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1101 love. The light of the Sun is the knowledge you impart to us, driving out ignorance and those things which can survive only in darkness. At the West: Lovely One, the quiet pool is the serenity of your being. The vast sea where life began on this planet is the vast sea of your being whence all life came; its waves are the ebb and flow of the universe you rule. At the North: Goddess of all, the fertility of the earth is a sign of your fer- tility, whence all life rose. The solidity and permanence are still of it are still less than yours. The Earth's fertility feeds our bodies, and your fertility feeds our souls. Go to the center of your temple, which is now filled with moonlight. Everything in the circle is touched by it, blessed by it, including you. Sit down and feel this moonlight around you. Know that it is the Goddess. Realize that you are in the center of a sphere of light that is half above and half above and half below where you sit. Begin to breathe slowly and evenly, deep breaths that penetrate your whole body. When this rhythmic breathing becomes natural, imagine that the moonlight by which you are surrounded enters you, fills you entirely. With each exhalation of your breath, some of the essence of yourself leaves your body, and with each inhalation, the light enters you. You are being filled ever so gently with this beautiful light. This light, which is the presence, the being of the Goddess, is within you as well as without. With each breath, you are less yourself and more the Goddess. When you are filled with light, filled with the Goddess, the shell of your body fades away. You have no body; there is nothing to separate you from the entire being of the Goddess. Nothing exists but the being of which you are apart. You have ceased to be a separate entity. You are nothing and everything. All that was, that is, and all that will be, you are. Enjoy this feeling as long as you like. When you feel it is time, picture the outer shell of your physical body reformi ng, becoming solid again. It is being built out of the Universe of which you are a part. Now, as you continue your slow deep breathing, see the moonlight flowing out of your body, as gently and slowly as it entered. As it flows out, realize there is a difference. Because you have become one with the Goddess, with the Universe, your being has changed. As the moonlight flows out of your body, it takes with it a part of that which was yourself, now part of the Goddess, and leaves behind a part of the Goddess, forever now part of you. You become yourself again, solid as you were, but changed. You are surrounded by the presence of the Goddess, which now contains a part of yourself . Move again to the East. As you speak, and after, picture the moon- light in that quadrant flowing back to its source, lea ving that quadrant as it was. Do this at each quadrant, until all the moonlight has returned to the Moon. 1102 At the East: My Lady, guide my thoughts. Let them lead always closer to you. At the South: Gracious Goddess, guide my actions. Let them always help and never harm others or myself. At the West: Lovely One, guide my emotions: Let them be healing and touched always by you. At the North: Sweet Goddess, let my mind always be fertile and storng, that I may grow always toward you. Return to the East to complete the circle and say: Queen of Heaven, I thank you for your presence, both now and always. My love and devotion are yours. Blessed be! All spirits who have joined me tonight may depart, with my love. Return to your proper places. Walk again around your circle, but this time counterclockwise, extin- guishing the quadrant guards as you go, and at the same time, mentally erasing the white line which surrounded your circle. When the candles are out and the circle gone, rap on your altar and say: The rite is ended. 1103 Quilting and "CRAFT" Janis Maria Cortese Newsgroups: alt.pagan Organization: University of California, Irvine Last night I attended the first session of a first-time quilter's class. While I was there listening to the teachers tell us the little tricks that make quilting easier and buying all the neat gadgets that you use, something very fundamental struck me, to the point that I was unable to speak for a few minutes until I had acknowledged this movement in my mind. Let me describe something to you, and you try to guess what I'm talking about. The characteristics are as follows: 1) done by a group of women together, which is frequently called a circle. 2) handed down from mother to daughter, in a VERY hands-on fashion. 3) uses specialized tools that other people don't understand and usually don't recognize. 4) requires strict adherence to ritual preparation of materials. 5) can be monotonous and repetitive -- PERFECT for meditation. 6) can be decorative as well as practical, and frequently both. 7) can be done entirely by hand, OR with the aid of techie stuff. 8) causes things to come into being that other people usually call "magic." Sound like Wicca? Well, it's not, at least not the "standard" type, if there is any such thing. I'm talking about the quilting class. Have you ever wondered WHY so many WOMEN do it, and so few men (apolo- gies to male Witches out there; I discovered these things through feminism)? What else has been so "religiously" handed down through generations aside from crafting skills, and how many women do you know who have a love affair with that old afghan that their grandmother made and wouldn't part with it for the world? Sound familiar now? I mean, REALLY. This *can't* be coincidence! I will follow the Craft in the barest sense of the word -- a CRAFT, some talent which can be used for practical and beautiful purposes, and has all the trappings of a "true" ritual. (And believe me, you'd better adhere to the rules hard and fast. You must use EXACTLY the required seam allowance, and you'd better treat your cloth before you start sewing, or whatever you end up with might as well be a drop- cloth.) And when you're done, you have something. You have some- thing to which you can point and say, "That's where the last five weeks have gone." You can follow a pattern established by another woman, or you can create your own, or you can follow a pattern and personalize it with your choice of materials. 1104 I mean, they're called QUILTING CIRCLES and SEWING CIRCLES, people? How much more of a HINT do you need?!?!?! Howzaboutit? Anyone else interested in a coven of Crafters who literally craft? I feel it deeply enough that I can finally call myselef Wiccan/Witch and have it feel right. However, I'd rather not do this by myself. I realize that many people would rather follow Wicca in a different way, but if this way feels so wonderful to me, it MIGHT be good for others, too. I'm not saying that you need to do this the same way *I* do it; just give it a try and see how it feels. If you like, try consecrating your materials before starting. Make something (I'm not just talking quilts, here, but ALL kinds of crafts) with a Pagan theme. After I finish here, I'd LOVE to make a four-pane quilt with a full moon, a chalice, a blade, and a tree in the panes. Any feedback on this? I can't tell you how strongly I feel this and how amazed I am at that strength. If I really allowed myself to absorb this, I think I'd be in tears. Maybe I'm just typing this to get it on "paper"; I don't know. But I've never felt this way -- this sublime -- about anything connected with Paganism/Wicca before. THIS CAN'T BE COINCIDENCE!!!!!!! Blessings, Janis C. 1105 SOPHIA By Terry J. McCombs NAME: SOPHIA which is the Greek verson of Her name, other names and titles are Hohkma (Hebrew), Sapienta (Latin), Mother-Of-All (Gnostic), Holy Spirit (very early Christians),Wisdom (what the other names mean). SYMBOLS: A cup, the cresent moon, a dove, a tree. USUAL IMAGE: A red winged woman, crowned with seven stars, at Her feet lies the World, She carrys a golden cup. She is also often shown wareing a red gown, and pregnant. HOLY DAYS: November 28th is the Day of Sophia. HOLY BOOKS: The Trattato Gnostico. The Clementine Homilies. The Gospel According to Mary. PLACES OF WORSHIP: Temples, but also places of learning. RELATIVES: Yahway (ex-husband), Adam, Eve, Lilith, angels (children), Jesus Christ (step-son). SYNODIETIES:Isis (Egyptian), Juno (Roman), Hera (Greek), Frigga (Norse) Spider Grandmother (Native American), Inanna (Sumerian), Tara (Tibetan) Yemaya (African-Caribbean), Amaterasu (Japanese), Pachamama (Incan), Estsanatlehi }Changing Woman{ (Navajo and Apache), Danu (Celtic). DETAILS: Sophia, or Hohkma or Sapienta etc... is the primary female figure of Judeo-Christianity, She was once very important, but because of the efforts of men who had a very serious problem with the female force in nature and themselfs She has all but been exsponged from modern Bibles. She was the veiled holy spirit of wisdom, pregnant with knowledge and inviting us to drink deeply from Her cup. Old Jewish literature tells of Her role as God's co-creator, "She reaches out from one end of the earth to the other with full strength and orders all things well...Herself unchanging, she makes all things anew." without Her God is powerless. She shares God's throne, and is his creative breath. The Shakers recognized her in the rhyme: "Wisdom holds the Mother's seat, and is the Father's helper-meet." Yes, it's time that Mrs God got Her due! 1106 Gnostics and sophia Gnosticism (Gnost = knowledge) was one of the very earlyist forms of Christianty being some what older then what became the Roman Catholic Church, and one of it's chief rivals during the first part of the first millennium. They sought communion with Sige (Silence) who dwelt at the beginning of all things and gave birth to Sophia (Wisdom or Knowledge), The Gnostic Great Mother, who was both spouse and mother of God. (Hey! it's how they thought back then, read your Joseph Campbell.) What became the orthodox church especially hated the Gnosticfemin- ine imagery. Followers of Paul denounced the Gnostics as the spawn of Satan and ravening wolves in human form, and both devil worshipers AND atheists, and other insults Christians used against other Christians of a diffrent type in those times, and for that matter today against other religions that they don't like today. Starting mainly in the 4th and going through the 8th the Paulist church persecuted any Gnostic minorities that they could find, killing them in the thousands. Church fathers of the Paulist type were very upset and angry by the Gnostics admiting women to ecclesiastical rank. Tertullian reported with horror that "All initiates, men and women alike...might be elected to serve as priest, bishop, or prophet. Beyone that the women teach, engage in discussion; they exorcise; they cure. They even baptize and in all way have equally, they pray equally -- even Pagans, if any happen to come...They also share the kiss of peace with all who come." Some sects of Gnosticism even went sofar as to say that there were twelve female apostles lead by the beloved of Jesus Mary Magdalene, and that while Jesus was the real God made flesh, Mary Magdalene was the real Goddess also made flesh, most of their gospels pertaining to this were distroyed by the eary Paulist, though some have survived. In return for what the other Christians had to say about them the Gnostics said that the God of the Roman church was not the real God but was a devilish demiurge who only wanted to entrap human souls in lies, illusion, and evil. But what about some of these differences that are to be found between the Gnostics who had a Yahway AND Sophia, and the Paulist who had only Jehovah and Jesus? Lets take a short look at the Gnostic verson of the Garden of Eden myth next. The Gnostics said that Sophia was born from the primordial female power Sige (Silence). And that she }Sophia{ was God's mother, "the great revered Virgin in whom the Father was concealed from the begin- ing before He had created anything. 1107 Sophia gave birth to a male spirit, Christ, (who only much later came to earth in human form) and a female spirit Achamoth (who later came to earth as Mary Magdalene). These two gave birth to the elements and the terrestrial world, then brought forth a new god named Jehovah, Son of Darkness, along with five planetary spirits later regarded as emanations of Jehovah: Iao, Sabaoth, Adonai, Eloi, annd Uraeus. These spirits produced archangels, angels, and finally men and women. Jehovah forbade men to eat the fruit of knowledge, but his mother Achamoth sent her own spirit to earth in the form of the serpent Ophis to teach menkind to disobey the jealous god. The serpent was also called Christ, who taught Adam to eat the fruit of knowledge despite Jehovah's prohibition. ...later Sophia sent Christ again to earth in the shapeof one of Her totems the dove, to enter the man Jesus at his baptism in Jordan. After Jesus died,Christ left his body and returned to heaven to help collect souls. But notall of Sophia was taken out ofthe final verson of the Bible by the Paulist, some was able to slip past ie from the 8th and 9th chapters Proverbs we see the early conflict between followers of Sophia and those of God. Maybe the divorse was going on at this time?: Doth not Sophia cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in of the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand Sophia: and , ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things... for Sophia is better then rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compaired to Her. I Sophia dwell with prudence, and find out knowlege of witty inventions... Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am under- standing; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and and nobles, even all judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me... I lead the way into righteousness, jin the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures... Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life... But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. 1108 Then we get: Sophia hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her sevenpillars: she hath killed her beasts: she hath mingled her wine: she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maindens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled...(but) the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the kknowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me (God) thy days shall be mul- tiplied, and the years fo thy life shall be increased... a foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high place of the city, (temples) to call passengers who go right on their ways: whoso is simple, let him turn in hither... But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and her guests are in the depths of hell. Sounds like thenasty sort of thing that goes on in a lot of divor- ces to me. Or at least a heated PR battle. Lets say that the campaign to bring Sophia (or Sapienta or Hohkma or Goddess which ever) is a success, what are some of the effects that it might have? I mean other then the religious aspects, I mean also the political or more mundane aspects, because as it is now while women make up the majority of those that DO anything in the churchs the power is in the hands of men, well, with Sophia back thinks would have to loosen up more then a little bit, so what are some of the changes that could take place?......: Catholicism Sure theyhave nuns, but that does not count because even they have to have a Priest that is over them (I think I'm really not sure about the details). So with the return of Sophia we could see also the Catholic Priestess who would have her very on sacraments and every- thing (see following message) and to be sure they could also become bishops and cardinals I understand that such things were quite common way back when. And Pope? There was Pope Joan, but she had to be in disguise to do that. and all that Pope stuff did not start till well after the last of the Sophiaist had been offed. But I know the perfect compromise, there is a lotof controveray in the Roman Catholic church right now between people who think that Priest should be able to marry, and those that think things should stay just as they are. But if you let Priest marry who knows what would happen! after all nobody can understand anybody elses choices in books or mates, and if your Catholic would would you do if Father Dan showed up one day married to a Yahway's Witness or a nice Jewish girl?! you know what gosips church people can be, well here's the solution, let them get married, but only to Priestesses, sure that cuts down the feld a lot but hey! that's tough, it comes with the territory. 1109 Protestantism Now here's a group that needs some work, ever seen some of the more hard-core groups with the men in their Penta-Pimp suits and the poofyed up hair-dos and their drab mousey wifes who never seem to say anything? (not to try and get anybody mad or upset, but if I do...I try) I think there is more then room for a little loosening up to be done there, and in the more avereage protestant churchs too. Along with the minister have a wominister, yeah that would work, maybe haveing another power would help cut down on the power triping that often takes place. And just think, one more person to gosip about! Judaism Sorry, I really don't know enough about Judaism to talk about changes that might take place with the return of a Goddess figure, but I'm sure it would have to mean something...right? All Judeo-Christianity One thing that is to be found in all Christian religious groups is the male-force verson of the leader, no matter if he is called Priest minister or what, who is let's face it more matter how you might like to not look at it, is for the most part a political figure, somebody in charge, so that you have a lot of religion but very, very little if any real spirituality. Perhaps that could be fixed with the return of Sophia because with the return of a Female eleament to a religion you open up the door to the possibility of the Christian Shaman, something that the world has yet to see, this person could be ether male or female and..well I think this needs it's own message. Even if you are not Catholic yourself I am sure that you are at least somewhat familiar with each of the seven sacraments that a priest can perform as part of his office. Just for the record they are listed below. The seven sacraments that a priest of the Roman Catholic church can preform are: 1. Baptism 2. Communion (eucharist) 3. Confirmation 4. Marriage 5. Priesthood 6. Sacrament of the Sick (formerly known as 'last rites') 7. Reconciliation (confession) Now, what would be the case if a campaign to return Sophia to Judeo- Christianity were to succeed? There would be no need to take anything away from the priests, or even for them to share the seven sacraments for that matter, I think that the priestess would have plenty to do with the seven sacraments of the Priestesshood: 1110 1. Pre-Baptism (sacred midwifery) To atend in a number of ways to the spiritual and physical needs of pregnant women, blessing the child, doing some rite at the birth etc... 2. Blessing the Cup. Rite by which a cup of milk or water is imbued with the essence of Sophia. 3. Bake the Love in. Rite in which an entire meal is imbued with the essence of Sophia. 4. Match-Making. Something that is badly needed before the Priest can do the marriage bit. a number of ways in which the compatablility is tested between two people, also the aiding of finding a suitable match. ("Nu! have I got a girl for you!") 5. Nag. Sort of like confession, only while one is told to the priest this one is told to you by the priestess, sort of like naging...but in a good way, a way of pointing out where some improvement could be made, all under the influence of Sophia and not the good Mother herself `nach. Mayby it could start out by the Priestess saying something like "Watch it buster, for you have sined" or something like that. 6. Tidy-Up. Rite to "clean-up" the spiritual "being" of the person in question, sort of like all that aura cleaning that the New Agers do. 7. Make-Over. Training that lets the Priestess note changes that would be helpfull if they were made in an individual, sort of like that Hail Mary thing, only the Priestess would asign things of a more tangible form. Like give me one week with no beer drinking, or such like. The White Goddess. Robert Graves. Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity. (2 vols.) Francis Legge. The Gnostic Religion. Hans Jonas. Venus in Sackcloth. Marjorie Malvern. Myths to Live By. Joseph Campbell. The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels. When God Was a Woman. Merlin Stone. The Lady Was a Bishop. Joan Morris. Spiral Dance. Starhawk. The Book of Goddesses and Heroines. Patricia Monagham. The Goddesses and the Tree. Ellen Cannon Reed. Urban Shaman. Serge Kahili King. Growing the Tree Within. William Gray. The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Barbara G. Walker. Many of these booksare to be found at the libary. . And there is a new one out called Sophia the Black Goddess I believe butI'm not sure and I don't know the authors name.....sorry. 1111 Bardic Beltaine By "The White Bard", Dragonhart Cove, Phoenix, AZ -------------------------------------------------------------- The BARD should stand to the WEST, unless otherwise specified in the ritual. BELTANE RITUAL: May Day -by the White Bard Materials: One cauldron, filled with water a wreath of flowers for the MAIDEN the Maiden should wear white, if possible two wooden swords (optional) a fire, as close to the ground as possible A BARD/GREEN MAN (note: if you have no Bard, then a male to act as Green Man should be chosen either by lottery, or by the Maiden. The Maiden is, of course, free to request a specific person to act as Green Man even if there is a Bard available to the coven.) candles for all, if possible ***************************************** % The place of ritual should be set up, away from the gathered % participants. % It is more than a good idea to manage bathrooms and such like % before the circle is closed. This Mystery is not something any % of the participants should miss out on! HPS: Go we now to the sacred place And stand within the sacred space Turn your minds to sacred things And dance with me unto the ring! % HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a % spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The % cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man % dances at the end of the line. HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance Within the Lady's radiance To celebrate the Year renewed And praise the Powers, with gratitude. Earth and Water, Fire and Air I invoke the Goddess there! This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky I invoke the God on high This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! % The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but % shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her % circumnabulation. 1112 EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower, Airy ones of healing power I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power Thus I invite you to this tower I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! WEST: Western ones of water's flow Help to guard us here below I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame Bless and guard our Power's fane I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! % The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each % corner's crying as she moves to the next: HPS: So I cast and consecrate This Circle of the small and great: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea, By Fire and Water, Earth and Air, By the Lord, and Lady Fair! By Love and Joy and Work and Play, All things harmful cast away! By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall, By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: (Cast the Circle: Blessed be!) % On her return to the first corner she shall change the last % line above, and say: The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be! 1113 % The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners. -------------------------------------------------- % Here begins the Beltane Mystery BARD or GREEN MAN: Thus I invoke the Lady White To come to us this sacred night. By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, I show you a Mystery! % The Maiden shall stand beside the HP, who shall hold a % wooden sword. The Bard/Green Man shall approach them, also % carrying a wooden sword, and shall, in mime, challenge the % HP. They shall strike their swords together in three sets % of three blows, then Bard/Green Man shall strike the HP, with % the last blow of his sword, who shall fall as if dead. % (Note: This can be played as a Morris Dance, if so wished.) % If no Maiden and Bard/Green Man are used, then the above combat % may be eliminated, and the HP and HPS shall enact the Mystery. % The HPS' part shall then be spoken by the participants. % The Maiden moves to the East. The Bard/Green Man moves to the % North. HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack But aye his whistle would fetch her back! MAIDEN: Oh, I shall go into a hare with sorrow, sighing and mickle care And I shall go in the Lady's Name Aye, until I be fetched hame! BARD/GREEN MAN: Hare, take heed of a swift greyhound Will harry thee all these fields around For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Maiden moves to the South. The Bard/Green Man moves to the % East. HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack But aye his whistle would fetch her back! MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a bee With mickle fear and dread of thee And flit to hive in the Lady's Name Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! BARD/GREEN MAN: Bee, take heed of a red, red cock Will harry thee close thru door and lock For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Maiden moves to the West. The Bard/Green Man moves to the % South. HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack But aye his whistle would fetch her back! 1114 MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a trout. With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt And show thee many a merry game Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! BARD/GREEN MAN: Trout, take heed of an otter lank Will harry thee close from bank to bank For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Maiden moves to the North. The Bard/Green Man moves to the % West. HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack But aye his whistle would fetch her back! MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a mouse And haste me unto the Miller's House There in his corn to have good game Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! BARD/GREEN MAN: Mouse, take heed of a white tom-cat That never was baulked of mouse nor rat For here come I in the Lady's Name And -thus- it is I fetch thee hame! % Bard/Green Man walks to Maiden and takes her hand. They % both move to the Cauldron, and face HPS. HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack But aye his Song has fetched her back! Old Winter's dead, the Lady reigns And Summer has returned again! % Bard/Green Man and Maiden both wet their hands with water % from the Cauldron, and sprinkle it on the HP, who comes to % life again. HP: Cunning and art I do not lack But aye Her Cauldron will bring me back! % Bard/Green Man and Maiden both move to, and jump, the fire. % Here ends the Beltane Mystery. % Note: This Mystery is the more historically correct "Great Rite." ------------------------------------------------ % If there is a May Pole, it should be erected by the men -only- at % this point, and all dance around it, alternating male and female % to raise the cone of power as outlined below. % A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing: HPS: In a ring we all shall stand Pass the Power, hand to hand. 1115 HP: As the year is given birth Build the Power; root to Earth HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand Bless the Lady, bless the Land HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies Bless the Power that never dies! % The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or % as many as needed to fully wrap the pole) and then the HPS % should say: HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree: Let the Power flow out and free! % All should release, at this point. ------------------------------------------------------ % Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here. ------------------------------------------------------ % The Circle is opened. HPS: Thus I release the East and West Thanks to them from Host to Guest Thus I release the South and North With "Blessed Be' I send them forth! The Circle's open, dance we so Out and homeward we shall go. Earth and Water, Air and Fire Celebrated our desire. Winter's cold is gone away Now it is the Day of May. By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, Our circle's done; and Blessed Be! COVEN: Blessed Be! % All spiral dance out from the Circle, jumping the fire as % they go. HP and HPS lead, with Bard/Green Man and Maiden % taking care of bringing the Bel Fire into camp. Allow the Bel % fire to burn out on its own, if possible, otherwise put it % out with the water from the Caldron. Disposal of the water % otherwise should be to pour it at the roots of a tree. % All participants may take fire from the Bel Fire to take home % with them, cook over, or whatever, before it is extinguished. ----------------end of Beltain ritual: the Bard-------------- 1116 ------------------------------------------------------------- SAMHAIN RITUAL: 31 October by the White Bard Materials: one cauldron, filled with water CRONE: This should be an older female. OLD KING: This should be a person chosen by lottery, or by whoever is acting as Crone. It can be enacted by the HP if needed. BARD/GREEN MAN: If the coven has no Bard available, then a Green Man should be chosen by lottery, or by whoever is acting as Maiden. It can be enacted by the HP, if needed. ------------------------------------------------ % The place of ritual should be set up, away from the gathered % participants. This is not something that people should miss, % so make sure that potty break is taken care of before the % circle is cast. HPS: Go we now to the sacred place And stand within the sacred space Turn your minds to sacred things And dance with me unto the ring! % HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a % spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The % cauldron should be at the south. The Old King dances at % the end of the line. HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance Within the Lady's radiance To mark the turning of the year The door to Winter now is here. Earth and Water, Fire and Air I invoke the Goddess there! This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky I invoke the God on high This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! % The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but % shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her % circumnabulation. 1117 EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower, Airy ones of healing power I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power Thus I invite you to this tower I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! WEST: Western ones of water's flow Help to guard us here below I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame Bless and guard our Power's fane I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! % The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each % corner's crying as she moves to the next: HPS: So I cast and consecrate This Circle of the small and great: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea, By Fire and Water, Earth and Air, By the Lord, and Lady Fair! By Love and Joy and Work and Play, All things harmful cast away! By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall, By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: (Cast the Circle: Blessed be!) % On her return to the first corner she shall change the last % line above, and say: The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be! 1118 % The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners. -------------------------------------------------- % Here begins the Samhain Mystery: OLD KING: Thus I invoke the Lady White To come to us this sacred night. By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, I shall show you a Mystery! % Bard/Green Man and Maiden join hands, facing each other. % The Maiden speaks to the Bard/Green Man: MAIDEN: Lord of Life, hail Land-Master! God of grain that grows and dies Rising reborn, full of richness; Fallow fields shall yet be fertile -- Spring sap runs as stirs your manhood Bless barren earth, bear fruit again! % The Bard/Green Man speaks to Maiden: BARD/GREEN MAN: Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress! Wild one, free and willful Goddess Bow and blade you bear beside you, Finding food to fend off hunger -- Winter will not leave us wanting; Give good hunting, grant us skill. % The Old King moves to the West. The Crone moves to the % North. HP: Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back! OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a trout. With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt And show thee many a merry game Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! CRONE: Trout, take heed of an otter lank Will harry thee close from bank to bank For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Old King moves to the South. The Crone moves to the West. HP: Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back! OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a bee With mickle fear and dread of thee And flit to hive in the Lady's Name Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! 1119 CRONE: Bee, take heed of a red, red cock Will harry thee close thru door and lock For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Old King moves to the East. The Crone moves to the South. HP: Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back! OLD KING: Oh, I shall go into a hare with sorrow, sighing and mickle care And I shall go in the Lady's Name Aye, until I be fetch-ed hame! CRONE: Hare, take heed of a swift greyhound Will harry thee all these fields around For here come I in the Lady's Name All but for to fetch thee hame! % The Old King moves to the North. The Crone moves to the East. HP: Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back! OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a mouse And haste me unto the Miller's House There in his corn to have good game Ere that I be fetch-ed hame! CRONE: Mouse, take heed of a white she-cat That never was baulked of mouse nor rat For here come I in the Lady's Name And -thus- it is I fetch thee hame! % Crone walks to Old King and takes his hand. He falls as if % dead. HPS: Cunning and art he did not lack But aye Her Song has fetched Him back! Summer's gone, the Lady reigns And Winter has returned again! % Maiden wets her hands with water from the Cauldron, and % sprinkles it on the Old King, who comes to life again. OK: Cunning and art I do not lack But aye Her Cauldron will bring me back! % The Crone and Old King shall join hands, facing each other, % and say: Note: These Norse style verses were taken from a file I got (I think) from Paul Seymour. Don't know who author is. 1120 CRONE: One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom, Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting! Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining, Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden. Now the night, your time, is near us -- Right roads send us on, Rune-winner. OLD KING: Every age your eyes have witnessed; Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone! Rede in riddles is your ration -- Wyrd-weaver at the World-tree's root. Eldest ancient, all-knowing one, Speak unto us, send us vision! % Here the HPS should say: HPS: We remember our dead; our loved ones gone to the Summerland before us. Give them peace and joy. ALL: Blessed be! % If there is time enough, the HPS and/or a selected member(s) of the % coven should read aloud the "Roll of Martyrs." Note: This listing % is copyrighted, and used by the author's permission. % The reader shall say: READER: Never again the Burning Times! Let us remember our dead, good and bad, innocent and guilty: % Follows is the Roll of Martyrs. This may be read aloud, or may be % placed in written form upon the altar as the above words are said. Adamson, Francis: executed at Durham, England, in 1652 Albano, Peter of: died in prison circa 1310 Allen, Joan: hanged at the Old Bailey, London, England, in 1650 Allen, Jonet: burned in Scotland in 1661 Amalaric, Madeline: burned in France in mid-1500's Ancker, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628 1629 Andrius, Barthelemy: burned at Carcassonne, France in 1330 Andrius, Jean: burned at Carcassonne, France in 1330 Andrius, Phillippe: burned at Carcassonne, France in 1330 Arnold, (first name unknown): hanged at Barking, England, in 1574 d'Arc, Joan: burned at Rouen, France, on 30 May, 1431 (note: the witchcraft charge in this case was -implied- and not specific) Ashby, Anne: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Askew, Anne: burned for witchcraft 1546 Audibert, Etienne: condemned for witchcraft in France, on 20 March 1619 Aupetit, Pierre: burned at Bordeaux, France, in 1598 Babel, Zuickel: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Babel, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Baker, Anne: executed in Leicester, England, in 1619 Balcoin, Marie: burned in the reign of Henry IV of France Balfour, Alison: burned at Edinburgh, Scotland, on 16 December, 1594 Bannach, (husband) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 1121 Bannach, (wife) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Barber, Mary: executed in Northhampton, England, on 22 July, 1612 Barker, Janet: burned in Scotland in 1643 Baroni, Catterina: beheaded and burned at Castelnovo, Italy, on 14 April, 1647 Barthe, Angela de la: burned at Toulouse, France, in 1275 Barton, William: executed in Scotland (year unknown) Basser, Fredrick: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Batsch, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628 1629 Bayerin, Anna: executed at Salzburg, Austria, in 1751 Beaumont, Sieur de: accused of witchcraft on 21 October, 1596 Bebelin, Gabriel: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Beck, Viertel: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Beck, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Belon, Jean: executed in France, in 1597 Berger, Christopher: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Berrye, Agnes: hanged at Enfield, England, in 1616 Bentz, (mother) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Bentz, (daughter) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Ger- many, 1628-1629 Beuchel, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1581 Beutler, (first name unknown) beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Bill, Arthur: executed in Northhampton, England, on 22 July, 1612 Birenseng, Agata: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 25 June, 1594 Bishop, Briget: hanged at Salem, New England on 10 June, 1692 Bodenham, Anne: hanged at Salisbury, England, in 1653 Bonnet, Jean: burned alive at Boissy-en-Ferez, France, in 1583 Boram, (mother) (first name unknown): hung at Bury St Edmunds, England, in 1655 Boram, (daughter) (first name unknown): hung at Bury St Edmunds, England, in 1655 Bolingbroke, Roger: hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, England, on 18 November, 1441 Boulay, Anne: burned at Nancy, France, in 1620 Boulle, Thomas: burned alive at Rouen, France, on 21 August, 1647 Bowman, Janet: burned in Scotland in 1572 Bragadini, Mark Antony: beheaded in Italy in the 1500's Brickmann, (first name unknown) beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Brose, Elizabeth: tortured to death in the castle of Gommern, Ger- many, on 4 November, 1660 Brown, Janet: burned in Scotland in 1643 Browne, Agnes: executed in Northhampton, England, on 22 July, 1612 Browne, Joan: executed in Northhampton, England, on 22 July, 1612 Browne, Mary: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Brooks, Jane: hanged in England on 26 March, 1658 Brugh, John: burned in Scotland in 1643 Buckh, Appollonia: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1581 Bugler, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Bulcock, John: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Bulcock, Jane: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Bull, Edmund: hanged at Taunton, England, in 1631 Bulmer, Matthew: hanged at Newcastle, England, in 1649 Burroughs, George: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 August, 1692 Bursten-Binderin, (first name unknown) beheaded atWurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Calles, Helen: executed at Braynford, England, on 1 December, 1595 1122 Camelli, Domenica: beheaded and burned at Castelnovo, Italy, on 14 April, 1647 Canzler, (first name unknown) beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Carrier, Martha: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 August, 1692 Caveden, Lucia: beheaded and burned at Castelnovo, Italy, on 14 April, 1647 Cemola, Zinevra: beheaded and burned at Castelnovo, Italy, on 14 April, 1647 Corey, Martha: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Corey, Giles: prssedto death at Salem, New England, on 19 September, 1692 Corset, Janet: killed by a mob at Pittenweem, Scotland, in 1704 Challiot, (first name unknown): murdered at St. Georges, France, in February, 1922 Chalmers, Bessie: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scotland 1621 Chambers, (first name unknown): died in prison, in England, in 1693 Chamoulliard, (first name unknown): burned in France, in 1597 de Chantraine, Anne: burned as a witch in Waret-la-Chaussee, France, on October 17, 1622 Chatto, Marioun: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scotland 1621 Ciceron, Andre: burned alive at Carcassone, France, in 1335 Cockie, Isabel: burnt as a witch, at a cost of 105 s. 4 p., in England 1596 Cox, Julian: executed at Taunton, England, in 1663 Couper, Marable: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 Craw, William: burned in Scotland in 1680 Crots, (son) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Cullender, Rose: executed at Bury St Edmunds, England, on 17 March 1664 Cumlaquoy, Marian: burned at Orkney, Scotland in 1643 Cunningham, John: burned at Edinburgh, in January, 1591 Cunny, Joan: hanged in Chelmsford, England, in 1589 Deiner, Hans: burned at Waldsee, Germany (year unknown) Delort, Catherine: burned at Toulouse, France, in 1335 Demdike, Elizabeth: convicted, but died in prison, in Lancaster, England, in 1612 DeMolay, Jacques: Grand Master of the Templars, burned in France on 22 March 1312 Desbordes, (first name unknown): burned in France, in 1628 Deshayes, Catherine: burned on 22 February, 1680 Device, Elizabeth: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Device, James: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Device, Alizon: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Doree, Catherine: executed at Courveres, France, in 1577 Dorlady, Mansfredo: burned at Vesoul, France as being the Devil's banker, on 18 January, 1610 Dorlady, Fernando: burned at Vesoul, France as being the Devil's banker, on 18 January, 1610 Dormar, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 October, 1586 Douglas, Janet: burned at Castle, Hill, Scotland, on 17 July, 1557 Drummond, Alexander: executed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1670 "Dummy" (name unknown; he was deaf-and-dumb): killed by a mob at Sible Hedingham, England, on 3 August, 1865 Duncan, Gellie: hanged in Scotland in 1591 Dunhome, Margaret: burned in Scotland (year unknown) Dunlop, Bessie: burned at Castle Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1576 Duny, Amy: executed at Bury St Edmunds, England, on 17 March, 1664 Dyneis, Jonka: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 1123 Easty, Mary: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Echtinger, Barbara: imprisoned for life at Waldsee, Germany, on 24 August, 1545 Edelfrau, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Edwards, Susanna: hanged at Bideford, England in 1682 Einseler, Catharina: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 6 July, 1581 Erb, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 March, 1586 Eyering, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Fian, John: hanged at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1591 Fief, Mary le: of Samur, France, accusedof witchcraft, on 13 October 1573 Fleischbaum, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Flieger, Catharina: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 6 July, 1581 Flower, Joan: died before trial, at Lincoln, England, 1619 Flower, Margaret: executed at Lincoln, England, in March, 1619 Flower, Phillippa: executed at Lincoln, England, in March, 1619 Foster, Anne: hanged at Northhampton, England, in 1674 Fray, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 12 June, 1587 Fray, Margaret: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 25 June, 1594 Fynnie, Agnes: burned in Scotland in 1643 Gabley, (first name unknown): executed at King's Lynn, England, in 1582 Galigai, Leonora:beheaded at the Place de Grieve, France, on 8 July, 1617 Garnier, Gilles: burned as a werewolf in Dole, France 1574 Gaufridi, Louis: burned at Marseilles, France, at 5:00 pm on 30 April, 1611 Geissler, Clara: strangled at Gelnhausen, Germany circa 1630 Georgel, Anna Marie de: burned at Toulouse, France, in 1335 Geraud, Hughes: burned in France in 1317 Gering, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Glaser, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Glover, Goody: hanged at Salem, New England, in 1688 Gobel, Barbara: burned at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1639 Goeldi, Anna: hanged at Glaris, Switzerland, on 17 June, 1782 Goldschmidt, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Good, Sarah: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 July, 1692 Grandier, Urbain, burned at Loudon, France, on 18 August, 1634 Goodridge, Alse: executed at Darbie, England, in 1597 Gratiadei, Domenica: beheaded and burned at Castelnovo, Italy, on 14 April, 1647 Green, Ellen: executed in Leicester, England, in 1619 Greensmith, (first name unknown): hanged in Hartford,New England, on 20 January, 1662 Greland, Jean: burned at Chamonix, France, in 1438, with 10 others Grierson, Isobel: burned in Scotland in March, 1607 Gutbrod, (first name unknown:) beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Haan, George: burned at Bamberg, Germany, circa 1626, with his wife, daughter, and son Hacket, Margaret: executed at Tyburn, England, on 19 February, 1585 Hamilton, Margaret: burned in Scotland in 1680 Hafner, (son) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hammellmann, Melchoir: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 1124 Hamyltoun, Christiane: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scot- land 1621 Hans, David: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hans, Kilian: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Harfner, (first name unknown): hanged herself in the prison of Bamberg, 1628-1629 Harlow, Bessie: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scotland 1621 Harrisson, Joanna, and her daughter: executed in Hertford, England, in 1606 Harvilliers, Jeanne: executed in France, in 1578 Haus, (wife) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hennot, Catherine: burned alive in Germany in 1627 Henry III, King of France: assassinated on 1 August, 1589 Hewitt, Katherine: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Hezensohn, Joachim: beheaded at Waldsee, Germany, in 1557 Hibbins, Anne: hanged in Boston, Massachusetts on 19 June, 1656 Hirsch, Nicodemus: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hoecker, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Hofschmidt, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Holtzmann, Stoffel: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hofseiler, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Hoppo, (first name unknown): executed in Germany in 1599 How, Elizabeth: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 July, 1692 Hoyd, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 24 November, 1586 Huebmeyer, Barbara: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 11 September, 1589 Huebmeyer, Appela: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 11 September, 1589 Hunt, Joan: hanged in Middlesex, England in 1615 Hunter, Alexander: burned at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1629 Huxley, Catherine: hanged at Worcester, England in the summer of 1652 Isel, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 7 November, 1586 Isolin, Madlen: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 6 July, 1581 Jacobs, George: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 August, 1692 Jenkenson, Helen: executed in Northhampton, England, on 22 July, 1612 Jennin, (first name unknown): burned at Cambrai, France, in 1460 Jollie, Alison: executed in Scotland, in October, 1596 Jones, Katherine: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 Jones, Margaret: executed in Charlestown, North America, on 15 June, 1648 Jordemaine, Margery: burned at Smithfield, England, on 27 October, 1441 Junius, Johannes: of Bamberg, executed as a witch, on 6 August, 1628 Jung, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Kent, Margaret: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scotland 1621 Kerke, Anne: executed at Tyburn, England, in 1599 Kleiss, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 30 October, 1586 Kless, Catharina: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 12 June, 1587 Knertz, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Knor, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Knott, Elizabeth: hanged at St. Albans, England, in 1649 Kramerin, Schelmerey: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Kuhnlin, Elsa: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1518 Kuler, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Lachenmeyer, Waldburg: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 5 July, 1585 deLarue, (first name unknown): burned at Rouen, in 1540 Lauder, Margaret: burned in Scotland in 1643 1125 Leclerc, (no first name given): condemned for witchcraft, in France 1615 Lakeland, (first name unknown): burned at Ipswich, England, in 1645 Lamb, Dr.: stoned to death by a mob at St. Paul's Cross, London, England, in 1640 Lambrecht, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Leger,(no first name given): condemmned for witchcraft in France, on 6 May, 1616 Liebler, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Lloyd, Temperance: hanged at Bideford, England in 1682 Louis, (first name unknown): executed at Suffolk, England, in 1646 Lowes, John: hanged at Bury, England, about 1645 Lutz, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Macalzean, Euphemia: burned alive in Scotland for witchcraft, on 25 June, 1591 Marigny, Enguerrand de: hanged in France in 1315 Marguerite, (last name unknown): burned at Paris, France, in 1586 Mark, Bernhard: burned alive at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Martin, Marie: executed in France, in 1586 Martin, Susannah: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 July, 1692 Martyn, Anne: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Mayer, Christina: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 October, 1586 Mazelier, Hanchemand de: arrested at Neuchatel, Germany 1439 Meath, Petronilla de: burned as a witch, the first such burning in Ireland, on 3 November, 1324 Meyer, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Mirot, Dominic: burned at Paris, France, in 1586 Morin< (first name unknown): burned at Rouen, in 1540 Mossau, Renata von: beheaded and burned in Bavaria, Germany, on 21 June, 1749 Mullerin, Elsbet: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1531 Mundie, Beatrice: tried for witchcraft in Inverkiething, Scotland 1621 Napier, Barbara: hanged in Scotland in 1591 Nathan, Abraham: executed at Haeck, Germany, on 24 September, 1772 Newell, John: executed at Barnett, England, on 1 December, 1595 Newell, Joane: executed at Barnett, England, on 1 December, 1595 Newman, Elizabeth: executed at Whitechapel, England in 1653 Nottingham, John of: died in custody, Coventry, England, 1324 Nurse, Rebecca: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 July, 1692 Nutter, Alice: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Oliver, Mary: burned at Norwich, England, in 1658 Orchard, (first name unknown): executed at Salisbury, England, in 1658 Osborne, (husband) (first name unknown): killed by a mob at Tring, Herefordshire, England, in 1751 Osborne, (wife) Ruth: killed by a mob at Tring, Herefordshire, England, in 1751 Osburne, Sarah: died in prison at Boston, Massachusetts, 10 May, 1692 Oswald, Catherine: burned in Scotland in 1670 Paeffin, Elsa: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1518 Pajot, Marguerite: executed at Tonnerre, France, in 1576 Paris, (first name unknown): hanged at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1569 Parker, Alice: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Parker, Mary: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Palmer, John: hanged at St. Albans, England, in 1649 Pannel, Mary: executed in Yorkshire, England, in 1603 Pearson, Alison: burned in Scotland on 28 May, 1588 1126 Peebles, Marion: burned in Scotland in 1643 Peterson, Joan: hanged at Tyburn, England, in April, 1652 Pichler, Emerenziana: burned atDefereggen, Germany, on 25 September, 1680 (her two sons, aged 12 and 14, were also burned two days later) Poiret, (first name unknown): burned at Nancy, France, in 1620 Pomp, Anna: executed at Lindheim, Germany, in 1633 Porte, Vidal de la: condemned at Riom, France, in 1597 Powle, (first name unknown): executed at Durham, England, in 1652 Prentice, Joan: hanged in Chelmsford, England, in 1589 Preston, Jennet: executed in York, England, in 1612 Pringle, Margaret: burned in Scotland in 1680 Procter, John: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 August, 1692 Pudeator, Anne: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Quattrino, Dominic: burned at Mesolcina, Italy, in 1583 Rattray, George: executed in Spott, Scotland, in 1705 Rattray, Lachlan: executed in Spott, Scotland, in 1705 Rauffains, Catharina: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 7 November, 1586 Reade, Mary: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Redfearne, Anne: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Reed, Wilmot: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Reich, Maria: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 5 July, 1585 Reid, John: hanged himself in prison, in Scotland, in 1697 Reoch, Elspeth: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 Robey, Isobel: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Rodier, Catala: burned alive at Carcassone, France, in 1335 Rodier, Paul: burned alive at Carcassone, France, in 1335 Rohrfelder, Margaret: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 24 August, 1585 Rosch, Maria: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 6 July, 1581 Rosseau, (no first name given), and his daughter, (no name given) of France, accused of witchcraft on 2 October 1593 Rue, Abel de la: of Coulommiers, France, accused of witchcraft on 20 July, 1592 Roulet, Jacques: burned alive for being a were-wolf, at Angiers, France, in 1597 Rum, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Russel, Alice: killed by a mob at Great Paxton, England, 20 May, 1808 Rutchser, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Rutter, Elizabeth: hanged in Middlesex, England in 1616 Sailler, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 24 August, 1585 Sampsoune,Agnes: tried, strangled, and burnt for a witch in Scotland 1591 Samuels, (family): three members condemned for witchcraft in Warboys, England, on 4 April, 1593 Sawyer, Elizabeth, hanged at Tyburn, England, on 19 April, 1621 Scharber, Elsbeth: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1581 Schneider, Felicitas: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 March, 1586 Schnelling, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 11 September, 1589 Schutz, Babel: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Schwaegel, Anna Maria: beheaded at Kempten, Germany, on 11 April, 1775 Schwartz, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Schenck, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Schellhar, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Schickelte, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 1127 Schneider, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Schleipner, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Schuler, (first name not known): burned at Lindheim, Germany on 23 February, 1663 Schultheiss, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 March, 1586 Schwarz, Eva: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1581 Schwerdt, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Scott, Margaret: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Scottie, Agnes: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 Sechelle, (first name unknown): burned at Paris, France, in 1586 Smith, Mary: hanged at King's Lynn, England, in 1616 Stadlin, (first name unknown): executed in Germany in 1599 Steicher, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Steinacher, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Steward, William: hanged at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1569 Stewart, Christian: strangled and burned in Scotland, in November, 1596 Stolzberger, (son) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Stolzberger, (wife) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Stolzberger, (granddaughter) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Stubb, Peter: executed as a werewolf near Cologne, Germany, in 1589 Stuber, Laurence: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Sturmer, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628- 1629 Style, Elizabeth: died in prison, at Taunton, England, in 1664 Seiler, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 16281629 Silberhans, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Steinbach, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Stier, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Stadelmann, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 7 November, 1586 Sutton (mother) (first name unknown): executedin Bedford, England in 1613 Sutton, Mary: executed in Bedford, England in 1613 Thausser, Simon, and his wife (no name given): burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1518 Thompson, Annaple: burned in Scotland in 1680 Tod, Beigis: burned at Lang Nydrie, Scotland, on 27 May, 1608 Treher, Anna: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 5 July, 1585 Trembles, Mary: hanged at Bideford, England in 1682 Trois-Echelles (pseud.): executed at Paris, France, in 1571 (or 1574) Tungerslieber, (first name unknown) beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Turner, Ann: murdered in England, in 1875 Uhlmer, Barbara: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 24 August, 1585 Upney, Joan: hanged in Chelsford, England, in 1589 Utley, (first name unknown): hanged at Lancaster, England, in 1630 Valee, Melchoir de la: burned at Nancy, France, in 1631 Vallin, Pierre: executed in France, in 1438 1128 Valkenburger, (daughter) (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Vaecker, Paul: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Vickar, Bessie: burned in Scotland in 1680 Wachin, Ursula: burned at Waldsee, Germany, in 1528 Wagner, Michael: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Wagner, (first name unknown): burnt alive at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Wallace, Margaret: executed in Glascow, Scotland, in 1622 Wardwell, Samuel: executed at Salem, New England, on 22 September, 1692 Waterhouse, (first name unknown): hanged in Dorset, England in 1565 Wanderson, (wife 1) (first name unknown): executed in England, in January, 1644. Wanderson, (wife 2) (first name unknown): executed in England, in January, 1644. Weir, Thomas: burned between Edinburgh and Leith, Scotland, on 11 April, 1670 Weiss, Agatha: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 9 October, 1586 Weydenbusch, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Whittle, Anne: executed in Lancaster, England, in 1612 Wildes, Sarah: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 July, 1692 Willard, John: executed at Salem, New England, on 19 August, 1692 Willimot, Joan: executed in Leicester, England, in 1619 Wilson, Anne: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Wirth, Klingen: beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Wirth, Trauben: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 5 July, 1585 Wright, Mildred: hanged at Maidstone, England, in July, 1652 Wuncil, Brigida: burned at Waldsee, Germany, on 6 July, 1581 Wunth, (first name unknown): beheaded at Wurzburg, Germany, 1628-1629 Younge, Alse: hanged in Connecticut, North America, on 26 May, 1647 Yullock, Agnes: burned in the north of Scotland in 1622 THE UNKNOWNS 8000 "Stedingers" killed on 27 May, 1234 180 burned for witchcraft at Montwimer, France, on 29 May, 1239 36 Knights Templar died under torture in France, in October, 1307 54 Knights Templar burned in France, on 12 May, 1310 39 Knights Templar burned in France, on 18 March 1314 "Some" burned at Kilkenny, Ireland, 1323 200 + burned at Carcassonne, France, between 1320-1350 63 burned at Toulouse, France, in 1335 8 burned at Carcassonne, France, in 1352 31 burned at Carcassonne, France, in 1357 67 burned at Carcassonne, France, between 1387-1400 1 burned at Berlin, Germany, in 1399 "Several" witches burned alive at Simmenthal, Switzerland, circa 1400 "Several" burned at Carcassonne, France, in 1423 200 + executed in the Valais, France between 1428-1434 167 executed in l'Isere, France, between 1428-1447 16 executed in Toulouse, France, in 1432 8 executed in Toulouse, France, in 1433 150 executed in Briancon, France, in 1437 3 burnt in Savoy between 1446 and 1447 7 killed at Marmande, France, in 1453 1 burned at Locarno, Italy, in 1455 "Many" burned in Arras, France in 1459 2 burned in Burgundy, France, in 1470 1129 3 burned at Forno-Rivara, Italy, in 1472 2 burned at Levone, in Italy, in 1474 5 burned at Forno, Italy, in 1475 12 women and "several" men burned at Edinburgh, in 1479 4 burned at Metz, Germany, in 1482 48 burned at Constance, between 1482-1486 2 burned at Toulouse, France, in 1484 2 burned in Chaucy, France in 1485 1 died in prison, at Metz, Germany 1488 3 executed at Mairange, Germany, on 17 June, 1488 2 executed at Mairange, Germany, on 25 June, 1488 3 executed at Chastel, Germany, on 26 June, 1488 3 executed at Metz, Germany, on 1 July, 1488 1 executed at Salney, Germany, on 3 July, 1488 2 executed at Salney, Germany, on 12 July, 1488 3 executed at Salney, Germany, on 19 July, 1488 1 executed at Brieg, Germany, on 19 July, 1488 2 executed at Juxney, Germany, on 19 August, 1488 5 executed at Thionville, Germany, on 23 August, 1488 1 executed at Metz, Germany, on 2 September, 1488 1 executed at Vigey, Germany, on 15 September, 1488 1 executed at Juxney, Germany, on 22 September, 1488 1 executed in France circa 1500 30 burned in Calahorra, Spain, in 1507 1 burned in Saxony, Germany, in 1510 60 burned in Northern Italy, in 1510 500 + burned in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1515 2 burned in Besancon, France, in 1521 64 burned in Val Camonica, Italy between 1518-1521 100 burned in Como, Italy, in 1523 1000 + in Como, Italy, in 1524 900 executed by Nicholas Remy (years unknown, about 15 years total) "A large number" executed at Saragossa, Spain, in 1536 7 burned at Nantes, France, in 1549 1 burned at Lyons, France, in 1549 3 burned alive at Derneburg, Germany, on 4 October, 1555 1 burned alive at Bievires, France, in 1556 5 burned at Verneuil, France, in 1561 17,000 + in Scotland from 1563 to 1603 4 burned at Potiers, France, in 1564 1 burned at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1569 "Many" burned in France in 1571 1 burned at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1572 70,000 killed in England after 1573 "Several" executed in Paris, France, in 1574 80 executed in one fire at Valery-en-Savoie, France, in 1574 3 executed in Dorset, England, in 1578 36 persons executed at Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1578 18 killed at St. Oses, England, in 1582 "Several" burned in Mesolcina, Italy, in 1583 368 persons killed for witchcraft between 18 January, 1587, and 18 November, 1593, in the diocese of Treves. 1 burned at Riom, France, in 1588 133 persons burned in one day at Quedlinburg, in Germany, in 1589 48 burned in Wurttemberg, Germany, in 1589 2 burned at Cologne, Germany in 1589 54 burned in Franconia in 1590 300 burned in Bern, Switzerland, between 1591-1600 1 burned in Ghent, Holland, in 1591 1130 9 executed in Toulouse, France, in 1595 1 burned in Ghent, Holland, in 1598 24 burned in Aberdeen, Scotland, circa 1598 77 burned in Vaud, Switzerland, in 1599 10 -daily- were burned (average) in the Duchy of Brunswick between 1590-1600 20 executed (other than those listed by name above) in the reign of King James VI and I of England. 40,000 executed between 1600-1680 in Great Britain 205 burned at the Abbey of Fulda, Germany, between 1603-1605 "Several" witches executed in Derbyshire, England, in 1607 24 burned + 3 suicides in Hagenau, Alsace, in 1607 "A number of women" burned at Breehin, Scotland, in 1608 1 burned alive by a mob at St. Jean de Liuz, France, circa 1608 18 killed at Orleans, France, in 1616 9 hanged at Leicester, England, in 1616 8 hanged at Londinieres, France, in 1618 "Several" witches condemned at Nerac, France, on 26 June, 1619 200 + executed at Labourt, France, in 1619 2 executed at Bedford, England, in 1624 56 executions at Mainz, Germany, between 1626-1629 77 executions at Burgstadt, Germany, between 1626-1629 40 executions at Berndit, Buttan, Ebenheit, Wenchdorf and Heinbach, Germany, between 1626-1629 8 executions in Prozelten and Amorbach, Germany between 1626-1629 168 executions in the district of Miltenberg, Germany, between 1626-1629 85 burned in Dieburg, Germany, in 1627 79 burned at Offenburg, Austria, from 1627-1629 274 executed in Eichstatt, Germany in 1629 124 executed by the Teutonic Order at Mergentheim, Germany in 1630 900 executions at Bamberg, Germany, between 1627 and 1631 22,000 (approx) executed in Bamberg, Germany between 1610 and 1840 1 hanged at Sandwich, in Kent, England, in 1630 3 executed at Lindheim, Germany in 1631 20 executed in Norfolk, England, on evidence of Matthew Hopkins, before 26 July, 1645 29 condemned, on the evidence of Matthew Hopkins, at Chelmsford, England, on 29 July, 1645 150 killed in England in the last six months of 1645 2 executed at Norwich, England, in 1648 14 hanged at Newcastle, England, in 1649 220 + inEngland and Scotland, on evidence of a Scottish Witchfinder, circa 1648-1650 2 killed by a mob at Auxonne, France, in 1650 30 burned in Lindheim, Germany, between 1640-1651 900 killed in Lorraine, France (years unknown) 30,000 (approx) burned by the Inquisition (not all may have been witches) 3-4000 killed during Cromwell's tenure in England 102 burned in Zuckmantel, Germany, in 1654 18 burned at Castle Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1658 85 executed at Mohra, Sweden, on 25 August, 1670 71 beheaded or burned in Sweden between 1674-1677 90 burned at Salzburg, Austria, in 1678 11 burned at Prestonpans, Scotland, in 1678 36 executed in Paris, France, in 1680 "Several" burned at Rouen, France, in 1684-1685 3 executed (Suzanna, Isle and Catherine (last names unknown) at Arendsee, Germany, in 1687 1131 36 burned at Nordlingen, Germany between 1690-1694 5 burned at Paisley, Scotland, on 10 June, 1697 9 persons burned at Burghausen, Germany, all under 16 years of age, on 26 March, 1698 1 burned at Antrim, Ireland, in 1699 "Many" burned at Spott Loan, Scotland, in 1705 2 persons killed in the Trentino, Austria, between 1716 and 1717 1 executed in France, in 1718 2 persons, a mother and daughter, burned in Scotland, in 1722 13 burned at Szegedin, Hungary, in 1728 1 burned at Szegedin, Hungary, in 1730 13 burned alive at Szegedin, Hungary on 23 July, 1738 3 burned at Karpfen, Germany, in 1744 3 burned at Muhlbach, Germany, in 1746 1 executed at Szegedin, Hungary, in 1746 1 executed at Maros Vasarheli, (nation unknown), 1752 100 + executed at Haeck, Germany between 1772 and 1779 2 burned in Poland in 1793 "Several" burned in South America during the 1800's 1 shot by a policeman at Uttenheim, Germany, on suspicion of being a were-wolf, in November, 1925 1 murdered in Pennsylvania in 1929 for a total of 236,870 known but to the Goddess. HPS: Let them have peace. ALL: Blessed be! % Here ends the Samhain Mystery. ---------------------------------------------------- % A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing: HPS: In a ring we all shall stand Pass the Power, hand to hand. HP: As the season turns again Power flows from friend to friend HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand Bless the Lady, bless the Land HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies Bless the Power that never dies! % The above four verses should be repeated three times, or as % many times as needed, and the HPS shall then say: HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree: Let the Power flow out and free! % All should release, at this point. ------------------------------------------------------ % Any needed coven business may be transacted here. ------------------------------------------------------ 1132 % The Circle is opened: HPS: Thus I release the East and West Thanks to them from Host to Guest Thus I release the South and North With "Blessed Be' I send them forth! The Circle's open, dance we so Out and homeward we shall go. Earth and Water, Air and Fire Celebrated our desire. We think of those in Summerland Who dance together, hand in hand. By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, Our circle's done; and Blessed Be! COVEN: Blessed Be! % All spiral dance out from the Circle, led by HP and HPS. ****************************************************** This is a -long- ritual, but VERY effective. A good way to do the reading of the names is to pass the list around the Circle, with each person reading a few names, and then passing it to the next. Really brings the Burning Times -home.- 1133 CELTIC STUDIES ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Notations c. 1991/1992 Erynn Darkstar. The following books, articles, papers and ephemera are in my personal collection are photocopies. Annotations will contain notes regarding the format of the material, my general comments or impressions as to copy quality or the usefulness of the material for a Pagan practit- ioner. C - cloth binding T - trade paper M - mass paper P - photocopy S - spiral bound A - article E - ephemeral material of some sort, e.g. cards, charts, etc. 244 entries as of April 18, 1992. -- Basic Irish for Parents, (Institiuid Teangeolathochta Eireann, 1985) P, gover language course for parents with children learning Gaelic. Incomplete. -- Britannia After the Romans; Being an Attempt to Illustrate the Religious and Revolutions of That Province in the Fifth and Succeeding Centuries. (Henry G. Bohn, London, 1836) C, uncut pages. An early examination of Celtic mythology and society with a critical and discerning eye for bullshit. -- Do Ghabhálaibh Arend, (no pub data available) PS, vol 1 of possibly 4 or 5. English text and translation. Covers the beginning of the world to the invasio the Sons of Míl. -- Foclóir Póca English-Irish Irish-English Dictionary (An Gúm, Baile Atha Clia T, pocket dictionary. -- The Birth of Merlin : A Comedy Attributed to William Shakespeare & William R (Element Books, Longmead 1989) T, commentary by RJ Stewart and others. More of Stewart's "Merlinology". Bain, George, Celtic Art : The Methods of Construction (Dover, NY 1973) T, an introduction to constructing knotwork designs. Bartrum, P. C., Tri Thlws Ar Ddeg Ynys Brydain : The Thirteen Trea- sures of Brit (Etudes Celtiques, 1963) AP, a discussion of the 13 Treasures, some original te from Welsh with English translation. Bleakley, Alan, Fruits of the Moon Tree : The Medicine Wheel & Transpersonal Psychology (Gateway Books, Bath 1988) T, Jungian/Graves- ian psychobabble based in tree-lore. Bodmer, Frederick, The Loom of Language : An Approach to the Mastery of Many Languages (Norton, NY1985) T, reprint of 1944 edition. Lin- guistics, touches on Celtic languages among others in the Indo-Europ- ean group. Bonwick, James, Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions (Dorset 1986) C, reprint o edition. 1134 Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites (Grenada Publishing, London 1982) C, book club by arrangement with publisher. Fertility folklore and archaeology. Bord, Janet & Colin, Sacred Waters : Holy wells and water lore in Britain and I (Grenada Publishing, London 1985) C, folklore and site gazetteer of wells and springs. Bord, Janet & Colin, The Secret Country (Walker and Co, NY 1976) C, folklore, l UFO's and mysterious sites. Borvo, Alan, Le Grand Oracle Celtique d'Alan Borvo (Grimaud, nd) ET, card deck, layout chart and booklet in French and English. Unusual three-suit and Major Arcana structure. Breathnach, Breandán, Folk Music and Dances of Ireland (Mercier Press, Dublin 1 T, reprint of 1971 edition. Brief history of folk music and dance with some sa scores. Breatnach, Liam, The Cauldron of Poesy, (Eriu #32, 1981) AP, Irish and English dealing with internal "cauldrons" and possibly a meditative or yogic system. G glossary appended. Breeze, David J. and Brian Dobson, Hadrian's Wall (Pelican/Penguin, Middlesex 1 M, b/w photo plates. An archaeological survey of Had- rian's Wall and the sites deities associated with it. Briggs, Katherine M, A Dictionary of British Folk-Tales (Indiana University Pre Bloomington 1970) C, vols 1-4 of 4 vols. 1 and 2 are Folk Narratives, 3 and 4 Folk Legends. No real indexing or table of contents, so things are difficult to locate. Briggs, Katherine M. The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature (Bellew Pu London 1989) T, reissue of 1967 edition. Celtic and later British lore. Bromwich, Rachel, Celtic Dynastic Themes and the Breton Lays (Etudes Celtiques, AP, a discussion of kingship and successsion with the figure of Sovereignty outlined. Bromwich, Rachel, Trioedd Ynys Prydein : The Welsh Triads (University of Wales Cardiff, 1961) P, translation and discussion of the Welsh Triads. Welsh and English. Four pages in the indexes and supplemen- tary material on names are bad copies. Brown, Beth Phillips, A Celtic Daybook (White Pine Press, Fredonia NY 1987) T, perpetual illustrated calendar with brief mythological commentary. Buchan, David, Scottish Tradition : A Collection of Scottish Folk Literature (R & Kegan Paul, Boston 1984) C, folk songs, drama and poetry. Byrne, Mary E & Dillon, Myles, Táin Bó Fraích (Etudes Celtique, Paris, June 193 The Driving of Fróech's Cattle in English, with analysis. 1135 Calder, George, Auraicept na n-Éces : The Scholar's Primer (John Grant, Edinbur PS, Irish and English text and translation from the Book of Ballymote, and the Yellow Book of Lecan, with the Ogham Tract and the Trefhocul. Much not translated. A primary medieval source on Ogham. Fold-out facsimile pages illustrating Oghams. Cameron, Anne, Tales of the Cairds (Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park BC, Canada 1989) T, fiction, myth. Carmichael, Alexander, Carmina Gadelica : Hymns and Incantations : Ortha nan Gaidheal (Scottish Academic Press, var dates) SP, have 1-5, and in process of gaining access to all 6 volumes. Scottish Highland folk prayers and charms in Gaelic and English. Carr-Gomm, Philip, Elements of the Druid Tradition (Element Books, Longmead 199 T, inside look at a particular British Druidic order's workings. About average terms of an occultist's knowledge of Celtic lore. Castleden, Rodney, The Wilmington Giant : The quest for a lost myth (Turnstone Wellingborough 1983) T, analysis of an English hill-figure. Cavendish, Richard, Prehistoric England (British Heritage Press, NY 1983) C, archaeological gazetteer. Chadwick, Nora, Celtic Britain (Newcastle Publishing, North Hollywood 1989) T, archaeology, history. Chadwick, Nora, The Celts (Penguin, Middlesex 1985) M, archaeology, history. Chadwick, Nora, Geilt (Scottish Gaelic Studies vol V, part II, Oxford 1942) AP, analysis of sacred madness in Irish and Scottish tales. Chadwick, Nora, Imbas Forosnai (Scottish Gaelic Studies vol IV, part II, London AP, an excellent discussion of Irish visionary and divin- atory techniques. Caesar, The Conquest of Gaul (Penguin, London 1984) M, translation by S. A. Han revisions by Jane Gardner. Caesar's Gallic wars. Chotzen, Th M Th, Emain Ablach - Ynys Avallach - Insula Avallonis - Ile D'Avalo (Etudes Celtiques, Paris 1948) AP, article in French on the Isle of Apples. Coghlan, Ronan, Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend (Donards Publish- ing, Bangor 1979) T, brief compilation of the more familiar characters and places of Irish. Cole, Bryony & John, People of the Wetlands : Bogs, Bodies and Lake-Dwellers (T & Hudson, NY 1989) c, many photos & line drawings. Worldwide survey of bog finds and bodies, with significant material on Celtic finds. Archaeology, hist. Connellan, Owen, The Annals of Ireland, Translated from the Original Irish of t Masters. (Bryan Geraghty, Dublin 1846) P, poor copy throughout, dark and spotty. English-only translation of early annals, including numerous footnotes regarding the Tuatha dé Danann. Who did what to whom, and when. 1136 Cross, Tom Peete and Clark Harris Slover, Ancient Irish Tales (Barnes & Noble, NJ 1988 reprint of 1936 edition) C, a good standard English- -only translation of much mythic material. Cunliffe, Barry, The Celtic World : An Illustrated History of the Celtic Race, Culture, Customs and Legends (Greenwich House, NY 1986) C, archaeology, mythology and brief discussion of modern legacy. Many plates. Curtin, Jeremiah, Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland (Dover, 1975) T, unabridged r 1890 Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland without introduction from original edition. Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore & The Celtic Tree Oracle : Part I (Preppie Bi Press, Seattle 1991) T, self-published compilation and reorganization of the first two Fireheart articles on Ogham and Irish tree-lore. Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore and The Celtic Tree Oracle: Search- ing for Roots (Ouroboros, Roskilde Denmark various dates) A, Manteia : A magazine for the mantic arts #3, #4, #6. Parts 1, 2 & 3 of a projected 7-part series. Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore and The Celtic Tree Oracle (Fire- heart, 1991) 1 of projected 5-part series. Davidson, HR Ellis, Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe : Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions (Syracuse University Press, Syracuse 1988) T, archaeology and folklore. Davis, Courtney, Celtic Iron-On Transfer Patterns (Dover, NY 1989) T, only artwork. Davis, Courtney, The Celtic Tarot (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1991) ET, accompany book by Helena Patterson. Nice Tarot deck artwork, but the book is really abysmal. Has one of those stinky plastic casette keepers. de Santillana, Giorgio and Hertha von Dechend, Hamlet's Mill : An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and its Trans- mission Through Myth 2ed (David R. Godine, Boston 1983) de Troyes, Chrétien, Arthurian Romances, Including Perceval, (Everyman Library, Charles E. Tuttle & Co, Rutland VT 1991) T, translation by D. D. R. Owen. A good translation of some of the original Arthurian material. Dillon, Myles & ó Cróinín, Donncha, Teach Yourself Irish (Random House, NY 1987 confusing language course in the "Teach Yourself..." series. Dillon, Myles, Early Irish Literature (University of Chicago Press, Chicago 194 summary of many mythic themes by an acknowledged expert in the field. Dillon, Myles, The Cycles of the Kings, (Oxford University Press, London 1946) compilation of English-only translations of King Cycle tales. 1137 Doan, James E., Sovereignty Aspects in the Roles of Women in Medieval Irish and Society (Northeastern University, Boston 1984) P, Irish Studies Program working paper. Doan, James E., Studies in Welsh Arthurian Romance: Peredur and Trystan (Northeastern University, Boston 1990) P, Irish Studies Program working paper. Dobbs, ME, Altromh Tighi da Medar : The Foster- age of the House of the Two Goble (Zeitschrift Fur Celtische Phil- ologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, tale in Irish a English featuring Manannán mac Lir and others of the Sídhe. Dorson, Richard M (ed), Peasant Customs and Savage Myths : Selections from the British Folklorists, 2 vols (University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1968) C, Discussions of and excerpts from the works of influential British folklorists. Duval, Paul-Marie, Obesrvations sur le Calendrier de Goligny, III (Etudes Celti 1963) AP, French article (third in a series) on the Coligny Calendar. Dwelly, Edward, Faclair Gaidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan : Dwelly's Illustrated G English Dictionary (Alexander MacLaren & Sons, Glasgow 1967) C, Scottish Gaelic, line illustrations Dyer, T. F. Thiselton, British Popular Customs, Present and Past; Illustrating and Domestic Manners of the People : Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year (George Bell & Sons, London 1876) C, calendrical lore and folk- celebrations from England, Wales, Cornwall, Mann, Ireland and Scotland. Very good early source. Easpaig, Donall MacGiolla, Noun + Noun Compounds in Irish Placenames (Etudes Celtiques, Paris 1981) AP, discussion of elements of place names. Ellis, Peter Berresford, A Dictionary of Irish Mythology (Oxford University Pre 1987) T, a good reference by a known Cornish-language linguist. Evans, E. Estyn, Irish Folk Ways (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1988) T, discu of folk tools and country life. Evans, E. Estyn, The Personality of Ireland : Habitat, Heritage and History (Ca University Press, London 1973) P, double-sided copy. Brief anthropological stu of Irish personality as developed within the context of the land and its history. Evans-Wentz, WY, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries (Citadel Press, NY 1990) T reprint of 1911 edition. Folklore concerning the sídhe. Faraday, W, Druidic Triads : The Wisdom of the Cymry (Sure Fire Press, Edmonds 1984) T, unsourced triads in English. Probably from the Barddas. Ferguson, Samuel, Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales and Scotland (David Doug Edinburgh 1887) P, a listing and interpretation of many of the inscriptions of Ogham from Celtic lands. Fleetwood, John, History of Medicine in Ireland (no pub data avail- able) P, chap "The Pre-Christian Era". Flower, Robin, The Irish Tradition (The Clarendon Press, Oxford 1947) P, a good primer on Irish folklore and tales, and the Irish literary 1138 traditions. Ford, Patrick K, The Mabonogi and Other Welsh Medieval Tales (Univer- sity of Cal Press, Berkeley 1977) T, one of the best translations available. Fortune, Dion, Avalon of the Heart (Samuel Weiser, NY 1971) C, reprint of 1934 Pagans, Joseph of Arimathaea and Atlantean priesthoods. Fox, Robin, The Tory Islanders : A People of the Celtic Fringe (Cambridge Unive Press, London 1978) C, an excellent study of the past and present culture of To Isle, including some very interesting notes about Balor. Gantz, Jeffrey, Early Irish Myths and Sagas (Penguin, London 1988) M, good tran of several Irish tales and some poetry. Geoffrey of Mon- mouth, History of the Kings of Britain (E. P. Dutton, NY 1958) M standard reference in the field. Sebastian Evans translation, revision by Char Dunn. Gerschel, Lucien, L'Ogam et le Nombre : Préhistoire des Caractéres Ogamiques (Et. Celtiques, 1962) AP, French article on the Ogham and numbers/tally systems. Gerschel, Lucien, L'Ogam et le Nom (Etudes Celtiques, 1963) AP, French article apparently regarding Ogham and masons's marks. Gmelich, Sharon ed. Irish Life and Traditions (Syracuse University Press, Syrac T, analysis of impact of tradition on modern Irish life. Gomme, Alice B, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland (Thames Hudson, NY 1984) T, 2 vols in 1 originally printed in 1894 and 1898. Words and music to children's games, rules for adult's games. Interesting survivals of P influence. Graves, Robert, The White Goddess (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, NY 1966) T, amended edition of 1948 printing. Mythic history reinterpreted through poetry. Gray, Elizabeth A, ed. Cath Maige Tuired : The Second Battle of Mag Tuired (Iri Society, Leinster 1982) PS, Irish and English text and translation. Excellent and commentary. This press is noted for its scholarly work. Green, Miranda, The Gods of the Celts (Barnes & Noble, Totowa NJ 1986) C, archaeological analysis of deific types. Gregory, Lady Augusta, Cuchulain of Muirthemne (Colin Smythe Ltd, Gerrards Cros 1976) T, reprint of 1902 edition. The first accessible English translation of stories of Cuchulain, the Táin and the Red Branch tales. Gregory, Lady Augusta, Visions & Beliefs in the West of Ireland (Colin Smythe L Gerrards Cross 1979) T, reprint of 1920 edition. Folktales and anecdotes collected over 20 years. Gwynn, Edward, Poems From the Dindshenchas (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 1900) P Todd Lecture Series Vol VII. Geographic origin poetry in Irish and English. 1139 Gwynn, Edward, The Metrical Dindshenchas (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 1903) P, Todd Lecture Series Vol VIII. Part I of 5(?) Geographic origin poetry in Iris and English. Haggard, H Rider, A Farmer's Year (The Cresset Library, London 1987) T, reprint 1899 edition. Diary touching briefly on aspects of English folklore and custom. Hartley, Christine, The Western Mystery Tradition (Aquarian, London 1968) T, considered a "classic" by some occultists, it is for the most part more Atlantis and space-aliens. Hartley, Dorothy, Lost Country Life : How English country folk lived, worked, thatched, rolled fleece, milled corn, brewed mead... (Pantheon Books, NY 1979) T, folk life in England and Wales. Hastings, James ed. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (Charles Scribner's So nd) AP, poor copy quality. Excerpts on the Celts by various authors: Ancestor- Worship and Cult of the Dead; Art; Blest, Abode of the; Calendar; Celts; Druids Dualism; Ethics and Morality; Fairy; Festivals and Fasts; Feinn Cycle; Head; Ma (Introductory) (Celtic); May, Midsummer; Stones (Introductory and Primitive); Stone Monuments (Rude); Sun, Moon and Stars (Primitive) (Celtic); Transmigration (Introductory and Primitive) (Celtic). Hawkes, Christopher & Jacquetta, Prehistoric Britain (Pelican, Middle- sex 1952) reprint of 1937 edition. Archaeology. Hawkes, Jacquetta, A Guide to the Prehistoric and Roman Monuments in England an Wales (Abacus, London 1978) T, reprint of 1951 edition. Archaeological gazetteer. Heaney, Seamus, Sweeney Astray : A version from the Irish (Farrar, Strauss & Gi NY 1985) T, poetry based on traditional poetry of Buile Suibhne, the Frenzy of Sweeney. Henry, PL, The Cauldron of Poesy, (Studia Celtica #14/15, 1979/1980) AP, Irish English of a text dealing with internal "cauldrons" and possibly a meditative or yogic system. Hoover, Tracey, The Celtic/Druid Tarot (a privately printed work in progress - yet) E, discussion of the possibilities of a Celtic/Druidic Tarot system. Grav based. Hubert, H, The Greatness and Decline of the Celts (Constable Press, London 1987 History of Civilization series. Volume 2 of 2. Originally published in 1934. Archaeology, history. Hubert, H, The Rise of the Celts (Constable Press, London 1987) C, History of Civilization series. Volume 1 of 2. Originally published in 1934. Archaeolog history. Hughes, Thomas, The Scouring of the White Horse (Allan Sutton, Gloucester 1989) reprint of 1859 edition. An account of the White Horse of Uffington's yearly cleansing festival of 1857. Hull, Vernam, Cairpre mac Edaine's Satire Upon Bres mc Aladain (Zeitschrift Für Celtische Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, Irish and English text of the Satire. 1140 Hull, Vernam, Lám Déoraid, (Zeitschrift Für Celtische Philologie, NY 1930, Band AP, notes on the phrase "the hand of a hostile stranger." Hull, Vernam, The Four Jewels of the Tuatha dé Danann, (Zeitschrift Für Celtisc Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, discussion of the Treasures and Irish and English text from the Lebor Gabála. Hull, Vernam, Cause of the Exile of Fergus mac Roig, (Zeitschrift Für Celti Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, Irish and English text from the Book of Leinster. Hutton, Ronald, The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles : Their Nature Legacy (Blackwell, Oxford 1991) C, well-written, inter- esting, and (surprisingly familiar with at least some of the neoPagan movement. He concludes that there no such thing as a Pagan survival anywhere in the British Isles. Strictly archaeology-based. Ingalls, Jaquelin, Moon, Sun and Stars : An Accurate Solution of the Sickbed of Cuchulainn as a Nature Myth (thesis, University of Wash- ington, Seattle 1950) P, examination of the Sickbed as a description of an eclipse and Celtic star-lore. Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone ed. A Celtic Miscellany (Penguin, NY 1971) M, reprin 1951 edition. Excerpts from Celtic tales and poetry in Eng- lish. Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone, The Oldest Irish Tradition: A Window on the Iron Ag (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1964) P, text of the 1964 Rede Lecture. Discussion of Pagan Iron Age elements in the Irish tales. Jackson, Kenneth, Language and History in Early Britain (The Univer- sity Press o Edinburgh, Edinburgh 1956) C, hardcore linguistics. Jackson, Kenneth, The Gododdin : The Earliest Scottish Poem (Edinburgh Universi Press, Edinburgh 1978) M, reprint of 1969 edition. Trans- lation and analysis, b the poem is spread throughout the book, not printed as a whole. Jekyll, Gertrude, Wood and Garden : Notes and Thoughts, Practical and Critical, Working Amateur (The Ayer Company, Salem NH 1983 - reprint of 1899) P, chapter "December" which contains a reference to a gar- dener's notched writing system vaguely resembling an Ogham. Jones, Gwyn & Thomas, The Mabinogion (Everyman's Library, NY 1974) C, reprint o 1949 translation. Kinsella, Thomas, The Tain (University of Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia 1985 translation of the Tain Bo Cuailnge with brush & ink illustrations by Louis le Brocquy. Kirk, Robert, The Secret Common-Wealth (Folklore Society, Cambridge 1976) C, ed Steward Sanderson. Compilation of manuscripts dating from the period of approx 1644. Highland folklore concerning witches and fairies. Knott, Eleanor, An Introduction to Irish Syllabic Poetry of the Period 1200 - 1 (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin 1957) P, poor copy quality. English description of metres and poetry in Gaelic with some notations. 1141 Knowlton, Derrick, The Naturalist in Scotland (David & Charles, London 1974) C, photo plates, line drawings. A brief guide to the flora and fauna of Scotland. Little folklore, but much interesting information on location and habitat of na and imported animals and plants. Ledwich, Dr. Antiquities of Ireland (Dublin 1804) P, reprint of 1792 edition. copy. Antiquarian notes and speculation. Lehmann, RPM & WP, An Introduction to Old Irish (University of Texas Press, Aus nd) P, poor quality copy. Works through the text of Scela Mucce Meic Datho and some poetry. Lehmann, Ruth P, "The Calendar of the Birds" and "A Grave Marked With Ogam" : T Problem Poems from the Book of Leinster (Études Celtique, Paris 1980) AP, poetry and analysis in Irish and English. Lethbridge, TC, The Legend of the Sons of God (Routledge & Kegan Paul, Boston 1 T, megalithic figures and space aliens. Lethbridge, TC, Gogmagog : The Buried Gods, (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 195 P, story of Lethbridge's dig on buried hill-figures and a study of related "gia tales. Linguaphone Institute, Cúrsa Gaelige (London, 1974) PE, Irish language instruct vols and cassettes. Littleton, C. Scott, The New Comparative Mythology : An Anthropolog- ical Assessm the Theories of Georges Dumézil, 3ed (University of California Press, Berkeley 1982) T, excellent overview of Dumézil's material, which includes references to works on Celtic mythology. Logan, James, The Scottish Gael; or Celtic Manners, as Preserved Among the Highlanders ... 5ed (S. Andrus & Son, Hartford nd) P, the chapter "Of the Knowledge of Letters Among the Celts" Logan, Patrick, Irish Country Cures (Appletree Press, Belfast 1981) T, folk med herbology. Lyle, Emily B, Dumezil's Three Functions and Indo-European Cosmic Structure (publication data unknown, 1982) P, notes and discussion of God/Goddess roles i IE structure. MacAlister, RA Stewart, The Secret Languages of Ireland : with special referenc origin and nature of the Shelta language (University Press, Cambridge 1937) PS, good modern anlaysis of Ogham and "Oghamized Irish". MacAlister, RAS, Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum (Coimisiún Láimhscríbhinní Na hÉireann, Dublin 1949) P, 2 vols. An attempt to catalogue a of the stone inscriptions and some inscribed archaeolog- ical finds in Ireland. Reviewed in Speculum as terribly poor and incomplete, but a gallant effort. MacAlister, RAS, The Archaeology of Ireland (Nethuen & Co, Lodon 1928) P, the chapters on Ogham & title page. MacAlpine, Neil & Mackenzie, John, Gaelic-English and English-Gaelic Dictionary (Gairm Publications, Glasgow 1979) C, formerly "MacAlpine's Pronouncing Gaelic Dictionary". Scottish Gaelic. MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology (Hamlyn, London 1970) C, overview 1142 of mythological themes and personalities. MacCulloch, John Arnott and Máchal, Jan, Mythology of All Races : Volume 3, Cel and Slavic (Cooper Square Publishers, NY 1946) C, two volumes bound as one; Celtic Mythology by MacCulloch and Slavic Myth- ology by Máchal. B/w plates, colorized plate frontspiece. Fair to good general overview with brief retellin certain sections of tales. MacCrossan, Tadhg, The Sacred Cauldron : Secrets of the Druids (Llewellyn, St. 1991) T, a sexist, racist look at "non-political" druidry. Some useful information but mostly either bad or dangerous advice, like a ritual that includes giving honey to a newborn (potentially deadly). MacFirbis, Duald, On the Fomorians and the Norsemen (Det Norske Historiske Kildeskriftfond, Bogrykkeri 1905) P, trans by Alexander Bugge. Text compiled approx. 1650. Irish and English. Equates the vikings with the mythical Formoi. MacKillop, James, Fionn mac Cumhaill : Celtic Myth in English Liter- ature (Syrac University Press, Syracuse 1986) T, analysis of Fionn as a literary figure, from hero to buffoon. Mackinnon, Roderick, Teach Yourself Gaelic (Hodder & Stoughton, NY 1985) M, a reasonable Scots Gaelic course from the "Teach Yourself..." series. MacLaren, James, MacLaren's Gaelic Self-Taught (Gairm Publications, Glasgow 198 revised 4th edition. Scots Gaelic language course. Maclean, Charles, Island on the Edge of the World : The Story of St. Kilda (Tap Publishing Co, NY 1980) C, b/w photos. The evacuation of the St. Kilda Islanders. MacLeod, Fiona, The Winged Destiny : Studies in the Spiritual History of the Ga (Lemma Publishing, NY 1974) C, reprint of 1904 edition. Pseudonym of William Sharp. Fiction, essays, myth/folklore. MacManus, Seumas, The Story of the Irish Race (The Devon-Adair Com- pany, Old Greenwich CT 1974) C, revision of 1921 edition. Mythic history, pseudo-history and political history up to approximately 1944. Malory, Sir Thomas, Le Morte d'Arthur : A rendition in modern idiom by Keith Ba (Bramhall House, NY 1962) C, a passable modern rendition. Markale, Jean, Women of the Celts (Inner Traditions International, Rochester VT T, translated from 1972 French edition. Primary focus on Welsh and Breton, ver little discussion of Goddesses. Matthews, Caitlín & John, Hallowquest : Tarot Magic and the Arthurian Mysteries (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1990) T, a magickal system to go with their Arthurian based Tarot deck. Interesting but forced in many places. 1143 Matthews, Caitlín & John, The Western Way : A Practical Guide to the Western My Tradition, Vol 1 The Native Tradition (Arkana, NY 1985) T, analysis of British and Celtic mythological material which states that Pagan deities are "unregenerate godforms". Matthews, Caitlín & John, The Western Way : A Practical Guide to the Western My Tradition, Vol 2 The Hermetic Tradition (Arkana, NY 1986) T, an expansion on vol 1 which insists that qabala and Egypto-Greek hermeticism is the True Wester Way. Matthews, Caitlín, Arthur and the Sovereignty of Britain : King and Goddess in Mabonogion (Arkana, NY 1989) T, discussion of the Irish and Welsh concept of Sovereignty as feminine embodiment of the land. Matthews, Caitlín, Mabon and the Mysteries of Britain : An Exploration of the Mabinobion (Arkana, NY 1987) T, another Matthews "occult book of the month club" publication. Matthews, Caitlín, The Celtic Tradition (Element Books, Longmead 1989) T, volum "The Elements of..." series. So-so introductory Celtic myth and culture. Matthews, John, Taliesin : Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in Britain and Ir (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1991) T, better than their average attempt. Good discussion of similarities between "shamanic" trance-techniques and aspects of "bardic mysteries." Matthews, John & Caitlín, The Aquarian Guide to British and Irish Mythology (Aq Wellingborough 1988) T, sketchy and incomplete compen- dium of mythic figures. Matthews, John & Caitlín, The Grail Seeker's Companion : A Guide to the Grail Q the Aquarian Age (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1986) T, compendium of people and places, with suggested magickal system. Matthews, John, The Arthurian Tradition (Element Books, Longmead 1989) T, a vol in "The Elements of..." series. Talks about the Matter of Britain without real talking much about the Pagan origins. McKenna, Lambert ed. Bardic Syntactical Tracts (Dublin Institute for Advanced S Dublin 1944) PS, notes on grammar and syntax in Irish, with some obscure notes and partial translations in English. McNeill, F. Marian, The Silver Bough (Cannongate, Edinburgh 1989) M, vol 1 of 4 Scottish folk and calendrical lore. Megaw, Ruth & Vincent, Celtic Art : From its beginnings to the Book of Kells (T & Hudson, NY 1990) T, many plates. Archaeology, art history. Merrifield, Ralph, The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic (New Amsterdam Books, NY 1988) T, excellent overview of the archaeological evidence for magic and religi ritual in the British Isles and Western Europe. Meyer, Kuno, Hail Brigit : An Old-Irish Poem on the Hill of Alenn (Hodges, Figg Co, Ltd, Dublin 1912) P, a Dindsenchas poem about Brigid and the Hill of Ailenn Facing page Irish-English text & translation. Meyer, Kuno, Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry, (Constable & Co, London 1911 translations of Irish poetry from different periods. 1144 Meroney, Howard, Early Irish Letter-Names (Speculum, Vol XXIV, No. 1, Jan. 1949 Cambridge, MA) PA. Proposes the Ogham letter names to be "kennings" rather than a list of trees. Linguistics, history. Murphy, Gerard, Early Irish Lyrics, Eighth to Twelfth Century (Clar- endon Press, 1970) P, first published in 1956. Poor copy quality. Irish and English text a translation, analysis of poetic metre and traditions. Murray, Colin, Ephemera collection (Golden Section Order) EP. Deck: Ogham Diviniation Tree Card Pack. Charts: Directions on Using the Ogham; Ogham Divination Correspondence Chart. Posters: Ogham Alphabet Cyphers; The Soli/Lunar Gaelic Year; The Tree Alphabet Beth Luis Nuin; The Triple Goddess; The Golden Section; The Pilgrim Path of Percival on the Serpent of Initiation t Achieve the Grael Quest; Four Fire Festivals. Gravesian. Murray, Liz & Colin, The Celtic Tree Oracle : A System of Divination (St. Marti NY 1988) PE, cards and accompanying information booklet. Gravesian. Naddair, Kaledon, Ogham, Koelbren and Runic (Shamanic Divination Scripts) of Br and Europe (Private publication, nd) P, 2 vols. Poor quality copies, euro size paper. Heavily line illustrated. Very odd, lots of CAPITALS. Anti-Graves. Nagy, Joseph Falaky, The Wisdom of the Outlaw : The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in Ga Narrative Tradition (University of California Press, Berkeley 1985) C, excellen analysis of the Fenian Cycle through the Macgnimartha Fionn and its related material. One of the best avail- able titles. New Celtic Review (London) P, periodical from the Golden Section Order. Beltan double-size euro format, Beltaine 1984, euro paper. Ní C. Dobs, Maighréad, Tochomlad Mad Miledh a hEspain i nErind : no Cath Taillt (Études Celtique, Paris, June 1936) AP, The Battle of Taillten in Irish and Eng Ní Ghrádá, Máiréad, Progress in Irish (The Educational Company, nd) T, basic Ir grammar and vocabulary. Ní Shéaghdha, Nessa, Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the National Library of Fasciculus I (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin 1967) P, a partial cataloguing of Irish manuscripts. Excellent source for translations available the publication date. Norton-Taylor, Duncan, The Celts (Time-Life Books, New York 1974) P, selected excerpts. O'Boyle, Seán, Ogam, The Poets' Secret (Gilbert Dalton, Dublin 1980) T, Ogham a method of musical notation. O'Corráin, Donnchadh, Liam Breatnach, and Kim McCone ed., Sages, Saints and Storytellers : Celtic Studies in Honor of Professor James Carney (An Sagart/Maynooth, Naas 1989) P, selected essays from the work: Davies, The place of healing in early Irish society; McCone, A tale of two ditties: poet and sati Cath Maige Tuired; McManus, Runic and Ogam letter-names: a parallelism; 1145 O'Briain, Some material on Oisín in the Land of Youth; O'Buachalla, Aodh Eangach and the Irish king-hero; O'Corráin, Early Irish hermit poetry?; O'hAodha, The lament of the Old Woman of Beare; O'hUiginn, Tongu do dia toinges mo thuath and related expressions; Picard, The strange death of Guaire mac Áedáin; Sims-Williams, The Irish geography of Culhwch and Olwen; Tristram, Early modes of Insular expression; Williams, Some Irish plant names. O'Curry, Eugene, Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History Hinch & Patrick Traynor, Dublin 1878) PS, lectures at the Catholic University o Ireland in 1855 and 1856. Excellent source material. O'Dónaill, Niall, Folclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Richview, Brown & Nolan, Baile Atha 1977) C, Irish Gaelic to English dictionary. O'Driscoll, Robert ed. The Celtic Consciousness (George Braziller, MY 1987) T, lectures, essays and articles from the Symposium on Celtic Consciousness presented at the University of Toronto in 1978. O'hOgáin, Dáithí, Fionn mac Cumhaill : Images of the Gaelic Hero (Gill & MacMil Dublin 1988) P, selected sections with chapter notes. O'Murchú, Déaglán & Pádraig, Briathra na Gaeilge : Regular and Irregular, (Fole Chuid, Bhaile Atha Cliath nd) P, book of verb forms for Irish Gaelic. O'Tuathail, Seán, An Fiodhrádh (privately printed, 1985) P, work on tree-lore a divination, with some annotations. O'Tuathail, Seán, An Lebor Tosach : or the Book of Beginnings (priv- ately printed tale of Celtic origins. O'Tuathail, Seán, Canteanna na Luise, (privately printed) P period- ical. Issues Print quality fair to poor. Covers mostly very bad. Primarily English with ab 1/3 written in Irish. Very useful material. O'Tuathail, Seán, Duan Amhairghane : The Song of Amergin (privately printed 1984/1986) P, Irish and English reworking of the Song of Amergin. O'Tuathail, Seán, Roscanna on Bhroguis Drum Damhghaire (privately printed 1988) Irish and English reworking of "Druid Rhetorics from "The Siege of the Ridge of the Stag's Call". Parry-Jones, D, Welsh Legends and Fairy Lore (BT Batsford, London 1988) C, firs published in 1953. Folktales, legends. Pennick, Nigel, Ogham and Runic : Magical Writing of Old Britain and Northern E (Fenris Wolf, Cambridge 1978) P, euro size paper. Brief discussion of Book of Ballymote and Leabhar na hUidrhé material. Obvious errors. 1146 Pennick, Nigel, Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition (Aquarian Press, Guil 1989) T, passing mention of Oghams. Relates some Celtic to Norse practices. Pennick, Nigel, Runestaves & Oghams (Runestaff Publications, Cambridge 1985) P, size paper. Only slight differences from Pennick 1978. Piggot, Stuart, Ancient Europe (Aldine Publishing Co, Chicago 1970) C, archaeol survey including proto-Celts and Celts. Piggot, Stuart, The Druids (Thames & Hudson, NY 1986) C, archaeology. Polunin, Oleg, A Concise Guide to the Flowers of Britain and Europe (Oxford Uni Press, NY 1987) T, color photo plates. Field guide to flowering plants and tre including the British Isles and Ireland. Porter, Arthur Kingsley, The Crosses and Culture of Ireland (Arno Press, NY 197 Lectures on archaeology delivered at Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1930. History of the church in Ireland as reflected in monuments inscribed with cross. Power, Patrick C, The Book of Irish Curses (Mercier Press, Cork 1984) P, curses analysis with examples in Irish and English. Propp, Vladimir, Morphology of the Folktale, 2ed (University of Texas, Austin P Austin 1971) T, classic work on the structure and analysis of folktales and the themes. Translated by Laurence Scott, revised by Louis A. Wagner. Propp, Vladimir, Theory and History of Folklore, (University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis 1984) T, a collection of essays and other works on the development and history of oral traditions and lore. Translated by Ariadna Y. Martin and Richard P. Martin. Ragan, Michael, The Runes of Ancient Ireland : Rún ná Erenn Seanda (Runestone Publications, Dilsboro IN, 1987) S, Gravesian vaguely Ogham-based "Irish" runic system. Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, Celtic Heritage : Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wal (Thames & Hudson, NY 1989) T, reprint of 1961 edition. Probably the best popular analysis of insular Celtic myth & folklore available. Renfrew, Colin, Before Civilization : The Radiocarbon Revolution and Prehistori Europe (Alfred A. Knopf, NY 1975) C, archaeology of megalithic monuments. Renfrew, Colin, The Origins of Indo-European Languages (Scientific American, Oc 1989) AP, a new linguistic theory offering a different date for the Celtic sett of Ireland and the British Isles. Rhys, John, Celtic Folklore, Welsh and Manx (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1901) PS, volume 1 of 2. Richardson, Alan & Hughes, Geoff, Ancient Magicks for a New Age : Rituals from Merlin Temple, The Magick of the Dragon Kings (Llewellyn, St. Paul 1989) T, magickal diaries and discussion of contact with the "Merlin current". 1147 Rolleston, TW, Celtic Myths and Legends (Avenel Books, NY 1986) C, volume in th "Myths and Legends" series. Facsimile of an earlier edition, probably no later 1935-1940. Mythology of Ireland and Wales. Ross, Anne & Robins, Don, The Life and Death of a Druid Prince : The Story of L Man, an Archaeological Sensation (Summit Books, NY 1989) C, archaeology. Interesting analysis of the Celtic "threefold death" theme. Ross, Anne, Pagan Celtic Britain : Studies in Iconography and Trad- ition (Routle Kegan Paul, London 1967) PS, a classic source, one of the best works by an expert in the field. Ross, Anne, The Pagan Celts (Barnes & Noble, Totowa NJ 1986) C, formerly Everyd Life of the Pagan Celts. Archaeology and anthropo- logical analysis. Sapir, Edward, Culture, Language and Personality : Selected Essays (University California Press, Berkeley 1958) M, essays on linguistics and culture, edited b David G. Mandelbaum. Influential linguistic theories regarding the origins of thought, religion, and myth in language structure. Saul, George Brandon, Traditional Irish Literature and Its Back- grounds: A Brief Introduction (A Revision of The Shadow of the Three Queens), (Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg 1970) P, history, mythology, literature. Seymour, St. John D, Irish Visions of the Other-World : A Contribution to the S Mediæval Visions, (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London 1930) P, reasonably good material, excellent chapter on imm- rama. Sharp, Cecil J & MacIlwaine, Herbert C, The Morris Book (EP Publishing Ltd, Eas Ardsley 1974) C, parts 1-3 of 5. Morris dance instructions and music. Sharp, Cecil J & MacIlwaine, Herbert C, The Morris Book (EP Publishing Ltd, Eas Ardsley 1974) C, parts 4 & 5 of 5. Morris dance instructions and music. Sharp, Cecil J, Sword Dances of Northern England (EP Publishing Ltd, East Ardsl 1978) C, 3 vols bound as one. Sword dance instructions and music, folklore commentary. Also includes the Horn Dance of Abbotts Bromley. Simpson, Jacqueline, Grímr the Good, A Magical Drinking-Horn (Études Celtiques, 1963) AP, a comparison of Grímr with the Horn of Bran from Welsh mythology. Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise, Gods and Heroes of the Celts (Turtle Island Foundation Berkeley 1982) T, trans by Myles Dillon. Original French publication in 1940. highly respected classic. Skelton, Robin and Margaret Blackwood, Earth, Air, Fire, Water : Pre-Christian Pagan Elements in British Songs, Rhymes and Ballads (Arkana, London 1990) T, English-only poetry with some commentary. Nothing unusual. Modern poetry is included. Spence, Lewis, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain (pub unknown - book out) C, better average book. Lots of good information. 1148 Spence, Lewis, The Minor Traditions of British Mythology (Rider and Co, London C, survey of "lesser" themes of British and Celtic myth- ology. Spence, Lewis, The Mysteries of Britain (Health Research, Mokelumne Hill CA 197 interesting but not necessarily accurate mythology and druidry. Spence, Lewis, Myth and Ritual in Dance, Game and Rhyme (Watts & Co, London, 1947) C, some b/w photos. Survey of world ritual dance, games and rhyme, with fairly large listing of Celtic/English material. Spencer, Edmund, The Faerie Queene (Odyssey Press, NY 1965) T, ed by Kellogg a Steele. Books 1 & 2, with other poetry and commentary. Steel, Tom, The Life and Death of St. Kilda (Fontana/Collins Books, Glasgow 197 b/w photo plates. Anthropology. Another account of the evacuation of St. Kilda. Steinbeck, John, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (Aven- el, NY 1982 also M, Del Rey 1976. Reworking of Mallory. Stewart, RJ ed. The Book of Merlin : Insights from the first Merlin Conference, June 1986 (Blandford Press, NY 1987) C, essays on Merlinology and mythology. Stewart, RJ, Advanced Magical Arts (Element Books, Longmead 1988) T, western mysticism and "Celtic" archetypal forms. Stewart, RJ (Bob), Where is Saint George? : Pagan Imagery in English Folksong, (Blandford Press, NY 1988) P, Pagan remains and qabbalism in English folk music. Stewart, RJ, The Merlin Tarot (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1988) TE, Tarot deck an explanatory book. Illustrations and deck by Miranda Gray. Places Merlin mythology on the qabalistic tree of life. Stewart, RJ, The Mystic Life of Merlin (Arkana, NY 1987) T, psychological analy Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini. Stewart, RJ, The Prophetic Vision of Merlin (Arkana, NY 1987) T, psychological of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Merlin material. Stewart, RJ, The UnderWorld Initiation : A Journey Toward Psychic Transformatio (Aquarian, Guildford 1985) T, qabala with a thin veneer of "Celtic" and western mysticism focusing on ballads. Strett, Jakob, Sun and Cross : The development from megalithic culture to early Christianity in Ireland (Floris Books, London 1984) C, megalithic monuments and religious transformation in Ireland. Taylor, Isaac, Greeks and Goths : A Study on the Runes (MacMillan & Co, London P, chapter on the Oghams only. Taylor, Timothy, The Gundestrup Cauldron, (Scientific American, March 1992) A, article on the origins of the Gundestrup Cauldron, excellent clear photos of rarely seen panels. 1149 Taylor, Pat & Tony, The Henge : An Introduction to Keltrian Druidism, (Keltria, Minneapolis, 1990) P, introductory material for a neoPagan Druidic tradition. Thomas, NL, Irish Symbols of 3500 BC (Mercier Press, Dublin 1988) T, speculativ interpretation of New Grange and other megalithic symbols in Ireland. Thomas is absolutely certain of his analysis. Travis, James, Early Celtic Versecraft : Origin, Development, Dif- fusion (Cornel University Press, Ithaca 1973) P, a scholarly study of the forms and rhythms of Celtic poetry and its spread through Europe. Turco, Lewis, The New Book of Forms : A Handbook of Poetics (Univer- sity Press o England, Hanover NH 1986) T, book of poetic forms including many ancient Celtic verse patterns and structures. Vansina, Jan, Oral Tradition as History (University of Wisconsin Press, Madison not directly related to Celtic, but an excellent analysis of the use and explor oral traditions. Useful in recreating religious and mythic meanings. Vendryes, J, L'écriture Ogamique et Ses Origines (Études Celtiques, Paris, 1945 article on Ogham in French. Discussion of basic source material. Ventura, Michael, Hear That Long Black Snake Moan (Whole Earth Review, Spring 1987) AP, rock, voudon and some thoughts on an interesting Irish connection. Wagner, H, Origins of Pagan Irish Religion (Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologi 1981) AP, in-depth examination of Manannán. Watson, Alden, The King, the Poet and the Sacred Tree (Études Cel- tique, Paris 1 AP, discussion of the sacred tree in Pagan Irish religion. Watson, J. Carmichael, Mesca Ulad (Scottish Gaelic Studies, vol V, part I, Lond AP, translation of the Intoxication of the Ulstermen. Webster, Graham, Celtic Religion in Roman Britain (Barnes & Noble, Totowa NJ 19 C, formerly The British Celts and Their Gods Under Rome. Archaeology and paleo-ethnology. Whiting, Bartlett Jere ed., Traditional British Ballads (Appleton-Century-Croft 1955) M, a small ballad collection. Wood, Juliette, The Elphin Section of Hanes Taliesin (Études Celtique, Paris 19 analysis of a Taliesin tale. Wood-Martin, W. G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland : A Folklore Sketch : Handbook of Irish Pre-Christian Traditions (Longmans, Green & Co, London 1902) P, 2 vols. Line drawings. A wide-ranging collection of excellent materi including such obscurities as Irish sweat-house traditions. Woodman, P. C., A Mesolithic Camp in Ireland (Scientific American, Vol. 245, No August 1981) AP, archaeology. Some thoughts on a mesolithic site with notes regarding linguistics and the Indo-European origin of the Irish. Wylie, Jonathan, and David Mar golin, The Ring of Dancers : Images of Faroese Cu (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 1981) C, anthropological study modern and historical aspects of the Faroe Islands, an island group of mixed Norse/Celtic ancestry with a Norse language. Yeats, William Bulter, Mythologies (Collier, NY 1978) T, reprint of The Celtic The 1150 Secret Rose, Stories of Red Hanrahan, The Tables of the Law, The Adoration of the Magi, and Per Amica Silentia Lunae. Yeats, William Butler, Irish Fairy and Folk Tales (Modern Library, NY nd) C, ERYNN DARKSTAR LAST UPDATE: 4/18/92 1151 CANDLEMAS (IMBOLC) RITUAL: 2 February -by the White Bard Materials: a candle for each covener present. a MAIDEN, dressed in white. a Crown of Light, made from three, six, or nine candles. a BARD/GREEN MAN. a DARK LORD, dressed in dark clothing, and holding a dark cloak. % The place of ritual should be set up, away from the gathered participants. % It is more than a good idea to manage bathrooms and such like % before the circle is closed. This Mystery is not something any % of the participants should miss out on! The BARD should stand to the WEST, unless otherwise specified in the ritual. --------------------------------------------------------------- HPS: Go we now to the sacred place And stand within the sacred space Turn your minds to sacred things And dance with me unto the ring! % HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a % spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The % cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man % dances at the end of the line. A good song to sing here % is "Lord Of The Dance." HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance Within the Lady's radiance To celebrate the Sun's rebirth To renew life, to warm the Earth Earth and Water, Fire and Air I invoke the Goddess there! This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky I invoke the God on high This night we are Between the Worlds To celebrate the year unfurled! % The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but % shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her % circumnabulation. EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower, Airy ones of healing power I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! 1152 SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power Thus I invite you to this tower I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! WEST: Western ones of water's flow Help to guard us here below I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame Bless and guard our Power's fane I do summon, stir and call you See these rites and guard this circle! Come to us and heed our call! By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: Come to us; and Blessed Be! % The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each % corner's crying as she moves to the next: HPS: So I cast and consecrate This Circle of the small and great: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea, By Fire and Water, Earth and Air, By the Lord, and Lady Fair! By Love and Joy and Work and Play, All things harmful cast away! By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall, By the Power that made us all; By the Power that blesses Thee: (Cast the Circle: Blessed be!) % On her return to the first corner she shall change the last % line above, and say: The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be! % The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners. 1153 -------------------------------------------------- % Here begins the Candlemas (Imbolc) Mystery: % The Maiden shall step forth, and say: MAIDEN: This is the time of Brigid, the Patron of Poets and Fire, and of Healing. HPS: This is the time of new beginnings, when the Mother has become Maiden. HP: The days have turned, and grow longer, and the Sun-child is growing to His strength. BARD/GREEN MAN: I have been a wave upon the sea, And a spark in the firelight. I have been a fish in the ocean. I have been a Thought within a Word, And a Word within a Deed. I was cast away, and found again. I have been made of flowers And of cold steel and brass. Fire and ice are alike unto me. I have been the narrow blade of a sword That kills without cutting. And the Void is my homeland. I have been in Caer Sidi In the Spiral Castle of Glass. And the letters on the Standing Stones Are no secret from me. I have been in Annwyn And Tir na n'Og, I have danced the Spiral Dance, And drunk from the Hierlas at daybreak. I have ridden beneath two ravens And served in the kitchen, And all places are alike unto me. I have been a child And now I come into my strength! I invoke the Land, the dear Land, the Earth our Mother! 1154 MAIDEN: The cycles of the Moon have taken their course, and I am in my Maidenhood. The stars are kindled, and I dance in their light. DARK LORD: Thy home is with me thru the long months of Winter, and the Earth shall lie fallow and bare. % The HPS shall then light the candles of the Crown of Light, % and shall approach the Maiden, who is now standing in the East, and % place it upon her head. % She shall now, in company with the Bard/Green Man, circumnabulate the % circle, and the coveners shall light their candles from her crown. % The Bard/Green Man shall return to his normal place within the circle % and the Maiden shall place the Crown of Light on the altar. % The Maiden shall then approach the Dark Lord, and kneel before him, % and he shall say: DARK LORD: As it always is, always was, and always shall be. Come to my Kingdom. % Here he shall place the dark cloak around her, and they shall retire % to the West. % Here ends the Candlemas Mystery. -------------------------------------------------------------------- % A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing: HPS: In a ring we all shall stand Pass the Power, hand to hand. HP: As the Sun is given birth Build the Power; root to Earth HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand Bless the Lady, bless the Land HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies Bless the Power that never dies! % The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or % as many times as needed) and then the HPS should say: HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree: Let the Power flow out and free! % All should release, at this point. 1155 ------------------------------------------------------ % Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here. % This is a good time to bless candles for use during the coming year. % This is also a good time for initiations. ------------------------------------------------------ % The Circle is opened. HPS: Thus I release the East and West Thanks to them from Host to Guest Thus I release the South and North With "Blessed Be' I send them forth! The Circle's open, dance we so Out and homeward we shall go. Earth and Water, Air and Fire Celebrated our desire. The Sun's returned to banish dark The Earth awakes to sunlight's spark. By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree, Our circle's done; and Blessed Be! COVEN: Blessed Be! % All spiral dance out from the Circle. -------------------------end---------------------------------- 1156 SALEM REMEMBERED by Sandy and Doug Kopf presented at Pacific Circle XII June, 1992 This year is the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials. This ritual was presented in remembrance of those who died, and a reminder that we must be aware and strong even now. The ritual was attended by over 100 people and was very moving. Many wept. It is being shared now, not only because it is beautiful, but to make it available for others who might wish to use it. Sandy and Doug ask only that there be no charge for attending the ritual. It would disturb them greatly to find that such was the case. . The flash powder mentioned in the ritual was simply a mixture of sugar and saltpetre (50/50). Should you chose to use this, be careful to "dump" it rather than pour it. It will not only be more effective this way, but will prevent the fire from climbing the stream of powder back up to the hand of the person pouring it! . = = = = . Quarters are called: . EAST: Powers of the East! Lords and Ladies of Greece and Rome! Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive! . SOUTH: Powers of the South! Lords and Ladies of the two lands of Egypt! Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive! . WEST: Powers of the West! Lords and Ladies of the Land of the Celts! Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive! . NORTH: Powers of the North! Lords and Ladies of the Viking Lands! Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive! . AT CENTER, PRIEST AND PRIESTESS INVOKE GOD AND GODDESS AND SPIRITS OF THIS PLACE. . ALL SING 'LADY WEAVE YOUR CIRCLE TIGHT' AND 'LORD, LORD GUIDE US' (OR OTHER SUITABLE SONG.) . 1157 PRIEST: Three hundred years have gone by since that dark time of history we all remember as the "Salem Witch Trials," yet, even after three hundred years, we dare not allow ourselves to forget! We must remember what can happen wahen hatred, fear, and intolerance gain a stronghold over love, sanity, and tolerance. Innocent people died in Salem. They died horrible deaths, tried and sentends for the "crime" of witchcraft. They died for the crime of practicing an alternative religion, and they were not even part of that religion. They died, not for their own beliefs, but for ours! They died in the name of our Gods, yet they did not know Them. . PRIESTESS: They were not witches, but we ARE! They were not pagans, but we ARE! It is our task to remember, and to be sure history cannot repeat itself today. Therefore, we now call their names into our circle, to be remembered and honored here. . THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS OF SALEM ARE PROCLAIMED, ONE BY ONE, AND A CHIME IS SOUNDED AFTER EACH NAME. . Rebecca Nurse Sarah Good Sarah Wilde Susanna Martin Briget Bishop John Proctor John Willard George Jacobs George Burroughs Martha Carrier Samuel Wardwell Giles Corey Alice Parker Martha Corey Mary Parker Margaret Scott Ann Pudeator Mary Esty Wilmot Redd Sarah Osborne . PRIESTESS: Sisters and Brothers! We will not allow your deaths to have been in vain. . SONG: "BURNING TIMES". ALL JOIN IN WITH THE CHORUS OF "ISIS, ASTARTE" AND THE CHANT BLENDS INTO "WE ARE THE OLD PEOPLE". . WHEN THE SONG HAS REACHED THE PEAK OF ENERGY, THE PRIEST SAYS: . We ARE the old people. We ARE the new people. We ARE getting stron- ger every day. We are stronger, and we are no longer in hiding. We are here, and none need fear us, for our way is love and our ethic is harmlessness, but we say to the world that all may hear: We WILL stand against hatred! We WILL stand against intolerance! We will not stand silent in the face of harm to others or to our own. The few have become many, and our Gods are awake and strong! Never more the burning! We won't be burned again! . 1158 PRIESTESS (LIGHTS FIRE IN CAULDRON): Let the cauldron burn with our love and our faith! Let it illuminate the world with the light of the Old Religion. Let negativity and fear be banished in its flames, and let it kindle love in the hearts of those who hate us. (LOUDLY, POINTING AT CAULDRON) Fire! Burn high on all planes, that strength and protection come to us from all directions, as we join hearts and hands to weave a destiny of peace and freedom! (TO CIRCLE) Let us sing and dance, that all may remember Salem, and the Craft shall ever survive. . SONG: "WE ARE THE WEAVERS". ALL JOIN HANDS AND DANCE SLOWLY IN A CIRCLE. ALL WHO ARE UNABLE TO DANCE SHOULD STEP INTO THE CIRCLE, NOT OUT OF IT. . THE SONG SHOULD BE SUNG FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS, ENDING WITH A VERY EN- THUSIASTIC "WE ARE THE WITCHES, BACK FROM THE DEAD! . STARTING WITH THE EAST, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH QUARTER WALKS TO THE CENTER, POURING FLASH POWDER FROM A BOWL INTO THE CAULDRON, PROCLAIMING: . EAST: From the guardians of the mysteries of the ancient temples, from the windswept mountains of Greece and Rome, I bring protection and wisdom! Remember Salem and the Craft will survive! . SOUTH: From the guardians of the mysteries of the towering pyramids, from the burning deserts of the Two Lands of Egypt, I bring protection and courage! Remember Salem, and the Craft will survive. . WEST: From the guardians of the mysteries of the Standing Stones, from the lakes and groves of the land of the Celts, I bring protection and love! Remember Salem, and the Craft will survive. . NORTH: From the guardians of the mysteries of the sacred runes, from the snow and ice of the Viking Lands, I bring protection and strength! Remember Salem and the Craft will survive! . PRIEST: Great Lady! Bright Lord! Lords and Ladies all! Guardians and Honored Dead! Spirits of this place! All in flesh and spirit who have joined us here! We thank you for attending! Go if you must, stay if you will! REMEMBER SALEM! MAY THE CRAFT SURVIVE! . Circle is ended. . = = = = . Written by Doug and Sandy Kopf, Coven Ashesh Hekat, Circle of Circles, 1992 1159 This is mythic prose. Take it as such... ------------------------------------------ Elves (Ah Kin) live in Shamballa, the City of Eternal Bliss, also called 'Foresthome', which lies deep within the forest and exists simultaneously on many planes. Within Shamballa all needs are met, all dreams are realized, and no wish is ungranted. Things seem dreamlike and intimately real at once, Adventurous elves visit the world outside Shamballa, inhabited by all types of plants and animals (called, sadly, 'The Dying Realms'). When they do so they are often on spiritual journeys or exploratory missions. Otherwise it is only the 'half-elf' that braves such a challenge. All elves are a family. All time for elves is long (and, arguably, short). They all greet one another with great big hugs. If the two have met before, then they sing songs of their travels since last meeting. Humans who hear an elf sing are enchanted by their voices and while within hearing distance cannot move, such is the ecstasy in which they are wrapt. Plants harmonize with all being and their song is the song of the universe. Elves don't sleep. They meditate in trance for a few moments and then enter the world of dreams fully awake. Those elves who spend time with humans may be able to join in the human dreams and control them, to a certain extent, somewhat like the computer in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' controls the 'holodeck'. Humans who spend time with elves and encounter such dream-work will gradually transform into elves over time. Given shared dreams, they begin showing elven characteristics and attitudes. From this observa- tion, it has been suggested by elven sages that humans are elven 'eggs', which can be fertilized through dreams by an elf who wishes to see this 'hatchling' through to 'becoming', or full realization. As some elves see it, then, humans are like children, some playing Mother Nature's game, and some not. Regardless, since elves live so long, it seems likely that all humans may eventually become elves. Elves rarely eat outside Shamballa, living quite healthily on water and sunshine. Human food makes them queasy and human liquor is of unfortunately poor quality. Elven mead and wine are very strong and tasty. Elves love trees because they are directly related to them. Elves are evolved plants, coming from the same 'branch' of the geneological family. They understand that trees are intelligent, nonmobile sages of great wisdom, spending the entirety of their lives in meditation. Elven sages are said to become trees upon their final rebirth. Elves don't die like humans do. They mature and then, after many journeys about the Great Star, (this process is not completely under- stood), they wither and are reborn in Shamballa with continued memory and a similar, though renewed body. This is the evolved state of the vegetative cycle of renewal (rebirth). It is said that rebirth req- uires a conscious choice, however, so that elves who venture into the Dying Realms and begin to doubt their ability to be reborn may be reborn as trees instead. Often rites of death and rebirth are per- formed in winter and spring, respectively, at Shamballa. 1160 The entirety of the elven life, the Way, is one of fun, love and laughter. They delight in games and their childlike nature combines with their often advanced intellect to create some of the most sophis- ticated and challenging games of skill and chance, involving magical powers, spells, quests and mysteries. Some of those less fortunate young elves get lost in the Dying Realms and begin to take the games for reality, becoming dour and moody. A brief time in the company of other elves usually cures them of this, however. Their 'religion', if you will, is based on such games. Elves aren't required to believe anything, but are told a marvelous story which encompasses and enriches their lives. This is the story which most elves are told upon their lingual maturi- ty. It is understood, at the time, that it can help the individual understand hir place in the cosmos and give hir a basis for inter- action with the World, but that there are other, equally valuable stories that will do the same. 'Ah and Kin were the first great trees. They stood atop the world and fruited Sun, Moon, Seas, Stars and the various plants and animals. In this way all things grew and ripened, falling off the branch of statelessness onto the ground of being. Once there, they crawled or moved to different parts of the world, where they were born from the seed, pod, egg or womb of their parents. Enjoying the movement of their offspring, Ah and Kin died and became the first elves - what humans might call 'gods' and the elves call 'The Elders', 'The Ancient Onces', 'The Celestial Masters', 'The Old Ones', or countless thous- ands of other names of endearment. Gradually Ah and Kin, now unified in the elven race, are waking to their true essence and will grow to their old strength in a never-ending cycle.' To the elves the Old Ones are less wholly other beings and more divine patterns of behavior. In 'worshipping' them elves engage in activit- ies with which the Old One is associated. This does NOT make the worshipper of greater value than the non-worshipper. Worship is not considered a show for others but an ecstatic experience. While the practice is considered serious business (if anything is for elves!), once one becomes acquainted with the stories, legends about the Elders, one begins to realized the value not only of acting but of watching, of listening to the new stories which they tell through their new worshippers. No harm is ever done in elven worship, and those who do so accidentally are advised to return to Shamballa immediately to renew their sacred vows. Little if anything is known about these vows, but often they are said to be ideal goals rather than adopted commandments. The Old Ones are innumerable in their variation. They have as many faces and names as there are days in life (and for an elf, this is a LOT!). The Old Ones this adventurer knows of thusfar are these: Varda, Star Mother (aka 'Queen of the Stars') Creatrix, Genetrix, Womb of life. She is associated with planting and/or defending trees. 1161 Leollyn, Dancing Father Magick energy of being, the dancing Song of All. He is associated with magick, singing and dancing. Yow, the Teacher (aka 'Uncle Yow') The Trickster, the Fool. He is associated with deception and the revealing of wisdom, trickery and education. Cleowyn, Wizardress Wise One, compassionate Lover. She is associated with magick and romance. Tufyl, Leader of the Festive Spirits Partier, mirthmaker, intoxicator. Associated with merrymaking, drinking, smoking. The Festive Spirits include all those substances which trigger altered states of consciousness and levity. Snassis, Snake Beauty Regenerator, renewer, rebirther. Associated with awe, 'death' and knowledge (books), it is said that Snassis will be the final guide beyond the veil(?). Her sisters, Almuldhea and Cleowyin (q.v.) are alternatively said to accompany her in this function. Vitraya, Healer Healer, vitalizer and restorer of life. She is associated with healing, aiding and service generally. Farrelon, The Game Hunter Dedicated challenger and adventurer. He is associated with hunting and game playing. Kellon, the Silent (aka 'Eternal Questor') The keen eye, the sensitive ear. SHe is associated with searching, tracking and quests. SHe, paired with Almuldhea (below) are said to be neither male nor female, but both and neither. Both are rather seldom spoken of, actually, for it is thought that to do so is to bring them shame. Amuldhea Mysterious Mystery, Darkness in its extreme, SHe is Death in the sense of eternal extinction. This is not a concept which elves understand well, and many find Hir difficult if not impossible to speak about. SHe is associated with sex, secrecy and hiding. These are brief descriptions only. Each has countless tales told about them around deadwood fires and in mead-slick taverns late at night. 1162 The Pact, by Pete Carrol Most occult traditions have complex and highly ordered otherworld cosmologies and metaphysical theories. Yet their accompanying techniques are frequently a shambles. In contradiction to all this, one of the fundamental insights of Chaos Magic is that if magical technique is sharply delineated it will work because the universe itself is more of a shambles than it appears. Or perhaps I should more respectfully say that it has the magical property of confirming most of the interpretations placed upon it. Thus a wide variety of metaphysical paradigms can be made to fit, even if mutually exclusive. So when selecting from the Supermarket of Belief, the critical question for the Chaoist is: how effective are the accompanying magical techniques? Hence Chaoist magic is characterised by its cavalier attitude to metaphysics and its puritanical devotion to empirical techniques. For some time Chaoist orthodoxy has had it that cavalier metaphysics and mythology are incompatible with the formal structure of a magical teaching order. However, this need not be so if it is only technique that is being taught and practised. Experience has shown that people can come together and engage in highly productive exchanges of practical expertise, and that a formal structure and a division of labour encourage this. The Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros, or the Pact for short, is an organisational structure for those wishing to perform Chaos type magic in company with others of like mind. The Pact exploits the device of a graded hierarchy, with certain checks and balances, and is delighted to admit candidates with the drive and initiative to rise rapidly through its structure. Every occult revival begets a magical child or two and Chaoist Magic is the major synthesis to emerge from the occult renaissance of the last twenty years. The Pact is amongst the prime vehicles designed to develop and carry forward that synthesis well into the next millenium. It is likely that the Pact will be to the end of this century and to the beginning of the next, rather more than what the G.D. was in its time, a century ago. In practice a number of the formal devices of the Pact are treated somewhat more lightly than the written conventions might leed one to suppose, with members styling themselves with such oddities as Frater Vacuity or Soror Impropriety and so on, in deliberate parody of tradition. The prime functions of the grade structure are to provide a mechasnism for the exclusion of certain psychotic misanthropes and neurotic creeps who are sometimes attracted to such enterprises and to ensure that that which needs organisation is duly attended to. Persons who, having read and carefully considered the accompanying information and conventions of the Pact, are interested in contributing to its activities may submit an extensive letter of application to: OBLIVION, P.O.Box 18514, Encino, CA 91416-8514, USA 1163 THE LAWS from Lady Sheba Your High Priestess In the Magic Circle, the words, commands, and every wish of the High Priestess are law. She isthe earthly,living representativeof our GraciousGoddess. She must be obeyed and respected in all things. She is Our Lady and above all others, a queen in the highest sense of the word. Allfemale coveners must curtsywhenever they comebefore her and say, "Blessed Be." All male coveners must bend the knee and give her a kiss on the right cheek and say, "Blessed Be." Your High Priest He is the earthly, living representative of the Great Horned God and in the Magic Circle, He commandeth the respect due to one who is a Magus, a Lord Counselor, and father. The Laws 1. The Law was made and ardane of old. 2. The Law was made for the Wicca to advise and help in their troubl- es. 3. The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey Their will, which They ardane, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, as the worship of the Wicca is good for the Gods. For the Gods love the brethren of the Wicca. 4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her, 5. So the Wicca should love the Gods by mastering them. 6. And it is necessary that 0 (Magic Circle) which is the temple of the Gods, should be duly cast and purified that it may be a fit place for the Gods to enter. 7. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the Gods. 8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the Gods. 9. As has been taught of old. 10. For in this way only may man have a communion with the Gods, for the Gods cannot help men without the help of man. 11. And the High Priestess shall rule Her Coven as the representative of the Goddess. 12. And the High Priest shall support Her as the representative of the God. 13. And the High Priestess shall choose whom She will, if he have sufficient rank, to be Her High Priest. 1164 14. For, as the God himself kissed Her feet in the Fivefold salute, laying His power at the feet of the Goddess, because of Her youth and beauty, Her swetness and kindness, Her wisdom and Her justice, Her humility and gentleness and generosity, 15. So He resigned all His power to Her. 16. But the High Priestess should ever mind that all power comes from Him. 17. It is only lent, to be used wisely and justly. 18. And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that She recognizes that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess. 19. So will She gracefully retire in favor of a younger woman, should the Coven so decide in council. 20. For the true High Priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering the pride of place is one of the greatest virtues. 21. And that thereby will She return to that pride of place in another life, with greater power and beauty. 22. In the old days, when Witches extended far, we were free and worshipped in all the greatest temples. 23. But, in these unhappy times, we must celebrate our Sacred Mys- teries in secret. 24. So be it ardane, that none but the Wicca may see our mysteries, for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of men. 25. So be it ardane, that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide. 26. Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and the Messenger. 27 And there shall be no communication between them, save only by the Messenger of the Gods, or the Summoner. 28. And only if it be safe may the Covens meet in some safe place for the Great Festivals. 29. And while there, none shall say whence they come, nor give their true names. 30. To this end, that if any be tortured, in their agony, they may not tell if they do not know. 31. So be it ardane, that no one shall tell anyone, not of the Craft, who be of the Wicca, or give any names, or where any abide, or in any way tell anything which can betray any of us to our faces. 32. Nor may he tell where the Covendom be. 33. Or the Covenstead. 1165 34. Or where the meetings be. 35. And if any break these Laws, even under torture, the Curse of the Goddess shall be upon them, so they may never be reborn on earth, and may they remainm where they belone, in the Hell of the Christians. 36. Let each High Priestess govern Her Coven with justice and love, with the help and advice of the High Priest and the Elders, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if He comes. 37. She will heed all complaints of all Brothers and strive to settle all differences among them. 38. But it must be recognized that there will always be people who will ever strive to force others to do as they will. 39. These are not necessarily evil. 40. And they oft have good ideas, and such ideas should be talked over in council. 41. But, if they will not agree with their Brothers or if they say: 42. "I will not work under this High Priestess." 43. It hath ever been the Old Law, to be convenient for the Brethren, and to avoid disputes. 44. Any of the third may claim to found a new Coven, because they live over a league from the Covenstead or are about to do so. 45. Anyone living within the Covendom and wishing to form a new Coven shall tell the Elders of their intentions and on the instand avoid their dwelling and remove to a new Covendom. 46. Members of the old Coven may join the new one when it is formed, but if they do they must utterly avoid the old Coven. 47. The Elders of the old and new Covens should meet in peace and brotherly love to decide the new boundaries. 48. Those of the Craft who live outside both Covens may join either indifferent, but not both. 49. Though all may, if the Elders agree, meet for the Great Festivals, if it be truly in peace and brotherly love. 50. But splitting the Coven oft means strife, so for this reason these Laws were made of old, and may the Curse of the Goddess be on any who disregard them! SO BE IT ARDANE. 51. If you would keep a book (your Black Book) let it be in your own hand of write, let Brothers and Sisters copy what they will, but never let the book out of your hands and never keep the writings of another. 52. For if it be in their hand of write, they may be taken and en- gained. 1166 53. Le each guard his own writings, and destroy them whenever danger threatens. 54. Learn as much as you may by heart, and when danger is past, rewrite your book when it be safe. 55. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book, an they have not been able to. 56. For, an it be found, 'tis clear proof against them. 57. And our oppressors know well: "Ye may not be a Witch alone." 58. So all their kin and friend be in danger of torture. 59. So destroy everything not necessary. 60. If your book be found on you, 'tis clear proof against you alone. You may be engained. 61. Keep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind. 62. If the torture be too great to bear, say: "I will confess. I cannot bear this torture. What do you want me to say?" 63. If they try to make you talk of the Brotherhood, do not. 64. But if they try to make you speak of impossibilities such as flying through the air, consorting with the Christian Devil, or sacrificing children or eating men's flesh, 65. To obtain relief from the torture, say, "I hold an evil dream, I was beside myself, I was crazed.: 66. Not all the magistrates are bad; if there be any excuse, they may show mercy. 67. If you have confessed ought, deny it afterwards. Say you babbled under the torture, say you do not know what you said. 68. If you are condemned, fear not. 69. Fear not, the Brotherhood is powerful, they will help you to escape if you stand steadfast. 70. But if you betray ought, there is no hope for you in this life or that to come. 71. Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you, you will feel naught. You but go to death and what lies beyond. 1167 The Ecstasy of the Goddess 72. To avoid discovery, let the working tools be as ordinary things that any may have in their houses. 73. Let the Pentacles be of wax so that they may be broken at once or melted. 74. Have no sword, unless your rank allows you one. 75. Have no names or signs on anything. 76. Write the names or signs on them in ink immediately before con- secrating them, and wash it off immediately afterwards. 77. Do not engrave them lest they cause discovery. 78. Let the color of the hilts tell which is which. 79. Ever remember, ye are the "Hidden Children of the Goddess," so never do anything to disgrace them or her. 80. Never boast, never threaten, never say you would wish ill of anyone. 81. If any person, not in the magic circle, speak of the Craft say, "Speak not to me of such, it frightens me. 'Tis eveil luck to speak of it." 82. For this reason: the Christians have their spied everywhere. These speak as if they were well affected to us, as if they would come to our meetings saying, "My mother used to go worship the Old Ones. I would I could go myself." 83. To such as these, ever deny all knowledge. 84. But to others, ever say, "'Tis foolish talk of Witches flying through the air. To do so they must be light as thistledown. And men say that Witches all be so bleary-eyed, old crones, so what pleasure can there be at a Witch meeting such as folks talk on?" 85. And say "Many wise men now say there be no such creatures." 86. Ever make it a jest and in some future time, perhaps, the persec- ution may die and we may worship our Gods in safety again. 87. Let us all pray for that happy day. 88. May the blessings of the Goddess and God be on all who keep these Laws which are ardane. 89. If the Craft have any Appenage, let all guard it, and help to keep it clear and good for the Craft. 90. And let all justly guard all monies of the Craft. 91. But if any brother truly wrought it, 'tis right they have their pay, and it be just. And this be not taking money for the Art, but for good and honest work. 1168 92. And ever the Christians say, "The laborer is worthy of his hire" but if any brother work willingly for the good of the Craft without pay, 'tis to their greatest honor. SO BE IT ARDANE 93. If there be any quarrels or disputes among the brethren the High Priestess shall straightly convene the Elders and inquire into the matter and they shall hear both sides, first alone, then together. 94. And they shall decide justly, not favoring the one side or the other. 95. Ever recognizing there be people who can never agree to work under others. 96. But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly. 97. To those who ever must be chief, there is one answer. 98. Void the Coven, or seek another one or make a Coven of your own, taking with you those who will go. 99. To those who cannot rule justly the answer be, "Those who cannot bear your rule will leave you." 100. For none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at variance. 101. So, an either cannot agree, "Get hence, for the Craft must ever survive." SO BE IT ARDANE 102. In the olden days, when we had power, we could use the Art against any who ill-treated the Brotherhood. But in these evil days, we must not do so! For our enemies have devised a burning pit of everlasting fire, into which they say their God casteth all the people who worship Him, except it be the very few who are released by their priest's spells and masses. And this be chiefly by giving monies and rich gifts to receive His favor, for their God is ever in need of money. 103. But as our Gods need our aid to make fertility for man and crops, so it is the God of the Christians ever is in need of man's help to search out and destroy us. Their priests ever tell them that any who get our help are damned to this Hell forever, so men be mad with the terror of it. 104. But they make men believe that they may escape this Hell if they give Witches to the tormentors. So for this reason, all be forever spying, thinking, "An I catch but one of the Wicca, I will escape this fiery pit." 105. So for this reason we have our hidels, and men searching long and not finding say, "There be none, or if there be, they be in a far country." 106. But when one of our oppressors dies, or even be sick, ever is the cry, "This be Witches' malice," and the hunt is up again and though 1169 they slay ten of their own to one of ours, still they care not. They have countless thousands. 107. While we are few indeed. SO BE IT ARDANE 108. That none shall use the Art in any way to do ill to any. 109. However much they injure us, HARM NONE and now times many believe we exist not. SO BE IT ARDANE 110. That this Law shall ever continue to help us in our plight. No one, however great an injury or injustice they receive, may use the Art in any way to do ill or harm any. But they may, after great consultations with all, use the Art to restrain Christians from harming us or tax others, but only to let or constrain them. 111. To this end, men will say: "Such a one is a mighty searcher out and a persecutor of old women whom they deemeth to be Witches, and none hath done him skith, so they be proof they cannot, or more truly where be none." 112. For all know full well, that so many folk have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had money or goods to seize, or because they had none to bribe the sear- chers. And many have died because they were scolding old women. So much that men now say that "only old women are Witches." 113. And this be to our advantage, and turns suspicions away from us. 114. In England and Scotland, 'tis now many a year since a Witch hath died the death. But the misuse of the power might raise the persec- ution again. 115. So never break this Law, however much you are tempted, and never consent to it being broken in the least. 116. If you know it is being broken, you must work strongly against it. 117. And any High Priestess who consents to its breach must immedia- tely be deposed. "For 'tis the blood of the Brethren they endanger." 118. Do good, an it be safe and only if it be safe. 119. And strictly keep to the old Law. 120. Never accept money for the use of the Art. For money ever smear- eth the taker. "'Tis sorcerers and conjurers and priests of the Christians who ever accept money for the use of their Arts. And they sell dwale, and evil loves spells and pardons, so let men escape from their sins." 121. Be not as these. If you accept no money, you will be free from temptation to use the Art for evil courses. 1170 122. All may use the Art for their own advantage, or for the advantage of the Craft, only if you are sure you harm none. 123. But ever let the Coven debate this at length. Only if all be satisfied and none be harmed may the Art be used. 124. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way, so as to harm none. May the Curse of the Goddess be on any who breaketh this Law. 1171 SO BE IT ARDANE. 125. 'Tis judged lawful if any of the Craft need a house or land and none will sell, to incline the owner's mind so as to be willing to sell, providing it harmeth it not in anyway and the full price is paid, without haggling. 126. Never bargain or cheapen anything whilst you live by the Art. SO BE IT ARDANE. 127. 'Tis the old Law and the most important of all Laws that no one may do anything which will endanger any of the Craft, or bring them into contact with the law of the land, or any of our persecutors. 128. In any disputes between the brethren, no one may invoke any Laws but those of the Craft. 129. Or any tribunal but that of the Priestess, Priest and Elders. And may the Curse of the Goddess be on any who do so. SO BE IT ARDANE. 130. It is not forbidden to say as Christians do: "There be Witchcraft in the land," because our opressors of old make it heresy not to believe in Witchcraft, and so a crime to deny it, which thereby puts you under suspicion. 131. But ever say "I know not of it here, perchance there may be, but afar off - I know not where." 132. But ever speak of those as old crones, consorting with the Devil and riding through the air. 133. But ever say: "But how many men may ride through the air an they be not light as thistledown?" 134. But the Curse of the Goddess be on any who cast any suspicion on any of the Brotherhood. 135. Or who speaks of any real meeting place where any abide. SO BE IT ARDANE. 136. Let the Craft keep books with the names of all herbs which are good for men, and all cures, so all may learn. 137. But keep another book with all the Bales and Apies and let only the Elders and other trustworthy people have this knowledge. SO BE IT ARDANE. 138. Remember the Art is the secret of the Gods and only may be used in earnest and never for show or pride, or vainglory. 139. Magicians and Christians may taunt us saying, "You have no power. Do magic before our eyes. Then only will we believe." Seeking to cause us to betray our Art before them. 1172 140. Heed them not. For the Art is holy, and may only be used in need. And the Curse of the Gods be on any who break this Law. SO BE IT ARDANE. 141. It ever be the way with women, and with men also that they ever seek new love.. 142. Nor should we reprove them for this. 143. But it may be found to the disadvantage of the Craft. 144. As, so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or High Priestess impelled by love, hath departed with their love, that is, they have left the Coven. 145. Now if a High Priestess wishes to resign, they may do so in full Coven. 146. And this resignation is valid. 147. But if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return within a few months. 148. So the Law is: If a High Priestess leaves her Coven, but returns within rthe space of a year and a day, then she shall be taken back and all shall be as before. 149. Meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away. 150. If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the Coven elect a new High Priestess. 151. Unless there be a good reason to the contrary, the person who has done the work should reap the benefit of the reward. 152. If somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden and deputy of the High Priestess. SO BE IT ARDANE. 153. It hath been found that practicing the Art doth cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of better results if this be so. 154. But if for any reason this be undesirable, it can easily be avoided by both persons from the outset firmly resolving in their minds that if any such ensure, it shall be that of brother and sister, or parent and child. 155. And it is for this reason that a man may be taught by a woman and a woman by a man and that woman and woman and man and man should never attempt these practices together. 156. And may all the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on any who make such an attempt. SO BE IT ARDANE. 1173 157. Order and discipline must be kept. 158. A High Priestess or a High Priest may and should punish all faults. 159. To this end: all the Craft must receive their correction willin- gly. 160. All, properly prepared, the culprit kneeling, should be told his fault, and his sentence pronounced. 161. Punishment should be the $ followed by something amusing such as several S S S S, or something of this nature. 162. The bulprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing the hand of the Priestess and by kissing the $ on receiving sentence; and again thanking for punishment received. SO BE IT ARDANE. 1174 THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW [sources: The Book of The Law, The Old Laws for the Old Religion, The Great Book of the Law, The Dragon Law] Preface: In my years of teaching and running a group, I have always had a dissatisfaction with the popular "Book of the Law" available to most Seekers. I felt it to be too archaic in its wording and perspec- tive -- and while it was valuable in the Burning Times, it simply does not deal with the concerns and needs of "modern-day" Witches. Over the years I became familiar with several other sets of Laws. Each of these had many good points, yet they also had their disadvantages as well. Recently, I decided to do something daring -- I took the four dif- ferent versions of the Laws which I had, and combined and reworked them. I deleted what was no longer pertinent or meaningful, rewording others to make them clearer and more understandable, as well as throwing in a few new ones which I felt had been lacking. I believe that what has evolved out of this work is a set of Laws which are readable, usable, and most importantly, pertinent to the needs of today's Witches and Neo-Pagans. It is with these thoughts and hopes that I would like to share them with you. If you should find merit or worth in them, then I will feel as though I have accomplished some- thing. The material in this booklet has not been copyrighted, so you may reproduce the Laws for students or friends, or reprint them in your publication. It is my sincere hope that the New Book of the Law will be of use to the Craft Community. Blessed Be, Lady Galadriel PART ONE 1. The Laws were created to give our lives form and order, that all might be balanced throughout all of the planes. In truth there are two sets of laws which govern us -- one sets forth the ways of the Wiccan, and the other the ways of the Universe. Both are important, both should be observed with respect and treated with honor. The Laws were shaped and molded to teach us, to advise us, and to counsel us in our time of mortal life on earth. 2. Honor the Gods, for They are the channels and the manifestation of the Source. Honor yourself, for this force also lies within you. Love the Gods as They love you, and by loving yourself and your brothers and sisters, so the Gods shall honor you. As the love and joy of a man and a woman [or "lover and beloved" -- LAH] flowers and grows when nurtured with respect, and cultivated with understanding and honor, so should you love the Gods. 3. The Goddess is the Great Mother, and the God is the Great Father, and we are Their children; and we shall worship Them, for They are the rulers of the Universe, and all that is therein. Therefore, O Children of the Gods, try Them not, nor attempt to test Them, for They shall show you that he Ways of the Craft are not to be belittled or mocked. 1175 4. Let the Power of the Craft flow from you only in love -- or not at all. For it has always been known that the energy webs which we weave and maintain shall eventually return to encircle their creator. Thus our works become either the net which entagles and binds us, or the web of light by which we find the Gods. 5. Let the Rites of the Wicca be a way for the children of the Gods to be as One -- for Power only flows when unified. Always should you revere the Earth, and heal and tend Her, for She is our life, our Mothership, on which we navigate the dark currents of space. 6. When you reap the harvests of your lands, then you shall not reap one corner of the field, nor glean the herb gardens, or the fallen fruits of the orchards. These you shall offer to the Earth Mother, in direct return, or through offerings made to your Circle, or to sustain its Priests and Priestesses. 7. Always be proud to be of the Wicca, but do not allow your pride to become vanity -- for those who are conceited are a stubling block at the door of the Temple, and they shall be cast adrift, to swim within their own vanity. 8. Observe and listen, reserving your judgement, for until all the silver is weighed, who can know the worth thereof? 9. As like breeds like, even more so does good beget love and joy. Your life will be full of love and joy if you are joyful and happy. 10. Your teachers are the servants of the Gods, and they shall plant the seeds of knowledge within the minds of their students, and they shall use their power for the good of the Wicca. Yet it is each individual's duty to tend the seeds which are planted, and to make the final harvest. Those who misuse the power and the trust of the teacher's position shall have to answer to the Lords of Karma, and adjust the balance accordingly. 11. The Temples of the Gods, which are Their abode on Earth, shall belong to all Their children, and each Circle shall be as a special family. Do naught against any Temple or any family of the Wicca, lest you do that thing unto the Gods, and against yourself. 12. You must not be a teller of tales amongst the children of the Goddess, and you must hold no malice or evil thoughts towards others of the Wicca. 13. You should not lie, nor give false testimony before your Elders, or those who are of the Wicca -- for liars are fools, and a menace unto themselves, and to the Wicca. Be truthful in all your works and deeds, especially within the Circle, for what you say within the presence of the Gods becomes manifest. 14. You must not put stumbling blocks in the way of those who do not follow the Path of the Wicca. You must make no unrighteous judge- ments of their ways, and you should aid them with an attitude of love when it is asked for. Yet ever should you keep the Counsel of the Elders, and reveal naught to others of where our Circles may be, nor may you reveal our ways without the consent of the Priestess. 1176 15. When you make a vow to the Lord or the Lady, or you swear an oath to another of the Wicca, then you must do all that has come forth from your mouth, for a covenant with the Gods, or with the Wicca, is your Honor, and woe to those who care not for the fetters they attach to their souls by not keeping their word. 16. The Great Mother and Father would not have their children suffer the indignities of oppressors for their sake, for what is within the hearts of Their children is dear and true to Them. The Ancient and Mighty Ones shall cause the balance to be made for those who desecrate the Lord and Lady, Their temples, or Their creations. 17. Never shall you use Magick, nor the Craft, to cause harm, for this is misuse of the Power, and it is not to be condoned. To cause the death of another through the Craft is to require the death of the Self in sacrifice. 18. Never betray any of the brethren, nor the lore of our people, for you are all servants of the Gods, and must live by the virtues of love, honor and wisdom. Let truth, loyalty and honor be your creed. Let them be your guides, tempered by love and wisdom. 19. The Order of the Gods shall you keep, and within Their Circles shall you walk. You should not say "I believe" when you doubt, nor claim to obey the Lord and Lady's word when you never enter into the Temple. You must not profess with your lips that which is not in your heart. 20. Do not use the names of the Gods in negative or evil ways, for They love and cherish Their children above all others. All others They love, even those who know them not. Yet those who hate and curse in Their name shall have the Mighty Ones take the measure of their worth. 21. In any disputes between the children of the Goddess, no one may invoke any laws but those of the Craft, or any tribunal but that of Priestess, Priest, and Elders. 22. No one of the Wicca may do anything which will endagner the Craft, nor bring any of the Wicca into conflict with the Law of the Land, or with any of our persecutors. 23. Your magickal tools are channels to that which is most precious and pure within you. Do not cheapen them by haggling their price when you acquire them. 24. Never accept money for the use of the Power. It is sorcerors and charlatans who accept money for their spells and prayers. If you accept no money, you will be free from the temptation to use the Craft for evil or unworthy causes. 25. You shall never take unduly from any human, animal or elemental that which is not yours to take -- for if you steal from another, in the end you will have to sacrifice something dearer to you in order to attain the balance. 26. Show honor to all people, that they may look up to you, and respect you, and their eyes shall become a mirror for your soul. 1177 27. Those who are of the Wicca shall not own slaves, for one person may not own the spirit of another, for only the Great Mother and Father own our souls. Nor shall you take as a pledge any person's life, for to do so is to take upon yourself both a mill and a mill- stone. 28. If a stranger sojourns with you, you shall do them no wrong; they shall be as one of the Circle, born amongst ye, and you shall deal with them as you would yourself. 29. Just weights and just balances shall be given by you, and just value shall you give, and thereby receive threefold. 30. Your altars shall be kept clean, pure and holy, and all that is brought into the Temple or the Circle shall be cleansed and blessed, for the joy of the Gods, and of the Wicca. 31. A clean mind should have a clean body. You should keep your body, your clothes, and your house clean, in honor of the Mother, who gives these things to you. 32. Let none die without honor, without love, without respect, unless their actions have decreed otherwise. 33. You should not couple together if it shall cause pain, jealousy or deprivation to another by doing so. Union for malice or evil reasons such as these upsets the balance, and the Lords of the Universe shall make adjustments accordingly. 34. Let those who would love, and would be as one, and bear child, be handfasted. For the sharing of love in this manner is beauteous, and love's union in the energy of the Gods, and the heritage of the child. It is important for children to know and to identify with those who brought them here. 35. The Law of the Goddess is that none of the Wicca shall take and wed someone who they do not love, whether it is to harm another, or for some form of material gain. 36. Remember that your children are Goddess-spawned, and are free spirits. You do not own nor control them. They are your brethren, come to visit for a while, that they may share in the vision of your love and wisdom. Let each parent realize that although they may teach and guide with love, the child shall also teach the parent, and aid them in their growth and lesson 37. The etheric web and energy vortexes of the earth are in constant flux and motion to adjust to the needs of the planet. The sacred trust of the Wicca is to create and to maintain centers of light and knowledge, using the magick of the divine spark within us to focus and channel the forces of the Universal fire. And these are the channels established between the worlds of the stars and the realms of the earth, bringing in and regulating the spirit flames which energize and activate all life forms. Thus we tend and guard the threads of creation, and we weave the patterns of life and manifestation in an ever-evolving tapestry. 1178 38. Never use your heritage or position for self-glorification or gain. Respect your magick and our ways. We must always recognize that while others may look to us to lead them, they too are our guides. 1179 39. Keep yor body strong, your mind keen, and your purpose pure, for within your being you shall channel the Power, and it needs to be strong and pure. And these are the keys to the path of Oneness, and to communication with the Gods. Yet first you must learn to speak to Them in such a manner as They can comprehend you. For the children of the Wicca must aid the Gods, and work with Them, otherwise the Gods cannot aid and work with you. Ever remember that the Priest and Priestess are the living representatives of the God and Goddess Forces, and likewise that all humans carry these forces within them, though they may lie dormant and unawakened. 40. As the Great Mother and Father come unto one another and create with the pure vibration of Love-Wisdom, so should you strive to make your Temple pure in vibration, and thus a fitting place wherein you may invite the Gods. Thus, your Circle should always be duly purified and cast, and likewise, those who would use the gateways and travel the Circle between the earth and other realms should also be duly prepared and purified. 41. The Goddess hath said, "I shall not carry thee, yet neither shall I hinder thee, nor keep thee from having the same opportunities as all of my children. Thou art free, yet thou shalt not be coddled like babes in the storm. If thou hast true devotion within thee, then all obstacles may be overcome." 42. The laggard is but half a person -- and though half is better than none, the whole is twice as good as the half. Those who do not work, or who lack the will and desire to learn the ways of the Gods, unto them is said, "The Ancient and Mighty Ones shall not keep thee within their house, if ye learneth not." 43. A sanctuary you shall make unto the Gods, that They may dwell amongst you. And you shall fashion it to the best of your ability, according to all tha your Elders shall show you, and pure energy shall you place therein. 44. An altar shall you make to unto the Lady, and you shall make due reverence unto Her, for every place where She is exalted, She will come to you and bless you. And you shall fashion your altar out of wood or stone, and burn incense and candles thereon, at the proper times, in observance of her ways. 45. You should set aside at least one day during each moon unto the Goddess, and on these days you shall do Her work; and on those days She shall renew Her children and bless them. 46. Learn to build your own Temple, and to craft your own sacred Circle, and all the tools that are used therein -- for to be a person of the Craft is to be a person of consequence. 47. Let each of you inscribe your own record of our ways and teach- ings. For the course of each Wiccan should be charted, that the patterns of their life-web may be made known and utilized. Let each Wiccan start their Book of Light with the teachings and lore of their tradition, yet let it also contain the rites and ways of each in- dividual, which are the harvest of each child of the Wicca, to use the wisdom of their heritage as the seeds of their own wisdom. Thus shall our lore and knowledge continue to grow and unfold, like a beautiful flower. 1180 48. It is right to study and to understand the sigils, statues and stories of the Gods, for they shall guide your thoughts to Them, and They shall hear them. Yet you must ever remember that you worship not the sign nor the statue, but the Gods which inspired them. 49. If your Circle owns any land, let all guard it, and help to keep it clean. Let all justly guard all monies of the Circle, as well as the rights and property of all members of the Circle. 50. If any Wiccan truly labors, then it is right that they should have their just pay. This is not considered the taking of money for the Art, but good and honest work. Yet if any Wiccan works willingly for the good of the Craft, or for their brothers and sisters without pay, then it is to their greatest honor. 51. If any Wiccan should deny themselves some pleasure or material indulgence in order to do service in the Circle, this person shall be blessed and remembered. For those who give for the greater good of all shall have their spirit uplifted. 52. Know also that if you gift the Lady's Priests and Priestesses, or Her Circles, this is an offering made unto the Mother Herself, for a true Priest or Priestess strives always to do Her work, and to be of service to Her children, so to honor and respect them is to honor and respect the Queen of All. 53. And the offerings which are considered the most pleasing to the Gods are these: the fruits of the orchards the scents of the trees and herbs the metals of the earth the waters of the earth the flowers of the meadows and the milk of all mothers. Yet offerings of labor or money are honest too, and these will also be accepted -- moreso if you work with love in your heart, for always there is work to be done for the Gods, and service to be given to the children of the Wicca. 54. If your offerings are made to restore the balance, it must by of a nature that it not offensive to the Gods. It must be of value, yet given with a free heart. Thus shall the harmony be restored. If your offerings are given with a heart filled with love and devotion, or are of service to the Gods, or to the Craft, then shall you receive blessings manifold. 55. And when you make an offering unto the Gods, you should offer it thru the most proper medium, at the proper times, and in such a manner as to make it acceptable. Any and all remains of the rituals shall be consumed in the fire, or buried within the Earth, as a way of retur- ning to the Source all that we use in the observance of our ways, thus ensuring the continuity of the cycle. 56. All may use the Craft to help and aid them, or for the advantage of their Circle, or the Craft -- yet only if you are sure that you harm none. Let each Wiccan and Circle always debate these matters at length. Only if all be satisfied that none be harmed in any way, may the Art then be used. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, then perhaps the goal may be achieved by actng in a different way, so as to harm none. 1181 57. Throughout the world it has been many a year since Wiccans have been burned. Yet misuse of the Power might raise the persecutions once again. So never break the Laws, however much you might be temp- ted, and never consent to their being broken. And if you know they are being broken, then you must work strongly against it. 58. In days of old it was decided by the Mighty Ones who came before us that the Art might be used to restrain others from harming the Craft or its children, yet only after great consultation with all members of the Circle, and only then to deflect or to constrain them. 59. And such were the ways of the Lady that She brought us forth in joy, and such were the Ways of the Lord that His reign gave all life pleasure. Offer love in your worship and all shall be joyous in beauty. 60. In the dimly remembered dawn of ages past, the Wicca were truly free. Then, in Atlantis came the Age of the Misuse of Power, followed by the Ages of Persecution and Suffering. Thus the people of the Wicca hid themselves and cloaked their knowlege, and wove veils of secrecy and silence. And this is how the Ways of the Wicca have been preserved through the time of darkness. Yet much of the ways of our people were lost to the ignorance of others. 61. Yet the cycle spirals ever on -- and the Age of the Earth Mother once again draws nigh. We must be strong -- one with our birthright, and one with our Gods, if we are to bring forth the balance. Those who would harm us, or attempt to enslave us, we must overcome -- yet only through light and love, and never through violence or the evil of chaos. And through our efforts the time of our people will come into being once more. In the times which lie ahead, there lies much work to be done, so that once more the cycles of life are drawn to the path of light, and the balance acheived through the power of love. 62. In order to bring the ways of Light and Love and Life to the peoples of the Earth, our secrets are slowly becoming secrets no more, and it is good that this is so -- for the age of shadow and secrecy is passing. Yet the sharing of our ways needs always to be guided by wisdom and by love. Let our rites and our mysteries be kept sacred. Let no one defile our worship or our heritage. For the defilement of our ways is an honor loss to self, and for the Craft. 63. Let each High Priestess govern her Circle with justice and Love, and with the help and advice of the Elders and the High Priest, always heeding the messages of the Gods when they come. 64. Ever remember that although the Priest is the force with which the Circle is built, the Priestess is the ruler therein -- for it is through her that the Goddess created the world, and all things therein. 65. The High Priestess will heed all complaints of all Pagans and Wiccans, and strive to settle any differences between them with reason and with justice. 66. Let each Circle of Light decide how it shall be known -- whether by earthly name or magickal one. For each child of the Wicca knows best the safety or dangers of their homeland. 1182 67. Let each Circle or Temple maintain and dedicate unto the Goddess and the God all the things that are required for Their rituals, for what is blessed in the name of the Gods rightly belongs to Them, and the Priest and Priestess shall be the caretakers thereof. 68. Anyone of the circle who is of sufficient rank, and wishes to form a new Circle, shall tell the High Priestess and the Elders of their intentions. Members of the old Circle may join the new Circle when it is formed, but if they do so they must leave the other Circle, unless otherwise instructed. For it is the Old Law that each Wiccan may join the Circle of their choice, yet their energy should not be divided between two or more Temples. 69. The Elders of the old and new Circles shall meet in peace and with respect, to decide the level of interaction and connection between the Circles. Yet it is known that the splitting of a Circle often means strife. So only if it is truly in a spirit of peace and harmony should the Circles meet for the celebration of the Great Festivals. 70. None shall enter the Circle that have a sickness or an ailment which may be passed on to the Lady's other children -- for to do so causes harm to yourself, as well as to the others of the Circle. Rather should the Healers go unto the sick one, that through the love of the Gods they shall be made well and whole once more. 71. It has been judged lawful that if any of the Craft need a house, or land, and none will sell, to incline someone's mind so as to be willing to sell, providing it harms none and the full price is paid without haggling. 72. In the matter of quarrels or disputes between the members of the Circle, the High Priestess shall convene the Council, and inquire into the matter. The Council shall hear each person privately, and then both together. And they shall decide justly, not favoring one side nor the other. 73. If an agreeable resolution cannot be reached, then that Wiccan must leave the Circle, for a Circle of Light cannot be properly formed where there is disagreement and discord. And when a Circle is not properly formed, the energy within is either dissipated, or turns ugly, festering like a hidden sore. So let them leave, but only with love in their hearts and yours, for even though your paths may div- erge, you are still all children of the Wicca, and there must be no violence between us. Bear no grudges, hold no thoughts of vengeance, for this will rot away the foundation of your power. 74. It has ever been recognized that there are some people who can never agree to work under any others. At the same time there are also people who cannot rule justly. To those who must ever be chief there is but one answer: "Void this Circle, and seek another one, or if ye be of sufficient rank, then form a Circle of your own." To those who cannot rule justly, the answer shall be "Those who cannot bear your rule will leave you." For none may come to Circle with those with whom they are at variance, for to do so angers the Gods, and hinders the Craft. 1183 75. Those that do wrong without knowlege shall be held innocent; those that do wrong through carelessness shall be judged lacking in wisdom, and dealt with according to the nature of the transgression. Those who do wrong with deliberation and forethought shall be thrice punish- ed, and the Lords of Karma shall lay low their pride. 76. Each person must make a balance for their words and actions, and the judgements of the Elders should incline to try to make good come from the injustice or wrong-doing. Many are the ways to restore the balance, so let the judgements of the Elders and the Priestess be in keeping with this. 77. Do not turn aside those who seek the ways of the Wicca for the want of an offering or the lack of a robe. You are the servants of the Gods, and the servants of Their people, and those that seek for the Gods you must aid in their quest. 78. Of those who would inquire as to the ways of the Goddess, or who wish to become of the Wicca, ye shall search their hearts, and even into their spirits you shall look, as you are able. For the Wicca do not look to acquire mere numbers. Let none be turned away if their hearts are true, and their desire earnest. 79. The hidden children are like the strings of a harp: each one may give a clear note, and when gathered together in sympathy and accord, they shall give rise to a beautiful symphony. Yet when struck without reason or thought, these notes may cause discord or disharmony. Therefore the Gods decree to Their Teachers and Priests that all must be taught to master their harp, and to pluck their strings with care, that they cause no discord or imbalance. 80. Choose the Priests and Teachers of the Wicca with diligence and with care. The qualities that you should search for within them are Faith, Belief, Knowledge, Ability, Patience, Leadership, Humility, and a loving nature -- for they must lead and teach the children of the Goddess, and will thereby have the power to do great good, or to cause great imbalance. 81. In practice it should be that the greatest of the Priests and Priestesses should guide the rituals within each of the Temples of the Old Gods, and truly you should be content with the advice and guidance given by them. Yet ever it should be given so that it is clear and understandable, for within the Temple each of the Wicca is free, and thus they should be able to recognize and to understand our ways and their implications. And those who cannot explain the inner workings, or give just cause and reason for their decisions, may be questioned, or the wisdom of the advice weighed. 82. Let the Priestess and Priest lead as long as they are able, and their leadership be wise and strong, and to the benefit of the Wicca. Yet if their health is ill-favored, or if the next generation needs to try their hand, then let them have the vision and the wisdom to step away from their position, and pass the duties of the Circle t o another. Let them not become overly attached to the office, nor too fond of the power. 1184 83. If a Priestess or a Priest should tire of their duties and char- ges, then they may step down, but only after having trained and acknowledged a successor. If a Priest or Priestess deserts their Circle, then they have lost the right to ever lead again within this life, so great a trust they have broken. If they should return to the Circle within one turn of the Wheel, and are judged to have true atonement in their hearts, new insight and growth, then they may be forgiven, and allowed to return to the Circle, yet they shall worship only, and hold no office or title. Leadership is a sacred commitment and an honor, and they have shown that they cannot be trusted with such responsibility. 84. Any Priestess, Priest, or Elder who consents to a breach of the Laws regarding the use of the Craft to cause harm to others must immediately be relieved of their office, for it is the lives of the children of the Goddess which they endanger, as well as the honor of the Craft. 85. The High Priestess may take a Sabbatical from her Circle, if her personal life and duties require it, for up to a year and a day. During that time, the Maiden shall act as High Priestess. If the High Priestess does not return at the end of a year and a day, then the Initiates of the Circle shall name a new Priestess. Unless there is good reason to the contrary, the person who has done the work of the Priestess should reap the reward. If someone else is named, then the Maiden should continue in that office. 86. Each Priestess and Priest shall choose their own consorts, yet let them be wise in the learning of our people, and thus others shall abide by the wisdom of their choice. Yet if the Circle feels the decision is ill-advised, or that they cannot abide and work in honor and trust with that consort, then they may request a gathering of all concernted to meet and to talk, and to resolve the balance with love and honor. For only those who are pure and strong, keen and wise, patient and loving, can effectively and properly carry out the duties of a Keeper of the Circle. 87. Those of the Priesthood shall not neglect their mates, or their children, or their house, nor anything which is in their possession; nor shall the sick and the needy be neglected for the sake of the Circle. Therefore let them adjust the one thing against the other, that neither should suffer, and that which is given by the Gods is treated with love and respect. 88. Long ago, at the time of Creation, it was deemed that the female should hold the power of life-giving. And such was the male force drawn to the love and beauty of the Creation of life, that he sur- renders unto her keeping the force of his powers in the furtherance of life. Yet the Priestess must always remember that the fuel of the flames which light the fires within her Temple comes from the Priest. Thus she must use the force wisely, and only with love, and she must honor and respect he who is the activator of the Life Force. HERE ENDS THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW. Published by: The Grove of the Unicorn PO Box 13384 Atlanta, GA 30324 Ordering Information: Send Legal size SASE A small contribution towards printing/handling costs will be appreciated. 1185 THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW Commentary by J. Random Folksinger I have to preface this by stating that I was first drawn to this work by Leigh Ann Hussey, and reacted very negatively to it. This will be my second time through these Laws, with comments that are SOLELY MY OWN OPINION. I know that Lady Galadriel put a lot of work (translate: sweat blood) into these Laws, and I am not attac- king her or her work. Making my points without sounding negative would have been nice, but I have not been very successful at this; since several people have been asking me to put down *WHY* I didn't like them, I felt that getting the project over with would be better than struggling with a novel-length exercise in not offending anyone. To Lady Galadriel: I, too, have sweat blood over a reconstruction project similar to this (and I got lots of negative feedback, too). My finished copy, which includes the old "Burning Times" laws as a historical source or what to do when things *really* get bad, can be had from Leigh Ann, Judy Harrow, or downloaded from WeirdBase in St. Louis as "JRFLAWS.TXT". My heart goes out to you, but I am commenting on your Laws from my head only. Notes: On the Preface:The Book of the Law, orLiber Al, which Lady G. refers to as a primary source, is not the same as Craft law in most traditions as it was written by Aleister Crowley; it is, therefore, hardly a wonder why it was not found to be very pertinent by Lady G. If, indeed, Lady G.'s Book of the Law was *not* Liber Al, it is hard to understand where many of these Laws originated. The Laws: 1. Form and Order? Ask a Discordianor Shamanic Craft type. The Laws were created for guidance, as the latter part of this Law at- tests. 2. Channels, and manifestation of the Source? This sounds more like New Age Xtianity than Wicca. I should stop talking about the flowers in the language, although they are disconcerting and very distracting from the original goal of "readable, usable, and per- tinent to the needs ..." I suppose I can just use the term "flowers" as my way of saying that the language is unnecessarily complicated when it really bothers me -- and most of these laws do fall in this category. 3. Oh,no. Not the Xtian "Ye are as children"routine again. The Gods, in my training, wish us to grow, not perpetually remain children. To not test what they say is the same as channelling some unknown spirit and believing everything he/she says. We are growing, making the Gods proud, not belittling or mocking them. 4. This law isover-judgemental (something I am accusedof being at times), and ignores the need for working with our shadow-side; I suppose naivete is the worst I can say about this Law. I can easily find better in Marion Weinstein's POSITIVE MAGIC... 1186 5. The "Mothership"routine smacks of CloseEncounters, butother than the children routine and some language problems, this one isn't too bad -- but isn't there something in an initiation ritual about us and the Gods being the same "but for a difference of power"? I would think Brothers and Sisters of the Gods would be better ter- minology -- feminists are welcome to reverse the wording. 6. Hmmm. Sounds liketithing to me. While it is certainlya good idea, we give back to the Gods all the time -- this would be making the meaningful ritual a mechanical one. Sustain its Priests and Priestesses? Paid (or fed) clergy? Shades of Paul! This part would still work in my tradition, since we are all priests and pries- tesses, but I know some that are different... 7. I can't see the purpose of this Law, and know of no cor- responding Law in the Laws I have come across. It sounds like the God of the Xtians again, making people the way they are and then judging them for being that way. 8.A direct statement wouldbe better. Who do you know in these times that goes around weighing silver? Is this a modern metaphor? I don't think so. 9. Does not parse. Sounds good, though... 10. This soundslike it's setting up theteacher as infallible-- shut up and listen. Also, while I hear Karma used frequently in Craft discussions, it is because it is a useful concept for us; however, this is the first time I have seen the Lords of Karma enthroned in Craft Law. 11. I could have taken the Golden Rule in one of its permuta- tions, but this is much more akin to the concept of "Sin" than that of Karma. 12. "You must not be a teller of tales..."? What, we areto have no Bards in the Craft? If this law means that gossipping is not a good thing, why doesn't it say so? And "must hold no malice" indicates that we are not allowed to be human again -- true, it is better for the Craft that we all be as a loving family, but there are otheR ways to deal with the problems caused by personality conflicts than to outlaw legitimate feelings. 13. Flowers. Old Law. (Meaning that, other than difference in wording, this is the same as the "Old Laws", i.e., Lady Sheba and others.) 14. Oh, boy! Priestess Knows Best (and will be happy to be responsible for *you*). If someone asks me a question, give them the straightest answer I can, and without phoning up my Priestess for permission to do so. I am a trained, adult Witch, and am capable both of making my own decisions *and* taking the consequences for making a wrong decision. The "You must not put stumbling blocks..." sounds like the old parental admonishment, "Don't put beans in your ears." The Xtians have enough stumbling blocks of their own; I don't think ours would even be noticed, and so are unnecessary. 1187 15. The key words are in the Preface: readable, usable, and pertinent. "Fetters" and "woe" are not very meaninful words in this half of the 20th century. Not sure about the use of "souls", either, since that seems to be mostly a xtian concern. Remember, Lady G. said that she reworded some of these laws "to make them clearer and more understandable". I think she missed here. 16. Sounds like"Trust in God; Hewill provide." Where is the Craft basis for this Law? 17. Ifyou killsomeone magickally,accidentally orotherwise, you should be sacrificed to atone for it? My Goddess demands nothing in sacrifice. It would be far better to get into therapy and see how you could forgive yourself and help others to forgive you (I'm using "forgive" as a psychological, not religious, term). No problem with the first sentence. 18. Could be said more clearly. 19.The source for this, especially the final sentence, seems to be Jesus in Revelation. "Many say, Lord, Lord, but I know them not..." etc. 20. Sounds like, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord,thy God in vain". Either that is what this law is saying, or it needs to be clearer. 21. Old Law. I would have worded it, "In any disputes among the Wicca..." 22. Old Law. 23. To me, mymagickal tools are channels between whatis within me and what is outside of me (on the magickal planes, which frequently intersect with the planes of reality). Still, Do Not Haggle is Old Law. 24. Old Law, except for the semantical substitution of "Power" for "Art" and the use of the judgmental terms "evil" and "unworthy". 25. "Thou shalt notsteal"? Hinted-at consequences are unneces- sary. 26. I don't understand "Show honor" as a phrase, and the last phrase is not comprehensible to me. 27. "Those whoare of the Wiccashall not own slaves,"-- good idea, although I have never seen it included in Craft Law. The rest of this sentence is again unclear and/or unnecessary justification. "Nor shall you take as a pledge any person's life,"; well, the Laws of Karma (if you accept them, which these Laws purport to) demand otherwise from time to time, and again, this has not been found necessary in any other set of Craft Laws I have seen. 1188 28. Thisis the second time the Golden Rulehas been quoted in a faulty permutation. "If a stranger sojourns with you...they shall be as one of the Circle..." What, we're going to invite total strang- ers into our rites just because this Law says so? There are enough Laws that contradict this already. This doesn't sound right. 29. This came straight out of Leviticus, and also exists in Baha'i law in a slightly clearer form. It's nice that We're getting ecumenical, but what is the need for this in Craft Law? The Threefold Law applies, and is easier to understand. 30. The Good Wiccan Houskeeping Seal is required for Circle? 31. Not a Wiccan Law. "Cleanliness is next to god/dessliness" would be a shorter way of phrasing this. Although the old customs (NOT laws) require bathing prior to a ritual, even that has been used to "find" Witches with in some areas (they're clean and smell nice -- they must be seducing our men for Satan!). 32. Not Law, but a start; Ibelieve none should die without someone having cared for them; and that death with dignity is the hoped-for ideal. Many of you already know that I'm initiating action toward Pagan hospice, funeral, and cemetery care. The judgement about "their actions" is for the Dark Lord to make. 33. ThreefoldLaw is all youneed here. Anythingelseis moral judgement. 34. Amendedversion: "Let those who desire union asa couple (or other forms as might be desirable, such as a triad or a group relati- onship) be handfasted, sharing their love in a manner they and the Gods find pleasing." Children are not necessary for shared love (and often separate the parents from their mutual desires), and there is no need to deny handfasting to couples not wanting childr- en. I also am not certain that this needs to be a Law. 35. "The Law of the Goddess isthat none of the Wicca shalltake and wed someone who they do not love." Period. 36. Not Law. Also uses "brethren", another male term. (Anyone who has read my revision of Gardnerian Craft Law should have noticed the near-total lack of gender terminology.) 37. The first sentenceis incomprehensible, immaterial, orboth. This law is very flowery, and I would love to know what Lady G. extracted it from. 38. Old Law:"Never boast,never threaten..." seemsto be theroot here - and is much clearer in that form. 39. The concept of magickal purity is one of ritual magick, not the Craft. This Law is, in letter and spirit, one of ritual magick. While some traditions of the Craft do get into ritual magick, that still does not make this "proper" as Craft Law. 40. Old Law was both clearer and less "new-agey". 1189 41. WHERE hath the Goddess said these things? Nowhere in my tradition, and they sound more like things She may have said in circle -- certainly no need to canonize them. 42. Back to Leviticus. This is far too judgemental for any tradition I am familiar with. There also seems to be confusion between "work" as in make money and "work" as in learning and teaching the things of the Craft. 43. A sacred trust? This explainswhy Grove of the Unicorn built a sanctuary in Georgia, but I have never seen this expressed as a requirement. Most traditions are not getting over being hidden; this Law requires total openness. I think it's danger- ous to do this in most areas, and having the Goddess decree (here) that we should do something that could harm Her Witches (something She expressly forbids us to do in the Old Laws) doesn't feel right. What is the source of this one? It appears to be the inner feelings of some Witch or Witches, which is not good enough to pass off as Craft Law. 44. While Ihave been taught this, it wasunder "What We Do" rather than "The Law". The style of presentation sounds too much like what YHWH would have written as a law rather than the Goddess I know... 45.Am I readingthis wrong, oris this saying "Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy"? We need to set aside a whole day(s)? I don't think that's realistic in these times, although it might have been in paleolithic times. 46. Not necessary. Any teacher will give you this information. 47. Definitely flowers. Let each Witch keep a book (she even dropped the "in their own hand" part). What else is necessary? 48. Clumsy, with toomany "they"s in spots;How about, "Studythe signs of the Gods in all their forms; these shall guide your thoughts to the Gods and the Gods will take notice of you. Turn your thoughts and worship to the Gods, not the signs and statues of them." 49. Theoriginal here says"If *any* inthe Craft ownsany land..- .guard all monies of the Craft..." thus widening the circle of love beyond just the Circle you are a part of. 50. Old Law. I feel this could be done a bit more clearly. 51. Extremely Crowleyian in content, where the content can be determined. It sounds like it is favoring asceticism "for the good of the Craft...". Unclear rules like this have led to excesses in other religions they have appeared in. 52. NOT CRAFT LAW. Paul wouldhave loved to have this kind of law as stated by Christ, but it wasn't true then and it isn't true now. IF WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE MONEY FOR THE ART, HOW COME WE CAN BE ALLOWED TO TAKE GIFTS????? 1190 53.Taken as an extension of#52, this law repulses me; however, having deleted #52, and deleting "offerings of ... money", it could be OK. But it is totally unnecessary unless you're trying to set your- self up as the First Church of Wicca, N.A., complete with Xtian abuses of power. In any loving circle, poeple will bring the incense, or the cakes and/or wine, or work together on building a new altar. This is already covered in the laws above, though. 54. Harmony will be restored by working toward harmony, not by donating to your favorite non-profit Temple. Again, the emphasis on giving makes me think of televangelists ("I need to make the payment on my Inspirational Cadillac"). I don't know what problems Grove of the Unicorn has been having in keeping up their payments on the land or whatever, but their problems should not be used as a lever to change Craft Law (if indeed this is the object of these laws). 55. Once more, this law either comes out of ritualmagic or televangelism (or both). Every Witch should know (or know how to look up) the proper times for a ritual, and should be able to offer it up themselves ("thru the most proper medium" could mean "Pay the Priestess" or it could mean "use the right tools" -- if it is *not* intended to mean the latter, then this law has no basis in the Craft). 56. Old Law, and one of the most important Craft Laws. 57. Separating this Law from the previous one causes a minor problem -- it now becomes "Never break the Laws" (and there are some dillies in this set) instead of "Never break *this* Law". 58. The "Mighty Ones" decided for us "in days of old" that we cannot use the Art against anyone? A shirking of responsibility is again evident. While the same precept occurs in my set of the Laws, it is obviously a decision made in the light of persecutions, not something decreed from on high. 59.Sentence fragments. (sic)This is asubject that isnot in the Laws (but is in the Charge of the Goddess, without the God's side of things). 60. Why do we need "thedimly remembered dawn of ages past" and Atlantis to make this point? This is the only version I've seen that goes beyond remembered history. 61. Should be combined with #60, and have more of the excessive verbiage dropped. Oh, no! Not another cry of "the evil of chaos" again! How can these people even *talk* to Discordians?Any set of Laws that is intended to be Craft-inclusive must not include value judgements, especially using the words "good", "evil", and "chaos". This law seems to be wishing for the time when we were in power; every set of Laws I've seen prior to this one would settle for a time in which we are tolerated or accepted. 1191 62. I don't understand what this is trying to say -- it seems to fluctuate between "No more secrets", "Only a few secrets", and "Don't tell anybody anything". Since all three of these have been expressed above, I'm not sure this law is needed; it hardly even adds to the confusion. 63. The change from "always heeding the Messenger" to "always heeding the messages" is a little dangerous, but otherwise, this is Old Law. 64. This law sounds pretty Gardnerian in tone, but it does not agree with Gardnerian myths -- i.e., while Goddess created everyth- ing, she did not create Death itself. Life without Death offers no regeneration, as Life could not continue on its own; the God was outside of Her creation, and so He had things to teach Her about Death. (Those of you who prefer Starhawk's version of this myth are TOTALLY ignored in this law.) 65. I thought anHPs was only concerned mainlywith what happens in Her Circle -- this Law seems to state that She is concerned with an unstated, but large-sounding, community. Other than that, this is Old Law. 66. I don'tthink this needs to be in the Laws, but it's a good idea for each Circle to consider. 67. This seems to be based upon the Old Laws' "If any in the Craft has any land...", but it does take that additional step into demi-deified clergy. I wish I knew whether Grove of the Unicorn was an authoritarian structure or not, but these Laws go a long way toward making its sound like one. (I'm not sure this group could "pass" Isaac Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame after having read this many of their Laws.) 68. Aha! Almost OldLaw, and a"Burning Times" law!This is still a good Law, but it was formulated to keep anyone from knowing more than one group to "give away" if they cracked under pressure of Inquisition. 69. Old Law; probably should be included in #68. 70. Are wetalking about pneumonia, herpes, ora cold here? You can do a lot better healing work *in* Circle (in my experience) than outside of it in many cases, and any Witch can decide for her/him- self whether they are too sick to be in Circle and ask (or not ask) for healing. I suppose I find this law too judgemental, or too gen- eral. 71. Old Law. 72.There is nodefinition of Council given (the "Old Law" says "the Elders"), and the "Old Law" states that either the High Priest or the High Priestess can convene the Elders (useful if the HPs is out of town...) Otherwise, Old Law. 73. Generally, Old Law.Some of therestatements aredifficult or unwieldy, but no real problems. 1192 74. Old Law.(Actually, a bit of another Old Law is grafted in for clarification, but it doesn't hurt anything.) 75. In conflict with English(/American) Law, "Ignorance is no excuse," includes threefold law (which is NOT included in the Old Laws), and throws in the Lords of Karma again; rephrased, this could be an excellent law or rule, but I do not recognize a single source for this one. Some ritual magic, a little Hinduism, no Craft per se. 76. Nice thought; sounds like a personal addition. 77. As above, the "want of an offering" is not an issue in Old Law; the "lack of a robe" has never been discussed, since most groups I am familiar with generally work skyclad or negotiate the issue. Personal addition? 78. Nice thought; sounds like a personal addition. 1193 79. So many flowers that (I feel) most would miss the point. I'm afraid I did, and I'm a musician. 80. Sounds likethe Apostle Paul. The qualitiesI was taught to look for in a High Priestess were caring, leadership, patience, ability, and knowing when to ask for help. This cuts out faith (some- thing Goddess says in Her Charge is not asked for) and belief (some- thing she wouldn't be in Circle without). More flames on the topic of children. 81. Source? Sounds clergy-like to me... 82.Old Law states that arequirement of being High Priestess is youth; while this is not easily practiced in all covens, going to the opposite extreme is probably not much better. My personal experiences have been in covens where everyone takes their hand at practicing HP and HPs, with the HPs acting more like organizer and running coven meetings. 83. Ouch.Based upon Old Law,this Law removes theaspect of Love as an excuse (or Glands, if you like the Wombat Wicca version) -- and demands both judgement *and* atonement for a HPs who has left and come back -- even uses the judgemental term, "deserts", in dealing with the issue. The Old Law may have its drawbacks, but is a much better guide (I feel) than getting nasty about it. Oooh, they don't even get to hold office again! Many things are sacred, and certainly being High Priestess is one of them, but in my teaching, Love is a higher ideal, and the Craft has always allowed for it. 84. Old Law, with flamesas above. "It isthe lives of all ofthe Craft they endanger." Honor is still undefined in this context. 85. The useof the word,"Sabbatical" is cutein this context,but this should be a part of #83 rather than separating them out. Also, the phrase, "the Maiden should continue in that office" confuses the reader as to which office -- the law has already stated that she should reap the reward; does election of another person invalidate the election? It should read, "...the Maiden shall be the Maiden for the new HPs." 86. This is a new idea, and probably a good one:the Priestess and the Priest need not be the consort of the other, but are select- ed each by the coven or circle and are free to choose their own consorts. The one possible negative I can think of concerns the few times when Great Rite is held, and the feelings of their consorts on this matter. But then it lets the coven decide whether the choice was right nor not! If we're dealing with private lives, let them remain private. Based on Old Law, except that in Old Law the Priestess is chosen and She selects the Priest. This law again contains too many value judgements -- if you need a perfect person to run your circle, you will never meet. 87. Adapted from the Letters of Paul the Apostle, not the Old Laws. It is nice to state that we should be responsible for oursel- ves, but that is a part of being a Witch (oops, by these Laws, Witches are only children, so I suppose making "those of the Pries- thood" adults is what this law is about). This also seems to state (per Xtianity) that their mates, children, and house are all posses- sions; hardly a feminist or Craft perspective. 1194 88. Reverse Xtian. Extremely sexist, andno more or less bad than making the Man ruler of the world. THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW is published by: The Grove of the Unicorn PO Box 13384 Atlanta, GA 30324 To order, send a legal size SASE. A small contribution towards printing/handling costs will be appreciated. These comments have been made by Gerald L. Bliss, who is also known as J. Random Folksinger. 1195 Aporrheton 5 The Craft Laws (Marked 4/73 by Judy Harrow; author not noted) ManytraditionsabouttheCraft arescatteredthroughoutrecent books; a sizable bunch is the 161 "Craft Laws" you can find in Lady Sheba or in June Johns. Many of these traditions are merely defini- tions of what the Craft is, and so of the context within which the other traditions should be understood; they are "true" merely because (and insofar as) they are internally consistent. In contrast, some of the other traditions seem to be shrewd, hard-won observations about how psychic energy (as dealt with in the Craft) seems to work, and THESE are the important ones. The psychicreality that these traditionsconcern has been called by many names: spiritualists call it "the upper astral plane"; Jungians, the "superconscious"; the Bhagavad Gita, "the True Self"; many mystics, the "godhead"; Isaac Bonewits, the "Switchboard"; and very much so on. Any such name is an attempt to map (part of) a psychic reality that seems all too willing to accomodate itself to any map you use, and you will get nowhere in trying to understand that reality if you don't keep its Plasticity firmly in mind. In the Craft we conceive that reality as the Goddess (as #11 below states); She is both very real and a metaphor. She is real because human energy goes into making Her real; She exists as a "thought form on the astral plane," yet She can manifest physically whenever She wants to. She does not exist independently of mankind, but She is most thoroughly independent of any one person or group. (And precisely the same is true of any concept of divinity that people put energy into maintain- ing.) She is a metaphor because, great though She may be, She is finite, like any other human concept, whereas reality is infinite. And why do we need the Goddess, or any divinity at all? Because the human mind seems unable to grasp an undifferentiated infinity. By creating our own divinities, we create mental steps for ourselves, up which we can mount, toward relizing ourselves as divine. TheCraft Laws,then, arenot "13Commandments" fromon high; they are merely unproved hypotheses about how SOME psychic reality seems to work. They should be treated like any other hypotheses: respected as being the best guesses going, but continually tested to find out how valid they are and to generate better guesses. Naturally, you cannot test them by breaking them, any more than you can test the law of gravity by jumping off a ten-story building. Instead, you draw conclusions from them, or base predictions on them, and try workings to see if the latter hold up. The 13 below are ones that have held up so far under such testing; some we had in an earlier set of 13 did not. In compiling this set, I culled through all the traditions I could find, picking out especially (or thinking up) the most general statements, which would include many of the other traditions as special cases; you should be able to spot examples of this by careful- ly comparing Aporrheton 10 with this one. Certain of the laws here (the ones typed in all caps) seem necessary and reliable to us, and we will not tolerate any bending (let alone breaking) of them, for the reasons discussed under #12 below. Many of the rest are here, not because we understand them, but because we don't. 1196 I always approach traditional occult systems (astrology, the Tarot, the Craft, etc.) on the assumption that they consist of a terse, ultileveled coding of hard-earned information about something real and important. It is almost as silly to think you've discovered everything such a system might mean as it is to think it meaningless. The only way to find out what such a system means is to get in there and work with it until you speak its language fluently. Then you will likely find (at least, this has been my experience) that the system gives you a map of reality, but of many places, not just one place, that it gives you a way to work with classes of realtionships that hold for many different kinds of people, things, and situations. That is, these traditional systems are very much like nonquantitative algebras or calculi; a symbol in one of them is not going to have an invariant and simple meaning, or even the same meaning in two dif- ferent contextx, anymore than X is going to have the same numerical value in two different algebra problems. It therefore seems safest to keep these Craft laws whose meanings are not obvious in mind, and hope that further "experiment- ation" will shed some light on them. Of course, to get any results at all in dealing with psychic phenomena, you have to be optimistic and openminded. If you already hold a firm belief that you know what the Craft Laws mean, or that they are "Absolutely True," or the opposite, then your mind is closed, and you can't learn anything new. That is, you're not supposed to "believe" in the Craft Laws, or memorize them; you're supposed to UNDERSTAND them, else you've missed the whole point of why we have them. 1. YOU CANNOT USE THE ARTS OF THE CRAFT TO CREATE OR INCREASE BAD KARMA, EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF. 2. YOUMAY NOT USETHE ARTS OF THECRAFT TO AFFECTANOTHER PERSON IN ANY WAY, UNLESS YOU HAVE THAT PERSON'S EXPLICIT PERMISSION. These two are best discussed together, since they replace the inadequate statement one often finds that "You may not use the arts of the Craft to work malevolent magic." Notice that the first one says "cannot," being an observation of fact, wherease the second says "may not," being a statement of ethics. Thefirst lawstates that,INTHE LONGRUN, youcan harmno one but yourself. You cannot benefit from trying to harm another, because you are part of the fabric of reality, not separate from it. You get whatever you give, because getting and giving are the same, just as the trough and the crest are the same wave./ If you set up a pattern of nasty, callous selfishness around yourself, that is what you have projected onto the world, and that is all you will experience. If you act out of genuine affection and concern for others, you receive their affection and concern as well. The psychic (or life) field seems to have a single polarity: to create positive effects for yourself, you must create positive effects for others. And this observation applies not just to the arts of the Craft, nor to all the psychic arts, but to life in general. 1197 Now, whatthe second law pointsout is that itis the OTHER person's opinion that determines whether the effects of what you do are positive or not. This law is the equivalent of the Craft's version of the "Golden Rule": "Do unto others not as YOU wish to be done under, but as THEY wish to be done unto--for their tastes may damned well differ from yours." (Thus this law, most usefully, eliminates any arguments over how one defines "good" or "evil.") It follows that you may not do something for what YOU think is someone else's "own good"; you have no right to make that decision. You may not even work a healing unless you have permission from the person to be healed; it is unethical to hit an unprepared person with a jolt of energy. You may work without prior permission for someone whose karma you are already PERSONALLY involved with (as a mother for her child, a man for his wife, etc.), but you may not accept anyone's opinion that another would give permission if asked; no matter how close two people might be, they neither own one another nor carry each other's karma, and so cannot give such permission to another. 3. You cannot usethe arts of theCraft to win fame, fortune, power, or any other sort of material or social advantage. Thisagainis anobservation ofhow allthe psychicarts work, not just those of the Craft. WHY they work thus is another question--- THAT they do work thus is well-known. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that if your major motive for working is (or becomes) a desire for fame, fortune, etc., you soon get into a headspace where psychic abilities simply cannot function; many erstwhile psychics throughout history have lost their abilities and become charlatans, because they did not know this rule. You can (as many people do) make your living by a psychic art, as long as you charge only enough to live comfortab- ly by your society's standards; it is only going on a "power trip" that would endanger your abilities. Similarly, doing trips on people without their knowledge (or the magician's favorite project, raising "demons" in order to control them) is another sort of power trip, and will have exactly the same effect on your abilities. A more traditionals Craft statement of this rule would be, "The arts of the Craft are the gift of the Goddess; if you misuse them, She will take them back." 4.You cannot usethe arts ofthe Craft forshow, in pretence, but only in earnest, and only in need. If youwork aritual, itwill haveeffects, whetheryou think you want it to or not. Therefore you cannot "pretend" to throw a hex, for example; the Lady does not recognize pretence. On the other hand, you cannot work the arts successfully just because you WANT to, as a head trip; the Lady won't cooperate. You have to need the energy or the information for some real purpose, else you can't tap into it. (At least, this is what meaning I have seen in this law so far.) 1198 5. The arts ofthe Craft can onlybe worked in acircle with at least one other person of the opposite sex. This "law" is actually just a set of definitions, though important ones, as follows. (a) The arts of the Craft are defined as those that will work only under these conditions; psychic arts that work under other conditions are thus not necessarily part of the Craft. (b) A coven consists of at least one man and one woman; it cannot consist of all men or all women. (c) If you're working by yourself, you are working as a magician, not as a witch--but you are still obliged by your oaths to the Lady to observe the other Craft Laws. (For more on this last point, see #12.) 6.A man must learn the arts of the Craft from a woman, a woman from a man, except between parent and child. Since#5 definesthe artsof theCraft asthose thatonly work in the circle, obviously they can only be learned in the circle. If you're working with just one other person, that person must be of the opposite sex, else the arts won't work, and nothing can be learned. Thus it seems logical that this tradition applies only to a one-to-one teacher-apprentice relationship. If you're not in the circle, and/or are teaching a mixed group of men and women, obviously there's no problem. (This tradition MAY imply that the arts WILL work for two women if they are mother and daughter, or for father and some, since part of the key to the working, and the learning, seems to be the emotional closeness between the two; consider section IV, last para, in Aporrheton 10.) 7. You mustalways pay whateverprice is asked,without haggling or complaining, when you buy something to be used for the Craft. TheGardnerian Craft Laws (sectionIV, para 4,of Apor. 10) allow the arts of the Craft to be used to persuade someone to sell something, as long as his asking price is met, but this would violate our Law #2. In contrast, this law here is a safeguard against using your psychic talents not-quite-consciously to take unfair advantage of someone. 8. You cannot belong to more than one coven at a time. Any two covens willlikely have rather different symbolic systems for their workings, different understandings of the Craft Laws, and so on. Trying to work with both would then tend to confuse you, snarl up your communication lines to the Lade, and reduce the efficiency of your learning and working. Of course, if two covens do have identical systems (which could only happen if they shared a common ancestry), they could be considered the same cove, for the purposes under discussion here. 1199 Inits originalcontext (seesection III,Apor. 10),this law seems merely an observation of fact: even if you're working with two or more covens, you will only BELONG to one of them; your loyalty will be with that one, and if there were a parting of the ways, you would stick with it. Obviously, in time of persecution, divided loyalties and disagreements could be a source of great danger, and would have to be forbidden. Also, in a Craft structure where the High Priestess has final authority within each coven, she would not much like having a Witch she is trying to train be influenced by another Priestess. True, these considerations don't apply to us, but they are valid as reasons for the tradition. 9. None can coven with others they cannot agree with. Statedthis way,this lawbecomes anetymological tautology, for "coven" means "to agree" (or "to come together"). The more those in a coven can agree on the interpretation of the Craft Laws, on the symbolic system used for workings, on the purposes of the workings, the greater the coven's effectiveness will be. Naturally, minor disagreements will crop up regularly in a group of individualists; they are not what this law concers. Rather, it applies to disagree- ments (or bad interpersonal feelings) that are strong enough that they are amplified by the group field, make the meeting unpleasant, and so make it impossible for the coven to work. For this reason--not, one may hope, out of mere in-group exclusiveness or arbitrariness--acoven must select its members carefully for compatibility. Also, since a coven is necessarily a "small group," many normal small-group proc- esses will operate in it. These can be powerful, and emotionally very heavy, but there's nothing mysterious about them. Don't mistake them for something occult; that would lead you up a blind alley. 10. You must not betray the secrets that cannot be told. Thesecrets in question hereare Her secrets,the ones dis- cussed in the Caution to the Novices. Insofar as these Craft Laws are simply observations of how psychic reality works (and it is for that, really, that we should value them) then they are "self-enforcing" like any other statement of fact. So what this law means is: (a) Don't commit suicide; (b) Don't violate your own sense of your self-integ- rity; (c) Don't "sell your soul to the devil"; (d) If you stick your finger in a flame, you'll get burned. 1200 11. ALL POWER IN THE CRAFT COMES FROM THE GODDESS. This lawis anotherobservation about howpsychic reality works. The energy that is raised in the circle comes not from any one person, nor from all the persons in the coven as individuals, but from somewhere else: from the Goddess, or from some source ever further beyond. Such energy, like all psychic energy, comes THROUGH you, not from you; it is not your personal property, for you are merely a channel for it, a custodian of it. You do "own" your body and your individual personality, and you are entitled to the fruits of your labors, but the energy is not yours to exploit for your own benefit, for any human being could (potentially) learn to do anything you can do. Therefore, although you have a right to earn a living, the Craft is free to all, being a gift of the Goddess: you may not charge anyone even a penny to be initiated into the Craft or to learn its arts. Of course, you should insist on having your actual expenses covered; the Craft Laws do not require you to operate at a loss or to coddle freeloaders. But you may not make money from practicing the Craft as a religion, and if you try, you will lose all access to the power. This law also means that the only genuine initiations in the Craft are those worked (though not necessarily directly) by the Goddess Herself. That is, if you have the power from the Goddess, credentials from other people are unnecessary, and if you don't have any power from the Goddess, credentials from other people are useless. Hence there can be no authority in the Craft outside each coven. Thislaw alsoprovides anotherdefinition: anypowerthat comes from the Goddess could be part of the Craft; so any poet who has experienced the reality of the Muse is, to that extent, a Witch. Conversely, any energy that cannot be conceptualized as coming from the Goddess (and apparently there ARE such forms of the energy) is definitely not part of the Craft. (The tradition that the Priestess is supreme within the circle also appears to be a special case of this law, insofar as only the Priestess can incarnate the Goddess.) 12. IFSOMEONE INTENDS TO HARMYOU, YOU MAY USETHE ARTS OF THE CRAFTTO RESTRAINHIM FROM DOINGSO, BUT ONLYIF ALL INTHE COVEN AGREE THAT HE WILL IN NO WAY BE HARMED BY THE WORKING. No matterwhat the provocation,trying to harmanother will only create bad karma for yourself. So, although you have an absolute right to protect yourself, you must not retaliate. As is said in K'ung Fu, "Solve the problem, no less, no more." The reason why the coven must discuss the situation and agree on the workings is twofold: (1) to allow cooler minds to prevail, for it is when one acts on impulse, out of anger, that one is most likely to overstep the line between self-defense and aggression; and (2) because those in the coven, having taken an oath to help one another, and being linked by the generation of the group psychic field, will all share to some extent in any bad karma generated by any member's misuse of the arts. If you are one who can only learn the hard way, say, by sticking your finger into a flame, you are of course free to burn your own fingers--but NOT if you are holding someone else's hand, which is exactly the situation if you belong to a coven. For its own self-preservation, a coven must therefore retain the right, as a last resort, to expel (and cut loose from the karma of) any member who persists in interfering in other people's lives without their permission or, of course, who attempts even blacker workings.
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