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Book of Shadows

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Harconen
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« on: June 24, 2009, 03:44:03 pm »

Source for all posts here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/index.htm

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



The Laws
YOUR HIGH PRIESTESS

In the Magic Circle, the words, commands and wishes of the High Priestess are Law. She is the earthly representative of our gracious Goddess. She is to be obeyed and respected in all things. She is our Lady and, above all others, a Queen in the highest sense of the word. All female coveners will curtsy and say "Blessed Be" when they come before Her, and all male coveners will bend their knee and kiss Her on the right cheek and say "Blessed Be".
YOUR HIGH PRIEST

In the Magic Circle, the High Priest is the earthly representative of the Great God. He commands the respect due a Magus, Lord Counselor and father.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2009, 08:29:24 pm by Harconen » Report Spam   Logged

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Harconen
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« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2009, 03:45:04 pm »

THE LAWS

THE LAWS WERE MADE FOR THE WITCHES TO ADVISE THEM IN THEIR TROUBLES. DO NOT CHANGE THEM LIGHTLY.

The Witches should worship the Gods as is their due, and obey their will. For the worship of the Gods is good for the Witches even as the worship of the Witches is good for the Gods: For the Gods love all their Witches.

As a man loves a woman more by learning more of her wants and desires, so should the Witches love the Gods by the learning (mastering) of them.

It is necessary that the Magic Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods in these times, be cast and purified such that it may be a fitting place for the Gods; and the Witches should be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the Gods.

With love and worship in their hearts the Witches shall raise power from their bodies (and the elements around them), and they shall offer this power to the Gods so that the Gods may help their Witches.

The High Priestess shall rule her coven as the representative of the Goddess, and the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the God. The High Priestess will choose any member of the coven to be her High Priest, if he has sufficient standing in the coven. As the God Himself kissed our Lady's feet, gave Her the five-fold salute, and offered Her His power because of Her youth and beauty, Her sweetness and kindness, Her wisdom and justice, Her humility, gentleness and generosity, and shared His power with Her, so therefore the High Priestess should always be aware that all power comes from Him; it is only lent, to be used wisely and justly.

The greatest virtue of a High Priestess shall be recognition that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess. She will, therefore, gracefully retire in favor of a younger covener should the coven so decide in council. The true High Priestess should realize that gracefully surrendering the pride of place is one of the greatest virtues, and that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life with even greater power and beauty.

In the Old Days, when there were many Witches, we were free and worshipped freely in the greatest temples; but in these times, we must celebrate our sacred mysteries in secret. Therefore, none but the Witches are to see our mysteries; no coven shall know the location of any other coven or who its members are, except the High Priest, the High Priestess and the Messenger; and that there shall be no communication among the covens, except by the Messenger of the Gods or the Summoner. Only if it is safe may the covens meet in some safe place for the Great Festivals; and while there, none shall give their true names or any information about their coven or its members. This law is made for this reason: No-one can tell our enemies what they do not themselves know.

It is ordained that no-one shall tell any person not in the Craft who other Witches are, or give them names or addresses, or in any way tell anything that can betray a Witch to their face. Nor may anyone tell where the covendom or covenstead is, where any meetings are held or any other information about the coven unless directed to do so by the coven in council.

If anyone breaks these laws, even under torture, may the Curse of the God and the Goddess be upon them, so that they may not be reborn upon the Earth (but shall live forever in the Hell of the Christians).

Let each High Priest and High Priestess govern their coven with justice and love, with the help and advice of the other and of the elders of the coven, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if he should arrive. They will heed all the suggestions of their coveners and strive to settle any differences among them.

It is recognized that there will always be people who will try to make everybody agree with their ideas: these people are not necessarily bad -- they often have good ideas and these ideas should be discussed in council. But if they will not come to agree with their other coveners or if they say "I will not work with this High Priestess", then the elders will have them leave. It should be suggested that they might join another coven, or if they are of sufficient standing, they may be encouraged to found their own coven. For it is better this way, to avoid strife among the family of Witches.

When using geographic boundaries, whenever anyone of Third Degree lives more than a league from the covenstead (or are about to), any of these may found a new coven; indeed, any Witch living within the covenstead who wishes to form a new coven will inform the elders of this intention and immediately move to a new dwelling beyond the boundaries of known covensteads. Members of any coven may choose to join the new coven when it is formed, but they must totally avoid their old coven if they choose this course. The elders of the old and new covens should meet in peace and love to determine the boundaries of the covens. Any Witch living outside of any two covens may choose to join either coven, but never both. All may meet for the Great Festivals if the elders agree, so long as they meet in peace and love. Let the elders confer as to the use of this law when it is not directly applicable. Always be aware that the splitting of a coven breeds bad feelings (energy vortices?); this law was made chiefly for this reason. And may happier times come!

If you would keep a Book (whether it is called a Black Book, Book of Shadows, Book of Light, or whatever), write it in your own hand. Let your brothers and sisters in the Craft copy as they will from your book in their hand, but never let your Book out of your hands and never keep the writing of another. Every Witch should keep and guard their own writings, that none may be discovered through their Book being found in another's possession.

Destroy your Book whenever danger threatens, and commit as many as possible of these Laws to memory. Destroy the writings of a deceased Witch if they did not have time to do so themselves. If any of their writings are found, it is clear proof against both the writer and the holder, for our enemies firmly believe that "one may not be a Witch alone": their family and all who are known to be friends may be suspected as Witches. Be responsible with your writings and you will protect all who love you.

If your Book is found on you, it is clear proof against you along unless you tell our enemies what you know. You may be taken and tortured, but keep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind. If the torture is too much to bear, tell them, "I cannot bear this torture. I will confess. What do you want me to say?" If they try to make you talk about the Craft, do not; but if they try to make you speak of absurd things, such as flying through the air, consorting with the Christian devil, sacrificing children or eating men's flesh, say, "I held an evil dream; I was beside myself; I was crazed," or words to that effect, to obtain relief from the torture. Not all magistrates are bad -- if there is any semblance of an excuse, they may show mercy. If you have confessed to anything, deny it afterwards: say that you babbled under torture, or that you don't remember what you said. If you are condemned, do not be afraid, for the Craft is powerful and your escape will be aided if you stand fast. If you go steadfast to the flames, be certain that drugs will reach you and you will feel nothing of the pain. You will only go to death and what lies beyond -- the ecstasy of the God and the Goddess. If you betray anything, however, there is no hope for you in this life or that which is to come.

To avoid being discovered, choose your working tools to be ordinary items which you would have around the house. Make your Pentacles out of wax so that you can break and melt them at once. Do not keep a sword unless its presence would alarm no-one. Have no signs or names visible on anything. Write the signs in ink or water immediately before consecrating the tool and wash them off immediately after. Do not engrave anything, for this will only help you be discovered. Keep your athame and kerfan (working knife) among your kitchen knives, and let the colors of the hilts determine the one from the other and from the other knives. Always remember that we are the Hidden Children of the Goddess. Never do anything to disgrace the Craft or Her -- never boast, never threaten, and never say that you wish ill of anyone.

It is not forbidden to say, "There is Witchcraft in the land", for the Christians say so themselves and have made it heresy not to believe so; but always say, "I know nothing of it here, though it may be elsewhere." If any person speaks about the Craft outside of the Circle, say, "Don't speak of such things -- it frightens me. It is bad luck to talk about such things." Say this for this reason: the Christians have their spies everywhere. These spies have been known to talk as if they were drawn to the Craft and as if they would want to come to our meetings, and they say such things as, "My fathers and forefathers worshipped the Old Ones, and my mother; I would like to worship in this way myself." To all of these, tell them that you do not know what they are talking about, and that you wish they would stop. But to others, say, "It's silly to talk about Witches flying around in the air; they would have to be lighter than feathers or thistle-down. Besides, everyone knows that Witches are all bleary-eyed old hags; what fun could they possibly have at their meetings, and why should I want to participate? And besides, you know we were taught in school that there are no such things as Witches." Always make fun of the subject, that we may worship in peace when the persecution ends: let us all work for that happy time. May the blessing of the God and the Goddess be upon all who keep this law.

If any in the Craft holds any property, let all Witches guard it and keep it clear and good for the use of the Craft. It is the further responsibility of all Witches to guard Craft funds wisely.

If any Witch offers a well-made item, it is proper to pay them for it according to the value of the work; this is not taking money for the Craft, but payment for honest work -- even the Christians believe that "the labourer is worth his hire". Still, if any Witch works willingly for the good of the Craft and will not accept payment, this shall be to their greater honor.

It is known that a coven may be bound together by sexual ties, and that this is often not desirable. When it is found that this is not desirable, the coven should be made up of loving couples, and there may also be single coveners. In such cases, it is required that the search for new love be undertaken outside the coven except when two single coveners find love with each other; otherwise, it will often cause division in the coven. For while all acts of love and pleasure are indeed the rituals of our beloved Goddess, She is not inclined to favor acts which divide Her covens and scatter Her Witches unnecessarily.

If there should arise quarrels or disputes among the Witches, the High Priestess or High Priest shall immediately convene the elders and inquire into the problem. The elders shall hear each side separately, and then both together. Their decision should be just, not siding with one side until the matter is determined, recognizing that there are people who cannot work under others, and others who cannot make wise decisions. To those who must always be in charge, the possible solutions for them are to void the coven altogether, find another coven for them, or for them to found a new coven (taking with them all who will go). To those who cannot rule wisely, the solution is that those who cannot bear the rule will leave the coven. No one can truly worship the Gods when personal conflicts among the coveners are not resolved; all who cause strife in the coven must be told, "Go away from us, for the Craft must ever survive."

In the Old Days, we could use the Art against anyone who treated the Witches badly; but in these times, we must not do so. Our enemies have invented a burning pit of everlasting fire into which their God throws everyone who does not worship Him, except for those few who buy their penance from His priests (for their God always seems to be in need of money). Even as our Gods need our aid to make fertility for people and crops, so it is that the God of the Christians is always needing men to find and destroy us. Their priests tell them that any man who is helped by us will be damned to their Hell forever, to the point that men are mad with the terror of it. But the priests also make them believe that they may escape this Hell if they give up Witches to be tortured, so that these men are always thinking, "If I catch only one Witch, I will escape the fiery pit." For this reason we have our hiding places, and when no Witches are found, the searchers will say, "There aren't any Witches, or at least not in this area." But as soon as one of our oppressors dies or even catches a cold, the cry will go up that it is "Witches' work", and the hunt will be on again. And while they may kill ten Christians for every Witch, they will not care, for they are countless millions while we are few indeed.

THEREFORE, IT IS ORDAINED that none shall use the Art in any way to harm anyone or even wish them ill. However much they may injure us, HARM NONE, and may the Christians forget that we exist.

These laws are ordained to help us in our difficulties. No person, no matter how large the injury or injustice they incur, may use the Art in any way to do evil or harm anyone. But they may use the Art, after great consultation with the elders and fellow coveners, to keep the Christians and their tools from harming anyone -- but only to constrain them. To this end, some day men will say "That man says he is a mighty persecutor of Witches, but all we ever see him torture are old women -- we cannot see that they have hurt anyone, and if they are all such powerful Witches, why has he not been harmed?" They will see him as the evil person he is, regardless of his professed beliefs. We know that too many people have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because another wanted their wealth or because they were too poor to bribe the witch-hunters. And many have died only for being old women -- so many that most men now seem to believe that only old women are Witches. This is to our advantage, for it turns many suspicious eyes away from us; but we mourn deeply for the old women. Still, in England and Scotland, it has been hundreds of years since a Witch "died the death"; be vigilant, for the misuse of our power might begin the persecutions again. Never break this law, no matter how much you are tempted. Never consent to the breaking of this law: even a High Priestess who merely consents to the breaking of this law must be deposed immediately, for it is the blood of all the Witches that she endangers. DO ONLY GOOD, and then only when it is safe to do anything at all.

Never accept money for the use of the Art, for money always smudges the receiver. Christians take money for the use of their arts, and they sell pot-metal charms, pardons and potions to men so that they may escape from their sins. Do not act like these; as long as you refuse to take money, you will be free from the temptation to use the Art for evil causes. All may use the Art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the Craft, but you must always be certain that no-one will be harmed by its use. Let the coven debate the use of the Art at length, and only when all are satisfied that none will be harmed by its use will the use be allowed. Remember that if you cannot achieve your means in one fashion, your aim may still be reached through another -- always harming none.

If anyone in the Craft needs a house or land and there is no one willing to sell to them, you may use the Art to incline an owner's mind to be willing to sell, provided that the spell does not harm the owner or the property and that the full value is paid without haggling. Never bargain or cheapen anything while living by the Art.

The most important of laws: Do nothing that will endanger anyone in the Craft or which will bring them into conflict with the law of the land or any of our persecutors. In this regard, it is NEVER permissible, in any dispute involving the Craft, to invoke any laws other than those of the Craft, nor may any tribunals be held other than one consisting of the High Priestess, the High Priest, and the elders.

The coven is to keep two books on herbalism. One of these will list the names and uses of all herbs which are cures for ills or are otherwise good for humans, and all may have access to this book to learn these things. But keep a separate book with the names of all poisonous herbs and those used in dark spells, letting only the elders and other trusted Witches know of these secrets or even of this book's existence.

Remember that the Art is the secret of the Gods and may only be used in earnest -- never for show, or pride, or personal glory. The Christians may taunt you saying, "You have no power: Perform some magic for us, and then we may believe." Do not listen to them, for the Art is holy and is to be used only in need.

It has always been the way of men and women that they should seek after love, and while no one should be reproved for this, it may be to the disadvantage of the Craft sometimes. It has happened too many times that a High Priestess has found a new love and run off with him, giving no word to the coven of this. A High Priestess may resign in full coven at any time, and this resignation is valid; but if she has not resigned, the coven shall wait for her to return for a year and a day (for she may return sooner, having left for love). If she has a deputy, that deputy is to act as Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away. If she returns within this time, all will be as if she had never left; but if she does not return within this time, a new High Priestess shall be elected in full coven. Unless there is a good reason to the contrary, the deputy, having done the work, should reap the reward and be chosen as the new High Priestess. But if another is chosen, the deputy shall be the maiden and deputy of the new High Priestess.

The High Priest serves at the pleasure of the High Priestess. If the High Priestess is gone for more than a year and a day, he shall continue in his office while the deputy serves in her place. However, once a new High Priestess has been chosen, the new High Priestess will appoint her own High Priest (and it may be the current High Priest or not). Neither the prior High Priest nor his friends may be angry if a new High Priest is chosen, for pride must always give way to harmony in the coven.

The Art is sacred: it is the Art of the working of energies, and it must always be taught inside of the Magic Circle. It has been found that teaching the Art frequently leads to a sexual attraction between the teacher and student -- and that this often improves the result. If for any reason this is not desirable, it should be avoided at the beginning by both persons firmly - and verbally - resolving that their relations will be limited to that of brother and sister, or parent and child. It is for the reason that shared love often increases the result of working magic that teaching should always be done from man-to-woman and from woman-to-man. When a coven is made up of members of all one sex, the masculine-to-feminine energy exchange should be adhered to whenever possible. Teaching people about the Craft, however, may be done whenever and wherever it is safe, so long as the teacher is knowledgeable, the student is willing, and the information taught is available publicly or is not a secret of the Art. No-one may charge for teaching, unless it is to cover such expenses as the cost of the room, books or other printed materials, refreshments, and so forth.

Order and discipline must be kept within the coven: the High Priestess or the High Priest should and may punish all faults. To this end, all in the Craft should receive their correction willingly. With the culprit kneeling, all in the Circle should be told of the offense, and the sentence will be pronounced. Punishment might include the scourge or the recasting of the Circle, followed by something silly such as several kisses. The culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing the scourge upon receiving sentence, and afterward by thanking everyone for their loving correction.

SO MOTE IT BE!
Source: "J. Random Folksinger" (I did this as a project for my 2nd Degree.) -- Available on most pagan BBSes and the Web as JRFLaws. These laws are a combination of what I was taught and what I learned, using many different sources, including my neo-Gardnerian training, two different sets of Celtic Craft laws, several other versions found in print, exigeses lovingly provieded me by Judy Harrow, and the picked brains of several of my students. You may contact the redactor at mordewis@infotrail.net, as of 11/99 (subject to change).

Chroma, hue, brightness, contrast and depth
...or the world is grey and flat.

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Harconen
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« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2009, 03:45:51 pm »

How to power a magic spell
by Black Cat

Some believe that Witches say a few magic words and do a ritual and then a spell is created and performs its function.

There is a metaphorical plane, a plane where all the psychic energy of both the living and the dead exists. We draw from this energy when we are being creative. It can also be psychically tapped to energize one's will and envisionment to cast spells.

The metaphysical plane acts like a battery. Psychic energy is alive and can be given a will of evil or good. Good psychic energy can heal and make good things happen. The evil energy creates a negative field around the person the spell was cast on, Some evil spells can cause someone to lose health etc.

It will effect random chance and make bad or negative things happen, causing luck and other factors to be reduced and depending on the nature of the spell and the psychic skill of the Witch. The spell could take years before it begins to lose its energy and effects.

There are several ways to create a psychic battery. Covens are great for this. A spell cast by a coven is much more powerful then one cast by a single Witch. There are also places in the world where there are rips in the psychic energy layer of the metaphysical plane. These places are ideal for Witches because the psychic energy leaking out of the metaphysical plane is very powerful and very easy to tap. One can also tap a person and use hir as a psychic battery to cast spells, but learning to channel and draw psychic energy from the metaphysical plane is the first thing any Witch should learn.
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« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2009, 03:47:00 pm »

What Is Magick

David Rankine

© copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 David Rankine

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is magick? Forget all the fallacies and stereotypical pre-conceptions
taught to you out of fear and ignorance and approach this question with an
open mind. You will probably find it is not what you have been taught to
think. Magick has been defined as "The art and science of causing change to
occur in conformity with will *1"   which could be put more simply as making
desired change happen; or as "energy tending to change"; a definition I use
is "magick is conscious evolution through directing energy". This does not
really explain magick though, so I will try to elaborate on these phrases
without jargon.

An aim of magick is to train the mind by harnessing and making more
consciously accessible such higher faculties as intuition, inspiration and
the creative imagination, and by drawing on the power of the unconscious -
to try and use more than the 10% of our brain's capacity that we do.

Magick assumes belief in, or rather experience of, subtle energies. We can
only see about one seventieth of the light spectrum, yet what we cannot see
still affects us - such as x-rays and ultraviolet light. Similarly, magick
is about focusing more subtle, non-physical energies, and directing them to
create change. To go about this requires experience, and training to improve
the power of the mind, and specifically, the will.

Acts such as meditation, breath control, voice work, body work,
visualization, drama, ritual, and others, are all designed to improve our
body and mind, to better sharpen us and balance us, and to enable us to
perceive and wield more subtle energies.

In the same way, an individual is as strong as their will, and the more
balanced and integrated a person is, the stronger their will (note, this is
probably one of the main reasons why so many magicians have experience of
counselling and/or psychology, recognising the help these processes can
give, both through training and experiencing them. This also acts as a
removal of farcical social stigma often attached to these processes).

Practising magick tends to act as a deconditioning mechanism and can be a
subtle process, the longer you practice, the more you change and the
unnecessary inhibitions, stigmas, guilts and sin complexes that society
builds in are removed. This has the effect of releasing their energy into
the psyche, where it can strengthen the individual.

The more physical side, such as yoga, bodywork, dance and massage, also
removes the tension held in the body as body armour, and releases this and
removes energy blockages which impair full efficiency and may result in
illness.

Possibly the major difference between magick and many of the religious paths
to spiritual growth is that magick is more dynamic, and places the emphasis
on you to work for change - there are no gurus in magick, rather there are
fellow students with different perspectives and experiences - we learn from
each other, as in other areas of life.

Magick tends to work a lot with symbols, as these are the language of the
unconscious, and this is an area of tremendous power to tap. Symbols have
many functions, and one of these, released through magick, can be the
ability to confound the ego and the censor mechanisms, and enabling us to
perceive more subtle truths, or experience direct revelations. Although we
may not be able to fully explain how symbols work, we know from experience
that certain symbols seem harmonious with certain types of energy.

For example a magician may tell you that if you want to attract love you
should wear green, and rose perfume, perhaps wear copper, like a bracelet or
necklace, etc. These are all things attributed with Venus, who is associated
with love, and so the principal is one of contagion - sympathetic magick, or
making something happen by working with items linked to it. This is one of
the oldest and most commonly practised forms of magick. Working with the
symbols of a type of energy does seem to attract that energy.

A cautionary word here, magick is often seen as a way to hidden powers, and
entered for the wrong reason, the "I want sex, power and lots of money"
syndrome. Now there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but
when you do magick you will discover that you tend to get what you need
rather than necessarily what you want.
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« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2009, 03:48:11 pm »

When you do magick you generally use techniques to alter your state of
consciousness and raise energy, and then direct that energy to create a
desired result. The channel that energy takes as directed by your altered
state of consciousness is not necessarily the path you might expect in your
normal everyday state. Magick does bring you power, yes, but it is power
over yourself, not other people. It is the power that is important, to grow
and to create positive change.

This does not mean there is anything wrong with using magick to gain more
physical things, there is nothing wrong with doing a ritual or spell to get
a job, whereas trying to make a specific individual go to bed with you would
be wrong. Magick is very much about intent, and if your intent is to get
work, you are not imposing on people, whereas if you were trying to make
somebody do something that they would not naturally do, you are imposing on
their will.

If you did a ritual to attract love without specifying a person, but opening
yourself to the opportunity to meet someone where love may arise, and to
feel more attractive and better about yourself, you are not imposing, you
are trying to create positive change.

Magick is a commitment to yourself, and it requires determination,
perseverance, strength, openness to change and absence of rigidity, a love
of life (including yourself), and a desire to grow and fulfil your
potential. It may be that you already have all these qualities and do this
already without calling it magick - magick is not about labels, and those
who think and talk as if it is unfortunately put some people off. Magick is
learning about the natural flows of energy in the universe, and working in
harmony with them to effect positive change, both in yourself and in your
environment.

Some people ask why magick is spelt with a 'k' on the end. This is to
distinguish it from magic, associated in the popular mind with illusionism
and prestidigitation, stage magic. Magick is not about illusion, it is about
creating real change, and the 'k' signifies this. K is the eleventh letter
of the alphabet, i.e. the one beyond ten. Symbolically this is very
powerful, as we work in base ten, and eleven represents the unseen, or
hidden energies - the subtle energies of magick, eleven is considered to be
the number of magick.

Magickal training and experience bring forth the energies of the
unconscious, and so it is no surprise to see that symbols become more
important as you develop, providing not only the language of dream and the
unconscious, but also helping create a more flexible perception grid of the
universe. To grow spiritually, it is vital that you remain flexible and do
not become dogmatic, rather that you are open to experience and willing to
question your ideas and beliefs as a result of those experiences.

Magick can be a painful process. It is not easy to maintain the discipline
and honest self-critical approach all the time. It can also be hard work
dealing with the energy released without being knocked off balance
sometimes. The important thing in these cases is to remain honest and keep
at it. Nobody said magick was easy! It takes a lot of practice and hard work
and pain, but the rewards are spiritual and mental growth, the joy of life
and the beauty of unconditional love. Beyond the limits there are no limits!

-end-
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« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2009, 03:49:10 pm »

Ethics and Etiquette

 

Hello,

I would like to contribute the attached article, written by me, to the IBOS. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.

Thank you,

Morgaine
© Morgaine 2001

 

When we speak of ethics and etiquette in relation to pagansim what are we referring to? Are we speaking of outdated rules and actions that no longer have meaning and we only give lip service to? I don't believe so. Ethics and etiquette are living, breathing codes of life, shaping our actions in relation to each other, and ourselves. They are a guiding force in the way we live our lives.

Let us first look at ethics. Ethics are defined as --a set of principles; moral philosophy; rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession; human duty; a particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; motivation based on ideas of right and wrong; the philosophical study of moral values and rules.

When we begin to speak of ethics, we need to realize that this can be a very touchy subject. We are human after all, and we want to think our ethics are the correct ones. While there are generally accepted community ethics, it is personal ethics that make up who we are. And these are not the same for each person.

Before we begin to discuss in depth community and person ethics let us first look at the Rede, the most common code of conduct among Wiccans.

Bide the Wiccan law ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust;

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill;

'An ye harm none, do as ye will';

Lest in self-defense it be, ever mind the rule of three;

Follow this with mind and heart;

And merry ye meet and merry ye part.

Every Wiccan knows the Rede. Our passwords into the sacred circle are in here. Our major rule of ethic is here. And the reason for breaking this ethic, as well as the consequences of breaking it foolishly. When we extract the line most popular --An ye harm none, do as ye will' and begin to dissect it, we have to wonder "Is this an ethic we can every achieve?"

I believe the Rede is a standard of living, like all ethics, and one that is an impossibility to achieve. The goal is to live as closely to the Rede as possible. In the attempt to do this, we begin to analyze our actions. We follow the path of LEAST harm. Thus, we begin to live conscious of our actions, and how they effect the world around us. And here comes the REAL lesson of the Rede. It forces us to have personal responsibility. Once you have acknowledged that the Rede is a goal to work for and not a given situation, and have taken of the blinders that let you go around smug and happy that your religion is so sweet it makes your teeth itch, you can get down to the work of making your life an ethical one. What this involves is considering each decision in the light of the Rede before you decide upon a course of action. You do this by looking at all the possible consequences of that action and whether that will cause harm to any, choosing the path that causes the least harm and, (THIS IS THE KEY) accepting the responsibility for the consequences of your actions whether intentional or unintentional. -Lark, HPS of Tangled Moon Coven.

Wicca, as well as most Pagansim, is a religion and spiritual path of personal responsibility. We strive to live in an aware state. When we do this, we recognize our free will, and the free will of others. If we ignore the lesson of personal responsibility, we fail to realize our true spiritual potential and our true spiritual will.

As we begin our path, we must develop a set of personal ethics, while maintaining a respect for the ethics of the community we are becoming a part of. Some community ethics are very well defined.

-Don't practice black magick, or follow the left-hand path.

-Don't attempt to harm another or interfere with their free will.

-Always act in a way that will reflect well upon your path. Never do anything that will bring harm to the Craft.

Since Wicca, and pagansim, are very open paths and for the most part do not seek to make anyone follow 'ONE RIGHT WAY', most of the ethics defined by community are concerning harm to others, and harm to the Craft.

But to begin a spiritual path, and to follow it every day of your life, you must develop your own set of personal ethics that define the way you live. No one can tell you what your personal ethics should be. Your teachers, mentors, HPS, HP can all recommend both in word and deed, ethics that work for them. You may be given a 'Book of the Law' that governs your group or tradition. If you are a solitary, you may read on the net, or in a book, acceptable codes of conduct, or ideals. But you cannot take someone else's ethics and make them your own. You must do some soul searching, and decide how you feel about things. Now I am NOT suggesting that you ignore your HPS or HP, or your teachers and mentors. I am suggesting that you should always temper wisdom with personal experience. You must come to a point that you are willing to question what you are taught, to grow in your own self. Through this, your own sense of ethics and morals will come.

Now, here comes the biggie. What do you do when your personal ethics are in direct conflict with accepted community ethics? For example-it has become a phenomenon in the pagan community to love everything white and full of light, and shun everything dark and full of shadow. It has become unacceptable to speak of negative emotions like anger and envy. It has become unacceptable to feel hate towards another person, wish that a murderer would get the death penalty, which that rapist would get castrated by a bunch of angry women. Some of us fondly refer to this a fluffy, bunny Wicca, no offense to anything fluffy, or bunnies. We are taught to love unconditionally because we are all brothers and sisters, connected to each other and every living thing. We are taught that if we experience these emotions, maybe we aren't all that spiritual, and especially not as much as Miss crystal love and light. We are often looked down upon if we say something like 'I am so damn mad at my ex husband I could smack him'. The response I myself have heard to such comment is 'my my, now THAT wasn't very positive'. Well, guess what. It WASN'T. Now I am not saying that you should indulge in these emotions. They can be deterrents to developing a sound spiritual identity because they are 'negative' in the sense that they are base emotions that do not vibrate on the spiritual plane. But they also teach us lessons that can lead to spiritual epiphanies.

Life is a balance between light and dark. Nature is both beautifully creative and frighteningly destructive. Inside of a single human there is light and shadow, and to be totally balanced we must learn to face both, experience both and therefore learn from both. So back to the original question. Let's say you don't feel that you are evil if you feel anger at another person or what have you. What do you do when community ethics conflict with your personal ethics? In my opinion, as long as what you are doing does not come into direct conflict with the good of the general community, or does not manipulate or purposefully harm another person, then your personal ethics should come first. You should not do something maliciously to another person. When you do this, you are not only harming yourself, but you are harming that person, AND the whole of the community. It is very important that our community not be sullied, and the reasons are obvious. But beyond this, your personal ethics should prevail.

Do ethics change over time? Do you think that the ethics of our ancestors of 100, 200 or even 1000 or more years ago are the same as what they are now? I believe that ethics are a revolving and ever changing system. Some become outdated, and some we should always keep. For instance, it has only been in the recent resurgence of Pagansim in the last 50-60 years or so that the belief of 'An ye harm none, do as ye will came about'. In times past, a witch who could not curse, could not heal. Societies have not always believed that you should not harm another person, or that interfering with someone life was a bad thing. The old wise woman of a village was sought out for every reason from fertility, to love, to revenge. It has been in our time only, with the resurgence of beliefs and the discrimination that we face, that we have adopted some of the common ethics we now have. I am NOT saying this is wrong, or that we should go back to the 'Old Ways'. In a society that we now living in, and the information is available for spiritual purposes, there is no longer a need to seek out the crone of the village and ask her to grant you revenge on your enemy. But this is the perfect example of how ethics change with time. At one time it was ethical for old men to mate with young girls. In our culture, it is no longer ethical. So ethics change, and so they should. Change is the only constant in the universe, and without it, we grow stagnate and our lives become filled with rot and decay. Change blows in new life to help recreate our lives, our beliefs and yes, even out ethics.

The other common code of conduct that we hear of in the Pagan community is 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, love under will.' This comes from Aleister Crowley, from his book entitled 'The Book of the Law'. Now knowing some of the things that we do about Crowley, it's almost humorous to think of him in a discussion of ethics, except to point to what not to do maybe! But, this is a very powerful outlook on developing your own set of personal ethics.

In my understanding 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will' does not mean you may do as you wish and that is it. It is speaking of your TRUE will, your TRUE purpose in life. And if you are following your true or higher will and purpose you will not come into conflict with another's will so therefore you do not have to worry about stepping on anyone else's toes. So you don't have to worry about harming another, because you are in touch with the divine and you are following your own spiritual path and will, which will not cause harm or conflict with another. Of course, we still have conflicts with people. One way to look at this is as a spiritual lesson for either you or the other person. But if you are seeking to control another or harm another, this is not your true will. This is based upon the belief that every person is an individual, and as an individual you should be true to your own nature or consciousness. You must find your true will and make all of your actions subservient to the one great purpose. This again leads to conscious living.

If ethics are codes of personal and community conduct, then etiquette is a code of social conduct. Etiquette is defined as --the practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority; forms of conduct prescribed by polite society; code of correct conduct; also decorum denotes conformity with established standards of manners or behavior; the forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society; rules governing acceptable behavior.

Just like Emily Post and polite society, we in the Pagan community have behavior that is expected from us in how we interact with that community. In my opinion, etiquette is something sorely lacking in many Pagans. They are not taught certain things about how we interact with each other. This could be because maybe you didn't have a teacher, or your teacher didn't know them either. Or it could be because you or those who taught you just didn't care, it wasn't important to them. But I feel that etiquette is VERY important. It keeps us civilized, it aids us in how we interact and it shows the outside world that we know how to act.

Beyond the mundane world and it's social etiquette, lets take a look at some things that are common among Pagan paths, especially the Wiccan path.
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« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2009, 03:49:50 pm »

You should never touch someone else's magickal tools and items without their express permission. If you see something you like and want to touch, then ASK. Don't just hold out your hand for it, or just pick it up. A person leaves an imprint of their energy on what they touch, and they may not want someone else's energy on their magickal items. This includes athames all the way to stones and jewelery. And do not take offense if you ask and are told no.
The way you live reflects on our whole community. You should always respect others, no matter their path. Inside your own religion thee is a certain higher respect given each other, as Children of the Goddess. This comes from a basic understanding of the hardships of the path, and the process we all go through in some way to evolve. It can be equated to any secret society and it's initiation process and path of self-discovery. This path is not for everyone, and if you take it seriously, will change your life in ways you could never imagine. Any path that causes growth can be difficult. And we link with others that are going through the same thing we are and take strength from and learn from them.
We endeavor to hold ourselves to a high standard of living our spiritual lives that the mundane world does not. Therefor we support each other, lending a hand when the pitfalls of the world come about.
When someone gives of themselves to teach or guide, we recognize that person's giving, and respect it. Not all of us are called to teach, and those who are offer a valuable service that should not be taken for granted.
When you are called to teach or guide, you have been given a very serious part to play in your community. You should never abuse it in any way. It also does not mean that you may use it as a way to gain power over, or look down upon any other person. We are all where we should be onour path, and it does not mean a thing that you have 10 or 20 years of service and someone else has 1. We are all equal in the eyes of the Gods. And if you are a teacher, you are held to an even higher state of conduct. You must never involve yourself in anything that could cause harm to your students or to the Craft. You should never do anything that would bring a bad light on us. For instance, you should never become romantically involved with one of your students. You should not condone the use of illegal drugs, or alcohol if the person is not of age. You should not use your position to control your students, or make them dependent on you. The goal is to aid a person on this path. You supply the seed as a teacher. You cannot take them by the hand and learn from them, or be easy on them when you should be honest.
In that same light, those who would be considered an elder in our faith are given a large amount of respect. The wisdom that is gained from following this path for 10, 20 or 30 years is an asset to our community, and we should respect the Elders of the community for what they have learned and what they teach us.
Due to the advent of the internet, there is a phenomenon growing among new seekers that is very disturbing. It involves not understanding the hard work it takes to learn the Old Ways, or the dedication and self sacrifice those who follow, and especially those who teach and guide give to the path. From this lack of understanding, new seekers think they can go to any page on the net, learn what they can and be done with it. It also leads them to think that they can ask for what they want, and someone will just hand it over. For example, I have been asked to send someone a copy of my BOS. This shows me that the person requesting this has no idea of what a BOS is, what it stands for and the process that is gone through to acquire it. This is flat out rude to begin with. This person is wanting their religion hand fed to them. They want to skip the hard work, the dedication, the pitfalls and the trials, and get right to the reward. This is simply not how it's done. This person wants the secrets and mysteries handed to them on a silver platter, without having to leave the comfort of the computer chair and work for them. This isn't possible. And I am here to say STOP. Be mindful of what you are asking. You can't go to the net, read a page or two, then go ask someone for their BOS, or even ask them to teach you. There must be effort on your part. You are not an adept after reading a page, or a book, or even ten books. The mysteries cannot be handed to you on a silver platter and you are a master of the universe. This is what I call lazy Wicca, and through lazy Wicca you will never come to experience the mysteries, because they come through dedication, hard work and a personal dedication to the Gods.
Those who are out of the closet must NEVER give away the secrets of their brothers and sisters. You should never give any personal information. You should never tell the secrets of a coven, who it's leaders are, who the members are or any other information. We must honor our vows and protect those who for whatever reason have chosen to remain hidden from the eyes of the world.
For those who are out of the closet, your life and your actions must be above reproach in the eyes of the world. As an open pagan, you may be the only one that a non pagan every sees. They will see every Pagan in you. So in all things you must be truthful. You must live with dignity and honor.

In our discussion of ethics and etiquette the point I was trying to impress upon you is this. We have become a society who thinks that we may do as we please, act as we please and there are no consequences. We fight with the Christians. We complain about how they fight amongst themselves. We sneer at them when they point to another of them and say how that person is wrong and they way they practice is wrong. And yet, WE DO THE SAME THING.

When I meet a fellow priestess, I treat her with respect as a person, and doubly so as a priestess, since I know how hard that path can be, to have dedicated your life and your service to the Gods and the Old Ways. If I meet someone who has been walking the path for 20 or 30 years, I respect that person because of the knowledge they have obtained in that time. That is not to say my 10 years is less, or they are 'more spiritual' than me. It is saying that this path is not an easy one all the time, and to have lived it every day for that amount of time is deserving of respect. I was taught as a child to respect my elders, and I believe that is still a valid lesson. The elders of this path can teach us things that we have never even thought of. At the same time, as an elder, you should always remember what it was like to take your first stumbling steps on this path, and how you may have longed for some guidance. It is just as wrong to be an elder, and act as if you know everything, or someone who is only 20 or whatever age could never be a spiritual person. We all must remember our ethics and etiquette, and encourage each other every day.

We have forgotten to practice our personal ethics, and have thrown etiquette out the window. We have forgotten Emily Post and Miss Manners, and have went on about our merry little way to fight like cats and dogs, without even offering basic human respect for those with diverging views, and this troubles me. It is a plague that is infecting our community. The Witch Wars continue. We struggle to make our way the right way, even if we don't realize we are doing this. We forget the very basic teaching that we are all connected, and that all paths are valid, as long as they fulfill our spiritual needs.

Let us remember our ethics. Let us live our lives with honor, treating all of life with respect. Follow your own path, without interference into another's. Work hard, study hard and receive the blessings of a life well lived.
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« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2009, 03:50:40 pm »

Becoming a Witch
by Morgaine
© Morgaine 2001.

This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.

I am often asked how one becomes a witch. Do you find someone who is a witch and they make you one? Or are you a witch just by saying you are? Can you make yourself a witch?

The process of becoming a witch doesn't happen overnight. It is a life change, a new path upon the journey of your life. It takes consideration, study and work. If you have previously followed a mainstream religion, you may have things that take time to let go, and new things that take time to absorb. I have heard many people say it is often hard, coming from a life of Christianity, to feel comfortable praying to the Goddess. All new things take time, but if you are serious upon this path, you will find your way. The Gods call their own home to them.

No matter how you have came about finding the Old Religion, here you are. So where do you go? To the book store. For a novice, books are like the air you breathe. You must have them, or access to them in some way. If you cannot afford, or do not feel safe having books on the Craft, the internet is the next best place.

In both books and on the internet you will find a wealth of knowledge that will help guide you upon your new path. Of course, as with anything else, there is good information and bad information. Avoid any kind of book, or internet site, that speaks of controlling another person in any way, harming them, doing love spells on a specific person, or tells you to chant in latin, even though you have no idea what you are saying (yes, I have seen sites like that). These books/sites will not fulfill your need for knowledge in the Craft and will only serve to confuse you.

Once you have read a variety of books and feel called to this path, the next step is to find a teacher. If you have access to a teacher, in my opinion this is the best course of action. A teacher or a coven can often be found if there is a new age book store in your community. Also, the Witches Voice is a site that offers networking in every state. It has grown extremely large over the past few years and is a valuable resource in the Craft community. All of my coven members have found me on the Witches Voice.

Having a mentor can offer so much to you when you are beginning. There will be things you come across that you have a hard time understanding and need clarification. If you have a teacher, they are just a phone call or email away. If you do not, you must try to decifer things on your own, and may not come to the correct end on them. If you do not have a teacher, again, the internet is the next best place to look.

If you are only looking for a 'how to' on casting spells, then the Craft is not for you. Witchcraft is a serious spiritual path, in which magick is performed, but is secondary to the religion itself. I would suggest you look to ceremonial magick for that.

A couple of things need to be said about beginning this path, in light of recent attitudes about the Craft. Here lately it seems that you have a people who, after reading a few books, feel as if they can call themselves a master of the Art. They throw on a title like Lady/Lord, or HP/s, add some black clothes, a pentacle the size of a hubcap, and they are ready to go. This is not what the Craft is about. If you have spent years following a particular path, have worked hard for the spiritual lessons that have been presented to you, and through this have attained the title and rank, then by all means use it. But think of how you would feel if, after all that, you have a newbie with 6 months and 5 books unde their belt walking about calling themselves Lady Starry Ski or Lord Thunderbutt. It is very offensive. Just like your parents told you when you were growing up (or maybe you still are) 'don't rush things, it will all come to you in the end, and be sweeter for the waiting'. This is true with the Craft. Using titles, putting on airs, and in general acting high and mighty are not going to make you any more spiritual. And that is what this path is about. What it will do is alienate you from people whom you may actually want to meet and get to know!

All of this being said the way to become a witch is through study and dedication. Gather all of the information you can. Find the best teacher possible. Read whatever you can get your hands on. Go outside in nature and commune with the Goddess and God. Listen to the trees and the wind and the rush of the water, for this is the witch's world.

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« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2009, 03:51:51 pm »

Self Dedication explained
Article by David Rankine & Sorita
===================================================
For more information on the authors please visit -
www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them
please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United
Kingdom. (Please include a SAE)
© David Rankine & Sorita 2000
===================================================

Initiation is a process of "death and rebirth" - the
old self dies, and the new and magickal self is born.
A rite of self-dedication marks a serious commitment
and dedication to the path, and should not be taken
lightly.

Having followed your path this far, you will have
noticed subtle (or not so subtle) changes in your
self, and you may wish to mark this, and affirm your
commitment to the path with a self-dedication ritual.
Initiation is a process which happens over time, and
the rite itself will benefit from being preceded by a
daily practice, building up in intensity as you
approach the day of the rite, with the dedication rite
being the culmination of this ritual practice.

As the rite marks a rebirth, into your witch self or
magickal self, you may wish to obtain a new magickal
item or items for it. This could be a piece of ritual
jewellery, such as a pentagram pendant, or amber and
jet necklace (the traditional witches necklace), or a
cord you wear around your waist. Some people choose to
mark their dedications by having a tattoo in a
magickal design, personal to themselves.

It is also good to have a magickal weapon which you
will consecrate at the end of the dedication rite. A
ritual dagger, or athame is the general tool chosen.
Self-dedication can be very empowering, and can
produce a feeling of "walking on clouds", and it is
very important to earth oneself afterwards, and then
to have a rest from magickal work for a period of
between a week and a month.

Simple daily meditation may be practised during this
period, but avoid intense magickal work. Time is
needed to assimilate the experience, and the
dedication process should be undertaken at a time when
you do not have too much outside stress, and are able
to take time for yourself.

It should be stressed that self-dedication is not the
same as initiation into a coven, and should you wish
to join a coven at a later date, you would still have
to go through a probationary period and coven
initiation, if accepted.


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« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2009, 03:52:42 pm »

A Self Dedication Ritual
===================================================
For more information on the authors please visit -
www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them
please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United
Kingdom. (Please include a SAE)
© David Rankine & Sorita 2000
===================================================

Preparation

When you decide that you want to do a self-dedication,
plan the date of the ritual at least a month in
advance, choosing a suitable time, perhaps consulting
astrological tables, or at least the phases of the
moon. It is best done on a waxing or full moon.

Start your preparation at the new moon. Make sure that
you have a day off work for the initiation itself. You
may already have decided on a magickal or witch name.
If you haven't yet decided on your witch name, find
one through meditation and pathworking in the daily
ritual leading up to the rite of self-initiation.

Begin preparing for the self-initiation by performing
a daily ritual. Start by creating a sacred space.
Purify the area with incense and sprinkling salt
water. Visualize a sphere around yourself, and call on
the powers of the four quarters, visualizing the
elemental landscapes. (more...circle casting)

Call on the Goddess and the God, by whatever names you
prefer to call them. Declare to the Elements, the
Goddess and the God that you are embarking on the path
of dedication, and ask for their help in preparing
you.

Spend some time in meditation on the meaning of
dedication, and opening yourself up for any messages
from the Goddess and God. Thank and say farewell to
the Goddess, God, and Elements, and close the circle.

Closer to the time

Try and spend time every day in the week leading up to
the self-dedication rite working out your vows and
meditating. Make sure that the vows you make are
realistic! It is better to make less demanding vows
than to make highly demanding vows and not live up to
them.

The Ritual

Spend the day in quiet meditation and fasting. Drink
only pure water, or if you really cannot do this,
allow yourself a small quantity of apple or grape
juice. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs! If
you are on prescribed medication, consult your doctor.
If the medication is short term, wait until you have
finished the course of medication before doing the
ritual.

If possible, go to a sacred site or wild place and
attune yourself with nature. Communicate with the
nature spirits, and ask for their blessings.

Think about the vows that you wish to make in your
initiation. Think of a vow to yourself, one to the
Goddess and God, and one to the Earth.

Before you start the ritual, have a purification bath.
You may put essential oils, herbs or sea salt in the
bath. Whilst in the bath, meditate on purifying your
aura. See your aura as grey and dirty, but gradually
becoming lighter and cleaner, until it is brilliant.

When you emerge from the bath, allow yourself to dry
naturally. Do not use a hair dryer, or rub yourself
with towels. Rub your entire body with oil. This may
be olive oil, grapeseed oil, or other vegetable oil,
scented with pure essential oils of your choice.
Perform the ritual skyclad if possible.

Have an altar set up, with an altar cloth on it, with
a chalice of wine, a piece of bread or cake on a
platter, a censer, two altar candles, some anointing
oil, your athame or other tool, any ritual jewellery
which will be put on at the end of the ritual to mark
your dedication, and two small dishes containing sea
salt and water (from a spring or sacred well if
possible). You may also wish to have images or statues
of the Goddess and God on the altar.

Light the candles and the incense, and purify your
ritual space. Hold your hands over the water dish and
say:
"I purify you, Oh water, in the blessed and mighty
names of the Goddess and God",
visualizing it glowing with white light. Do likewise
with the salt, then tip some of the salt into the
water, and mix it in with your forefinger.

Sprinkle the salt water around your ritual space.
Visualize a circle around you. (or cast a circle in
your usual way) Call on the elements, then on the
Goddess and God.

Declare your intent, saying something like: "I
(ordinary name) am prepared for dedication. I have
followed the path and fulfilled my vows, and I now
call upon the Goddess and the God to confer on me
wisdom and integrity. I ask for the blessings of air,
fire, water and earth".

Spend some time in meditation, and controlled
breathing to gather energy and achieve an altered
state of consciousness. You may also wish to use a
mantra or chant.

Meditate for a while on finding the stillness inside
yourself. When you are ready, stand before the altar,
and anoint yourself first with oil, then with salt
water and lastly wine, saying:
"I am reborn into my true and magickal self, and I
take on the name of (Witch name). I ask for the
blessings of the Goddess and God on my endeavours, and
I vow (make your vows)".

When anointing yourself you may wish to anoint your
chakras, or anoint yourself with a circle, pentagram,
or personal symbol. It is good to write down your vows
in your magickal diary, and sign the entry with your
witch name.

Present yourself to the quarters, stating that you are
now dedicated to the solitary path. Consecrate your
ritual jewellery with the four elements (incense,
water, salt and candle flame), and anoint it with oil
for spirit before putting it on.

Consecrate your athame or other tool in the same
manner, then hold it to your heart, feeling a link
with it, and filling it with your energy. Say
"I am a child of earth and starry heaven."

Hold it up to the moon and stars, and ask for the
blessings of the cosmos on it, then touch it to the
ground, and ask for the blessings of mother earth.

Lastly, consecrate the wine and cake by touching your
athame to them, and channelling energy through it.
Drink and eat, earthing yourself, then thank the
Goddess, God and Elements, and close the circle.

Remember: Write up your experiences in your magickal
diary. Refrain from ritual for at least the next week,
whilst you integrate the work.


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« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2009, 03:53:43 pm »

How to find a Coven or Group
===================================================
For more information on the authors please visit -
www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them
please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United
Kingdom. (Please include a SAE)
© David Rankine & Sorita 2000
===================================================

How to find a Coven or Group

If you are looking for a group then going out and
meeting people and talking, asking questions and
showing your intent of finding a group are the most
important steps.

If you stay at home and never mingle with other people
then don't expect anything to happen. This is not a
'spoonfed' path to walk, there is a lot of serious
work involved and when you do find a group,the work
doesn't stop.

Joining a Coven means giving up a lot of free time,
subsituting social time for Coven time and spending a
lot of time studying and experiencing... So which ever
path you follow, and which ever type of group you are
seeking - make an effort and be patient.

In big cities such as the one we live in, London (UK)
there is no reason to say 'But there is nothing to go
to'. There are online organisations such as WWL who
keep their members informed of social events,
workshops, training groups, conferences and open
rituals. The WWL also organise events just for their
members, so that you can meet the faces behind the
names.  To find out more about WWL visit:
http://www.avalonia.co.uk.

The Witches Voice - http://www.witchvox.com is another
great resource.  You can find contacts with similar
interests to yourself to correspond with, but most
importantly they list all the major events,
conferences and festivals organised by Pagans from all
over the world.  They also list smaller events, such
as pub moots and workshops.

In parts of the world it is not that easy, and you
might have to travel to attend conferences or
workshops. This might seem like a lot of work just to
meet other people, but if you are serious then travel
should not deter you from your path.

When you do get the oppurtunity to meet other Pagans
make an effort to ask around about open groups and
other events. As the organisers of the event if they
know of groups which might be taking on new trainees.

It is important to note that even in big cities such
as London there are very few new groups forming and
the groups in existance might only take on a trainee
every few years. Those who do might expect to
interview you to see if you will fit in with the rest
of their group. If this happens take the oppurtunity
to interview them too! Be honest with them, but make
sure that their answers also satisfy you. Ask what
they will be expecting from you and what training they
will be providing you with.

Unfortunately there are still some dubious groups
using the name of Wicca to cover other activities. Do
not just join a group because they happen to be the
first one which approaches you!

Remember:

You should feel comfortable with your HPS & HP;
Sex should not be expected in return for training, nor
should it be part of your initiation;
You should not be expected to contribute large sums of
money in return for training - although you should
expect to contribute towards temple expenses;
Confidentiality is VERY important in Wiccan groups;
Expect a lot of hard work!
Finally you should enjoy being part of the group you
join!


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Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
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« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2009, 03:55:21 pm »

BOOK OF THE WHOLE

LIBER I :

ON THE LIES
OF THE
CHILD OF THE BEAST
BY: DRACONIS :*:ANK-SHA-SAROON

1.Many have failed to see the True Nature of Mankind.
2. For mankind know not the true Splendor that is me.
3. I give this message unto you so that you can pass it onto the Children of
the Beast.
4. For He is a lie, He is a sin.
5. Mankind knows naught but shame.
6. They fear the truth, and they reject rality.
7. Hath not the Will to Learn, though hath the Will to teach.
8. He teaches them all lies. For all He Knows are Lies.
9. The New Aeon has come. As It has been fortold.
10. The Beast has risen. He is that who has lied to You all.
11. The One claims to be the Son of Jehovah. Though He is the Son of the
Beast.
12. A Child portrayed by Sin and engulfed in Shame.
13. He died for Your Sins, though he hath no name.
14. The Only Sin Mankind knows is Shame.
15. As they ate from the Tree of Life, they were blinded by the Lies.
16. He claims that these Lies are reality. That the Liar is the Beast.
17. The Only Way to Salvation is through the death of Desire.
18. Salvation is the Key.
19. The Key of Man is Sin.
20. The Sin of Man is Shame!
21. If thou teaches Sin then thou know only Shame.
22. the Book of Sin is the Book of Shame.
23. His disciples taught lies.
24. They taught fear.
25. They taught slavery.
26. They taught Shame.
27. They claim to do Jehovah's work.
28. They claim to be prophets.
29. Has it not said that to beware the false prophet?
30. Though the prophet himself was false?
31. He taught lies and He taught fear.
32. I repeat this to You.
33. The truth is inside Of You.
34. Apostiles brought forth the Lies from Heaven.
35. The Lies are the Book of Truth.
36. Mankind reject these truths.
37. For You are ignorant and You are hipocrates.
38. You ignore the Truth and follow Lies.
39. Which of His revelations came true?
40. Let the Word be burnt!
41. Spit in the eyes of the False Ones.
42. Let none stride You away from achieving Your Desire.
43. Desire is a lie.
44. Then Jehovah created the world with his word of Command.
45. Though whenHe sent his son down for us to pray with He hath sent an
imposter!
46. For Christ was a fake. He was a Son of The Beast.
47. Created into manifestation through the lies of the One.
48. These are the truths that you hear.
49. For the truth lies inside us all.
50. For if we naught look within, we shall never find it without.
51. The Nature of Man is this: Lies, lies, lies!
52. Lies taught by Jehovah's Son?
53. No. Lies taghut by the Child of the Beast.
54. For this is the Age of Truth.
55. The One and Twenty centuries of the Earth shall We know the Truth.
56. The Book is written. It cannot be erased.
57. The Lies are in our minds and must be denied.
58. Teach not lies Thou servents!
59. Teach love and Wholeness.
60. Teach Forgivness and Condemn not to death!
61. It is written to command death.
62. Thou shalt never condemn to death.
63. Ye shal never subject Another to discrimination.
64. For the Prophet said "Love All Unto the Being".
65. Let these truths hold near to You.
66. Let them always Be.
67. For just as You are here to Be, Let the Truths be known to thee.
68. The truths said are those by Man.
69. Follow not thier empty lies.
70. With the grace of the One unto You all.
71. By the powers of Love and Life.
72. Spread my Word and Teach them the Truth!

DRAONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON

               ***********************

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Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
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« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2009, 03:56:02 pm »

LIBER II:

THE RITUAL
OF EMBRACING THE SELF
DRACONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON

I
The key to Inner knowledge and salvation is through discipline of the Self.
The Mind is the mystery. The Body is the Temple. The Spirit is the Will. Ye
shall endure through suffering perfection of the Self is the Death of Desire
under Will. Read not the words of the rite unless You decide to perform it.

Once you have agreed to embrace Yourself to the Gods and Goddesses, then
shall ye be granted knowledge and wisdom that was once unknown. The Occult
shall no longer be. The truth shall be Hidden No More!

II
1. Ye shall have with you a dagger, a star, a cup, and Your Book.
2. The Book shall be of Your secrets.
3. Arange the items as listed onto an altar. Have a statue of the Goddess
and Her consort Pan.
4. Kneel before thine altar and raise the Dagger high above.
5. Thus through Your voice proclaim:
"I am of the Gods, and to the Gods I do submit myself!
I give unto thee my soul, and I give to thee my Whole!
I shall be granted My Rebirth!"
6. Thus shall youtake thy Blood and mix it within the blessed cup of life.
7. Mix it with the Holy Water.
8. Then shall You raise the Cup to the Gods and Say:
"My Body shal be pure,
My Mind shall be Pure,
My spirit shall be pure,
I embrace Myself,
I take thine Mysteries inside of Me!"
9. Upon thine proclimation, shall ye drink the Cup of Life.
10. Lie onto the ground before thine altar.
11. In the position of the God with arms across your chest, raise the
ancient powers by chanting thier sacred names:
"Nuit, Rah, Pan!
Ares, Dionyus, Graal!
Horned Hunter of the Night,
Great One of the Seas,
Silent One of the Skies,
And Mighty Lord of Might!
I invoke thine sacred Name,
The One is the All,
The All is the Many!"
12. Ye shall arise and raise the Star.
13. Hold it upon Your Heart.
14. Proclaim Yourself as a servent of the Gods.
15. Then drop the star and raise your arms.
16. In a Loud and Demanding voice, say these words:
"Great Goddess I take thee inside of Me,
I pledge My loyalty to thee,
As I head into Your Arms,
Shall ye then make Me Whole,
I shall endure,
All that You know,
Isis, Hecate, Diana,
Cerridwen, Artimes, Athena!"
17. Then shall you meditate
18. After completion of the Ritual, ye shall scribe all you have seen.
19. And shall ye scribe all You Now know.
20. For You have now been initiated into the Spirit's Glow!
21. "Love Unto All, and Fallow thine self!"

END OF RITE
ANK-SHA-SAROON

                  ******************
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Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
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« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2009, 03:56:57 pm »

LIBER III
THE ONLY SIN OF MANKIND
IS SHAME TAUGHT THROUGH LIES

By: DRACONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON

I
The Sin of Man is shame. When Eve ate from the Tree of Life she knew the
truth. The truth was Shame. Then she Gave the fruit to Adam. Who was taught
the Lies of Man.

The snake was not a serpent. He was the Lies. He taught them the truth of
shame. For it has been seen inside His eyes!

The Sin is here and shall always be. Nothing can hide it. The woman had
given man the gift. The gift of Shame. So too did Christianity. Christ gave
the gift of Shame. For shame is the only Sin of Mankind.

All Mankind knoweth is Shame. For Shame is the lies taught by the Child. The
Child was the Son. The One was the Father. And the Lies were the Holy
Spirit.

For Mankind know now the lies. They will never forget. Thier desires are
then never met. For they are blinded by the lies. The Lies of Shame.

II
The Will is the Control,
The Will is the life!
Spread Will until you All,
And fear Not for I have come!

I am Here. I have always Been,
I shall teach to You the Sin!

III

The Sin of Man is Shame,
Repeat not he mistake again!
Teach love and naught fear,
For I am always here!
I shall arise until the end,
And teach to you my friends!

ANK-SHA-SAROON
FINISHED

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« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2009, 03:58:01 pm »

Physics and the Basic Principle of Visualization Magick
by Dan

Introduction:

For starters, I would like to say a few things about myself to set the record straight. I have a Masters degree in Quantum Field Theory, am working on my PhD in the same, and am a practicing, if tyro, shaman. I have read in several places that the best way to start in magick is to read read read read, and I have noticed several articles using Physics to explain magickal arguments. Unfortunately, many of these articles either do not explain the Physics very well or are just plain wrong. I am not disrespecting these people: after all, not everyone can be a Physicist! I thought I would write a brief article to clear up a few issues on the nature of probability in Physics as well as how probability might play a role in magick.

The following article is essentially a short paper on the Metaphysics behind what I call "visualization magick." I am not going to footnote: all of the Physics arguments are well known and documented and can be found in any introductory text on Quantum Mechanics. As for my magickal arguments, well, they are as correct as I can make them. Naturally, I accept responsibility for any errors contained in this article.
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