Wicca for Life

The athame (pronounced a-THAM-ay) is the Witch’s personal tool. It is a knife but not a weapon; it is designated for use only in rituals.3 Every Witch should have one. The officiating priest or priestess may lay his or her athame on the altar while using other tools. In fact, anyone may lay theirs on the altar if they wish, but I recommend that those about the Circle hold the athame as much as possible so the altar doesn’t get crowded. You can, of course, hang a sheath from your belt and place your athame in there when you need to.

Most Witches have figures representing the Lord and the Lady on their altar. Some simply use candles to represent them, some use symbols (such as a stag horn for the God and a seashell for the Goddess), while others seek out appropriate statuettes. It is certainly a lot easier to find suitable figures today than it was forty years ago! Back then we had to comb antiques stores for bronzes or porcelain figures of appropriate look and size. These days there are several companies and individuals making a wide variety of deity figures, many of them specifically for Wiccans.

Traditionally, incense is burned during rituals. The old belief was that the smoke of the incense carried your prayers up to the gods, but—more important—the burning of incense creates and charges the atmosphere for religio-magical rituals. It doesn’t matter whether you burn powdered incense sprinkled on burning charcoal, cones, or sticks of incense. My personal preference is for powdered incense, which is also the most economical. It can be purchased from New Age stores and also from church supply houses, as can the special charcoal you need. (Warning: Do not use barbecue charcoal!) You will need a good censer, or thurible, for powdered incense, but I feel that the swinging of the censer really adds to the ritual.

There should be fire on the altar in the form of a candle or candles. Some like just one altar candle; others prefer two, one on each side of the altar. As I’ve explained, exactly how you arrange the items on the altar is up to you, but don’t let it become a catchall on which anything and everything is deposited. Remember that an altar is sacred and should be treated with respect. Even if, outside the Circle, it is just a humble coffee table, when in the sacred Circle, it is itself sacred.

For Initiations, you will have addititional items on the altar—things you won’t need for regular Esbat meetings. These include a small bottle or dish of anointing oil, binding cords, and a scourge. For a Self-Dedication, just the oil is needed.

Anointing Oil

Take a small bottle and fill it with mint of some sort. There are many different types of mint. My preference is for what’s called catmint—Nepeta cataria. Pour in enough olive oil to cover the mint and fill the bottle. Again, there are many types of olive oil; choose a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Cap the bottle and let it stand in a cool, dry place for 24 hours, turning the jar upside down every 6 hours. At the end of the 24-hour period, carefully strain the liquid through a piece of cheesecloth into a bowl. Refill the bottle with fresh mint and pour in the oil from the bowl. Again cap it, store it, and turn it every 6 hours. Repeat this process over at least a 3-day period, using the same oil but refreshing the mint each time. At the end of the time, strain again, this time bottling the liquid. This is your anointing oil.

The bottle of wine and the wineglasses or goblets for all the coven members should be placed on the floor alongside, or under, the altar. (Incidentally, some Wiccans use the term chalice for their wine cup. To me this has Christian connotations, so I prefer goblet.) Cakes and wine are served at every meeting. They represent the necessities of life, the food and drink without which we could not exist. It is our opportunity to thank the gods for these gifts. (In the old days, the common people had ale rather than wine. I like to keep the old title of Cakes and Ale for this ritual, though many use Cakes and Wine. Either is acceptable.)

Circle Cakes for Cakes and Ale

The cakes we use, we make from scratch, are oat cakes. We start by grinding oat groats to make into flour. This we do in a stone wheel hand grinder. For about half a dozen people, we use 4 ounces of flour. To this, add ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ⅓ teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, and about a teaspoon of butter or oil. Mix and add water until the texture is smooth, not too watery. If you want sweetened cakes, add sweetener to taste; you can also include small pieces of fruit such as diced apple, if you wish. Preheat a cast-iron pan—you can use cast-iron muffin tins if you like—lightly greased. Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. It’s good served hot or cold.

The cakes are usually made especially for the coven meetings. Some delight in forming them in the shape of crescent moons and stars, or such. They can be of any type you like, even store-bought cookies, if you do not bake. Wine or ale is traditional, but if you have a problem with alcohol, fruit juice or something similar is fine. The wine is poured into the large goblet on the altar, prior to the start of the ritual. The cakes are placed on the plate, also before the start.

Candles are placed around the Circle, standing on the marked line. There should be one at the north point (green, if you use colored ones, though white ones all around are fine), one at the east (yellow), one in the south (red), and one in the west (blue). Again, choice of color is up to you. I have listed what is traditional, but you may prefer another arrangement. One other possibility is to use all yellow candles around the circle in spring, green in summer, brown or orange in fall, and white in winter. Be creative. Enjoy yourself! These candles are lighted as part of the start of the ritual. If you wish light before you actually start, you can add other candles around the Circle, but place them farther out and not on the marked line. Some Witches add candles on stands outside the Circle, raising them up for better light. This can be especially helpful when you read from The Book of Shadows during the ritual.

I have said, in many places, that you can decide for yourself what you want to use and how you want to use it. I would emphasize, however, that you have a good reason for making any decision. Don’t just decide on (for example) black candles around the Circle “because they look neat.” There is a reason for everything used and done in Wicca (see my views on placement of the altar, page 22). There are also reasons why some things are not used. Not all reasons are right for everyone, however, which is why I make the point that you need to feel comfortable and do what is right for you—but with good reason.

First Steps Into Wicca

Once you have your temple set up, you are ready to start along the path of Wicca. At each and every Circle, you will lay out the basic tools on the altar. For an Initiation or Self-Dedication, you will add the appropriate additional tools. Since I am focusing on how to start a new family tradition, or hereditary line, I will begin by giving you a Self-Dedication (which can also be used by a solitary). I’ll follow this with a coven Initiation.

Many Witches say that you must be initiated by another, previously initiated, Witch. My question would be, who then initiated the very first Witch? Although in any established tradition you have to be initiated into a coven by a High Priest or High Priestess, it is not so in other situations. If you are starting a new tradition or hereditary line, or are going to be a solitary, then a Self-Dedication is just fine, and equally as valid as any other Witch’s initiation.

No one should enter the sacred Circle without being properly prepared. This means taking a ritual bath at the very least. Better yet is to include a short period of meditation. If you don’t want to meditate before every Circle, at least include it in your preparations for an initiation.

The ritual bath should always be taken, however. Such a bath simply involves warm water with a handful of salt stirred into it. Sea salt is preferable, though not essential. You can also add herbs if you wish, as I mentioned in chapter 2. Since it is a simple “dunking” in and out and not a lingering, soapy bath, coven members run a ritual bath, and each Witch jumps in and out, one after the other! You need only get fully wet by the salted water.

To meditate, sit comfortably in a chair. I recommend one with a straight back and with arms. Rest your arms on the arms of the chair. If you’d prefer to sit on the floor, that’s all right, too. You can even lie flat on your back, though that may tend to send you to sleep! Wherever you sit, be sure your spine is straight; this is the key. Start by relaxing your body with deep breathing. Close your eyes and simply breathe deeply, breathing in to fill your lungs and breathing out to completely exhaust them.

Try to keep your mind blank. This is not easy. When odd thoughts from the day come creeping in, gently push them out again and concentrate on your breathing.

Relax your body in stages. First, concentrate on relaxing your feet, then your legs; your hands, then your arms; your lower body, then the upper; your neck, then your head. Feel all parts of the body gradually relaxing.

As you breathe in, imagine white light coming into your body and filling it. As you breathe out, see the grayness of negativity flowing out and away. Feel all the little aches and pains going away as the gentle relaxation of purity comes in. Keep this up for a few minutes. As the white light builds and fills your body—down through your legs to your feet and toes; down through your arms to your hands and fingers—see it expanding even beyond your body to form a ball or egg of white light all around you. This is your protective barrier to keep away all negativity. When you feel you have done this sufficiently, let your breathing return to normal and open your eyes. Remain sitting for just a moment longer before starting to move around. Whether you meditate before or after the bath is not important, though I recommend it before.

What is meditation? Quite simply, it is a listening . . . listening to the Higher Self or, if you prefer, the Inner Self, the Creative Force, the Higher Consciousness; even the gods themselves. It can be all of these. Properly used, meditation opens the door to individual growth and personal advancement. Of all the techniques of advancement in the psychic and spiritual fields, meditation is by far the most effective. Coincidentally, it is also the most simple.

—Raymond Buckland, Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

Wiccan Dress

What should you wear in the Circle? Many Wiccans solve the problem by wearing nothing at all; they do all their rituals in the nude. It is called skyclad, meaning “covered only by the sky.” If you study many of the old paintings and woodcuts of Witches in the Middle Ages, you’ll see that they are almost invariably naked. Occasionally they are dressed; once in a while, a combination is depicted, with some dressed and others nude. While a lot of Wiccans continue this skyclad tradition, other modern Witches prefer to wear ritual robes. Some even wear what amounts to everyday clothing. I say “what amounts to” because you should not just wear the same clothes you wear for the rest of the day.

Witchcraft is a religion, and within the Circle you are participating in a religious rite. You are between the worlds. Because it is something sacred, it is appropriate that you wear something “special.” This can be nothing at all, it can be ritual robes, or it can be everyday-type clothing (even T-shirt and jeans) that is kept just for this purpose, and nothing else.

Let’s look at robes. They can be any color. I recommend avoiding black. There is certainly nothing wrong with the color (though it is actually a lack of color), but it does contribute to the negative image that Witches are trying to avoid. White is very popular, as are the colors of nature: greens, yellows, browns. The color may not be important, but I feel that the material is. I suggest wearing natural materials like cottons and linens, even silk, and avoiding polyester and nylon. Apart from anything else, you’ll be more comfortable.

In a coven, you don’t all have to wear the same color but you should all be robed, or nude, or in everyday attire; don’t mix them. One last comment—no one should be coerced into being naked if they do not wish to be. In fact, in Wicca no one should be coerced into anything.

It’s true that kids can be self-conscious about seeing pictures of a skyclad gathering and hearing grown-ups talk about sex. It is not true that their embarrassment or the pictures and discussions will do them any harm. Children have built-in defenses: they simply don’t pay conscious attention to things they can’t understand.

—Ashleen O’Gaea, The Family Wicca Book

Names

In your devotions, you and those who follow you will be addressing the God and the Goddess. You may well want to decide upon names to use for them. If you want time to consider this, you can simply address them as “God and Goddess” or “Lord and Lady.” I have used these simple terms in the rituals that follow in this book.

When you are ready, you may substitute names by which you best relate to those deities. In Saxon Witchcraft, the names used are Woden and Freya, the ancient Saxon God and Goddess. In Gardnerian, they are Cernunnos and Arada. Celtic Wiccan names include Herne and Cerridwen, and Dagda and Morrigan. There are many names from which to choose. Janet and Stewart Farrar’s books The Witches’ Goddess and The Witches’ God are excellent sources.

Once again, find what is right for you. You may find yourself guided by your family roots. I urge you not to mix gods and goddesses of different origins, different cultures, however, such as a Greek god with a Celtic goddess. Although there is really nothing wrong with this for worship purposes, it can bring problems in dealing with your approaches to the theology of these gods.

Speaking of names, you may want to create a new name for yourself; this will be your Witch name. You are about to be reborn, and will be starting life anew. So why not start with a name of your own choosing, instead of one someone else gave you? Why not select a name that is right magically, using numerology to do it? Even if you are not good at math, it is not hard to do.

Start by finding your birth number. On a piece of paper, write down the month, day, and year of your birth. For example: 7.24.1982. (Be sure to include all four digits in the year you write down.) Now add these digits together: 7 + 2 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 = 33. Add again to reach a single digit: 3 + 3 = 6. The number 6 is your birth number.

Now to find a name that matches that birth number and is thereby the right name for you magically, having the same vibrations. Start by choosing a name that you like. For example, let’s say you like the name Amanda. Write out the numbers 1 through 9 with the letters of the alphabet underneath them:

Now find the numbers that would equate to Amanda:

A = 1, M = 4, A = 1, N = 5, D = 4, A = 1

Adding those together, we get: 1 + 4 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 16; 1 + 6 = 7. This is not the same as your birth number, 6. To make it the same, you need to add a letter or number that would create a total equal to 6. If you add an 8, it would work: 7 + 8 = 15; 1 + 5 = 6. But the 8 letters are H, Q, and Z, which don’t seem to fit very well . . . or do they? How about if you just put an H on the end of the name, making it Amandah? That gives you 1 + 4 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 1 + 8 = 24; 2 + 4 = 6, the same as your birth number. Amandah, then, could be a good Witch name for you. (You can put the H anywhere. How about Amandha, or Ahmanda?).

Try it with your own birth date and your own choice of name. You might have to add more than one letter, or even drop one. But usually, with just a little shuffling around, you can get the name you want. In fact, you usually—as in the above example—end up with an extra-special, unique name.

Founding the Hereditary Line

For the founding of a hereditary line—a coven of Witches within your family—there has to be a first Witch, in the sense of the first one officially made a Wiccan. That first person can then go on to initiate others in the family, and so start the family tradition. (It works the same way when you start a coven—with a variety of people, of course.) I’ll deal with these Initiations in a moment, but let me start with that first, all-important, Self-Initiation or Self-Dedication, as it’s sometimes called.

This ritual should be done in private with no witnesses. For this I would strongly recommend that you be naked, going along with the thought of being reborn. Begin with Casting the Circle. “Casting the Circle,” also sometimes known as “Erecting the Temple,” refers to consecrating the ritual area.

In this and all following rituals, it is nice if you can memorize the words that are said—but if this is difficult, don’t hesitate to read them. Ideally, you should have a good sense of what will be said so that you can say it and extemporize if necessary; the words should really be coming from your heart. If you must grope to remember the words, then you are losing your feeling for the ritual, which is not good. Better, then, to read if you must. Later, you will make a Book of Shadows that will hold all your rites and rituals.

For now, you can place handwritten sheets of paper on a nice stand. An antique music stand next to the altar is ideal. Don’t try to lay the paper on the altar and bend over to read it. That can get very awkward. When you need to walk around the Circle, speaking, don’t hesitate to pick up the papers, or book, and take it with you. It’s better to speak clearly and confidently than to grope for the words. Over the years, you will learn all that you ever use, but don’t worry about it now.

Casting the Circle

You are now in the ritual Circle you have drawn or marked, properly prepared, standing in front of the altar with all the tools on it. The Circle has been drawn on the floor as a physical demarcation. The candles beyond the Circle are alight for illumination, though not the four “point” candles (east, south, west, and north), nor the altar candles. The wine goblet is full. Now to consecrate the Circle.

Ring the bell three times. Then, using your dominant hand, take up your athame (if you do not yet have an athame, then you can just use your hand, pointing your forefinger), kiss the blade, and hold it high in salute. Say:

Hail, Lord and Lady. Here I do build a temple of life in which to honor you. Assist me as I lay down the foundation stones on which I will build my cone of power.

Lowering your athame, walk over to the east point in the Circle. Point the tip of the blade at the line drawn on the ground. Take your time, concentrating all your energies into directing a line of force flowing from your heart, down your arm, through your athame, and down into the ground on this line. Recapture that ball of white light you built in your pre-Circle meditation. As you breathe in, feel the energy building, and direct it down to the drawn line.

Slowly walk around the Circle, directing that energy as you go. Continue until you get back to the point where you started. In your mind, connect the ends of the line of power, then raise the athame in salute. Describe a pentagram in the air (see the illustration on page 33) to seal it, kiss the blade, and return to the altar.

DESCRIBING A PENTAGRAM

Walk over to the east point in the Circle, taking with you matches or, better yet, a lighted taper. Light the east candle and say:

Here is light at the east, where the life-giving sun rises each day. Here is erected the Watchtower 4 of Air, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

Move on around to the south and light that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is light at the south, where fires rise up to warm and illuminate the earth. Here is erected the Watchtower of Fire, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

Move on around to the west and light that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is light at the west, where waters move gently to give the moisture of life to the earth. Here is erected the Watchtower of Water, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

Move on around to the north and light that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is a light at the north, where the earth forms a solid foundation for all life. Here is erected the Watchtower of Earth, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

Return to the altar and light the altar candle(s), saying:

Here is light that I bring into the temple. Let it light the way through the darkness of ignorance to the world of knowledge. Light to life, in all things.

Extinguish the taper, then again take up your athame and dip the tip of the blade into the bowl of salt, saying:

Salt is life. Let this salt be pure and let it purify my life, as I use it in this rite dedicated to the God and Goddess in whom I believe.

Take three pinches of the salt and drop them into the water. Moving your athame blade across to the water dish, dip it in there, saying:

Let the sacred salt drive out any impurities in this water, that together they may be used in the service of these deities, throughout these rites and at any time and in any way I may use them.

Mix the water and salt with the athame blade, stirring in a clockwise direction three times around. Then lay down the athame and pick up the dish of salted water. Go to the east point of the Circle and raise the dish so it’s level with your eyes. Say:

I use this sacred liquid now in the building of this, my sacred temple. I dedicate it to the gods, in love and light.

Lowering the dish, start once again to walk slowly deosil (clockwise) around the Circle, dipping your fingers into the water and sprinkling it along the line of the Circle as you go. Return to the east point where you started. Raise the dish briefly in salute then return to the altar. Put down the salt dish and take up the censer. Once again, go to the east point. Raise the censer and say:

The fire of this censer, with the fragrance of its smoke, serves to cement the foundation of this our temple, dedicated to the Lord and the Lady.

Lower the censer and again pass along the line of the Circle, swinging the censer so that the fumes and smoke pass along it. When you return to your starting point, again raise the censer in salute and then return to the altar. Replace the censer and take up your athame. Raise your athame in salute and describe the pentagram over the altar. Say:

Lord and Lady, God and Goddess, I invite you to enter into this temple I have constructed to venerate you. Be with me here and witness these rites held in your honor. So mote it be.

Kiss the blade and set down the athame.

Note: For a regular Esbat or Sabbat, you would continue the Casting of the Circle by consecrating all the Witches within it. This I will deal with on page 42. For now, let me continue with the Self-Dedication. For this rite, you should have a small dish or bottle of anointing oil on the altar.

Notice that there is no summoning of spirits of any sort. When erecting the four watchtowers, some traditions do call upon the “Guardians of the Four Quarters,” often referring to them as sylphs, salamanders, undines, and dwarves. I consider this a very dangerous practice akin to ceremonial magic. Once you conjure something, you stand the risk of not being able to get rid of it.

For example, I have known of a coven that did not get rid of the salamanders of the south, the fire spirits. Just after the closing of the Circle, a fire actually broke out in the south of the room they were using. For guardians of the sacred Circle, who could do a better job than the gods themselves, the Lady and the Lord?

Self-Dedication of a Witch

Ring the bell three times three, or nine times in all (with a brief pause between each set of three). Take up the anointing oil and dip your index finger into it. Draw a cross inside a circle on your forehead, in the position of the Third Eye (between the eyebrows). Then draw a pentagram, with the point upward, over your heart. Third, touch the oil to your genitals, right breast, left breast, and genitals, in this way describing a triangle. Replace the oil on the altar and pick up your athame. Hold it high in salute. Say:

God and Goddess; Lord and Lady. I am here a simple seeker of knowledge, a lover of life. I here dedicate myself to you and to your service. You are the ones I have chosen to serve. I do this of my own free will, with no pressure from any other. Guard me and guide me in all that I do, for all that I do is in love of you and of all life. Help me live my life with harm to none. Help me acknowledge the depth and beauty of all life, animal, vegetable, and mineral. The animals, birds, fish, reptiles, and all living things are my brothers and sisters. The trees of the forest, the plants, flowers, herbs, and all growing things are my brothers and sisters. The rocks, soil, sand, the rivers, lakes, seas, all waters of the earth and all that is of the earth are my brothers and sisters. Make me one with this family. Let me guard them and work for them as they all work for me.

Lord and Lady, from this day forth I accept and will ever abide by the Wiccan Rede: “An it harm none, do what thou wilt.” I pledge myself to you, the gods. I will always protect you as you do me. I will defend you against those who speak ill of you. You are my life and I am yours. So mote it be.

Lower your athame and ring the bell three times. Take up the goblet of wine and raise it. Say:

To the gods!

Pour a little into the libation dish (your offering to the gods) and say:

As this wine drains from the cup, so let the blood drain from my body should I ever do anything to harm the gods, or those in kinship with their love. So mote it be!

Drink to the gods. (You do not have to drain the cup! You can always pour more into the libation dish.) Replace the goblet and raise both hands high in salute. Say:

As a sign of my being born again into the life of Wiccacraft, I here take upon myself a new name, by which I shall always be known within the Sacred Circle, which is the place between the worlds. Henceforth I shall be known as . . . [Witch name]. So mote it be!

Lower your arms and ring the bell three times.

The above may be used by a solitary Wiccan, by the first to start a coven, or by the founder of a hereditary family group. In the case of the hereditary founding, the following should also be added.

Take up your athame and hold it in both hands over the position of your heart. Say:

I further dedicate myself as the founder of a family line of Witches. I take upon myself the awesome responsibility of initiating others of my family, to build a new coven, the coven of . . . [name; for example, “the coven of Williamson” or “the coven of Johnson”] . . . in honor of the gods. Lord and Lady, help me in this undertaking. Let the coven prosper and endure. So mote it be!

Now hold the athame over the altar and say:

Now I consecrate this, the true tool of a Witch. It has all the powers of a magic wand and may be used in forming other instruments of the Craft. I here consecrate it, so that it may be properly used within this Circle and in the service of the gods.

Sprinkle some of the water on the athame, then hold it in the smoke of the incense, saying:

I cleanse and consecrate this, my magical athame, that it may serve as I serve the Lord and the Lady. May it be my strength and my love and may it never be used in anger nor to harm anyone or anything. So mote it be!

Draw a pentagram in the air with it, kiss the blade, and lower it. You may now sit and meditate on what the Craft means to you and your family. It may be that, at this time, you will receive some indications from the gods that you are indeed in touch with them—some sight, sound, or inner feeling. Whether you do or not, relax and enjoy the knowledge of having finally come home to the Craft; of having finally become one of the members of the Old Religion.

If you feel like singing or dancing, or celebrating in any other appropriate way, do it! Now should follow the ritual of Cakes and Ale, or Cakes and Wine, but I will leave the details of this until I go through a coven Initiation (see page 41). The final step is always the Closing of the Circle, but we’ll also look at that a little later on.

Note that nowhere in the Self-Dedication, or in the following coven Initiation, do initiates repudiate their previous religion. There are no words against any other faith. Should new Witches, at any future date, decide that Wicca is not the right religion for them after all, they are free to leave and either return to their previous faith or continue seeking elsewhere. Note also that an oath of secrecy is no longer taken.

Oath of Secrecy

In times of persecution, it is obvious that an oath of secrecy would serve a useful purpose. It also served a purpose in the very early days of Paganism, long before the arrival of Christianity. At that time the purpose was a magical one. It was believed that to know a person’s name was to have a power over him or her. This was especially true when working with spirits and entities.

In ceremonial magic (a practice and not a religion; it is not connected to Witchcraft), the aim of the rituals is to conjure certain entities, such as minor demons or devils, and to make them obey your commands. To do this, it was necessary to show your ability to have power over them. Part of this involved simply knowing their true names. By knowing these names and by using various words, tools, and symbols of power, it was believed possible to force these entities to do your bidding. In the same way, to know the name of your enemy’s deities—and then conjure these deities—was to give you power over those gods and goddesses, and thereby over your enemy.

So in those days, it was important to keep the names of your gods secret. Regular, everyday names were used to refer to the gods—almost like nicknames—but the names used in rituals were secret, and guarded by the priesthood. When these names were revealed to a new initiate, he or she had to take an oath never to reveal them to anyone who was not also an initiate. Most of these ancient religions had their own ways of doing magic, so these methods were also kept secret.

This oath of secrecy is still a part of some modern Wiccan Initiations (in Gardnerian Wicca, for example). Although it may no longer be necessary, it remains part of that tradition’s heritage. I do not include such an oath in the material in this book. If you feel strongly that there should be one, by all means add one.

Libations

In almost every ritual, wine is poured into a dish and, frequently, a piece of cake is also put into the dish (see “Cakes and Ale,” page 65). These are tokens of sharing with the gods and with others. In thanking the gods for the food and drink we need in order to live, we also think of the fact that while we have these things, there are others who have nothing. Symbolically, we indicate our wish to share with those less fortunate than ourselves.

What happens to these libations? At the end of the Circle, they are taken out and poured on the ground, to be absorbed by the earth. Some Wiccans with backyards and gardens will dedicate a small area especially for this purpose. Sometimes statutes of the deities will be placed about it. It may also include such things as bird feeders and baths. The food left there is frequently taken by animals, thus becoming a very real sharing from the Circle. If you live in an apartment and have no access to such an outdoor area, you can pour the wine into a potted plant and place the food on the windowsill, for the birds. Or you might have a window box you can use. Some Wiccans will make a trip to a nearby park just to leave their libations. As a last resort, you can pour them down the sink or disposal, knowing that they will eventually find their way to the earth.

Starting a Coven

When the “first Witch” has completed the Self-Dedication, he or she is now ready to bring others into the Craft who wish to be a part of it. In a hereditary coven, these will be members of the family. The immediate family, as a whole, should decide just how far outside their group the coven should extend: Should they include cousins and second cousins, for example, or restrict membership to direct lineage only, such as sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters? What about those outsiders who marry into the family? These are important considerations, for too soon a family coven can grow large and unwieldy. The obvious answer, in this case, is to split up into two, or even more, family covens.

If you’re starting a coven that’s not a family line, of course you don’t have these concerns. But you still have to consider just who to bring in. The scene has changed dramatically over the last forty years or so, and today many people wish to find a Wiccan coven. Whoever starts the coven should think seriously about what the criteria will be for admission.

First and foremost should be, how sincere is the person in wanting to join Wicca as a religion? With a wealth of television shows and movies dramatizing and romanticizing Wicca, many are drawn for the wrong reasons. They think it’s “cool” to be a Witch, or they think they’ll gain great powers, or believe it’s all about working magic and casting spells, or doing drugs and having sex. In fact, there are many covens that never work magic and never cast spells. And no true Witches do drugs. There are many who are Wiccans simply because it is their religion and they wish to worship the gods.

And yes, there are also many covens that do work magic. However, their magic is only done when there is a very real need for it, and much of it is for the purposes of healing. I’ll be talking about magic and healing in later chapters.

If you are starting a coven, draw up a list of “dos” and “don’ts.” Do consider those who are sincere, those who have some true knowledge of what Wicca really is, those you feel would be a worthwhile addition to the group. Don’t consider those who obviously have all the wrong ideas, who think it’s the same thing as Satanism, who just want to dress up in black and frighten people, who are looking for power over others. I’ve purposely used the word consider above. Don’t make any instant decisions on admitting members, but do get to know each person in order to find why he or she is attracted to your group. Ask questions and expect prospective members to ask questions of you. Find out what they have read; what they believe Witchcraft to be; what their views are on religion, life, environmental issues, and so on.

Traditionally, after first contacting a coven, there was a year-and-a-day waiting period before anyone could get initiated. This was plenty of time to check out would-be Witches, and to give some initial training to see how they responded. Few groups today make an applicant wait this long, however. Still, I cannot emphasize too strongly that you should not be in any hurry to bring in people who want to join your group. A coven is like a small family. All grow to be very close. Don’t risk spoiling the group by admitting someone who may disrupt it.

Suppose you now have a person or a number of people whom you know are just right. Or you are ready to start your family Wiccan coven. How do you proceed? The person who has done the Self-Dedication is now referred to as the High Priestess (or High Priest, but I will use a female as an example). All Witches are priests or priestesses; they can perform the rituals by themselves if they wish. Once the Witch becomes a leader of a group, these priests and priestesses are termed High Priests or Priestesses.

Coven Initiation

The coven Initiation differs from the Self-Initiation in that there can be more activity, since there is more than one participant! When you have a large coven, you can start to delegate parts of the rituals to different Witches so that as many as possible are actually participating. This is the ideal. Witchcraft is a religion of participation. Unlike most organized religions, you do not just sit in a large hall and watch what is going on; you are right in there as part of it. I consider this a very important part of religious experience.

I will next describe a coven Initiation with just the High Priestess and the initiate—as it would be for the first few Initiations. When you have a full coven, don’t hesitate to rewrite this ritual so that all may have parts. Let the officiating priest play the lead, but let others join in. (In the appendix, I have included an example of an Initiation performed with a whole coven participating.) Opening the Circle with a whole coven, Cakes and Ale, and other rituals will be dealt with in chapter 4.

Coven Initiation Ceremony

The High Priestess, properly prepared, stands in the ritual Circle in front of the altar. In addition to the regular tools are a container of anointing oil, a blindfold, a nine-foot length of red silken cord, and a scourge (see chapter 20). The initiate’s own athame also lies on the altar, to one side. The candles beyond the Circle are alight but not the four quarter candles around the Circle itself nor the altar candles. The wine goblet is full.

Outside the Circle, to the east, stands the initiate. He 5 stands quietly until called for. (Note: The Sacred Circle is always entered and departed from the east.)

The High Priestess (HPS) rings the bell three times then takes up her athame, kisses the blade, and holds it high in salute, saying:

Hail, Lord and Lady. Here I do build a temple of life in which to honor you. Assist me as I lay down the foundation stones on which I will build my cone of power.

HPS lowers the blade and walks over to the east point in the Circle. She points the tip of the blade at the line drawn on the ground and slowly walks around the Circle, directing energy as she goes. She continues until she returns to the point where she started. There she raises the athame in salute and describes a pentagram in the air. She kisses the blade and returns to the altar.

HPS now walks over to the east point in the Circle, taking with her a lighted taper. She lights the east candle, saying:

Here is light at the east, where the life-giving sun rises each day. Here is erected the Watchtower of Air, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

She moves on around to the south and lights that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is light at the south, where fires rise up to warm and illuminate the earth. Here is erected the Watchtower of Fire, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

She moves on around to the west and lights that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is light at the west, where waters move gently to give the moisture of life to the earth. Here is erected the Watchtower of Water, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

She moves on around to the north and lights that candle from the taper, saying:

Here is light at the north, where the earth forms a solid foundation for all life. Here is erected the Watchtower of Earth, standing guard over this temple of the gods.

HPS returns to the altar and puts down the taper. Standing before the altar, she lights the altar candle(s), saying:

Here is light that I bring into the temple. Let it light the way through the darkness of ignorance to the world of knowledge. Light to life, in all things.

She again takes up her athame and dips the tip of the blade into the bowl of salt, saying:

Salt is life. Let this salt be pure and let it purify my life, as I use it in this rite dedicated to the God and Goddess in whom I believe.

She takes three pinches of salt and drops them into the water. Moving her athame blade across to the water dish, she dips it in there, saying:

Let the sacred salt drive out any impurities in this water, that together they may be used in the service of these deities, throughout these rites and at any time and in any way I may use them.

She mixes the water and salt with the athame blade, stirring in a deosil direction three times around, then lays down the athame and picks up the dish of salted water. She goes to the east point of the Circle and raises the dish, saying:

I use this sacred liquid now in the building of this, my sacred temple. I dedicate it to the gods, in love and light.

Lowering the dish, HPS starts once again to walk slowly deosil around the Circle, dipping her fingers into the water and sprinkling it along the line of the Circle. She returns to the east point and raises the dish briefly in salute, then returns to the altar. She puts down the salt dish and takes up the censer. Again HPS goes to the east point, where she raises the censer, saying:

The fire of this censer, with the fragrance of its smoke, serves to cement the foundation of this our temple, dedicated to the Lord and the Lady.

HPS lowers the censer and again passes along the line of the Circle, swinging the censer so that the fumes and smoke pass along it. When she returns to the starting point, she again raises the censer in salute and then returns to the altar. HPS replaces the censer and takes up her athame. She raises it in salute and describes the pentagram over the altar, saying:

Lord and Lady, God and Goddess, I invite you to enter into this temple I have constructed to venerate you. Be with me here and witness these rites held in your honor. So mote it be.

She kisses the blade and sets down the athame. She dips her forefinger into the water and marks a cross within a circle on her forehead and a pentagram over her heart, saying:

Here I do consecrate myself in the names of the Lord and the Lady. I am here in peace and love, with honor to all life.

HPS rings the bell three times three, or nine times in all. Then, taking up her athame, she faces the east, where the initiate waits outside the Circle. She points the tip of the athame at the initiate.

HPS:	Who are you who stands outside this temple of the ancient gods?
INITIATE:	I am a seeker who has traveled far. I look for peace, joy, and the light of knowledge.
HPS:	Are you here of your own free will?
INITIATE:	I am.
HPS:	What steps brought you here?
INITIATE:	First curiosity, then learning, and finally love. Curiosity about the Old Religion; learning about the ancient ways; love for the gods, for life, and for my brothers and sisters of the Craft.
HPS:	What two words will bring you into this Circle, this temple of the gods?
INITIATE:	Love and trust.

HPS lowers her athame, takes up the blindfold and cord, and goes to the east to face the Initiate. She “cuts out of the Circle.” ⁶

HPS:	All who bring such words are welcome.

She salutes him (kisses him; see “Salutes” in chapter 14) then blindfolds him and binds him as follows: With the initiate’s hands behind his back, the nine-foot cord is placed over his left wrist, at the cord’s center point. A knot is tied. The initiate’s right hand is then laid across and the cord is tied around the right wrist, tying the two together. The two ends of the cord are then taken up, one on either side of the initiate’s head, and loosely looped around the neck to be tied in a bow on the right shoulder.

HPS guides the initiate over the lines of the Circle into the temple. She turns, closes and seals the Circle, then guides the initiate to stand before the altar. Then, HPS rings the bell three times. She takes up the salted water and marks a cross within a circle on the initiate’s forehead, a pentagram over his heart, then touches it to his genitals: right breast, left breast, genitals.

HPS:	With this holy water I anoint and cleanse you, that you may be clean and pure within this Circle, the temple of the gods.

The initiate now kneels in front of the altar.

HPS:	I ask, why are you here in this temple of the gods?
INITIATE:	I am here to be made one with those gods. I wish to become one of the children of the Lord and Lady. I wish to be part of the family of Wicca.
HPS:	To do what you wish you must end life as you have known it. Are you ready to do that?
INITIATE:	I am.
HPS:	You will be setting your feet on the path that leads to purity, truth, and love. The first step is to leave your life of old; to face death and joyously pass beyond it. Are you ready to do so?
INITIATE:	I am.
HPS:	So mote it be.

HPS takes up the scourge and (lightly, so as not to hurt) strikes the initiate across the buttocks nine times.⁷ She then lays down the scourge and rings the bell seven times.

HPS helps the initiate to his feet and removes the cord and the blindfold. She embraces him and gives him the threefold salute.

HPS:	Now you enter into the world newborn. To start life anew you will need a new name. What is that name by which you wish to be known, within this sacred Circle?
INITIATE:	I take the name . . . [Witch name].

HPS again consecrates him—forehead, heart, and sacred triangle—this time with the anointing oil.

HPS:

I consecrate you now in the names of the Lord and the Lady. Henceforth you will be known, in this sacred Circle and to all your brothers and sisters of the Craft, by your new name . . . [Witch name]. With this sacred oil I anoint and cleanse you, giving new life to one of the children of the gods. So mote it be!

HPS replaces the oil on the altar, salutes the initiate, then rings the bell nine times.

HPS:	Now I present to you the working tool of a Witch.

She takes the initiate’s athame from the altar and presents it to him. They both hold it as she speaks:

HPS:	This is the true tool of a Witch. It has all the powers of a magic wand and may be used in forming other instruments of the Craft. It must be properly used within the sacred Circle.

HPS lets go of the athame, and the initiate holds it over the altar.

HPS:	Now you must consecrate it, so that it may be properly used within this Circle and in the service of the gods.

The initiate sprinkles some of the water on the athame, then holds it in the smoke of the incense.

INITIATE:

I cleanse and consecrate this, my magical athame, that it may serve me as I serve the Lord and the Lady. May it be my strength and my love and may it never be used in anger nor to harm anyone or anything. So mote it be!

He then draws a pentagram in the air with it, kisses the blade, and lowers it.

HPS:	Now you are truly one of us. As such you will share our knowledge of the gods, of the arts of healing, divination, and magic. You will learn all the mystic arts. All these things you will learn as you progress down the path of the Old Religion. But first, I must caution you to always remember the Wiccan Rede: An it harm none, do what thou wilt.
INITIATE:	An it harm none, do what thou wilt.
HPS:	So mote it be.
INITIATE:	So mote it be.

HPS gives the initiate the eightfold salute (see chapter 14). Then she and the initiate embrace and kiss. HPS takes his hand and leads him around the Circle, starting at the east point, where she raises her athame in salute.

HPS:	Hail Lord and Lady. Here do I present, for the first time, the Witch . . . [Witch name] . . . , a brother of the Craft. A true member of the Old Religion.

She leads him on to the south point, where she repeats the announcement, then to the west and to the north, repeating at each. Back at the east, HPS raises her athame again in salute and kisses the blade. She then leads the initiate back to the altar. There she raises the goblet, pours a libation, and drinks from it. She passes it to the initiate, who also drinks.

HPS:	To the gods!
INITIATE:	To the gods!

Now should follow the ritual of Cakes and Ale, or Cakes and Wine (see chapter 4), followed by singing or dancing or celebrating in any other appropriate way. The final step is always the Closing of the Circle. We’ll look at this in the next chapter.

The Book of Shadows

Witches keep their rituals, spells, herbal lore, and any and all other things pertinent to them in a book called The Book of Shadows. How it got this name is not known for certain, but it has been suggested that it comes from the time of the persecutions. Up until then, the Craft was a purely oral tradition, with everything passed on by word of mouth. But with the persecutions, groups of Witches became isolated, losing touch with others of the Old Religion. So that the rituals would not be lost, they were written down in a book, carefully kept and guarded by the coven leader. Since they were having to meet “in the shadows” at that time, the book became known as The Book of Shadows.

Many traditions use a book with a black cover, probably considered easier to hide. But some have earth-colored covers such as green or brown. It really doesn’t matter what color the cover is these days. Personally I prefer green, a color I associate with nature.

The book is always handwritten. It should not be typewritten or computer generated. This is a book of magic. By the very act of writing, you are putting your energies into the book. As you write, you are concentrating on what is being put down on the pages and, in so doing, empowering the book with your energies. I will go into this in more depth in later chapters when I talk about making magical talismans.

The first page of the book is usually decorated with the words THE BOOK OF SHADOWS OF THE WITCH [NAME], IN HER [OR HIS] HAND OF WRITE. In other words, in her own handwriting.

Originally, as I have mentioned, there was just one book for the coven, kept in safekeeping by the High Priestess or High Priest. It was a large, weighty tome, including not only the rituals but also all the magical lore, herbal lore, and divinitory systems used by the members.

These days, individual Witches keep their own particular interests in their own personal books. A Witch who is interested in astrology, for example, will have all her astrology notes in the book, while another Witch may prefer herbal lore in his volume.

They will probably all contain the regular rituals—Esbats and Sabbats—but will then be personalized with the Witch’s interests, together with the ways that this particular Witch has found magic to work best.

For a hereditary group, I suggest having a large, complete Book of Shadows that all family members can contribute to, kept by the head of the household. Individual family members will also have their own books with their own special interests included, if they wish.

Some Books of Shadows are quite creative with elaborate lettering, illuminated like ancient manuscripts. I think this is wonderful and can really make the book a work of art. If you do this, however, you will find it best to stick to plainer text for the words of any rituals. When doing a ritual in the Circle, you will probably be reading the words from the book (which can be placed on a stand beside or behind the altar). It is not easy to read fancy script in flickering candlelight, so make the ritual words as bold and plain as you can.

While some buy bound blank books to use, many Witches make their books from scratch. It makes a great project and, once again, means that you end up with a powerful, very personal book, due to all the energies you have put into it. You can make the cover out of hand-tooled leather, for example, or out of pieces of wood decorated with wood-burning tools. You can use parchment, or simulated parchment, sheets for the pages. Some Wiccans even make their own paper, which is not as difficult as might be thought.

One nice idea I came across was homemade paper scented with herbs and embedded with pressed herbs and flowers. (The lavender was especially good!) A dab of essential oil was added to the paper pulp mix, or an actual pressed flower or herb was added. It made a wonderful Book of Shadows.