Teaching Materials

In this section are some articles and teaching materials that I've written for new Galdraheim Coveners, and which I'd like to share with you to make your path a little easier.

Click on the links just below to read each article. They are all on this one page so you can simply save the page to read the articles offline if you prefer.

More articles will be added soon-  I've been updating and revising teaching materials that we previously presented, so will be adding this new material rather than that which dates back over the past 20 years. Much of that obviously predates Computers-Word processors, so I'm scanning and then re-working typed pages, and reworking from hand written material also.   Check back at times to see what's new.

What is Wicca?:  The Staff:    Visualisation:    Making Talismans:  On Being a Witch:  
In the Temple: Wiccan Spirituality:   Magickal Powders:  The Book of Shadows: 
In tune with the land:  A Witch alone:   Death & dying- the nature of religion: On belief:  Secrecy:  Rocks, Stone and Crystals:  Fitting the Craft into your life:  
Deep-Goddess-Consciousness:  Circle casting principles:  Traditions:  
Principles of ritual: The benefits of ritual: 

What is Wicca?

 There is much confusion over definitions of Wicca, Witchcraft, and who or what a Witch is or isn’t.

 Much of this grows out of the different definitions of a Witch, and which can range from someone who dowses- a “Water-Witch”, anyone who works small spells, simples, makes herbal remedies, etc being named a Witch, to confusions from historical portrayals of Witches in various ways.

 The simple path through this confusion lays in differentiating between a Wiccan; who is also a Witch; and those who use the term Witch to define themselves, but who aren’t Wiccans.

 For example, anyone who does use simple magick, psychic skills, herbalism and other ‘Country magick’ and lore may well define themselves as a Witch on the basis that they are using Witchcraft- magick that doesn’t use elaborate ritual or ceremony and which involves or draws from country or ‘natural’  lore and power, but they cannot define themselves as a Wiccan unless they are actually a Wiccan.

 So let’s then define a Wiccan.

 A Wiccan is a Witch who has been initiated into Wicca.

 Wicca is a spiritual way that combines religious observance and activity; with a moral and ethical code woven into its structures; with  psychic, psychological, mental and emotional development, and a system of magick. Wicca is therefore threefold and combines all these three factors together.

 The initiatory and degree structures of Wicca are combined within  the religious activities, the developmental structures,  and the system of magick used, and so our definition of Wicca involves all three of these aspects.

 You’ll therefore clearly see that the commonly held definitions of Witchcraft are combined into Wicca- every Wiccan is a Witch who uses such as candle magick and other simple spell work, practices skrying, other psychic skills, uses herbalism, intuition and other similar skills, but not all Witches are Wiccans.

 The variations in individual expressions of Witchcraft can be enormous- you can potentially have Christian Witches, Witches who have no spiritual inclinations, Witches who use some psychic skills but do no practical magick of any kind, or vice versa.

 But the definition of a Wiccan is much more definite- a Wiccan is a Witch who has been initiated into Wicca. It really is that simple.

 The pivotal factor within this will now be clearly seen- anyone can define themselves as a Witch if they do use magick, psychic skills, etc, but it’s having been initiated into Wicca- “The Craft of the Wise” which defines Wiccans as being more than ‘just’ Witches.

 Wicca should therefore be seen as a movement or spiritual/developmental ‘way’ or religion- but we should be very careful in that not to confuse the use of the word religion. Wicca is similar in some ways to any other religion- such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam or Hinduism. But similarity is not identity, and Wicca is very, very different from all other religions and ways.

 As a movement, Wicca can also be clearly seen to provide a community of people who at least broadly hold the same views about certain subjects, and whose initiatory, teaching, development and other structures are commonly agreed upon. With some variation from group to group, Coven to coven, and between individuals, Wiccans celebrate the same festivals at the same times of the year as each other, use identical or at least similar structures of degrees and initiations, and accept the same basic moral and ethical codes. They will also use very similar rituals and ceremonies, and share the same or closely related spiritual views and practices.

 Witches however may hold radically different views to each other, have no commonly recognised patterns of religious festivals, and do not have structures of development and empowerment that are commonly shared.

 From that you’ll also then see that Witches are generally solitary individuals, who may gather into groups at times, but who are not at all organised in the way that Wicca is.

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The Staff

“A bridge am I between sky and earth, between realms and planes.”

“A support am I, a strong companion along the path, to support and guide you as you travel”, a friend am I that you can lean upon in times of need, and will defend you and support you in times of trouble or when you stumble”

“A bearer of totems am I, a teller of who, what, where and why you have been upon your path”.

Druids, Witches, Pagans, Shamans and Sorcerers… have Staffs. Some plain, some ornately carved, some a’ jangle with bells, bones, stones and charms. All though expressing the connections and manifesting the qualities as described at the beginning of this article.

Right through the ages this has been so, and cave paintings and rock-art portray people holding staffs of various kinds, and burials from the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages all yield Staffs and other magickal items in some of the graves.

There are mythic connections between the Staff and the World tree that is found in many peoples mythologies. This is a wondrous tree that encompasses all the realms and planes- the ‘here and now world’ of everyday reality, the realms of the dead, the lands of Gods and spirits, and the various realms and planes that Sorcerers and Shamans visit in search of power, of magical allies and wisdom. By having a Staff the bearer is expressing that they know this tree and its realms, and that they use their knowledge to gain access to these realms of power.

Staffs are also magickal-power items- just as with any other magickal item as used by Magicians and their kin around the world, the Staff is invested and charged with magickal power so that it can be used as a ritual tool in magickal workings, rituals and ceremonies. Within this it acts as an ‘antenna’ that attracts, draws in, holds and focuses magickal power- very much like a Magicians Wand, but bigger and more powerful.

For this Staffs are often made of specific woods which either have generally agreed magickal-symbolic properties, or which are specifically significant to the owner and bearer of the Staff. Woods with strong mythic associations in Britain and Northern Europe are:- Ash, Oak, Rowan, Hazel and Hawthorn. All of these woods have both mythic-magickal associations, and also the practical benefit of being strong, hard and resilient woods.

For reasons that we must explore another time, Mages, Druids, Witches and all their magickal kin often prefer to seek and work with power in out of the way or rocky places that are often physically quite demanding to access. Having a sturdy Staff with which to navigate such places can be a great boon. At times it is necessary to navigate these out of the way sites in darkness or poor light, and then a Staff is invaluable.

Examine any Staff and it will be carved, decorated and adorned with all manner of carvings, Runes, symbols and attachments. The variation from one Staff to another can be huge, but if you look carefully at a number of Staffs, both contemporary and ancient ones from archaeological sites, illustrations in books and similar, you will see that they do have consistent themes.

That is they will all be decorated with signs, symbols, carvings and attachments of two types: There will be details that are broadly mythic-magickal within a magickal system, mythology or belief system. Such as Druidic symbols, text in the Ogham or Coelbran symbols, carvings of Oak leaves, and similar for those who work within a modern Druidic framework.. Or for example Wiccan symbols such as Pentagrams, Lunar symbols and signs for the Goddess and Horned God for those who work within a Wiccan framework.

There will also be symbols, carvings and attachments that are particular and specific to the individual who owns the Staff, and which may have come to them in powerful and significant ways, or which they have seen in visions, meditations or dreams and which they gather and use the physical counterparts of.

These can range from symbols carved onto or into the Staff to feathers, bones, beads, stones and talismanic objects or materials such as Shell, fur or similar that have been gathered from the wild, which may have been given as gifts, or which have found their way to the person through the flow of power-magick and connectivity with totemic powers or connections with various deities.

We’ll examine these totemic connections a little further. Unless an individual works solely and exclusively within a ceremonial magickal system in which all ritual items are made according to strict guidelines, every person will have their own connections to power through totems and similar connections. Many of these will be bird, animal or similar connections, and so they will gather feathers, bones or fur to put on their Staff.

This is because each individual Staff for anyone who does walk an earth-centered and connected path is also a symbolic expresser of that persons own individual power and totemic connections. It reminds them of and reinforces those connections, and helps that person record and know where they’ve been on their path, where perhaps they now stand, and something of where they may in future explore.

This same principle can also be applied to draw in the totemic and magickal power of deities, totem animals and spiritual forces, by having items on a Staff which are specifically in resonance with those forces. Such as using Crow feathers for example to call in the guiding power and wisdom of Crow as a Totem, or carving into your Staff the names of deities whose patronage you seek. Or having representations of elemental forces to call in their power.

The acquiring/finding or making of a Staff is also a magickal act in its own right. As with all magickal tools, it is important that a Staff be made or acquired in a special way, and that it be worked with, carved and/or decorated in a ceremonial manner.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be deep, ceremonial magick with high pomp and ritual, but should be undertaken in a focused and sacred manner: That is for example, that the piece of wood that is used for the Staff should perhaps be taken from the wild with due care and attention for the place where it is gathered, with offerings to the tree it is taken from, with offerings for the spirits of the place, the tree spirit itself, and even by cutting the wood at the waning of the Moon so that the sap of the parent tree is not flowing strongly. This way the tree will not be damaged by your actions.

While removing the bark or otherwise preparing the wood for decoration you could do that within a sacred context by ‘Casting a circle’ of empowerment around yourself while you work. You could sing a song of enchantment that brings into focus all that you want your Staff to represent, or you could place your Staff somewhere to ‘charge’ for a chosen period of time before, during or after you have decorated it. Such as leaving it at a Power place for a time, or leaving it outdoors to charge with the Sun and the Moon for a time.

In this sense a Staff like all magickal items and ritual tools is a magickal spell in its own right- all that you do while gathering, preparing, making, and decorating your Staff can be woven into one weave of magick and connection.

Alan Tickhill. 2000

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Visualisation

Of all the skills used in magick, ritual and ceremony, visualisation is probably the single most important.

· Visualisation is the skill of imagining- of seeing with the minds eye, that which you want or need to see within magickal rituals.

· Visualisation is the skill by which Witches project symbolic and other images from within their minds onto the Inner planes, and through which they cause those images to become Inner Place actualities.

· Visualisation is what causes those projected symbols, images and potentials then to become manifest, and having the power to make magick happen.

The vast majority of Wiccan ceremonies are performed within a ritual/magick circle. This ritual has a number of basic ‘building blocks-

· Casting the actual circle itself
· Invoking the powers of the four elemental directions in different ways
· Cleansing and charging the circle and the people within it
· Invoking deity into the circle

At all of these stages it is important to visualise as strongly as possible, the appropriate symbols, symbolic images, representations of spirits. Guardians, deities, and all else that is invoked and called into manifestation through the Circle casting ritual.

For example, when the circle is initially cast by the HPS it is important that all present use their powers of visualisation to ‘see’ a circle of light being drawn around the area in response to the action being performed by the HPS with her Athame or Sword- as she draws the circle, everyone present should visualise electric blue-white light-energy discharging from the tip of the Magickal tool being used, and forming into a field of power. As if she is drawing the circle in the air around the working space with a broad stroke from a pen or paint brush.

As the actual elemental substances are cleansed and charged ready for use, all point their Athames at each element in turn, and all should strongly visualise the power flowing from their Athame and into the substance in the actinic- blue-white, electrical appearing light-energy as used for the circle casting.

As the elemental powers are being invoked at each quarter-direction, all will ‘draw’ a pentagram in the air with their Athames, and all should see this appearing as the same blue-white light-energy in the same way they did with the circle casting. When drawn it should then hang in the air where you drew it. Each should also then strongly visualise an elemental guardian or force appearing in human form in response to them being invoked. These should be a person standing at each elemental direction-quarter wearing appropriate coloured clothing, and having an appropriate aspect and demeanour- at the elemental quarters we invoke the ‘Lords of the Powers of’ each element, and so you should visualise a strong, powerful person wearing appropriate coloured clothing, and armed with either a sword that is also in symbolic resonance with that quarter, or the magickal tool that is symbolically appropriate-

· Shield in the North
· Sword in the East
· Staff/Wand in the South
· Cup in the West.

If these Guardians are all armed with Swords in your visualisation they should be appropriated tinted or coloured- a Yellowy-Gold sword with a Yellow handle in the East perhaps, a Reddy-Gold Sword with a Red handle in the South, etc.

In some ways and traditions these Guardians are visualised as symbolically appropriate animals. Calling in the powers of each element in animal forms will bring a different ‘flavour’ and feel to the energies brought in to that which comes with more human forms.

When the circle and its people are cleansed and charged, each person is cleansed with each element in turn. As it is presented before you, you should visualise the energy of that element coming into you from the substance. This works well if you visualise that energy in the symbolically appropriate colour. Visualise it flowing from the element, flowing into you, and then you glowing with an aura of that colour.

Lastly we have Invocations of deity into the circle. Within the Craft this can be performed in two different ways.

The Goddess and the Horned God can be invoked through the “Drawing down the Moon” ritual into the HPS and HP. They then act as channels for the powers of the Goddess and God, and representatives of that power within the circle.

Or else the Goddess and God, or individual deities, spirits and similar can be invoked directly into the circle.

In both approaches it’s important again to visualise this happening as strongly as possible. The way of this is to ‘see’ the deity being invoked as if it is actually coming into manifestation within the circle. Either overlaying the form of the HPS or HP, or appearing independently. In both cases the visualisation should involve ‘larger than life’ human-like forms appearing like a ‘ghost’ or Spirit becoming more and more material until you can see it as fully as you can other people in the circle. This form should glow with energy and vital force, and should be seen as standing within the circle itself.

What to visualise:

For the circle casting, cleansing of elements and drawing of pentagrams this is as detailed previously.

For the Elemental Guardians and Goddess/God forms it’s a little more complex.

The most powerful approach is to agree between all involved as to what forms these beings should be visualised in, as the collective intent and imagination of a number of people working together will build up the visualisation into one collective form.

Within that though it can form a powerful weave of interactive power if there is variety among the visualisations. Each individual will undoubtedly stress different factors within their visualisation which will call in differing aspects of the powers involved, and together that will all weave into something that is potentially far greater than the sum of its parts.

Visualising within a particular tradition or mythic strata of images can also be powerful- for example, if all involved in the circle visualise the Elemental Guardians as being of Celtic form in some way, that will bring a distinct flavour to the power invoked into the circle.

If that is extended into the invocations of the Goddess and God, that will become even more defined- collectively visualising say Irish-Celtic imagery and Goddess/God forms will bring a distinctly Irish/Celtic power to bear within the circle. The Goddess and God will bring all manner of ancient associations of mythic power and potential with them into the circle.

On the other hand, if say some people are visualising Celtic forms, some Egyptian forms, some animal forms, and others Q’ballistic forms, that may bring in a strange and possibly conflicting mix of energies into the circle.

How this works, and why it’s important:

All that we do in any ritual causes resonance’s on the Inner Planes. Using visualisation in the way I’ve detailed causes these resonance’s to be specific, powerful and focused. If we all visualise powerfully, and do so with the same or at least similar images, then that will cause the powers we invoke to come into manifestation from their potential in the Inner Planes, and focus that power into and through our rituals.

It is important to visualise as powerfully as possible within all rituals: This takes effort and determination at first, though some people have much stronger powers of visualisation than others. After some time though; and especially if you use the same images and forms consistently; they will begin to appear semi-independently- this can be scary at first! You will find that it takes less effort each time to ‘see’ what you are seeking to see, and you may well find that on some occasions Guardians and Deities will actually appear in forms varying from or even totally different to that which you originally intended. Or else you will find that what you may have only been managing to visualise in a vague way at first, will after some practise begin to appear in much greater detail, and even with detail you hadn’t actually thought of.

Obviously this will also depend on other factors such as how tired you are, what you may or may not have imbibed before the circle, your level of interest and active energy, the phase of the moon, time of year and other similar factors.

Practise makes perfect:

The more you practise and the more intent you bring to bear, the more powerful this will be. Visualisation isn’t hard work, and doing simple exercises to develop your abilities on a regular basis will help enormously.

Simply sitting and visualising shapes, flowers and similar easy objects that you are familiar with will boost your ability. Extend that into visualising people you know, places you are familiar with, etc and projecting those images out from your imagination so that you can see them before you in the world will also help to develop the skills.

Some research into Goddess, Horned God, Elemental Guardian and other similar images will also be helpful- it helps enormously if you have at least some ideas to start with as to how for example Irish Goddesses have been portrayed, or how others before you have portrayed or represented Elemental Guardians. Images that you research like this can provide an initial foundation from which to build up and develop the images you use. From this basis, your visualisation will develop to express your own inner understanding of The Goddess, The God and other deities, Spirits and Guardians that we work with in the Craft.

Bear in mind that many artists have almost a ‘direct line’ connection to the Inner planes, and that they often evoke extremely powerful Inner Plane potentials through their work.

Other very powerful sources for images to work with are of course your own dreams, Path-workings and similar excursions into the Inner Planes. Anything you see within these sources is excellent to use in this way.

Alan Tickhill. 2000

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TALISMANS

‘A Talisman is a magickal item which has been created from significant materials, using magickal techniques and/or ritual to focus the intent, and which then holds and radiates whatever intention the Talisman has been created to serve so as to cause changes or certain results to manifest in the everyday world in accordance with that intent’.

We’ll break that down now into ‘bite-sized chunks’ to make it easier to understand and apply.

Start with an intent or desire- something that you want to happen, a result you want to obtain, or something you want to come into manifestation.

This can vary from for example passing a test, succeeding at an interview, getting past doormen at clubs, keeping you safe when you travel, to having oneself be more attractive to other people.

Talismans are mobile.

That is they can be carried about with you in your pocket or bag, and therefore carry that charge around with them wherever you take them. Which also means that the magick working through a Talisman is of a constant- presence flow nature, rather than being a ‘one-off’.

Obviously if a Talisman has been made with the intention of helping you pass a test or interview or similar, then it is a one-off matter, but as Talismans can be made to serve long term needs or intentions, then you’ll see the way that principle applies.

For example a Talisman made to protect you from attack if you regularly go out alone at night would be intended to work at all occasions that you go out and carry that Talisman with you, and not just one night and then not after that.

An important point to bear in mind when approaching magick in relation to this is to work out whether a Talisman is what you need, or if a straightforward, one-off magickal ritual- a spell, is going to be the more effective way to bring about your intent.

Balanced against that is that Talismans make an excellent visual, physical focus for magick. We humans often need something like this onto which to focus our intent- a spell that doesn’t have a focus object of some kind can feel like sending your magick off into the ‘wide blue yonder’, and not feel that focused at all. Whereas having some kind of object on which to focus can help enormously.

As well as that a Talisman that is carried with you radiates a certain ‘presence’ which helps you remember that you have it with you, and that it’s helping you in whichever way it has been made to do so. Which also means you can do the ancient ‘touch-wood for luck’ with it, by simply touching the Talisman when you need its power to ‘wake it up’ and ensure it works for you- ‘a great boost to the confidence in challenging situations.

SIGNIFICANT MATERIALS

These can vary from plain, new paper on which you draw a suitable design, combination of Runes, or other symbols appropriate to your intention, to very specific materials chosen because of their magickal correspondence with your intention.

For example, if you are making a Talisman that uses Runes to focus the power you might make that from a piece of symbolically appropriate wood such as Ash or Yew. Both of these woods have ancient associations with Runes, and the Runes would be carved into or painted onto the wood.

Or else you might use a piece of metal for the base which corresponds through Astrology or other systems with your intention. On which you would inscribe, engrave or paint appropriate symbols derived from the same sets of magickal correspondences.

Another example would be to use a piece of natural material that because of its form is considered to be a good holder of magickal charges and intentions. Such as Rock Crystal, Shell, Wood or Bone. Some of these are considered to hold a magickal charge well because they are composed of layers of material which hold the intention like a sponge holds water.

Or else of course that brings us back to a plain piece of paper again through the same thinking- it’s an organic, plant derived material that will ‘soak up’ and hold your intentions. Which could also be of an appropriate colour dependant on the magickal system or correspondences you are working with- Red for example for intentions of a martial nature, or Red for fire, Green for the Earth, or Green for Venus, etc. All dependant on your chosen approach and magickal system.

To work out what materials to use you’ll need to do some research into the kind of magickal systems or approaches you personally favour, and which you find work best for you.

TECHNIQUES AND RITUAL- FOCUSING YOUR INTENT

There are a variety of ways of approaching this.

One is to gather all the materials you have chosen to use, and then to construct your Talisman in a ritual way within a magick circle. Including any painting, engraving, scribing, etc that you are going to do. That can also include adding gems, stones, and other materials to your Talisman as appropriate using glue, cord or other means to attach them.

This way the Talisman is essentially charged by the ritual act of construction itself, and just needs some kind of spell or invocation of some kind to bind it all together to express your intent and finish the ritual charging.

This can be actually binding it round or together with a piece of appropriate coloured cord perhaps, while saying something- a cantrip or declaration of some kind that states your intention clearly and focuses your mind and magickal will while you are doing this.

To make this more powerful it is good to ritually cleanse and charge all the materials you use before you begin to weave them together- unless you are repeating yourself, it’s always better to do more to magickally empower a Talisman than to do less- if you want it to work, you must give it your all.

Within that it’s also important to balance that out by making your Talisman as focused and ‘pointed’ as possible- if for example your Talisman is for general protection, make that protection from people, and don’t try to weave in protection from fire, flood, falling trees, flying masonry, attacks by birds, dogs, flying pigs and all else you can think of, unless those things are as much a danger to you as the people may be, or you’re going into a situation where these are real dangers more than people are.

A second approach is to physically make your Talisman in your own time while sitting comfortably where you can work on it easily. If you will be painting, gluing bits on, engraving, etc that will need time for each part to dry or set, then this would be the best way to approach it. You would then take the physically complete Talisman into a magick circle and charge it. You can do this by either just using cantrips, invocations of appropriate forces- Gods, Spirits, Elemental powers, etc, and focusing all that you invoke into the Talisman.

Or else you could use a magickal tool such as Your Athame to ritually ‘go over’, each part or stage of the construction process, so as to charge all of that. As if you are magickally making, drawing/inscribing, etc what you had already physically made. You could either call in and focus power as above while you do this, or else use this stage to magickally ‘re-make’ the Talisman and then charge and empower it as already detailed.

A powerful variation on these two techniques is to use a system of Glyphs, Runes or even your own written language to focus your intent.

Start with a blank piece of material that will be the base of your Talisman. Take some scrap paper and a pen, write down your intent, and ‘kick that around’ in your mind so as to bring that down to a short sentence or phrase which neatly and concisely expresses your intent without waffling or being long winded. (Reference flying pigs, floods, fire, etc as above).

You can start off long winded to ensure you cover all possibilities, and could write it down as several sentences to begin with, but whittling that down to just one concise sentence or phrase will focus your intent through that process.

The next stage is to remove all letters on their second and subsequent occurrences.

Such as:- “PASS MATHS TEST” would come down to “PASS MTH E”

These letters can then be rearranged to create a magickal word or cantrip- “PASSMETH” perhaps.

From this we have two alternatives.

Either keep these letters as English characters, or translate them into a magickal script of your choice, such as Runes, which have magickal meanings that you are then weaving into your Talisman. A good knowledge of your chosen magickal script is required in this to ensure that you don’t involve characters that have meanings which are contrary to your intention.

Either way the letters can be combined into one or more Sigils- much like the combined Sigils of Initials that you see on some school blazer badges, or on ties worn by male members of clubs or associations. These are then painted, written or inscribed on your Talisman.

Again you could either do the entire process of creating your Sigils and cantrip, and then inscribing and charging your Talisman all in one combined ritual or split this up into separate sections by working out the sigils and cantrip on one occasion and then charging the Talisman at another.

WITHIN A MAGICK CIRCLE

All magick of every kind works more powerfully if it is performed within a space which has been ritually set aside, dedicated or designated as a special place. This can vary from a full scale ritual circle casting of some kind, to a clearing in a wood that is special to you, to simply closing the curtains in your living room, turning off the phone, lighting a candle on the coffee table and burning some incense to help create the right kind of atmosphere and ambience.

A powerful magickal principle is that you by and large get back from magick in direct proportion to what you put in: If you feel that a candle on your living room table, with the curtains drawn and incense burning is sufficient unto need, that’s fine. If you do it that way because you can’t be bothered to organise anything more, you will achieve results in direct proportion.

AFTERWARDS

Ok, your Talisman has been made, it’s been powerfully charged in the most awesome ceremony you could possibly muster, it glitters with Gems and stones, it dangles with Runes of Power, Bones and bits of dead animal, and it’s ready to change your life forever.

Until you need it your Talisman should be kept somewhere special: If you have a place, a box or cupboard where you keep magickal items, leave it there to ‘brew’ till you need it. Or else keep it under your pillow till it’s needed.

Something important to end this with is that Talismans are magickal items and not miracle bringers: Magick flows like water- downhill and along the path of least resistance. You need to ensure that you do all that you can in the ‘real world’ to enable that to happen. If you’ve studied a subject well for which you’ve made a Talisman to help you through a test, then your Talisman will ensure that your mind doesn’t blank, that you remember all that you’ve learned, and that you’ll find all the words you already know to express yourself well, or whatever is appropriate.

If you’ve made no learning effort whatsoever, if you haven’t bothered revising, it’s going to take a mighty Talisman to help you. If you can do this…. Get in touch immediately- I have work for you.

Alan Tickhill. 2000

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On being a Witch- To Coven or not to Coven

 “A Coven is a group of like-minded people joined together for common purposes, and  who work magick, seek personal development at all levels, and collectively celebrate the seasonal and other rituals which form the spiritual core of Wicca”.

 “A Coven is an amorphous, collective psychic entity known as a ‘Group-Mind”.

 “A Coven is a support and encouragement group within the parameters as with our first definition above, within which all the individual members can draw from the knowledge and  experience of all other members, and with whom they can all ‘talk shop’ about subjects which cannot generally be discussed with non-Witches ”.

 “A Coven is a group of very different and disparate, often highly individualistic  individuals; all of whom will have different levels of psychic, emotional, psychological and spiritual development, balance and understanding”.

 “A Coven is  both a place and a process through which all of the above interact together”.

 There’s a few definitions to set the direction of this article, and now we’ll explore some of this in greater depth.

 First of all, all Witches are people: Which means that all Witches have to do shopping, work, look after their kids,  juggle household and personal budgets,  juggle the demands in their lives such as work demands, families, etc, etc. All Witches have day to day hassles to deal with,  all Witches have relationships of various kinds, and we are all human beings.

 When Witches gather into groups such as within a Coven it’s inevitable that they bring some at least of the above with them. This can manifest as arguments, disagreements, jealousies and similar. Which perhaps sounds quite negative, but consider this:-

 All human beings bring all of these factors into all that they do, but within a Coven there are processes built in that help to deal with all of this in positive ways, so that all can meet the challenges that arise, and can grow from those.  Which means that though Covens are subject to conflicts in the way that any other human grouping is, if all members both individually and collectively hold to the common purposes and directing spirit which a Coven has, all such conflicts can be worked through and overcome to the greater benefit of all.

 As well as that the potential benefits of being in a Coven as opposed to being a solitary Witch can be enormous: The greatest problem that most ‘Solitaries’ have is that of loneliness- ‘sure, no one will argue with you over how to perform a spell, celebrate a festival or similar, but then you won’t have anyone to share your ritual food and wine with either. Or else for example other people in a Coven might have more disposable income than you and so be able buy very ornate ritual or ceremonial tools that you may feel jealous of, but then to balance that out the power flow that you and they can collectively raise to the mutual benefit of all could be enormous compared to what any individual can generally raise on their own.

 As long as at least a majority; or a strong and capable minority; within any Coven can keep a clear vision of a greater good, all such negative aspects of a Coven will be worked through and resolved so that all benefit. That is of course conditional on anyone whose vision has perhaps slipped accepting the guidance and help of those of greater vision and experience. Who are of course the High Priestess and High Priest of the Coven, and any Coven Elders also.

 From meeting challenges we grow and become strong:

  From yielding to challenges, from allowing our petty jealousies, fears and projections to rule our thinking and cloud our vision of greater possibilities we are diminished.

 Within a Coven there is always a vast store of potential knowledge and experience to be accessed by all, and the creative capacities can be enormous- all Witches are talented, intuitive and creative people- bring all of that together and the potentials are enormous. Sparks may fly on occasions, but often these will be the sparks of creativity.

 All it takes is the capacity to keep a clear vision of the positive, and a strong desire to do so, and a Coven is the only place that a true Witch will truly feel at home.

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The religion of Wicca- Witchcraft

“Hear ye the words of the Great Mother”

The Craft of the Wise has three main aspects: These are:-

1. The Practical:- Magick, the working of spells, making of charms and Talismans, and other, active magickal work, Herbalism, Tarot, craftwork and similar.

2. The Personal:- Personal growth and development- At all levels- psychic, spiritual, emotional, psychological and personal.

3. The Transpersonal:- Spirituality- Religion- worship of the Goddess and God of the craft, bringing oneself into attunement with them, and drawing from their wisdom for guidance, inspiration and direction in life.

Many Witches also develop and practise such skills as bringing guidance to people through such as Tarot readings, counselling, community work, environmental work of various kinds, and making items of craftwork for other people. As these are all practical skills of various kinds we’ll regard them for now as coming under the subject of ‘The Practical’.

We’ll therefore focus in this article on 3)- the Transpersonal.

For many people the term Witch evokes images of an ‘Old Wise Woman’- a local midwife, healer, counsellor, maker of small spells, potions, simples and lotions. What many people would now regard as a “Traditional Witch”. Someone the local villagers turned to in time of need, and someone perhaps who dealt with mostly women’s problems. Undoubtedly for many people in the middle ages perhaps this ‘Local Witch’ would be a woman, but in this time the term Witch has come to mean someone who follows a Wiccan path- that is someone who may well make spells, lotions and potions for local people, who may be the right person to turn to if you need guidance, help and direction in life, but who also works with both 2) and 3) as above. Whereas many of those who did practise as local Wise Women probably weren’t very active if at all in anything other than their functions and role within their community.

Wicca- The Craft of the Wise has many things in common with “Traditional Witchcraft” as many people think of that, but for us here, now in the 21st century it is much more than this.

At the core of Wicca is spirituality- what most people would regard as religion. For Witches this is intensely personal, and the form which this takes- both as internal understanding and external manifestation; can vary quite dramatically from individual to individual. However all Witches do have basic principles in common in this.

Which are that the creative, generative forces at work on and through our planet; and therefore within and through all life and being on this planet; are both female and male. And that the originating matrix from which these creative, generative forces spring is pre-gender-female. Known to many Wiccans as The Great Mother or The Great Goddess. From her as the primal matrix of all of this planet, come the two pillars of female and male, and all that exists does so from this primal matrix.

From this, and central to the spiritual beliefs of all Wiccans we know the Goddess and her Consort, lover and Son, The Horned God.

These forces are ‘immanent’- that is they exist and can be communicated with, or found within, not just the living beings of this world, but within the processes which bring those beings into manifestation. The Goddess can be found in all life, and she is all life. Out of the interaction of male and female through sexual reproduction, much organic life comes into being. In the change over of the seasons around the world; and through the cycles of such as cereal crops; we see the God of Wicca be born, live his life, and die in sacred sacrifice so that we can live- from his body-spirit we make bread- the true meaning of harvest festivals. He is then laid into the Autumn- earth-body-womb of his Lover-Mother. Where he-his seed is quickened to spring into new life in the spring. He is reborn through his own seed- he is both the Father and the Son.

The Goddess is also the primal matrix of all that exists- not just organic, living creatures, but the rocks and earth, the currents of the seas which recycle carbon dioxide, which cycle carbon and oxygen around through the circulatory systems of the planet, the movements of tectonic plates, the up welling of volcanoes, the rising up of magma and the sinking down of sea beds as the rocky heart of our planet shifts and flows through vast aeons of cycles and cyclic flows.

All of this is the primal, Mother matrix from out of which life in all its forms springs.

The earth- our planet is then sacred to Witches- how then can we harm, degrade or deny its processes, beings, cycles and continuance? To do so is to go against our most deeply held awareness of the sacredness of all that is.

From this matrix emerged the male gender to bring a different force into action on this planet: All early forms of earth life reproduced without sexuality- no males, just budding, cloning, and non-sexual reproduction. Much life on this planet still reproduces in this way, so male-female polarity is not just relatively modern in the development of life, but it’s also comparatively rare in terms of numbers of beings using it as opposed to the vast majority who don’t.

But it has a purpose: Sexual reproduction and female-male polarity bring variety to life, ensure that evolutionary change can come about very quickly, and also has brought forth individual intelligence- don’t misunderstand this: The rocks themselves, the geological and planetary processes, and the vast collective of non-sexual life has intelligence, but it’s different- slower, deeper, vaster. The intelligence that springs forth from the creative union of female and male is quick, bright, ‘zippy’- it flashes into existence and then is gone, but while it shines it brings us another possibility- transcendence.

It is said that within every woman is also a man, and within every man there is also a woman. If we continue our thinking as already outlined about the creative union of these polarities, we see the possibility of bringing this internal polarity together in creative union to bring forth……. A child. A child that emerges from this polarity, but which is potentially far greater than the sum of its parts. A child of promise, a child of intelligence, a child of transcendence.

OK, that’s some theory to work from, but the religion of Wicca is far more than just theory- if it was it wouldn’t be religion. Many people mistake “thoughts about something” as being that something. Wiccans think deeply about religious and spiritual matters and issues, but we all recognise that in order for all of this to have any real meaning in our lives, we have to leap from the thinking about to actually doing.

The way that Witches explore and ‘do’ religion is mostly through ritual and ceremony. Most Wiccans also meditate or use other means to communicate with, seek guidance and inspiration from the Goddess and Horned God, but our primary means of spiritual expression is through ritual.

The Wiccan year has eight festivals through which Witches celebrate, and come into attunement with the forces and spiritual processes we’ve looked at. Most Witches also do this through the lunar calendar of New Moons, Full Moons, Waning moons, etc. These are times of high energy of different frequencies, and times at which magick often works most powerfully.

This brings us into deep resonance with the cyclic nature of the seasons, and with the powerful mythic themes which express the processes of life itself. The seasonal festivals are times to perform powerful rituals through which we identify, celebrate and attune with these processes, with the forces at work at these times, and with how that comes to manifestation in the world and in our lives.

These rituals can vary quite considerably from individual to individual, from Coven to Coven, and they will vary from the performance of ‘mystery plays’ which express the appropriate themes of each festival, to symbolic actions performed to bring the individual into resonance with those themes. Sometimes this is very simple, other times more complex. At all times it is experiential and participatory- Within the Craft each Witch is a Priestess or Priest, and no one stands between each individual and the Goddess and God. Each Witch plays an active part in every festival or lunar celebration or ritual.

For Witches there would be no point in doing it any other way- many people do like their religion “second-hand”, watered down, fed to them in little bits by a Priest of some kind. Many people have difficulty accepting or dealing with spirituality which comes “straight from the Cow”- focused, concentrated, warm and gushing so that sometimes you have to gulp it to save from choking, but by and large that’s the way Witches prefer it.

What do we gain from this? In simple terms this is mostly a matter of “Going with the flow” of things- the real, inner, powerful flow of things, so that we live lives that are in balance and harmony with the earth itself. We humans are creatures of cycles, rhythms, flows and processes- we walk around in harmony and balance with gravity, we live best if we sleep at night and work during the day, we are happiest and most at home in the world if we attune ourselves with the seasons, and with the cycles of the earth. 

Obviously our modern, western societies bring us into living contrary to this a lot of the time- working at night and sleeping by day, having to go out to work in the winter when we’d prefer to curl up by a fire, and eating foods that are grown artificially and contrary to the seasons of the earth.

In relation to this, Wiccan spirituality is then even more important than it was for our forebears who lived far simpler lives- their lives generally revolved around the seasons and their cycles whether they wanted that or not. In these times we need to bring ourselves back into attunement as far as we can so as to redress the imbalances brought about by living in this modern world.

As well as that the cycle of Lunar and seasonal festivals constantly reminds us of who and what we are, and that we are part of a greater whole-pattern. We are as much a part of nature as any other creature, being or substance. 

The religion of The Wicca reinforces, validates and enriches that pattern and our relationships through and within that with all that is.

Blessed Be,
Alan Tickhill. Hlafmass-Mabon season. 2000

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Magickal Powders

A magickal powder is an amalgam of significant magickal herbs, incenses and other substances which have been ritually ground up together into a combined powder, and which is charged through magickal ritual.

A powder of this kind is then much akin to a Talisman as detailed in other material, but is put to use for magickal ends by blowing or casting the powder onto people who are involved in the situation, or into places where the magick will be focused.

For example: A powder made to cause someone to be influenced in your favour in some way would be blown onto them, onto their possessions, into their house, their car or similar places where they will come into contact with it.

Further examples might be that a powder made to protect your home could be blown onto your doors and windows. Or else a powder compounded to influence a situation might be blown or cast into a place involved in that situation.

INGREDIENTS

Magickal powders of this kind are made from herbs, incenses and other substances which correspond with your intent. These can be discovered by consulting any lists of correspondences that you prefer to work from. Such as planetary correspondences, elemental correspondences, or lists compiled into books on The Craft or magick.

Books on herbalism and incense making; especially if they are focused on the magickal attributions of those substances; often have listings of correspondences that you can draw from.

INTENTION

Your intent is the single most important aspect of this- ensure before you begin that you are fully clear on what it is that you seek to achieve- your intention, and then proceed from that.

PRACTICALITIES

All magick works best if it is worked ritually. 

Gather all of your chosen ingredients together, cast a magick circle in your chosen way- either long and ceremonial or short and succinct as you favour, and then grind all of your ingredients together while also blending in your will and intent.

For this you will need a mortar and pestle or similar means of grinding your ingredients down and mixing them together.

You will also need a small pouch, piece of cloth, envelope or similar to place the magickal powder in, and some kind of ‘cantrip’, chant or other spell to bind it all together and empower it magickally.

While you are grinding up each ingredient it will focus your will strongly if you chant some kind of spell, cantrip or magickal chant of some kind. This could be very simple, such as - “I grind in ………. For power of…….”.

Once all of your ingredients are all mixed and ground together you should raise even more power to bind them all together magickally. This can be performed as a ‘charging’ such as you might use for a new magickal tool or other item, or by using an incantation, spell, chant or similar.

Once everything is mixed and blended both magickally and physically, transfer your powder to the small pouch, piece of cloth or whatever else you are going to keep it in till you use it.

A SEED POWDER

If you work with magickal powders a lot you may like to create a ‘Seed Powder’. This is essentially a powder that has been blended to encapsulate your own inner power, and which you can then blend a small amount of this in with every other kind of powder that you make.

Essentially this would be a ‘signature’- a blend of herbs, incenses and any other substances that magickally correspond with you in unique ways- from your star sign, which elements you feel you resonate with, from any other factors that you feel are essentially you and which you can find correspondences for.

Alan Tickhill. 2000. 

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THE BOOK OF SHADOWS

The term ‘Book of Shadows’ is used by many people within Witchcraft to describe two possible things-

“The” Book of Shadows, or “A” Book of Shadows.

“The” Book of Shadows (BOS) is a collection of rites, rituals, spells, chants and similar materials compiled together originally by Gerald Gardner and other people around him from a variety of sources. Some of this is claimed to be based on or derived from very ancient material that Gerald Gardner received from Witches who had inherited their ritual material from even more ancient sources.

Some of the material Gardner had was obviously derived from sources such as the Golden Dawn magickal order, Freemasonry, Aleister Crowley, mediaeval books of ceremonial magick and other contemporary sources of the time. Thereafter the BOS was modified, expanded and improved by people such as Doreen Valiente and Alex Sanders by removing some of the more overtly Golden Dawn and mediaeval material, and replacing it with material from folk-lore, more earthy sources, and chants, spells and similar that people like Doreen Valiente wrote themselves to be more in the spirit of Wicca as an earth based, earth and nature respecting and revering religion and ‘way.

What is important about “The” BOS is that within Wicca it is passed on exactly as it is without further modifications, additions or changes. At least in principle…. Many people have made additions and amendments, and even Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders in particular made numerous additions and changes to the basic BOS they originally had. Those with scholarly inclinations could probably track these changes and different versions of the BOS around the world and see where and when they were modified, by tracking which lines of initiatory descent have which particular versions.

For example, Galdraheim Coven probably has the latest and most expanded version of the BOS from Alex Sanders. People who were initiated previous to us; or who are of lines that were in contact with Alex before we were; have earlier forms, and some of those have far less material than ours has. We also have a BOS from Maxine Sanders, and which has far less material than the version we had from Alex. Which probably indicates that it’s the version that Maxine had from or via Alex before he and she separated.

What is important within this tradition of passing on “The BOS” without changes or additions, is that it potentially brings continuity and an awareness of continuance within the Craft of Wicca. By making additions or changes to the basic book, those who do so are fragmenting that continuance.

Within that many people would say that changing, adding or modifying BOS material expresses evolution and serving individual needs at different times. I 100% agree with that…… but: I personally feel that we can actually serve both those needs simultaneously- both continuance and evolution; by a very simple strategy:

Which is to pass on “The BOS” exactly as received without modification, addition or change. And to also create a separate book- “A” Book of Shadows or personal Grimoire into which all new material, modifications, additions and all else can be put. 

From this we can see that “A” Book of Shadows in the way that most people use that phrase is a personal collection of spells, rituals, chants, correspondences and other magickal material compiled by an individual Witch, or by a group of Witches- A Coven.

“A” Book of Shadows (ABOS) is then a personal, or group manual/workbook of rituals, spells, chants, cantrips, correspondences, etc which though exactly the same in intent to “The Book of Shadows”, is very much a different thing.

Having such a personal ABOS makes life easier for every “Working Witch”- ABOS can be used to record spells that you have created, songs, chants and cantrips that you have devised or been inspired to create, which you may have gained through astral projection, Journeying into the Otherworlds, through dreams and similar. It can be used as a repository of correspondences you have found work well for you, as a knowledge store of magickal experiments, rituals and spells successfully worked, as a set of cues, reminders and sources of inspiration for future rituals, spells and ceremonies. 

All extremely useful to draw from at those times when you’re perhaps not feeling particularly inspired, when things aren’t flowing 100%, or you’re simply rushed for time or suffering distractions that make it difficult to wax lyrical or inspired. Having some chants, spells and cantrips that you’ve previously used can act as cues to get your inspiration flowing, or else be used as they are if you can’t muster up anything better.

As well as that you can compile into one place all those cantrips, spells, or other material that you glean from other people, from books and similar sources- once you’ve gained some experience with the Craft you will begin to recognise and use the active principles that make magick and rituals work. Once you do have this experience you will begin to distil what you gain from others and extract only that which you need without having to use other peoples inspirations in their entirety. The bits you glean in this way can be compiled into one personal source repository- ABOS, that you can then use for reference without having to dig through masses of books, etc to find what you need.

To satisfy both these needs- continuance and personal, magickal needs, Galdraheim Coven passes on its BOS’s as received from Maxine and Alex Sanders as books that should not be changed or added to in any way, and also encourages its coveners to access and draw from the ABOS that we have individually and collectively compiled over the past 20+ years.

We have a hand made book into which we compile our best material, and also folders of typed material, rituals, spells, etc that are gradually compiled into our major ABOS if we judge them worth adding to it. If not they stay in folders. Either way all of this material is available for Coveners to draw from, have copies of or simply use as they see fit.

It feels good and adds to the ‘cueing’ if we use a hand-made, leather-bound and hand written book to work from within our rituals, rather than doing so from typed material in a folder bought from a stationery supplier. But those folders of typed material are obviously a good way of holding temporary material, articles and suchlike till they have been assessed for future use.

A major point is that “The BOS” can only express continuance in the way I’ve outlined here if it has been received in direct initiatory line from the original BOS given to us by Gerald Gardner. If it hasn’t; and even if it contains exactly the same text as one of the versions created as I’ve detailed; it cannot be “The” BOS. It can though of course continue that same spirit, but only if it is held and passed on in this way for good reasons- boosting someone’s ego by them using it to claim a line of Wiccan descent-lineage they don’t hold isn’t a good reason. Seeking to continue something respected and valued, but not having the physical contacts or teachers to do so, perhaps is a good reason.

Lastly: Any Witch can compile ABOS. And all Witches should. This way, as well as helping ourselves within our Craft, we also create resources to help those who come after- even if that’s only passed on or made available to one other person, we are passing the magick on and sharing it. That always has to be good.

Blessed Be,
Alan Tickhill. Samhain season

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IN THE TEMPLE-IN THE CIRCLE

In the Craft many rituals take place indoors. This is because many Craft rituals are quite ceremonial in nature, and require a formal space so that an Altar can be set up, people can undertake complex ritual activity, and so that the place that is used can be decorated or set out in ways which add to the power of the rituals being undertaken.

This place is usually a room in someone’s house- a sitting room, spare bedroom, or other similar room which is either set aside for ritual use, or is emptied of furniture and then set up as a Temple for ritual use.

The kinds of rituals that are performed in the Temple can be quite or even very formal. Whereas outdoor rituals and ceremonies can be quite to very informal, spontaneous and inspired by the places at which they are undertaken.

Because of the formal nature of many indoor rituals, it’s important to be aware of certain factors which will be at work.

If by contrast for example you are working magick outdoors in some naturally beautiful place- ‘wind blowing, moonlight, the sound of water, craggy rocks, etc, it’s very easy to feel at one with the primal forces of nature, the Gods of the Craft and the elemental power of the elder wisdom, and to be swept along with the power of it all. If though you are in someone’s living room, with the furniture piled out in the hallway, ornaments on the walls, other domestic items around, it’s not always so easy to shift in ones awareness and feel that you’re in sacred space, in the presence of the Gods, and at one with the primal forces of the universe.

Because of this, more formal In-Temple magick and rituals often require the use of much more in the way of magickal ‘cues’- incense, coloured candles, a formally laid out altar, robes, specific ritual words, etc.

It also requires a greater sense of purpose and focus from every individual involved in such rituals, and that they all accept that everything that they do or don’t do is important- everything. We’ll look into this more deeply later on in this article.

Very often, especially when we are new to the Craft, some people have difficulty feeling the power that is raised and used during magickal rituals, or else don’t shift in their awareness very easily in the ways that rituals are intended to shift ones awareness so that they can be aware of the flowing of power and weave that in accordance with their will and intent.

Part of this is due to individual nature- some people are simply, naturally more open to things psychic and magickal, whereas others are more in resonance with the demands of everyday reality. Some have a natural capacity for visualisation and imagination skills and are closer to the non-conscious-mind inspirations of ritual, while others are less so and have to work harder to feel the power flows and inspirations of magickal and ritual.

For the former the ‘knack’ is learning to harness their skills and capacities so that they can use them powerfully, for the latter the ‘knack’ lays in accepting the possibilities while simply ‘plugging away’ at it all while their inner capacities develop and blossom.

It can be difficult for those who aren’t so naturally psychic and open to flow with ritual and ceremony, so what is important is that all those involved ensure that they do remain as focused and purposeful as possible, so as to ensure that nothing detracts from what is being done in any way.

Which returns us to everything being done in the Temple being important.

Whether you see the Goddess and God materialise within the circle or not, they will respond to our call. Whether you can see or feel the swirling power that is raised by ritual activity or not, it is flowing. And very importantly, these things will affect you and your life in deeply powerful ways- whether you see them or not, and whether you believe in them or not. Magick works, the Goddess and God exist, and your life will come into interaction with all of this if you undertake magickal rituals- it can be hard to see at times, it can be harder to believe. Especially if your imaginative or psychic skills aren’t strongly developed. 

The further knack in regard to this is to suspend both belief and disbelief. From that you can simply act magickally and see if it works. When it does, you will recognise that it works, and that Wiccan magick exists and is real. How many people in this world can see electricity flowing? Some can, but not many. How many will know that electricity is real if we poke wet fingers into an electrical socket? All of us.

To help with this it is extremely important therefore to remain focused and purposeful within and throughout any ritual. Making little comments to other people in the circle, gazing around at things on the wall, not putting your ‘all’ into it will only take away the power for you and keep you stuck in everyday reality and that will obviously detract from what you are doing. 

Not standing in the way of yourself is what this is all about really: Why is any ritual constructed the way it is? Why does everyone circle clockwise-deosil all the time? Why then is it important that you add to that and reinforce the symbolism and magickal potential of this by seeking to always remember to move about the circle deosil for whatever reason all the time the circle remains cast?

Why then would it be important for all involved to shift away for a time- for a spell perhaps; from the way we may be in everyday life, and want to polish metal items used within a ritual? Or setting up the Altar? Or organising ritual food? Or even popping round the shop to buy bits to be used in a ritual of some kind? Why would anyone want to volunteer for tasks like that? Why would it be important to bring candles to be used, Or bringing a special incense to be used at a festival or other ritual, or bringing a jar of coffee or pack of biscuits to be shared, rather than taking it for granted that these things will be provided by others? Why is it best to step forward and volunteer as soon as you are aware of a need; or even for the very, very wise; to anticipate and meet these needs before volunteers are called for?

The simple answer to all of those questions- and really they’re all just variants on one very important question, is that within the Craft we all get back in exactly direct proportion to what we put in. If we leave everything to others, if we don’t make ourselves aware of these things I’ve outlined, we will receive exactly in proportion to what we put in. If others put in they take out. If we don’t put in, we don’t take out. So very simple and obvious, but so often missed by many people.

An analogy is useful here:

Think of a car. It’s a powerful car that can carry as many people as want to be carried along in it. It has one extremely interesting characteristic though. This car has to be pushed to get started. It’s ignition consists of people getting behind it and shoving. Once it’s started and underway though it will go along very well, and all can climb on board and travel in style and luxury- as long as they all remember to remain focused and purposeful throughout our journey and how we’re getting there and back.

If we have a group of people, and some of them think “I’ll shove”, and others think “No way, let them shove, I’ll sit inside and ride”, our car is going to take a lot of shoving by those out at the back before it gets moving. If there’s more lazily riding than shoving, it might not even get started at all. It will always start best and much, much more quickly if everyone shoves, and does so without having to be told, reminded or chivvied- Volunteering to polish candlesticks, laying out the altar, bringing candles or incense, a bunch of seasonal flowers, researching the themes of rituals and suggesting ideas, inspirations and possibilities, gathering foliage to adorn the altar for a seasonal festival, a toilet roll or two, a jar of coffee…….

Something to strongly bear in mind is that this car needs shoving every time we want to ride it, and if all those inside don’t remain focused right through the journey it will run out of power, we’ll all need to get out, go round the back and start shoving again. That’s a pain isn’t it?!

But that’s the way this car works, and like it or lump it, it works only for those who do shove willingly every time, and can remember in an adult way to remain focused and purposeful, and can also shove without begrudging the effort they make- we all make such efforts for ourselves- it’s a foolish person who begrudges themselves the best they can have.

Which brings us back to a point which references to what we looked at regarding those whose psychic skills are not yet strongly developed.

The harder and the more willingly everyone pushes our car to get it started, the better it runs. If it runs very well it can carry those with lesser developed skills as equally as it will those of greater natural skills. Those that don’t push, or who need to be chivvied and then only pretend to shove, are also holding back the car for the others as well as for themselves.

“We are in the Temple, 
we are focused, 
we are excited, keen and giving it our all
because we want to be there
and we know that if we push hard
magick will flow,
and we truly want it to flow
and we will be enriched,
and we will be empowered,
and we will receive the guidance and blessings of the Old ones
and our lives will flow and shift,
and magick will flow”..

And that’s the high point: And we all have low points and low times also, when we may be tired and not able to push much at all. But those who are pushing with us will sympathise as they know we’ve pushed hard all the times before, and will push hard again when our own energy is flowing more. And no one is perfect. So they will push for us at these times. 

For we are the Wise, and we know that to access the deepest power we need to recognise the power within ourselves, shift away from the mundane world where we can perhaps leave things to others to be responsible for, and where it is easy to leave our lives in the hands of others, and that we must be open to new ways for magick to flow.

Blessed be,
Alan Tickhill.

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IN TUNE WITH THE LAND

Much Wiccan literature, including some on this website, can give the impression that Wicca is very much a form of ceremonial magick or ritual activity that doesn’t work with the power of the land or its spirits and forces directly. Some of the material you’ll read describes Temple work- rituals, ceremonies and similar held indoors in rooms that are used for temples.

However, Wiccans are Witches: That is, that we do both- we work indoors in temples in ritual ways sometimes, and we also work magick, meditate, commune with our deities and the spirits of the land, and seek power and knowledge through and in direct interaction with the land and with nature.

This includes a wide range of possibilities:-

· Developing skills such as herbalism, through learning the plants, fungi and trees that grow locally, and from learning their medicinal, edible and other properties.

· Learning to feel the individual powers, capacities and energies of different trees and their woods, of shells, bones, stones and other items and materials which we can weave together into magickal objects, ‘Fetishes’, Talismans, magickal tools and other ways of focusing this wild power such as placing them on our Temple Altar during rituals.

· Developing a deep knowledge of the birds and animals that live in our own countryside and building powerful relationships with them. From this we become attuned to a massive web of information and inspiration. 

· Learning skills and developing capacities such as Dowsing, becoming sensitive to earth energies, spirits and sprites, The Faery and similar at power places and ‘edge’ places such as the seashore, river banks, high cliffs and woodland groves, so that we can draw from and weave those powers into our magick and our lives.

All of these things form the balance to and power source for much of what we do ‘In the Temple’. For example we gather the materials, and draw from the power of the land to make magickal tools such as Staffs and Wands. Knowing such as astrological and other correspondences can help us to determine which wood to make a Wand from, but then we need to know trees and our local area well enough to identify the appropriate kind to take wood from, and need to have the power-sensing skills to know which particular branch, or where in a wood we will find that. 

We also then need the connections with power to perhaps draw to us and gather other materials and items to use on that, and then the craft skills to weave all of that together into a powerful and beautiful item that we can use in our Craft.

Much of this skill base can only be developed by actually getting out and about in your local countryside. Some of this does though need to be developed ‘Book in hand’.

The intuitive skills such as dowsing and energy sensing can’t be learnt from books, but teaching and guidance from other people who already have these skills can help enormously. Whether those teachers and guides are flesh and blood people, or whether you learn from the teachings and guidance that real people provide through the written word, you’ll still actually be learning from people.

From that you can hasten your own learning enormously, as long as you take what you learn and put it into practise out in the countryside.

The same principles apply with trees, plants and fungi. You could learn all that you need to know by trial and error, but that’s an approach that can have ‘interesting’ consequences regarding the medicinal or poisonous qualities of plants and fungi in particular.

A better and much faster way is to prowl the countryside book in hand learning to identify the plants and fungi you encounter.

With trees and their woods you could simply learn their qualities directly and through trial and error- gather an armful of branches from every type of tree you can find, strip off the bark, let the woods season, and then see how well you can carve or inscribe them. And also discover the magickal and energy properties of all types of tree that grow local to you by simply ‘feeling your way’ into their energy. Longwinded and wasteful of both your time and the material you take from all those trees. 

Or else go out and about with a couple of books- one that tells you about the magickal and energy properties of individual trees, and another that has good illustrations to help you identify them, and you will be walking and learning with teachers and guides ‘in your bag’- teachers and guides that will happily walk out with you whenever you choose, and who have no conflicting schedules or life-needs. Faster, reliable and always convenient.

For finding out the ‘edge’ places in your locality- the power places, the places where the veils between planes is thin and your magick, meditations and contacts with power will be most powerful, there is no better way than to simply prowl around and find them out. You can make this simpler and easier by looking at maps of your area to find places that are worth investigating, but then thereafter you’ll need to actually go and spend time with them to feel their energies and become aware of their potentials. 

You will also need to spend time at them at different times of the year as the energy flow of such places can vary considerably depending on the seasonal, lunar and other cycles. Visit powerful places whenever you can to gain experience of their flows and cycles, and also learn to look for the signs that tell you that power flows at these places, even if it's not flowing strongly when you initially visit- like animals and birds in the countryside, power leaves signs, tracks and trails that the wise can see to know when and where power flows.

For further discovering the potentials and capacities of materials to use in magickal items: Such as shells, stones, bones etc, you do need to gather these things up and simply shut down your conscious mind a little and allow your intuitive abilities to bring you information, but again you can gain at least some initial guidance from the teachings of others. Many books on Witchcraft will help with this if you don’t have access to a flesh and blood teacher. 

And also simply walking along the beach if you live close to the sea, or along riverbanks or edges of woods with your intuition tuned in, will often lead you to magickally useable objects and materials- look for the little glint of intuitive recognition on the edge of your perception that cues your mind into spotting such objects and materials- a shell, a stone, a feather, a bird skull in the grass  or the shed skin of a snake among the rocks at the base of a scree-slope perhaps. This is a skill that can only be developed from doing- but if you didn't know this already, you've now learned of it from me- from these words which are the tracks of my thoughts across this page.....

“The habits of Rabbits”.

In order to attune yourself with wild creatures you need to know something at least of their habits, their ‘schedules’ and their ways. Prowling the countryside will bring you some of this- directly observing birds and animals in the wild will teach you enormous amounts about them. But again you can ‘fast-track’ this whole process by doing some library research first: For example, many creatures behave quite differently at different times of the year- changing food supplies, territorial imperatives and shifts, the growth or diminishing of habitat and cover through the seasons will all shift where and when different creatures will appear. For example Foxes don’t generally move around a lot in daylight when the undergrowth is thin and sparse, or when there is a good supply of food for them, but can often be seen in daylight when food is scarce. Breeding and territorial imperatives will sometimes bring them out into the open in daylight at certain times of the year, but then they fade back into the undergrowth when glandular drives have receded.

Other factors at play here concern your local environment itself: The nature of that, the soil, weather and other factors may mean that some trees, bushes and plants are prolific in your area, but will also mean that some will be absent. Some plants only grow in certain types of soil or other conditions, and so no amount of knowledge about certain plants will enable you to use them from local sources. Fungi tend to appear in seasonal cycles, and in particular locations, so again only actually getting out and about and observing will help you learn which fungi appear in your area, and when they do so.

The same factors will be at work regarding Birds and animals. No matter how strong your Totemic connection to Hares for example, if you don’t know where and when they are to be seen; or whether you actually have a resident population locally; you’re unlikely to be able to interact with them if you can’t find them.

Or else you’ll have difficulty discerning messages, omens and auguries from the flights of Crows across the sky if you can’t tell the difference between Crows, Rooks or Jackdaws. 

Again, a blend of taught-from teachers-from books knowledge and in the field learning will bring you the balanced knowledge and insight that all Witches need to be “In tune with the land”.

Lastly there is also this: That from developing such a deep relationship with the land, and our local area of that we also develop a deep relationship with its Goddesses, Gods, spirits and other forces, and we also develop a deep relationship with ourselves. To become in tune with the land in these ways also brings us into attunement with all that is. We become grounded, attuned, connected: We become, and truly come to know ourselves as part of all that is. At one, of The Wise, and at home on and with our planet.

Blessed Be,
Alan Tickhill.

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A WITCH ALONE

There is a saying that “you cannot be a Witch alone”, but the  number of Solitary Witches that exist rather contradict that statement.

My feeling is that the saying was first coined so as to encourage the growth of Covens and the Wiccan movement at a time when this perhaps needed a boost of this kind to bring people together, and to overcome the trepidations of some Witches about gathering with others. Especially if these people were skilled, proficient Witches who may have been wary of joining together in ways that may have felt as if they were giving authority to others.

As well as that I also feel that the saying grows out of a powerful perception of who and what we Witches are as human beings living in the world.

It has to be said that “Covening” is not for everyone. For various reasons many people don’t get on very well working in a group with others. Some find the demands of a Coven restrictive, some simply don’t like feeling as if they are being directed or told what to do by others, some prefer full spontaneity rather than having to work within agreed ritual structures, and some prefer to work their magick and commune with the Gods alone without having to accommodate around the needs and schedules of others.

Many Witches do enjoy being a member of a Coven and find that fulfilling and empowering. Seasonal rituals in particular are often much more joyous and powerful when celebrated in the company of other like-minded people, and for some folks what they do within a Coven fulfils all of their spiritual and magickal needs, and they do little if anything outside of the communal circle. Especially if they are members of active, high-energy Covens that do lots of rites, magick and rituals.

Most Witches balance between the two- joining with others in a Coven at some times, but still working spells, rituals and magick on their own as well. 

This to me has always felt to be the most balanced path to walk- joining with my Sisters and Brothers of the Craft to celebrate seasonal rituals and festivals, to work powerful collective magick, to explore and use powerful techniques such as drumming, trance work, chanting, energy raising, mask work and ritual theatre, and to develop spiritually, psychologically and emotionally through deep interaction with others in ways that can be challenging, but are always powerfully educational and expanding of my personal boundaries.

And then at those times when I need to stand alone in some quiet or lonely place with the wind blowing and the Moon riding high and full in the sky, to do so and commune with the Goddess and her consort, the spirits of the land and the earth itself in ways that are best experienced without others around.

Or else to work small spells, simples, cantrips and ‘kitchen’ or hedge-magick of bones, stones, herbs, powders, shells and all those weavings of the power of earth, air fire, water, trees and animals that keep me close and connected with the world around me outside of human interaction. And to spend time with nature, observing the ways of the birds and animals of my countryside, or learning the nature, power and qualities of trees, herbs, plants and fungi- all the knowledge of the ‘Hedge-Witch’, the country-Witch.

But Witches aren’t ‘just’ of the countryside: Witches are “People of their environment”, and people of their community also- ‘No one is an island’ is actually very true, whether we like it or not.

Which means that we are people of towns and cities also- many people have very romantic notions of the Witch living alone in her cottage, with her Cat perhaps, a garden of herbs and strange plants for making magickal potions, lotions and brews, and gathering up the things of the wild to weave into fetishes and talismans.

This may be true for some people still, and undoubtedly it’s a lovely way to live…… except perhaps for the loneliness and isolation, the possible problems with those living nearby who will always fear the strange and that which they do not fully understand. Those who are not part of a country community are likely to be fully ostracised from it. ‘Not quite so romantic and idyllic in actuality compared to the rosy vision of the idyllic life of a Country Witch.

But this is life- here we now are in the Northern hemisphere of our planet, living in the 21st century with all its demands and pressures, and so we need to recognise and accept this and not delude ourselves with wishful thinking and fantasies.

On the other hand, we have the path of balance: We join together in our circles when that best fulfils our needs, and we walk alone under the Moon and Stars when that is what our soul needs. We can grow herbs and strange plants in our gardens; or even in window boxes or pots on a balcony; as well as living as functioning and contributing members of society.

Can you then be ‘A Witch alone’? You can, but the price is high, and your needs perhaps will be better met if you do walk a balanced path. However challenging and demanding that may be at times, and  a Witch alone will also always be a person alone.... 
Alan Tickhill. 2000

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Death & Dying- The nature of religion

Given the self-evident value of Wicca as a spiritual path that enables Witches to live their lives more fully, why in this day and age are the ‘slave religions’ such as Christianity still as popular as they are?

The answer lies in that Christianity concerns itself much more, much more often with what does or does not happen after death, rather than concerning itself with how we live our lives in this world, and because of this it very cleverly exploits the human fear of death and dying and cynically claims to offer a way to deal with that.

Christianity is not alone in this- other religions such as Islam also claim to offer inside information of what happens to us after we die, but as Christianity in various forms is still the state religion of Britain, Europe and the Americas we’ll use it as a counterpoint example of the subject of this article.

Like it or not we all die. This may change as human science explores the possibility of genetic manipulation, but for now we have to have it whether we want to or not. Until such time as our species does expand off our home planet and into space, and until we can escape the problems of disease and body breakdown that accompany ageing, this is actually a best-yet-possible occurrence- life is at its best when we can live it fully, and to be old, infirm, ill and incapable is part of the process right now as we age, so getting our bodies out of the way so that the fit, young and capable can get on more fully with their lives is better than clogging up the arteries of our societies.

And then we come to this final part of the process- we all pass beyond the event horizon of life. Whether that’s into some other plane of existence, whether it’s into a different kind of existence, or whether we simply cease to be as personalities, consciousness or mind, over that horizon we pass.

All the worlds multifarious religions have claimed to know what happens at this time- heavens, hells, paradises, ‘happy hunting grounds’, ‘Summer-lands’, and other realms and planes have all been described as the post-mortem destination of the human soul-spirit-consciousness.

One thing stands out sharp and clear from this for me: They simply cannot all be right, except in the most convoluted metaphysical sense of our post-mortem consciousness finding itself in some realm constructed out of our longings and beliefs. 

And if this is so, how long do you reckon you could put up with doing nothing except listening to elevator music played by blokes with wings, or even laying around drinking fizzy drinks and eating oranges while sloe eyed maidens peel the next orange for you- alright for a while if you’re into that, but even I would want to do something different half way through an eternity of nothing but oranges and fizzy drinks. And as for the endless harp music…. That’s heaven? I think not.

Or even the more robust afterlife destinations of such as Norse belief- boozing and feasting all evening then having a good, bloody punch-up with your mates through the day might be fine for some men once in a while, but every day forever? And what are the Norse women doing while this is going on? Probably out in the kitchen endlessly washing up or fixing hangover cures. 

If you look at descriptions of after-lifes from virtually all the worlds religions you’ll see the same thing very, very clearly. Every description of what happens after death is incredibly childish and simplistic. They are in short the fantasies and wishful thinking of primitive peoples. Or else; and very importantly; they are a fabric of deceit and deception woven by religious leaders to appeal to the longings and to appease the fears of common people so as to manipulate them in life.

The fear of death is extremely strong. Avoiding death or injury is built into human systems at the deepest and most basic level. Just like the eye-blink reflex which makes us blink to protect our eyes when something approaches our face. The fear of death is reflexive and though it can be lived with, dealt with, and come to terms with, it’s a deeply powerful force within all of our minds.

OK: Let’s just get something said here before we go on any further. Why do people all around the world put up with so much exploitation and degradation of their lives by people in power? Why did millions go into death camps during the second world war? Why do so many still put up with exploitive politicians, dictators and others like them all the time?

Because the vast majority of the worlds peoples are simply either not very bright, frighteningly unmotivated, or a combination of both. The vast majority of people will put up with all manner of exploitation and manipulation because it’s easier than actually thinking or acting for themselves. Or else they accept or choose to believe the lies and deception so as to keep life simple. As well as that there’s the human belief that “while there’s life there’s hope”- for someone in the death camps of world war two, a choice between standing and fighting or hoping that it’s going to be other people going into the gas chambers before you do, and that you might not reach the front of the line at all…. A strategy that didn’t work at all well for millions. 

In everyday life regarding religion, death and dying, this means that millions of people around the world have for countless generations been prey to exploitive people who do claim to know what happens after death. They believe these tales and fantasies because they want to- it’s just simply easier than accepting that none of us actually do or will truly know in our deepest beings; where the fears live; until we pass that horizon ourselves. And no matter how many people die at the same time as us, or who’s around to support and comfort us, each and every one of us dies alone.

Faced with the immensity and loneliness of that most people will believe any old rubbish rather than stand tall and alone and face it. It’s rather like a child who convinces themselves that if they put their head under the bed clothes that the bogeyman can’t get them- if there really is some kind of monster living in the cupboard or under the bed, it will be very pleased if you can’t see it coming! But for children this kind of childish, primitive thinking brings a measure of comfort to stave off the fear. Just so with adults in relation to religion and dying- if you put your head under the warm, cosy blanket of such as Christianity, the bogeyman of death won’t get you…… oh yes he will.

Having said all that I must also say that religions of all kinds for many people are a warm, cosy blanket to wrap around their lives and stave of the fears of existence generally, and not just the fear of death. This can include Pagan religions as equally as it does the slave religions. I’ve heard Pagans and Witches speak of their deities in exactly the same terms I’ve heard some Christians, Jews or Muslims speak of theirs- it’s “Mummy and Daddy know best” rather than the monotheistic “Daddy knows best”, but it’s as equally child-like.

There is a solution to these fears, but it’s one that very few people are likely to embrace: Which is simply to accept that we do stand alone in our lives and with our fears, and that if our lives are to have any meaning or purpose, that we must discover and determine that for ourselves rather than letting our fears determine our lives and how we live them. 

We of the Craft of the wise can look to our deities for guidance and help, but when our Lord dies through the yearly cycle of his being He doesn’t do it for us in the way that Christians foolishly believe their god died so that they don’t have to, but rather to show us the way through this, and to show each and everyone one of us the way so that we can pass into and through that darkness bravely and without fear. It’s a path we have to walk alone, but it’s a well trodden one- everything that’s ever lived on this planet has walked it before us and though the path may be dark, the way is clearly marked.

There is a final and extremely important part to this: No Christian or other person of similar type of belief system can offer a single shred of evidence for their heavens, hells, Valhalla’s or paradises. For Witches though the world on which we live shows us the way that life and death work- 

“Hoof and horn, all that dies shall be reborn,
Corn and grain, all that falls shall rise again.
We all come from the Goddess, unto her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean”

We only need to observe this happening in our world to recognise the way through our fears- instead of hiding under the bedclothes, we need to get out of bed, put on the light and open the cupboard door or look under the bed. What we will discover is likely to be mismatched shoes or lost socks. Not a bogeyman at all. And if there’s anyone at the end of the bed with his shirt collar on backwards, or wearing a silly hat who tries to tell you that he’ll protect you from this imaginary bogeyman if you put money in his collection plate or do what he tells you…. Turn him around and point him at the door, then apply your foot firmly to his posterior. 

That is, if you consider yourself to be or want to be a Witch- if you foolishly decide to believe him, and you wrap yourself in the warm, cosy blanket that he offers, you may as well go to bed early on Saturday night rather than staying late at the Sabbat so that you can be up bright and early to tootle off to church with the other children.

So let me finish with this thought: I do not know what will happen to me, the personality I think I am, when I die. Though I have had experiences through the Craft which lead me to believe that I am an immortal and endless spirit resident within and existing through a physical body, that can and will reincarnate in another body after this one, I will not truly know this in my deepest core until I pass through the door of death.

What I do know though is this: That though my body will never rise again in its present form, it will continually rise again as birds, animals, trees, plants, and even the air that we breathe. If the light of my spirit is turned off at death, the light of my being will go on and on as long as our universe exists.

“We all come from the Goddess, unto her we shall return,
like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean”

‘RELIGION HOPPING’

An additional subject relative to this is why some people ‘hop’ from one religion to another. Quite a few people come to Wicca or more broadly pagan religions and ways as ‘refugees’ from Christianity. Some then hop back the other way from paganism and Wicca to Christianity.

Why is this so? The single most usual reason is that they are looking for the “comfort and security blanket” that they want religion to offer. When they find the ‘blanket’ of Christianity to be too stifling, repressive or costly in emotional or psychological terms they look elsewhere. When they discover that the Craft is for self-motivated people who work through their fears and uncertainties while seeking to live the best lives they possibly can in this world, they sometimes hop back rather than accept the challenges of personal responsibility and motivation.

Some though do come to the Craft from Christianity and other religions and stay. Not as refugees seeking a warm place to hide, but as adults graduating from Kindergarten, and coming to the big school of life.

Blessed be, Alan Tickhill. 2000

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UNCLE SILAS’S AMAZING & INCREDIBLE, 
ALCOHOL MULTIPLYING WINE.

Or how the fish got into the milk.

A strange title you might think, but one which will come to have meaning as we progress through this article. In which we will be examining the nature of belief, and how misleading beliefs can grow in the human mind.

A Tale: Or as the common wisdom has it- ‘Once upon a time’.

My Uncle Silas was a proper countryman. He grew a fabulous range of enormous vegetables in his garden, kept ferrets down the end of the yard, and had a little shed that younger members of the family weren’t allowed into. In which he brewed the most incredibly potent wine.

One of his favourites to make was Parsnip, and this was a brew that could have fuelled rockets. It was so strong that two glasses of it would have the Vicars wife dancing on tables and showing off her undies, and when Aunt Mabel drank three glasses one long hot summers day, well, I now have twin cousins.

Unfortunately Uncle Silas died and it fell to me to sort through all of his effects. In among his wine making materials I found a box of a dozen bottles of the infamous Parsnip wine from the same batch that enlivened Aunt Mabel. I’d sampled it then, and boy was it strong. This was five years later, and a sampling that evening let me know in no uncertain terms that a five year period of maturation had caused it to gain incredible strength, and was now as strong as whiskey. The wine had quadrupled in strength, and an Irish distillery would have been proud to put its label on it…..

Right? If you’ve ever had home made wine you know this- if you put home made wine away for a few years it gets stronger and stronger, and eventually you will have a brew like unto the finest malt to flow out of Gaeldom. Right? Wrong…….

Alcohol is produced by yeast through the process of fermentation. Sugars in the original liquid are consumed by the yeast, and alcohol and carbon dioxide are produced as by-products of that process. No yeast can tolerate more than a certain proportion of alcohol by volume dissolved in water. Approximately 20% as a maximum. Most home made wines are about 10%- 15%, and though a secondary fermentation can at times occur in the bottle which yields an extra 1%- 2% of alcohol, that takes yeast to its level of alcohol tolerance. Some modern high tolerance yeasts can tolerate an alcohol level of approximately 25%, but that is the top level limit yet achieved. Even with Champagne production which relies on secondary fermentation to put the fizz into white wine, the alcohol level will rarely exceed 17%.

Whiskey is approximately 40%- 45%, and so by what magick did the Parsnip wine of Uncle Silas become ‘as strong as whiskey’? Indeed, it must have been magick, as fermentation and biology never brought about this miracle.

Herein lays a great mystery, and a puzzle to be solved. The solution of which lays within the human mind rather than the arcane arts of my Uncle Silas.

Here also is a similar effect of the same process. By which I mean no disrespect to anyone, and certainly not to any group of people or individuals whom represent any group, nation or belief...

Some examples.

"All native peoples; irrespective of their individual personalities, character, background or level of intelligence; are all avatars of all that is magickally great and good and are wiser and more spiritual than any westerner can ever hope to be.... Wisdom becomes wiser the more distant in place and time is was- such as in Egypt, pre-Columbian America, Hawaii, etc. 

Let those with eyes to see do so...

But of course we still don’t know how the fish got into the milk. The mechanism is simple. The Master whom makes the grass green slipped it in while we were all out of our heads on the Parsnip wine that Uncle Silas bequeathed us. Simple….. just another 'Okkano Boro', as the Rom say.

Or as a wise sage has said:- 
"Belief is the death of intelligence"

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SECRECY

Within the Craft of Wicca we hold to a principle of not revealing our rites, lore and teachings to 'outsiders', and the only people who do this are 'renegades. That is, people who have learned these secrets and then broken their oaths to publish or otherwise disseminate such as the contents of our Book of Shadows.

As you'll see in another article in this section, we of the British traditional Craft' have a Book of Shadows of rites, rituals, lore and teachings that we pass along from each generation of Initiates to the next as they are brought into our circles.

The contents of this book are kept as secret as possible, though unfortunately that hasn't always been honoured and respected by some.

Some people who have published material from our BOS have claimed to have done so for what they consider to be good reasons: Such as that as much of this material had already been passed into circulation by others before them; albeit in a scrappy and disjointed way; that they felt that they should present all of the BOS material in a structured way so as to clear up any misunderstandings. Alongside this claim goes the plausible sounding one that as there has been such a growth of interest in the Craft over the past 30-40 years, that someone has had to publish good material for these people to work with, especially as many of them won't be able to find Covens or reputable people to learn this all from.

Others have circulated BOS material in bits and pieces, but I have to say that I don't accept even the most credible sounding of reasons/excuses within this, no matter who this is or has been done by, and am inclined to consider that in some cases at least, that where spite and sour grapes haven't provided the motivation for publishing BOS and other Craft material, then either the desire for financial profit or the desire for fame and publicity have. I would even extend that criticism to those most famous of Witches who have published BOS material. I go as far as to name them as equally renegades and oath breakers as those who have disseminated this material for more obviously spiteful or hurtful reasons.

The claim to be publishing credible material so as to provide that for those who need it just doesn't hold water for me- for as long as these 'credible books' have been in circulation, there has always been a lot of material, teachings and books generally in circulation that beginners on the path and those who work solitary can work from. Those kinds of sources have been around for long enough that anyone seeking to be a solitary Witch; or forced to be solitary through lack of contact with others; could always find them out if they wanted to. As well as that the majority of BOS material is written for groups- covens, and is quite difficult at the least to adapt to solitary use.

Though many Wiccans aren't over enamoured with the Llewellyn range of books for beginners and similar material, they do provide a good place to start for many, and most such books are written especially for beginners and solitaries- For example I have copies of books such as 'The Grimoire of Lady Sheba', 'The Tree' by Ray Buckland, and 'Mastering Witchcraft' by Paul Huson. All of which date to the early 70's- in publication 10 years before a couple of famous renegades published their books...... The claim of making credible material available for those who needed it at a time when it wasn't available doesn't hold water.

And so as to make this as clear as possible I can and now will tell you why Wiccans use this principle of secrecy:

Imagine this if you will: I have hiccups. You want to help me get rid of them. So you stand before me, tell me you're going to shout BOO!! to give me a fright to get rid of these hiccups, and then shout BOO!! in my face. How effective is that likely to be? Knowing that you're going to do this, and then seeing you take a deep breath ready to shout- am I likely to be frightened enough for my gut to spasm and get rid of the hiccups? I think not.

But if you keep your intention a secret....

Much of such as our initiation rituals are kept secret for similar reasons- Initiation is all about beginning- to initiate-to begin. In order to begin on the Wiccan path we need to be open to new possibilities, and we need to perceive the world in new and radically different ways at times. We need to be shifted in our thinking, we need to have our eyes opened through a beginning-birth into a more open consciousness and awareness. If you know all that is going to happen in your Initiation ritual, how effectively can we do the magickal equivalent of BOO!!..?

If we tell you everything that is going to happen it will be as effective magickally and psychologically as in our first illustration of the non-frightening cure for hiccups.

As well as that: If you know all the rites, lore, rituals and teachings through reading about them prior to initiation, or prior to beginning to learn properly, two things will happen with many people.

Some will foolishly believe that reading about and intellectually knowing is as valid as really knowing within your deepest being- compare me telling you about how painful it is to be pinched, to me just leaning over, getting a grip on some of your flesh between finger and thumb and giving it a strong tweak- which brings the greatest, most effective knowing- the talking about, or the tweak?

The other is that some people will feel that they do know it all, and then short of actually being pinched magickally in some way, will then have great difficulty learning anything from those they consider to be no more knowledgeable than they are- if you and I have both read the entire contents of the BOS, we must both know as much as each other- yes? No?

Simple isn't it?

As well as that: How great a pleasure is it on your birthday to open a gift that you only vaguely know the shape and size of from the outer packaging, and have waited 'patiently' to receive, to discover that it is a gift of great value, and is just exactly what you want? How does that compare with being given something that you knew all along that you were getting, and may as well not have been wrapped, or kept till your birthday? Some people may not like surprises, and many may not be inclined to wait 'patiently', but for me at least, getting the gift without any build up would be much akin to sex with no foreplay.

The build up, the expectations, the secrecy, the waiting and learning all add to the potential impact of such as initiation rituals and enable them to work effectively in opening your awareness to greater possibilities. Keeping it all secret enormously increases the effectiveness of that BOO!! so that you can shift into a greater awareness, and all that you learn thereafter will mean so much more for you.

And it really is that simple.

There is also another reason behind this: As a properly initiated Witch with a credible lineage I know these secrets. As there is still some material from our lore unpublished; and only those of us who are fully in the know actually know what is credible and what isn't amongst the published material; I can tell the really credible people from the fakes, imposters and potential exploiters.

If anyone in the world could wear a white coat and call themselves Doctor, how reliable would the medical services be? if only those 'properly initiated and of proper training and lineage' can call themselves Doctor, that ensures that any medical attention you receive is of a high standard.

For me, renegade dissemination of Wiccan lore and material is also the equivalent of selling medical degrees- just as a white coat alone doesn't make a Doctor, knowing the right words as written down doesn't make a Witch.

ROCKS, STONES & CRYSTALS

Crystals in particular are considered by many people to have special powers and properties, and the lore concerning the correspondences between particular semi-precious stones and such as Astrology is also very widely known.

What we'll be examining in this article are the principles at work within all this and how we can make use of this lore and knowledge within our magickal practices and life generally.

First of all..... 'Things have power'.

In magickal terms it is accepted that all 'things' in this world have an intrinsic charge of power- a kind of capacitance or 'charge' rather like a battery. This power is often very specific, and the power of for example a piece of Quartz is very different to that of any other stone or material.

Again in magickal terms 'things' are then corresponded with or classified within magickal systems according to what type of power they have. So for example individual stones and materials are corresponded with Astrological sun signs. with spirits, angels and other entities, or with specific human needs and desires, and it is considered that the property of individual materials can be used to boost, stress or bring those properties and powers to bear in magickal ways.

So for instance you can bring specific powers or properties to bear in your life by carrying a stone of a particular kind with you, or can positively affect someones health by placing particular stones at particular points on their body relative to whatever ailments of illness may be afflicting them.

Within this the stones or Crystals then will radiate their intrinsic power into the aura-body-energy field of the person carrying them or having them placed on their body.

Beyond that, stones, crystals, semi-precious stones and other similar materials can be woven into magickal items such as ritual tools or Talismans so that their individual properties can be employed within them.

An example of that would be to use a Quartz crystal at the tip of a Wand to direct and focus magickal power in any ritual you use that Wand in.

Or else the use of a specific stone such as Amethyst or other gem-stone may be bound into a Talisman to bring the qualities and power of that stone into play for whatever purpose the Talisman has been created to serve.

We'll return to this further along where we'll examine magickal and other systems of correspondences.

Secondly......'Things can be charged with power'.

The basic principle at work with this is that many materials; especially those of organic origin; can be charged with power by magickal intent, ritual and focused thought.

Or else they can become charged through association- such as by placing them at power places or places where the configurations of the land generate power. Such as crossroads, places where streams converge, places where the energy streams of the land converge, or other edge places- places where realms meet, or nodal places where space and time converge in ways that generate power- like the meeting of fire and water generating steam, or flint and steel making fire.

Within that also, objects, materials, stones, etc that are gathered from such places have power that has been induced within them from their being at these nodal places. So for example stones gathered from a crossroads have traditionally been used in getting rid of warts, or dew gathered at the nodal time of Midsummer or May Day mornings is said to be magickally powerful in many ways.

For being charged with power in magickal ways through focused intent, materials that don't already hold a charge contrary to your intentions would be used. So for example if you wanted to create a love Talisman you might use a stone that corresponds astrologically with the planet of Venus to stress the amatory associations of that, and then you would be starting with a material that is already intrinsically inclined to the purpose you seek to use it for. But you wouldn't use a stone that perhaps corresponds with the planet Mars as that material would be antagonistic to your purpose.

You could though use a material that is neutral such as clear Quartz, as though that has the capacity to hold a magickal charge or intent, it is a neutral capacity that will hold any kind of charge.

If you compare what I've written here with other material such as the article about Talismans  you'll see that these principles extend to every kind of material so I'll refer you to that for further ideas concerning materials to use for Talismans generally.

'Back to these Rocks, Stones and Crystals....

Rocks of all kinds can be worked with in all manner of ways. From skrying through a Quartz crystal or crystal ball, to seeking intuitive guidance for your life through 'reading a stone', to bringing a stone into your home or garden in order to have it function as a medium through which the 'powers that be' can communicate with you or guide you in your life.

All of these techniques work at very subtle levels and many of them work through you shifting into a kind of light trance state or disassociated level of consciousness in which you enable your deep, psychic and intuitive levels of consciousness to work for you.

A good example of this is 'Reading a stone'.

For this you would walk out in the countryside or a park and be open to intuitive guidance. For this you need to shift into a state of awareness of being aware of your surroundings, not yielding to the internal chatter of day to day 'stuff', and open to what may present itself to you.

What you seek through this is the finding of a stone that can act as a channel for you being guided by the 'powers that be'- however you conceive of that.

Such a stone will present itself to you by appearing to be special, or by you suddenly becoming aware of it and knowing intuitively that this is the right stone for you to work with at this time.

When you have found your stone you should sit somewhere with it, still your mind and just look at the stone and any markings or patterns on it.

(We'll look at this finding process more at the end of this article)

This is an intuitive process in which you allow possibilities to present themselves to you rather than consciously seeking patterns or meanings within marks on the stone- possibly you will see symbols such as Runes, sigils, letters or other symbols, but concepts and guidance may present to you in other less structured ways.

Simply then open yourself to this flow of guidance and information until it ceases to flow. At that point you should return the stone to where you found it unless you feel strongly that you should keep the stone for further guidance at other times and should take it home with you.

Cleansing and dedicating stones....

Something very important with stones and crystals that you buy is that they should be cleansed in various ways before you use them yourself.

Any crystal or gemstone that you buy will have passed through a number of human hands before you pick it up, and will have been handled by many people in the shop itself who will perhaps have worked their way through a whole tray of stones to assess which ones feel right for them.

In which case these bought stones should be at least washed in running water, and also perhaps exposed to direct sunlight or moonlight in order to remove other peoples energy from them so that you can use them yourself without them being tainted in any way.

Many people feel that rock crystal has an intrinsic inclination to good, and so simply cleaning them will remove anything that stands in the way of that freely flowing. Many people also consider that such crystals can be charged by light energy, and so exposing your crystals to sunlight or moonlight will 'recharge their batteries' so to speak.

Stones gathered in the wild, from beaches or similar 'edge'-nodal places don't generally need cleansing in these ways as it's the charge they have naturally acquired that you want from them, so cleansing them would remove that.

Correspondences.....

There are extensive and varied systems of correspondences for stones and gems as equally as there are for any other material or 'thing' in this world.

Systems of correspondence vary from the sublimely helpful to the ridiculously non-helpful.

For example there is an old system of plant correspondences known as the 'Doctrine of signatures'. Which works from the principle that plants which at all resemble a body part of internal organ can be used medicinally to treat ailments and illnesses of those body parts or organs. So for instance a plant with leaves that resemble human lungs can be used to treat lung disease or disorder. Hmmm........ I personally wouldn't seek treatment from a herbalist who subscribed to that rather than working from the active constituents of herbs.

On the other hand most gems and semi-precious stones have been ascribed astrological correspondences. Many people find these systems extremely helpful, and such thinking can form a good basis from which to develop your own system of correspondences based on experimentation and experience.

Experimentation and experience....

Experience is 'simply' gained by giving it a go- acquire some information about correspondences of stones, gems and crystals, acquire some gems and other stones also, and experiment. Try using what is known as psychometry- hold each gem, stone or crystal in turn and open yourself up to intuitively and non-intellectually feeling what its energy is. Make a note of any impressions you gain and compare that with any systems of correspondences you have.

Try also carrying stones that are given to correspond in different ways to discover how they affect you- do you feel energetic when carrying a purple stone such as Amethyst? Do you feel meditative when carrying a green stone? Or do you perhaps feel romantically inclined due to Venusian energy at work? How do your own feelings compare with what you might read in tables of correspondences?

Another very important matter is assessing the current validity of systems of correspondences. Look carefully at any you encounter- what's the thinking behind them? Are they unreliable like the Doctrine of signatures perhaps? What cultural and social structures did they emerge from? Are they derived from mediaeval Christian thinking? Were they constructed by Victorian intellectuals who were endlessly fascinated with classifying the world and all its parts in very intellectual ways divorced from all practical experience?

Are they from cultures other than your own? Are the basic, magickal principles at work from cultures that don't fully match or resonate with western thinking? Are they more or less reliable or valid because of that? Does their non-western origin yield deeper or other insight than the western world view? Or are you perhaps subscribing to the myth that wisdom is always wiser if it comes from somewhere far away?

What perhaps relates to the land with which you live? What perhaps relates to a land with which you do not live- the philosophies and magickal thinking that emerge in desert areas of the world are radically different from the mythologies, philosophies and thinking of peoples who live in woodlands for example, and geography and local ecology are major factors at work at deep levels within all philosophies and similar.

Finding things....

It is fully possible to use this kind of intuitive tuning in in towns and cities, but the finest place to develop this skill is out in the countryside. Even if that's only a large park.

What you are seeking to develop is a form of intuitive attunement and awareness through which those things which are significant to you at a particular time are discerned by you from within the mass of 'stuff' and information with which we are surrounded.

A practical, non-wild example of this is proof-reading such as this article. If you are attuned at all to the possibility that there may be spelling or typing errors in this article you will spot them easily. You may be non-consciously attuned anyway, as most of us are to some extent when we read anything written.

Take the same principle, extend your thinking to encompass other possibilities, and you'll see that you can specifically attune your awareness to enable you to spot other things. For instance a bird spotter might see a lesser, black-backed Shrike at 400 yards distance if it was sitting in a thick bush, whereas those of us not attuned to the possibility that such a bird may be around wouldn't.

Those attuned to the ways of the wild will spot the flick of a Hares or Pheasants eye as they walk past these creatures in the wilds, but someone not aware of and attuned to those tiny movements wouldn't.

Attune yourself to the possibilities of significance regarding stones, power objects, items that power presents to you, and you will find them. The knack then is ensuring that you aren't overwhelmed with stuff to bring home whenever you go out into the countryside- the knack is in distinguishing what is significant and what isn't- every tiny flicker of movement in the bushes and undergrowth isn't necessarily a Pheasant or Hare watching you, and that bird spotted at 400 yards distance may not be a Shrike! It's important to learn selectivity to some extent, and to distinguish between actual attunement and over enthusiasm.

That's obviously not all the lore and wisdom possible concerning Rocks, Stones and Crystals, but I hope you'll find it a good introduction to the subject that helps you understand the basic principles at work within this.

I've very deliberately not given any correspondences at all so that you can find your own- start anywhere- learning is a circle, and any point around that is a good place to start. Bear strongly in mind that skill grows out from experience- that can be initiated by what you learn from others, but then it's hands-on to make it true skill.

Blessed Be, Alan Tickhill

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Witchcraft, your life 
and how to make it fit together

The single greatest problem that most Wiccans and 'proto-Wiccans' especially face, is that of shifting our lives around so that our Craft fits in with all  the day to day demands that we have as members of a modern society.

Family, work, non-Wiccan friends, clashes between festivals or Esbats and other demands, explaining to others why we can't go to their parties or why they can't come round and visit at certain times, and those awkward moments when you frantically scrabble for a 'reasonable' explanation as to why there are candles, figurines, flowers and stones on a table in your front room and a lingering smell of incense.....

Been there- done it- lied creatively as to why there's an altar in your living room and candle wax on the carpet?

I have to say that it's at times like this that we sometimes find out who our true friends are. 

We have to start from this: If someone truly likes or loves you, then discovering that you're into something that makes you happy, encourages and focuses your creativity, and brings meaning, purpose and fulfillment into your life should make them happy too.

If it doesn't, well then perhaps their friendship or love isn't as deep as you thought. Sure they might be worried about you- the gutter religions have managed to link Wicca and Satanism together very successfully in many peoples minds, and those not too well informed can be concerned to discover that their nearest and dearest are 'suddenly' into something strange and potentially threatening, but if you take a deep breath and explain simply but clearly what these things are about for you, then if they truly do love you they'll at least listen positively and be prepared to accept that what you're into isn't harmful.

That's ok for real friends, but family and our circle of less deep relationships might not be so simple:

We all tend to have few real friends, but a much larger circle of 'mates', acquaintances, and people we might term friends, but who we are perhaps more accurately just on friendly terms with.

These are the people we might go out for a drink with, might work with but get on sufficiently well with to socialise with them also, the mates from the local, from school and similar.

If some of these discover that you're a Witch/Pagan/Druid you may well very quickly discover whether they truly are friends or not. My best advice here is to do your best not to let them find out, and then to take a strong stance if they do- stand your ground without being aggressive, don't bother trying to explain if they try to give you grief, and simply out stare them- if you are 'outed', you may as well be strong as you've nothing to lose have you? I don't mean you should be ashamed of who and what you are, but rather that the Craft is something to treasure, and like me with that bottle of 12 year old malt Whisky I received for my birthday, you may also be choosy of whom you share your treasures with.

In among your circle of acquaintances though you may well also discover that some of them are more open and interested than others. 

And then there's family: Family are easy to deal with. Unless you are a Witch with dogmatic born-again in-laws, then the simple strategy for dealing with family relative to this is to just let them make their own explanations, steer that in a vague but positive direction, sprinkle in some general-purpose new-age terms- Feng Shui, crystals, sun sign Astrology, Reiki, empowerment, healing, etc and guide them towards creating a bland, vague rationalisation for themselves that will help them come to terms with your strangeness but without it being anything for them to get excited about. They might make little jokes at family gatherings, but in front of non-family members they'll actually become quite proud of you- having a wierdo in the family is almost as good as having a child with an 'ology in the family.

I'd advise caution if you have children at school as your children may well be taunted or even bullied on account of your activities if you aren't too careful of what gets seen or talked about. If you can avoid it by being discrete that is the best policy. if it is discovered that you're a Witch and your children are bullied, go see the head teacher. There are very few schools in Britain now without at least a few Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or jehovahs Witness children. if their kids are protected from bullying because of their beliefs, yours should be also. If push comes to shove threaten the press, civil liberties, play the 'race card'- if Muslim/Hindu/Jewish children can't be picked on, neither can Wiccan children, and use your wiles and wits to make the teaching staff as uncomfortable as possible. Most people will take the path of least resistance. If you cause no trouble but your children are bullied, cause lots of trouble. if it's out in the open, bring it right out- or at least convincingly threaten to. Most normal people will back away nowadays without the mob of accepted prejudice to back them up- if push comes to shove, always put them on the spot but provide an easy way out for them. let them know clearly that if the bullying stops you won't need to talk to the press about institutionalised prejudice at their school.

Work: Potentially this is tricky. Strictly speaking you are protected from religious discrimination by recent European rulings, but in practise some of our people will be subtly discriminated against at the very least if they are outed.

If possible use the same kind of strategies at work as I've outlined for dealing with family. if you are found out, stay vague, guide them in bland, vague but positive directions, and let them create their own rationalisations. Most ordinary people will go along with this if you don't shove what you do in their faces- unless you've seriously upset your boss or work colleagues so that they leap at any opportunity to do you down, they don't want their vague apprehensions of day to day 'reality' to be shaken or disturbed at all. if you insist on wearing 'goth' to work when everyone else is in office 'uniform, then you're asking for trouble. if you keep your pentagram under your blouse/shirt but get 'caught' reading a book about Wicca in your lunch break, then your colleagues will either be easily led into bland rationalisations or may even make an appointment for a Tarot reading. You'd be surprised. 

Fitting it in: Is never so difficult if you have learned how to use 'headology; as I've detailed above. Actually it's often easier if you are a Witch, as many Witches; especially Wiccan-Witches; are quite adept at the art of creative social camouflage and aren't usually inclined towards gothic clothing styles or standing out in crowds- more often than not you can spot the Wiccans at pagan gatherings by their knowing look rather than their clothing. Unless of course they're in the mood to dress up, but that's another matter.

If you are newly upon the Wiccan path and have joined a Coven you'll undoubtedly have clashes between such as Esbats or Sabbats and social and family activities at times. There's no easy way around this and sometimes you'll just need to decide what is most important in your life. More often than not you can compromise or make arrangements in ways that make life easier by not having clashes between coven, work or family activities, but sometimes you just have to set your priorities and choose how to work with them.

If you persevere you will find that your life shakes down around what else is going on- just like having a new child in the house when you start a family, or starting a new job with shift work. There's a period of upheaval, but then that settles into new patterns and new routines. Just the same with Wicca: There may well be a temporary period of upheaval in your life, but a new, better pattern will emerge if you stay with the process and flow with that.

Above all else remember this- if you're a Witch you're not a victim, and sometimes you have to be crafty to be a Crafter.

Blessed be. Alan Tickhill

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DEEP GODDESS CONSCIOUSNESS

Background

Though within the Craft we generally work with the balanced polarities of female and male and revere those as a Goddess and a God, there is a deeper primal matrix of awareness, intelligence and inspiration that underlies and provides the foundation to that balanced polarity.

This primal matrix is as old as our earth itself- it is our earth itself- before gender division arose on this planet there was only one undivided form of existence, and deeply truly, this vast intelligence is the Goddess- the 'Great Goddess and Mother of all life'. From her all things have come- including the Horned God, for before he arose from the male polarity through gender defined sexuality, there was only She- the great Mother of all.

Through various magickal techniques it is possible to tune into and attune ourselves with this vast store of intelligence, information, inspiration and wisdom.

Principles

All of these techniques involve entering into a trance state in which we can access this power and bridge the divide between conscious awareness and deep-consciousness awareness.

We have to bridge this divide so that we can consciously bring this information, inspiration and attunement to bear in our lives rather than just experiencing it but being unable to apply it.

This is rather like lucid dreaming- being sufficiently aware and awake within the dream state that we can act deliberately within our dreaming, and can then either influence what happens or more fully understand and benefit from it, but without becoming so fully awake that we are fully awake.

How we achieve this is rather like riding a bicyle: When riding a bike we steer, use gears, pedal, etc but without being fully consciously aware of doing those neccessary things once we have mastered them. We also need to be aware of our surroundings and what's going on around us such as cars, pedestrians, traffic light changes, roundabouts, etc.

If we are too consciously focused on the physical skills involved such as steering, pedalling, etc we'll lose awareness of what's going on around us and probably crash or be run down, and if we neglect the physical skills because we're too focused on what's happening around us we'll either stop for lack of pedalling or crash into something for lack of steering.

The art here then is 'Zen and the art of Cycling'- balancing between these polarised awarenesses so that we can cycle successfully.

In entering into the state of consciousness that will enable us to access the deep Goddess consciousness, we again need to balance between the physical techniques used and conscious awareness, and letting ourselves go into a deeper state of awareness so that we can success fully access these deep realms of inspiration and intelligence.

Methodology

There are lots of ways of entering into altered states of consciousness, but I'll focus in this material on one way that works extremely well either solo or working with a group of people. It does though work best in a group- IF; and that's a very big 'IF'; all of those people are able to remain fully focused on what they're doing, are sufficiently proficient in the physical techniques used, and can balance between both conscious awareness and deep consciousness. Or can learn to do so.

This then uses two techniques together: Drumming or rattling at a regular repetitive beat, and chanting a repeating chant that uses words that shift our awareness towards the Goddess matrix. This then is like a form of invocation, but instead of us calling the Goddess to us, we're using the chant to take us to Her. The drumming and rattling combined with the chanting acts on our brains to alter brain wave patterns, and that and the chanting entrains our awareness to shift us into the appropriate state of consciousness as well so that we are open to deep-Goddess-consciousness, can access it and be inspired, energised and informed by it, and can then remember and apply all of that in our lives.

Drumming/Rattling:

For this to work everyone involved has to ensure they keep the beat going well and in rhythm with everyone else. For this a simple, strongly maintained beat must be used with no one going off into their own little twiddly bits- we're not expressing our individual musical creativity, and no one hanging back or slipping into their own seperate trance state and being carried along by everyone elses efforts. One instrument out of synch' in an orchestra can turn a symphony into a cacaphony, and one person not maintaining a strong beat within this will throw everyone else out. It has to be a symphony, but with everyone involved playing the same instruments.

So as to maintain a unified focus everyone involved also needs to be aware of those around them in the group so as to ensure all do stay in rhythm.

Chanting:

For this a simple repetitive chant that has Goddess revering and acknowledging words works very well:- This chant is excellent.

'She changes everything she touches, and everything she touches changes.
She changes everything she touches, and everything she touches changes.
You are the weaver we are the woven ones, you are the weaver we are the web,
You are the weaver we are the woven ones, you are the weaver we are the web.

(Repeat)

The methodology then is to simply use this combined rattling and chanting until we do enter deep consciousness, but simultaneously retain sufficient conscious awareness that we can use this fully and bring all inspiration, information, wisdom and attunement into our lives- a good comparison here is with dreaming and sleep. We all dream a lot but very few people remember much if at all of their dreams. Yet dreams are one of the most powerful sources of insight, guidance and wisdom that we have access to. We're all fully capable of dreaming- even those who say they don't dream at all, do so. The wise learn techniques and develop skills to remember and be guided by their dreams. Balance- being sufficiently asleep to actually dream, being sufficiently awake to actually either control or at least remember ones dreams- therein lays the wisdom of the Wise.

Practically we need to stay sufficiently focused on our rattling and chanting that we don't drift off, and do keep that flowing strongly, while letting that slip under non-conscious control so that we can let go into the deeper awareness.

What you will gain from doing this:

Quite simply you will access the single most powerful and awesome source of information, wisdom, inspiration and guidance that is currently available on this planet. How you will gain that will be twofold. The immediate benefit will come from whatever insights, inspirations, psychic impressions, guidance and wisdom that come to you while doing this. The secondary benefit will be the more of the same that will flow through your dreams, insights and connections that will continue to occur in the days and weeks following any work with this. If you do it often, you will stay attuned and connected, and that source of power will remain open.

Practicalities.

Just like riding a bike, this powerful technique requires effort, determination, focus and practise. About as many people can expect to achieve full success with this at early attempts as can really expect to ride a bike if they've never done so before.

With effort, focus and group awareness of people working strongly together for common goals, all involved will gain at least some benefit from all work with this. Including those first initial forays into the deep-Goddess-Consciousness.

Practise does make perfect so this is something that needs to be repeated and worked with even if initial forays aren't that productive- everyone who learns to ride a bike falls off a few times before they gain their balance, and every learner is wobbly and hesitant at first, but with persistence and practise, any group of people working with this will gain access to She who is all, her wisdom, guidance and inspiration.

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The Witches-Magick Circle

If you 'cast a circle'- that is create a defined, sacred space in which to work magick, celebrate a festival or perform any other kind of ritual; you will undoubtedly use some kind of system more often than not.

That is you will use some kind of coherent, generally pre-decided format to do this.

A circle, a series of four quarter invocations-references or similar- North,East, South and West, and possibly Up and Down as well. It's a system.

Something I've had mentioned to me a lot over the years by those new to ritual is the sheer number of systems and variations on systems that are available for this ritual activity- starting in the East, starting in the North, making actual invocations of words to call upon spirits, Angels, Archangels, deities various, Elemental Guardians, etc, etc, using one system of colours or another- even more etc, etc. Extremely baffling for those new to ritual.

So what's going on with this? Why are there so many variations?

Let's start from this:

1) System is as much a verb as a noun- it's something that humans being 'DO' as much as they have. 'To system' is to create and or work within a coherent framework of activity for specific ends let's say.

2) There is a general principle at work in all these systems.


We also have to answer a question here- Which is why do we humans want to system in the first place?

For that we can say that this springs out of who and what we are- directly out of our basic wiring-programming so to speak.

For starters we are creatures of space-time- that's hard wired into us: Left, right, front, back, up, down- these define where we are in space relative to everything around us. We can no more escape that all the time we're subject to gravity than we can escape breathing, eating and other functions all the time we remain human beings.

A circle: Stand on the spot, extend your arms out to the sides and define all the space you can immediately and comfortably control, and turn around on the spot- it's a circle. Orientate yourself within that space- four directions around you- left, right, front and back, and two to extend that- Up and down.

OK, from that we extend into ritually sanctifying and strengthening this space: We do that in order to make it special, to excite and energise the psychological and psychic potentials within ourselves, to extend that outwards into the world around us- to the edge of our circle; and to then call into that the highest potentials that we feel will further energise our ritual space.

Leaping slightly to one side for a minute: Consider a cutlery drawer in your Kitchen or dining room: Sure you could just put all your knives, carving knives, forks, spoons, can openers and other kitchen utensils all into the drawer without separating them, but consider how much easier it is if you have dividers in your drawer so as to organise these utensils by type.

Leap back now to ritual: 'See the way of that? Systems can and do make life easier-more ordered-more coherent in many ways...

Balance between those factors that are hard wired into us because of who, what and where we are in space, systeming generally, and then the psychological, spiritual, psychic and physics processes that proceed out from that and you can easily see where we are going with this.

Back to our cutlery drawer: Does it matter if you put the forks in the left hand compartment or the right hand one? If it does- why? Does it feel 'right' to have your cutlery arranged in a certain order? If so, you're manifesting an inner sense of rightness, and not something that's separate to you. Some folks will put the forks on the left, some in the middle, and some on the right- all ways are valid- each for that person.

Back to rituals: The exact same kinds of processes are at work in this: But there's a couple of other factors at work also. Which is that just as water takes the shape of the container into which you put it, so rituals also are defined and shaped through the system within which you contain them.

If you create a 'Celtic ritual pot', your ritual will take a Celtic shape, if you use an Egyptian 'pot' your ritual will be Egyptian shaped.

Consider this this way: Let's say that there are a huge number of mythic, mythological and archetypal 'programmes' residing in your mind. If you use the right kind of cues to start them running, they will run. Run a specific programme in the mind in this way and you start that programme running in the world around you.

Jump at this point to some physics:

if you wrap one coil of wire around another and then put electricity through just one coil, a flow of electricity will be induced in the other. 

If you hang two pendulums from one bar and set one of them swinging, the other will also begin to move.

Take that principle and ..... leap with that to how rituals work- start the current flowing in your mind through ritual activity, and that will induce a current to flow in the world around you. Bear in mind that your 'magickal pendulum' may well be trying to swing against a head wind of 'reality' and you'll also see how magick and rituals work- at least in principle!

Which brings us back to all these variations you've undoubtedly encountered. Many of them are just personally flavoured variations- some people favour Celtic frameworks, some favour Norse, some those devised by magickal orders such as the Golden Dawn (Some special cases arise here that we'll return to), etc, etc.

Many of them though are specifically designed to serve specific intents. Some of those are based on a form of personal politics- This years politically correct 'flavour'. Some are designed to 'run specific programmes', and some are designed to run specific programmes which bring in another important factor.

Which is also a matter of where we are in space- geography: Consider the possibility that 'things can store information'. Many people will be familiar with this principle through such as ghosts being attached to specific locations, or that items such as crystals can be programmed with specific intents, or that such as Talismans can be programmed with magickal intentions to bring about defined ends. (See previous articles above)

Extend that principle out to the thinking that though most myths have local forms in different parts of the world, those are simply local variations- a human being is a human being whether they live in the Arctic or New York, the Danube valley or an African rift valley. On the other hand there are often subtle but highly important differences between various myths that have been shaped by their locales, and which will bring different magickal 'programmes' into action if you work with the myths of a land other than the one in which you live.

Take that principle back into ritual and you'll also see why there are so many variations in ritual systems around the world- if you make invocations to Egyptian guardians to energise the four-square quarters of your ritual space-circle you will make your ritual take an Egyptian shape. Which is all well and good if the Egyptian pantheons offer you some kind of subtlely shaped or 'flavoured' energy that's not available from a local pantheon, but that would work far better if you performed your ritual in Egypt so that you can then also 'run the programme' of the local Egyptian energies as imprinted into the local geography. In Britain it makes sense to call upon Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Norse or even older deities, spirits, guardians and similar- whose energies are stored in your local rocks?

So.. there you have it:

For me as a Wiccan I'm generally more interested in working with the spirits of the land in which I live- whether those spirits have objective reality outside of my mind, whether they're programmes/energies of some kind which I can induce into activity, or whether both of those explanations are small scale models of a multi-dimensional reality for which I don't yet have the appropriate capacity to fully understand.

Because of that I personally aim more often than not to attune my rituals with those energies that have resonated through Britain from the very earliest times.

Spontaneity: This comes into it all for me as to what else fits in with whatever form of ritual I'm doing- bearing in mind that I often work with a Coven and so need to have established systems of ritual which everyone working with me can also know- there's a balance potential there- sufficient system to ensure all work well together, but not so much system that it stifles all creative-intuitive flow.

From this you should clearly see the principles at work within such as creating sacred space- circle casting as it's generally named.

I picked circle casting to illustrate this for two reasons:

It is the single most often used ritual in one form or another in all active-ritual paths, and it is a very important ritual in many ways.

Largely because... well if we shift back to our analogy of inducing electricity to flow, it's simply not a good idea to induce a flow of energy in anything that isn't well insulated. Any kind of well formulated circle casting acts as a kind of psychological insulator- when magickal energies flow they do so through the person causing the flow. That person needs to be grounded, balanced and connected in order to avoid that flow causing any imbalances or psychic or psychological disturbances.

Invoking the balancing forces of the circle- Left, right, South, West... and then fixing and raising the energy of those into resonance with higher-deeper spiritual forces such as Elemental-devic or Angelic forces ensures that everything you do within your ritual circle is insulated, grounded and balanced. A Fulcrum that stands on a point of balance can shift a mighty weight. Stand at the right fulcrum point and you can move the world.

There is a powerful principle at work within this also: Which is that you get back in the Craft in direct response to what you put in. Put in a little and you'll get back in proportion, put in a lot and..

For example the working of a simple spell may flow directly out of how you feel at the time- a few herbs smoldering on the coals of a fire, a finger pointed, words spoken straight from the heart..

or else: Wind blowing, the trees shaking, a Gibbous Moon riding high in the sky, and calling upon the Old Ones to bless and inspire you while you dance naked and wild upon a lonely hill top.

Or then again: A group of people working together to Initiate a new Witch: A full scale circle casting- balancing all the people, putting everything we can into the ritual, raising the maximum power possible, calling in all the support, help and energy we can from the primary Craft power sources- the Elemental powers and our Deities, in a place that has been ritually cleansed and sacralised, to bring the Candidate in among the incredible atmosphere that has been raised- and contained- 'can be mind blowing. 

Many people think that a magickal circle is based on the same thinking as expressed in medieval grimoires and similar treatises. For those seeking to conjure demons, most certainly a powerfully excluding circle is needed, but for all other purposes- both celebratory and with magickal intent; a Witches circle is intended to do 4 things.

1) Define sacred space.

2) Balance the consciousness of the participants- the elemental balance.

3) Shift their consciousness into a magickal state

4) "Preserve and contain all the power that we shall raise within you".

Other issues: A lot of people do believe that the Witches circle is about protection from outside forces- quite simply it isn't- it's about as at 1-4 above. Even the Temple erecting/Circle casting of much ritual magick isn't about protection- that's also about as 1-4 above.

If you need protecting through ritual it's protection from the imbalances that can be caused by running those programmes I mentioned above.

I would strongly advise anyone who works any magick or ritual worth carrying those labels to make a specific beginning for and end to any ritual you perform. Connect a 2 volt battery up to your nose- just a tingle. Try it with 450 Volts DC- do let me know when you're going to do it and I'll bring a pack of cans and watch!

All magick works through and upon the consciousness of the participants. If you're performing an act of worship- "The Lady and the Lord are in each of us and therefore understand why we do or do not do something, they do not judge us by the book." Well fine, you're not going to be tinkering with your consciousness much if at all.

If you invoke the Goddess/Horned God into yourself, and do so without using ritual to balance that, or you make entry into one of the deeper elemental or other Otherworld realms- do let me know how you get on if you haven't cleared defined between magickal consciousness and everyday-working consciousness, and are not balanced so as to not become obsessed by what you encounter.

OK, from there let's look again at Principles.

There is often  confusion between the necessities of ritual as Witch-magick-doings, and being a Witch as a 'Child of the Old ones' and living that in resonance with the Universe in our daily lives.

Spiritual observance, resonance and living in the spirit are one thing- they can and should be fluid, flexible, personal and richly meaningful through ways which are very much an expression of your own relationship with the  sacred.

Magick- ritual and it's requirements are another thing entirely.

For many Witches there is no differentiation within this, and many seek simple ways of observance, very personal ways of approaching magick, etc. And that's fine- 100% fine for Solitary Witches. Work with another person and the requirements change.

So, no you don't always have to cast a circle to perform magick, to celebrate a Full Moon, or anything else. You don't have to. Unless you're on the hill top- Gibbous Moon, wind, etc, you will find that if you understand the principles at work- what you're doing, why and what it's all intended to achieve, then doing so in one way or another will enrich and enhance the experience. If you're just doing it because you read somewhere that you should but you don't know why, then it probably won't make any difference either way.

On the other hand: Move beyond simple spells and spiritual observance, and raise some real power and then yes you really should be much more focused in what you do and use all the resources you can to ensure you do have a rich, empowering experience.

A simple rule of thumb is this: Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler- beyond simple is simplistic- childish perhaps, or can't be bothered maybe, "I'll do what I want and won't be told otherwise" even. Each individual knows for themselves when/if they're shifting beyond simple into simplistic.

Another way of looking at this: Think of going into the sea.

The tide's out, the water's shallow. You wade in.. You find all manner of flotsam and jetsam around the shallows. You enjoy the feel of the water, watch the little fishes darting around your legs. A spiritual experience.

When you've had enough of the flotsam and jetsam, when you want to catch bigger fish or find greater treasures, or have deeper experiences within this sea, you'd best be either a very, very good swimmer if you're going to venture deeper, or you'll be needing a boat. Well structured and focused ritual is both good swimming skills and boat.


'And that's it in a nutshell- there is a huge difference between a Magicians circle and a Witches circle, and there is a huge amount of confusion about this and related issues.

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TRADITION/TRADITIONAL

These words are bandied about a lot in relation to Witchcraft, but what do they actually mean?

As detailed in an article you will have read elsewhere on this  website, the term ‘Traditional Witchcraft’ is often used by some folk who claim that their Craft has ancient roots that predate the resurgence of Wicca under the direction of Gerald Gardner and then Alex Sanders. Which quite frankly is nonsense- see the appropriate material as mentioned above, and also have a good look at some of these claims for yourself. 

A Tradition within the Craft is a body of ritual, lore, teachings, principles and initiatory lineage that is passed on from each Initiate to succeeding generations of Initiates. This body of lore, ritual, teachings and principles has to be passed along in a form that retains the original core of lore, ritual and teachings and can only be passed through an Initiatory structure that ensures that each recipient is a ‘proper person’ to receive this and pass it along in turn. A ‘Proper person’ being one whom has passed certain tests, fulfilled certain requirements, developed certain capacities and who has demonstrated through commitment and work over a period of time that they are such a Proper person.

Within this, traditions do change over time- they have to in order to continue to meet the needs of members of that Tradition, but within that the core principles remain unchanged. However any changes or additions so made should be duly noted and described as changes so that recipients can clearly see that they are changes and additions to the original body of wisdom. This way each recipient can determine for themselves what they may need to change in order to fulfil their individual needs.

Within the Craft being a member of a Tradition also brings certain responsibilities: One of these being to make all effort to acquire, learn and access all the wisdom of ones Tradition so that it can be passed on to future generations. If you haven’t got it, you can’t pass it.

Within British Traditional Wicca we have a book of rituals and lore that is passed along from generation to generation in this way. This is known as The Book of Shadows. You’ll see more information about this elsewhere also.

This has to be copied by hand by each Initiate for themselves- I say ‘has to’ but that’s not compulsory- if someone truly doesn’t want to hand copy the BOS of their Initiator they don’t have to. If they do, well doing so by hand is compulsory.

As well as that it is a requirement for second degree Initiation to have done so. Second Degree Witches are Elders, and being an Elder brings responsibility for others within our Tradition. One of the responsibilities of Craft Elders is to ensure that they have all of the Traditions core wisdom in all forms available to them so that this can then be passed on to successive generations. Again, if you haven’t got it, you can’t pass it. If you aren’t going to pass something along in the way I’ve outlined here, well then you’re not accepting the responsibility that being a member of a Tradition requires.

The BOS is just one part of our lore: Every Coven is magickally creative and so the body of lore that we have to share and pass on is growing all the time. This grows out of the creativity of individuals and Covens in ways which over the years has resulted in us having a vast store of rituals, teachings and other lore covering a wide range of magickal subjects. Many Covens and individuals share this with one another to all our mutual enrichment.

Another major aspect of Traditional Wicca is that being a member of such a Tradition weaves every member into an extended family network. In these days of modern communications this weaves an enormously powerful web of support, information and imaginal cross-ferilisation. Just within the Alexandrian branch of the British Traditional family that is huge: Within the greater family of Traditional Wicca that is absolutely enormous and includes a vast number of people from a wide range of related Traditions- Alexandrian, Gardnerian, Starkindler, Minoan, Noletarion, Blue Star, Kingstone, Valley, Georgian, to name but a few of the Traditions of our Kindred.

Initiation: This is a key part of any Tradition. As you’ll see elsewhere British Traditional Wicca works through an initiating structure. Initiation is a pivotal part of this passing of the Tradition, in that in order for the tradition to be properly passed, it must do so in a magickal as well as an intellectual way. Have a look at the information about Initiation and the degree structure for full information about this.

In conclusion: From this article you’ll see something at least of how Traditions work- proper traditions that is, and not their poor, cheap imitations. You’ll also see how powerful it is to be a member of such a tradition and what benefits this brings.

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PRINCIPLES OF RITUAL

Though this subject is covered in other material, there are a couple of aspects that we can look at in greater depth so as to make understanding clearer.

First of all let’s establish a basic principle:- “Ritual is a ‘long string’ with psychology at one end and physics at the other”.

If the descriptive terminology of psychology is used in any discussion or material about ritual, many people will hear one or both of two little four letter words- whether these words are used or not doesn’t matter. Many people will hear them all the same.

These words are ‘Only’ and ‘Just’. As in ‘Just in the mind’, or ‘Only psychological’.

Start from this: A commonly understood principle of ritual is that it works by using symbols, significant movements, gestures and similar, and other psychological cues to cause shifts of awareness and possibility in the unconscious mind. If ritual only worked at this level, it would still be extremely powerful for then causing changes in the consciousness of the participants by having these unconscious shifts act to determine how ‘everyday’ consciousness works for us.

For example, if you were to perform a ritual to attract a new lover, having driven this deeply into your unconscious mind you would then find that this causes your body to act in ways which a potential new lover will find attractive. For instance by causing you to speak better, make better; though unconscious; use of body language signals, posture, etc. As long as you put yourself into the right kind of places to actually meet other people the ritual will be working away at an unconscious level so as to make you act in a more attractive way and increasing your chances of actually making this intent manifest.

Where this potentially shifts into physics is in how your ritual will also reorganise the world around you so as to bring the kind of person you want to meet into places where you can actually meet them- this is the realm of synchronicity, meaningful coincidence and significant events which manifest in the everyday world so as to create potentials for your rituals to work.

We’ll move on from that to look now at ‘Ritual coherence’:

All of the above being accepted, you will easily see that in order to work effective and powerful rituals those need to be performed in coherent ways. That is, that all of the symbology, actions, gestures, correspondences, etc that you use need to form one coherent pattern. The less coherent your rituals are, the less chance they have of working. The more coherent, the better and more effectively they will work.

The unconscious mind is very simple in many ways. It understands clear, coherent, elegantly expressed messages far better than it does muddled, complicated and incoherent ones- rather like our everyday, conscious minds really!

This also works best through repetition and reinforcement: ‘How do you memorise something such as poetry and force it to stay in your memory? Simply through repetitive repeating of the same lines and words over and over. To reinforce that and make that more effective you can also set poetry to a beat- ‘dum dee dum, dee dum dee dum’ type of thing. If you also tie that into walking and match the words and this rhythm to your paces you can memorise poetry far quicker- a simple ritual that works extremely effectively.

Take that same principle and compare it to any kind of ritual and you’ll clearly and easily see where this leads.

Consider what would happen if you tried to memorise two or more poems at the same time, or if you tried to memorise while watching TV, or while having a conversation with someone about an entirely different subject. All these contradictory messages would just disrupt the memorising process. 

Ritual coherence then simply means ensuring that your rituals are as clear, coherent and well structured so as to repeat, reinforce and focus your intent as powerfully and effectively as possible.

Rituals can be simple or complex, so let’s look at the vast difference between complex and complicated.

This is simple. Anything that is complicated is composed of individual bits that don’t ‘hang together’ in any coherent way. Which means that in order to learn anything complicated you have to learn each individual bit. Something that is complex is composed of individual bits that form a coherent pattern. Which means that once you have grasped the principles of that pattern, that you can intuit or infer all the rest of the pattern- knowing the parts and how they fit together means you can learn the whole much more easily than you can with anything complicated. Complex things are also self-reinforcing- patterned in ways that mean that each part reinforces each other part.

In relation to rituals then you will clearly see that in order to be effective, that your rituals should be complex rather than complicated- that all parts should add to, reinforce and focus all the other parts.

In simple terms this means ensuring that they are coherent- that they ‘hang together’ in ways which don’t contradict each other, and which then will slide easily and powerfully into your unconscious mind in ways which ensure that your unconsciousness isn’t confused or misled.

The obvious way to do this is to keep your rituals as simple as possible- as simple as possible, but no simpler. However you will at times need to build a lot more reinforcing symbolism, activity and gestures into your rituals and may also need to use such as magickal tools and other paraphernalia as part of the complex pattern of your ritual.

In which case you need to ensure that this is all coherent and does mutually reinforce and focus the intent that you are working on. You do this by ensuring that all the symbolism, tools, correspondences, significant ritual directions, actions, gestures and other ritual technology that you use does form one coherent, self-reinforcing and repetitive pattern. No matter how complex and multi-layered that pattern may be.

Some people favour a very wordy approach to ritual, others a more active approach. Some favour the use of symbolic tools and items, some prefer simplicity. Whatever your predilections there will undoubtedly by some at least of words and activity, tools and correspondences etc within any ritual. Whichever way your rituals balance between these possible approaches your rituals will be much more effective if you follow these guidelines.

You will also within that need to ensure that your rituals flow well: For example your rituals will undoubtedly incorporate some basic structure- an opening, some activity to raise power- declamations, invocations, spell casting chanting or cantrips, postures, gestures, a sending of power in some similar way, and a closing.

If these various parts do work together coherently your rituals will flow from each part to another in a smoothly ordered way. In which case your ritual will be more effective. If though you have to move from one part to another in ways which ‘go against the flow’ of each other and your ritual generally, the lack of flow will interfere with and block the flow of power into and through your ritual.

Significant correspondences: Take these principles and also apply them to the correspondences you use- what colours, what words, what and who is invoked, etc. Again if you ensure that these all form a coherent pattern without contradictions as far as possible then your rituals will be much more powerful.

‘Less is more’, ‘More is less’: It’s very easy to get carried away when composing rituals and create something terribly long winded where a simpler, shorter and less involved ritual would be much more effective.

An extremely good way to think about all of this is to regard a ritual as a sentence or series of interlocked sentences expressed in a symbolic language. From this it’s easy to see that such sentences should be expressed as precisely and coherently as possible, and that what is needed is something that expresses all that you want to express without that growing into the magickal equivalent of jargon or padding.

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THE BENEFITS OF RITUAL

Though most Witches; as with members of every religion or spiritual way; can clearly understand the benefits of ritual through directly experiencing this, I’ve never actually seen this articulated in a clear and concise way, so this article is intended to provide a concise outline of the benefits of ritual- what you will gain by participating in Wiccan rituals such as Esbats and Sabbats.

A well structured ritual consistently stresses the principle of balance using such powerful, archetypal symbols as the Circle, the equal armed cross of the elements, the balance of the Goddess and God and their manifestation as Women and Men, the Pillars of the Tree of Life and their reconciliation through the Middle Pillar of that, the magickal tools and their elemental and Tree/Pillar correspondences, and all the other symbolic constructs with which we work.

This term ‘work’ is important here: Though Witches use symbols, we don’t just do so in an intellectual- ‘in the mind’ way. We work with them in practical ways with our bodies as well as all aspects and parts/levels of our consciousness. We do this through active, participatory rituals within which we actively and deliberately experience the power of these deep, primal symbols and symbolic actions rather than just thinking about them.

At Full Moon Esbats we work practical magick as well as attuning ourselves to the power of the Goddess and God, and at Sabbat festivals we work with the archetypal myths of creation and the cycles of the earth and its mysteries.

This therefore is deep, body wisdom as well as mind wisdom, and so ritual works upon and within us in extremely powerful ways.

Anyone with any experience of psychology or psychotherapy; or at least a good knowledge of that from reading and study; will immediately recognise the correspondences between ritual and such as psychodrama and the powerful healing, balancing, and empowering potentials of psychotherapy.

I must stress here that this should not be understood in pathological terms- this isn’t “DIY psychotherapy” for those who are unstable: This is powerful ritual for those who are well- but want to become better- much, much better.

That’s the benefit at a psychological level, but there’s much more to ritual than this:

A good way to think about how rituals work is through comparison with ‘energetic induction’. If you suspend two pendulums from a horizontal bar and set one of them swinging, the other will gradually swing also until it is swinging in resonance with the first one. We live in a participatory universe- any action causes effects. Start the pendulum of your mind ‘swinging’ through ritual and the ‘pendulum’ of immanent deity within the world- the Goddess and God, the Elemental powers, and all other such positive potentials will also ‘swing’ in resonance with you.

The benefits then are clearly apparent- at least once a month, and through the seasonal-festival cycle; we bring ourselves into attunement and resonance with these powerful cycles and processes so that we can carry that out from our circles and into our lives generally. It’s just got to be good for you!

Bring into this also that the world in which we live moves through a number of interlocking cycles and processes, and Wicca works with these also. We therefore bring ourselves into deep attunement with the cycles of the Earth- the never ending round of creation, of death and rebirth, of growth, harvest, sowing and feasting, of the Hero’s journey of self-actualisation, of becoming and knowing ourselves to be truly and fully part of the great Universal pattern of life itself.

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