Conjuring Your Inner Self:
Know the Craft Community, Circa 2000
Once we’ve learned the basics of Wiccan beliefs and practices,
living our religion is, logically, the next step.
How we allow it to affect our lives is completely up to us.52
The Map of the Craft: You Are Here
Within every human being is a touch of the Witch! You think I jest? Who has not dreamed of having secret powers beyond society’s imagination? Who has not believed in faeries, ghosts, or magick when they were a kid? Who has never asked their mother or father if Dracula was real or if Peter Pan could fly? If you have answered, “Not me,” put this book down and find a boring treatise on government today. If you can’t be truthful with yourself, you’ll never make it in the Craft, and probably won’t have success in anything else.
In each person’s life, there is a turning point, a time when that person’s path lies in communion with the spirit or with the mundane. For some, the path to spirit and magick is shrouded with mist, barely discernible in the personal storms of life. For others, the veil parts, the mist lifts, and for a moment, they can see clearly the essence of the divine. Which path you choose, or even what religion you choose as a vehicle to travel into divine mystery, is neither right nor wrong. What does count is your positive interaction with the self, Divinity, and those around you.
Witchcraft (or as some prefer, Wicca) is a religion. It is a structure designed for individuals who feel a close affinity to the earth, the sky, the waters, and the energies of life. It is a set of life-affirming beliefs and practices. (Notice how many times I said life here?) Witchcraft is art and science that work interactively. As in any learning process, you can perform sloppily or well. It is your choice to pick up a book, blab a bit, and try to throw energy around. Or, with much perseverance, you can study, practice, and seek to attain perfection. The Craft, a term used by many Witches today, is what you make of it.
The most incredible aspect of the Craft lies in its versatility. There is no one right way to believe in it, nor is there only one set of instructions designed to use its gifts. It is the only religion I know that allows personal tailoring by anyone who practices it. Put it on—I mean, really put it on, and it fits like a glove. It moves with you, grows with you, and leaves you room for error without condemning you to a well-heated place. The Craft teaches you responsibility for your actions. Far too many individuals these days are willing to throw the blame for their transgressions on someone else, whether it is their parents, the school system, or a perverted friend. In the Craft, we say, “We don’t buy it. You made the fire; you take the heat.” It is as simple as that.
So, you are here, with me. With this book, we broomed into the next phase of your training. Did you have fun? Me too. Do you think I jest? We all learn new lessons (and repeat some old ones that won’t permeate our thick skulls) every day.
Stuff You Need to Know
Through all my wonderful contacts over the past years, I’ve managed to pick up much information about the community. I’ve also discovered what most Witches know and don’t know. Most of the information in this chapter devotes itself to stuff that is good to know if you are a practicing American Witch. I don’t feel I’m qualified to speak for Witches in other countries. I hope this chapter will broaden your horizons of the current Craft community. It also will help you sort out the dabblers from “the real Craft,” should you run into someone with a “Blessed Be” bumper sticker on the back of their Volvo at a fast-food restaurant (it can happen!). Even if you never plan to associate with the outside Craft community, at least you will have the knowledge of what is going on around you. Knowledge always helps the Witch at work to know which way to go.
Much of the solitary and eclectic work done today in modern Craft experienced its birth from traditional Witches. Some of these people are Doreen Valiente, Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Raymond Buckland, Ed Fitch, Laurie Cabot, Scott Cunningham, Z. Budapest, and the Farrars. In the last fifty years, traditional Witches set the magickal and religious trends in our community. If we look at the community, most of its teachings and practices follow traditional flavors at some point. From traditional Craft sprang eclectic groups, churches, and the modern open circle. It is logical, then, that we investigate the environment of the traditional working Witch, without breaking any oaths, of course.
Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “Boring!” let’s consider why the following information is important for you to see. I don’t know about you, but as I was learning the Craft, I found many conflicting modes of thought. Traditionals didn’t agree. Solitaries didn’t agree. Eclectics didn’t agree. I don’t mean that in the good and bad sense, it was simply confusing. For myself, I set out to discover what points agreed with each other the most. I found that traditional Witches use codes of honor to live by. Most of these codes are the same, and some are familiar to most of the community. Solitaries and eclectics followed similar practices, but with sketchy information. Everyone knows, for example, “For the free will of all and with harm to none.” That one is fairly straightforward, don’t you think? Another is, “Ever mind the rule of three, what you send out comes back to thee.” We could all recite this one in our sleep. Other rules, like “fault of the sword,” are unknown to most solitaries and eclectic Witches.
Oh, I said the dirty word, didn’t I? Rules. Rules, laws, code of conduct, ethics—dear me. Many people don’t like authority (possibly because so many authority figures have managed to botch the job in our society). Traditional Witches, however, follow rules. Some traditions are stricter than others. Some are still following laws that squeak of the archaic, but they do squeak. Others rewrote many of the laws to apply both to their particular groups and modern society. The major stumbling block? They are hard to get. Many codes reveal themselves only in oath-bound Books of Shadows.
The second problem? Few people bother to read the ones they can view. As soon as they see the word “rules,” the gray matter somewhere behind their eyes shuts down. Rules imply you are doing something wrong, and now must change to do something right, to satisfy the one who wrote the rules. These rules, old or not, hidden or in plain sight, should be studied by every working Witch, solitary, eclectic, or traditional. In this way, each person can determine which way to go in his or her studies.
My question when an argument arises on this point is this: Why not learn from those who have gone before? In my research I discovered that most Wiccan rules are designed to stop problems before they start, or to keep the seeker from wandering too far off the path of spirituality. These rules were not designed to cramp your personal style. They grew from the needs of those before us. As in any religion, fault often lies with human interpretation of the rules or the lack of creativity to match the right codes to the situation, not the codes themselves.
In this chapter, I will present many of the things I learned about modern Craft functions in the United States. I don’t claim to be an expert on every tradition or eclectic group. This is information I’ve picked up along the way and pieced together from hundreds of eclectic and traditional groups across the country. Before we begin, I ask you to understand that the information here covers a broad spectrum. If you are a traditional Witch reading this material, you may say, “Well, she doesn’t know what she is talking about. We don’t do that!”—bear with me. I am aware of how different both religious and magickal practices can be.
Of Oaths and The Oath
When you take your first step into the Craft, whether by dedication, self-initiation, or through the mechanics of a group initiation, you choose to follow a life of service to humankind. The promise you make is The Oath. The Oath does not represent a promise to be a doormat for the world. Consider it honoring the lineage of the Ancient Ones. You promise to do what is within your power to help those who are in need within the boundaries of ethical behavior. The path to divine mystery is not easy, nor is it straight. At times, it is not even logical. One thing remains constant—Divinity.
Of all the statements and rituals in the Craft, The Oath is by far the most important combination of words you will ever utter in this lifetime. An individual, in my mind, could not attempt to call themselves of the Wicca, if they have not taken a ritual oath of some kind. The Oath is the binding process between you and Divinity. For the traditional Witch, orchestration occurs in a ritual by initiated Witches. Many solitaries take The Oath alone.
Have you ever wondered where the traditional Witches of today come from? Many current traditional groups (not all, mind you) do not accept individuals who have not taken the initiative to study on their own before they seek entrance into a group. Likewise, I personally know of no group that takes individuals under eighteen years of age, unless the parent of that person is already Wiccan. If an adult solitary has performed a self-dedication ritual and studied for three years on his or her own, a traditional group may feel more at ease. The year-and-a-day rule may not be necessary. Keep in mind that every group is different. Many may still hold the solitary to the year-and-a-day rule, despite the student’s past study or reputation.
When a traditional Witch refuses to answer a question, saying he or she does not wish to break “The Oath,” their statement does not normally mean the information will break the person’s commitment to the god and the goddess. (It depends on who is asking the question.) It does mean that the information will breach the confidence entrusted to him or her by the group, and during The Oath, he or she has also promised to keep group information and materials a secret. Various traditions differ on the wording of The Oath, but the basic underlying theme remains the same.
Daily life can infringe on our spirituality. Sometimes we move away from our oath. This is human. The working Witch tries to be ever mindful of the covenant between himself or herself and Divinity and the covenant between himself or herself and the group, should the Witch have chosen this type of association. The Oath, regardless of solitary or group work, is a personal commitment.
Your Work
Whether you have already taken The Oath or not, spend a little time considering what The Oath entails. It doesn’t hurt seasoned Witches to reaffirm the commitment to the Craft and to Divinity. If you had the chance to speak the most important words in your religious life again, or for the first time, what would they be? Once you have rolled this around in your mind a bit, choose a quiet evening, free of disturbances, to write down an oath designed by you. You may wish to burn a dressed silver or gold candle. Whether you have been practicing the Craft for twenty years or only one, there will be times in your life where you wonder where you are heading. No one has high self-esteem all the time. I have found that when these points of pondering occur, it is good to change your daily routine. Get out and about, and look at life from a different perspective. When you have rested, read your oath. Then, during meditation, ask for the information necessary for you to continue your path. If you like, you can reenact your self-dedication or design a new ritual for your current learning period. One note about crises that may be very helpful to you: The psychological period of crises in our lives usually spans six weeks. Think of the first week as the downward swing. The third week is the trough (the absolute pits of the situation). The fourth week begins the upward swing into balance. By the sixth week, you will find yourself back on track and moving ahead through life. Of course, this is the normal pattern. Normal means the average of any set of statistics. Not all life events can rely on statistics, as we know. This information, however, is useful when times get tough. Store it in the back of your mind.
A big complaint standard religions wave at Witches is that we do not have large-scale community service programs to meet the needs of humanity. This is unfair. Many Witches involve themselves in community and humanitarian service projects in place by other organizations. Most contribute to their community without making a big fuss. “Lookie here and pat me on the back” syndrome is not the Wiccan way. Also, there are some areas of the country today that would not tolerate a Pagan Food Bank—and there are individuals who would create all sorts of havoc to ensure its failure. On the other proverbial hand, there are other areas of the country that would accept Pagans with open arms. If you are in an area where Witchcraft is not well received, don’t get excited. There are many programs already up and running in which you can participate.
During the next week, consider carefully what type of community service suits your involvement, and arrange to donate some of your time toward that goal. Spend a few hours on a crisis hotline. Collect food for a local food bank. Help your kids sell candy bars for new band uniforms—anything designed to help others. When someone begins to harass me about my religion or other dumb things, I politely look him or her right in the eye and say, “Go spend time in a soup kitchen. Your energy will be better used there, than standing here with me.”
The Oath and Retribution
The Oath and the Craft code of honor are much the same. In some traditions, The Oath is the only code given. In others, a long list of rules and regulations are provided. In our tradition, we collect these laws from all over the world and add them to our Books of Shadows as we come across them. Some are downright silly, others do not pertain to our times, but underlying all these rules and regulations is the code of honor, to be followed by all Crafters.
What happens if you break your oath or the code of honor? Some traditions have definite punishments, from banishments for a limited time to banishments forever. Our clan, however, believes in the law of retribution, which is as follows:
Should anyone violate the code of honor or break his or her Oath, the goddess will know. She knows who belongs to her, and who does not. She will cast out that part of her which brings disrespect to either herself or her children. The Mother of All condemns those who choose to use others for their own gain. She will eat alive those who hinder others in their learning process, their quest for knowledge, or in their desire to excel. She will tear asunder he or she who feigns secrets over others. She will condemn the oath-breaker for many lives to come.
If one coven fights with another, the Horned Lord will render and exact his judgment. Those powers passed in initiatory ceremony will disintegrate. Anyone who tries to hurt his Lady (for he bows at her feet and gives power to her for her discretionary use) will die a thousand times over before mortal death. Should his Lady be disgraced (or his High Priestess), he will open the doors of the Underworld and call forth his hounds of hell.
Should the Horned Lord (or the High Priest) be disgraced, the Lady will strap on her sword to protect her Lord and Consort, and slay all who stand in her way. So be it.
I think that explanation sums it up rather neatly, don’t you?
Your Work
In a quiet hour, in a quiet place, outline your idea of the Wiccan Mysteries. I’m not talking about the Principles of Belief, that is a modern statement of position. I want you to consider what a Wiccan mystery is. This sounds simple, but I assure you, new revelations will happen, if you let them. You will often hear traditional Witches talk about “the Mysteries.” It is fine to seek the Mysteries, but before you begin, I’d like to give you a word of advice. First, there is no single Witch or group of Witches on this planet who knows and understands all the Wiccan Mysteries. Second, don’t worry about missing out on something. If you need to know it, the Universe will share it with you. As long as you show through your thoughts and deeds that you both deserve this knowledge and are willing to work for it, the answers will come.
The Rede
“Do as you will, but let it harm none,” or “For the free will of all, with harm to none.” Some Witches claim the Rede was written around 1937 by Gerald Gardner or one of his cronies. Others say it is not as old as that, but a product of the stepped-up Witch PR in the 1960s. Still others will tell you that Crowley was the author, pulling the Rede from the Golden Dawn and Egyptian traditions. Most elders of the Craft will agree that the Rede is a modern invention for modern practitioners. Most Family Tradition Witches and Euro-ethnic Witches do not believe in the Rede. Remember, it was Aradia, the Queen of Witches, who taught her followers to poison their enemies. German Witches and Pow Wow practitioners are very familiar with the art of hexing, and believe that if someone comes after the Witch or a member of the Witch’s family, he or she is going to stop it. Depending on the circumstances, the Witch may not be too picky about how he or she accomplishes this.
Although the Rede is excellent in most cases, it also manages to paralyze new Craft practitioners, leading them to believe they cannot act in self-defense. Bull-turkey. I am not suggesting you go about cursing and hexing everyone who crosses your path; after all, negative magicks breed negative circumstances and retaliations. Still, many traditional Witches follow the Charge of the Hooded god, wherein he pledges his allegiance to the goddess, and he is seen as the long arm of the law. His wrath can be invoked if anyone abuses the rites of the goddess, her spells, her teachings, or her children (that’s us). To call down the Hooded God to avenge the deceitful, the criminal, or the morally disgusting individual is to start something for them that is so horrible that no mortal mind can conceive of it. There is one catch: your personal slate had better be clean, or you are going down, too.
On a more soothing note, take the example of a friend who is sick. You would like to work magick for your friend; however, he or she either doesn’t know you are a practitioner or is wary about what you do. Some Witches would turn away, sigh, and say, “That’s it. I can’t do anything.” It is my feeling that these Witches are allowing their own fears to get in the way, and are using the Rede as an excuse. When someone is sick, don’t most people say, “Do you mind if I pray for you?” What’s the difference if a Witch or a Christian prays in his or her own way? Ethically, there is no difference (although technically, yes, there is a difference in the performance of the prayer).
Another example: Imagine a child is in trouble across the street. Are you the type of person who would rush to aid the child? Let’s hope so. That child doesn’t care if you are an alien, a race-car driver, or a Witch. What matters is that you are helping. To help others is to fulfill your oath. Therefore, any Witch who has taken The Oath can’t possibly be fundamentalist in his or her view of the Rede. Think about it: “for the free will of all, and it harm none” is a wonderful rule, but every rule has its exception. If you are leery about digging your fingers in someone else’s business, why not work magick and ask that the “best thing” happen for the individual? In this way, you are petitioning the Universe, and your intention is pure. You aren’t naming a particular direction from which the help should come, or
indicating how it should manifest. The god and goddess are quite capable of determining what is best for the person in question. Humans don’t always have to make all the decisions.
Dealing With ’Fraidy Cats: What Will Not Happen
The gates of Hell are not going to open and swallow you during your self-dedication, during any ritual you perform in the realm of positive energies, or when your grandmother finds your pentacle. If you are so frightened that you think one of the above (or worse) is going to happen, the Craft is not for you. It does not mean you are bad, or not qualified, or not special. It simply means that you are not ready to seek the Mysteries of the wise. There may be other Mysteries for you to explore that are equally important to your life’s path. You may come back to the Craft later, or perhaps not.
Now that you have been flying on your own broom for a bit, you may wish to share your work and learning experiences with others. If someone asks for help or asks you to teach them, and fits the above situation, then steer away from sharing the Mysteries with them. Who was it that said “teach all who will listen and learn, but do not teach the Mysteries to those of little understanding”? They knew what they were talking about. Don’t spit in the wind or you are going to get a slobbery face. Such a quotation does not mean the student or friend is stupid; it means he or she is not ready. Sometimes what people learn conflicts with what they know in their hearts. If they cannot find solid ground to draw in and meld the energies of the two, they are not prepared to seek the Craft of the wise.
’Fraidy cats cannot deal with the Wiccan Mysteries. They laugh, scoff, or worse—persecute—given the chance. Don’t give it to them.
Your Work
Whether you are solitary, eclectic, or a traditional Witch, grab a notebook and a pencil. It’s time for you to do some serious thinking. Imagine that the entire magickal community asked you to write a code of honor to be adopted at a huge convention of magickal people. You know there will be disagreements on your code, so you begin working on the most serious issues. Smaller codes, or rules, will be adopted by each group, including their own method of government. Therefore, you won’t concern yourself with these now. Before you begin, check your list of Mysteries and consider how they will apply to your code. Now, begin writing your community code of honor. This is a serious endeavor and will take more than one day for you to accomplish. You may wish to do a few rituals, some meditational work, and intermingle with other magickal friends before, during, and after you have written your code. Don’t be afraid to revise the code. Any famous author knows the best work comes after dozens of revisions.
On Solitaries Studying with Friends
On the same subject of teaching and learning are friends who begin solitary study together. One individual buys a book, likes it, and shares his or her feelings with a friend. The friend buys or borrows the book, and becomes interested. Now they have something unusual in common. They draw closer together. This is wonderful if they are both mature and not carrying around mental baggage that influences their friendship. For example, many friendships become entrenched in the interplay between weak and strong personalities. One individual is the parent model and the other operates more like a teen. This relationship begins with a problem. When discovering a new religion that carries with it an entirely different viewpoint on the world and how it works, difficulties can arise. Typically, one friend moves faster than the other. (Don’t think it is always the parent model, either.) Sometimes one becomes more religious. Conversely, the other may become more skilled in magick. If the person lagging is not stable in his or her self-esteem, the other friend may pay dearly.
One woman wrote to me that her best friend tried to “slow her down for her own good.” When that didn’t work, the friend pulled in the woman’s family and other supporters to convince her that she was “unprepared” to go further. The first question in my mind was, how fast is too fast when you are talking about religion? The woman’s friend found herself unprepared to seek the Mysteries. She was not strong enough to admit her own growth process. Rather than being alone, she tried to hold the letter-writer back. The jealous woman played out her fears on her friend, creating animosity to cover her own inadequacy. The result? Severe damage ensued to both family relationships and the friendship.
I warn you now, it can get deep when you are wading through interpersonal relationships, religion, and Mysteries. The jealous friend broke the code of honor. I bet if someone confronted her about her disrespect of another, she wouldn’t understand her violation of Wiccan beliefs.
On Finding a Teacher
There is no great teacher holding a golden key elusively drifting in and out of your peripheral vision, nor is there any one group of people or Craft tradition that holds more secrets than another. Yes, they hold different secrets at different levels. If someone promises you the moon, however, whether in the world of magick or the mundane—don’t buy it. Only the goddess can give you access to the moon (it’s her territory). No single person has possession of a mystery that you cannot eventually discover for yourself. Yes, there are wise people, but I hate to break it to you—they are human. Craft elders get wise by wading through a lot of garbage over the parade of years. One important Craft code goes like this: Honor the succession of teachers. This gives the student a clue that not all rests in the mind of one individual or mode of thought. It also tells us, regardless of the outcome of training, the student should respect the teacher for sharing quality time and the Wiccan Mysteries. Don’t carry this too far and read things into the code that are not there. For example, should there be criminal or moral misconduct (we hope the goddess not), don’t honor the idiot.
If you are a person who needs or likes to work within the boundaries of a structure, like a tradition, then look for a group that will be suitable for your lifestyle. Try not to lose sight of your original goal (as sometimes happens) or squelch your personal power and self-development. The group mind is great, but as in a marriage, to give up your personal power is to find divorce at your door. On the other hand, solitaries need to be aware of what is going on in the magickal community around them. Traditionalists or eclectic groups won’t go away if you ignore them. To become a Witch-turtle is not a step of wisdom.
There are dos and don’ts for both student and teacher in any type of educational setting. For example, if a teacher sexually lures a student in any environment, the teacher is breaking a code of conduct. This also applies to Craft studies. My advice: “Don’t mix your meat with your potatoes—you’ll miss dessert.” In my research of the current Wiccan beliefs across the country, sexual relations between teacher and student (unless, of course, they are currently partners) are considered grounds for expulsion from most Wiccan groups, whether they are traditional or not.
Your Work
Project 1: Rather than waiting for the teacher with the golden aura bright enough for even the mundane to see, sit in a quiet place and close your eyes. Instead of trying to envision the perfect teacher, visualize the type of knowledge you need, and your reasoning for accessing it. See yourself learning and practicing this information. When you are through, write down your experiences and the types of knowledge you envisioned. Look back at your list from time to time during your studies.
Project 2: Look over your codes of conduct. Expand the list to cover the types of behavior you think are important for both teacher and student.
On the Types of Traditions and Legitimacy
Currently, there are five definite kinds of traditions in the Craft. Solitaries often feel like they are less than traditional Witches, and this is not so. Yes, the training and the approach may be different, but in the end, they are all practicing the same religion. Any confusion that a solitary Witch experiences with understanding traditions is going to stop right here. There is nothing more frustrating when you are completely competent in practicing and worshipping alone, then go to a group and not understand the matrix of the situation. There is also a danger in not knowing how the magickal realms are put together—it leaves you open for the con artist. These people exist everywhere, in every religion, business, or social gathering. They prey on ignorance and I want to make sure you don’t get taken in.
Let’s make sure we have the correct definition of the word “tradition” to start. A tradition is a set of repetitive practices, celebrations, or observances handed from person to person, often from generation to generation.
Because the Craft carries the signature of individuality and the importance of growth tailored to personal needs, I found myself in the sea of “I don’t understand” many times. It was not the Mysteries that I found confusing, but group hierarchy, both traditional and eclectic. For example, I broke rules I didn’t know existed from time to time, out of sheer ignorance and stupidity.
In the Craft, the word tradition is like the word love in the mundane world. It means different things to different people. For example, there are old traditions, which often fall under the heading of Fam Trads. These are Craft teachings, handed down generation through generation by the parent or grandparent, and the adult teaches and initiates the child. If the child is not taught and initiated, he or she cannot claim to be a Fam Trad Witch simply on the belief of magick in their bloodlines. I bet every single one of us has a magickal person somewhere in the family skeleton closet. I know I do. That doesn’t make us Fam Trad Witches. Fam trads do not have to be 700 years old to be legitimate. For example, I cannot consider myself a Fam Trad Witch, but my sons and daughters can, because:
I taught them.
I am a lineaged Witch.
Our family has rituals and magickal practices that are unique to our family unit.
Fam Trad Witches are rare, and more often than not, do not share their lineage or anything about themselves with the general Craft public. On your first meeting with most of them, they will not tell you who they are related to, nor will they even tell you they are a Fam Trad Witch. Con artists in the Craft often choose to declare themselves Fam Trad Witches because they say they cannot share their lineage information with you; in reality, they are providing a background that cannot be checked. Be careful and use your best judgment.
Once the Fam Trad information leaves the hands of the family member, it is not considered a Fam Trad. For example, historical accounts of Gerald Gardner indicate he was initiated by a relative. Okay, that makes him part of the Family Tradition. When he opened his doors to individuals outside his family line for study and initiation, a new group was born. Why? With the influx of new minds and new hereditary circumstances, the Fam Trad will change to meet the needs of the new group. It is now simply a group, as strong or as weak as the group makes it. It becomes a tradition, named after the Witch who founded it, when that person dies.
Often this type of group, founded in the 1950s and 1960s, carries lineage rolls. With the proper request and credentials, any elder can request to check a specific name; hence the terms “Alexandrian” and “Gardnerian.” Individuals initiated into these groups must memorize the lineage from the elder who does the initiation, degree ceremony, or eldering. If you move in modern Craft circles, you will find elders of these various traditions floating around somewhere. These elders have a set of fail-safe questions memorized in case there is a doubt on what another Witch claims to be. The questions are word-of-mouth only, oath-bound, and never written. In this way, they protect the entire magickal community, ensuring that the con artist doesn’t get too far. If it makes you feel any better, these elders rarely need to ask the questions. They are wise enough to see deception.
When sharing their lineage with others, they may say something like the following: “I was eldered by Lord Ariel of the Caledonii and Lord Serphant of Serphant Stone, who was eldered by Michael Reagan, who was eldered by Raymond Buckland, who was initiated by Gerald Gardner.” This is my lineage, in case anyone really wants to know. You may think anybody could say that and get away with it. Wrong. I knew a fellow once who tried that trick—he didn’t last long. The Shining Ones take care of their own as well as the ancestors of any given tradition. The Craft laws should not be toyed with. Built into the code of honor in most old traditions are protective mechanisms to expel those who don’t belong.
The third traditional group comes from the lineaged Witches of either a Fam Trad or an old tradition who meld their lineages together in a ritual of friendship. This ceremony relies on the performance of the elders of both traditions. Sometimes they take a new name for the combined group, or keep their group names separate to avoid confusion. For example, a British Traditional Witch is a combination of lineages and groups across the country. Their headquarters (The International Red Garters) keeps the official roles for all the groups. These groups fall into the category of old tradition. An example of the second type of group melding occurred in 1993, when Lord Ariel of the Caledonii Tradition and Lord Serphant of Serphant Stone held a ceremony of brotherhood/sisterhood and combined their traditions. They kept their traditional names separate, and work separately, but remain oath-bound to help each other in need. Craft groups join for strength, political reasons, or spiritual reasons.
The fourth type of tradition can be born of eclectic open circles. This means that a few solitaries really like each other and decided to get together to worship, learn, research, and participate in community service projects. They may be traditional Witches who have separated from their traditions, or who simply no longer practice their tradition. They may be individuals who have no traditional background, but feel they are strong enough to form a group. The first step they take is starting their own coven, thereby closing the door to fair-weather magical people and dabblers. When they grow into a cumbersome group, they may split apart and operate within the environs of smaller covens. If they keep a fair percentage of the rituals and magickal applications intact (meaning the groups are relatively practicing the same things), then they become a new tradition without lineage.
The Craft is the fastest-growing religion in the United States today. There are not enough old traditions (like Gardner’s) or Fam Trads to go around to meet the needs of the people. A new vehicle of study and worship needed to present itself. This does not mean these original solitaries are using practices that are new, but they are creating a brand-new group mind, designing their own Book of Shadows, making group guidelines, codes of honor, etc., and in time, will function much like the older traditions. Over time, they will develop their own lineage. These groups, like any other Craft group, are as legitimate as they are wise.
The final type of tradition is also a new tradition, but comes from a different background. The best way to explain it is to give you an example.
Jane and Richard are lineaged Witches with completed training in an old tradition. When they reach clergy status, they can leave their training group and begin their new coven under the umbrella of the old tradition. Perhaps all is not well within the old tradition group structure. This could come from a variety of reasons, and they don’t have to be bad ones. (Thought I was going to give you a juicy story, didn’t you? Too bad!) Anyway, Jane and Richard determine that the wisest course of action for themselves and their coven brothers and sisters is to leave the tradition. If there are no hard feelings to deal with first, they will ask for a separation with honor in writing, followed up by the obligatory phone call or conference. This is part of the Wiccan code of honor.
In Craft law, the separation must be granted. Assuming all has gone well with the separation, Jane and Richard are free to use their clerical training and work with their coven. Should this coven split (often called hiving), as with the example listed in the previous discussion of the solitary growth, they will eventually grow into a tradition of their own, producing their own lineage. The difference here is that when they speak of their lineage, they will often say: “Of the Whatever Tradition, initiated by so-and-so of the New Tradition name.”
Your Work
All Witches, regardless of tradition, work in set patterns. With practice, they find what correspondences work best for a given situation, whether it be planetary hours, herbs, gems, candle magick, or their personal energy fluctuations. They also outline specific rituals for holidays and rites of passage. In a quiet place and in a quiet hour, consider all the types of magicks and religious acts you currently perform. This is your personal tradition. Sit back and relax with your way of doing things. Solitaries often think they are “doing things wrong” simply because they are on their own and using their creative and innovative ideas to practice their religion. This is not so.
On Lineage
Since I’ve already used this word several times, we need to take a close look at it. Like the word tradition, it, too, carries several meanings. In brief, lineage means given to you by another, who gave it to them, who gave it to them, etc. Lineage in the Craft makes you part of an energy family. A con artist can claim lineage out the bazoo, but in the end, it won’t help him or her at all. Lineage has to do with the passing of power in a ceremonial environment. Rather than a blood transfusion, think of it as an energy transfusion. Regardless of what other people try to tell you, it cannot be taken away. Karmically, you are connected in that one moment, no matter what passes in the future. Only the Ancient Ones and the Universe can destroy lineage.
There are several codes of honor that apply to lineage. I’d like to cover them briefly.
A Witch never claims to be something that he or she isn’t.
A Witch is responsible for learning his or her lineage and understanding its impact on his or her life. For example, if you are given a long lineage list to recite, you should know the history of each individual you are naming.
Every Witch has the right to the privacy of his or her beliefs. Unless challenged by an elder of your tradition, you are not required to reveal your lineage, especially at public events, open circles, in the press, or on a computer bulletin board! Be ever mindful that a real elder can contact the appropriate individuals to check out lineage without challenging someone in public.
Your Work
Lineages often carry the representation of the blood/energy line in the shape of a shield. In a quiet hour and in a quiet place, begin to design your shield on a piece of paper. It should represent your strengths, depicting tools, animals, birds, etc. You may want a single image on the shield, or divide the shield into four quadrants, representing the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) or four planetary influences in your astrological chart (sun, moon, ascendant, and midheaven). There are oodles of ideas you can choose from. When you have perfected the design, transfer it to wood, metal, or sew it (like a banner). You can hang it over your altar. If you enjoy going to festivals, you can hang it outside your tent, as this is a common practice.
When you visit a Pagan festival or other function, you may see these banners hung from tents or prominently displayed by other means. In some traditions, these banners are of a specific size and contain a marking or two that is unique to the tradition, with the logo of the coven, clan, or group.
Reveal what you will about yourself, but keep your mouth off other people. This means that if you want to get yourself in hot water, no problem. If you pull someone in with you, you’ve broken the code of honor. A very easy way to get yourself kicked out of any tradition is if you talk too much. Gossips will be removed from their respective groups. I know of one case where an initiate passed along personal information about another. The Elder Council banned the gossip from group functions for nine moons.
On Degrees
A mystery to most solitary practitioners is the degree system practiced by traditional crafters. The degree structure varies between traditions. The following groupings explain how they may be different. For the sake of clear terminology, I’m going to use the same words throughout the examples. Many traditions, however, have specific names for degrees other than dedicant, initiate, first, second, third, elder.
The Six-Tier System
1. Dedicant: An oath of a-year-and-a-day so the group and the individual can check each other out.
2. Initiate: Usually lasts one year, and involves basic Wiccan theology.
3. First Degree: Usually lasts one year, and involves basic traditional theology, whatever has been designed for that particular tradition.
4. Second Degree: Time period is indeterminate. The individual is very active in tradition training and group function, and substitutes for the third-degree members when necessary.
5. Third Degree: Active leaders of the group and responsible to serve as clergy.
6. Elder: Serves as clergy and observes ritual and group functions, but does not take the “center stage” unless his or her station requires. Sometimes, these individuals are called “Clan Mothers” or “Clan Fathers,” especially if hiving is involved.
The Five-Tier System
1. Dedicant: An oath of a-year-and-a-day.
2. First Degree: Usually lasts one year, and involves basic Wiccan theology.
3. Second Degree: Usually lasts two years, sometimes longer. The first year covers basic traditional theology and the second year is spent training dedicants and first-degree students, as well as learning to substitute for the third-degree members when necessary.
4. Third Degree: Active leaders of the group and responsible to serve as clergy, as well as teach second-degree students. Here is where you find the most fluctuation in traditional training. Some traditions feel that second-degree training only revolves around group ritual and religious study. They do not continue magickal training for the second-degree student. Their primary concern is that second-degree students know how to handle group functions. I have met many ceremonial magicians who started in this type of training structure and have eventually left the Craft to hone their magickal skills through ceremonial magick group structures. Other Craft traditions continue magickal training with group training.
5. Elder: Regardless of which type of training, when third-degrees in the three-degree system are ready, they may step down from active group service and move into the shadows of group activity, thereby fulfilling the elder portion of their status. Here again is where many traditions vary, especially if the mother coven is a training coven where the leader rarely performs ceremonies but orchestrates all the operations of the students and the tradition. Depending upon the group, elders may be elected for a specific period, for an unspecified period, or being an elder may not be considered an elected position at all, but one of honor. In the five-tier system, it is seen as a position of honor. Our Black Forest Clan is a five-tier system. Again, some members may be called Clan Mothers/Fathers if hiving is involved.
The Four-Tier System
1. Dedicant: An oath of a-year-and-a-day.
2. First Degree: Usually lasts two to three years, and involves basic Wiccan theology the first year, tradition theology the second year, and magickal practices the third year.
3. Second Degree: May last a full year. The year covers training dedicants and first-degree students, as well as learning to substitute for the third-degree members when necessary. Second-degree students in this system, however, may choose to hive within a few months and begin what is called a daughter coven, which functions under the supervision of the mother coven until the second-degree student(s) take their third initiation.
4. Third Degree/Elder: Active leaders of the group and responsible to serve as clergy, as well as teach second-degree students. Here, third-degree Witches are voted as elders for a specific period of time.
The Three-Tier System
There are two three-tier systems. These systems are not as popular as the six-, five- or four-tier systems, for several reasons. First, students do not move as quickly through degrees, and may get stuck somewhere in the training process. This can cause drastic repercussions. Humans appreciate rewards for their hard work. Students often see degrees as levels of accomplishment and not specifically rites of passage where psychic centers open. Several years is a long time to wait, and many people are not so patient. Another reason is the adage, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Relationships among people change over the years. If a harmonious balance is not kept, the student will most likely leave with an unhappy heart. Keeping the pace through rewards increases self-esteem and breeds harmony among the group.
1. Dedicant: The year-and-a-day timing.
2. First Degree: General Wiccan study the first year, traditional theology and practice the second year, possibly magickal training the third year, the training of others the fourth year (or more), and preparation for clerical responsibilities.
3. Second Degree/Elder: The same as in the four-tier system.
The second three-tier system goes this way:
1. First Degree
2. Second Degree
3. Third Degree
Notice here, there is no period of a-year-and-a-day; no dedication ceremony. You jump right in and start hauling broomstick. In the three-tier system is where you find the most “forever firsts,” a term coined for those Witches who have sought initiation into the first degree, but have gone no further. This can be for a variety of reasons (disagreements within the coven/organization or because the initiate moved from Rhode Island to New Mexico, and cannot find people of his or her own lineage to continue teaching him or her). There are lots of reasons for “forever firsts.” Some people do not want to continue into clerical work. There is nothing wrong with that.
In all the systems, dedicants are not considered Witches, but seekers of the correct path for them. Because of this, it is normal for groups to hold back training, materials, or time until the dedicant/seeker/novice determines that the Craft is the religion for him or her. Remember, I’m talking old Craft here, not new traditions or open circle environments, which may have their own rules. A change, though, has come over the Craft community in the last ten years. To the solitary Wiccan, the dedication ceremony performed has become as important a progression in his or her spirituality as the first-degree initiation is to the traditional Witch. Both the traditional Witch and the solitary Witch must learn to make the distinction between the dedication ritual of the traditionalist and the dedication ritual of the solitary. They are not the same.
Well, smartie Witch, say all of you readers, just how do you figure that? You told me. In the thousands of letters I have received, you let the cat out of the bag and into my computer. I have found that 50 percent of the dedicants who come in “cold” (no Craft training) to a tradition do not take the oath; whereas eighty percent of those who take the solitary dedication continue their studies, year after year. This is a statistic to ponder, isn’t it?
Now that I’ve thrown all this information at you, you can understand why the degree system is confusing to both solitaries and traditionalists alike. If someone at a festival tells you he or she is a “second-degree Witch,” you have no clue about what this person has been taught, or where he or she stands in his or her traditional training. You also have no clue where you stack up in the scheme of Craft learning and practice. This confusion applies to both solitaries and traditionalists. Such a mystery, then, has a habit of lowering any practitioner’s self-esteem.
Although training and status among the groups may differ from tradition to tradition, the degree/tier system also functions for religious benchmarks in an individual’s training. It is from these levels of religious intent that the solitary can study and work toward such goals on his or her own. Let’s go through the six-tier system again, looking at it from a religious point of view.
The dedicant ceremony is like a small, psychic tap on your shoulder. Enough energies are conferred to help you decide whether or not the Craft is for you. The year-and-a-day is important for both solitaries and group members. This length of time is considered a cycle of gestation. At the end, you may wish to be born into the Craft. Then again, you may not. The freedom of choice is yours.
The first degree ceremony/initiation is the most important ceremony of the Craft. I believe these energies are conferred only once in this lifetime. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but when most perform this ceremony, it is once and done. Here is where the dedicant gives his or her life oath, which says “I vow to hurt no one and help in every way I can to make the world a better place.”
This point in your life is also a set of choices. They are:
The decision to walk the path of Mysteries with the Wiccan religion.
The decision to meld body, mind, and spirit into raising your level of consciousness.
The decision to work toward balance and harmony in your life.
The decision to set goals and prepare for events you seek to experience.
The decision to act, rather than react.
The decision to set aside a time to study, learn, and experiment.
The choice to help others and yourself.
The choice to work with female/goddess energy.
After the first-degree initiation, the individual is usually happy, upbeat, full of energy, walking in a sparkling world. As psychic centers open during the ceremony, the student may experience a barrage of positive psychic phenomena. Work and personal study is accomplished during the first-degree cycle. This is the cycle of your birth into the religion of the Craft.
The second degree ceremony represents another set of choices for the individual. This ceremony is designed to help you use both the dark and light sides of yourself. In many traditions, the symbol for this ceremony is the inverted pentagram, as you are moving, or descending, into self. The inverted pentagram here does not represent devil worship. Second-degree Witches rarely, however, wear the inverted pentagram due to its unfortunate publicity. Instead, they know they are working under the energies of that symbol, which is all that is required.
The choices for the second-degree Witch are:
The decision to deal with both positive and negative sides of self.
The decision to let go of grief and guilt.
The decision to rebuild the self to move closer to Divinity.
The decision to bring balance to the conscious and subconscious self.
The decision to begin teaching others your religion at their request.
The affirmation to consistently work toward helping humankind and repairing the damage done to the earth.
The decision to move to a higher, more difficult level of study.
The decision to continue training for clergy and group responsibilities.
The decision to work with god/masculine energy.
After the second-degree ceremony, the elders watch the student very carefully to see if the ceremony “took.” There is often a radical shift in personality, where the individual becomes more outspoken and more sure of him or herself as an individual. Psychic centers open, chakra centers align, and the individual takes on the task of becoming one with him or herself and Divinity.
The third-degree ceremony represents the choice of the individual to be responsible for other spiritual lives than his or her own. The set of choices here are:
The decision to live in the most spiritual way possible.
The decision to leave immature and wasteful thoughtforms behind.
The decision to counsel other individuals on their spiritual paths.
The decision to teach individuals inside and outside of the traditional path, at their request.
The decision to perform ministerial functions, such as Wiccanings, Handfastings, Passings, and Rites of Passage.
The decision to be involved in serious religious and philosophical study for the remainder of this incarnation to benefit both the student and humanity.
The decision to work with the unified energies of the god and goddess.
Another way to see the third-degree energy at work is to watch the student as they progress through their first year after this ceremony. Often an incredible amount of work is done for the good of the self and for the good of the group.
Eldering ceremony alone means that:
Your group trusts you to make the correct decisions when things are bad.
Your magickal and religious skills are a cut above most others—meaning you can pull a student out of the soup, if necessary.
You are capable of good government practices for the group.
You strive in every aspect of your life to follow the codes of honor.
The eldering ceremony is in honor of a job well done in the study of the Craft, but also means there is work to be accomplished in the future. You can tell if the ceremony “took” by his or her upbeat, yet reserved manner. He or she walks with authority, but does not laud that authority over others.
Your Work
Determine what goals you want to accomplish and where they fall in the levels of study associated with the degree system. Take some time now and list three-month, six-month, and one-year goals by examining both the levels of training and benchmark religious experiences that have been listed for you. How many have you accomplished already? How many do you wish to work toward? What aspects of these programs do not interest you? Keep all this information in your notebook and refer to it at a later date.
By understanding the energies of these ceremonies and what they are designed to accomplish, the solitary can better understand the Craft community, and where he or she may fall within it.
Today, traditions face an interesting complication—that of the well-trained solitary. It used to be that when an individual entered dedicant stage or was initiated, he or she knew little about the Craft as a community, or the individual workings as Witches. This is not so today, and presents a conflict between those students who enter with little knowledge and those who enter with several years of personal study under their belts. It is not logically fair to make a well-studied initiate wait the prescribed amount of years and give him or her material the student has already covered alone. Conversely, the years originally required were to make sure everyone got along and work could be done in an expedient manner, rather than working around personal tantrums or misunderstandings.
To solve this dilemma, a few traditions are separating the religious degree ceremonies from leveled training classes, having the two operate separately, then coming together during rituals. In this manner, everyone receives qualified teaching (or has the chance to teach) in a classroom environment and all get to practice and enjoy ritual together. This eliminates someone from telling a well-studied solitary, “Well, you didn’t wait your year-and-a-day, so you are not ready to go further in study or degree level.” It can happen.
Goals to Work Toward
Let’s make believe for a bit. You have been invited to join the Mist Tradition, a collection of solitaries who occasionally work in a group. Your interview has already taken place and you feel comfortable with your choice to join them. They, in turn, feel good about you. Of course, someone will be teaching you. Let’s call that person Jamie (since it is both a male and female name, you get to add the gender to it). In this tradition, although you are expected to attend the celebrations and work nights, you are also expected to study on your own.
On your first day of training, Jamie hands you the following set of goals, designed by the tradition, to assist their seekers upon the path of spirituality.
To receive your first degree in the Mist Tradition, you must:
1. Know three types of circle casting by heart.
2. Know three quarter calls by heart.
3. Know an altar devotion and be able to demonstrate it.
4. Pass the testing on all of your lessons.53
5. Meet a challenge designed especially for you.
6. Prove you can work as a solitary Witch by demonstrating a solitary ritual that includes raising power.
7. Provide a magickal diary to your instructor that encompasses one full year of your magickal experiences.
8. Show that you are a responsible individual who can be trusted by all members of the Craft and your tradition brothers and sisters.
9. Be able to tell if a magick circle has been erected or not.
10. Be willing to take the oath of initiation and all it includes.
11. Know what a “proper person” is.
To receive the second level of initiation in the Mist Tradition, you must:
1. Be able to perform, in front of the tradition elders, an altar devotion, circle casting, and quarter calls for your own initiation with only two errors.
2. Collect all the tools deemed necessary for your use.
3. Write a new moon ritual for both group and solitary use.
4. Write a full moon ritual for both group and solitary use.
5. Write a dark moon ritual for both group and solitary use.
6. Write a lesson to share with your brothers and sisters of the Craft.
7. Complete all lessons given to you by your instructor.54
8. Draw down the god or goddess for a solitary and group ritual.
9. Complete a challenge designed specifically for you.
10. Join a community service project and log at least ten hours of your personal time.
11. Know a dedication ritual by heart, and have dedicated at least one individual approved by the tradition.
12. Keep a magickal journal for one year.
13. Make an inventory of your Craft supplies and submit it to the instructor.
14. Choose an aspect of the science of the Craft in which you have chosen to specialize.
15. Investigate the laws of your state and how they relate (or don’t) to your religion.
16. Know the history of the Witch and complete a twenty-five page research paper on the history of the Craft.
17. Write four devotionals to be used each day for six full moons.
18. Be able to pass a Wicca 101 test (see appendix III).
To receive the third level of initiation into the Mist Tradition, you must:
1. Prove your dedication to the Craft by random acts of service and kindness.
2. Know one type of divinatory tool in which you are qualified to counsel other individuals and log two hundred hours of such counseling.
3. Know how to fill out the appropriate paperwork for training, including applications, preparing lesson plans, designing testing procedures, etc.
4. Keep all holidays in solitary fashion—this means that you have celebrated appropriately on each holiday in a solitary ritual or meditation.
5. Train at least two individuals for one full year.
6. Write and perform at least one funeral ceremony.
7. Write and perform at least one wiccaning ceremony.
8. Write and perform all high holiday rituals.
9. Write a handfasting ritual.
10. Write and test twenty spells that can be shared with other members of the Craft. The spells must include complete steps, astrological correspondences, etc.
11. Write ten meditations and share them with others.
12. Choose your totem animal and perform at least ten rituals with that totem.
13. Show that you are able to overcome hostile, verbal attacks without losing your temper.
14. Perform at least thirty rituals alone and ten rituals with a group, not counting those previously listed.
15. Write a ten-page paper explaining why you think you are ready to carry the title of Wiccan clergy.
16. Log one hundred hours in magickal community service.
17. Log five hundred additional hours in general community service.
18. Prove you can cast a magickal circle in your head before a panel of elders.
19. Know an initiation ritual by heart.
20. Be able to recite the Charge of the Goddess.
21. Be willing to take the third-degree oath and all it entails.
22. Be proficient in the specialization you chose at the second level.
23. Meet a challenge designed especially for you.
Now, some of you will say that’s too easy. Others will say, that’s too hard! Everyone in the Black Forest Clan is expected to do the above, and more. So, if you think no one on the face of the planet does all this stuff—wrong.
Banishment of Someone in a Craft Group
There are times when you will hear that someone was “banished” from such-and-such tradition or group. Christians call it “thrown out of the church”—a term I’m sure many of you have heard around the dinner table when Grandma is relating interesting tidbits from the past, while pushing an extra helping of those cold mashed potatoes onto your plate. This is a sticky subject and depends on the integrity of the group or tradition. Originally, banishment was for bad actions indeed—such as telling the inquisition authorities the names of your coven brothers and sisters, murder, rape, theft, etc. Banishment was the most severe penalty, and often ended with the banished Witch disappearing from the face of the earth, if you get my drift. (You thought those guys buried in the Irish bogs fell asleep there. Fooled you!) Sometimes banishment was equated with fault of the sword, meaning the criminal was going to have an unhappy meeting with a weapon. Now before anyone gets in a tizzy, think seriously for a moment. All traitors and criminals were similarly dealt with in this way (or worse) before and during the Middle Ages. This decree was a product of its times.
Banishment is another word with a multitude of meanings in modern Craft communication. Unfortunately, there are several Craft High Priestesses and High Priests who get a bit overzealous over trivial matters and declare a “banishment of so-and-so.” I’m not saying all banishments are not legitimate, but some individuals use it as a quick fix to an interpersonal problem that could be dealt with in a less aggressive manner. Today, banishment means “you are not part of the group anymore—go play in somebody else’s sandbox.”
All individuals should think seriously about the act of banishment. For example, banishment is a human thing, as your karma is a part of you, banishment ceremony or not. The banishment performed (through ritual ceremony only—no blood or guts or goo—we are civilized in this day and age) or proclaimed (in document form) does not carry weight on the other planes of reality if it entails frivolity. Banishment implies that the lineage is broken through ritual by Divinity, and cannot be retrieved by the person banished. In a criminal instance, I believe this is true. If someone has been poisoning the group mind and has seriously damaged someone within the group with unjust or unfair thoughts and actions, this also may hold true. If the banishment is performed because someone got their feelings pinched, however, to whom do you think the banishment will attach itself karmically? Think about it. It’s like a banishment spell, which we all know is to get rid of something—permanently. If you are targeting the innocent, the rule of three applies. The rule also holds true for traditional or group banishments.
A working Witch must learn to trust his or her own judgment and intuition. Solitaries get good at this, but sometimes it takes them awhile to get the magickal ball rolling. You can’t call your High Priestess on the phone with every little episode of self-doubt if you are a solitary. If you are part of a group, your High Priestess has many responsibilities—getting a call every day when you skin your magickal knee is not going to produce sound relations between you. As with most human difficulties, learning to trust your intuition and judgment is a self-esteem issue. How do you build self-esteem in yourself? Keep working! The more you work, the better you get. The better you get, the more successful you become. The more successful you become, the more your self-esteem rises. It is a chain of personal power. Sometimes we get too infatuated with ourselves, and the chain holds us down. If there are a few links you don’t need, learn to discard them with honor. If someone else promises to add to your chain of wisdom, check to make sure the links are shiny and not tarnished with their own ego. Sometimes well-meaning individuals try to give you broken links in exchange for your complete ones—don’t let them.
Your Work
Consider the serious act of banishment, whether it is that of a person, habit, relationship, or inanimate object. When next you see or hear mention of someone being “banished,” remember that there are two sides to every story. If you were responsible for a group, in what circumstances would you consider banishment, and why?
On the Purpose of the Book of Shadows
Many solitary and traditional Witches have a large notebook called their Book of Shadows. Both types of Witches guard them well and hold their contents close to their hearts. Are there pearls of mysticism and magick in them? If opened, will the greatest teacher of all times and realms coalesce slowly from purple mist? If a book like this exists, please write me immediately. I, too, will be waiting in line for that one.
The BOS, or Book of Shadows, is a spiritual testimony of either the solitary Witch or the creative work of a group of Witches who function together in a coven or other traditional environment. To an extent, the words are important and assist in chronicling personal or group growth through the information contained. The BOS also represents the oath you take in the Craft, and therefore carries your energy (or the energy of the group) on every page.
In the past, the BOS was not normally copyrighted as it represents the work of many individuals. For example, as a solitary, you may have several books in your occult library, but you like only particular passages or instructions from each. These would be copied into your BOS for quick reference and easy access. If you copy passages from copyrighted books, always put the name of the author and the title of the book after the information. In this way, should you choose to share your book with someone else, he or she will find it helpful to know where the information originally came from. Groups today are tech-smart and many are moving in the direction of copyright laws to protect their material.
A personal BOS, regardless if you are a solitary or a traditional, is valuable due to the amount of effort and energy you used to create it and the positive energy that surrounds it each time the book lies open on the altar or the work table when magick and ritual are done.
If you do not have a BOS, begin it now. Choose the binding, decide on what type of paper, etc. Traditionally, the BOS should be in your own handwriting. If you are a techno-freak (like me), however, you can put it on your computer. Don’t forget to make backup copies and place them in more than one safe place.
Your Work
By now, many of you have begun and are working with your personal BOS. Training materials and experiments are different from work and rituals. Before you continue your path, you may wish to separate these materials into two separate books. Consider what an ultimate BOS would contain. List thirteen such items. Your work is to obtain these thirteen items over the course of the next year.
On Working Indoors
“I always feel I’m not doing it right because I have to do everything indoors,” said Elizabeth. It was July 4, 1994, and while the children and my husband were having a grand time with the “show” he puts on every year in the backyard, Elizabeth and I had some time to catch up on Witchie conversation. Elizabeth is the perfect dinner guest and I have her over often. She is polite, cheerful, gracious and sets a good example for my heathens, who adore her. She brings them gum (something I have banned from the house).
Elizabeth is also very special to me. Unlike many of my students, she walked into our training classes cold. It was hard for her, but she stuck with it and today, is an excellent practitioner of magick and dedicated to the religion of the Craft.
“I live in an apartment and work ten hours a day,” she said. “I don’t have any property, not even a patch of land to enjoy where I live. In most Craft books I’ve read, they talk about big, outside group rituals and group magick. I have a hard time understanding how a solitary would do these things.” She dropped her eyes and paused. “I also think I’m not as good as the people who work outdoors all the time because I have to do everything inside.”
Modern Crafters have done a disservice to their community without realizing it. I’m guilty of it myself. We have created a mythical working Witch. You know the one—the wise woman in the forest, complete with her cute little cottage, her glorious beds of herbs and flowers, her midnight walks down paths lined with moonflowers that shimmer in the full moon. Every month, decked in flowing garb of black, she scurries through the beckoning forest, smiling at a gnome or two, to arrive at a huge needfire, complete with dancing Witches, the goddess and the god, and little animals sitting around, tapping their paws in unison to the music of the lilting panpipes. It is a Midsummer Night’s Dream. And that’s all it is folks—a dream. A wish of would be. Yes, it’s true. Barbie Witch on Walton’s Mountain is a myth. (Don’t laugh too hard; the Acquisitions Manager at Llewellyn, Nancy Mostad, looks like Barbie and she’s a darn good Witch to boot! So yes, Virginia, there are some gorgeous Witches. Eat your heart out!)
Seriously, though, we’ve got this myth about what Witches used to do. Well, how the hell do we know what they used to do? Historical accountings are far more fiction than fact. Twisted by politics or simple mistakes, there isn’t much to rely on. Today’s working Witch needs to trust his or her own instincts, to rely on personal intuition. We are not better or worse than those who came before us. I admire our ancestors, but we live in the here and now. We should not belittle our modern techniques or our courage.
My mother, goddess rest her soul, ironed all the sheets and pillow cases. She ironed my father’s tee shirts, his white hankies, and starched her aprons. Show me a housewife who does that today—show me a housewife who needs to do that today! Ironed sheets did not last longer or smell better. It was a requirement for the housewives of the day, nothing more. As modern working Witches, we need to question everything we do that someone else claims we should be doing. Is it necessary? If the answer is yes, fine. If the answer is no, then have the courage to trash what doesn’t fit, and go forward. If you trash it and later realize you made a mistake—no big deal. Have the guts to admit you were wrong and go back and pick it up.
Back to Elizabeth and my husband’s terrific fireworks. (They were great; however, he burned his finger, as usual.) Most working Witches of today do their work inside the home. Few of us are lucky enough to have large stretches of property away from prying eyes. Many, like Elizabeth, do not have access to the out-of-doors, unless they go on a day outing or set aside their vacation to go camping. I count myself lucky. I live on a corner property with a good-sized yard for living in town. Thanks to my father, who has thought of nifty ways to keep the neighbors blind with fences of ivy and canopies of morning glories and moonflowers, I have about as much privacy as an in-town person is going to have. I still couldn’t prance stark naked in my backyard, but I consider my clothes as important as my skin. I’m not missing anything. From my front porch, I can see the Appalachian mountains. I tell the family, “When they build so I can’t see those mountains—then, and only then, will I know it’s time to move.” I am as connected to my land as I am to my children.
But, I prefer working indoors.
It isn’t that I don’t like it outside, but it is far more convenient inside. The nature of my life flows with my family and the people who come to see me for help. The most powerful place on my property is my dining room. Here, rituals are held, open circles are conducted, training classes run smoothly (we are closer to the bathroom, for pentacle’s sake), healings are done in comfort, readings are conducted with firm support to the back (namely, my dining room chairs), and coffee is drunk by the gallons as Witchie conversation flows faster than my Bunn coffee maker.
The next time someone tries to tell you that you aren’t part of the “in-Witchie-crowd” because you don’t work outdoors, smile your most intriguing smile and say, “Oh, I thought all Witches worked between the worlds, didn’t you?”
When you don’t have what it says, work with what you have. This is where your personal study comes in. If you have been solid in your work, then you can build using both logic and intuition in a magickal emergency and in everyday life. We don’t all have the money to buy the props, oils, gems, herbs and other things that the books list. I have received countless letters from people who say, “I don’t have the money to buy such-and-such,” or “There isn’t any store near where I live that can supply me with the ingredients you list on page 242 of your book, therefore, I can’t practice the Craft properly.” Wrong. As much as I admire and respect the modern Craft movement, there was magick and ritual before Gerald Gardner, uncrossing oil, or green cat candles.
In the first book of this series, To Ride a Silver Broomstick, I showed you how to play with all kinds of neat Craft toys that are part of modern Wicca, then sent you off on your own. In this volume, you learned the advantages of natural magick and ritual and how to make it work for you, without a dime in your pocket.
Your Work
In a quiet place and in a quiet hour, list both your positive and negative traits. Be honest! Pick one negative trait that needs improvement or an overhaul. Consider the ways you can do this using affirmations, study, manual work, checkpoints in your personal behavior, etc. Map out a plan on how you will remove this trait from your personality and begin to work on it. Choose one positive trait from the list and consider how you can enhance it—continued study, contacting others for advanced information, spending time on a particular talent that you have not used for a long time, etc. How could this positive trait equalize a negative one?
Brooming It
Well, that’s it. This installment of life with Silver is done. I’d like to take a moment and thank all the wonderful people who have written to me and thanked me for the help my books have given them. I’d like to say thank you to the men and women of the Black Forest Clan, who read either all or parts of this book and have given suggestions on how to make it better for you. Again, I’d like to thank my family for bearing with me while my face gazed eagerly into the cathode ray tube and my behind became rooted to my old orange typing chair.
Most of all, I’d like to say thank you to you, dear Witch reader. You, who cuddled under covers past midnight reading this book or who bravely carried it on the subway to catch a paragraph or two. You who balanced a candle in one hand, and the book in another, while trying to conjure harmony in your life. To you, who shoved the book under the sofa when the in-laws came to call, and you who paced the bookstore looking for the right book, and chose this one. Late at night, I wonder what you are all doing, if things are working out for you; if the lessons herein have helped. I too pace the bookstores, thinking of the thousands of writers and the millions of readers, and wonder how the Universe manages to put us together. But it does, and that’s another Wiccan mystery I’m thankful for.
Blessings upon you, my dear reader.
Merry meet and merry part,
until we merry meet again.
52. Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, 1993.
53. Remember, this is make believe and anything is possible. Therefore, the lessons and exercises you are to complete are in To Ride a Silver Broomstick and Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft.
54. Use the exercises in this book to complete this requirement.