So, you want to create a website to tell the world about your new found spirituality and how happy you are about it? Fantastic.

Let me offer some pointers for you to think about before you start coding the HTML.

First off, think about what you want your website to be about. I mean this. It may seem obvious, but there are facets of your spirituality that are reflected in your website, and all of them are going to affect how your website looks.

Things to consider:

1. Is it going to sell products you make and dedicate to the Gods? Some possibilities are candles, oils, incenses, food, tools and many other things.
2. Is it going to talk about things you learned?
3. Is it going to educate those who find your website?
4. Is it going to deal with problems you have and how you over came them?
5. Is it going to be filled with all the things you find cool and neato about your spirituality?

Each of those questions are going to mandate a different style of website, and in some cases it may require you to buy some software to help you make the site.

For instance, an education website can be maintained by a couple different ways. You can do the coding by hand in something like Dreamweaver or Front Page, but you can do the same thing in what is called a CMS or Content Management System.

A CMS is basically just a program that comes with a lot of functions and a lot of features along with templates for different pages. All you have to do is plug the appropriate information into the correct places, and BINGO! you have a website. If you aren’t really concerned with how it looks, you can do this in under an hour or so. But you have to know what you are doing with a website to get it set up that fast. I have a friend who can create a whole new look and feel for a website using a CMS program called Mambo in about 2 hours. She sets up the asthetics, and you fill in the content. She also charges about $300 to do that.

I would make some recommendations to the above list.  (Please note that this list follows the above list. Each number corresponds to the same number above.)

1. Use a shopping cart software
2. You may wish to consider putting it in a blog
3. This one may be best if it is simply a series of pages that a visitor can click around in
4. Another blog is a possibility, but you may wish to put this on your own server instead of something like blogger or livejournal
5. This can be anything.

Any sales oriented site has to have a shopping cart. It’s the easiest thing to do and it offers the most choices for your customers and the most versatility for you. It reduces the PITA factor by about 500. Most of the work is already done, and similar to a CMS, a shopping cart will have blank areas for your content. They will also have a healthy community of users to help you with your problems. I have used ZenCart in the past and it’s free and very easy to set up.

Blogs: There are a number of websites out there who will allow you to make journal posts to them and then repost those posts to a page you can have display someplace else. The ones like Blogger and Blogspot are very versatile and customizable. I have known a lot of people to use those exclusively and make VERY good looking websites from them. But those sites have one major problem; versatility. They are limited in how some of the information is given to the web browser and sometimes they won’t let you do something that is very simple or necessary for you to do. So another option is to go with a Blogging Software set up, like TypeKey or WordPress.

Both of these are programs you buy, like the shopping cart software and the CMS software, which you upload to your webserver and then configure for your use. They also have theme capabilities. Once again, once you have the software in place and configured the way you want it to look, all you do is plug in your content.

I have seen simply AMAZING sites made on nothing but one blog. Some examples are WilWheaton [dot] net and Websnark. Both these sites are nothing but one blog running where the author can comment on whatever, and the readers can comment themselves.

But blogs function best when used as a Journal type thing. You think of a point you wish to make, you make an entry. It’s useful for keeping an electronic diary of information, kind of hard to do other things with it.

CMS work in that there is some incredible versatility in the components you add to the base part. But blogs are not generally part of it, and frankly everyone is using some type of CMS these days. The main reason for that is because it is EASY. You don’t really have to think much to plug content into a CMS simply because it is designed for Cut and Paste operations.

But with CMSs you get one HUGE drawback; gewgaws. Look the base term up. Go to Google and type define: gewgaw. I’ll wait.

Okay, what has that to do with online content? It is simply something that is useless but looks pretty. It adds nothing to what is there.

Look around the Journal. Notice anything missing? No forum. Want to know why? It’s a gewgaw. I don’t need one. At one point I had considered putting one up for those who wanted to talk to me, but then I realized that I had five other ways for that to happen. I had my email. I had my ICQ and other IM programs, I had three different Yahoo! groups that I ran, and I had a mailing list from the Journal itself for updates. Any of those venues would allow people to talk to me, to discuss things with me. But NONE of them were getting traffic and none of them were being utilized as they should be. So I closed them all, redesigned the functions I had for them to other things. When I closed the Journal Yahoo! Group, I had been using it for announcements of things on the Journal, such as new articles and updates. So I changed it so that the RSS feed for the blog which I DID use a lot took over in that capacity. It’s more versatile and does all that I want it to do AND it allows me to tell users who are signed up as well as those who just visit that I have a new article up.

But a forum would be useless. All it would do is take up space. If I need a teaching spot, I have some programs available and I have a LARGE forum available on other servers. Traditionally, however, forums fail when I get involved with them. I’m a pontificator, a preacher, a teacher, not one that does Socratic Method and I generally don’t talk unless I have something of substance to add to the conversation. So mostly I don’t talk. Which means that others would have to do all the chit-chat talks that keep a forum alive, or I would have to get 400+ members immediately. I’m popular, but not that popular.

So avoid useless programs and functionality on your site. CMSs, however, tend to make adding those features as easy as clicking a link and putting it in position. It becomes a matter of about 20 seconds work to add a fourm to a website that probably doesn’t need one.

This point I’m making is that just because something looks cool and pretty, that does not mean that your website will be helped by having it. Yes, there are a lot of things I would love to have on this site, mainly because my reaction is “Ohhh shiny!” but I resist because the Journal won’t be helped by them, and it just may drive my readers away.

That’s something you have to continually consider, the website visitor. The goal here is to make it as accessible to them as possible. Not everyone uses Internet Explorer, so creating a site that has a lot of coding that only Internet Explorer can use is counterproductive. Not all of them have T1 broadband connections to the internet where they can download the 2 MB movie on your site in under 10 seconds, and not all of them are healthy enough to keep from having a seizure when the flashy blinkie things on your website start playing. Heck, some of them may not even have vision, so they will have to have their text reader read your site to them. That means they won’t be able to turn off the MIDI you put on your site in the background since they have to have the sound on to hear the content of your site.

Also remember that thin code is preferable to code bloat. If you create a page in Microsoft Word, it puts all these extraneous formatting tags in there that only Internet Explorer can read. If you go and take them all out, you wind up with a page that is generally 1/10th the size you started out with. So a 240 KB page goes to 24 KB, and it loads up in 1/10th the time, from 20 seconds to 2 seconds or so. This gives you three advantages.

First off, it takes less space on your webserver, which means you can have more content there. When it’s loaded by a websurfer, it takes less bandwidth of yours, and it is more likely that the other people who requested the page will stay to read it, rather than get bored waiting for it to load up and surf to some other site.

These are the kinds of questions that professional web designers ask themselves all the time.

• Lean code?
• Cross browser/platform compatibility? (Can someone on Windows 98 see it the same way a UNIX box can?)
• Handicapped accessible?
• Is there useless functions incorporated?
• Can I get rid of the silly stuff that doesn’t add anything?
• Is this component I need already part of what I have there, or do I need to get another program?

Seems like a lot of things to consider when all you want to do is tell the world that you found Wicca and you are really happy, right? I’m glad I got that across to you.

I want to offer this advice: If you just want to talk about how wonderful you feel because of Wicca and you, do so on a site like LiveJournal, GreatestJournal or one of several other blogs that are already out there. Your page is not really needed. It’s not that you and your thoughts aren’t needed, it’s simply that there are five or six thousand pages out there that give basics of Wicca to those who don’t know about it, and many of them are probably better than you will be able to put together. Consider sending people you care about to those pages instead of repeating the same information that is already out there. Heck, consider sending them to a book.

If, however, you have something to say, perhaps the teen view of what Wicca is, then by all means, put up a website and say it. Just remember what I have said previously. They are as basic as saying “please” and “thank you”. It’s Internet Courtesy and it’s very important to the success of your site. Don’t simply duplicate what is already out there.

When I surf the Internet, I’m looking for what YOU have to say. If I wanted to know what Silver Ravenwolf had to say, I’d buy her books. If I wanted to hear what Fritz Jung was saying about Wicca, I’d ask him directly, and I’d go to his site. So you may reference their statements, but say what you want to say. Don’t cop out and have others saying it for you. That’s lazy.

Ten years ago, you didn’t need to know anything to put up a website, and these days you need to know even less. Tons of sites went up over night (almost) and most of them sucked. It seems that the intervening years not much more has been learned by new users, for the same mistakes are being made.

When I first put up the Journal, I had a cool site navigation. It was on the left, just where it is now, but it had buttons. Each button was a plain one, until you put your mouse over it, then it showed a pentagram on the far left, showing that you were looking at the “Articles” sub section. When you actually clicked on it, you got a sound that was a page turning. I was so proud of that.

Time passed, I took it off. I had a lot of people complaining about the sound screwing up their music, and the navigation not showing up properly and the JavaScript being disabled on their site so it wouldn’t let them get to other pages of my site. I had other pages they could use, just without the cool effect, and finally I decided to just get rid of it all together. It was taking up space and sucking up my bandwidth.

It was for a similar reason that I finally moved to paid webhosting. I had my site on Crosswinds, Homestead, Geocities, and a couple other “free” sites. I found out that those sites were only free if I permitted thousands of advertisements to be placed on my site, or if I allowed the “free” site host to keep my property. When I read the agreements, I was stating by hosting there that the people who owned that server could reprint my work as much as they wanted without asking or even telling me. That’s why it was free.

When I saw an advertisement on my site (in the form of a pop-up which I despise) advertising a lock picking set to instantly jimmy any car open, I got a paid host. I don’t advocate illegal actions and I won’t allow the people I host with to say that I do by putting that ad on my site.

Those free sites are good for personal pages. They are decent for telling grandma that you got an A in Honors Physics. They are okay for hosting the picture you want to put into an email to dear mom on her grandchildren. But for information sites, unless you are destitute, put them on a paid host. I am chronically short of money, most times I have to scrape to feed my family, but I can afford the less than $20 a month to pay for this website. With that I get probably 80 times the space of a free host, 50 different email addresses I can use, a domain name that is MINE, listings on various search engines, the capability to do a heck of a lot of neat things with my site (like keeping people from linking my images without my permission), the ability to save my files in a secure place so I can transfer them between my PC at work and the one at home. Then there is the free software I get along with it. Better than $8000 worth of software that is provided to me by my webhost simply because I host with them.

Please note, that I’m not USING it all, but I have it available should I need it, like for my blog. AND if something goes wrong, the paying customers get the attention first, not the free hosters. Last time I had a problem, it was fixed in a few minutes, not two or three days.

All these combine to make the Journal and many other sites like it the examples many people cite, and why most people tend to dismiss those sites that are on Homestead and so on. The basic point here is to help you design a good site to tell people what you learned and what you are not believing.

After all, you want people to read what you have to say, not click out of your website because it took so long to load up, right?

Originally posted 2009-10-27 16:08:33.

AE: this is the abreveiation for “American Eclectic” in which elements of many different traditions are taken and mixed to form a new kind of spirituality, while respecting the cultures those elements were taken from. Has a strong sense of history and a seeking of continuity. See this article for an excellent discussion of the various flavors of Wicca.

BTW: this is the “short term” for British Traditional Wicca. Normally this is typified by Gardnerian and Alexandrian, but it can be any group that is a lineaged mystery tradition. See this article for an excellent discussion of the various flavors of Wicca.

Emo (an abbreviation of “emotional”) is a term now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional punk’s limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. It is also used to describe fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers. (e.g., emo kid). The actual term “emo” originated in the mid-1980s D.C. scene, with the band Rites of Spring. The term addressed both the way the band connected with its audience, as well as its tendency to deal more with topics of personal and relationship politics than with the standard themes of rock music.

Evoke: To ask a being/emotion or other noun to mainfest outside of ourselves to be with us, as another person would be. To evoke an emotion is to bring that emotion forth. To cause to occur.

Fluffy Bunny: A full explanation of this condition would take too long. A short definition is one who insisits that their view of Wicca or Paganism is the correct one, despite reams of evidence being presented to the contrary. A person who is willfully ignorant. For further explanations, see What Makes a Fluffy Bunny and Standard Fluffy Statements

Godiots: Defined as a God Idiot or a God Zealot. Basically a Fundamental Religious person who makes it their business to shove their beliefs in everyone else’s faces. Most notably refers to Christian Zealots, but can and does apply to Pagan, Muslims and other religious practices.

Invoke: To invoke something is to bring that something to being inside ourselves. To invoke a deity to to ask that deity to manifest within us and within our lives, as reflected by ourselves. It is literally to bring something from outside ourselves within, to invite it in.

Karma: Religious doctrine that each rebirth in the cycle of lives is based on the sum of the merit accumulated by an individual during his previous lives. Karma establishes the general tendency of a life but does not determine specific actions. In each life, the interaction between individual character and previously established karma forms the karma of succeeding lives.

Polyamory: participation in multiple and simultaneous loving or sexual relationships DOES NOT IMPLY PROMISCUITY.

Sheeple: People sheep. A person who just follows the crowd with whatever they are told, who never questions or wonders or tries. They simply do what they are told to do like good little sheep.

Spitball or Spitballing: to toss ideas around with no expectation of them coming to pass, to brainstorm.

Straw Man: A straw man or man of straw is a dummy in the shape of a human created by stuffing straw into clothes. Straw men are used as scarecrows, combat-training targets, effigies to be burned, and as rodeo dummies to distract bulls. In otherwords, a disposable target. In the context of an argument, it is a distraction, a target presented to sidetrack the discussion from one area onto it with the purpose of derailing the discussion/debate/argument. A target intended to be destroyed.

Vanity Search: A Websearch where you enter your name, handle, or website, to see who mentions or links to you. Normally used as an ego boost.

Wictim: A Wiccan Victim or one who believes that you are persecuting them right now. Generally a trait of the Fluffy Bunny.

Yahoogroup: A group run and hosted by Yahoo! Groups which is based on the email list format. Emailing an address as a member will post that email to the entire group, as well as all responses. MajorDomo is a form of this, but it is a bit more clunky to use.

Originally posted 2005-05-31 10:37:59.

[Copyright Freeman and Sky Dancer, 2003. All rights reserved.
Permission to repost or otherwise distribute is granted provided
the essay is kept intact and this notice included.]

The question keeps coming up, what makes someone fluffy, or a fluff-bunny?  The concept of a fluff-bunny is similar to “twinkie” as used in many American Indian communities: someone who either plays at the spiritual practices or is serious about it but goes for stereotypes and glitz rather than factual information.

Practicing any significant number of these characteristic behaviors will be good and sufficient cause to label you accordingly. These are from actual experience, but they don’t all apply to any one person — we hope. Several of them seem contradictory; this doesn’t appear to matter to the people in question. Note: if you find this list offensive (especially if it bothers you that it has 13 items), then you are probably a classic fluffy. If you think we’re being unnecessarily confrontational with this, you may be right (but see item 5). If you think we’re picking on Wiccans, maybe so; but we do know plenty of non-Wiccan fluffies (check out http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/ and http://wicca.timerift.net/ for other detailed views on the Decadence of Wicca).

1. Claim to be practicing some really old path, but don’t put forth the effort to find out what people actually did or believed on that path.

2. Ignore anything dark and threatening, even if pretending to work with dark deities. Talk about how your deity of choice is always good or always right, or pretend your favorite dark goddess is really a misunderstood sweetie-pie.

3. Accept any kind of nonsense you’re told by another fluffy or read in some book with a crescent moon on the spine. Alternatively, accept any one source as definitive, no matter what those tight-assed intellectuals think about it. And do pass along whatever it is you think you know as if you invented it.

4. Get all worked up at any kind of challenge involving logic or fact. Only feelings really matter. Especially, make a big point of being huffy at anyone who doesn’t take whatever you say at face value, because “everyone is entitled to an opinion.” Disregard what others have to say if it doesn’t affirm what you already believe, whether or not they can prove their claims.

5. Avoid conflict at all costs, and jump into other people’s disagreements, even if you’re not directly involved, to try to get them to agree for agreement’s sake.  Agree with other people just to smooth things over, or even lecture them on how they should just get along.

6. Try to get others to refrain from using profanity or stop talking about a subject because it makes you uncomfortable. For example, go to a clothing-optional event and then pitch a fit if anyone opts to go fully or partially nude.

7. Tell non-fluffies how horrible and/or unspiritual they are for not accepting all pagans, regardless of how asinine their behavior may be; but be sure to tell everyone at the drop of a hat that you’re Not A Satanist, whether they asked or not.

8. Be sure to complain frequently about persecution, whether you’ve actually experienced any or not. Extra points if you think someone choosing not to do business with you is “persecution” or if you repeat any form of the Burning Times Myth:
   - 9 million died (or any number greater than about 40,000)
   - Those condemned as witches were Wiccans (or any kind of Pagan)
   - People were burned at Salem (try hanged and pressed)
   (You might want to check the Covenant of the Goddess website for a reasonable account of the Witch Hysteria from a source with impeccable Wiccan credentials, except that doing so might be non-fluffy.)

9. In conversation in person or otherwise, always assume that the Wiccan Rede (or whatever your code of honor happens to be) applies to all Pagans. If mildly challenged on this, act confused; if strongly challenged, go into Major Evil Eye Mode and accuse the Rede-Infidel (who OBVIOUSLY has no ethics whatsoever) of Satanism or Crowleyism or worse.

10. Presume to lecture others on any of the Favorite Fluffy Topics:
    -  Why Witchcraft is a religion
    -  Only Wiccans are Witches
    -  What Witches (your definition) don’t do: Hexes, spells for selfish purposes, animal sacrifice (we’re not like those awful Santerians and Vodou-ists), sex magick, etc.
    -  Why not use magick to interfere with another’s Will or Karma — even by healing them
    -  How the world was a happy, peaceful matriarchy until those horrible men had to mess it all up
    -  How ritual nudity, sex magick, and the scourge are all in traditional Wicca only because Uncle Gerald was a dirty old man.

11. Insist that Wicca, or whatever your path is, is whatever you make it, regardless of its history. Demand respect for what you’re doing even as you trash the efforts of your precursors and insist on calling the trash by the same name.  Don’t bother renaming what you do, however loosely based on the original form, because you want to ride on the coattails of people who went before and claim some sort of lineage regardless of the lack of similarities between what they did and what you do.

12. If your belief is that “All Goddesses are One Goddess” and “All Gods are One God” and ultimately all deities are aspects of the One, use this as an excuse to not bother learning about or working with specific deities. Or, when you do call on a Lord and Lady by name, mix and match any two from any pantheons and any times.

13. You can be lacking in all of the preceding Fluffy Traits, but if you demonstrate this one, you’re in the Fluffy Club: Don’t show any signs of having been touched by divinity or ecstatic experience. Many mainstream Christians sing hymns as if they were laundry-lists, and everyone accepts them, so that is what we want to do. Look askance at people who actually get out of themselves in ritual or celebration. Care more about what society and/or your friends think than what your deities think or whether you are actually getting anything out of what you do.  Be sure not to do anything, even if it would develop your path/abilities/insights, that might possibly provoke disapproval or make you lose face.

Why do we make such a big deal about fluffies?  We’d happily let it pass if they weren’t so busy trying to impose their fluffy values on the rest of the community.  The rabid fervor with which they attempt to impose their flippancy on others gives outsiders the impression that we’re all stupid, incapable of critical thinking skills, and inconsistent.  Quite frankly, we don’t appreciate that and we don’t appreciate being told we need to behave in stupid, unthinking, and inconsistent ways.  So while you are certainly entitled to believe whatever you wish, you don’t have a right to force it on us, but we do have a right to call you on your bullshit when we see it.

Originally posted 2009-11-14 23:17:28.

Alister Crowley said that one’s True Will is one of the crucial things a magician should know, since the True Will is the basis of the being.

He goes on to talk at length about how True Will is the culmination of the basic core of the person. It is the most selfish part and is most concerned with the success and survival of the person – the part that is most likely to reflect what the person truly wants and needs.

It’s important to realize that just Knowing how to accomplish a goal or that Knowing yourself is not enough. You must also actively make the decision to do what you want, or all the training, all the experience is useless.

This is the essence of “To Will”. This is the actual decision point in the spell-casting process; it is when the magical process, the spell, actually begins. The training and study are the lead-in, the preparation to do the spell. Will is the stage where the decision that the spell is needed is made. It is when all the options are considered and the spell becomes one part of the overall process to cause the desired change to occur.

Many experienced magicians say that this point is when the spell is actually starting to be cast. This decision begins the Consciousness Shift to the altered states that are key to manipulating magic and successful ritual.

This act of deciding to cast the spell takes the process to the level of a goal instead of allowing it to remain as a simple desire like wanting to get a cola for lunch. It becomes a true desire, such as finding a job that will allow the caster to support their family better, one that motivates the caster to attain their goals no matter the cost or the obstacles placed in the way.

“To Will” also implies that the first leg of this pyramid has been attained. Knowing implies that you know what you really want, to the bottom of your soul. That is where your “True Will,” as Crowley put it, resides. Understanding your own Will, your own mind and desires, is paramount. How can you do a spell to bring success if you believe in the bottom of your soul that success of the spell means you will become something you despise? The ends are counter productive to your True Will.

Therefore knowing your True Will is another critical part of this whole process.

The True Will is one part of every Magician that should always be examined. Willing something into existence, as the Magician of the Tarot deck does, is a hard skill to master; you better be sure that this is what you want. There are no “take backs”, no “do-overs” when you create something out of nothing.

Remember the advice “be careful what you wish for, you might just get it”? That’s a heck of a double edged sword.

Human beings are essentially “wish generators” with no off switch. Think of how many times you say “I wish” in a typical day, without even meaning to. Once you start paying attention to that statement, you find that you say it a high number of times. You think it more than you actually say that phrase. And each of those thoughts and statements go out into the æther and have an effect there, even if we don’t see it.

Exactly like dropping a pebble into a pool of water, those ripples spread and start affecting other things and people. Eventually it does get reflected back, warped and diminished, but those reflections are still the original wish that was Willed into being.

So while a trained metaphysician and magician can create a situation that didn’t exist by will alone, they should always be cognizant of what can happen if they don’t watch what they think.

This discipline of the mind, of basic thought processes, should be one of the first goals for any training program of those who are psychically aware. Unfortunately, many of those who begin studying those who wish to begin immediately using power, to start casting spells without first understanding the discipline that is part and parcel of this path.

This series of articles is starting to show that there is a method to the Pyramid’s quick mnemonic, a level of depth that many don’t see. We can already see how “To Know” and “To Will” are fitting together and interlacing. It is becoming rapidly apparent that one cannot have just “To Know” without also having “To Will” and the other two legs of the Pyramid.

All this discussion on the Will may make you ask, “where do I train my Will into a razor-honed weapon?” I can’t help you with that because most of training the Will is about practice.

First you have to decide on a goal, preferably a goal that is difficult and which others say can’t be done. Then start on the journey to attain that goal. Along the way you must not despair and you must keep trying, believing even when it’s hard. Perseverance here is the key, although outsiders may see you and call you stubborn.

Keep doing that, over and over, keep ‘out-stubborning’ the nay-sayers and keep attaining your goals, even if the effort may not be worth it in the end. That is a good primer for a strong Will. When problems appear, decide immediately that you will overcome them instead of denying the problem or capitulating to the problem. Your first reaction to a problem should be “okay, how do I overcome this” instead of “no, this can’t be happening.”

Choose goals that are attainable and reasonable. Don’t pick ones that are easily attainable, for that defeats the purpose of training. Pick ones that are difficult to gain, and then keep going at it until you gain that goal.

For example, one of the proudest moments I have had in my life was in Martial Arts when I severely hurt my hip in the dojo. I kept going anyhow with the night’s exercises for kicks, especially side kicks, which work the hips strenuously. I kept going even though I was in a lot of pain, I would not quit. I saw a lot of admiration in the eyes of my teachers that night.

There are all kinds of opportunities that present themselves. Just watch out for them, and understand that when you are training your mind you can’t give in even once, for that tells the Subconscious that it’s okay to give in occasionally. It is the Subconscious that really needs to know that you have a strong Will. If you choose to give up occasionally, this action destroys all the headway you have made during your training..

When you decide to out-Will a situation that could defeat you, you must carry through to the end, no matter where that decision leads.

Humanity is the only species I know of that can create simply with their thoughts. It is a huge gift and an awesome responsibility. This ability must be tempered with experience and wisdom. Knowing when to use Will is as important as knowing how or why.

The Will then becomes the paintbrush of Creation, and like all tools, it should be kept in good working order and put away safely, so it is not used inadvertently or carelessly.

Originally posted 2009-11-10 02:53:28.

A conversation that happened years ago, that I thought was funny as hell, and still think is great:

Parts of the conversation sorted by color….

By the way, do you even know what the Nine sacred woods are? No fair peeking.

Oh, wait, I know this one…

1. Morning wood
2. Afternoon wood
3. Evening wood
4. Midnight wood
5. “I gotta pee, dammit” wood
6. Embarassing first-date wood
7. New Britney Spears video wood
8. Yeah, I guess Orlando Bloom really is hot wood
9. Kids are coming up the stairs let’s finish this *quick* wood

I guess the “10. No reason just random wood” wood isn’t in th ere, but what about the “11. Embarrasing called to the blackboard wood” wood? Where does it go?

Not all woods are sacred woods.

Message: Lesson 7, part 1: Holidays
Author: Teacher – Daven Iceni
Date: Aug 25, 2000 11:17

Message: From CathPulug
Author: Comments – Daven Iceni
Date: Aug 26, 2000 17:19

Message: Albans…
Author: Ollahm Cainte – Draconis CuChulainn
Date: Aug 29, 2000 11:09

Message: Congratulations Fleury,
Author: Teacher – Daven Iceni
Date: Sep 5, 2000 21:26

Message: Sorry guys,
Author: pentatant – Daven Iceni
Date: Sep 5, 2000 21:33

Message: Lesson 7, Part 2: Holidays, in depth
Author: Teacher – Daven Iceni
Date: Sep 5, 2000 21:46

Message: Additional thoughts on the Festivals
Author: Chiming in – Ciaran Iceni
Date: Sep 7, 2000 11:39

Message: Even more thoughts…
Author: – Draconis CuChulainn
Date: Sep 7, 2000 14:39

Message: On sleeping Gods:
Author: Teacher – Daven Iceni
Date: Sep 8, 2000 01:01

Message: My humble apologies Daven,
Author: tardy with good excuses, – Fleury CuChulainn
Date: Sep 20, 2000 23:49

I realize I promised you a post on Sunday but once I got more into the reading my source, the more I realized it was more zodialogical (if that is a word) than I thought, with many references to things a little odd and obscure.  It has taken me a few days to do a little more reading and re-reading to figure out just what the heck she’s trying to say, and even now I realize that it is more astrological in detail and not really what we are discussing but I will mention a few interesting points.  Firstly, she (Helena Paterson – complete source at the end of my post) gives names to the solstices much like the names CathPulug provided, but she never really explains why they are called by each name…  She also deals with the thirteen Celtic Lunar Zodiac divinations.  Each one attributed to a different tree and planetary ruler. She claims there are nine significant days in the Celtic Lunar Zodiac.  Starting with the Winter Solstice, and traditional beginnings/rebirth, they are: The Winter Solstice, December 22, she calls Alban Arthuan and she associates it with the Elder Tree sign.  She attributes it to the Entrance to Annwn (Welsh) and the Galactic Centre. The Nameless Day, she claims is December 23.  She says that “according to ancient Druidic belief, the three sacred “Serpent Days” of the winter solstice started on the eve (sunset) of December 20 and ended as the sun (dawn) rose on December 24.” Next we have Brigantia, February 1, which she attributes to Perception and equates with the Rowan Tree sign The Vernal Equinox (she calls Alban Eilir) follows on March 21, which is equated with growth and the Alder Tree sign. Beltane, May 1, she equates with purification and the Willow Tree sign. The Summer Solstice, or Alban Hefin, on June 22 is equated with death and the “Entrance to Gwynvyd”.  It is represented by the Oak Tree sign. Lamas, August 1, is equated with the Holly Tree sign and fruition. The Autumnal Equinox, or Alban Elfed, on September 23, she equates with decay and the Vine sign of the Celtic Zodiac. and finally, we have Samhain (November 1) equated with Transformation and the Reed sign. So why the heck did I just type all of this?  Well I’m not too sure, but I found it interesting that she dealt more in depth about the solstices and equinoxes than with the fire festivals.  Granted it was a book on Celtic Astrology, but only a paragraph to describe all four fire festivals seemed a bit minimal to me.  Although I find the equinoxes and solstices to very quite fascinating, and I observe them all in turn with much reverence, I put more emphasis on my celebration of the fire festivals. I also found her concept of the Nameless Day to be fascinating… if it is based in fact it would certainly explain where December 25th came about, being the first full day following the sacred “Serpent Days” of winter… The book’s main emphasis is a chapter on each of the Thirteen Celtic signs so there isn’t as much discussion on these days in particular but as a summary, I found it a little interesting.  But it is each of these chapters that the significance of each tree is explained, but adding all that in would make this a disturbingly long post.  Anyone interested in them is more than welcome to contact me, or more can be posted upon request! Anyhoo, I just thought I’d add an Astrological perspective to the Sabbats and Esbats we are presently discussing! Source: Helena Paterson, The Handbook of Celtic Astrology:  The Thirteen Sign Lunar Zodiac of the Ancient Druids, Llewellyn Books, 1994.

Message: To all the students:
Author: Instructor – Daven Iceni
Date: Sep 21, 2000 01:02

Message: Does the author give sources
Author: wondering – Ciaran Iceni
Date: Sep 21, 2000 12:07

Message: Actually Ciaran,
Author: – Fleury CuChulainn
Date: Sep 21, 2000 21:52

Message: Lesson 7, Part 3: Holidays Conclusion
Author: Teacher – Daven Iceni
Date: Oct 26, 2000 11:10

Stars light your path.

Originally posted 2009-10-30 11:31:08.

(Note from Daven: This document, and the one after it has been circulating the ‘Net for a while.  I have yet to find the author of these, or at least the person who compiled it into one document.  That, however, does not diminish the important words contained herein.  Both of these make you think before you act, and show you that the least little thing sometimes has a greater effect than you intend.  Read these and think about them for a while.)

Important Lessons Life Teaches You…

Most Important Lesson

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’ “I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Second Important Lesson ~ Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.  Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color T V was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.” Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole

Third Important Lesson ~ Always remember those who serve you.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.” The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Fourth Important Lesson ~ The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear. But none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Fifth Important Lesson ~ Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see understanding and attitude, after all, is everything.

The Notes

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary’s School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.

Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving – “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher’s mistake. I looked at Mark and said, “If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!”

It wasn’t ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, “Mark is talking again.” I hadn’t asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated a punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark’s desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room.

As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it!! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark’s desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, “Thank you for correcting me, Sister.”

At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The year flew by, and before I knew it, Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the “new math,” he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third.

One Friday, things just didn’t feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend.”

That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling.

“Really?” I heard whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone!” “I didn’t know others liked me so much.”

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.

That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip – the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply says, “Dad?” My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important.

“The Eklunds called last night,” he began. “Really?” I said. “I haven’t heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is.” Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said. “The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.”

To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark. I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, “Mark I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me.”

The church was packed with Mark’s friends. Chuck’s sister sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps.

One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. “Mark talked about you a lot,” he said.

After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates headed to Chuck’s farmhouse for lunch. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. “We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.”

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.

“Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.” Mark’s classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.” Chuck’s wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.” “I have mine too,” Marilyn said. “It’s in my diary.” Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said without batting an eyelash. “I think we all saved our lists.”

That’s when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

Written by: Sister Helen P. Mrosla

It’s not WHAT you are … It’s What You Do!

by Oriah, Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with JOY, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty everyday, and if you can source your life on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon.

The following came from an anonymous mother in Austin, Texas.

THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM MY CHILDREN…(HONEST AND NO KIDDING)

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3 year olds voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 by 20 foot room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using the ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way
6. The glass in windows (even double pane) doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words “Uh-oh,” it’s already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six year old can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year-old man says they can only do it in the movies. A magnifying glass can start a fire even on an overcast day.
10. Certain Lego’s will pass through the digestive tract of a four year old.
11. Play Dough and Microwave should never be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can’t walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCR’s do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18. You probably do not want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on. Plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5 minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earth worms dizzy.
22. It will however make cats dizzy.
23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

Originally posted 2009-11-10 01:45:02.

On the surface, this leg of the Witches Pyramid is probably the simplest on the surface since it’s doing the process that you have decided on. The decision to do the spell has been made, the caster’s Will is honed and ready to force the change, but now you get your tools out and start the chants to cast the spell. Sounds simple, right?

But there is much more than that to this aspect of magic. Daring to do a spell means you have a self confidence that says you have the divine right to impose your Will on the universe; that you have the right to actually make things happen simply because you want them to happen.

To my mind, that takes a special kind of arrogance. To say to the Universe and to whatever form of Deity you honor, “I know better than you do, and I am going to MAKE this action happen.” That sounds pretty severe and arrogant in my opinion.

It is saying that your life is not good enough. It is saying that you know how your life should be, in opposition to how it actually is, and it is saying that no matter what, you will use any methods, fair or foul, to force the outcome you wish.

It is daring the Universe to do its worst to you.

It is acceptance of not only the outcome, but also all the additional problems and unintended consequences of this spell.

Daring to do something can be a problem if you are going against the Powers that Be. If a deity has decided that the person you are trying to help is supposed to be sick at the same time you are trying to make them well, and you heal them anyhow, despite all the warnings and problems of that healing, there may be divine retribution. To Dare means you are willing and able to accept that and deal with it.

No matter what anyone says, there are Powers in the Universe that could be upset that you are doing this spell. Perhaps, it is because there will be unknown “butterfly effect” problems in another segment of creation. Maybe it is because there will be a power drain from something else that is needed and it may simply be that the desired outcome is supposed to be one that is out of reach. It is possible that binding you are doing is in opposition to the protection this God has promised to His follower.

Daring to do this spell anyhow sets you up to be in direct conflict with that Power. It means that there is the possibility that They will be upset with you and make your life “interesting” for a while as retribution and punishment.

Now, assuming that your Will and your Knowledge is up to snuff in this whole process, the Dare stage is when you actually start doing the spell. At this point, the recriminations and self examination should be done, the decision made and now you actually get out your Tools and start the spell. Just that act, should throw you into an altered state of consciousness. This is the physical stage.

If we relate these legs of the Pyramid to different sections of our being, then “To Know” is the mental preparation part, “To Will” is the spiritual part, and “To Dare” is the physical part of this entire process.

Remember when I was saying before about humanity being wish generators? Well, wishing for something is only part of the whole process. Wishing will only get you so far magickally, it’s the actual process of doing the spell that will achieve results.

But then there is still one part that needs to be addressed, and thankfully it is showing up in more and more teaching texts. Part of the “To Dare” process HAS to be actually doing the mundane things that will help the spell along.

In other words, if doing a spell for a job, Knowing what job you want is good, Willing that job into your life is another good part, Daring to actually do the spell is really good, but having the courage to go out and face rejection over and over is the most important part.

Daring must also encompass the mundane. It does take effort and courage to follow through on the mundane side of things, if only because we might fail.

In a post he made in his LiveJournal, Taylor Ellwood made the very interesting point that most people are conditioned to avoid failure at all costs. As part of that, we are also not trained to accept success, and current societal standards are doing no favor by encouraging a similar mindset of “it’s okay to fail” in the next generation.

In any spell, simply beginning the process of the spell will open the door for failure. Failure will become an option. So one of the goals in any spellcasting process must be accepting that the spell might fail and striving to prevent that failure. Don’t go into the spell with the thought that it will fail, but accept that the “nature of the beast” is going to include the failure of the spell and then strive to overcome it.

Of course, the standard excuse is to blame other factors, for that failure. “The Stars weren’t right,” or “Goddess must have other plans for me,” or “It will happen eventually,” are all excuses that come very rapidly on the lips of those who try spells and fail.

But as one Doctor Who episode pointed out¹, what if we dream the impossible? What if, despite all things to the contrary, we actually make it and make our dreams come true?

No one is trained to that, but we are trained to fail. So Daring to be courageous, to actually do what we say we want, that is real magick. To think that it is possible to achieve what we want, to have what we dream about, that’s wonder.

This attitude is prevalent in most of modern Western Society. The very first word that most children learn to understand is “no”. From then on it is “don’t”, “can’t”, “no”, “Ain’t gonna happen” and more negative ascertations. Very few opportunities in our life teach us how to succeed and what to do when one achieves a goal.

It’s one reason that there are so many books and seminars that try to show people how to succeed. But I have rarely seen anything that shows you what to do when you do succeed.

Our culture is built on the supposition of failure, and thus to actually attempt something that is highly likely not to work is an incredible step of confidence. Actually taking the step to face that possible rejection for the bare slim chance that we could have a better life is truly Daring.

This is the core of “To Dare”. Taking that leap of faith, that step that may pay off and may not, even after been told all your life that you probably aren’t going to make anything of yourself. You must be ready to take that step despite the array of problems in your way, from the mundane to the deities themselves. To take that step, knowing that it may not pan out, but trusting yourself, your knowledge and your training to see it through anyhow.

Then you must have the confidence to follow through with the mundane work as well, to see the process through.

Then, add another layer, Daring to continue anyhow, even if the original spell didn’t work and do it again, despite disappointment in the past. Making sure that you do not, do not, do not quit; even when logic says “give up”, when reason says “enough already”, and when the universe orders you to cease, stubbornly going on is the essence of, the heart and soul of To Dare.

Originally posted 2009-11-10 02:54:34.

<– Continued from

STATING PURPOSE:

State your purpose. Have a clear, short speech ready for this. A purpose that is complex is rather like a complex wish made to a genie–you don’t know what you’ll get. So you want to make sure your purpose is simple and direct. State it aloud, and give it your entire concentration–this is what you *WANT*. It should be the only thing on your mind at that moment.

The statement of purpose is followed by the body of the ritual. This will vary wildly depending on the ritual. Perhaps you will do candle magic, or perhaps you will meditate, perhaps you will enact a “spell” where you burn something, perhaps you will sit and travel out of your body in search of advise from a spirit guide. You may take a bath, wander on a quest through your back yard, look through an old photo album, or sing songs. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

We will go into possibilities for the body of a ritual, in detail, later on.

CLOSING:

When you have finished doing whatever it is your ritual requires, you may choose to “end” by raising a cone of power. This involves envisioning something, be it light, butterflies, fire, flowerpetals, stars, sand, photographs, musical notes, feathers, soap bubbles or wild buffalo….well, maybe not the bison….something in tune with your ritual, something that contains your will, your wants, all the energy you’ve created within your circle, and you imagine it spinning clockwise. You may start to hum, or drum, or shake a rattle, or just imagine a sound or a song building (or imagine silence if that suits).

Make your magic spin faster and as it spins faster, raise it up. Lifting your hands helps here. UP and up and up and then, when you feel it can spin no faster, go no higher, throw up your hands and send it off!!

GROUND!

Ground immediately afterwards! Understand that even after you’ve used or sent off the magic/energy, you’re still sizzling with the residue. When you ground yourself after a spell or ritual, the excess goes back down into the earth. If you don’t do this, it continues to crackle around you; it can distract you, depress you, cause minor, klutzy accidents or, as with one person I talked, give you nasty headaches (etc. etc. etc.).

Grounding is simple–either touch the ground, or hold out your hands, palm down, toward the earth.

The centering at the beginning makes for better rituals, and the grounding at the end is *very* comforting, rather like taking a shower after working up a sweat. If, for any reason, you find that the grounding did not do the job, call a friend and have them talk you down–some people who are particularly powerful/magically or psychically sensitive sometimes have trouble with grounding and require assistance (they work up so much magic that they either get lost in it, or find that their efforts, alone, are not enough).

Some people like to follow their grounding with meditation in order to help “come down” from that rush of a cone of power.

DISMISSAL:

To conclude–Thank your guardian (and/or the Goddess/God), dismiss the quarters (the dismissal is usually simpler and shorter than the calling, something like: “Powers of the East we thank you for your help. Go or stay as you will; may there be peace between us always”.

With the dismissal of the east, the circle is “open”–in some traditions, you point your Atheme or wand and, going counter- clockwise, undo the circle you cast at the beginning–in other traditions it is not thought necessary. Up to you.

And you can ritualistically say: “The Circle is open, but not unbroken, Merry met, and Merry part and Merry meet again”–yes, you can say this even if you are a solitary.

CREATING A RITUAL:

***Any ritual requires imagination and visualization–don’t just go though steps, envision the energy that comes out of your hands, your wand, when you use it, see the ghostly veils that part as you use your Atheme, imagine fairy lights, magic fire, the glow at the center of your crystal, the Milky Way spiral of stars that fills your cauldron, the dragons you command, the elves who obey your wishes, the phantom owl who listens and flies off to relay your message to powers of another plane. Etc, etc, etc!–*see* what you create and do! (ex: Don’t just burn the incense, *envision* the power you release with that fragrance! If it’s sage, *see* it’s slivery green cleansing power.) This envisioning is what alters a ritual from choreographed steps into a dance!***

Assuming that you’re going to work a ritual out ahead of time (and not do it off the cuff), here’s what you need to do for almost any ritual:

1) Decide on a date and time. Meditate or sleep on it, following what inspiration tells you. You may wish to choose either the next new moon or full moon, or you may wish to consult your astrological calendars or a calendar which can tell you what special (but obscure/magical) days are ahead.

2) Decide on a tone for the ritual– again, follow your instincts here; do you want it celebratory or serious, quiet or filled with music, dark with a single candle, or brilliant with a dozen lights? What kind of ambiance and tone do you want? What’s right for you?

3) Start a “shopping list” of things you’ll need. Keep it on a separate sheet of paper so that you can add to it, subtract from it, change it as need and inspiration arises. List everything you’re going to need from towels to dry your hands, to what you plan to wear (jewelry included), to decorations, the color of the candles, the flavor of the incense, etc.

4) Make a “to do” list for what you need to do ahead of time for the ritual, including shopping (buying candles, matches, oil, incense, cookies, a new table cloth, etc.), cleaning, arranging to get your spouse out of the house or your children to visit a friend’s, the cats fed, etc. All the pre- ritual stuff.

5) On scrap paper or the computer, start writing out the ritual. Start with decorating/cleaning the space, and–with help from the shopping list–note what needs to go where for the ritual (towels by the bath, incense in the burner, matches and an ashtray ready, plate of cookies right outside the space, etc.); remind yourself to turn off the phone ringer, turn down the sound on the answering machine, lock the doors, shut off the lights, and prepare the music.

6) On a second sheet, work out how you plan to do the personal cleansing, grounding, how you plan to cast the circle, call the quarters– write up all words you’re going to speak.

7) On a third sheet, work out the body of the ritual–how you plan to perform the ritual, what steps you’ll go through, what you’ll say and, most importantly *WHAT YOU WILL ENVISION!*.

On a fourth sheet, write up how you plan to conclude the ritual–if you’ll raise a cone of power and/or meditate, remind yourself to ground, and decide on how you’ll dismiss the quarters and open the circle.

Go over these pages; change the ritual until it works for you. If you like, write up the final form in your Book of Shadows (if you’re a Wiccan, this is your personal book of rituals, recipes, magic and spells). Or just write it up on fresh sheets of paper.

Highlight, use sticky pad paper, or paperclips to make going over the ritual easy. Remember that rituals are open book open note– it’s great if you’re familiar with your ritual and don’t have to look, but don’t be afraid to look (this is why a book of shadows is so great–it makes looking up what comes next *part* of the ritual!). Also, don’t be afraid to change, alter or improvise–you created the ritual, and you can change it on the spot if you need to!

Half-an-hour before the ritual, go over your notes. Re-familiarize yourself with it. Don’t be nervous, you’re not going to be tested; if you make a mistake, it’s alright, it *will not* ruin the ritual!

Likely your first ritual (within your very own sacred space!) will be a ritual to dedicate/consecrate that space to your guardian “power”. You might care to pair this short ritual with a Dedication ritual (or rededication as the case may be).

While both these rituals can be non- denominational, the dedication ritual is primarily Pagan/Wiccan. It is the Pagan/Wiccan equalivant of a Catholic’s first communion, a new Baptist’s baptismal, or a Jewish Bar Mitzvah–with less partying. This is where you make a commitment, where you dedicate yourself to God/Goddess, where you name/re-name yourself a Pagan/Wiccan. Wiccans rededicate themselves every year, which I think is good as it establishes a continuing commitment, and, each year, makes us pause to re-think the path we’ve chosen and, freely, to choose it once again.

The usual day for Dedicating/Re- dedicating yourself to the God/Goddess is Imbolc (Candlemas) which is on February 2, but you may Dedicate/Re-dedicate yourself on any day that seems right to you.

DEDICATING YOUR SPACE:

Alright, down to the nitty-gritty! What sort of ritual *should* you do to dedicate your space?

I’m going to toss out various ideas for you to use, discard, or modify–in the end, all rituals have to be yours–this is your space, your dedication to your guardian, only you know what is right, what needs to be there or not.

I believe that a ritual dedication of a space should be celebratory, rather like christening a ship or opening a road or cheering the New Year! It’s a new beginning when you create and dedicate a new space. So I would top my shopping list with a small, personal bottle of sparkling wine (or cider or water if you don’t drink!) with which to fill my goblet! (I’d go for a crystal flute to stand as my goblet! Make it special, as you usually only consecrate a space once!)–what a wonderful bit of ritual it is to pop a cork, watch the mist smoke off the bottle mouth, and then pour yourself a frothing, foamy glass! *Very positive*.

One nice idea might be to hang a ribbon across the doorway leading to the space after it has been cleaned and decorated. Part of the ritual would be to symbolically “open” the space with the cutting/untying of the ribbon. Or, use your imagination and create an invisible ribbon of power that your atheme can separate, thus symbolically “opening” the space to you!

Another way to consecrate a ritual space is to keep your guardian symbol outside of the space until it’s ready. Make setting the symbol in it’s place of honor part of the ritual so that you “crown” the space with it. This would likely occur after your have cast the circle and called the quarters.

Set the Guardian in its place of honor, light the candles and the incense, and then invite the Guardian to be with you always, and thank the Guardian for it’s presence in your new space.

One of the things you might want to do with this ritual is use incense or holy water to cleanse the space and/or your tools. Take the incense round the room counter-clockwise. Pass your tools, one by one through the smoke, or sprinkle the room with the water, and sprinkle your tools as well. You can also pass the tools through fire, or sprinkle some Earth upon them (or do all three, Earth, fire, water).

You might want to say something akin to: “I remove all negativity from this_______________(name the tool). For now and always, it will be used for positive ends” or something like that. Always envision *something* as you perform these acts– for example, imagine each item spotlighted, imagine the negative vanishing from it, the dullness replaced by the a positive, magical glow.

Now you want to consecrate the tools and the space–place the tools on the alter, in the center either in your cauldron or on your power symbol of choice (ankh, cross, pentagram….), call up energy between your hands, draw it up, from the earth, from the water, from the air, from the candleflames; envision this energy, it’s color, the color of your power–is it violet? Silver? Gold? Brighten it, and then infuse your tools with the light–just aim it at them with your hands–and say something like “By my will and thine,” (referring to your guardian and/or the Lord/Lady), “I consecrate these, now and forever. And it harm none, let my will be done.” Let the energy engulf the tools, and then dissipate.

Do the same for the space, only this time, let your power fill the room, and say instead “I consecrate this space, now and forever…etc.” And finally, place your hands on your alter and, sending energy into it, say: “I consecrate this alter, now and forever, by thy grace ________________ (name guardian), an it harm none, let our will be done.”

Don’t forget to GROUND!

End by popping the cork, filling your flute, and toasting the Guardian with a hearty drink of sparkling wine; then thank the guardian, and open the circle.

BURNING WORDS/SYMBOLS/PICTURES:

Burning or defacing written words, symbols or pictures poses a problem to most, law- abiding Westerners. This is because we associate such with negative images of fanatics burning books, attempts to censor and mob violence. We think of people burning those they despise in effigy, of flags burning in angry protest. And, from what we’ve seen, far from easing anger, the burning of such things usually incites people to burn down other things, like embassies.

So how can we go about burning/defacing written words, symbols or pictures in good conscience? More, burning/defacing them for our own personal good?

First, let’s establish that you should never burn/deface anything out of anger:

1) To burn/deface something in anger/out of hate will do you no good. It will not ease your anger. Like the ungovernable mobs, it could easily make you angrier–because you know that this is symbolic, not the real thing, and it’s the *real thing* you want to burn.

2) To burn/deface something in anger/out of hate is an act of vengeance—since you cannot harm your object of hate, you burn a symbol of it. But the intent is the same, to do it damage, to erase it. This is very like sending out a spell to do harm–and as all you Wiccans know, any magic you do with intent to harm will come back to you threefold.

3) Burning something in anger/out of hate is usually a spur of the moment act which, if you’d taken a moment to think it over, you probably would not have done. As said before, the act won’t make you feel better. On the contrary, it might leave you fearful (if you burn a Bible, you might end up fearing God’s retribution) or regretful (if you burn a favorite picture of someone you love, you might end up regretting later).

So, under what circumstances might you burn/deface written words, symbols or pictures?

In the East, it is a commonplace to write prayers on paper, then burn them. In Tibet, complex sand mandalas are created, fantastic works of art, that are then destroyed by pouring them into the sea–this to send the magic out, and also to remind the monks that nothing is permeate. There are also ceremonies where people burn symbolic objects to release themselves from whatever was holding them back.

There are, in short, two very good reasons for burning/defacing written words, symbols or pictures:

1) To send out their magic: in this case, you write down a wish or a prayer or a poem, bless it and empower it, then burn it at the end or the ritual, transforming it into air that it may spread its magic.

2) To release the power the words/symbols/pictures hold over you if their message (to you) is negative.

#1 being fairly obvious, we’re going to focus, primarily, on #2.

Here are the rules regarding burning words, symbols or pictures that represent a negative influence:

1) That you own the object you intend to burn (don’t burn a book someone else loaned you!) 2) That you burn it without anger. 3) That you are not burning it in an attempt to “hide/censor it” (like a fanatic burning a book so no one else can read it, or because they believe it is evil). 4) That the ashes be buried or dropped in running water, not in the garbage! 5) That you take care to burn it with *all* safety! watching that no burning ashes go floating away to start a fire. 6) That you burn it in a ritual for your own emotional, psychological, spiritual well being (or the emotional, psychological, spiritual well being of others).

Or, to put it another way, *INTENT* is what really matters when you burn/deface something.

I remember speaking to one former Christian who, though a long time practicing Wiccan, was still having paranoid anxiety attacks about the biblical Apolycolypse.

I recommended to her a ritual which included finding the passages that most disturbed her, tearing them out or Xeroxing them, and burning them. The aim here was to release her from the power these words had over her.

IT WAS *NOT* (and I emphasize this! NOT NOT NOT) to show contempt or hatred for another religion’s sacred book. There is no reason in the world that respect for another religion’s belief should interfere with a personal, private ritual wherein you release yourself, in whatever peaceful and harmless way necessary, from the dominating, destructive power of a written word, symbol or picture.

That said: In what other ways can you release yourself from the power that words, symbols or pictures have over you? Or people or things for that matter?

One way is to take the words, cut them up, and reform them into other sentences–in this ritual, you take a passage that has control over you and you take control over it, you remove it’s power, and empower yourself. You see the words for what they are: Words.

If a person has control/power over you (and here’s where we get to defacing!), like an old lover, dominating parents, or even a figure in the news, take a picture of them, and, with marker in hand, draw clown hats on their heads, silly mustaches, weird glasses, etc. Do this before you tear or burn the picture, as you need to reduce them from their position of Tyrant before you can, by tearing/burning, symbolically break their hold on you.

If it’s a thing or institution that has power over you, sketch a picture (or get a photo) of whatever might symbolize that thing or institution and do something likewise to it (deface, cut up, tear or burn).

Just make sure that you do this within the context of a ritual geared toward this purpose (to release you from this thing’s power!). This is a “freedom” ritual, and it’s intent is to transform *you*–you’re not going to change your parents, your old religious institution, your boss, or your old lover, but you can change yourself, how you deal with, react or view these things.

A ritual which involves burning, defacing, cutting or tearing words, symbols, pictures can do this, powerfully. Your recognition of it’s power is, in part, what makes you leery, hesitant or fearful of it–your caution is good. No such ritual should be done lightly. On the other hand, these methods should not be feared or rejected out of hand. Used wisely, well and *SPARINGLY*, they can really change your life–even save it!

SEX MAGIC:

WARNING: This section will be discussing some well, not exactly graphic but certainly frank and factual information regarding SEX! Be warned!

Rituals/spells involving SEX are among the most powerful that can be done, which is why you have to use GREAT CAUTION when using Sex in a ritual!

One of the best known uses of Sex in a ritual is the GREAT RITE where, through the union of the HP (High Priest) and HPS (High Priestess)- -(usually done away from the rest of the coveners in a secluded place)–the coven sends off it’s cone of power.

Here’s a more common type of ritual/sex spell that can be done by you and a loved one your very own home:

Decide on something you both want/need badly. Focus on a keyword for the need or want (I don’t think I need remind you that it should be a *positive* need/want–like healing magic or finding a much needed job). Cleanse and consecrate the bedroom (or wherever you’re going to do this), decorate according to purpose. Take a bath or shower together by way of self-cleansing. Together, cast the circle, call the quarters, and state your purpose.

Then…get to work!

Relax, use aromatic message oils, feathers, special music (whatever turns you on) and, well, do what comes naturally. As thing get heated, as agreed, you both need to focus and, as much as possible, think about the want/need. Visualize (again, as best as possible) the energy building around the two of you, pulsing, growing, sizzling. When you climax (and you need not, uh, come together), speak the keyword aloud or in your mind, over and over and over—send it off with the erupting energy.

Make sure you have both climaxed, then come down, *GROUND*–cuddle and snuggle awhile and then, before you go to sleep, open the circle.

Now, here’s what you have to remember before you race ahead to try this:

1) Be sure you *REALLY LOVE* your partner, and that you *really, really, really* want to be with them *forever*–’cause the more sex magic you do with someone, the more you bind them, Karmically, emotionally, spiritually to you (and you to them!). And *this* is not the *only* life in which you’re going to be with them! The more sex magic you engage in with them, the more likely you’re going to meet them again and again in your next life. You don’t want to be karmically bound to a jerk!

I told you this is *SERIOUS* stuff!

2) BOTH PARTNERS MUST FULLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO THIS! That doesn’t just mean that you say to your lover, “hey lover, tonight while we’re doing it, let’s think about a new house….”–No, no, no, no! Both of you have to be equally aware of what you plan to do, both of you have to agree and work out the ritual, both of you have to know what you are doing and believe in what you are doing!

3) DO NOT DO THIS RITUAL AT THE LAST MINUTE! This is not a ritual to do impromptu! The energy you’re calling up is too powerful! Choose the day/night with care and plan out your ritual IN ADVANCE! Obviously, the sex has to be “impromptu” (indeed, should be impromptu, creative, NEVER FORCED or stiff or mechanical!–you should, in all senses of the word *MAKE LOVE* or else you undermine the power of the sex) but everything else should be carefully choreographed. You want to feel confident about this.

4) If it turns out that, for all your planning, this just isn’t the night for one of you–stop, relax, laugh about it, and agree to do it another day.

5) Do not even *attempt* a sex ritual until and unless you feel yourself a competent ritual priest/priestess! This should not be one of the first rituals you try!

You’re probably wondering what will happen if you don’t listen to me–well, you can take it from me, the result will be a *DISASTER*! I messed up once (we won’t get into details on what I did wrong). The morning after, everything was completely out of balance- – things kept going wrong; negative dominated, positive was no where in sight. I had to restore the balance–which I did with a dismissal spell–*TWO of them!*

So heed this warning! Be very careful about using Sex in a ritual!

WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG!

Sometimes rituals or spells can go wrong. Likely, when they do go wrong it’s from:

(1) Either forgetting to ground or shield (problems arising from these are very temporary unless you’re highly sensitive). (2) Because you used the ritual to deliberately harm someone. (3) You involved an unprepared partner (see the section on SEX MAGIC). (4) Your intent was not clear or befuddled by something else (usually a negative emotion like anger or hate).

The more rituals you do in a state of negative emotion, the more unbalanced/tangled your life can become.

So what do you do? Don’t panic! The effects usually do not last that long (30 days max). If they are not that bad, but really annoying and troublesome, try this little ritual from Silverwolf’s *TO RIDE A SILVER BROOMSTICK*:

*Decorate: Nothing more is needed here beyond a pen, paper and a pair of candles–a pair is good as it emphasizes balance. Pick two opposing colors, black/white, or rainbow candles. Use protective incense, wear protective symbols or gem stones.

Shield, and spend extra time centering.

*Cast the circle and call quarters. Your intent is to restore balance!

*Light candles, and by their light write something akin to the following:

On the day/eve of ________________ I cast a spell, The effect of which was ________________ May this spell be lifted and I be gifted with______________

If you write the spell, fold the paper three times and set it in the center of your alter or burn it. If you say the spell, say it three times while turning counterclockwise.

GROUND–and then spend a little time meditating, relaxing, feeling the balance restored inside you.

IF YOU HAVE A **MAJOR** IMBALANCE then try this ritual for restoring balance:

*In this case, go all out, cleansing, decorating–include a pair of scales in the ritual. Put something significant on the scales to unbalance them (coins, for example, if it involves money, I-ching coins if it involves divination, salt for almost anything else, sand for dreams gone wrong, or appropriate gem stones or herbs). Put all these to the right side if you feel that the imbalance favors the masculine while depriving the feminine. Put them to the left side if the opposite is true.

*Place the scale between the candles. Cleanse the area with smoke or saltwater.

*After self-cleansing, dressing protectively, casting the circle, calling the quarters- – invoke a god/goddess of balance to help you in this ritual along with your guardian deity.

*Light the candles and state purpose (to restore balance), and then with atheme or a wooden spoon (which you blessed) or your fingers, move objects (stones, coins, whatever) from one side of the scales to the other, little by little, until the balance is restored.

As you spoon or shift the objects, envision the objects glowing with your color or with a color appropriate to solving your problem (green or gold for money, for example). As each one is set upon the empty/opposite side of the scales, imagine the scales taking on a glow. The more they balance, the brighter they glow.

When the scales are balanced (make sure before hand, by the way, that they *will* be balanced–an odd number of coins won’t do it!), step back, and see the scales glowing with the radiance of balance.

*Infuse the scales with light, and then let the light dissipate/shoot out into the universe. Ground and meditate on being calm and balanced within.

*Thank the deities who helped you, dismiss the quarters and open the circle.

This ritual can also be done with a tangled bit of red string or a silver/gold necklace. As you untangle the string, imagine the tangle of your energy becoming untangled. When all knots are out, imagine the string radiating with energy, bright, brighter, until you can send it out.

If none of this works, contact friends and get some help–your energy is too tangled/unbalanced, you need others to help you untangle/balance it.

This ends Rituals: Sacred Acts in Sacred Space.

There are three other files regarding Rituals that were formed from the ritual study class. They are: CYBR.TXT an informal tutorial on how to create rituals in/for Cyberspace

LIFE.TXT discusses rituals for birth, adulthood, marriage, croning and death.

SABB.TXT covers holiday/Sabbath rituals: Yule (Winter Solstice), Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Midsummer, Lammas, Vernal Equinox and Samhain (Holloween).

Peace and light to you, Sister or Brother; may all your rituals bring you the blessings of the Goddess and the God. So Mote it be!

Originally posted 2009-10-27 19:19:55.

(Note from Daven:  Let me be clear; this is NOT my article.  I have reprinted it here with the original author’s permission.  I think this is one of the best articles of this type that I know of, and it points a lot of facts out to us all.  I advise that everyone read this, read this, read this.  The original article can be found at http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/Skvala/burning.html)

 ”Never again the burning times!” This familiar motto recalls a modern myth popular in Wicca and Witchcraft circles that tells how millions of Goddess worshippers practicing “the Old Religion” in were hunted down, tortured and burned during the 15th-18th centuries by a Christian Church desperate to eliminate the last remaining Pagans in Europe. This myth, or various permutations of it, continues to be taught as “well known historical fact” in many Wicca 101 courses and Intro to Witchcraft lectures. It is frequently referred to in books and articles written by Wiccans for Wiccans. These days, the theory that the victims of the Great Witch Hunt were Pagans is given about as much credence by academic historians as the theory that aliens from another planet built the pyramids. But although it’s rejected by those who have actually analyzed the evidence, the Burning Times Myth continues to be unquestioningly accepted by many modern witches, and must therefore serve some psychological or sociological purpose. But could this same purpose be better served by discarding the myth in favor of the truth?

The major source of The Burning Times Myth is Margaret Murray’s 1921 book, The Witch Cult in Western Europe in which she attempted to use evidence from (mainly Scottish) witch trials to reconstruct the rites and rituals of a European witch cult, which, she claimed, was a survival of a ancient Pan-European Pagan religion. Over the past 75 years, academic historians have criticized Margaret Murray’s methodology and conclusions and have proved many of her assertions to be blatantly false. She altered her witch trial data to suit her pre-conceived ideas, ignoring evidence that didn’t fit, and she completely disregarded other sorts of historical data that were directly relevant to her claims.

Some of the faults with Margaret Murray’s historical research are summarized in The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton (p.303)

Dr Murray’s ignorance of ancient Paganism in Western Europe prevented her from realizing that the rituals imputed to early modern witches were not antique rites but parodies of contemporary Christian ceremonies and social mores. Her failure to study Continental sources obviated the need to wonder why the Great Witch Hunt was confined to certain places and certain times, and why the ‘witch cult’ failed to persist in areas in which it was never persecuted. But even her limited information and sphere of interest should have driven her to ask why it was that, out of a genuine popular religion, it was almost always the female devotees who were arrested. Or why the Devil at the covens, whom she insisted was a mortal man in disguise, was never once apprehended.

Hutton goes on to state that (p.306): “During the past two decades a score of detailed local studies of the Great Witch Hunt, spanning Europe, have demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that its victims were not practitioners of an Old Religion.” The lengthy footnote attached to this statement references 20 books and articles on the subject.

So what’s the real story with the “burning times”? The 40,000 or so victims of the Great Witch Hunt, which took place in the midst of religious battles between Catholics and Protestants during the Reformation, weren’t witches, or Goddess-worshippers, or Pagans of any sort. They were Church-going Christians. They tended to be old widowed women who were perceived as a burden on the community, out-spoken younger women who were perceived as a threat to the authorities, sexually promiscuous women, or women whose socio-economic power was a source of envy or fear. The form of “witchcraft” these women were falsely accused of was Satanic, not Pagan. The most popular accusation was that they fornicated with the Devil. Under torture, they often admitted to participating in forms of “the black mass” as fantasized by Christian zealots.

The Great Witch Hunt was not an effort by Christian authorities to stamp out Paganism. For all intents and purposes, that had been accomplished long before. In her book Witchcraze, Anne Llewellyn Barstow theorizes over the real motivation behind the Great Witch Hunt and finds its source in the strongly patriarchal and misogynist social structure of early modern Europe. In the final chapter she writes:

I conclude that ruling-class European men looked at and treated their women basically as they did their African slaves and Indian serfs and as they had treated Jews and heretics before them, namely, with increasing violence. Viewing women as property, husbands became more authoritarian, a role no less oppressive for being disguised as paternalism. Just as slavery produced the myth of the good master, so patriarchy created the myth of the benevolent ruler of the family. Viewing women as dangerous (doesn’t the master come to fear the slave?), judges and priests devised a satanic conspiracy theory to punish women who might step out of line. As the sociologist Richard Horsely observed, accusations of witchcraft were “a highly effective means of social control.”

The Witch Trials resulted in an atmosphere of fear which was a very effective way of “keeping women in their place.” Women living in areas where witch-hunts occurred knew that if they asserted themselves in any way which offended the sensibilities of male authorities, religious or secular, they could be falsely accused of being in league with Lucifer and tortured until they admitted it. If a woman’s friend or relative were accused of witchcraft, and she dared to stand up for them in court, she would run the risk of being accused of being a fellow witch and tortured until she confessed that both she and her loved one were guilty.

“The Burning Times” have nothing to do with the persecution of Pagans by Christians. Rather, they are an extreme example of the persecution of women within a patriarchal society. Feminists, and anyone who believes in justice and equality for all, should be outraged by the Great Witch Hunt, just as they are outraged about all instances throughout history of the institutionalized oppression of one group of people by another. Remembering those women who were tortured and killed for “stepping out of line” during the 300 years of Witch trials can serve as an inspiration to us to continue to fight for equality of women today in societies around the world.

But when Wiccans use the phrase “Never again the Burning Times,” it tends to be in a context where they are discussing some instance (or perceived instance) of oppression of Neo-Pagan witches by mainstream Christian society, and not in a context where women in general are being oppressed. Now that Margaret Murray’s fantasy of a Pagan Witch Cult whose surviving members were hunted down during the Reformation has been proven to be just that –a fantasy, why do so many Wiccans persist in taking a historical example of widespread misogyny in Western society and narrowing the focus so that Pagan witches, rather than ordinary Christian women, become the victims?

Witches today are a disparate lot, with a plethora of different beliefs and practices. Wiccan organizations are subject to so much infighting that the term “bitchcraft” has come into common usage in Pagan circles. The Burning Times Myth helps to unite the Wiccan community by giving witches a common history of persecution, a common enemy, and a common goal. Gardnerians, Alexandrians, Solitaries and other varieties of witch can all see themselves as survivors of the Great Witch Hunt who need to band together against their Fundamentalist Christian oppressors to ensure that Wiccans receive equal rights and equal opportunities in mainstream society so that the Burning Times never happen again. Whenever witches are negatively portrayed by the media, whenever a Wiccan parent is denied custody in a divorce case, whenever Wiccans who wear pentagrams to work are fired under mysterious circumstances, the Burning Times Myth looms large. Wiccans band together to help put a stop to instances of prejudice and discrimination towards witches because they “know” what can happen if they let it go unchecked. The Burning Times Myth functions as a cautionary tale to motivate Wiccans toward working to achieve their goal of equal rights and opportunities for witches.

The goal is laudable and the motivation seems to work. So why not continue to perpetuate the Burning Times Myth? What’s the harm? One problem with the myth is that, while it inspires Wiccans to fight for acceptance by mainstream society, it helps to keep them from achieving it. A major public misconception that Wiccans have to deal with is the idea that witches worship the Christian Devil. And yet, it’s not unusual for a Wiccan being interviewed by the mainstream media to follow up a statement that witches aren’t Satanists with a statement that they were persecuted by Christians during The Great Witch Hunt. One glance at any witch trial transcript will show that the victims of the burning times were accused of, and confessed to, being Satanists. In fact, the popular modern idea that witches worship the Devil most likely has its roots in the misogynist propaganda surrounding the Great Witch Hunt. By continuing to identify themselves as practitioners of the same religion as those who were burned at the stake for engaging in sex with Satan, Wiccans themselves are guilty of blurring the line between Wicca and Satanism.

Another danger is that by repeating the myth that the victims of the Great Witch Hunt were, indeed, witches, and not simply ordinary women, Wiccans may be helping to perpetuate the very propaganda that let it occur in the first place. The horrors committed against women during the Burning Times were only allowed to continue because of the prevailing message that the victims were “witches”–evil devil-worshippers who were justly punished. This is the same sort of propaganda which was used to justify the horrors perpetrated against Jews during WWII. And yet, today, many mainstream women who are insistent that we should never forget the Holocaust, easily dismiss the Great Witch Hunt with rationalizations like: “Those witches must have done something to deserve it” or “That sort of thing could never happen today” or “That couldn’t happen to me, I’m a Christian.” If more modern women understood that the victims of The Great Witch Hunt were not witches in either the Neo-Pagan or the Satanist sense of the term, but simply women whose behavior was perceived as threatening male authority, the lesson of history might serve to motivate them to risk being labeled trouble-makers and to fight for their rights rather than put up with the daily injustices against women that are the legacy of the patriarchy.

As a non-mainstream religion, Wicca has had to deal with popular misconceptions about, and prejudice against its practitioners. As a Goddess-centered religion, Wicca has long been tied up with the feminist movement and concerned with women’s rights. These two aspects of Wicca are intimately linked, since it can be argued that many of the misconceptions and prejudices surrounding the religion ultimately result from a patriarchal society’s fears of women’s power and sexuality –the same fears that gave rise to the Great Witch Hunt. Addressing these societal fears, and advancing the cause of equal rights for women — all women, is necessarily a good thing for Wicca, since a Goddess-centred religion can only flourish in an atmosphere that encourages an appreciation of feminine qualities and a healthy respect for women. If Wiccans who have usurped “Never Again the Burning Times” as their own motto, offer it up to their non-Wiccan sisters as a feminist battle cry, they will only be gaining allies in their fight for acceptance. Thus, the truth about The Burning Times ultimately holds more power for Wicca than the myth.

Published in the Spring 1999 issue of Connections Journal
Published in Cup of Wonder Issue Number Two

Originally posted 2009-11-20 15:09:50.