1501
Susan Gale, a Philadelphia wife and mother and self-described
"radical feminist witch not yet out of the broom closet" in her
neighborhood: "There's a pain that's in young women even a decade
after feminism. I was raised in a tough poor working-class neighbor-
hood. My mother was a German Protestant, my father an Italian Catho-
lic. I was raised as a very religious Presbyterian, but it didn't
matter that I was the most brilliant student in my religion class -
there wasn't a place for me as a minister. Deacons and ministers were
men. And a lot of it rubbed me the wrong way: the anti-sexuality,
anti-sensuality, the guilt and sin and punishment rather than joy.
From the time I was a little kid, I couldn't accept redemptive suffer-
ing. Why is the central metaphor of most religions the bloody violent
death of a male? Why is it not birth?"
Invoking the Spirit
Starhawk signs her books"Blessed be." It is alsoher greeting
and her Amen.
In alarge room set up withflowers, crystals, trinkets and copies
of her books, she presided recently at a women's ritual at the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania's Christian Association.
"Where would you likethe altar?" asked a participantbefore the
candles encased in glass were set on a brightly colored cloth in the
center of the room.
Two hundred womenof similarmind-sets - butvarying ages,religi-
ons, occupations and sexual orientations - were ready to join Starhawk
at the three-hour, $40 event. Another couple of hundred men and women
arrived later that evening for Starhawk's lecture.
People like GeelaRazael Raphael,a rabbinical studentwho wasone
of the event's organizers. "Starhawk is a spiritual leader, a women's
spirituality leader," says Raphael. "As a potential rabbi wanting to
be a spiritual leader, I want to see as many role models as I can. Her
form of non-hierarchical religion can be used in more traditional
practice."
In person, the 40ishpriestess looks not unlike theonetime tall
Jewish girl from Los Angeles she used to be. But her soft-voiced,
authoritative presence and staccato chanting and drumming command her
sessions with surprising power.
Women wear comfortable clothing: jeans, skirts, sweaters, tie-dye
revisited. A majority tend to be of a certain size - the goddess
religion rejoices in the female body. There are many embraces. Net-
working materials are exchanged. Before casting the formal circle that
so many women's rituals start out with, Starhawk encourages the
youngest and strongest in the group to form an inner circle around the
altar.
Starhawk warms up the group with physical and vocal stretches. As
participants form a larger ring around the inner one, she "casts" the
ritual circle, theoretically making the space within it a special
place. Candles representing the four directions and the Earth's center
are lit. Earth, air, fire and water are invoked.
Women stand and sway as she drums, urging them to find their
centers, their connectedness, often against the background of a simple
chant:
"Rising, rising, the earth is rising.
Turning turning, the tide is turning.
Changing changing, she changes everything she touches.
Changing, changing, and everything she touches changes."
1502
Like many women's ritualleaders, Starhawk uses such chantsas a
kind of surrogate liturgy. Presented at different moments that morn-
ing, the lilting song she teaches is used as a blessing, a uniting
force, a backdrop to movement and dance.
Starhawk leads the groupthrough a series ofactivities - somethat
draw upon the circle as a whole, some small group discussions, guided
visualizations. "What kind of a body are you in?" she asks. "Look at
your body. How does it feel?"
Some people writhe. Others beat time to the drums. Some stand
awkwardly (earlier she assured them not to worry if they feel ill at
ease). Some look dubious.
Tofocus the visualization evenmore, Starhawk takesthe group to
an imaginary crossroads in the sky. "Close your eyes," she says.
"Reach out and feel and touch and smell these roads until you find one
that feels like a road in the future. Go down the road. Know you can
come back to this place of power because it is you. And remember there
are many roads to the future. The road you chose is only one pos-
sibility."
The session endswith a grandfinale "spiral dance"- clockwiseto
invoke, then counterclockwise to release. "Anything you want to do
involves both," she says.
A giftedspeaker with an easysense of humor, Starhawkis equally
at home beating time in the center of a ritual or working the crowd at
the podium of a lecture hall. She is also at home with what she calls
the "W" word ("witch"). "Unless we understand it, we don't know why a
powerful woman is so threatening and so frightening," she says. "There
was a 400-year reign of terror particularly directed against women who
were then burned alive," she says, likening the witch hunts to the
African slave trade, the Holocaust.
Starhawk became interested in witchcraft in her late teenswhen
she and a friend did a student seminar on the subject at UCLA. Now she
is at the forefront of a movement to reclaim the word for positive
use. (Male witches also use the word rather than warlock, which means
traitor.)
For mostpeople, of course,the word "witch" conjuresup an image
of a crinkled old woman you wouldn't want your children to talk to.
But the picture of the craft that emerges within today's women's
spirituality movement (and that is reinforced by Starhawk's Philadel-
phia ritual) is a combination of group therapy, positive thinking,
stretching exercises, guided visualization, song and dance - and even
pot luck.
Its goddess- and nature-orientedprecepts are similar tothe Old
Religion of prehistoric times and societies that fell victim to the
witch hunts and persecutions of medieval and renaissance Europe. It is
earth-centered, individualistic and peace-loving.
Starhawk spends about a third of her time teaching ritual and
spreading the
faith at college campuses and other forums around the country, and in
Canada. She feels that people crave it. "Even people who live in
cities - like most of us - are still connected to the cycles of
nature," she says. "Doing ritual that helps you affirm that helps us
not to feel cut off from the larger life around us, the actual life
support systems that sustain our lives."
1503
Women's Rites
Spring,with itsvivid reminders ofthe cycle ofbirth and death
andrebirth, is a fertile time for the rituals of women's spirituality.
Look at some recent manifestations in the Washington area:
Last month, attracted by a flier heralding a celebration of the
goddess ("dancing, singing, drumming, healing, creativity, inspira-
tion, discovery, nurturing and goddess games"), 21 women gathered in a
conference center in Potomac in honor of the spring equinox. "The day
was designed for women who wanted to bring out the goddess within
them," says organizer Nancy Smith, a seminar leader who specializes in
stress management and massage therapy.
120 men, women and children turned up last month for a feminist
Seder (for Holy Thursday as well as Passover) put on by the Silver
Spring-based WATER. Now a place where Christian and Jewish women can
come together for a feminist interpretation of religious rituals,
WATER was created by Diann Neu and Mary Hunt, two Catholic theologian-
s, in 1983. They send out 10,000 newsletters, stage workshops, con-
ferences and lectures, hold ecumenical monthly breakfasts for women in
ministry, publish books and act as an all-purpose feminist resource.
On April 14, the new moon heralded the Jewish celebration of Rosh
Hodosh. A group of women interested in finding or creating ritual
specifically for Jewish women gathered in a Silver Spring home in
honor of the occasion. Instead of going ahead with their scheduled
topic - the redefinition of God in non-masculine terms - the group
(representing a 30-year age span) shared its feelings and prayed (to
the feminine aspect of god) about the recent death of a 42-year-old
friend.
Atthe All Souls Church in the District a smaller group of women is
currently investigating women's religious history each Sunday after-
noon through "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven," a 10-part correspondence
course available through the Unitarian Universalist Church. Bev Tubby,
who took the course last year, is one of the conveners this year. "In
spite of everything that's been written about feminism and role
differences, women really do bring a wonderfully strong view to this
world," she says. "We do have a different perspective - it has to do
with the human context and human relationships. If women are not
cognizant of their spiritual history, they are missing out on a more
complete identity that can help form our ideas of who we are and what
we want to do in this world and how we're going to do it."
And June 6, "Kestryl & Company," the first of six biweekly talk
shows about contemporary witchcraft will air on Arlington Community
Cable, Channel 33. Produced by Cheryl Ann Costa, a computer program-
mer and third-degree Wicca high priestess, and moderated by Erica
Angell (known as Kestryl), a housewife and second-degree high pries-
tess, the show will feature high priests, magical tool makers, tarot
experts and pagan bards. "Many people are looking for a way to plug
into The Craft," says Costa. This is an easy way to do it.
Havingcast their lotwith an enlargedview ofthe sacred, these
women, like many others all over the country, are looking to the
spiritual as a hope for the future.
"It's life-giving for me to be a part of it, and tocreate it,"
says WATER's Neu.
"What I keep coming back to is that there is a growing power
within women. We are breaking all kinds of silences. Things are
happening because there are more and more groups where women feel
safe. My hope is that we'll keep creating these safe spaces where
being together as men and women is possible."
1504
The 12 steps and Shamanism
by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network at
1-703-362-1139 copyright by PAN and Harvest ( a pagan newsletter at
box 228 S. Framinham MA 01701 - $13. per year)
Author's note - this article was first published by me under the name
JUKNO in Harvest's Yule edition, 1989.
Recently a local charecter in Alcoholics Anonymous here in the Wor-
cester MA. area died. His name was "John the Indian" (he identified
himself this way) and he was well-known as an AA speaker all over the
world, although he lived near central Massechusetts. John had about
thirty years of sobriety and was a great power of example to many
people including Betty Ford who told him she had listened to tapes of
his talks while she was in detox.
John's story intrigued many people. An Indian who had been orphaned
on the reservation when Tuberculosis wiped out his familly, he had
ended up on skid row after serving in the Canadian army during World
War II as a dishwasher. He came to AA in his mid-twenties, an il-
literate wine. ( my note - this is NOT to imply that most alcoholics
are on skid row. In fact most of them are people with nice famillies,
a place to live, a car or even two, a job, etc. etc. etc. Less that
2% of the alcoholics in this country are on skid row) He ended up
owning his own construction business after learning to read (from a
elderly woman in AA who was a school teacher) and marrying a lady in
AA with whom he raised a lovely familly.
Because John had inspired me and so affected my life with his gift of
simplicity, I was inspired to do a shamanic-style rite in his memory.
I had always felt sorry for John because, in the process of his
recovery, he seemed to have lost touch with the beauty of this herita-
ge. Then it hit me; John WAS a shaman and anyone who truly worked a
12-step program was one too.
In BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN by Cynthia Bend and Tayja Wiger (Llewelyn
Publication box 64383, St. Paul MN. 1988 ) it states
" A shaman is hard to define. There are no two alike..... what
happens, a shaman goes through a catastrophe or a string of
catastrophes that enhance certain abilities within him ( or her! )
.....Most often theShaman has togo through a severetrauma, a
severe illness or a severe psychosis and recover from it before he
learns the recovery process that he can use."
The authors are quoting Tsonkawa, Tayja's teacher on the Shamanic
path. (a Native American Medicine person)
Many other authors on Shamanism; Sunbear, Lynn Andrews, Amber Wolfe
and Micheal Harner, to name a few: echo this truth. A shaman is a
person who goes through great suffering, usually in the form of a
mental or physical illness, and then goes on to heal himself or her-
self. They are then able to use that same process to heal others.
This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process
of healing ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others hy
"carrying the message" after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the
result of taking the first eleven steps.
1505
Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch,
Practitioner of Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they
walk the steps in the process of recovering, while retaining their own
unique spiritual path.
TRUTH OR DARE by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This
contains many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcohol-
ics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by
a well-known priestess of the Craft who is also a psychotherapist.
CRYSTAL CLEAR by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It
contains a good section on how to use quartz crystals to help in
relieving yourself of bad habits, compulsions, and obsessions, specif-
ically for use with the various twelve-step programs. (note - amethyst
is traditionally said to help in all these areas)
BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind
Native American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been
Psycotic as well as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete
recovery, including her eyesight, (documented by doctors) and the
discovery of her Psychic gifts with her Native roots. Her healing
occured through a process that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous.
THE TWELVE STEPS FOR EVERYONE published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.)
this is a non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member
of Emotional Health Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The
author draws heavily on the Eastern traditions of spirituality as well
as the traditional Western monotheistic ones.
EVERYDAY A NEW BEGINNING Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Min-
neapolis, MN. I believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in
Anonymous fellowships and FOR women in these same self-help groups.
Unlike the TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY book (published by the same company
and widely used in AA) it doesn't use quotes from the Bible. Instead
it uses quotes from various women authors. Many men also claim to
have benefitted from it due to it's non-religious approach.
PAGANS IN RECOVERY a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans,
Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who
are in recovery via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has con-
tacts, reviews, articles, recovery techniques and more. It is a great
source of support and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the Anonymous
support groups. It is $8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o
Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 New Marshfield, OHIO 45766
1506
ADDITION TO READING LIST
REFLECTIONS IN THE LIGHT by Shakti Gawain, published by New World
Library, San Rafael, California 1978. While not ONLY for the 12-step
programs this book does go into the problems of addictions in light of
the New-Age, Psychic Awareness as well as many other subjects. It
provides a inspirational message and/or a creative visualization
exercise with a non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is
neither sexist nor sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone
seeking to work the program of recovery. It is also a great way to
share what you are doing with friends who share your spirituality but
not your program, as it makes no direct references to the 12-step
groups at all. It is very useful to those of us who prefer a daily
meditation to the "prayer" people in the monotheistic Churches and
Synagogues tend to use in their application of the program to their
lives.
1507
Divine Circle of The Sacred Grove ***SCAM**
Office of the Preceptor
P.O. Box 66311, Seattle, WA, U.S.A. 98166
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR PUBLICATION;
To the Pagan Community:
In July of 1991, ADF sent out a Druid Alert about an
organization called the Divine Circle of the Sacred Grove. ADF
began investigating this group because they were using ADF
letterhead, membership forms, advertising copy, and other
materials with their names substituted for ours. Prior to raising
any public issues, ADF's Preceptor, Domi O'Brien called the group
and talked to their Scribe, Kal Mannis. Mr. Mannis told her that
if she had questions, she could come to a public meeting on July
2nd, 1991, in Seattle, and ask them there.
Domi, Bwca, Erynn and members of 4 other Traditions and
organizations attended their talk. We noted with increasing
amazement their claims and their views of the interrelationship
of Druidism and Wicca, and after they mentioned Isaac Bonewits,
Domi challenged some of their staements, as the ADF Preceptor.
The DCSG literature going back to 1988 was examined, along with
other staements which have been made to us or others. Janette
Laverna Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a Copeland, born 2/9/1942,
Houston TX,; Richard Norman Ian Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a
Copeland, born 8/12/1940, Prescott, AZ; Jerry Eugene Everett
Wayne Reamer a/k/a Prophet, born 8/12/1948, Pottstown, PA; Kalman
Mannis, Nancy Brown, Brenda Matarazzo, David Trippey, Donovan
Cotton; Dr. Jay Tibbles, Mary Ernst, and others affiliated with
their group were examined for legitamate mundane and magickal
credentials. The only person whose credentials we were able to
verify was Dr. Jay Tibbles.
Janette's claims, as given in her various peices of
literature, and as made to us, or to persons whose credentials we
were able to verify, include: Hereditary Witch and Druid; Pipe
Carrier for the Lumbee, the Sioux, the Cherokee, and the Chumash;
member of the MotherGrove and Board of Directors of the ADF, as
well as group marriage to the entire ADF Board of Directors;
membership and 3rd Circle status in the British Circle of the
Universal Bond; training by Ross Nichols, 3rd Degree Celtic and
Egyptian Priestess; 3rd Degree Alexandrian Priestess, New York,
1973; 3rd Degree Gardinarian Priestess, New York, 1965;
incorporation of her organization in 14 states; training by
Rhuddlwm Gawr, and training by Grandmaster Eli (Barney Taylor, of
the Druidic Craft of the Wise), marriage to Eli, as well as being
both Eli's daughter and graddaughter. She has also claimed to be
a registereed nurse, a cosmetologist; a paralegal; a professional
writer of romance novels, and a Vietnam Veteran. Ms. Copeland (?)
claims that she has 10,000 people on her mailing list, groves all
over the United States, and that she was born in London during
the Blitz, although she has alos claimed that she was born in
Houston TX. Ms Garcia (?) claims that her father, a U.S. Army
Major on Eisenhower's staff during WW II (not, by the way,
Grandmaster Eli), and her mother, a nurse now resident in
Atlanta, were both members of the Circle of the Universal Bond.
She claims that she was raised by a Cherokee grandfather. She
claims to have been teaching Wicca, which she says is a
simplified version of Druidism for the masses, since 1954, when
she was 12 years old.
1508
Ms Gordon(?) took Lady Sabrin's course from Our Lady of
Enchanment in 1987 and 1988, giving totally different information
about herself then she gives now. According to Lady Sabrina,
Janette has been selling Sabrina's courses as her own ever since.
We have examined lessons from Janette's and Sabrina's courses,
and they are indeed substantially identical, except that Sabrina
can spell.
Janette joined ADF in 1987, giving yet another set of data
about herself, claiming no leadership positions, newsletters, or
other affiliations. A check of the material on her application
shows it to be substantially false.
In checking Janette's claims, we contacted the Secretary of
state, and Board of Nursing Registrations in the 14 states in
which she claimed incorporation. Her organization is incorporated
only in Washington and California. She is not listed as a
registered nurse anywhere we checked. She and her group were
offering BA's, MA's, and PhD's in Washington State until directed
to cease and desist by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
They later obtained a religious exemption by saying that they
were offering degrees only in Divinity and Theology. Former
mebers of their organization state that most of their claims in
their catalog as to available courses and faculty credentials are
false.
In examining their other claims we contacted over two
hundred persons and groups in this country and abroad in an
effort to authenticate their initiations and organizational
affiliations.
No one we contacted verified any of the DCSG's claims. All
stated that they had never trained or initiated any known
officers or members of the DCSG. Most had never even heard of
them. Furthur, former members of her organization have mentioned
paying thousands of dollars for courses, and additional thousands
paid out on "tithes" -- 10% of their annual income to support the
work of the Order of Melchizadek (demanded in the middle of their
initiation or elevation rituals). We have also been contacted by
Social Serrvices, Education, Law Enforcement and other
authorities for other information about DCSG, and/or its members.
ADF and some other Pagan groups and organziations are
cooperating fully with these investigations, and have made it
clear to the investigators that we do not regard these people as
legitamate members of the Pagan community, since none of their
alleged training and initiations can be verified, and may have
been directly disproven. As Pagans, whatever our path, we can
ill-afford to remain silent while groups knowingly steal and sell
courses written by others, claiming training ties to the most
senior and respected members of our community that they do not
have, and engage in questionable behaviour presenting themselves
as our kin, elders, and representatives to the world at large.
Domi O'Brien T. Bwca Erynn Darkstar
DTG Priestess Elder, NECTW Greenleaf Coven
CWO Priestess Inis Glas
Preceptor/Vice ArchDruid, ADF
1509
By: Domi O
To: Lewis Stead
Re: Details, please.
Lady Sabrina was initiated by Bob Moshier and Dorothy Trion in
Tuscon Arizona in 1978, according to what she says. She was in
Danville, California for a
while, near San Franscisco; and was in COG (I have not checked
this); she then studied with Gavin and Yvonne in New Bern for 1 and
a half years; then moved to Billerica, Mass; then to Hudson, NH;
then Nashua, NH. I was in Epping, NH when a Gardnerian friend and
fellow NH College administrator, Gerry Reilly, introduced me to
Sabrina. Since I am Daughters of the Triple Goddess and Celtic
Wiccan Order trained, Gerry's brand of witchcraft and Sabrina's
struck me equally weird.
I talked to Gavin and Yvonne last week; they feel Sabrina has
borrowed heavily from them but they don't have an issue with it and
they don't consider their organisation and hers to be connected.
In 1987 Geraldine Gumm aka Gerri Garcia aka Queen Druid aka Laura
Copeland aka Janette Gordon aka Janette Copeland aka Laverna Gordon
aka Laverna Copeland aka Gerry Garcia aka Gerri Gunn aka Gerri Teah
Garcia aka Jerry Leah Garcia took Sabrina's course; in winter of
1989 she began advertising a coorespondence course in Wicca, which
according to Sabrina is Sabrina's. I've looked at them; they are
very much alike. The Frosts and Sabrina both teach non-mainstream
Wicca and charged for Craft when no one was doing that. I have
heard far more negative things about some far more mainstream
figures; both the Frosts and Sabrina are very public and really
seem to have nothing to hide. What they teach isn't my Craft, but
I will defend their right to practice their version and teach it
as they see fit. Or did you mean something else ?
Domi of ADF
By: Domi O
To: Corwynt
Re: ADF letter
Indeed it is from us. Since then, we have gotten "Janette's" arrest
and conviction records from New Mexico and word from a usually
reliable source that her real name may be Geraldine Gumm, and real
date of birth may be 2-9-40. I am also informed by a law
enforcement source that she has other records in several states.
These range from child neglect to unlawful touching of dead bodies
to kidnapping.
Her group was investigated in 1975 in Arizona for dead bodies and
missing persons, moved a bit over a hundred miles as the crow
flies, and she and her husband were arrested in New Mexico in 1978.
The children involved were returned to their parents, two being
kept in social service custody while it was determined to whom they
belonged, and two members of the group were "deprogramed" by Ted
Patrick. She was calling herself "Queen Druid" then and initiating
folks as "WI" or "witch one". I have a lovely pile of court papers
and newspaper clippings I will gladly share with anyone who'd like
to send me $4 for photocopying and postage...
Domi O'Brien
Box 66311
Seattle, WA 98166
1510
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
Bide the Wiccan laws ye must
in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
Live and let live
Freely take and freely give
Cast the circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch
Speak little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon
Sing and dance the Wiccan rune
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane
And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane
When the Lady's moon is new
Kiss thy hand to her times two
When the moon rides at her peak
Then your heart's desire seek
Heed the northwind's mighty gale
Lock the door and drop the sail
When the wind comes from the south
Love will kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the east
Expect the new and set the feast
When the west wind blows o'er thee
Departed spirits restless be
Nine woods in the cauldron go
Burn them fast and burn them slow
Elder be ye Lady's tree
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be
When the wheel begins to turn
Let the Beltain fires burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule
Light the log and let Pan rule
Heed ye flower, bush and tree
By the Lady, Blessed be
Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone and truth ye'll know
1511
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
(continued from previous page)
When ye have a need
Hearken not to others' greed
With the fool no season spend
Nor be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart
Mind the Threefold Law ye should
Three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow
Wear the blue star on thy brow
True in love ever be
Unless thy lover's false to thee
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill
An' it harm none, do what ye will
1512
"Dryghten" Blessing Prayer (Gardnerian)
By: David Piper
The only published copy of the Blessing Prayer that I know of is in
the book "Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High Priestess!" by
Patricia Crowther in chapter four (paperback edition 1974, House Of
Collectibles, Inc.).
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
Life, Light, Love!
Blessed Be!
Dianis Lucien
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(120) Tue 17 Nov 92 21:12
By: Airmid
To: David Piper
Re: Monism/monotheism
St:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
@INTL 93:9500/0 93:9500/0
DP> When you examine the "Blessing Prayer" of English Trad
Wicca however, the Dryghtyn is obviously more than just a unifying
essence since It is called: "the original source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal." It
describes the Ultimate, the Absolute, the Godhead of which the God and
the Goddess are at one and the same time, both Its Polarities and also
Its first Manifestations.
Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old English bibles. I
think that was where the term actually originated. I think I saw a
passing reference to it in some boxed comparative translated text in
"In Search of the Indo-Europeans."
1513
===================================
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
by
Bill Witt
===================================
The course is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
Webster defines meditation as "The act of meditating; close or con-
tinued thought; the revolving of a subject in the mind."
To meditate is to focusmentally on one thought, idea, orconcept.
It may also mean, to revolve an idea in your mind so as to change the
way in which you think of that idea. Meditation is therefore, a tool
with which you may manipulate thought in an organized manner.
Many people view meditationas a very difficult thing tolearn. In
reality though, we do it often without even knowing it. When you
daydream or find your mind fixed on one thought, that is a form of
meditation. Have you ever watched a bird in flight, or stared up at
the clouds in the sky, or maybe even found yourself watching a stream
of water flow by? If you have and at that moment the rest of the world
around you has seemed removed, then you were in a state of meditation.
The real key to this practice, is to be able to exercise control over
your thoughts and awareness of the world around you.
There are manygroups of people for whom meditationis an everyday
ritual. Others use it at special times as a means of relaxation and
"mental house cleaning." It allows the individual a freedom unlike no
other freedom. The freedom to look inside oneself and learn just who
you are. Some use it as a way of being closer to nature or God. No
matter how you wish to use it, you will find it a healthy and very
rewarding experience.
Most all religions practice meditation in one way or another.
Eastern philosophies such as Yoga, and Buddism are not the only ones
to view meditation as a way of looking for the Truth found in one's
own consciousness. Even in Christianity meditation finds a place of
value. The Bible itself mentions the value of meditation. In writing
to the Phillippians, the Apostle Paul tells them this. "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
(Phil. 4.8)
So you ask,what can it do for me. Well, beyond just being a good
way to really relax, which we can all use in this hectic world, it can
be a doorway to the Truth inside yourself. It is a way of gaining
wisdom. Knowledge has always been fairly easy to come by. Wisdom on
the other hand, is a bit harder to grasp onto.
1514
In "The Task" by William Cowper, the following line is found.
"Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom,
in minds attentive to their own."
For me, meditaion becomesa way of "grounding" myself,of reaching
a place of peace and stability, where I can find how I fit into the
universe.
Inmany philosophies, meditaion isviewed as anecessary skill. All
those who are students of these philosophies must learn the ways of
meditaion early in their training. Although the techniques may vary
from one group to another, the most basic concepts remain the same.
The ability to be able to focus on one thought and selectively block
out all others is the foundation upon which many more advanced skills
will be built. These skills may range from telepathy to the ability to
move objects with only the mind.
It is well known that Yogi adepts can lower their breathing and
heart rates to near death levels. This is something you should not try
as it takes years of practice to learn and can be quite dangerous.
Still, these yogis are proof of the type of power the mind can exer-
cise over the body through meditation.
In some cultures, the use of drugs to achieve a meditative state is
encouraged. The american indians for example, used drugs derived from
various plants to put themselves into an altered state of concious-
ness. This was usually done as a religious practice and as an event
marking the change from one state of life to another. A good example
would be the ceremony marking the coming into manhood of a young boy.
Today there are still many, who advocate the use of drugs to achieve
these altered states. It is my opinion that such measures are neither
necessary nor good. You can reach an altered state of conciousness
without the use of drug induced "highs". It takes practice, but
it can be done.
In New Age philosophy, theart of meditaion is highlyvalued. We
also find another well developed skill which is called "creative
visualization". This is the idea of visualising what you want to the
point of it becoming reality. A good example would be a salesman
visualizing himself as successful and prosperous. The concept is
simple, if you can visualize a personal reality, you can change or
bring that reality into being. "Positive Thinking" is a very
similar idea. The technique of creative visualization goes beyond
positive thinking however. It deals with the premise that we all
create our own reality and therefore have the power to change many
aspects of that reality. The idea of "personal reality" is a lengthy
one and we do not have enough room to cover it in this course.
So far we have lookedbriefly at what meditation is and how it is
used. By no means have we touched on all the aspects of this practice.
There are many books on the subject which cover it in much more
detail. My purpose is to give you an overview of the many facets of
meditation in the hope that you will wish to learn more.
1515
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
===================================
This is the second part of a three part online course in Basic
Meditation Techniques
Thecourse is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
In thissecond section ofthe "Basic MeditationTechniques" course,
we will discuss various relaxation procedures and how they will aid
you in entering a trance or meditative state. You will also be given
some ideas about types of music and other "tools" which can help you
achieve these relaxed states of mind. Let's begin.
First, let's set thestage for our meditation practice.You should
pick a place which is as private and safe as possible. An altered
state of mind, as in meditation, lessens your awareness of the outside
world. For this reason, it is not advisable to practice these techni-
ques in a public place where there is a chance of being mugged,
robbed, or molested. If you are at home, with other family members or
friends present, ask that you not be disturbed and that all other
noise in the house be kept to a minimum. When you have found a place
suitable for meditation, you may begin.
"The seekers of new mind states-the mind control devotees, the
encounter group enthusiasts, the drug takers, the psychics, the
meditators - all are on a journey into the interior universe trying to
burst the limits of the socially conditioned mind. Weither acceptable
or unacceptable, moral or immoral, wise or foolish, the mind of man is
stirring toward a new evolution."
Dr. Barbara Brown (1)
As Isaid in section one,trance or meditaive states,alter the way
your mind deals with the realities it accepts as normal. Things which
are experienced in a trance state are often not easily expressed in
everyday language. You will at some level, experience a heightened
state of awareness. Colors, smells, and sounds may seem amplified
from what they normally are.
People who can acheivevery deep statesof trance often leavetheir
bodies in astral projection, or have psychic experiences.
I highly recommend, that if you wish to enter deep states of
meditation, you do so under the guidance and teaching of someone who
is well trained in the practice of such techniques. The key thing to
remember is that it's not what level your working on as much as what
you are learning. There is alot to be gained in wisdom and knowledge
at all levels of trance.
Now let's learn some simple and usefull relaxation exercises.
1516
You want to besure that the timeyou pick to practice yourmedita-
tion is a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. You should
not be overly tired or have just finished eating as both of those
conditions may cause you to fall asleep. Even though you wish to
acheive an altered state of consciousness, you do want to remain
conscious to some degree. If you fall asleep when you are meditating,
no harm is done and you will awaken quite refreshed and rested.
Unfortunately though, you may not be able to recall all the things you
experienced while in trance.
If you are lying down, be sure your back and neck are properly
supported so as not to fatigue the body. If you are sitting, be sure
that both feet are flat on the floor and that you are sitting as erect
as possible without being too stiff or strained. You should have your
arms resting comfortably in your lap with palms up.
In eithercase, it is important thatyour body not become strained
or fatigued for at least thirty minutes. This is a good length of
time to begin with as it should put neither a physical or mental
strain on your being.
Next, visualize a yourself in a cocoon of whitelight. You should
surround yourself completely. See the light as bright and warm. You
may play with this sphere of light making it bigger or smaller until
it "feels" right for you. Say to yourself, "I am protected by the
pure white light of all that is good and truthfull. I am surrounded by
the pure light which keeps out all unwanted and evil influences."
Thisis a good ideato do for several reasons.There are those, and
I am one of them, who believe that each of generates an aura which
protects us from outside influences when we are in trance. This aura
may be strengthened by visualizing the light as growing brighter at
our command. Even if you do not accept this idea, the practice lends a
feeling of safety and security to you. Nothing which is outside of
you may enter or touch you without your permission.
Learning tocontrol and pay attentionto your breathing isthe next
step. You should start by taking a deep breath in through your nose,
hold it for the mental count of 4 and then let it all out slowly
through your mouth. Repeat this until you begin to feel at rest and
relaxed. Allow your breathing to settle into a steady, rythmic rate.
Just this simple technique can relax and refresh you at any time. When
you are only doing the breathing exercise, it is not necessary to go
through the white light sphere visualization. Some people use a
muffled metronome or recording of some other rythmic sound, such as
ocean waves, to aid them in setting the pace of their breathing. A
good source of recorded sounds which can help you in meditation is a
series of records and tapes which have been produced under the title
"ENVIRONMENTS".
Now, as you are breathing,see yourself lying in the warmlight of
the sun. The light is warm and pleasant to be in. Starting with the
tips of your toes, feel the light warming all of your body, slowly
moving up into your legs, your trunk, and then into your arms and
fingers. As you feel this warming become more and more relaxed, going
deeper and deeper into a calm and quiet place.
1517
Whenyou fell totally relaxed andat peace, bring a single thought
into your mind. It should be of a pleasant experience or of an idea
such as love, joy, peace, or compassion. Focus on this one thought and
if some other thought should try to intrude, picture it as being
written on a clear board between you and your focal thought. Then
picture it being erased from that board as it might be from a piece of
paper. Deal with any thought, other than your focal thought, quickly.
Try to maintain concentration on your focal thought for at least five
minutes. Picture it as being real and experience it as if it were.
When you are able to do this and can exclude all other thoughts as
they attempt to enter your mind, you will have learned the single most
important technique of meditation.
It isnow time to begincoming back tonormal consciousness. slowly
let the thought fade from your mind and again become aware of the warm
light of the sun. As you fell the light bathing you in its' warmth,
start to reconnect your mind with the physical sensations of your
body. Become aware of your breathing and the room around you. Do this
slowly and calmly. When you are fully aware of your surroundings, open
your eyes slowly. Enjoy the sense of calm and peace.
If you succeeded in doing this exercise, you should feel more
relaxed and calm than normal. It is important to remember that you are
comparing it to normal for you, not to what you think others would or
should feel.
If you do not feel you succeeded try again in a day or two. Between
meditaion sessions, practice your deep breathing exercises. If you
keep trying, you will soon reach a calm and meditative state. Do not
attempt to meditate when you are ill, tired, or hungry. Those feelings
only serve to make your efforts more difficult. A very important part
to remember is that you can not force yourself into a meditative
state. You must flow into it and surrender to it calmly.
Some things which are found to be helpfull in meditation follow.
Tryconcentrating on theflame of a candlewhen focusing. You could
also use a crystal ball. The later is rather exspensive but small
crystal window ornaments or pyramids also work well and cost much
less.
Music is also anaid to some. The music shouldbe quiet and rhyth-
mic. It should bring on feelings of peace and comfort. Such music may
range from New Age recordings to classical.
Anotherusefull device is to focus ona symbol which holds special
meaning for you. It may be an well known symbol or one you design
yourself. As long as it holds a special meaning or expresses a special
concept, it is a usefull focusing tool.
This brings section twoof this course toa close. In the nextpart
I will give you some pratical ways in which to use what you have
learned.
1518
The mostobvious use ofthe techniques you havelearned, is relaxa-
tion. During the course of the day, many of us have moments when the
pressure becomes almost to much. When this happens, we often can't
deal with other people or projects the way we should. The breathing
exercises you learned in section two can help at these times.
It doesn't require alot of time or absolute quiet as does your
meditation practice. All that is required is about five minutes and
relative privacy. At these times, begin doing your rhythmic breathing
and visualize a place which is calm and refreshing. This simple and
quick exercise, can work wonders to help you regain control in a
hectic situation.
Another way in which meditation is used is in the development of
psychic powers. There are several books on the subject, listed at the
end of this section. Most of those who teach about the use and develo-
pment of these abilities, agree that meditation is necessary to any
such study. Again the reason for this is that meditation allows you to
reach an altered state of conciousness. In this altered state your
mind is more open to such phenomenon as telepathy. If you should
decide to persue studies in this direction, please seek the help of
someone trained in these areas.
One final use I will suggest is visualization. Meditation can be
used as a tool for problem solving. While in a meditative state of
mind, you have the ability to take any situation and manipulate it. By
that I mean you can mentally play the out the situation using several
different solutions. Then, you can pick the one which seems to best
solve the problem. While the use of meditation can help you deal with
problem solving more effectively, it is not infallible. All it can do
is allow you to think more clearly and concisely about the problem at
hand.
Well that concludes this study on meditation. I hope you have
gained something usefull from this course. It has been by no means, a
full explanation of the subject. There is much more to learn than
could be covered in this short series and It is my hope that you will
want to continue your studies into this fascinating and usefull skill.
More studiesof this type willbe developed in thenear future. The
New Atlantis BBS will continue to post these studies as an ongoing
service to it's users. Please feel free to leave suggestions on the
BBS about subjects you would like to see covered.
1519
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
list of books for further reading will be included.
References:
(1) Dr. Barbara Brown
"New Mind, New Body"
New York, Bantam Books, 1975
Page 17
Miriam Simos (Starhawk)
The Spiral Dance
New York
Harper & Row; 1979
W.E. Butler
How To Read The Aura, Practice
Psycometry, Telepathy and
Clairvoyance
New York
Destiny Books; 1978
Melita Denning & Osborne Phillips
The Development of Psychic Powers
St. Paul, MN
Llewellyn Publications; 1985
NEW ATLANTIS BBS
301-632-2671
Member of the ParaNet system
End Of File
-----------------------------------
Changes in format by the magician. 02/26/89 Crystal Cave 719-391-1092
1520
The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a
bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.
The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world
and can be useful to all aspiring magicians. Subscriptions
cost $12 per year. They can be reached at:
Magickal Blend
P.O. Box 11303
San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303
WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
by Van Ault
Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is directing
does not seem to work. The desired result, whether internal or
external, does not come into manifestation. These occasions are
opportunities for greater developement in the magical arts, and by
working through the disappointment and discouragement, he can reach
greater self-knowledge and technical expertise in the art.
I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality
shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the operat-
or's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use the bow and
arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical technique for
directing that intention is the bow. You use the bow/technique to
poise, balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of
your arms and hands/ determination and will.
What happens when thisall works together optimally? The will
firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique, you
gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the intention
into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its own time and
way, your wish materializes.
Conversely,if you haven't got theskill to bring all of these
efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and stray,
or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow can break,
or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you may find that
you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you haven't got
sufficient strength to manipulate it.
I offer thefollowing meditationprocess for thosetimes whenit
seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techni-
ques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering if any of
this matters at all, the process in this meditation can produce
miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read the script
into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it.
1521
RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION
Find a comfortable placewhere you can relax andbe completely
quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just come and go...come and
go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up
the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another
deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or
thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in
new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel
it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing
deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could
almost float away..........
And asyou relax,imagine abeautiful coloredmist is swirlingup
around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of
energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are
safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and
go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up
into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down
between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless
beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now, going deeper and
deeper,leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you
drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further-
...down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and
effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud
swirls back into a mist and disappears for now...
Stand upon thisrock now, andfeel the strengthof it underyour
feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flo-
wing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite
place...and disappearing into an infinite place,,,a flowing,endless
river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life
draws upon the lifeforce that moves through its steaming currents...
look closely at the water...what color is it? it may look like liquid
light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of
the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its chan-
nels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance
...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water,and splash
some of it on your face...feel the life giving force on your skin...
take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you....
Now relaxa moment upon therock...and bring into yourmind the
magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you
trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what
was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that
emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...feel the energy
glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're
still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering,
glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow
into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it
appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or
symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine...
1522
When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your
desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in
you hands,a globe of power that you can now release...and look out
into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for
ever and ever,as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready,with
as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere
into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this
great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually
disappears into the current...
Take a deepbreath... as the spheredisappears the last ofyour
intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life,
from which it orriginally came...and leaves you...
Nowcomplete any business herethat you needto finish...take a
few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life,and know that the
possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too...
Takeanother deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is once
again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a
beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air,
with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way
you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming back from the
inner world...coming up... further and further...floating and drifting
back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now,
into this room...brining your attention completely back into this time
and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the
outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the
count of three open your eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at
peace.
* * *
As always, change any of the wording or images in this
meditation if it suits your purpose better. The
important part is just to finally and completely let go
of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in
whatever form the creative force and your own
consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new
lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities
are born!
MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective
Copyright 11/24/92
Durwydd MacTara
"Henotheism n. Belief in one god without denying the existence of others."
(American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monism n. philos. A metaphysical system in which reality is conceived as a
unified whole." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monotheism n. The belief or doctrine that there is only one God." (Amer-
ican Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various forces
and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship of all gods." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"To witches, deities manifest in different ways and can be
worshipped and contacted through any form suitable to local
conditions and personal needs. Wicca does not believe, as
do the patriarchal monotheisms, that there is only one
correct version of God and that all other God forms are
false: the Gods of Wicca are not jealous Gods. We there-
fore worship the personification of the male and female
principles, the God and the Goddess, recognizing that Gods
are aspects of the One God and all Goddesses are different
aspects of the one Goddess, and that ultimately these two
are reconciled in the one divine essence."
(Vivianne Crowley, WICCA: The Old Religion in The New Age,-
pp. 11-12)
Vivianne Crowley, a very capable spokesperson for British Traditional
Wicca, identifies the core belief of Wicca (at least BTW) as Monism in the
piece quoted above. However, she also opens the door to defining Wicca as
duotheistic in principle with the subdivision of the monist reality into
the praxis of worshiping both Lord and Lady.
However, there is yet a THIRD level of obscurity in Wiccan Praxis! Most
Wiccans worship a threefold Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) and many also
worship at least a twofold God. So, are the Wicca REALLY polytheists or
perhaps pantheists or even modified Henotheists as some have claimed? Or,
perhaps, a new category altogether needs to be invented to accurately
describe Wiccan belief and practice.
1524
One suggestion has been made to add a word to our Thea/Theo-logical
lexicon, perhaps "Cthonotheism" (provided we MUST have a "Theism") to
describe "Theistic Wicca". One advantage is that it makes the assumption
of worshipping that which was there to be found and worshipped, NOT a Deity
or deities invented in 1939! (More on this later.)
The following is the only published copy of the (Gardnerian) Blessing
Prayer that I know of.
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
("Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High
Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter
four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Col-
lectibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper
Airmid (aka Erynn Darkstar), a contemporary craft scholar and researcher
says of this new (to most of us) name of Ultimate Deity:
"Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old
English bibles. I think that was where the term ac-
tually originated. I think I saw a passing reference
to it in some boxed comparative translated text in "In
Search of the Indo-Europeans."
Grendel, an Asatruar from Seattle suggests the "Dryghtyn" may be an
alternative spelling of the Teutonic "Drighten" meaning "Lord". I admit
this is interesting, to me, as the closeness of the linguistic link between
the Old English and Old German languages has been a scholarly "fact" widely
known for many years.
As a side issue, this might be some evidence that runs contrary to the
thesis put forth by Aidan Kelly that Gerald Gardner "manufactured" Wicca in
1939. From personal experience, I have found that one unique distinction
of the non BTW strains of Witchcraft (some times called "FamTrads" of
Family Traditions) is the incorporation of old Christian Imagery, often
including ArchAngels for the four directions or elements. Though this
instance does not include Archangels, it DOES include archaic (and rel-
atively unknown) Christian terminology. If Gardner did discover a remnant
of the Old Religion upon which he based his modern reconstruction effort,
it is this sort of linguistic "artifact" which would have survived.
Perhaps a more scholarly investigation than mr. Kelly's will "turn up" more
evidence?
1525
Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) il-
luminating statements, concerning "The Dryghtyn Prayer":
1. "'In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.'
This would be, entirely, an acceptable way of describing God, both for most
Jews and for most Christians."
AND
2. "'In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.'
The Lord of Death and Resurrection would seem, to any Christian to refer to
Jesus Christ."
This evidence of a possible mixing of an older (unrecorded) Christian
Prayer may lend further credence to Gardners' claims of building on an
older, hidden, traditional remnant.
I, personally, also agree with Mr. Taylors' statement that "the idea of
Wicca being 'manufactured' in 1939 is far too pat, and ignores a great deal
which ought not to be ignored. At the very least, some degree of recog-
nition should be accorded to the obvious fact that most Wiccan practices
and attitudes predate Wicca by considerable periods of time--possibly even
millennia".
The existence of Monism, Duotheism, and Polytheism simultaneously in the
belief structure of Wicca is one good example of one of the Five Mysteries
of Wicca, that of Union. Wicca is a mystery religion, a PARTICIPATORY
religion, and much of its symbology must be lived and practiced to have
meaning because much of the real (some say hidden meaning is based on the
knowledge of experience and not the intellectual knowledge of mere logic
and conscious thought processes.
I am an eclectic Wiccan with strong ties in my beliefs and practice to
British Traditional Wicca. I am a Monist, yet I have had strong direct
experience with Brigid, Danu, and the Morrigan as well as the Earth Mother
and the Horned Lord of the Forests. So my personal answer to the question
of "What kind of Theism fits Theistic Wicca?" is "several, or none; it is
not really a valid question in those limited terms"! But perhaps the
concept of "Chthonotheism" would give a better label to this concept when
attempting to discuss the idea of the peculiar theism unique to Wicca?
Blessed Be,
Durwydd MacTara
1526
Wedding Ceremony
The Bard
THE ORDER OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE (GENERAL)
The Altar shall be dressed with a white cloth, with a Cup, and an un-
sheathed Sword. A small lectern should be provided to the Minister,
that he may hold the Sword and read the ceremony. One candle shall be
unlit upon the altar, and two lit candles shall be provided, to either
side.
Smaller candles shall be provided to at least the wedding party, and
to the whole congregation, if possible.
% Ministers take Altar
% Groom and attendants take altar
% Processional music starts
% Bridesmaids process
% Bride and father process
% Bride and father take altar
MINISTER: Dearly beloved, today you are surrounded by your family,
your friends, and your loved ones, all of whom have gathered here
today in the sight of the ONE to share your joy and witness
your marriage.
Who gives this woman to be wed?
FATHER: I do.
% (the Bride's father shall give the Bride's hand to the
Groom, and then take his seat)
MINISTER 2: This most sacred of bonds is not to be entered into
lightly, but soberly and advisedly, with openness and honesty. I
require and charge you both now, upon your honors, to disclose
any reason or impediment why you may not be lawfully joined
this day.
BRIDE/GROOM: By our honors, there are none.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation and say:)
MINISTER: Likewise, I charge all of you now, upon your honors, that if
any know a reason that these two may not be lawfully joined
this day, to speak now or forever hold your peace.
% (There shall be a short pause for any response)
MINISTER: (N) and (N), life has no singular meaning so much as it is
made up of many meaningful events, some of which may be
specified and planned for. One of these is Marriage. As you know,
no minister, no priest, no rabbi, no public official can marry
you; you can only marry yourselves. By a mutual commitment to
love each other and to create an atmosphere of considera-
tion and respect, you can make your marriage come to life.
1527
MINISTER 2: On this, the day of your marriage, you stand somewhat
apart from all other human beings. You stand within the
charmed Circle of your love, and this is as it should be, b u t
love is not meant to be the possession of two people alone.
Rather it should serve as a source of common energy, a form in
which you can find the strength to live your lives w i t h
courage. From this day onward, you must come closer together
than ever before, yet your love should give you the strength
to stand apart; to seek out your own unique des tinies, and to
make your own special contribution to that which is always a
part of us, and more than us.
MINISTER: A marriage that lasts is one which is continually develop
ing, in which each person is continually developing while
growing in understanding of the other. Deep knowledge of
another is not something that can be achieved in a short time.
Real understanding can only develop fully with years of in-
timacy. This wonderful knowledge of another grows out of really
caring for the other so much, that one wants to understand as
completely as possible the intricacies of the other.
MINISTER 2: May you be blessed with this deep knowledge of each other
through all the days of your lives.
Would you now give your vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We will.
MINISTER: What tokens do you give that you will keep these vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We give these rings.
% (The rings shall be given to the Minister, who shall take
them in hand.)
MINISTER 2: The ring is used in this ceremony because the Circle is
our symbol for Spirit; that which was in the Beginning, is now,
and ever shall Be, Love, without end. In this ceremony, it is
that love which is deathless and eternal.
% (Both Ministers shall join hands, holding the Rings, and
shall say:)
MINISTER: We ask now the Blessing of the One upon these rings. They
are bands of silver with the Tree of Life cast in relief upon
their surfaces. Let the bands represent eternity, love
without end, and let the trees represent the nurturement you will
share in that Love, now and always.
BOTH: And so it is.
% (The Rings shall be taken by the second Minister.)
% (And if it is a Swordfasting, then the Minister shall take
up the Sword, and flourish it aloft, and then place it
point-down in front of him.)
1528
% (The Bride and Groom shall face each other, and place their
% hands upon the Sword's pommel, with both Ministers placing %
their hands over the Bride and Groom's.)
% (the Minister #2 shall turn to the Groom, and say:)
MINISTER 2: (N), repeat after me:
(N), I take you as my wife.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Groom shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Groom shall place the Ring upon the Bride's finger.)
% (The Minister shall then turn to the Bride, and say:)
MINISTER: (N), repeat after me:
(N), I take you as my husband.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Bride shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Bride shall place the Ring upon the Groom's finger.)
1529
% (Both Ministers shall then say:)
MINISTER: May you never hunger.
MINISTER #2: May you never thirst.
% (Here there may be an interlude of music)
MINISTER 2: At this time, I would like to speak of some of the things
that many of us wish for you.
First,wewish foryou aLove thatmakes youboth better
people, That continues always to give you joy
And a zest for living,
Andprovidesyouwith theenergytoface theresponsibili
ties of life.
Wewish foryoua Home,notaplace ofstoneor wood,butan
island of serenity and sanity.
Wehopethat thisHome isnot justaplace ofprivate joy
and retreat, But rather serves as a Castle wherein the
values of your life and family are generated and upheld.
We hope your home stands as a symbol of humans living
together in Love and peace, Seeking Truth and nurturement
through each other.
We hope that it has within it the elements of Simplicity,
Exuberance,Beauty,Silence,Colorandaconcordancewith
the Rhythms of Life.
We wishforyou aHomewith Books,Poetryand Music,Fora
home with all the things that represent the highest striv ings
Of men and women.
Finally, we wish that your lives be blessed with Spiritual
Abundance, and that your spiritual involvement be enhanced
through This marriage.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation, and shall
say:)
MINISTER: Let us all stand together for the closing benediction, and
the passing of the Light.
% (The congregation shall stand. The Bride and Groom shall go
% to the Altar and light the single candle from their candles,
% and then shall light their attendant's candles, and shall %
light the candles of the first person in each row of the %
congregation. They shall then return to the altar, and %
extinguish their candles, placing them on the altar, and %
return to their place before the Ministers.)
MINISTER 2: May we all recognize that the Presence of the One has
already blessed you with the presence of each other. Keep in your
rememberance the sacredness of this trust and the love that
knows no end. May that Peace, which passes all human
understanding abide with you now, and for always.
BOTH: And so it is.
1530
MINISTER 2: And forasmuch as (N) and (N) have expressed their desire
to be husband and wife, showing their love and affection by
joining hands, and have made promises of faith and devotion, each
to the other, and have sealed these promises by giving a n d
receiving of rings:
MINISTER: In the presence of this company of witnesses, by virtue of
my sacred stewardship and the power vested in me by the State
of Arizona, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife.
You may kiss the Bride.
% (The Bride and Groom shall then recess from the altar, %
followed by their attendants. The congregation shall be %
released by rows.)
% (Here ends the Order Of Solemnization Of Marriage (General)
1531
Weasel Wicca: a Toon Trad
by fara Shimbo, Diane Darling and the European Land Otters
(Green Egg, Issue 95, Yule '91, p. 21.)
The Great Mothers of this tradition are Galanthus, who was
turned into a weasel for lying to Juno; and Eris, both Goddess and
Ferret incarnate, who are IN CHARGE.
This is the Holy Sacred Oath of the Weasel Tradition:
"I don'tbelieve anythingunless Iwant to.Mymind issubject
to change within reason and without notification at any time. We will
always have Paris. (But not paris of sox.) I can do without my socks.
Other than that there are absolutely no absolutes."
Sacred Objects of the Weasel tradition include:
* A Floppy Witch Hat (double sided, single density)
* The nearest operational refrigirator
* Dirty Socks
* Tubes made of cardboard or plastic
* Rubber erasers and squeaky toys
* Loud plastic bag and ping pong balls
* The Golden Apple of Eris
* Silk Top hat.
In order tobe initiated into the WeaselTradition, a new ber-
serker must:
* Co-habit with a Ferret; at least one.
*Acquireyourtoolsin
asomewhatless-than-entirely-scrupul-
ous manner- stopping short of Genuine Theft. Use your imagination.
*Sacrifice aSock toGalanthus. Itmust bea goodSock, one
you wouldn't otherwise throw away, and you must have the other one in
your possession.
* Bake some holyFhood, with Weasel Help,which includes
raisins and chocolate chips.
*Write aritual containingat leastthree thingswhich are
obviously or blatantly lifted, word for word, from somewhere else.
Anywhere else.
* Let a weasel lick your lips while you sing:
The Weasel Help Song:
Everyone needs Weasel help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help
Everyone needs Weasel help,
to get them through the day!
I don't need no Weasel Help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help,
I don't need no Weasel Help,
no matter what you say!
The Sacred Holidays of the Weasel tradition are any holidays
which have even the slightest thing to do with Fhood.
1532
A Weasel Wiccan Witual
======================
Participants infloppy witch hatsenter, bearing theHoly Fhood
and Drinkh. Arrange tastefuly around altar area. Prominent should be
the Golden Apple of Eris, which is set upon the altar by itself.
Call Watchtowers, lighting quarter candles at each. Suggestion
invocations:
EAST,being Air,signifies mediaand masscommunications. Invite
the Marx brothers, Firesign Theatre, Douglas Adams, and Robert Anton
Wilson, and, of course, the Illuminati, as representatives of Chaos.
(Squeeze squeaky toys)
SOUTH, for Fire, signifies fidelityto ideals. I suggest John
Lennon and our witch ancestors, whose bravery in defense of the Sacred
Right To Be Strange led to the ultimate sacrifice. May we be as brave,
but luckier. (Hide the Matches.)
WEST,for Water, signifies herethe Waters ofLife, ie: Bhooze.
Invite W.C. Fields along with Dionysius and Osiris (inventors of wine
and beer, respectively.) (Slug some eggnog.)
NORTH, for Earth, signifies the Ultimate Mystery: Life, the
Universe and Everything. Toast the Mystery itself and invite it to
relax, take off its cloak and join us for awhile. (Hide a cookie.)
And to provide a fifth point: SKY, for Eris, Our Mother,Lady
Luck Herself, Lady of Chaos and Dealer of the Inside Straight. Hold up
the Golden Apple, hail Her enthusiastically and invite Her to the
party.
Close theCircle, whichis,of course,semi-permiable toweasel--
kind.
Lightaltarcandle; assume*ahem* seriousdemeanor. Whoeveris to
read, don silk hat and drape a sock for a priest's vestement. Proceed:
"For unto us is born a Saviour, who is Coyote, Pan, loki, Raven,
Dionysius, and Robin Hood; to save us all from Santa's power when we
have come to play, o tiding of chocolate and toys. And Io, neither is
his Mother a Virgin, for She believeth in a good time. And when He
came forth, She wrapped him in a National Enquirer and cradled him in
her top hat, which holdeth all the stars of all the skies plus 500
foolproof card tricks; and the Wise came to Marvel (and to DC) because
indeed and forsooth, they knew trouble when they beheld it."
And Eris, the Great and Terrible, said to her son:
"Kid, this is a special occasion; how should we celebrate?"
And the TinyOne spoke, surprising all butthe Mother of the
Unexpected:
"let's have lots of Fhood, and create the most chaotic and
demented animal of all to play with. And since I have a feeling that
this party will be repeated many, many times, let's make that a rule:
anyone celebrating My birthday should do the same. For I am the Glitch
and the Song and the Gambler's Luck, and I love Surprises--which will
never be lacking with Them around. Let them do this in honor of Me."
1533
And Eris was pleased and created The Weasel (hold one up).
"This is the SacredWeasel, beloved little monster, honored
pest, dearest of Holy Terrors and Agent of Entropy Everywhere. May it
always remind us that Eris and the Kid love Surprises."
(Holdup plateof cookies:)"This isthe HolyFhood; weshare it
in Their names, and with the wish that we should always keep Life as
interesting and strange as possible."
(Hold upHoly Bhooze:)"This isthe HolySpikedEggnog; weshare
in with the understanding that reality can always use a little bend-
ing."
Share all,generalhailing,toasts,silliness,woozlesnoozling,
tricks and demonstration of weasel arranging. Guard honored guests of
all species from overindulging in and/or diving into eggnog. Songs
excellent idea.
Open circle whenever you feel like it.
=================================================================
Fara Shimbo, an ethologist living outside Boulder, Colorado with her
husband Robert, ferret, Ruby, Siamese cat, mong, and Thoroughbred
Hunter, Oficial Dude (AKA Chewie). She is main honcho of _Ferret unity
and Registration Organization (FURO)_, a weasle warrior of reknown and
author of "The Ferret Book" (see review GE83) and, with Bill Phillips,
of _Ferrets and the New Inquisition_, published by the California
Domestic Ferret Association (Box 1861, healdsburg, CA 95448. She is
editor-in-chief of _The Weasle Help Monthly_, (wonderful!) newsmagazi-
ne of FURO, available by joining FURO, PO Box 18193, greensboro, NC
27419.
1534
This is the story of Rabbit.
A long time ago- No one knows how long ago it was-- rabbit was a brave
and fearless warrior. Rabbit was befriended by Eye Walker, a witch.
The witch and Rabbit spent much time together sharing and talking.
One day EyeWalker and rabbitwere walking alongand thesat
down on the trail to rest. Rabbit said "I'm thirsty." Eye Walker
picked up a leaf and blew on it... it turned into a gourd of water...
he handed it to Rabbit. Rabbit drank the water and didn't say any-
thing. Than he said "I am hungry"
Eyewalker pickedup astone andblew onit... itturned intoa
turnip. She gave the turnip to Rappit... He tasted it and than ate
the turnip with relish... but didn't say anything.
Thetwo continued along thetrail, which ledinto the moun-
tains. Near the top, rabbit tripped and fell and rolled almost to the
bottom. Rabbit was in very sad condition when Eye Walker got to him.
She used a magick salve on Rabbit to heal his great pain and mend his
broken bones. Rabbit didn't say anything.
Several days laterEye Walkerwent searchingfor herfriend.
She searched high and love but Rabbit was nowhere to be found.
Finally Eye Walkergave up.She met Rabbitquite byaccident
one day. "Rabbit, why are you hiding and avoiding me?" the witch
asked.
"becauseI amafriad ofyou. I amafraid ofmagick," Answered
Rabbit, cowering in fear. "Leave me alone!"
"I see." SaidEye Walker. "I haveused my magical powerson
your behalf and now you turn on me and refuse my friendship."
"I wantnothing more to dowith you oryour powers," Rabbit
countered. He did not even see the tears his words were bringing to
Eye Walkers eye's. "I hope we never meet and that I never see you
again." Rabbit continued.
"Rabbit" Eye walker said. "We oncewere great friends and
companions, but no more. It is within my power to destroy you, but
because of the past and the medicines we have shared together I will
not do this. But from this day on I lay a curse on you and your tribe.
From now on, you will call fears and your fears will come to you. Be
on your way, for the sweet medicines that bound us together as friends
are now broken."
1535
Modern Wiccan Concepts based in Literary Satanism
By: Diane Vera
As I pointed out to Warren Grant in the PAGAN echo recently, Charles
G. Leland mentions Michelet in the Appendix to _Aradia:_
_Gospel_of_the_Witches_: "Now be it observed, that every leading
point which forms the plot or centre of this _Vangel_ [...] had
been told or written out for me in fragments by Maddalena (not to
mention other authorities), even as it had been chronicled by Horst
or Michelet" (pp.101-102, 1974 Weiser paperback edition).
.
In _A_History_of_Witchcraft_, Jeffrey B. Russell writes:
"Michelet's argument that witchcraft was a form of social protest
was adapted later by Marxists; his argument that it was based on a
fertility cult was adopted by anthropologists at the turn of the
century, influenig Sir James Frazer's _Golden_Bough_, Jessie
Weston's _From_Ritual_to_Romance_, Magaret Murray's _Witch-
Cult_in_Western_Europe_, and indirectly T.S. Eliot's
_The_Waste_Land_" (_A_History_of_Witchcraft_, p.133).
.
Russell states further: "Neopagan witchcraft has roots in the
tradition of Michelet, who argued that European witchcraft was the
survival of an ancient religion. This idea influenced Sir James
Frazer and a number of other anthropologists and writers in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The publication of
Charles Leland's _Aradia_ in 1899 was an important step in the
evolution of the new religion of witchcraft. [...] The doctrines
and practices of the witches as reported by Leland are a melange of
sorcery, medieval heresy, witch-craze concepts, and political
radicalism, and Leland reports ingenuously that this is just what he
expected, since it fitted with what he had read in Michelet"
(Russell, p.148).
.
As far as I know, it's possible that Michelet's influence on Gardner
was only indirect, via the other above-named writers. This would
not invalidate my point, which is that Michelet played a key role in
the development of the ideas in question.
.
Michelet has had a more direct influence on feminist Goddess
religion than on Wicca proper. Michelet's _La_Sorciere_
(_Satanism_and_Witchcraft_) is listed in the bibliography of
_Woman,_Church,_and_State_ by Matilda Gage (19th-century Women's
Suffrage leader and the founder of pre-Wiccan feminist Goddess
religion) and, more recently, in _Witches,_Midwives,_and_Nurses:_
_A_History_of_Women_Healers_ by Barbara Ehrenreich and Dierdre
English (1973).
.
In my opinion, Michelet's most important contribution to both Wicca
and feminist Goddess religion was that, as far as I know, he was the
first well-known writer (in recent centuries, anyway) to use the
word "Witch" (capital W) with its present-day positive connotations
of healing and opposition to tyranny.
1536
Intro to Satanism
By: Diane Vera
As promised in the PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echo, here's my brief
introductory essay on Satanism (though Corwynt won't be seeing it,
alas). I'll confine myself to discussing _serious_occultists_ who
identify as Satanists. I have no interest in the teen-age glue-
sniffing "Satin rulz" crowd, who are into "Satanism" as a way to
shock the grown-ups, and who usually (as far as I know) outgrow it.
Nor am I interested in criminals who say the Devil made them do it
(often, I suspect, as a way to get themselves declared insane).
.
Since I don't know how much you don't know, perhaps I should start
with the usual elementary disclaimers:
.
(a) Most Satanists do not think of themselves as "worshipping evil".
Satan is associated with a variety of human traits and magic(k)al
energies which Christianity traditionally considers "evil", but
which the Satanists themselves do not consider "evil" -- though some
Satanists may describe themselves as "evil" in an ironic sense.
.
(b) In what there is of a Satanist subculture (for serious
occultists), nobody advocates sacrificing animals or babies,
sexually abusing children, or other horrific activities described in
fundamentalist propaganda. As Anton LaVey explains in
_The_Satanic_Bible_, such activities serve no useful magic(k)al
purpose.
.
(c) Although Satan is, obviously, a figure from Christian mythology
(derived from Judaism and Zoroastrianism), Satanism is not just
"reverse Christianity". I have yet to meet even one Satanist who
believed in Christian theology, or a simple reversal thereof. (I've
heard that such Satanists do exist, but they don't seem to be part
of the organized Satanist scene.) All Satanists I've ever
encountered have some alternative explanation of who/what Satan is.
.
There are many alternative explanations and, correspondingly, many
different kinds of Satanism. Following is a list of _some_ of the
many different possible interpretations of who/what Satan is:
.
(1) Satan is the Christian-era guise of some pre-Christian deity,
e.g. Set or Pan.
.
(2) Satan is not a real entity at all, but just a symbol of human
individuality, pride, thinking for oneself, sensuality, etc.
.
(3) Satan is an actual discarnate intelligence, and is the bringer
of wisdom in a form of Gnosticism with the Christian "God" cast as
the Demiurge. This idea is based on a form of Gnosticism that
actually existed in the early centuries C.E., which venerated the
serpent of the Garden of Eden myth.
.
(4) Satan is not an actual discarnate, sentient being, but is more
than just a symbol. Satan is, at the very least, today's most
powerful magic(k)al egregore. "Satan" is present-day society's
number-one magic(k)al Name of Power.
1537
(5) Satan is an impersonal "Dark Force in Nature".
.
(6) Satan is one of many gods, all of whom are in some sense real.
There is no one all-powerful "God" like the Christian idea of "God".
There are many gods who are powerful, but not all-powerful.
.
Of the above possiblities, my own personal beliefs lean toward a
combination of interpretations #4, 5, and 6. The Church of Satan,
founded in 1966 C.E. by Anton LaVey, usually espouses interpretation
#2 and sometimes #5. The Temple of Set is into _something_like_
(but not quite) a combination of #1 and #3.
La> If you haven't been around other satanists, how do you know
La> what is being practiced, is what you would do? I could call
La> myself a Dianic Wiccan, but what I might practice is not what
La> is generally practiced...and there is no way for me to really
La> learn "right way" from "wrong way".
.
It doesn't matter. Satanism isn't really just one religion, but a
category of religions, some of which are radically different from
each other. (See my message to Deborah Kest on "Satanism 101".)
Since most forms of Satanism do celebrate individuality, the lack of
standardization is just fine, in my opinion. The only "right way"
or "wrong way" has to do with _what_works_, and this will vary from
one individual to another.
.
La> The reason you are being "punished" I think ostracized is
La> a better word, is that most Satanists, and people who follow
La> left-handed Magick/spirituality (folks I know it is not a fair
La> term, but it works for this arguement) are considered by many
La> of us the true enemies of Spiritualism that we would practice.
.
The term "Left-Hand Path" is OK. We use it too. You and I would
probably define it very differently, however. What's your
definition?
.
La> Even more than Christaniaty folks who follow your system of
La> believes are very differnt than we. Pagan and Christanity,
La> have very similar ideas and ethics, and while not at all
La> tolerant of each other (generally) can live and let live.
La> Satanists et.all on the other hand, have such a different view
La> of life, love and the pursuit of the Divine, it is hard for us
La> to accept you into our midsts.
.
Could you please be more specific? _What_ do you see as the
similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity?
.
I too see some profound differences between Satanism and neo-
Paganism. And I too see enough similarities between neo-Paganism
and Christianity that one can meaningfully use a term like "Right-
Hand Path", which includes both Christianity and neo-Paganism but
not Satanism.
1538
But I _also_ see some profound similarities between Satanism and
neo-Paganism (especially Wicca) as well, which set them both apart
from Christianity. For example, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism
are both much more tolerant toward sexual variety than Christianity
traditionally is. (To be more exact, Wicca is _now_ tolerant toward
sexual variety, though there was a time when it was quite
homophobic.) And in general, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism both
emphasize individuality in ways that Christianity doesn't.
.
Also, as I've discussed at length both here and in the PAGAN and
PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echoes, Satanism and most forms of neo-
Paganism (especially Wicca) are both part of the family of modern
Western magic(k)al religions, with many common roots and many basic
magic(k)al concepts in common. We have natural reasons to be part
of the same magic(k)al community (e.g. occult bookstores and this
computer network). It would be much more pleasant for everyone
concerned if neo-Pagans could get used to Satanists, because you are
going to keep running into more and more of us whether you like it
or not.
1539
Satanism, A Personal Definition
By Delphine
Please keep in mind that Satanism is a *very* individualistic
religion, and if you asked 50 Satanists what Satanism is, you'd
probably get 60 different responses. As a solitaire Satanist, I'll
have a go at this.. but I'm pretty bad at trying to summarize what I
believe, so please | | |
