercise the body
XII. Meditate
XIII. Honor the Goddess and God
RECIPES FOR FOOD
CRESCENT CAKES
1 cup firmly ground almonds
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 drops almond extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
Combinealmonds, flour,sugarand extractuntil thoroughlymixed.
with the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well-blended. Chill
dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pinch off pieces of dough
about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents. Place on greased
sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve during Simple Feast,
especially at Esbats.
1041
BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSTARD
2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
whipped cream
Using a cleanmortar and pestle reservedfor cooking purposes,
pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar
and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla
bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and
dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon,
add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.
SOFT MEAD
1 quart water, preferably spring water
1 cup honey
1 sliced lemon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While
boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden spoon. When no
more rises add the following:
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
Strain andcool. Drinkin placeof alcoholic meador wineduring
the Simple Feast.
BEVERAGES
If you wish to avoid the use of wine, which has long been
utilized in religious and magickal rites, there are many other
beverages that can be used to toast the Goddess and God. These
include (but certainly aren't limited to):
Sabbats: apple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice,
orange juice, pineapple juice, black tea, soft mead,
guava nectar, cinnamon coffee, ginger tea, hibiscus tea
Esbats: lemonade, apricot nectar, mango nectar, pear
nectar, papaya nectar, peach nectar, jasmine tea, peppermint
tea, rosebud tea, milk
1042
RECIPES FOR INCENSES
To make incenses, simply grind the ingredients and mix them
together. As you mix, sense their energies. Burn on charcoal blocks
in the censer during ritual.
CIRCLE INCENSE
4 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
2 parts Benzoin
1 part Sandalwood
1/2 part Cinnamon
1/2 part Rose petals
1/4 part Vervain
1/4 part Rosemary
1/4 part Bay
Burn in the circle for all types of rituals and spells.
Frankincense, myrrh and benzoin should definitely constitute the bulk
of the mixture.
ALTAR INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Cinnamon
Burn as a general incense on the altar to purify it and to
promote ritual consciousness during rituals.
FULL MOON RITUAL INCENSE
2 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Frankincense
1/2 part Gardenia petals
1/4 part Rose petals
a few drops Ambergris oil
Burn during Esbats or simply at the time of the Full Moon to
attune with the Goddess.
SPRING SABBAT INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Sandalwood
1 part Benzoin
1 part Cinnamon
a few drops Patchouly oil
Burn during spring and summer Sabbat rituals.
1043
FALL SABBAT INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Rosemary
1 part Cedar
1 part Juniper
Burn during fall and winter Sabbat rituals.
RECIPES FOR OILS
To create oils, simply mix themin a bottle. Wear for ritual
purposes.
SABBAT OIL #1
3 parts Patchouly
2 parts Musk
1 part Carnation
Wear to the Sabbats to promote communion with the deities.
SABBAT OIL #2
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Myrrh
1 part Carnation
1 part Allspice
Use as the above formula.
FULL MOON OIL #1
4 parts Gardenia
2 parts Lotus
1 part Jasmine
Anoint the body prior to Esbats to attune with Lunar energies.
FULL MOON OIL #2
3 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Lemon
1 part Rose
Another like the above.
1044
GODDESS OIL
3 parts Rose
2 parts Gardenia
1 part Lemon
1 part Lotus
1 part Ambergris
Wear to honor the Goddess during rituals.
HORNED GOD OIL
2 parts Frankincense
2 parts Cinnamon
1 part Bay
1 part rosemary
1 part Musk
Wear to honor the Horned God during rituals.
ALTAR OIL
4 parts Frankincense
3 parts Myrrh
1 part Galangal
1 part Vervain
1 part Lavender
Anoint thealtar withthis oilat regularintervals topurify and
empower it.
1045
OF GATHERING FLOWERS, HERBS AND PLANTS:
Before cutting with the Boline, attune with the plantthrough
visualization. Feel its energies. As you cut, say these or similar
words:
Olittle plant of (name, such as hyssop, etc.) I ask
that you give of your bounty that it may aid me in my work. Grow
stronger by my stroke, stronger and more powerful, O
plant of (name)!
If it isa tree, substitute theappropriate word (tree ofoak).
Gently cut only what you need, and never from very young plants or
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