     
                             BOOK OF SHADOWS 
                                         
                                         
                                         
                            VOLUME The SIXTH
                                         
                             pp. 2400 -2856
                                         
                                         
                                         
              RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND  TABLE OF CONTENTS 
A Christian Speaks (J.C. Taylor) ...............................2460
A Minister Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) ........................975
A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908
A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147
A True History of Witchcraft (Allen Greenfield) ................1771
Aethyr, On the Nature of (Anthra Andromda) .....................1816
Against The Witch Hunters (R. Culain) ..........................1704
AIR - A Meditation (Charis) ....................................1559
All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137
Altars, Misc Thoughts (Chris Olmstead) .........................2566
Altar Dedication  (Durwydd) .....................................125
Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959
Amerind Teaching Stories
     Rabbit (John Lone Wolf) ...................................1534
An Australian Aboriginal Myth (WoW #10) ........................2481
Ancient Art, The ................................................551
Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479
Aridian (Strega) Information ...................................1947
Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952
Asatru Blot (Lewis Stead) ......................................2338
Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783
Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Autarchic Creed .................................................562
Autonomatrix Manifesto .........................................1813
Badgers ........................................................2554
Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628
"Bardic" Circle Rituals from DragonHart Cove
     Beltane (The White Bard) ..................................1111
     Candlemas (The White Bard) ................................1151
     Samhain (The White Bard) ..................................1116
Bardic Wedding (RowanHart Circle) ..............................1526
Bardic Mythos (The Whyte Bard)
     Creation ..................................................2206
        "      Part II .........................................2251
     Death .....................................................2204
     Maiden Story ..............................................2199
     Rebirth ...................................................2205
     The Sacred King ...........................................2201
     The Gifts of The Fool .....................................2202
     The Story of The Pit ......................................2439
     The Jesus Story ...........................................2440
     A Yule Mythos .............................................2533
Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463
Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947
Basic Love Spell ................................................958
Basic Spell Construction ........................................113
Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310
Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6
Being A Witch in Brittain Today (James Pengelly, WOW #10) ......2658
Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36
Beltane Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ................1743
Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464
Beltane Ritual (Lynna Landstreet, W.C.C.) ......................1935
Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126
Beyond Reason (Aries, W.o.W.) ..................................2240
Bible, Books not included .......................................652
Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929
Bibliography of Magic in Sci-Df (M. Griffith) ..................1737
Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Bovinomicon (humor) ............................................1805
Blackout and Sigils (I.O.T.) ...................................1402
Blessing Payer (Traditional Gardnerian "Dryghten Prayer") ......1512
Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547
Bridal Blessing (Julia Phillips) ...............................2572
Broken Heart Spell (Healing) ...................................1219
Bulb Planting Chant (Eileen) ...................................2853
Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951
"Calling Spell" (Rowan Moonstone) ..............................2577
Candle Colors ...................................................982
Candle Magic ....................................................417
Candle Scents ...................................................988
Candlemas Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ..............1750
Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537
Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168
Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8
Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420
CAW (Church of All Worlds) Basic Info Pkg. (12/93)
     Bylaws.....................................................2484
     Communion Ceremony (Morning Glory Zell) ...................2495
     "Earthmom" ................................................2496
     Electronic CAW (Irv Koch) .................................2527
     History ...................................................2502
     Neo-Paganism (Otter G'Zell) ...............................2506
     Neo-Pagan Witchcraft vs. Satanism .........................2510
     "What is it?" (CAW, Australia) ............................2514
     Nest List (as of 12/93) ...................................2525
CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454
CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298
Celtic Bibliography (Annotated, by Eryn Darkstar) ..............1133
Celtic Deities/Origins (Lorax) .................................2351
Chakras, Greek .................................................2400
Chalice Ritual - Dragon Trad (C.J. Mandrake) ...................1468
Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969
Channeling for Fun and Prophet (F.J. McGovern) .................1736
Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081
Chaos, Some Heretical remarks on Philosophy (K. Dykow)..........2264
Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398
Chaos Magick vs. Thelema .......................................1240
Chaos-sphere ...................................................1393
Chaoism and Chaos Magick (Pete Carroll) ........................1404
Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759
Charge of the God, The (Kyri Comyn) ............................1925
Charge of the Horned God [Rhyming] (V. West) ...................1927
Charge of the Goddess [Rhyming] (Kalioppe) .....................1928
Charge of the Goddess, The (D. Valiente) ........................193
Charge of the Goddess, The (Kyri Comyn) ........................1926
Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936
Charging Crystals (Ian Kesser) .................................1707
Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957
Child Blessings ................................................2572
Church of All Worlds ............................................353
Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000
Christmas Customs (Rick Hayward) ...............................2481
Christmas Past (Eric Maple, via Julia Phillips) ................2530
Circle Closing ..................................................540
Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541
Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780
Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65
Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2
Cleansing Incense ..............................................2547
Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622
Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757
Coming of Age ritual (notes by Malakus) ........................2578
"Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948
Consciousness & Politics  (Carol Moore).........................
Coven at Pooh Corner (D. Wadsworth) ............................1688
Coven Offices ...................................................762
Coven Leadership ................................................543
Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305
Covenant of the Goddess, History (Michael Thorn) ...............2459 
Covenant of the Goddess Pledge ..................................309
Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751
Craft Ethics Response (M.K.H) ..................................1216
CRAFT LAW
     Craft Laws (by Lady Sheba).................................1163
     New Laws (Lady Galadriel, Grove of The Unicorn)............1174
     The New Book Of Law, A Commentary (J. Random Folksinger)...1185
     Aporrheton 5 (Judy Harrow?) ...............................1195
     The Abbreviated Laws (including Comment by J.R.F.) ........1202
     The Law (Humor) ...........................................1204
Commentary by a student ........................................1212
Commentary by L.A. Hussey.......................................1214
Compuserve Sabbats (Courtesy J. Quigley)
     Beltane. 90 ...............................................2090
     Imbolc.90 .................................................2094
     Imbolc.93 .................................................2110
     Lammas.90 .................................................2104
     Lammas.91 .................................................2099
     MoonAPR.93 ................................................2114
     MoonAUG.92 ................................................2121
     MoonFEB.93 ................................................2127
     MoonJul.92 ................................................2130
     MoonJUN.92 ................................................2134 

     MoonMAR.93 ................................................2140
     MoonMay.93 ................................................2148
     MoonOCT.92 ................................................2154
     MoonSEP.92 ................................................2161
     SAMHAIN.91 ................................................2171
     SAMHAIN.92 ................................................2177
     Spring Equinox.92 .........................................2188
     YULE.90 ...................................................2184
Coven Leadership, some food for thought ........................1943
Creation Story ..................................................619
Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005
Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559
Crossroads .....................................................1794
Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413
Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343
CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002
Dangers of "Magical Thinking" in Magick (Nihasa)................1716
"Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286
"Dark Night of the Soul"........................................1411
Dangers of Deity? (a Conversation) .............................1820
DCW Landmarks ...................................................492
Death & Rebirth, A Modern Myth (Kalioppe) ......................2411
Degrees within Covens ...........................................623
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Dedication Ritual (Khaled Quicksilver) .........................1841
Dedication Pledge (Judy Harrow) ................................2549
Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607
Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200
Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750
Descent of The Goddess (G.B.G.) ................................1769
Descent of The Goddess (D. Mac Tara) ...........................1923
Descent of The Goddess (Starhawk) ..............................1770
Descent Into Confusion (Robert Hughes, WOW) ....................2711
Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614
Dion Fortune & Gardnerian Wicca (C.S. Clifton in W.o.W.) .......2210
Divine Circle Scam .............................................1507
Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605
Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603
Dragon, The Last (story by Gerald Decampo) .....................1226
Dragon Tradition (Phoenix Arizona)
     Circle Casting ............................................1228
     "Quarter Calls" ...........................................1486
Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557
Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573
Dream Bibliography ..............................................576
Dream Life ......................................................571
Dream-News ......................................................567
Dreams Precognition .............................................575
Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685
Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40
EcoMagick .......................................................614
EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD (Budge) ..............................2717
Egyptian Metaphysics (Michael Poe) .............................2032
Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222
Eight Magicks (Pete Carroll) ...................................1825
Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960
Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979
Elemental Correspondences .......................................560
Elven (Modern Mythic Prose by Par Garou) .......................1159
Essay on The Three-Fold Law (Paul Seymour) .....................1208
Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315
Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415
Ethics and Laws (Lifeway Shamanic Fellowship) ..................1220
Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554
Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565
Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356
Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946
Exegesis on The Wiccan Rede (Judy Harrow).......................1209
Exorcism ........................................................613
Eyes of a dyke [fiction] (vivienne West) .......................1931
Feminine Current in the G.D. (Peregrine, in WoW) ...............2228
Festivals .......................................................587
Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528
Firefawn (Masochistic Maiden) ..................................2356
First Degree, What is it? .......................................351
FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611
Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744
Food For Thought (Some notes for Coven Leaders) ................1943
Fool ............................................................590
Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953
Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625
Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634
Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616
  TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Fundies Visit Denver (Transcribed by Rowan Moonsone) ...........2366
Funeral Rites (Oz Caliburn) ....................................2363
Funeral Ritual, Generic Pagan (She-Wolf) .......................2524
GAEA Hypothesis (Green Egg) ....................................2398
Georgian Mythos (Zanoni Silverknife) ...........................2340
Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206
Gnosticism.......................................................694
God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223
Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689
Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691
Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644
Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656
Greek and Roman Deities (Thomas Palmer) ........................1698
Greek Fire Initiation............................................982
GREEK LBRP .....................................................2404
Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26
Halloween, A Witches Thoughts (Cecylina Brightsword) ...........2575
Handfasting ......................................................68
Handfasting (Lady Ardane, Prodigy) .............................2197
Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176
Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630
Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13
Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661
Healing (one method) ............................................655
Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165
Heirophant, The (Khaled Quicksilver) ...........................1946
Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966
Herbal "Quick Reference" .......................................2541
Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869
Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632
Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733
High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964
History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786
History of Witch Craft ..........................................791
Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663
Homeblessing (She Wolf) ........................................2545
Homeblessing notes (Scott Cunningham) ..........................2546
Hymns To The Star Goddess (O.T.O.) .............................1431
Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667
I.O.T. History (The Beginnings).................................1398
Ideology (I.O.T.) ..............................................1252
In Defense of Excellence (Adrienne, Quicksilver, Ottawa) .......2553
Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664
Imbolc at the Covenstead (Erin) ................................2556
Imbolc Myth ....................................................2535
Imbolc Ritual ..................................................2536
Imbolg Ritual (Kalioppe) .......................................2420
Imbolg '92 (Julia Phillips) ....................................1757
Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72
Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50
Introductory Book List ..........................................926
Ishtar, Inanna, & Ancient Astrology (Valkyrie) .................2466
INVOCATIONS
     Freyja (unknown) ............................................56
     Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55
     Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57
     Baldur (unknown) ............................................55
     Freyr (unknown) .............................................56
     Herne (unknown) .............................................57
  TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
     Thorr (unknown) .............................................58
INVOCATIONS -QUARTERS-
     EAST ......................................................1542
     SOUTH .....................................................1543
     WEST ......................................................1544
     NORTH .....................................................1545
Invocation of Lord and Lady (Ritual) ...........................2557
Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422
Ishtar ..........................................................740
Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59
Judeopagan Menopause Ritual (Randronoth) .......................2333
K.A.M. ..........................................................735
Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236
Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730
Keeper of Wisdom, The (Kalioppe) ...............................2416
Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739
"Kids" (Kalioppe) ..............................................2250
Labeling Wiccans (Lucie) .......................................2330
Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171
Lady's Prayer, The .............................................2398
Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174
Lammas Ritual , "The Corn Play" (Julia Phillips) ...............1941
Lammas Ritual (1991, Celtic Temple of the Wiccan Way ...........2194
"Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990
LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103
Learning Process ................................................962
Leave it Out, Leviticus (Aries, W.O.W. #8) .....................2260
"Legitimacy" in the Craft (Khaled Q.) ..........................1766
Liber OZMA (Tim Maroney) .......................................1414
Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083
Literary Roots of Wicca (Diane Vera) ...........................1535
LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179
Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955
LUPERCALIA (She Wolf) ..........................................2580
MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43
Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811
Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817
Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684
Magickal Book List ..............................................923
Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815
Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502
Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406
Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814
Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831
Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079
Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096
Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912
Magickal Training Course (Phil Hansford) .......................1373
Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760
Mantra Web technique ............................................288
Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834
Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837
MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79
Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911
Mazes in Myth (Valkyrie) .......................................2471
Mead, Brew of The Gods! (Lewis Stead) ..........................2550
Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851
Meditation Techniques, Basic (Bill Witt) .......................1513
Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077
  TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45
Mind, A Treatise on The (The Tigress) ..........................1460
Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512
Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216
Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920
Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942
Modified Assyrian Protection Spell (With Commentary) ...........1739 
Mothers Day Message ............................................1076
Money Tree Spell (Rowan Moonstone) .............................2576
MONISM (Durwydd Mac Tara) ......................................1523
Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941
Muhammad .......................................................2699
Pagan Musings (Tony Kelly, Selene Community, Wales,1970) .......2435
Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365
Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110
Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357
Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841
Nemesis Conjuration (I.O.T.) ...................................1250
Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77
Neo-Pagan Theology (Cyprian) ...................................2426
Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329
NeoPaganism (Eric S. Raymond) ...................................333
NeoPlatonism (Deborah Kest) ....................................2473
"New Age" Ministry (Steve Kalinowski) ..........................2705
NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459
Notes On The Historical Egregore in Magick (I.O.T.).............1245
NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21
Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224
ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764
Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377
Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910
Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089
Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12
Ordo Argentum Astrum ...........................................1230
Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949
Orphic Invocations of God & Goddess (Phaedra) ..................1541
Pagan Churches? (Julia Phillips) ...............................2252
Pagan Folksongs (The Whyte Bard
            -  THE GREENBOOK OF NEO-PAGAN SONGS - 
 All Thru The Night ............................................2303    
Bard's Song, The ..............................................2302  
 Bedlam Bells ..................................................2289
 Blessed Be Again! .............................................2297
 Burning Times/Chant ...........................................2290
 Cambrian Dream ................................................2308
 Celtic Circle Dance ...........................................2286
 Childish Edda, The ............................................2312
 Circles .......................................................2287
 Cup Of Wonder .................................................2309
 Cup Of Wonder II ..............................................2310
 Fairies Love Song .............................................2301
 False Knight Upon The Road, The (Child #3) ....................2306
 God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot ..................................2214
 Harp Song Of The Dane Women ...................................2298
 High Holiday Song, The ........................................2329
 John Barleycorn ...............................................2305
 King Henry (Child #32) ........................................2283
 Lord Of The Dance .............................................2284
 Nottamun Town .................................................2307
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)  
 Nude ..........................................................2300
 She Moved Thru The Faire ......................................2309
 Song Of Wandering Aengus, The .................................2311
 Spring Strathspey .............................................2288
 Stand Up, Stand Up For Odin ...................................2299
 Thong Of Thor, The ............................................2282
 Two Magicians .................................................2304
 Wiccan Rede, The ..............................................2280
 Witch's Ballad, The ...........................................2281
 Valkyrie Song, The ............................................2213
 Real Old Time Religion, That ..................................2315
 Yule Songs           
      Christmas Time Is Pagan! .................................2295
      Dancing In A Wiccan Wonderland ...........................2293
      Gloria ...................................................2291
      Glory To The New Born King ...............................2293
      God Rest Ye Merry, Paganfolk .............................2296
      Hark The Neo-Pagans Sing .................................2291
      Joy To The World .........................................2295
      Moon Of Silver ...........................................2294
      Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful! ...............................2292
      Share The Light ..........................................2294
      Silent Night .............................................2292
      Ye Children All Of Mother Earth ..........................2291
Pagan Unity Ritual (W.o.W. #5) .................................2246
Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392
Perscution, Ancient & Modern (Julia Phillips) ..................1627
Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868
Peyote & The Supreme Court (News Articles) .....................1725
Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945
Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972
Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411
Prosperity [Famtrad] (Rowan Moonstone) .........................1485
Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594
Psychic Attack ..................................................563
"Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282
Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857
Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103
Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212
Raven Kindred Ritual (Asatru) ..................................2815
Reclaiming The God (Women's Ritual) ............................2853
Rede, The (J. Taylor, S.O.T.E.G.) ..............................1488
"Restorationist" Christianity (Chris Anderson) .................2385
Risk Assessment for The Craft Community (Weyland Smith) ........1723
Rite of Passage, Modern Female (Lady Shyra) ....................2694
Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard (Discordian Humor) ...........1471
Ritual Abuse Scandal in Britain (Michael Howard) ...............2233
Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745
Ritual Theory and Technique (Colin Low).........................2668
Rosicrucianism (J. Phillips) ...................................1741
Rune Poem, A linguistic Analysis by Steph Parker ...............2476
Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215
Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097
Salem Anniversary Ritual (Sandy & Diug Kopf)....................1156
Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143
Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19
Samhain Ritual (Kalioppe) ......................................2423
Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145
Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141
 Table Of Contents (Continued) 
Samhain Ritual 1986 (Coven of The Serpents Eye) ................1759
Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944
Santa (Tane Jackson) ...........................................2573
Satanic Ritual Abuse (1992 FBI Report) .........................1575
Satanism
     Satanism 101 (Diaane Vera) ................................1536
     Satanism Defined (Delohine) ...............................1539
     Satanism as Media Hype (News Article) .....................1717
     Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera).............................194
     Setian Symbolism (T.O.S.) .................................1560

Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158
Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749
Searching (Carol Neist, W.O.W. #8) .............................2255
Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3
Second Ritual for Bast .........................................1933
Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231
Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937
Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384
Shamanism (Internet FAQ) .......................................2683
Sigil Magick (I.O.T.) ..........................................1416
Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184
Snake Venom & Altered States (Loren Petrich) ...................1419
Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100
Solitary Neophyte Ritual (C.M.) ................................2391
Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105
Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939
Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182
Spring Equinox Ritual (Marian Starwatcher) .....................2687
Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010
Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778
"Super-Dimensionality" (I.O.T.)..................................289
Swastika, The (Paladin) ........................................2257
Sybillyne Tradition of Wicca ...................................2445
Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676
Tarot Divination (Tuppence) ....................................1710
Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747
Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132
Temple Of Set (Lillith Aquino) .................................2709
Temples, Covens, & Groves - Oh My! (Khaled Q.) .................2221
Ten Ways to "Piss Off A Pagan (Humor) ..........................2247
The Goddess Movement (Denver Post) .............................2361
The Pact (IOT) .................................................1162
The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617
The 12 Steps and Shamanism (Matrika, P.A.N.) ...................1504
The Last Dragon (Kalioppe) .....................................2360
Theological Discipline & Penance (Lisa Sergienko) ..............2258
Three-Fold Goddess, The (Eileen Turner) ........................2653
Thunder, Perfect Mind (Tony Ianotti) ...........................1254
Tools, etc. (Phoenix Whitebirch) ...............................2387
Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136
Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122
Tool Consecration ................................................17
Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186
Traveling Chant (Julia Phillips)................................2571
Treatise On Mind (The Tigress) .................................1265
Travel Spell (Rowan Moonstone) .................................1487
Trickster Energies ..............................................234
Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Twenty-Two Commandments for the New Age (A. Waldrum)............1721
Vernal Equinox Ritual from OZ (Julia Phillips) .................1742
Verse:
     A Birthday In The Light (T. Digby) ........................1920
     A Call To Lord And Lady (Jeff Bordeaux) ...................1853
     A Dreaming Desire (Jeff Bordeaux) .........................1865
     A Lady Called Truth (Geral Del Campo) .....................1921
     A Riddle (Saracen) ........................................1919
     A Victim of Ideologies (Jeff Bordeaux) ....................1876
     "AINT!" (Ellen Cannon Reed) ...............................1929
     ALOHA! Serge King (Hugh Read) .............................1848
     Amphitrite (Sourdough Jackson) ............................1866
     Amazing (Wiccan) Grace (Verna Knapp) ......................1909
     Another One For Jim Morrison (Sourdough Jackson) ..........1870
     Banishing The Circle (Devin Storm) ........................1892
     Battle Hymn of the Eristocracy (Filk) .....................1898
     Beneath The Full Moon (Sourdough Jackson) .................1870
     BLOOD (Similodon) .........................................1889
     Bowhunter's Prayer to Dianna (Kalioppe) ...................2249
     Burning Times (L.A. Hussey) ...............................1849
     Cauldron Chant (Ammond Shadowcraft)........................1899
     Celtic Circle Dance (Joe Bethancourt) .....................1900
     Chance (Hugh Read) ........................................1851
     Charge of the Horned God ..................................1907
     Circles (song, "Anon") ....................................2464
     Comes The Dawn ............................................1914
     Computer Blessing (Zahai Stuart) ..........................1871
     Coven Spell (Doreen Valiente) .............................1887
     Dark Time (Shadow Hawk) ...................................1902
     Discoveries ...............................................2254
     Earthdream (Jeff Bordeux) .................................1855
     ELEGY:  James Douglas Morrison (Sourdough Jackson) ........1869
     ELEMENTS (r.m.p.j.) .......................................1897
     Elf (Marcus) ..............................................1855
     EQUINOX (Endumion) ........................................1908
     "GIMMEE!" (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............................1930
     Great Rite (Vivienne West) ................................2465
     Green Grow The Rushes, Oh! ................................1901
     Healing Spell (unknown) ...................................1891
     Heaven is A Resting Place (Sourdough Jackson) .............1868
     Horn of Plenty (Linda C.) .................................1910
     Horn Song (Hugh Read) .....................................1846
     House Blessing ............................................2247
     HPS Disease (Vivienne West) ...............................2253
     Hunter's Warning (Jeff Bordeaux) ..........................1857
     Hymn to Artemis (Frater U.' D.') ..........................1893
     Hymn To Demeter (Lyn Hubert) ..............................1916
     I am Spring (J.H.R. Seymour) ..............................1912
     I Saw Something  Beutiful (Masochistic Maiden) ............1915
     Inquisition ...............................................1894
     Invocation (Doreen Valiente) ..............................1887
     Invocation of the Horned God (Doreen Valiente) ............1885
     Invocation of the Moon Goddess (Doreen Valiente) ..........1886
     Jewel (Shadow Hawk) .......................................1860
     Just A Poem (Masochistic Maiden) ..........................1918
     Kill A Tree (Humorous Song)................................2462
     LAMMAS NIGHT (Elexa) ......................................1904
     LILITH (L.A. Hussey) ......................................1904
     Lord of The Ants ("filk" by Karl Lembke ...................2463
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
     Love Is The Law (Unknown) .................................1884
     LYRA (Hugh Read) ..........................................1856
     Magic Man (Taarna Savet) ..................................1906
     Magical Reveries (Hugh M. Read) ...........................1878
     May Eve (Doreen Valiente) .................................1884
     Minerva (Unknown) .........................................1883
     Moose! (SCA Humor) ........................................2248
     New Words and Old (Kihe Blackeagle) .......................1890
     Night Wind (Shadow Hawk) ..................................1863
     Ocean (skybane) ...........................................1921
     Pagan Awakening (Jeff Bordeaux) ...........................1852
     Pan To Artemis (Hugh Read) ................................1847
     Pandemonium (Sonia Brock) .................................1890
     Pegasus (Durwydd Mac Tara) ................................1911
     Prelude to Discovery (Gerald Del Campo) ...................1913
     Prayer Drive (Sourdough Jackson) ..........................1869
     Quarter Chant (Damon) .....................................1871
     RAINBOWS (Jennifer Holding) ...............................1897
     RAP (Anony Mouse) .........................................2255
     Red and Gold (Joe Bethancourt) ............................1906
     Samhain Chant (Doreen Valiente) ...........................1845
     Scarabeus (unknown) .......................................1883
     Seeking The Sign To Dragonheim (Jeff Bordeax) .............1853
     Shadowhawk (Marcus) .......................................1877
     Simple (Gardenstone) ......................................1914
     SLEEPR (Lynn Hubert) ......................................1921
     Snow (Steve Earl) .........................................1873
     Song (Vivienne West) ......................................2255
     Spring/Summer Poem (Shadowhawk) ...........................1891
     Storm (Shadow Hawk) .......................................1875
     Storm (Stormy Gael) .......................................1893
     Tears For An Angel (Gerald Del Campo) .....................1913
     The Awakening (Andrew Daws) ...............................1922
     The Cloud Sculptors (Jeff Bordeaux) .......................1865
     The Coming of Lugh (Iarwin) ...............................1861
     The Goddess is Alive (Unknown) ............................1856
     The Lady's Brothel (filk) .................................1898
     The Man In The Moon (Gerald Del Campo) ....................1919
     The Moon Pool (unknown) ...................................1859
     The Night Before Samhain (Masochistic Maiden) .............1915
     The Pentagram (Similodon) .................................1889
     The Prettiest One (Filk) ..................................1898
     The Shaman's Call (Shadow Hawk) ...........................1873
     The Spell of the Cord (Doreen Valiente) ...................1886
     The River (Hugh Read) .....................................1872
     The Tree Song (Kipling) ...................................1864
     The Triple Goddess (Kalioppe) .............................2208
     The Witches Ballad ........................................1894
     To The Bonfires (Jeff Bordeaux) ...........................1866
     To The Dragons Reborn (Jeff Bordeaux) .....................1854
     To Greyshield, With Love ("Phoenix") ......................1851
     Today The Moon is There (Hugh Read) .......................1893
     Two Ritual Prayers (Anahita Gula) .........................1895
     What is Love (Ravenna Michelle) ...........................1917
     Why I Love The Dark (Gerald Del Campo) ....................1912
     Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente) ...........................1843
     Yule Carols (Green Egg, Yule '92) .........................1938
UEA '93 Main Ritual (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................2449
Walking With My Friends (Masochistic Maiden) ...................2355
 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Washington Post Article (1991) .................................1499
Warnke Expose (Cornerstone Magazine) ...........................2604
Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117
Warriors .......................................................2548
Warriorship (Swein Runestaff W.o.W.) ...........................2236
Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344
"Weasel Wicca" (Humor fm. Green Egg) ...........................1531
What is Myth? (Web of Wyrd, #10) ...............................2518
What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354
What is Shamanism (Eliade) .....................................2567
What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322
What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340
What is Wicca (Durwydd Mac Tara) ...............................1551
Wheel of The Year (Julia Phillips/Matthew Sandow) ..............1671
Wheel Visualization (Julia Phillips and Rufus Harrington) ......1682
When Magic Doesn't Work (Magical Blend Magazine) ...............1520
Why I don't Believe the "Survivors" (R. Moonsone)...............1719
Wicca and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (D. Wadsworth) .....1694
Wicca vs. Paganism (David Piper) ...............................2716
Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149
Wiccan History .................................................1656
Wiccan History (BTW, Julia Phillips) ...........................1566
Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087
Wiccan Way, The .................................................192
Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98
Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154
Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227
Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317
Wiccan Rede, The (J. Taylor, S.O.T.E.G.)........................1488
Wiccan Rede (Poetic) ...........................................1510
Wiccan Rede (Poetic, WCC) ......................................1540
Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162
wiccan Monism (Durwydd MacTara) ................................1556
Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190
"Wiccening" (article by Vivienne West) .........................2385
Wicanning Ritual (Earthworld Circle) ...........................1492
Wine Blessing, All Female (Lynna Landstreet, WCC) ..............2564
Wishing Well (I.O.T.) ..........................................1422
"WITCH" (Doreen Valiente, in WoW) ..............................2714
Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150
Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320
Witches Rede of Chivalry (Ed Fitch & Janine Renee) .............1803
Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195
YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84
Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94
Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ............................................8
Yule Ritual 1984 (Julia Phillips) ..............................1763
Yule Ritual (Georgian) .........................................2561
Yule Ritual (She Wolf) .........................................2562                  
The Parts of the Soul

                A Greek System of Chakras

                      (first draft)

                    by  John Opsopaus

                      Introduction

This essay resulted from an attempt to find a Greek system of "energy
centers" corresponding to the chakras of Eastern philosophy.  Such a
correspondence would help illuminate Greek mysticism and reveal some of
the foundations of the Western Magical Tradition.  This goal might seem
to be a shallow exercise in analogies, but there are reasons to expect a
substantial correspondence. First, the Eastern and Greek systems evolved
out of a common Indo-European culture, so one would expect genetic
correspondences; these connections were likely maintained over the
millennia, since we know the Middle East mediated continual cultural
transfer with both the West and East.  Second, there is a certain degree
of objectivity in the system of chakras, as reflected in the physical
body, which would lead to correspondences even in the absence of
cultural contact.  The consequence of these two factors is a significant
uniformity in ideas about the Spirit and its connection to the Body
across the Eurasian continent, and even beyond, as documented, for
example, in Onians's _Origins of European Thought_.

How would we know a Greek system of chakras if we saw it?  The standard
I have used is that (1) they should be approximately seven energy
centers; (2) they should be approximately located where the chakras are
located; (3) they should have approximately the same "functions" as the
chakras.

It's worth keeping in mind that the chakra system best known in the
West, with seven chakras, is not the only system; some have more than
fourteen (Eliade, 243-5; Murphy, 156).  Therefore, we should not expect
an exact correspondence of number, since certain energy centers might or
might not be counted depending on their strength or the "kind" of energy
they concentrate. Furthermore, different systems differ in their exact
placement of the chakras, so likewise we should not expect an exact
correspondence in a Greek system. Nevertheless, it will be apparent that
the Greek system corresponds closely to the system of seven chakras.

My principal source has been Onians, especially Part I and Part II (chh.
1-7), but the overall structure is described in Plato's account of the
"Parts of the Soul" in the Timaeus (69c-73d), which probably embodies
Pythagorean doctrine. In the following I've numbered the energy centers
from the top down with Roman numerals, since this accords better with
Platonic doctrine; however, the chakras are conventionally numbered from
the bottom up, for which I've (appropriately) used Hindu numbers
(so-called Arabic numbers).

                             I

The Crown of the head (Gk. koruphe, Lat. vertex).  Plato said the humans
stand upright because of the connection between the Heavens and the Soul
in their brains.  People with especially great power in their heads were
represented with a nimbus, a halo of flames, around their head (attested
as early as the 3rd cent. BCE in Greece).  This center corresponds to
Chakra 7 (at the crown of the head), called Sahasrara, which means
"thousand (-petaled)," an appropriate description of a nimbus.

                            II

The Brain (Gk. enkephalos, Lat. cerebrum), which contains the psuche
(Gk.) or genios (Lat.).  (I use the old Latin spelling "genios" to avoid
confusion with the English "genius."  The genios is sometimes called the
anima.)  In Homeric times the psuche was taken to be the "Vital Spirit"
or Life Principal (the mind or consciousness was placed in IV, the
chest), corresponding to Skt. asu. The later view, which is found in
Plato and corresponds better to the Eastern system (cf. Skt. atman), is
that the brain is the center of rational thought, the Intellectual
center.  In both Homer and Plato the psuche is considered the immortal
part of the Soul.  The physical substance corresponding to psuche was
marrow (medulla), especially the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain and
spine, but also in other parts of the body (see below).  For this reason
departed souls were thought to appear as snakes, which are all brain and
spine.  Scalp and facial hair were considered physical emanations of the
psuche, and so the hair, scalp and chin were considered sacred (hence
the dedication of locks and the touching of the chin or beard in
supplication).  This center corresponds to Chakra 6 (at the brow),
called Ajna, which means "authority or command," an appropriate name for
the rational faculty, which Plato said "controls and restrains" the
lower faculties; Onians calls it the Executive function.

                            III

The Neck (Gk. trachelos, dere; Lat. collum), which Plato called the
"isthmus or boundary" between the Superior, Divine or Immortal Soul and
the Inferior or Mortal Soul.  He said that it allows communication
between the two, but prevents the Lower Soul from "polluting" the
Higher.  This center corresponds to Chakra 5 (in the throat), called
Visuddha, which means "purgation or purity," that is, "the purging of
the merely animal, physical system" (Campbell, 165).

                             IV

The Heart and Lungs (Gk. phrenes, Lat. cor), which contain the thumos
(Grk.) or animus (Lat.), which is the Higher part of the Mortal Soul.
In Homeric times the thumos was the Conscious Spirit, the vehicle of
Thought and Feeling (cf. Skt. manas).  Later, it was restricted to
feeling, emotion, passion and especially spirit, courage and anger - the
Affective function.  This center corresponds to Chakra 4 (at the heart),
called Anahata, which means "not hit" (referring to the mystical sound).
This chakra is associated with prana (Skt.) - vital breath, vital spirit
(Campbell, 164), as are the phrenes with pneuma  (Gk.) or spiritus
(Lat.) - breath, spirit.  Campbell (164-5) says, "This is the
aspiration, then, of spiritual striving," and "the birth of the
spiritual as opposed to the merely physical life," and likewise the
phrenes are associated with spirit, as opposed to the lower parts, which
are associated with physical needs and desires.

The "little foyer" (the Red Lotus of Eight Petals with the Kalpa Tree)
below the Heart Chakra corresponds to the diaphragm, which Plato called
the "midriff partition" separating the two parts of the Mortal Soul
(associated with Spirit and Desire, respectively).

                             V

The Belly (Gk. gaster, Lat. abdomen), between the diaphragm and navel,
is the site of the Lower Part of the Mortal Soul, which is the
Appetitive Soul, which we share with the lower animals and plants; its
function is nutrition and it is the source of Desire (both Nutritional
and, by most accounts, Sexual). This center corresponds to Chakra 3 (at
the navel), called Manipura, which means "city of the shining jewel,"
and its function is "aggressive:  to conquer, to consume, to turn
everything into oneself" (Campbell, 159-60), which is a good description
of the Appetitive Soul.

                            VI

The Gonads (Gk. gonades, Lat. genitalia), representing the Procreative
function.  The "marrow," the stuff of which psuche or genios was made,
was the Life Essence; Plato says that in it is made "the bonds of life
which unite the Soul with the Body."  This marrow or sap is passed down
the spine, concentrated in the gonads, and is the source of the life of
the offspring. In particular, semen was considered a kind of
cerebrospinal sap.  This center corresponds to Chakra 2, called
Svadhisthana, which means "her favorite resort," an apt name for "the
cakra of sexuality" (Campbell, 144).

                            VII

The Sacrum or Holy Bone (Gk. hieron osteon, Lat. os sacrum), that is,
the base of the spine.  Because this was a center of concentration of
the Life Force, Middle Eastern people believed that the entire body
could be regenerated from this bone, and Onians (p.  208) conjectures
that its potency may account for "kiss of shame" (osculum infame) of the
Witches and Templars (and perhaps the Cathars and Waldenses).  This
center corresponds to Chakra 1, called Muladhara, which means "root
base," which Campbell (p. 144) associates with "hanging on to life" and
a "reactive psyche," so in both cases we have the grossest form of the
Life Force.

Similarly, the Spine was called the Holy Tube (hiera surinx), which
recalls the Sushumna (Spine), which is likewise considered a channel
(nadi).  Likewise the Egyptian Ded Pillar, which represents the spine,
was a symbol of Life.  I have not, however, found Greeks correspondents
to the Ida and Pingala nadis.

                           VIII

The above are the "central" energy concentrations of Greek philosophy,
and it is apparent that they correspond closely to the familiar seven
chakras.  The Greeks also recognized "peripheral" energy concentrations
in the hands, thighs and knees (which have a large concentration of
"marrow").  This explains the sacrifice of thigh bones, the use of the
hand (especially the right hand) to exercise executive power, and
clasping the knees when beseeching.  (The knee - Gk. gonu, Lat. genu -
was especially associated with the Life Force - genios - and with
procreation or "generation"; cf. genital, genetic, gonad, etc.)  So far
as I know, corresponding chakras are not recognized in Eastern thought.

As a general rule of thumb, Spirit, of one sort or another, is most
concentrated where the flesh is thinnest (Timaeus 75a), thus, in the
head, chest, sacrum, knees and hands.


                               Summary

 No. English     Greek         Latin     Function        Chakra      No.
 _______________________________________________________________________
 I   Crown       Koruphe       Vertex    Illumination    Sahasrara    7
 II  Brain       Enkephalos    Cerebrum  Intellection    Ajna         6
 III Neck        Trachelos     Collum    Purification    Visuddha     5
 IV  Heart/Lungs Phrenes       Cor       Affection       Anahata      4
 V   Belly       Gaster        Abdomen   Appetition      Manipura     3
 VI  Gonads      Gonades       Genitalia Procreation     Svadhisthana 2
 VII Sacrum      Hieron Osteon Os Sacrum Basic Life      Muladhara    1


                        References

Campbell, Joseph.  (1990).  Transformations of Myth Through Time.  New
York: Harper & Row.

Eliade, Mircea.  (1969).  Yoga:  Immortality and Freedom, tr. Willard R.
Trask.  Bollingen Series LVI.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press.

Mead, G. R. S.  (1967).  The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western
 Tradition. Theosophical Publishing House.

Murphy, Michael.  (1992).  The Future of the Body:  Explorations Into
the Further Evolution of Human Nature.  New York:  Jeremy
Tarcher/Putnam.

Onians, Richard Broxton.  (1951).  The Origins of European Thought About
the Body, the Mind, the Soul, the World, Time, and Fate.  Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

Poortman, J. J.  (1978).  Vehicles of Consciousness:  The Concept of
Hylic Pluralism.  Vols. 1-4.  Theosophical Publishing House.

                                  finis

         RITUS OLYMPICUS PENTAGRAMMOU MINOR AD EXPELLENDUM

                    (c) 1993, John Opsopaus

Preface

The following is an adaptation of the Lesser Banishing Ritual
of the Pentagram to the Graeco-Roman Tradition, and so it is
called the "Olympic Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram."
Such a "translation" is possible because the LBRP is an
enactment in a Qabalistic framework of certain shamanic
practices that are nearly universal.  Once the underlying
shamanic cosmology has been identified, it's relatively
straight-forward to reexpress the ritual in the terms of
another cosmology, such as the Graeco-Roman.

I would welcome criticism of the result, especially from
Qabalists and Ceremonial Magicians.  Criticism/correction of
my Latin and Greek composition will also be appreciated.
Finally, I beg readers to forgive the Early Modern English,
which I've used to add dignity to the text.

The Ritual follows in summary form; a separate posting will
contain a fully annotated text.  This information should make
clear which aspects of the ritual follow from Ancient
Tradition, which come from more recent Magical Traditions, and
which are a result of my speculation or arbitrary choice; such
information is all too often missing from Neopagan recon-
structions.  If anyone knows of a similar adaptation, please
let me know.

Gratias vobis ago,
John Opsopaus
72747.154@compuserve.com
----------------------------------------------------------

                     Ritus  Olympicus

                    Pentagrammou Minor

                      ad Expellendum


   The Olympic Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

                         which is

 The Traditional Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
          Adapted to the Graeco-Roman Tradition

                  (c)1993, John Opsopaus


I.  The Opening Tau Cross

i.  Close thine eyes, and by thy breath fan thou the Fire,
which awakeneth the Serpent and the Eagle.  Allow thyself to
grow beyond all bounds of space, until the Universe is
within thee.  Be thou as a God; be thou as a Goddess.

ij.  Draw thou down the Fire of Heaven into thy Heart, and
say:
  "From Celestial Fire"
  "Ab Igne Caelesti"
  "Apo tou Ouraniou Puros"
  [)Apo\ tou= )Oura/niou Puros/]

[Suggested gestures for the preceding step:  Raise your arms
into a horizontal, cross position, with palms up (in Celestial
Invocation).  Bring them together above your head, palm to
palm, and then draw the Celestial Fire down to your heart,
while saying "From Celestial Fire."]

[The words to be spoken by the practitioner are given in
English, Latin and Greek.  In an attempt to combine
readability and accuracy, I've given the Greek text two ways,
in a simple but approximate Roman transcription, and in "Beta
code," a standard ASCII representation of Greek including all
the accents, breathings, etc.  Beta code transcriptions are
enclosed in square brackets.  The Beta code transcriptions
should be reasonably comprehensible with the following
information:  ")" and "(" represent smooth and rough
breathing, respectively; "/", "\" and "=" represent acute,
grave and circumflex accents, respectively; "|" is iota
subscript.]

iij.  Guide thou the bright Beam downward, until it stirreth
the Subterranean Waters of the Abyss and bringeth Them to
life; and while so doing, say thou:
  "To Watery Abyss"
  "Ad Aquosum Profundum"
  "Eis ten Hudroessan Abusson"
  [)Ei\s th\n (Udro/essan )/Abusson]


[Suggested gesture:  Keep the palms together and move them
down in front of the groin.  Then separate the hands and hold
them to the sides and slightly forward, with palms down (in
Chthonic Invocation).]

iv.  Direct thou the beam from thy heart through thy left
shoulder, until it stretcheth to the Moon, and say:
  "By Way of Earth"
  "Via Terrena"
  "Kat' Hodon Chthonion"
  [Kat' (Odo\n Xqo/nion]

[Suggested gesture:  Raise the left hand up to your chest;
then extend your arm into horizontal position, with the palm
forward.]

v.  Direct thou the beam from thy heart through thy right
shoulder, until it stretcheth to the Sun, and say:
  "By Way of Air"
  "Via Aeria"
  "Kat' Hodon Aitherion"
  [Kat' (Odo\n )Aiqe/rion]

[Suggested gesture:  Raise the right arm to the chest and then
into a horizontal position, with forward palm.]

vi.  Feel thou the Sacred Tau Cross that blazeth inside
thee.  Now cross thy arms over thy Heart, and say:
  "Abiding always in the Center.  So be it!"
  "Semper in Medio manens.  Esto!" or "Fiat!"
  "En Omphaloi aei menon" (masc.) or "menousa" (fem.).  "Esto!"
  [)En )Omfalw=| a)ei\ me/nwn] (masc.) or [me/nousa] (fem.).
  [)/Estw!]

[Suggested gesture:  Bring your arms together and cross them
over your chest.]

vij.  As thou makest this gesture the Moon and Sun will
stand together above thy head, nor will they ever move from
there.  Moon over Sun and Sun over Tau Cross; thou art the
Holy Caduceus.  Thou hast become the Center of the World,
for the Cosmic Axis runneth through thy spine; on thy left
standeth the Path of the Moon, and on thy right the Path of
the Sun, above thee shineth the Cosmic Pole, below thee
lieth the Abyss.

viij.  Thou standest upon the Sacred Mountain, the World
Navel, under which hideth the Watery Abyss.  At thy back
groweth the Tree of Life, which stretcheth over thy head,
the Navel Cord, for the Mountain and Tree are the Cosmic
Pillar, which supporteth the four Quarters of the Heavens.
From Calypso's Cave between the Tree's  roots, which
penetrate the Abyss, are the four springs, which flow to the
four Quarters of the World, and they run with water, honey,
milk and wine.  Around the World Tree's trunk coileth thrice
and half again the Serpent.  In the Cosmic Tree's leaves
percheth the Eagle of Zeus, guarding the Horn of Amalthea,
from which Nectar floweth into the Libation Bowl, the
Bountiful Breast, which overfloweth, raining Nectar on the
World.  Ambrosia floweth up the trunk of the Tree from the
Deep.  Illumination cometh from Above and Growth cometh from
Below.  The World Tree is the Tree of Destiny and Its leaves
are the Book of Fate, for as they fall, so fall to earth the
winged souls of the folk, ever singing in its foliage.

ix.  Divine Helen, Leto's Daughter, with large breasts,
liveth in the Bountiful Cosmic Tree, for she is Its Spirit;
and Her Brothers, the Dioskouroi, Sons of Zeus [Dios Kouroi]
the All-Shining [Pamphaes], the Heavenly Twins of Leto,
command the Sacred Paths on either side.  For Castor, who
resideth underground, knoweth the Lunar Discipline and
controlleth the Way of Descent, and Polydeuces, who liveth
above, is Master of the Solar Discipline and controlleth the
Way of Ascent.

x.  For learn thou this about the Way of Ascent.  It is
under the jurisdiction of Zeus, the Sky Shaker, who giveth
fertilizing rain and nourishing sunlight.  He holdeth the
Lightning Bolt of Illumination, and His lightning descendeth
from the Sky.  The Way of Ascent is to climb Scylla's
Mountain, which riseth into the clouds, nor can its peak
ever be seen.  Prometheus or Apollo will show thee the Way.
Thy Helper in this journey is the Horse Pegasos, but also
the Soaring Eagle, Dove and Goose.  Then wilt thou break
through the Vault of the Heaven, and going through the
Celestial Pole thou wilt ascend the Heavens.  For this is
the Way of Light, the Path by Day, the Sun's Way, the Path
of the Sage.

xi.  And learn thou this about the Way of Descent.  It is
under the jurisdiction of Poseidon, the Earth Shaker, who
giveth fresh water from springs, but also floods and
earthquakes.  He holdeth the Trident of Ecstasy and His
lightning leapeth up from the Earth.  The Way of Descent is
by the precipice opposite Scylla's cliff, which is the lower
of the two, and from it groweth the Sacred Fig Tree.  Climb
thou down from this Tree to Charybdis, by which thou wilt be
drawn into the Watery Abyss.  Circe or Herakles will show
thee the Way past the Dog and Gatekeeper.  Thy Helper in
this journey is the Serpent Python, but also the Raging Lion
and Bull.  Then wilt thou break through the Vault of the
Abyss and, going down the Well, thou wilt descend through
its levels.  For this is the Way of Darkness, the Path by
Night, the Moon's Way, the Path of the Mage.

xij.  But the Wise know that the Way Up and the Way Down are
the same, for they are both on the Cosmic Pillar, and
sometimes our task demandeth that we go up it, and sometimes
it demandeth that we go down it.  When Duty calleth, we
travel by Day or Night as is the need.  Ask thou Hermes for
guidance, for he frequenteth the Navel.

II.  Pentagrams of the Quarters

xiij.  This is the way thou wilt draw the Shining Pentagrams
that wardeth each Quarter. The first ray goeth from the
lower left to the top, and each ray continueth from the
last.  And as thou makest each ray, sing a letter of the
Name of the Pentagram.

xiv(a).  In Greek the Pentagram  hath the Name HUGIEIA
[U(GI/EIA], which meaneth Soundness or Wholeness, so sing
thou the sounds:
  "Huuuuuuu, Gggggggg, Iiiiiiih, Aaaaaay, Aaaaaaah."

xiv(b).  In Latin the Pentagram hath the Name SALUS, which
meaneth Soundness or Welfare, so sing thou the sounds:
  "Ssssssss, Aaaaaaah, Llllllll, Uuuuuuuu, Ssssssss."

xiv(c).  Though in English we label the Pentagram WHOLE or
SOUND, its spoken Name is WHOLENESS, so sing thou the
sounds:
  "Hooooooo, Llllllll, Nnnnnnnn, Eeeeeeeh, Ssssssss."

xv.  Now go thou to the East and make the Pentagram.  As
thou callest:
  "Jupiter" or "Zeus"
  "Iuppiter"
  "Zeus" [Zeu/s]
hurl thou His Thunderbolt through the center of the
Pentagram, and see it fly away to Infinity.

[Iuno / Hera [(/Hra] might also be appropriate for the East
(She is not an Earth Goddess), in which case you should throw
Her Cuckoo-bearing Sceptre, which represents the Celestial
Spirit nesting on the top of the World Tree.  (Zeus first came
to Hera in the form of a Cuckoo.)]

xvi.  Now with thy Staff forge thou the Fiery Ring, drawing
it from the center of the Eastern Pentagram and stretching
it to the South, where thou wilt make another Pentagram, but
call:
  "Vesta" or "Hestia"
  "Vesta" [pron. "Westa"]
  "Hestia" [(Esti/a]
and throw thou Her Burning Circle.

xvij.  Then to the West:
  "Neptune" or "Poseidon"
  "Neptunus"
  "Poseidon" [Poseidw/n]
Hurl thou His Trident.

xviij.  Then to the North:
  "Ceres" or "Demeter"
  "Ceres"  [pron. "Keres"]
  "Demeter" [Dhmh/thr]
Throw thou Her Torch.

[Pluto / Hades [(/Aidhs] would also be appropriate for the
North, in which case his Helmet of Invisibility should be
projected through the Pentagram.  Hades' name may mean "the
Unseen" ["(/Aidhs" < "a) idh/s"].]

xix.  Then draw thou the Fiery Ring back to its beginning,
so it burneth on every side.  Then will the Barrier expand
above and below until thou art surrounded by the Glowing
Sphere.

[When projecting the Four Weapons through the Pentagrams, the
practitioner might find it helpful to make an appropriate
gesture:  as though throwing a dart for Zeus's Keraunos, as
though throwing a frisbee for Hestia's Burning Ring, as though
throwing a javelin for Poseidon's Trident, as though throwing
a knife for Demeter's Torch.]


III.  Wards of the Quarters

xx.  Now raise again thy arms so thou art the Sacred Tau and,
focusing thine attention before thee (Eastward), say:
  "Before, Apollo"
  "Ante, Apollo"
  "Prosthen, Apollon"
  [Pro/sqen, )Apo/llwn]
Apollo will appear before thee in all His Glory, Bow in hand,
facing thee.  Then will He turn His back to watch the Eastern
Quarter.

[Mercurius/Hermes [(Ermh=s], with His Caduceus, would also be
appropriate for the East.]

xxi.  West:  Focusing thine attention behind thee, say:
  "Behind, Diana/Artemis"
  "Post, Diana"
  "Opisthen, Artemis"
  [)/Opisqen,  )/Artemis]
Artemis will appear with Her Bow.  Then will She turn away to
watch the West.

[Venus/Aphrodite [)Afrodi/th], arising from the waves and
holding Her Zona (Girdle), would also be appropriate for the
West.]

xxij.  South:  Focusing thine attention to thy right, say:
  "On the right, Minerva/Athena"
  "Dextra, Minerva"
  "Epidexia, Athena."
  [)Epide/cia, )Aqhna=]
Athena will appear with Her Aegis and Spear, and turn to
watch the South.

[Mars / Ares [)/Arhs] (with Shield and Sword) or Volcanus /
Hephaistos [(/Hfaistos] (with Hammer and Tongs) would also be
appropriate for the South; Mars was also an Italic vegetation
God, and so might be evoked in the North.]
xxiij.  North:  Focusing thine attention to thy left, say:
  "On the left, Bacchus/Dionysos"
  "Sinistra, Bacchus"
  "Ep' aristera, Dionusos"
  [)Ep' a)ristera/, Dio/nusos]
Dionysus will appear with His Thyrsus, and then turn to
watch the North.

[Pan [Pa/n], with His Pipes, would also be appropriate for the
North.  Pan may seem an unlikely Ward, but when Athens honored
Him and asked Him to help defend them from the Persians, he
did so (Herodt. VI.105.2-3).]

xxiv.  In thy mind, thank all the Wards of the Quarters for
Their protection.


IV.  The Macrocosm in the Microcosm

xxv.  Spread thy feet apart and assume thou the form of the
Sacred Pentagram, which Pythagoras hath called Hugieia
(Salus, Whole/Sound).  When the Pentagram flameth around
thee, say:
  "For around flameth the Pentagram."
  "Nam circa flagrat Pentagrammon."
  "Peri men gar phlegei to Pentagrammon"
  [Peri\ me\n ga\r fle/gei to\ Penta/grammon]

[If you prefer "For around flame the Pentagrams," then use:
  "Nam circa flagrant Pentagramma"
  "Peri men gar phlegousi ta Pentagramma"
  [Peri\ me\n ga\r fle/gousi ta\ Penta/gramma]
]

xxvi.  When the Sacred Hexagram shineth within thee, say:
  "And within shineth the Six-rayed Star."
  "Atque intra lucet Stella Sexradiata."
  "Entos de lampei ho Hexaktinotos Aster."
  [)Ento\s de\ la/mpei o( E(caktinwto\s )Asth/r.]

[If you prefer your Hexagram shining above rather than within,
then say "super" instead of "intra," or "Huper" [(Upe/r]
instead of "Entos."  However, I think it's better to have it
within (see the notes for the reason).]

xxvij.  The Pentagram signifieth the Microcosm, and the
Hexagram signifieth the Macrocosm.  Thus the Macrocosm
shineth within the Illuminated Microcosm.


V.  The Closing Tau Cross

xxviij.  Repeat thou the Tau Cross as it was at the beginning.

[The following alternative gestures incorporate the relation
of the elements embodied in the Hexagram:  As you recite the
text of the Tau Cross, (1) begin with arms crossed, right over
left, on your chest; (2) raise your right arm to the Celestial
Fire, (3) lower your left arm to the Watery Abyss, (4) let the
Fire draw up the Water to yield Earth, by moving your left arm
up to your chest and out to the left, the Way of Earth; (5)
let the Water draw down the Fire to yield Air, by moving your
right arm down to your chest and out to your right, the Way of
Air; (6) cross your arms over your chest, indicating the
Reconciliation, Union and Balance of the Oppositions (Bivium),
Worlds (Trivium) and Elemental Quarters (Quadrivium).  I must
admit, however, that these gestures seem somewhat awkward.]

xxix.  Thou hast made for thyself a Sacred Space at the
World's Navel.  Ascending on thy Right is the Light Path and
descending on thy Left is the Dark Path, but remember thou
that the Wise One knoweth that the Way Up and the Way Down are
the same and that together they make the one Path of Wisdom.
So must it be.

                      finis


      THE FARMER AND THE GODDESS - A MODERN STORY OF REBIRTH

The night was quiet and peaceful, with only the occasional call of
a whippoorwill to break the tranquil silence.  The Moon was an
iridescent ball of silver perched high in the heavens, illuminating
the Earth below.  The sky, a lovely shade of midnight blue, was
sparsely speckled with the twinkle of stars.  I peered out my
window, enchanted by the beauty of the night.  As my eyes wandered,
they came to rest upon the corn field - the corn field that had
broken my very heart.

In the beginning, I had worked patiently and diligently tending the
soil.  I tilled it - turning it over and over, so that the new
could surface and the old could rest.  I carefully pulled away the
weeds and the remnants of the old crop to make the field ready for
new planting.  I fertilized and nurtured it, smoothed and moistened
it.  Day after day, I toiled to make it ready.  Finally, I plowed
it into even rows and lovingly planted it.

Every day, I tended the seed and watched for new sprouts.
Tenaciously, I ripped the weeds from Earth that would rob the seeds
of the nutrients necessary for their growth.  And then one day, I
saw it - a single, solitary sprout that had pushed its way through
the soil!  Within the week, the entire field was covered with a
very thin mesh of green, and I felt a joy in my heart that words
cannot describe!  The hard work, the aching muscles, and the tender
care with which I had nurtured the field was not in vain - the
Earth which I loved had given birth, and was alive in the greening
of the seed I had sown.

Daily, I worked in the field, delighting in the growth of the corn
- revelling in its freshness - exulting in the part I had played in
its birth.  The rains came down, drenching the earth and the roots
grew deep.  The sun shone brightly on the young plants and they
grew tall, reaching for the sky.  Ears began to form on the stalks,
and all was well with the crop.

But then the drought arrived, and the rains came no more.  The sun
still beamed brightly, and the roots moved deeper and deeper into
the Earth in their desperate quest to find water.  Alas, there was
not a single drop left with which they could quench their thirst.
The once luxuriant green leaves began to yellow and wither.  The
stalks which had stood so proudly against the sky began to shrivel
and crack, and the tender ears, so newly born, dried up in death.
Yes, the corn which I had helped to birth - that which I had loved
so dearly - was gone.  Dried up.  Dead.

A tear fell from my eye as I stood looking at the field that night,
remembering.  A gentle breeze rustled through the old and withered
stalks as I wiped away the tear.  And then...I saw something!  Or
was it someone?  Slowly and silently I crept toward the corn field
to take a better look.  I felt my heart beating faster and faster,
as panic began to consume me.  After all, it was nearly midnight
and too late for visitors!  Whomever was in the field was obviously
up to no good, and I wanted them to leave immediately!  My legs
moved faster and faster - more quickly than I had dreamed they were
capable - until I was, indeed, on a dead run!  When I reached the
old oak tree that shaded the northern edge of the field, I opened
my mouth to shout my displeasure at the trespasser; however, I fell
silent as my eyes focused on the sight, and my mouth gaped wide.
For there, in the center of the corn field, was a young woman in
white - her hair as gold as the maize - glowing in the shimmering
iridescence of the moonlight!

Questions ravaged my tired brain, as I tried to assess the
situation and size up the intruder.  Who was She?  What was She
doing there?  Surely She knew She was trespassing - and most
certainly She knew that it was illegal!  As much as I wished to
call out to Her, I was mesmerized by Her very presence and found
that I could say nothing.  Helplessly, I watched as She moved
through the rows of death.  She stopped to caress a dry and
withered leaf, and then smiling, held it to her cheek.  Gently, She
reached out and wrapped Her arms about the cracked, brown stalk,
hugging it closely to Her breast.  She released the stalk and bent
down to look at one of the ears - perfectly formed, but shriveled
in its deathly demise.  Quickly, She snapped the ear from its
stalk, tugged away its husk and swiftly moved toward the outside
perimeter of the field.

Holding the ear of corn high above Her golden head, She began to
dance upon the barren Earth.  As if in slow motion, She twirled
about the outside edges of the field, as she softly hummed an
unfamiliar tune.  Round and round the field She danced, picking up
momentum as She worked Her way toward the center.  Louder and
louder She sang, the volume increasing as Her feet flew faster and
continued to spiral toward the center.  Within the matter of a few
seconds, She had become a whirling dervish - dancing with such wild
abandon that the kernels of corn were loosed from their cob, flying
helter-skelter across the field!  She glistened in the moonlight as
droplets of perspiration formed upon Her body, and in the frenzy of
Her dance, they too, were flung upon the Earth.  Her feet and voice
reached the ultimate crescendo at the center of the corn field, and
She fell upon the ground in total exhaustion.

All was silent.  The sounds of the nocturnal creatures had been
stilled.  All was enveloped in an unnatural hush - as if time
itself, had stopped.  She lay on the Earth, unbreathing, unmoving,
immobile - as still as Death, itself!  I stared at Her in horror,
the panic which I had forgotten, rushing back into my brain with
full force.  Was She alright?  Good Heavens!  Was She dead??

Finally, I gathered my wits about me, found my feet and rushed
toward the center of the corn field, where She had fallen in
collapse.  My heart beating wildly, I reached out to Her - but She
was gone!  She had disappeared into the very ether!  All that was
left in Her place was a single corn cob, void of its kernels - the
kernels which had flung from their resting place in the midst of
the Lady's spiral dance.

The sun was shining hotly on my face as I rubbed my sleepy eyes
into total alertness.  Where was I?  This didn't feel like my bed!
What was causing this blinding light?  I was soaked to the bone!
Just what the hell was happening here?  Cautiously, I opened my
eyes and surveyed my surroundings.  To my dismay, I was lying
smack-dab in the middle of the corn field and my head was resting
in a rather large mud puddle.  Clenched tightly in my fist, like
some precious jewel in need of protection, was a solitary corn cob.
I scrambled to my feet and tried in desperation to collect my
thoughts.  What was I doing here?  Had I lost my mind?

And then...I remembered!  I remembered the cornfield in the
moonlight - the Lady and the dance.  I also remembered how Her
drops of perspiration had dropped to the ground in the frenzy of
Her movements.  I looked at my feet and the Earth beneath them.
Joy and wonder rose in my heart.  It had rained!  Merciful Heavens!
It had rained - the Earth was soaked with moisture - the drought
was over!

Gleefully, I ran through the cornfield, feeling my bare toes dig
into the wet Earth - the same Earth which had been so cracked and
dry and barren just yesterday.  I ran in joy.  I ran in ecstasy.  I
ran in sheer celebration of the soil's return to richness - and
then, I stopped dead in my tracks.  Something was amiss.  Something
had changed.  Something was quite unlike it had been before.
Scanning the field, I realized that it was once again covered with
delicate green mesh of newly sprouting corn!  In awe, I reached
down to cradle a newly-formed sprout and as my fingers touched the
verdant green leaf, a feminine voice began to speak:

    "You were born of me!  You are my child and at death you shall
    return to me.  Fear not of death, dear one, for within its
    realm I shall bring you new life!  Just as the corn lives again
    - so shall it be with you!  For all that falls shall rise
    again, and that which dies shall be blessed with the gift of
    rebirth - the gift of My love!"

-Kalioppe-

 The Chocolate Ritual 
By: Buckmeister  Thu 30 Sep 93

Materials required: On the altar there are brown candles; a Tootsie Roll 
(the great big one-as the athame); a large glass with milk in it,(the 
chalice); a small dish of Nestle's Quick and a spoon; a small dish of 
chocolate sprinkles; a plate of cupcakes and some Yoo-Hoo along with a 
goblet.

CLEANSE THE SACRED SPACE:

(Take the small bowl of chocolate sprinkles)
Chocolate sprinkles where thou art cast No calories in thy presence last. 
Let no fat adhere to me And as I will So Mote It BE!

Nestle's Quick where thou art cast Turn this milk to chocolate, fast. Let 
all good things come to me, and make my milk all chocolatey!

CAST THE CIRCLE(using a toosie roll):

CALL THE QUARTERS:

Mousse of the East, Fluffy one! great prince of the palace of dessert. Be 
present, we pray thee, And guard this circle from all moochers Approaching 
from the East.

Fondue of the South, Molten One! Great prince of the palace decadence. Be 
present we pray thee, and guard this circle from all diet Approaching from 
the South.

Cocoa of the West, Satisfying One! Great prince of the palace of thirst. 
Be present we pray thee, And guard this circle from all carob Approaching 
from the West.

Rocky Road of the North, Cold One! Great prince of the palace of crunchy. 
Be present we pray thee, And guard this circle from all cheap imitations 
Approaching from the North.

MAIN RITUAL:

HANDMAIDEN(Henceforth known as the Swiss Miss): Listen to the words of the 
Mother of Chocolate; who was of old called; Godiva, Ethel M, Sara Lee, 
Nestle, Mrs. See, and by many other names:

    HPS:  Whenever you have one of those cravings, once in a while and 
better it be when your checkbook is full, then shall you assemble in a 
great public place and bring offerings of money to the spirit of Me, who 
is Queen of all Goodies.

    In the Mall shall you assemble, you who have eaten all your chocolate 
and are hungry for more.  To you I shall bring Good Things for your 
tongue.

    And you shall be free from depression, and as a sign that you are 
truly free, you shall have chocolate smears on your cheeks, and you shall 
munch, nosh, snack, feast, and make yummy noises, all in my presence.  For 
mine is the ecstacy of phenylalanine(FEEN-EL-AL-A-NEEN), and mine is also 
the Joy on Earth, yea, even into High Orbit for my law is "Melts in your 
mouth, not in your hand."

    Keep clean your fingers, carry Wet Ones always, let none stop you 
aside. For mine is the secret that opens your mouth, and mine is the taste 
that puts a smile on your lips and comfy padding pounds on your hips.

    I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of joy unto the tummies 
of men and women.  Upon earth, I give knowledge of all things delicious, 
and beyond death.......well, I can't do much there.  Sorry about that.

    I demand only your money in sacrifice; for behold, chocolate is a 
business and you have to pay for those truffles before you eat them.

    SWISS MISS:  Hear now the words of the Goodie Goddess, she in the dust 
of whose feet are the cheap imitations, whose body graces candy racks and 
finer stores everywhere:

    I, who am the beauty of chocolate chips, and the sastifying softness 
of big bars, the mystery of how they ge the filling inside of truffles, 
and fill the hearts of all but Philistines with desire, call unto thy soul 
to arise and come unto me.  For I am the soul of candy; from me do all 
confections spring, and unto me all of you shall return, again.... and 
again....and again...... and again.

    Before my smeared face, beloved of Women and Men, thine innermost 
divine self shall be enfolded in the rapture of overdose.

    Let my taste be within thy mouth that rejoices.  For behold, all acts 
of yumminess and pleasure are my rituals.  Therefore let there be 
gooeyness and mess, crispness and crackling, big slabs and bite size 
peices, peanut butter and chocolate covered cherries all within you.

    And you who think to seek me, know that your seeking and yearning 
shall avail you not unless you know the Mystery; "We shall sell no 
chocolate until you pay for it."

    For behold; I have been with you since you were just a baby, and I  am 
that which is attained at nearly any shop in the land.

    Messed Be.

    SWISS MISS:  Hear now the words of the Chocolate God, who was called
Ghirardelli, Milton Snavely Hershey, Bosco, Fudgesicle, and by many other 
names.

    HP:  I am the strength of the candy rack, and the peice that fell on 
the floor, but looks like it might not have gotten too dirty, and the 
deepest bitterness of dark chocolate.  No matter how you try to resist the 
call of chocolate, I will hunt you out and I will become your sacred prey.  
I am warmth of hot cocoa in the dead of winter, and the call of the road 
that leads you to that really expensive Godiva store downtown.

    I give you my creatures, the fire of love of chocolate, the power of 
jaw strength to bite off a piece of that frozen Milky Way bar, and the 
shelter of Haagen Daz when that big date didn't work out. You are dear to 
me, and I instill in you my power of a piece of chocolate that you had 
forgotten you had hidden, and the power of vision and magickal sight with 
which you can spot a candy counter a mile away.

    By the powers of the half melted bar in the glorious sun, I charge 
you, by the darkest depths of the bottom of the cocoa pot and lingering 
smell of bittersweet chocolate, I charge you, and by the beauty of a 
perfectly swirled vanilla butter cream, I charge you.

    Follow your heart and your instinct, wherever they lead you.  The 
wealth in your pocket can buy you treats that a Mayan king would envy.  
Take joy in that first bite of lecithin emulsfied cocoa, and in the last 
satisfying slurp of Yoo-Hoo.  Yet you must be wary of deciet.  Eat not of 
that which is called "Baking Chocolate" for it is vile and bitter.

    Lastly, always remember to leave some chocolate behind you.  Be not 
greedy, but let yourself be known as a connoisseur.  Leave a little for 
someone else.

    I am with you always, just over your shoulder, or around the next 
corner. I am the Lord of Chocolate, and when you have reached the end of 
your hoard, I will never be farther away from you that that 7-Eleven on 
the corner.  I am the spirit of the Wild Child; the Inner Child who can 
never get quite enough.  If you are a true chocolate lover, then your soul 
and mine are interwined.

    CUPCAKES & YOO-HOO:

    (The blessing of the Yoo-Hoo)

    HP:   Be it known that milk chocolate is not better that dark 
chocolate.

    HPS:  Nor is dark chocolate better than milk chocolate.

    HP:   For both are better than the falsely named "White     
Chocolate."

    HPS:  And neither one is carob.

    HP:   As the frosting is to the cupcake.

    HPS:  So the creamy nougat is to the Milky Way Bar.

    BOTH: And when they are eaten, they are yummy in truth, for there is 
no greater snack in all the world than one made of chocolate.

    (The blessing of the cupcakes)

    HP:   Frosting is keen,

    HPS:  And the frosting is neat.

    BOTH: Great Goddess!  Let's eat!

    Feasting and drinking(chocolate liquer, if possible), music and     
dance.

    Dismiss Quarters.

    HPS:   Oh, ye mighty goodies of the _______________, We thank you for 
attending our rites and guarding our circle and ere you depart for your 
sweet and sticky realms, We say unto you, "N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestles makes 
the very best."

    ALL:   "Chooooc-laaate."

    (After all the quarters have been dismissed, give a final, satisfying 
belch at the East.)

    Close circle.

               AUDIENCE WITH THE KEEPER OF WISDOM

      I sat on the cobblestone bridge, listening to the ancient song of 
the rushing waters in the brook below and contemplating the day's events.  
I had awakened this morning with the strange anticipation and wariness 
that generally accompanies the prediction of important occurrences in 
one's life.  All day, I had gone about my usual routine, waiting and 
watching for something out of the ordinary - but to no avail.  There had 
been nothing of signifance...just another normal day filled with the dull 
mundanity of household chores, grocery shopping and bill paying.  Nothing 
more.

      I let out a heavy sigh, and turned my attention to the sheep grazing 
in the lush meadow. I pondered their lives and wondered if they ever felt 
the same anticipation I had experienced this morning.  I smiled at the 
foolishness of my thoughts, knowing full well that the creatures of the 
field were content enough in the simpleness which life had to offer - 
ample food and water was all they required.  No, the peaceful flock below 
couldn't be bothered with such nonsense.  Maybe I should follow their lead 
and just turn my thoughts to the more mundane
side of life.

      Looking down at my feet as they dangled over the rushing water, I 
became aware of the myriad of color that was reflected from the setting 
sun.  Mesmerized by the beauty of the kaleidoscopic dance, I watched 
intently as the oranges, reds and purples whirled and twirled with each 
other on the surface of the brook.  The rich shades of the sunset 
gradually faded into pastels and then, the irridescence of shimmering 
silver.   An owl hooted nearby, jolting me fully back into reality.  Good 
Goddess! Night had fallen!  How long had I been there, lost in the 
absurdity of human thought?  Obviously much too long, from the looks of 
things.

      I hurriedly scrambled to my feet, shivering as I gathered my shawl 
about my shoulders. The night had turned cool and damp, and the misty veil 
of fog was rolling into the valley at a rapid pace.  The delicate breeze 
of early day had been replaced a heavy west wind, and my hair was whipping 
about my face and shoulders.  Great!  There was going to be a storm, and 
here I was - in the middle of nowhere - likely to be caught in it!

      As I neared the end of the bridge, I realized that it was too late.  
The fog had settled into a mist so dense and heavy, that I couldn't see my 
hand in front of my face.  There was no use in searching for cover, as the 
visibility factor was nil.  Aside from that, it was quite dangerous to 
wander blindly through the valley mists - even folks who knew the valley 
territory very well knew better than to try it.  Several years earlier, 
one of the area residents had been caught in the steamy vapors while in 
search of a missing lamb, and had been found hours later - miles from the 
valley - still wandering about looking for his home.  I cursed under my 
breath as I settled back onto the bridge to wait out the fog.

      No sooner than I'd gotten situated, the fog began to dissipate 
nearly as quickly as it had descended.  The wind was still blowing in 
fierce gusts, but at least now, I reasoned, I should be able to find my 
way home.  Without another thought, I hurried across the bridge and onto 
the path below.  From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the 
silvery moonlight reflected on the water. Suddenly, I realized that 
something was wrong - genuinely wrong!  The brook had ceased to run!
Disbelieving, I rubbed my eyes and looked again.  No, I wasn't seeing 
things!  Despite the heavy winds and the decline of its course, the 
surface of the brook hadn't so much as a ripple. Goddess!  The surface was 
as smooth as glass!  Shock!  That was it - I must be in shock!  I began to 
conjure all sorts of excuses as to why my eyes were playing tricks on me.

      But then...it happened!  The winds began to blow from all four 
directions at once, their forces concentrated at the center of the still 
and lifeless brook.  A bit of mist was caught up in the forces of the gale 
- twirling this way and that, becoming larger in size and stronger in 
density - until all at once, the winds were hushed in deathly silence.  
There She stood - a beautiful and terrible visage - atop the glassy water.  
Robed and Hooded.  Dark and black. Faceless.  It was She!  The Devourer of 
Souls.  The Keeper of Wisdom.  She Who stirred the Cauldron of Rebirth.  
The Shapeshifter.  I shivered in fear and anticipation.

      From beneath the hood, She gazed upon me with the invisible eyes 
that saw all.  Silently, She fixed Her eyes on mine and bade me not to 
turn away.  Deeper and deeper into Her eyes I went.  Deeper.  Deeper 
still.  A myriad of jewel-tone colors began to swirl in my very being - 
faster, darker, brighter - until I was the color and it was me!  I began 
to feel ill. I knew I should turn away, but Her strength was such that I 
seemed incapable of the slightest movement. Just when I thought I would 
faint from terror, there was a tumultuous clap of thunder and I realized 
that it was too late.  Goddess!  My entire being had been
consumed by Hers!

      The world began to change around me, and I found myself suddenly 
back in time.  I witnessed firsthand the Tale of the Taliesin - which 
heretofore I had always thought a mere fairytale - and watched in horror 
as the Three Drops of Wisdom flew from the Cauldron and spilled onto Gwion 
Bach, imbuing him with infinite knowledge.  I was taken on the frenzied 
chase between Cerridwen and Gwion, and felt my mortal body contort and 

twist with every shape that was shifted.  As the greyhound, I tracked the 
hare who was Gwion.  My muscles flexed again, and I dove into the water as 
the otter, chasing the salmon who just moments before, had been the hare. 
Gwion then took to the sky as a sparrow, and in flight, I swiftly pursued 
him as the hawk.  I watched knowingly as Gwion, thinking himself quite 
safe, smugly turned himself into a single grain of wheat.  And it was I, 
who in sorrow and pleasure, shifted into the black hen and supped upon 
that grain.  I felt the swell of pregnancy and the pains of labor as I 
delivered the new-born babe.  For the very first time, I began to 
understand...*really* understand!

      Suddenly, I was once again caught up in the rapid whirl of color. 
There was a blinding streak of blue-black lightning and after a moment of 
excruciating pain, I was hurled forcefully from the essence of the Goddess 
and back into my own!  So frightening and traumatic was this experience, I 
wasn't really sure whether I was alive or dead!  I drew a long breath, 
blinked my eyes and gingerly flexed my toes.  Apparently, I was allright 
and everything seemed to be working okay!  I quickly dusted myself off and 
got to my feet.

      We stood looking at each other - I from the bank, and She from her 
realm atop the water. Unexpectedly, She opened Her hand and held it out to 
me.  Inside were three drops of liquid, sparkling like diamonds in the 
night.  She tossed Her hand to the North, and one of the drops splashed 
into the water, forming a very large circle - the Circle of Causes and 
Necessity.  I drank of  its earthy waters and tasted the poignant flavor 
of lessons learned, as pieces of my life flashed before my eyes.

      She cast a second drop to the West, and a smaller circle appeared:  
The Circle of Blessedness.  As I carefully sipped of its waters, my spirit 
left my body and for a split second, stood on the water facing the Wisdom 
Keeper before re-entering its physical realm.

      The third drop, She flung cautiously to the East.  From it, too, a 
circle materialized - though much smaller than the rest: The Circle of the 
Infinite.  As I bent to partake of its knowledge, She stopped me with Her 
upraised hand.  I understood.  Gently, I dipped my finger into the waters, 
and for a moment saw all the knowlege that is and ever will be!

      At that very moment, She raised Her hands skyward and Her form 
shifted into that of a great red dragon.   Opening Her arms, She moved to 
the South and lovingly gathered all three circles to Her breast.  The 
winds gusted from all four directions again, their forces centered toward 
the spot where She stood.  I watched as She twirled furiously in the wind 
and in a matter of seconds, She was gone.  The winds died quickly to a 
gentle breeze.  The brook which had been so deathly still, quickly burst 
forth with new life.  All was as it had been.

      It was just after daybreak, and the promise of a new beginning was 
well underway.  I sat on the cobblestone bridge to contemplate with awe 
and wonder the night's events.  I felt exhilarated, happy and humbled all 
at once!  I had been visited by the She, The Stirrer of the Cauldron.  I 
had been devoured and rebirthed again from Her body!  I was newly alive 
with the mysteries she had unfolded to me!  I finally understood!  I 
jumped up from my seat and blew a kiss to the Triple Goddess in 
thanksgiving, then happily skipped across the bridge.

      As I neared the path toward home, the sheep were being let into the 
meadow for their morning repast.  One of them had strayed from the flock 
and seemed to be coming in my direction. I walked toward him in an effort 
to herd him back to the others, and as I grew near, he raised his head and 
looked at me.  Stroking him gently, I looked into his eyes and saw a 
strange look - an odd look - a look of anticipation and wariness.

-Kalioppe-

                          IMBOLG RITUAL

Two women are selected to represent the Maiden and the Crone. 
the Priestess will represent the Mother.

The members of the group should bring with them the candles which
they will use for the year for blessing.

The altar is at the Northeast and is covered with a white cloth.
Evergreens are used as decoration.  A basket filled with tiny
bundles of straw or wheat rests on the altar [there should be one
bundle for every person participating in the ritual], as well as
two (2) white candles.  A black ribbon at least twelve (12)
inches in length is placed in the basket.  A single white flower
tied with a white ribbon (to symbolize Bride) and the wand rest
together in front of the altar.  Four (4) white candles stand
between the quarter candles.  The cauldron is placed at the
South, and a white candle is situated inside.  A dark colored
scarf or shawl (for the Crone) and a bouquet of flowers (for the
Maiden) are on the altar, as well as a single white taper (for
the Mother).

Full Circle is cast.

The two women prepare "Bride's Bed."  The MAIDEN and the CRONE
pick up the flower and the wand respectively, and take them to
the center of the Circle.  They place the flower and the wand
side by side in the center of the Circle, with the heads toward
the altar.  They place the altar candles on either side of the
"bed" and light the candles.

The two women and the Priestess stand around the bed and say
together three times:

               The Maiden comes to bring us light!
               The Winter dies, and all is bright!
               The frozen ground shall disappear -
            And all shall sprout, for Spring is near!
                                

The Priestess now summons the two women, and the three of them
stand in front of the altar, assuming their Triple-Goddess roles.
The MAIDEN kisses the Priestess (MOTHER) on both cheeks and hands
her a white candle.  The CRONE lights the MOTHER's taper.  The
CRONE stands to her left.  The MAIDEN drapes the shawl over the
CRONE'S head and shoulders.  The MAID stands to the MOTHER'S
right and picks up the bouquet of flowers.  The PRIESTESS says:

                 Behold the three-fold Goddess;
                   Maiden, Mother, and Crone;
                  She is one - yet She is three
                       Together and Alone
                Summer comes not - without Spring
             Without Summer, comes no Winter chill;
              Without the Winter, Spring isn't born
               The Three, life's cycles, fulfill!

The Charge of the Goddess is then recited.  After the recitation
is finished the Priestess says:
                  Now let us celebrate Imbolc!

The MAIDEN picks up the besom and makes her way SLOWLY deosil
around the inside edges Circle, ritually sweeping it clear of all
that which is old, useless and unnecessary.  MOTHER and CRONE
walk behind her in stately procession.  While sweeping, the MAID
says:

                With this besom filled with power
                   Sweep away the old and sour
                  Sweep away the chill of death
              As Winter draws its last cold breath
                    Round, round, round about
                 Sweep the old and useless out!

The Maiden replaces the besom and the women resume their places
in front of the altar.  The MAIDEN picks up the basket of straw
bundles and presents each member of the group with one.  The
CRONE goes to the South, kneels before the cauldron and lights
the candle inside.  She explains to the group that the bundles of
straw which they have been given are symbolic of Winter and
Death, but also that any negativity with which they are charged
will be burned along with it.  A few moments of silence are
allowed so that each person may charge their bundle with their
own negative thoughts, habits and shortcomings.  The CRONE then
collects the bundles, walking widdershins.  She then ties the
bundles together with the black ribbon, lights the "community
straw man" and places him in the cauldron to burn, saying:

                    Thus we melt the Winter!
                 And warm the breath of Spring!
                  We bid adieu to what is dead,
                  And greet each living thing.
                     Thus we banish Winter!
                     Thus we welcome Spring!

The Rite of Cakes and Wine is appropriate at this time.  All
members have libation, sit and relax and visit amongst
themselves.

When libation is finished, the MAIDEN collects candles from the
coveners to be blessed for use during the coming year, placing
them in a basket.  The basket is placed on the altar.  The
PRIESTESS says:

             I bless thee creatures of wax and light
                   Casting out all negativity
               Serve your purpose, flaming bright
                Infused with magic, you shall be

                Instruments of light and strength
                 Wick and wax though you may be
                I give you life of needed length
                      To aid in creativity!

        In the Names of the Lord and Lady, so mote it be!
The candles are then redistributed to the coven members.  The
Priestess says:

As we close this celebration of Imbolg, let each of us find joy
in the power of the returning Sun!  As each new day dawns and the
light of day becomes brighter and stronger, remember that your
inner light should burn as brightly.  Feel the changes in the
earth around you, as the chill of Winter recedes and all sprouts
in the greeness of fresh, new life.  Remember the wonder you felt
as you awakened from Maidenhood to Womanhood - from Boyhood to
Manhood.  Relive the joy of that awakening and heal any emotional
scars you may have!  Breathe deeply of the harmony of the Earth's
new life and and rejoice in your own!

Dearest Bride, Maiden of all that is fresh and new, we warmly
thank you for attending our Rite of Imbolc.  As this Circle is
dissolved, we ask that you guide us in our new beginnings and
inspire us with the fresh creativity that you bring to all life.

Routine dissolution.

Outdoor libation to the Lord and Lady.

                           -Kalioppe-
                          812 Courtney
                       Sikeston, MO  63801
This ritual was written at a time when I did not have a
qualified Priest in my group.  However, it may easily be adapted
for those groups in which the Priestess and Priest work
together.  It may be just as easily adapted to solitary work.

                         SAMHAIN RITUAL

Place an apple and pomegranate upon the altar.  There should
also be a "planted" pot of earth for each participant - these
may be arranged on the altar as well, if there is ample space. 
Instruments of divination may be placed within the Circle
perimeter for use during the ritual if you wish.  Arrange the
altar as usual and decorate with Autumn leaves, pumpkins, etc.

The Circle is cast and purified the Circle in the usual manner. 
Dancing around the Circle in a shuffle step (deosil), all chant
three times:

          The Moon is bright, the Crone is old
          The body lifeless - the bones so cold
          We all live and pay our dues
          To die in ones and threes and twos.

          Death, dance and play the harp
          Piercing silence in the dark
          The Woman's old with withered limbs
          Death beckons Her to dance with Him

          As She accepts the Dance of Death
          The Earth is cooled by ghostly breath
          To lie in dormancy once more
          To have Her strength and life restored

Go to the Western Quarter and draw an invoking pentagram with
the athame to open the gate.  Then evoke the dead by saying:

          All ye spirits who walk this night -
          Hearken! Hearken to my call!
          I bid you in our Circle join!
          Enter! Enter - one and all!

          Come ye, spirits of the dead:
          Be ye spirit of plant or pet
          Or human being who still roams!
          Into this Circle you are let!

          Speak to us of things unknown!
          Lend your energies to this rite!
          To speed your journey, we have joined
          On this sacred Samhain night!

          All ye spirits who walk this night -
          Hearken! Hearken to my call!
          I bid you in our Circle join!
          Enter! Enter - one and all!

Bestow blessings upon the dead, saying:

          Oh Mighty Pan of the Summerlands:
          Guardian of the beloved dead
          We pour forth love on those you keep
          Safely, in your peaceful stead
          We bless those who have walked the path
          That someday, we as well, shall rove
          We offer peace unto their souls
          While resting in your arms, below

Now is the time for divination (Ouija Board, pendulum, cards,
etc.) and communication with those who have gone on before us. 
Allow plenty of time for this.  [Note:  I have found that it is
helpful to have a tape recorder handy within the Circle for
recording any communications that may be "channeled" during this
time.  Some people disagree with this suggestion, saying that
the metal of this electronic device causes scattered energies in
the Circle; however, if the recorder has been cleansed and
purified as the rest of the ritual tools, the problem seems to
be resolved.]

When the divinatory processes are completed, the Priestess goes
to the Western Quarter and draw the banishing pentagram, saying:

      Blessings be upon thee, oh wondrous Spirits of the
      Summerlands. We humbly thank thee for your presence in our
      Circle and honor you in celebration this sacred night.  We
      beseech thee, oh Pan, keeper of the sacred dead, embrace
      once again those souls within your keep and hold tightly
      to your breast those which have been lost and wandering. 
      Grant them safe passage to the Summerland, where they may
      rest peacefully in your strength until they are refreshed
      and reborn again in perfect love.  We bid thee all a fond
      farewell.  So mote it be!

The gate is now closed.

The Priestess goes to the altar and hold up the pomegranate,
saying:

          Behold the pomegranate, fruit of Life ...

The athame is plunged into the pomegranate, splitting it open to
display the seeds.  She says:

          Whose seeds lie in the dormancy of Death!

The Priestess eats one of the seeds, saying:

          I Taste the seeds of Death.

The pomegranate is then passed hand to hand through the
participants of the ritual, each eating a seed and saying to the
next person, "Taste the seeds of Death."

The Priestess then holds up the apple, saying:

          Behold the apple: fruit of wisdom, fruit of Death...

She then cuts the apple crosswise, saying:

          Whose symbolism rewards us with life eternal!

She holds up the apple, displaying the inner pentagram, and
says:

          Behold the five-fold star - the promise of rebirth!

Consecrate the fruit and wine.  Each person then tastes of the
apple and sips the wine, saying to the next person:

          Taste the fruit of rebirth and sip from the cup
          of wine of Life.

After libation, the Priestess presents each member of the group
with a small pot of earth, planted with three seeds [preferably
rue or lavendar].  She briefly explains to the group that this
is the season of the seed - it is a time of dormancy, but also a
time of re-generation for growth.  Further, as the seed rests in
the earth, they should also take time to rest and re-evaluate
their lives, metaphorically planting only those values which
will enrich and enhance the growth within the Divine Self.  She
then instructs them to name the seeds within their pots with
three values they wish to incorporate into their lives, knowing
that as the seeds sprout with new life, their lives will be new,
as well.

After the presentation, all join hands and hold them skyward.

PRIESTESS    Thus is the Circle of Rebirth.
             All pass from this life through the great god, Pan              
But through My love you are all reborn
             In the cycles of nature - through the Cosmic Plan.

             In living we die - in dying we live
             The fruit is first seed, yet seed comes from the
                             fruit
             In the mystery of life and death and rebirth
             The Circle turns ever, and I am its root.

ALL RESPOND     The Sun conceived in Darkness, cold
                In the Shadow of Death, a Life unfolds
                A shred of Light begins to burn
                From Death comes Life - the Circle turns.

Dismiss Quarters and Dissolve Circle.

PRIESTESS      The rite is ended.

ALL       Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!

Outdoor libation to the Lord and Lady, and the spirits of the
dead.

                           -Kalioppe-
             A BRIEF ASSESSMENT OF NEOPAGAN THEOLOGY
  (As offered by Cyprian at the Pan-Pagan Festival August, 1980

CREATION...

Physicists currently interpret physical creation, that is, the
universe as we know it, as having occurred within a time span o
about three minutes...the "Big Bang."  Our physical universe is
thought to have been created with the explosion of a hyper-dense
particle which contained every bit of matter and energy that now
exists in the universe, including the matter which forms our
living bodies as we meet here today.  This hyper-dense super
molecule also is thought to have been quite small.  Dr. Leon
Friedman, director of the FermiLab near Chicago, has indicated it
may have ben no larger than a basket ball.  Into this "ball" was
jammed all matter and all energy in our universe.  It remained
there until some creative force, some creative urge, disrupted
the status of this primal "egg" and set into being the universe
as we know it.  this event occurred with the so-called "Big
Bang," echoes of which have been detected by scientific
instruments.

Our interpretation of the nature of this creative force or
creative urge is opposed to that of Judeo-Christianity in that we
perceive it as feminine...they see it as masculine.  We hold that
pre-creation was feminine and this divergence in concept of first
Things, creation, forever separates our Neopagan world-view from
the Judeo-Christians.  Briefly consider this, and you may want to
dwell upon it later, our Goddess, of Her own will, receives Her
consort, the God whom she created, and from Their union our
creation is ever revived and sustained.  The Christian reviver
and sustainer, on the other hand, was conceived in a most
singular manner.  The omnipotent God sent a neuter third party
messenger, and angel, to announce to a virgin that she was
pregnant with the child, Jesus.  So there.  Zap!  What a
put-down!  What revival and sustenance can we find in such a
sterile and asexual concept?  Even masculine old Zeus copulated
with human females so at least somebody got some fun out of the
process!  What we Neopagans find difficult to understand is why
Judeo-Christianity so vehemently turned its back on sex and not
just sex as a physical act but also sex as a gender,
specifically, sex as a feminine gender.

When we seek to deal with Creation we also must situate our place
as human beings within the totality of Creation.  The orthodox
Judeo-Christian view gives humans a special place within
Creation; that is, that we are not part of general creation but a
special creation..."Man was created in the image of God"...and
the rest of creation is our plaything..."Yours is the earth and
everything on it."  There is no need to expound upon our
rejection of these two fundamental points:  of course we are not
created in any special way, any more than is a rock or a tree or
a raccoon or a galaxy, nor do we have dominion over anything.  We
are a part of general creation along with every other particle of
matter in the universe.

I hope you grasp the vast difference this makes; it forever
separates us from the Judeo-Christian heritage and it s a gulf
that cannot be bridged.  They must forever consider themselves
special and we must forever consider ourselves general and one
with creation.  And it is given to us to look at a grain of sand
and in that grain see the sum total of creation and to see
ourselves as part of it and to gibe thanks for the creative force
of the Goddess and Her consort that sustains this creation.

CHAOS...

With Chaos, as with so many other concepts, we must think on at
least two levels, the physical and the mythical, to come to any
sort of understanding of ourselves and what we really believe
about our place in creation.  And it is this belief, this
understanding that is the ultimate determination of how we live
as human beings upon this beautiful Earth.  That is what we
Neopagans are trying to do right now:  learn to think differently
that Western man has thought in nearly two-thousand years in
order that we may live in a renewed relationship with creation. 
It is an exciting adventure.

Before there was form, there was Chaos.  We may well suppose
Chaos represents the disordered formlessness of matter and energy
in that initial "Big Bang" of the primordial egg in those first
three minutes when creation began.  Mythologically, we see this
formlessness as before the Earth and Sky were separated, as
before the four elements, actually the four states of matter, had
coalesced into their separate forms.  The myths speak darkly of
this time, of the births of the Titans, Cyclops and 100-handed
monsters, of a father who devours his own young...what better way
to represent Chaos!

We may assume, too, we have our own dark and personal counterpart
to this primal Chaos.  Is it that black win that whips at the
raveled edge o sanity?  I believe our ancestors felt far more
keenly than we can understand in this present age a constant fear
that what order they had managed to being to their lives, indeed,
what order they could see in creation around them, would suddenly
collapse and they would be plunged into chaos and madness.  Greek
myths are redolent with stories of madness and possession.  Even
great Heracles fell victim.  It is no wonder, then, the gods of
chaos are said to have been chained beneath the Earth, castrated,
even devoured.  But they still live, they still can escape. 
Brrr!

And to some degree, escape they have from time to time.  How else
can we account for the chaos of war, of a Hitler, a Napoleon, a
Viet Nam?

Modern psychology recognizes the chaotic madness that dwells in
all of us, ever ready to pounce and destroy.  We may think of it
as a chained and raging primal demi-god, that psychologists
probably use more scientific language but when that chain snaps,
the result is the same; concentration camps, starvation, and on
and on.  History is too full of such dismal lists.  There is no
need to go on with a recitation or horrors.

But that does turn us at once to the next topic...the
consideration of evil.

EVIL...

Every religion, great and small, has had to wrestle with the
problem of evil because evil poses a fundamental question:  how
can an all-omnipotent god who is all good permit evil to
exist?...and this is whether you interpret evil as some dark
malevolent Satan or whether you see it as death camps, war,
starvation or whatever.

Judeo-Christian theologians have wrestled with the problem of
evil since the very beginnings of the Judeo-Christian faith. 
When boiled down, all the more reasonable answers go something
like this:  The all-powerful God permits evil to exist so that
man, who is created in God's image, may have a choice between
good and evil.  Ultimately, in the Last Days, evil will be
defeated and woe betide those who made the wrong choice!  At
first glance this seems satisfactory but we Neopagans cannot
accept it because it sets man apart, as being different from the
rest of creation.  This is absolutely contrary to what we
believe.  We hold that man is VERY MUCH a natural part of
creation and we have no special place in it.  We have no more
choice between good and evil than the stars or a bumblebee.

To the non-Pagan, then, who asks us to explain the existence of
evil we must give a two-fold reply:  one, we are not special
creatures so we cannot truly know what evil is or if it even
exists; that which we perceive with our limited faculties as evil
may not be evil at all within the creative scheme. Two, our
three-fold Goddess is possessed of a dark visage, the Hag, which
we no more understand than we do the Lusting Nymph or the Loving
Mother-Creator.  The Hag, the Old Woman who lays us out and
prepares our remains for the journey to the Land behind the North
Wind, is no "Satan" but an integral part of the creative process,
which we see as our three-fold Goddess.

If we are pressed hard enough, at the end we must say a Hitler, a
Vietnam war, a starving child are all part of the creative
process although we cannot pretend to know exactly how or why.

We must confess, too, that a statement we simply don't know and
cannot know the nature of evil is easily interpreted as a
cop-out.  This is not rue in our case, though, because we do not
believe in special creation, that is, man is not a special
creature molded in the image of the Creator and sharing the
Creator's mind.  No, man is simply a part of the overall creative
urge and therefore it is not given to us to know good and evil
anymore than it is to my two cat friends, Buzz and Fang.

But the problem of what we think of as evil is not resolved by
casting it aside with a simplistic explanation we are not given
to know what it is...although we Neo-Pagans, I think, pretty
generally agree this is a true statement.  But just because it is
true does not put the question to rest.  There is another
approach, however, and this approach to the problem makes a lot
of ultimate sense for us Neo-Pagans.

As stated earlier, the astro-physicists and we agree on the
probable pre-creation existence of a super-molecule or, in
mythical terms, a "world egg."  This egg exploded to create the
universe, Creation, as we know it.  If we accept this cosmology,
and it makes sense with our mythos, then we must also accept the
fact there is only a finite amount of matter and energy in
creation.  There can be no "new" matter or energy, only matter
and energy that have been recycled.  And were not only matter and
energy re-cycled and interchanged then we would run out of matter
and energy and creation would reach a state of status wherein
matter and energy were forever locked in cold sterility.  Don't
we, in fact represent this constant play-interplay of matter and
energy as the reviving and renewing union of the Goddess and Her
consort?

Even more germane to our problem of evil; may that which we
perceive so dimly as evil actually be an essential part of this
re-cycling of matter/energy?  If so, then we have the key example
of our Wiccan/Neopagan belief in BALANCE.  That is, creative
forces must be balanced by destructive forces in order to
preserve the interplay between matter and energy...and we
represent this by the copulation of the Goddess and Her consort.

Perhaps we shouldn't fear our Goddess as Hag nor run in fear when
Pan tosses his horns and roars.  Perhaps dimly we can understand
life and death, construction and destruction, the coming together
and the tearing apart, are necessary to sustain Creation.
 
SIN...

The true nature of sin generally is misunderstood in Western
society and has been for many centuries...one is tempted to
suspect, by design.  Sin does not involve right and wrong or good
and bad; these are moral and ethical concepts.  Sin concerns
itself with man's deliberate and willful separation from God and
man's disobedience of the Law.  The Law is that agreement
established between man and God:  "I'll do this if you'll do
that."  Although all the major religions and even the so-called
primitive religions deal with concepts which my be equated with
sin, only Christianity has developed sin to a fine art...indeed,
it may be the single pivotal idea which not only separates
Christianity from our Paganism but also from the rest of the
religious world.  Obviously, the "sin and guilt" trip has paid
pretty good dividends within the Judeo-Christian heritage.  But
these dividends have been garnered at a terrible, terrible price.

We Wiccans and Neopagans may be almost alone in rejecting the
concept of sin.  Yet, we must reject it if we are to follow
logically our view of creation and our place in it.  Put it
together this way; can a tree sin? no, it can only be a tree; can
your cat sin? no, he can only be a cat; can a human sin? no, he
can only be a human.  In other words, none of us can be wither
more or less than our creation.  Now, remember what we said about
general creation.  If we accept this idea of general creation,
that we are no different from the other life around us, then we
are just as incapable of true sin as the tree or the cat, we can
only be what we are...human.  To accept the idea of sin means you
must also accept the idea of special creation, that our human
race is somehow special and god-like and therefore is capable of
sin, and if you think so then you are in the wrong pew.

It seems almost blasphemous to me to think our Goddess would in
some way create us flawed and imperfect...creatures somehow able
to deny our own creation...did She create the tree imperfect, or
your cat?  Then why should we be???  We are created as humans to
be humans and we should find joy in that fact, not sin.

This is the great freedom of Wicca and Neopaganism; that we are
free of sin and its guilt trip...that we are left with the
admonition that all joy, all mirth, all pleasure are our Goddess'
rites.

Fully stated, our Rede declares, "An' it harm none, do what thou
wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

Law, in this usage and as we've mentioned, refers to the
relationship between Man and god and this Rede, then, is in total
keeping with our contention that man is not special creation but
has just the same relationship to divinity as does any other part
of creation.

If you have trouble dealing with this, then you are confusing sin
and ethics.  And ethics is our next topic.

ETHICS...

Unlike sin, which is a religious concept and which may be
considered as a constant from one age to another...that is,
willful separation from God must be the same for any time and
place...ethics involve a moral choice between what is deemed
right and wrong and with this we come to the realization that
which is right in one time and one society, is wrong in another.
Thus, the moral and ethical standards of, say, 18th century
England and 20th century America hardly are congruent despite a
common heritage.

But it is at exactly this point that we Wiccan/Neopagans have
introduced a novel idea:  a moral and ethical constant:

"Eight words the wiccan Rede fulfill; An' it harm none, do what
ye will."

Now, you and I are fully aware that outsiders first learning of
our Rede smirk behind their hands and conjure in their minds all
sorts of images or orgies and such.  Well, I've been a Crafter
for thirty years and more, and I've yet to attend a Craft orgy. 
so, if any of you are planning on throwing one, I wish you'd
invite me, and do hurry before I get too old to enjoy it!

All of which is by way of saying the Rede is widely
misunderstood.  It simply sounds too much like an unbridled
license for hedonism.  Of course it is not.  But to seek its true
meaning we must first go back a few centuries.

the earliest known literary reference to our Rede, "Do what ye
will," appears in that marvelous Renaissance satire, Gargantua,
written by the French doctor-monk, Francios Rabelais, in 1534. 
In Book I, a certain monk is very helpful to Gargantua in winning
a battle and Gargantua offers him several rich abbeys as reward
but the monk rebukes Gargantua, saying, "For how shall I be able
to rule over others that have not full power and command over
myself?"  The monk then asks Gargantua to found an abbey like no
other and thus is established the Abbaye de Theleme and the rule
of the order is, "Fay ce que voudras"...Do what thou wilt.  And
this is no libertine license but it is an essential and
straightforward clue to our understanding of the Rede.

The second clue to our Rede occurred during the summer of 1918
when Aleister Crowley painted on the Hudson River cliffs south of
Kingston, New York, this slogan:
 
                 EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IS A STAR!
                        DO WHAT THOU WILT
                  SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW

Crowley, a man of great scholarship and magick, had recognized
the truth expressed in Rabelais and taken it a step further,
which Rabelais could not have dared. (Rabelais' printer was
burned at the stake for heresy.)

Now, keep in min the Law refers to the relationship established
between man and his creation/divinity.  All religions have this
relationship spelled out as their Law and this Law usually is
employed to establish the ethical/moral relationship relationship
between men because it is also the ethical/moral relationship
between man and God.  One, then, is used to justify the other. 
Thus, there was the attempt to trap Jesus between the religious
Law and the moral law but he very handily fielded the question by
answering:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy
soul, and all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it; thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the
Prophets."

And as Jesus recognized a new Law so Crowley saw in Rabelais'
"Fay ce que voudras" a further interpretation of the Law and he
expressed it in red paint on the Hudson River cliffs.

At this point is is possible, even tempting, to go off on some
very fine semantic nit-picking but that is not our purpose and it
would be counter-productive because we are simplistic
religionists and such goings on would be like trying to determine
how many elementals can dance on the point of an athame and it
would only serve to muddy some already confused thinking. 
Instead, let me offer two very broad brush strokes based on the
clues already offered.  If these are helpful, then I am more than
rewarded; if they are useful thinking tools, then I am twice
blessed!  So here goes:

When Gargantua's helpful monk refused the offer of rich abbeys,
saying, "For how shall I be able to rule over others that have
not full power and command over myself?" he established the first
part of our understanding of the Rede.  Unless and until such
time as you are able to exert your own will over yourself, "full
power and command," then our Rede, "Do as ye will," has very
little meaning because you can't truly will anything, and you are
no more than a plaything for every wind that blows.  Hardly could
you have rule over others.  Thus, the first part of the monk's
statement, "For how shall I be able to rule over others," has
within it the implicit meaning of the first part of our Rede,
"An' it harm none."  what the monk is saying here is, "How can I
be responsible for someone else until I can be responsible for
myself?"  It would be interesting to further press this
declaration because it stands in contradiction to some classical
Judeo-Christian concepts concerning man's responsibility to God. 
And that, no doubt, is the reason Rabelais did not do it. 
Remember what happened to his printer!

However, Crowley did press the issue another step.  If
self-responsibility is the Law, then Man is responsible for
himself and God is responsible for Himself.  So, the interplay
between God and Man suddenly is changed; god must be God and man
must be Man.  And now we are back to where we said we were in our
brief discussion of sin...Man can only be man, he can be nothing
else.  But he is responsible for that.

I hope all of us see in some way the very deep and even mystical
and certainly always constant ethical demands placed upon us by
our Rede.  The Rede is demanding but it yields freedom from the
chronic guilt of the past twenty centuries.  And it does not
leave us the luxury of a cop-out, be it God, Satan, Karma, Fate
or a white mule beside a red barn (the mule counts two points).

WORLD VIEW...

In this topic I use the term "World View" to mean how we, as
Neopagans, see the material creation around us.  I know I already
have intimated a great deal about this in previous topics but
there is such a fundamental difference between us and the rest of
Western society that I believe we must deal with it more
directly.  To do this, we will work from two premises:

1.    That Christianity has taught, objectively and subjectively,
material creation somehow is "bad, sinful, evil and corruptive"
as opposed to the so-called pure spiritual creation.  that the
Earth, a material creation, is only a way-station toward some
higher spiritual creation, be it heaven or hell, and that this
earthly creation eventually will be destroyed come the
Millenia/Last Judgement as it must be because it is "sinful" and
corruptive of spiritual man.

2.    That Neopaganism teaches there is no division between
material and spiritual creation and neither can be considered
inherently good or bad, pure or corruptive.  that the Earth is
our home, our only home, and is not some battle ground designed
to determine our future existence in a spiritual heaven or hell.

There are deep-rooted implications behind these two differing
points of view.  In the first case, because the material creation
in which we live and are "tested" is somehow inferior and sinful
and is only a way-station en route to a "higher" spiritual
creation then we are free to despise and abuse this material
creation as we see fit.  "Yours is the Earth and everything in
it."  Love Canal, then, has a perfectly sound and reasonable
Judeo-Christian premise.  However, in the second case, if we, as
part of general creation, abuse our Earth, we are abusing
ourselves, exactly as Love Canal had demonstrated.  And we must
at the end finally admit the ecological frustration and fury of
this age is because the whimpering ecologists and the Sierra Club
have no theology to guide them...only guilt.  The Judeo-Christian
trip all over again.  I'm sure we stand in a much better
position.

But don't make the mistake of thinking planetary plunder is an
invention of the 20th Century and its technology...far from it. 
Man has abused his Earth since pre-historic times.  Primitive
farming and herding practices are among the most destructive
ecological force know.  The stripping of the Mediterranean Basin
is ample proof.  So is the collapse of the one great Mayan
civilization and the fact that once heavily forested Scotland was
forced to import timber for the Baltic as early as the Middle
Ages.  Indeed, we might well argue the concept of a "sinful"
material creation with its implicit license to ravage had to be
invented to excuse the earthly pillage that had been going on for
several thousand years.

REINCARNATION...

I sometimes refer to reincarnation as "the secret belief" because
any number of Christians have admitted to me they believe in
reincarnation as opposed to orthodox Christian teaching or had
had experiences which can only be interpreted as a reincarnitave
experience.  whether these people actually understand what
reincarnation really is may be open to question.

At the outset, then, let's establish the very essential
difference between reincarnation and resurrection, as taught in
Christian doctrine.  Resurrection means at some future time, the
Millenia, the Last Judgement, etc. you will be pulled from the
grave intact in your present body and you will be in full
awareness of yourself and your previous earthly life; that is,
you will retain your personal identity.  thus, with your present
body and personal identity you may be meaningfully rewarded in
Heaven or amply punished in Hell.  Heaven and Hell have no
meaning and no promise or threat unless these conditions of body
and identity are met.  What good would it be to punish or reward
a disembodied spirit with no knowledge of what it was being
praised or punished for?

Our concept of reincarnation does not meet either of these
criteria.  Reincarnation, unlike resurrection, does not
automatically imply ultimate survival of the physical body and
retention of personal identity.  So, any discussion of a Pagan
heaven or hell is simply meaningless.

What reincarnation says is survival of life-energy and
life-energy has no one body and no one identity.  One of the best
examples to illustrate this concept of reincarnation is the later
stage of the Osiris-Horus myth.  In this myth, Osiris is killed
by Seth but he is reincarnated as the child Horus and, in various
forms, the myth repeats.  There is no indication Horus ever
remembers himself as Osiris.  thus it is with us, sometimes we
have a sort of "leakage" across this reincarnation insulator and,
with some exceptions, the best we ever get are only
picture-postcard glimpses of our previous life-energies.

ESCHATOLOGY...

Eschatology is only a fancy word for the study of "last
things"...that is, death, the Last Judgement, and so forth.  For
us, eschatology must have an entirely different meaning because
we really have no "last things."  We are involved in cycles, not
beginnings and endings.  As Pagans we must view the entire
continuum of matter, energy, life force and even time itself as
circular.  We do not see these things as a piece of string with a
beginning and an ending but as that same piece of string tied
together to form a circle...our Circle...a repeating cyclical
process.

Although definitive physical proof still is lacking, there is a
growing belief among some astronomers and astro-physicists that
the expanding galaxies of our creation will one day stop their
head-long flight and by mutual gravitation slowly and then faster
and faster plunge back together again to form a new primal
super-molecule world egg.  From there, it is only reasonable to
assume the creative urge of our Goddess once more will explode
this primordial egg to begin a fresh creation.

And, thus, we have come full circle.                       PAGAN MUSINGS

[Tony Kelly of the Selene Community in Wales wrote this
piece in l970.  It was published in l97l in the British
edition of The Waxing Moon under the title "Pagan Movement."
 Under the title "Pagan Musings" it has passed from hand to
hand and group to group all over the United States.  Tony
Kelly was one of the founders of the Pagan Movement in the
British Isles, which, with the Pagan Way in the United
States, began as a single group of researchers into ancient
goddess cults. They later divided, agreeing that each
country required a different approach in bringing back
Paganism.]

We're of the old religion, sired of Time, and born of our
beloved Earth Mother.  For too long the people have trodden
a stony path that goes only onward beneath a sky that goes
only upwards.  The Horned God plays in a lonely glade for
the people are scattered in this barren age and the winds
carry his plaintive notes over deserted heaths and reedy
moors and into the lonely grasses.  who know now the ancient
tongue of the Moon?  And who speaks still with the Goddess? 
The magic of the land of Lirien and the old pagan gods have
withered in the dragons breath; the old ways of magic have
slipped into the well of the past, and only the rocks now
remember what the moon told us long ago, and what we learned
from the trees, and the voices of grasses and the scents of
flowers.

We're pagans and we worship the pagan gods, and among the
people there are witches yet who speak with the moon and
dance with the Horned One.  But a witch is a rare pagan in
these days, deep and inscrutable, recognizable only by her
own kind, by the light in her eyes and the love in her
breast, by the magic in her hands and the lilt of her tongue
and by her knowledge of the real.  But the wiccan way is one
way.  There are many; there are pagans the world over who
worship the Earth Mother and the Sky Father, the Rain God
and the Rainbow Goddess, the Dark One and the Hag on the
mountain, the Moon Goddess and the Little People in the
mists on the other side of the veil. A pagan is one who
worships the goddesses and gods of nature, whether by
observation or by study, whether by love or admiration, or
whether in their sacred rites with the Moon, or the great
festivals of the Sun.

Many suns ago, as the pale dawn of reason crept across the
pagan sky, man grew out of believing in the gods.  He has
yet to grow out disbelieving in them.  He who splits the
Goddess on an existence-nonexistence dichotomy will earn
himself only paradoxes, for the gods are not so divided and
nor the magic lands of the Brother of Time.  Does a mind
exist?  Ask her and she will tell you yes, but seek her out,
and she'll elude you.  She in in every place, and in no
place, and you'll see her works in all places, but herself
in none.  Existence was the second-born from the Mother's
womb and contains neither the first-born, nor the unborn.
Show us your mind, and we'll show you the gods!  No matter
that you can't, for we can't show you the gods.  But come
with us and the Goddess herself will be our love and the God
will call the tune.  But a brass penny for your reason; for
logic is a closed ring, and the child doesn't validate the
Mother, nor the dream the dreamer.  And what matter the wars
of opposites to she who has fallen in love with a whirlwind
or to the lover of the arching rainbow.

But tell us of your Goddess as you love her, and the gods
that guide your works, and we'll listen with wonder, for to
do less would be arrogant.  but we'll do more, for the heart
of man is aching for memories only half forgotten, and the
Old Ones only half unseen.  We'll write the old myths as
they were always written and we'll read them on the rocks
and in the caves and in the deep of the greenwood's shade,
and we'll hear them in the rippling mountain streams and in
the rustling of the leaves, and we'll see them in the storm
clouds, and in the evening mists.  We've no wish to create a
new religion for our religion is as old as the hills and
older, and we've no wish to bring differences together. 
Differences are like different flowers in a meadow, and we
are all one in the Mother.
What need is there for a pagan movement since our religion
has no teachings and we hear it in the wind and feel it in
the stones and the Moon will dance with us as she will? 
There is a need.  For long the Divider has been among our
people and the tribes of man are no more.  The sons of the
Sky Father have all but conquered nature, but they have
poisoned her breast and the Mother is sad for the
butterflies are dying and the night draws on.  A curse on
the conqueror!  But not of us, for they curse themselves for
they are nature too.  They have stolen our magic and sold it
to the mindbenders and the mindbenders tramp a maze that has
no outlet for they fear the real for the One who guards the
path.

Where are the pagan shrines?  And where do the people
gather?  Where is the magic made?  And where are the Goddess
and the Old Ones?  Our shrines are in the fields and on the
mountains, in the stars and in the wind, deep in the
greenwood and on the algal rocks where two streams meet. 
but the shrines are deserted, and if we gathered in the arms
of the Moon for our ancient rites to be with our gods as we
were of old, we would be stopped by the dead who now rule
the Mother's land and claim rights of ownership on the
Mother's breast, and make laws of division and frustration
for us.  We can no longer gather with our gods in a public
place and the old rites of communion have been driven from
the towns and cities ever deeper into the heath where barely
a handful of heathens have remained to guard the old secrets
and enact the old rites.  there is magic in the heath far
from the cold grey society, and there are islands of magic
hidden in the entrails of the metropoles behind closed
doors, but the people are few, and the barriers between us
are formidable.  The old religion has become a dark way,
obscure, and hidden in the protective bosom of the night. 
Thin fingers turn the pages of a book of shadows while the
sunshine seeks in vain his worshippers in his leafy glades.

Here, then, is the basic reason for a Pagan Movement; we
must create a pagan society wherein everyone shall be free
to worship the goddesses and gods of nature, and the
relationship between a worshipper and her gods shall be
sacred and inviolable, provided only that in her love of her
own gods, she doesn't curse the names of the gods of others.

It's not yet our business to press the law-makers with
undivided endeavour to unmake the laws of repression and,
with the Mother's love, it may never become our business for
the stifling tides of dogmatism are at last already in ebb. 
Our first work, and our greatest wish, is to come together,
to be with each other in our tribes for we haven't yet grown
from the Mother's breast to the stature of the gods.  We're
of the earth, and sibs to all the children of wild nature,
born long ago in the warm mud of the ocean floor; we were
together then, and we were together in the rain forests long
before that dark day when, beguiled by the pride of the Sky
Father, and forgetful of the Mother's love, we killed her
earlier-born children and impoverished the old genetic pool.
 The Red child lives yet in America; the Black Child has not
forsaken the gods; the old Australians are still with their
nature gods; the Old Ones still live deep in the heart of
Mother India, and the White Child has still a foot on the
old wiccan way, but Neanderthaler is no more and her magic
faded as the Lli and the Archan burst their banks and the
ocean flowed in to divide the Isle of Erin from the land of
the White Goddess.

Man looked with one eye on a two-faced god when he reached
for the heavens and scorned the Earth which alone is our
life and our provider and the bosom to which we have ever
returned since the dawn of Time.  He who looks only to
reason to plum the unfathomable is a fool, for logic is an
echo already implicit i the question, and it has no voice of
its own;  but he is no greater fool than he who scorns logic
or derides its impotence from afar, but fears to engage in
fair combat when he stands on his opponent's threshold.
don't turn your back on Reason, for his thrust is deadly;
but confound him and he'll yield for his code of combat is
honorable. so here is more of the work of the Pagan
Movement.  Our lore has become encrusted over the ages with
occult trivia and the empty vapourings of the lost.  The
occult arts are in a state of extreme decadence, astrology
is in a state of disrepute and fears to confront the
statistician's sword; alien creeds oust our native arts and,
being as little understood as our own forgotten arts, are
just as futile for their lack of understanding, and more so
for their unfamiliarity.  Misunderstanding is rife.
Disbelief is black on every horizon, and vampires abound on
the blood of the credulous. Our work is to reject the
trivial, the irrelevant and the erroneous, and to bring the
lost children of the Earth Mother again into the court of
the Sky Father where reason alone will avail.  Belief is the
deceit of the credulous; it has no place in the heart of a
pagan.

But while we are sad for those who are bemused by Reason, we
are deadened by those who see no further than his syllogisms
as he turns the eternal wheel of the Great Tautology.  We
were not fashioned in the mathematician's computations, and
we were old when the first alchemist was a child.  We have
walked in the magic forest, bewitched in the old Green
Thinks; we have seen the cauldron and the one become many
and the many in the one; we know the Silver Maid of the
moonlight and the sounds of the cloven feet.  We have heard
the pipes on the twilight ferns, and we've seen the spells
of the enchantress, and Time be stilled.  We've been into
eternal darkness where the Night Mare rides and rode her to
the edge of the Abyss, and beyond, and we know the dark face
of the Rising Sun.  spin a spell or words and make a magic
knot; spin it on the magic loom and spin it with the gods. 
Say it in the old chant and say it to the Goddess, and in
her name.  Say it to a dark well and breathe it on a stone.
There are no signposts on the untrod way, but we'll make our
rituals together and bring them as our gifts to the Goddess
and her God in the great rites.  Here, then, is our work in
the Pagan Movement; to make magic in the name of our gods,
to share our magic where the gods would wish it, and to come
together in our ancient festivals of birth, and life, of
death and of change in the old rhythm.  We'll print the
rituals that can be shared in the written work;  we'll do
all in our power to bring the people together, to teach
those who would learn, and to learn from those who can
teach.  We will initiate groups, bring people to groups, and
groups to other groups in our common devotion to the goddess
and gods of nature.  We will not storm the secrets of any
coven, nor profane the tools, the magic, and still less, the
gods of another.

We'll collect the myths of the ages, of our people and of
the pagans of other lands, and we'll study the books of the
wise and we'll talk to the very young.  And whatever the
pagan needs in her study, or her worship, then it is our
concern, and the Movement's business to do everything
possible to help each other in our worship of the gods we
love.

We are committed with the lone pagan on the seashore, with
he who worships in the fastness of a mountain range or she
who sings the old chant in a lost valley far from the
metalloid road.  We are committed with the wanderer, and
equally with the prisoner, disinherited from the Mother's
milk in the darkness of the industrial webs.  We are
committed too with the coven, with the circular dance in the
light of the full moon, with the great festivals of the sun,
and with the gatherings of the people.  We are committed to
build our temples in the towns and in the wilderness, to buy
the lands and the streams from the landowners and give them
to the Goddess for her children's use, and we'll replant the
greenwood as it was of old for love of the dryad stillness,
and for love of our children's children.

When the streams flow clear and the winds blow pure, and the
sun never more rises unrenowned nor the moon ride in the
skies unloved; when the stones tell of the Horned God and
the greenwood grows deep to call back her own ones, then our
work will be ended and the Pagan Movement will return to the
beloved womb of our old religion, to the nature goddesses
and gods of paganism.    
---------------------------------------------------------------
 The Pit 
        The Lord looked askance at the Fool, who was busy making faces 
behind the Lady's back.
        "So, which of your Aspects have you enjoyed the most?" he said.
        The Fool looked up, wiggling his ears.
        "Stop that!" grinned the Lord, "I'd really like to know!"
        "Well.....I suppose that it would be a toss-up between Dionysus, 
Tyl Eulenspiegel, and Krishna, I guess. Tyl had a whopping good time, 
Dionysus got to be pretty much drunk, mostly, and Krishna had those sweet 
little milk-maids......THAT was a good time! But Coyote gets to do most 
everything. I guess I like Him the best."
        The Lord sat back against a tree, folded His hands, and smiled.
        "Yeah, ol' Coyote gets to do everything all right...except catch 
the Roadrunner," he said.
        "Well," said the Fool, with a lopsided grin, "I guess I'm the only 
One of Us that perpetually chases Myself!"
        The Lady turned, and, Aspecting the Nymph, dropped a large
grasshopper down the Fool's back. She giggled, and ran off over the fields 
of Summerland.
        The Lord laughed, pounding His fists on the ground as the Fool 
jumped and twisted, trying to reach the insect.
        Between whoops of laughter, He said, "Did you ever figure out what 
'Updoc' was?"
        "Shaddup!" said the Fool.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

        The Fool leaned back against the brick wall of the alley and said, 
"I'd like to tell you a story. It seems that a man fell into a deep pit, 
and couldn't get himself out. He was in a world of hurt, and pretty 
unhappy. Pretty soon, a Subjectivist type of person came along and said, 
'I feel for you down there,' but did nothing."
        "An Objectivist wandered by next, and said, 'It's logical that 
someone would fall down there.' But he just stood around looking too."
        "A Pharisee said, 'Only bad people fall into a pit,' and put his 
nose in the air and kept walking."
        The Fool took a drag from his cigarette and then flipped it 
expertly into a nearby puddle. Somewhere in the distance of the city a 
siren wailed.
        "Then, a mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit. But 
all he did was calculate."
        "A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on his pit, but was 
too busy interviewing everyone in sight to help."
        "A fanatic fundamentalist shouted, 'You deserve your pit!'"
        "Then a government tax-man asked if he was paying taxes on the 
pit."
        "A self-pitying person then whined, 'You haven't seen anything 
until you've seen MY pit!'"
        "Then a Christian Scientist came by, and said, 'Just believe that 
you're not in a pit.' But that didn't seem to help." He paused, and 
brushed His hair back from His eyes. After looking around that those who 
were listening, He continued.
        "An optimist said, 'Things could be worse!' But the pessimist
disagreed, and said, 'Things -will- get worse!' "
        "A Wiccan said, 'MURPHY! You &*$%^#@,' while a New Ager jumped 
into the pit to share the experience." A couple of people laughed at this, 
a bit nervously.
        "A Baha'i looked over the edge of the pit and said, 'See the pit 
as a Spiritual Experience!' while a Moslem murmured that it was God's Will 
that he was in the pit."
        "A Satanist just laughed at the man in the pit and kept walking."
        "A conspiracist rubbed his hands together in glee, and said, 
'-They- threw you into the pit! I -knew- it!'"
        "A Jew said, 'Why are we -always- in a pit?' "
        "A Communist shouted 'Why are you in the People's Pit without
permission?'"
        "An Alcoholic muttered to himself, 'It's not -my- fault you're in 
the pit.....' "
       "A Liberal said, 'Those Conservatives must have dug this pit!'"
       "A Conservative said, 'See where Liberalism has gotten you?' "
       "A TV Evangelist came by and promptly took up a collection from the 
bystanders."
       " Then, several well-meaning people came by, and wanted to help, 
but they were too busy arguing whether to throw him a ladder, or a shovel, 
or to hire a helicopter with a rope ladder, or to call the fire department 
or police to manage to get anything done."
       "A well-known radio cult hunter said, between requests for money,
'See! Satan threw you into the pit!'"
       "A doper looked blearily at him, and said, a bit incoherently, 'Far 
out! Got any more pit?'"
       "A Hindu said that the man's karma had put him into the pit, and a 
television news commentator shouted, 'Man in a pit! Why is the government 
responsible?'"
        But then, a Good Samaritan came along, looked at the man in the 
pit and at all the others standing around pursuing their own agendas, and  
said, quietly, 'Here are two shovels. Let's get you out of the pit.'"
        The Fool looked around at His listeners, grinned, and said, "He 
that hath ears to hear with, let him hear."
        He shoved His hands into his jacket, and walked away thru the
puddles, idly kicking at an empty beer can.

        "Pretty good!" said the Lady.
        "Maybe," said the Fool, "But not up to the Sermon On The Mount."
        "That one -was- one of Your best," She agreed.
        "Yeah," He said, "But even then, they ignored most of it. Oh well.  
Some of it caught on, at least."
        "It takes a while," said the Lord, "But they -are- learning."
        "Yes, they are," said the Fool, "But they have a long way to go 
yet."
        The Lady smiled warmly, and said, "They'll get there."

        Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

        The Lord and the Lady (and the Fool, of course) looked at the Men 
and Women, and were not pleased.
        "Look at that! They saw Your Sacrifice, and went and elaborated it 
into some kind of magic." The Lady spoke disgustedly. "Cutting out human 
hearts. Sacrificial Kings. Ritual burnings. Ritual torture. Blood 
sacrifices. Cannibalism. Blood, killing and more blood! What -do- they 
think they're doing?"
        "I agree it's pretty grim," said the Sacred King, "But it does 
work, though in a very limited way. So....what can we do about it?"
        "I know what We can do, but it will take all of Us," said the 
Fool, unsmiling. "Listen up...."
        As he began to explain, the faces of all Three grew grimmer and
grimmer, and sad beyond words.

        The Fool incarnated as a Child within a Woman, who was the Mother 
and the Maiden. He was born in poverty, and laid in a straw bed. He grew 
up in a small village in a backwater nation on the edges of a great 
Empire. Some, a very few, knew Him and honored Him, seeing Him as the 
Child, truly the Child of Promise, but most simply went on with their 
lives, unknowing. When He was of age, He turned, and from Child became 
Transformer, and He began to teach. 
        As Transformer, He went out on the dusty roads of the small,
conquered nation, and taught the Way of Love. Love for -all,- not just 
some. He taught of the Brotherhood of Man, and of the Fatherhood of the 
Lord.
        He taught of the Way of Salvation: to love. To love the Diety, and 
to love your neighbor, whoever he might be.
        He brought a message of hope to the poor, and a warning to the
opressor.
        Around Him, He assembled a small band of men and women, and taught 
them His Mystery. But one was given a role to play, and the role was 
Betrayer.
        A man asked, "Teacher, what shall we do when those that hate us
strike us?"
        And He answered, "Turn the other cheek, and let them strike you
again. Give them love in return for hate. If you must take up the sword,
then do it in great reluctance, and only after you have stepped aside time 
and time again. Remember that I bring you not peace, but a sword, for this 
Path will separate you from your families and friends, and your enemies 
will persecute you in their ignorance."
        "And forgive your enemies, and those who wrong you, that you may 
put away your anger and live in love."
        Another asked, "Sensei, what of the poor?"
        And He answered, "The poor you shall always have with you, but 
give them the tools to lift themselves out of their poverty. Clothe and 
feed them, but give them the means of independence also."
        "But what of the rich, then?" said a wealthy man.
        "Give what you have to the poor. give them of clothing, and food, 
and, more importantly, of learning, for if you feed a man, then you have 
only given him one meal, but if you teach him to feed himself, then he may 
eat for a lifetime, and move from the cycle of poverty and ignorance," He 
said. "Lay not treasures up for yourself on earth, save that you give of 
that treasure to those in need, but rather lay up treasure in heaven, for 
it would be easier for a camel to pass thru a needle's eye than for an 
avaricious man to leave his earthly treasure for heaven."
        A Doctor asked Him, "Healer, what of the sick?"
        "Verily, let them be healed by the knowledge of man, and by 
prayer," He answered, "For whatsoever you ask in prayer, if you have faith 
even as small as the tiniest grain of mustard seed, what you need will be 
granted you. But be wary of what you ask for, for you will get what you 
need, and not always what you want."
        A woman asked, "Rabbi, what of those that follow other Teachers?"
        And He answered, smiling, "There are many rooms in your Father's
house, and many fields in Heaven. And I come again, and yet again, and as 
there are many languages of mankind, so are there many Names for Deity. 
Rejoice in it, and be glad of the diversity of Deity, and do not hate 
those that call the Diety by other names, but rather weigh them by their 
deeds."
        And one asked of Him, "How should we pray?"
        And He answered, saying, "Pray in your own fashion, as you will, 
for all prayer is good. But if you wish, pray thusly:"
        "Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom
come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our errors, as we forgive the errors of 
others. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
        "And if you feel this prayer should be given to the Mother, then 
let it be so."
        And a Priest shouted, angrily, "Shall God be then female?"
        And He answered, "The Deity is what It will be, not what you make 
It into. You see the Diety in your own image; if you are vengeful, then 
your God is vengeful. If you are full of hate, then your God is hateful. 
But if you have love, then you shall know the Deity's love. Listen, and be 
wise."
        A child asked, "Father, how shall we know what is right, and what 
is wrong?"
        And He replied, "Weigh it by it's fruits. If it gives a bad fruit, 
then it is wrong, but if the fruit is good, then eat of it and be happy."
        "But Brother, what of a fruit that seems to be good, yet will 
poison us slowly?" asked another.
        And He answered, "If a man die of it, then it is an evil fruit. 
Look you to the past, see the mistakes therein, and learn therefrom. And 
beware those who would lead you into error thru their own need of power 
over you; leave them to the trap of their own making."
        One of the Priests came to Him, a man enmeshed in legalism, and,
thinking to trap Him said, "Teacher, What is the Law?"
        And He looked at the Priest and said, "Love God. Love thy 
neighbor. All else is commentary, and the Law of Man. Study the holy books 
of all faiths, weigh the good and the bad in each, and learn."
        And the Priest went away abashed.
        And a person came to Him and said, "What of magic?"
        "Know that your will is that of a human, and you are not 
omniscient. You cannot see all the results of your actions. Therefore ask 
'Not my will, but Thine be done' and leave the ordering of the MultiVerse 
to Deity, not to human will," He replied. "Order yourself, not the 
MultiVerse."
        And two came to Him, and asked, "O Mahatma, We are of the same 
sex, and love each other. What shall we do?"
        And He looked upon them, and said, "An it harm none, do as you 
will.  You are all the Children of the Deity, and the Deities' Love for 
you is greater than you can imagine."
        A policeman asked of Him, "But what of the Laws of Man? If these 
Laws of Man conflict with the Law of the Diety, what shall we do then, 
Padre?"
        And Transformer answered, "Listen and hear. Obey the Laws of Man, 
for these Laws have power over your body. But if there is a man-made law 
that is not good, then strive to change it, in peace. But if you cannot 
change it, then obey it. And, if you must disobey it to change it, then 
accept the judgements of Man's Law in good grace until it is changed. But 
put not your trust in Rulers, and Kings and Princes, nor in those that 
would lead you, be they Priest, Priestess, or any other Office and 
Position, but weigh their words carefully, that their words match their 
deeds, and no hypocrisy enters into them, for as your leaders you have 
given them power over you. And always remember that Man's Law is made for 
humanity, and not humanity for Man's Law."
        And with the policeman was a woman, who had violated the Law of 
Man, and had been taken for her crime. She said, "But what of me, Lord? I 
am to be stoned by the crowd."
        And He picked up a stone from the ground, looked at her, and said, 
simply, "Let he who is without mistakes cast the first stone at you." And 
He dropped His stone from His hand.
        And there was a silence from the crowd, and those with stones in 
their hands dropped them guiltily to the ground.
        And He said to her, "Learn from your error, go in peace, and make 
error no more."
        And he said to those that had dropped their stones, and who were
burdened by their guilt, "Be not guilty, for guilt is but a warning from 
your conscience. Be you delivered from your hell. Learn from your error, 
put it from you, and err no more."
        "And equally, if the tree that gives a bad fruit can be taught to 
give a good fruit, then do so. But if it persist in giving bad fruits, 
then leave it."
        And He walked to a nearby hill, and turned to the people, and 
spoke thusly:
        "Blessed be those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven."
        "Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
        "Blessed be the meek, for they shall live to inherit the earth, 
long after the strong, and the proud, and the warlike have killed each 
other in their pride."
        "Blessed be those that hunger and thirst after the Truth, for they 
shall know it."
        "Blessed be the merciful, for they shall have mercy shown unto 
them."
        "Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall see the Deity all 
the days of their lives and after."
        "Blessed be those that make peace among men, for they shall be 
called the Children of the Diety."
        "Blessed be those that are persecuted for the sake of the Truth, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
        Blessed be you, when men shall persecute you, and perjure 
themselves against you, and lie about you, and say all manner of evil 
against you falsely, for your reward is great indeed."
        "Let your Light so shine before all humanity, that they may know 
the Truth of you, and learn to live in love."

        And he placed His hand upon the head of a dog, and said, "Your
Brothers and Sisters in fur are your Brothers and Sisters in truth. They 
are in your care, and in your hands. Treat them with kindness, and that 
kindness will be returned to you a thousandfold. To those that give 
themselves to be eaten by you offer thanks, and be grateful to them for 
your sustenance."
        "Treat your Mother the earth likewise with kindness, and all the
growing things thereon will sing your praises to the Highest, and you 
shall eat and drink of Her fruits, and live in joy and gladness all the 
days of your lives. Little children, love one another!"

        In truth, there was much more that He taught, and much of it is
written for our study and learning, and the study of His teachings is a 
good and worthy thing. But the following of His teachings is a better 
thing, for He was who He said He was, and that is also a Great Mystery.
        And the Betrayer spoke to Him, and said, "Renounce this Path. It 
only leads to destruction. Give over to me, and I will give you rulership 
of all the kingdoms of Earth."
        And He gazed upon the Betrayer, and spoke, and said, "Get thee 
hence, foolish one, for I have no need of earthly treasure, nor earthly 
power, for all such is false, and an illusion."
        And on the night that He was betrayed, during a Festival that
celebrated the conquered people's deliverance from tyranny, (and to choose 
such a time and place is also a Great Mystery and a great lesson) He took 
of the Sacred King, the Bread of Life, blessed and broke it, and gave it 
to His followers, and said, "This is My body. Do this in remembrance of 
Me."
        And then he took wine, fruit of the Mother, and blessed it, and 
gave it to them also, and said, "This is My blood. Do this in remembrance 
of Me."
        And Transformer was betrayed by the Betrayer, betrayed to the
legalists and the soldiers of the occupying army, accused of sedition and 
taken by the Law of Man, and sentenced to die.
        And they fastened Him to an instrument of torture, to kill Him 
like a common criminal, with cruel jokes.
        And He was hung from a Tree.
        And, watching, was the Mother, and the Maiden, and the Crone, and 
They all three mourned Him.
        He turned, and was the Sacred King, and simultaneously the Fool 
(and that is a Great Mystery indeed) and, as He died, he said, "It is 
finished." And His Blood ran out upon the Earth, and worked a great magic.
        His body was buried in a tomb of rock, and the soldiers of the
occupying army guarded it.
        But after three days and three nights, a greater magic was done, 
and He took His body again, sitting with the Lord and the Lady, and showed 
Himself to His followers, to show them that Death is not to be feared.
        And He said, "You have been bought, and redeemed, and nevermore 
shall you make sacrifice of blood, for this is the Final Sacrifice for all 
time, for all places, and for all those there are and were, and will be."
        "And fear not Death, for it it but a change in a MultiVerse of
changes; another turning of the wheel on a road all must travel."
        And He shall come again, as He has throughout all history, 
teaching the Great Truth: that we shall love the Deity, and love our 
neighbor, for Love is the heart of the Law, and that Law is Love.
        For He is always with us and in us all.

        "I don't -ever- want to go through that again!"
        The Fool spoke vehemently, thru tears.
        "I don't think you'll have to go quite -that- far the next time," 
said the Lady. "They'll still play their stupid games with blood, but not 
for very much longer."
        "I hope not," said the Sacred King, "But do We have to put up with 
that Paul fella? He's a bit of a nut-case."
        "If you want it to work out right, yes," said the Lady. "He may be 
a nut-case, but he'll spread the Word quickly, and, after a time, they'll 
get the idea. And from that will come the seed of My future believers."
        "Sorry about that," said the Fool. "I did my best, but in such a 
patriarchal society as that one was, I just couldn't make much headway 
about You."
        "No problem," She said. "They can deny Me all they want to, but 
I'm still here."

        Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------
               THE SYBILLYNE TRADITION OF WICCA
               by Virginia Stewart, M. Ed., TP.

     Our tradition is a moderate branch of Dianic Wicca, with
an emphasis on equality, ecology and wo/men's mysteries. The
tradition is open to women and men, over the age of 18, who
have previously identified Wicca as their path.  Someone
under legal age must be accompanied by a parent and will not
be initiated until they are of legal age.
     (Yes, there is a catch: few people under 21 will have
studied other religions enough to have narrowed it down this
much; therefore, a person without this study must spend at
least a year pursuing comparative religions before they will
be accepted for training.)
     The subject matter that each student must master prior
to initiation is wide-ranging and intended to strengthen
knowledge and interest in a number of areas, as well as
increase the student's desire to "get involved" in the
ecological/political issues which are important to them as
individuals.  This is not an exclusive tradition; one can be
an initiate of other traditions and still participate.  We
have closed rituals only when the participating members
desire it.  Our initiation is open to initiates of other
traditions (who would be asked to assist, no one gets to
stand around.)
     Sybillynes do not have degrees, unlike Gardnerians; we
have three stages.  The Novice (or WIT, coined by one student
-- it means "Witch in Training") is one who is actively
studying, but has not yet been initiated.  A Sister or
Brother has been initiated and holds the title of Priestess
or Priest (there is no High Priestess or High Priest.)  The
Chronicler is the one in the Coven or Circle who assumes the
responsibility for making phone calls and keeping the Book of
Shadows, but the position carries no authority.
     All decisions are reached by consensus, and the rituals
are written and performed by various members of the group on
a voluntary basis (it works, it really does).  After a long
period of study, in which one might specialize in a
particular area, one is Ordained as a Priestess or Priest in
that area; for example, one might be a Teaching Priest/ess,
or a Healing Priest/ess.
     To become a Novice, one must ask to be taught, then show
a sincere interest in the Craft and a willingness to study
and learn about the various areas presented.  One must also
exhibit a willingness to do independent study in areas of
personal interest.
     The Course of study is presented in two parts.  The
first is lecture/discussion/reading -- after which the novice
must demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following
areas:
I.   Feminism and politics of Dianic craft
     A.   Gaia and green magic
     B.   balance of Male/female energies
     C.   power over vs. power from within
II.  Feminist herstory/facts and theory
     A.   Origins of the Goddess
          1.   prehistoric evidence
          2.   early myth (China, Sumer, Ur, India,
               Mesopotania, Egypt, Crete)
          3.   The patriarchal shift --
               a.   Theories on how it happened
               b.   How to read around it
                    i.   Greek Myth
                    ii.  Mesopotamia/Sumer
                    iii. Egypt
               c.   Modern Approaches -- overcoming
                    patriarchal repression
               d.   The God in Dianic Wicca
                    i.   prehistory evidence/belief
                    ii.  Modern approaches
III. Feminist interpretations on the origins of people
     A.   creation Myths -- world samples
     B.   "star" myth
     C.   birth/genetic engineering myth
     D.   the principles of myth writing
IV.  Goddess and Gods in Every Person
     A.   Manifesting the God/dess in Everyday Life -- theory
     B.   Archetypal Theory and how it relates to everyday
          life
V.   Magic and Physics -- Why Everything is Related To
     Everything
     A.   Holographic Universe
     B.   Gaia as a Living Being
VI.  The Goddess and Sexuality
     A.   Living in our bodies is healthy
     B.   how patriarchy/Christianity perverted sex
     C.   healing the wounds of sexual oppression
     D.   exercises
VII. Beginning Meditation
     A.   purpose
     B.   some eventual goals
     C.   visualization
     D.   exercises
IX.  Psychic gifts
     A.   How they have been suppressed
     B.   What they are
     C.   How to develop them
     D.   Exercises
X.   Festivals
     A.   The wheel of the Year
     B.   Women's festivals/men's festivals
     C.   Creating celebration for everyday life
XI.  Ritual tools and aspects
     A.   Tools
     B.   Symbols



XII. Creating Ritual
     A.   The Structure of a ritual
     B.   Creating Sacred space -- theory
     C.   Elements of ritual -- possibilities
XIII. Drawing a circle -- demonstration & practice
     A.   How to form a circle
     B.   What to do if something goes wrong
     C.   Group dynamics

     Our actual reading list is two double-columned pages,
and takes about a year to get through.  This is the short
list, with which one must show a working knowledge.

The Spiral Dance
Dreaming the Dark
Truth or Dare /  Starhawk
Holy Book of Women's Mysteries / Z. Budapest
The Holographic Universe / Michael Talbot
The New Inquisition / Robert Anton Wilson
Real Magic / Issac Bonewits
When God Was A Woman
Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood / Merlin Stone
Priestesses / Norma Goodrich
Women's Encyclopedia of Sacred Symbols and
Objects / Barbara Walker
Drawing Down the Moon / Margot Adler
Iron John / Robert Bly
The Hero with A Thousand Faces / Joseph Campbell

     The second part of training focuses on ritual and
practice, as no one will be initiated until s/he can write,
perform and understand ritual; work with energy in a SAFE
way, and guide meditations for the others.  The following are
the requirements for this level of training, in which one
must demonstrate proficiency.

1.   Circle Drawing
2.   Healing (different types)
3.   Energy Work

4.   Journey to Lower World (working with totems)
5.   Astral Realms (working with place of power and spirit
     guides)
6.   9 Inner Planes
7.   Past Life Regression
8.   Elements, Tools, and Aspects
9.   Women's Mysteries/Men's Mysteries (5 Mysteries)
10.  Blessing of Tools
11.  Personal Belief Systems
12.  Spells and Spellwork
13.  Full Ritual (writing and performing without assistance)

Written assignments

1. A 4-10 page paper explaining and analyzing the Wiccan Rede
and how it applies to one's personal life (Ethics are vital)

2. A 5-10 page paper explaining one's personal belief system
(it does not conform to any particular standard, but an
initiate must have one; this is a spiritual tradition).

3. A 5-10 page paper explaining and analyzing the 5 Mysteries
of Wicca with particular attention paid to Wo/man's
mysteries, Chalice and the Descent.
4. A 2-5 page paper explaining the Three-Fold Goddess and Her
Relationship to the Three-Fold God.

5. A 5-10 page paper describing one's personal ethics

6. A Book of Shadows (to be reviewed by Teaching Priestess)
that includes major rituals, meditations, observations and
results of spell work and energy work.

     The final requirement for initiation includes the
demonstration of Ritual functions of Maiden/Mother/Crone or
Priest without written assistance; the demonstration of
ritual writing and participation in/ directing the energy in
a circle.  Finally, the demonstration through daily life of a
sincere commitment to the Way of the God/dess.
     The training period lasts anywhere from twenty-six weeks
to over a year and is dependent on the completion of
requirements, not number of months in training.
     A Novice (WIT) will be told that they may request
Initiation when they have completed all requirements to the
satisfaction of the Teaching Priestess.  They will be told
once, after that they must ask.  Sybillynes do NOT recruit
members.
     After Initiation, a Priest/ess may form a Circle (a
loosely organized group that performs ritual together) or a
Coven (a close-knit group with bonds of perfect love and
trust).  It is suggested that Circles be formed and allowed
to evolve into Covens.
     All Initiates are encouraged to become politically/
ecologically active to whatever degree that they are able.
Each group exists as an independent organization -- the job
of a Teaching Priestess is to make herself unnecessary.
Those who desire control over a coven or absolute authority
within a coven are discouraged from attempting it within this
tradition -- the labrys, our symbol, is sharp for a reason...
     We are also interested in tradition sharing, and can be
found in the Hunter's Moon camp at CMA.  Inquires can be made
by leaving a message at Celebration! in Austin, or at the
Magic Cauldron in Houston, for Virginia Stewart or Howard
Gerber (sysop of THE WHEEL BBS in Houston).
     Merry Meet and Bright Blessings.
 ---
                MAIN RITUAL, UEA 20TH ANNIVERSARY

This ritual came together in strange ways.  We are indebted to
Tony Kelly of Celene Community in Wales who wrote the body of it
in a piece called "Pagan Musings" in 1973, Kenny and Tzipora for
the Wine Blessing, and Thomas Palmer of Denver for the Cakes
Blessing.  The Quarters calling and dismissals were written by
Rowan Moonstone and revised by Bristlecone Glen.  Devin Storm,
Harper to Bristlecone wrote the God and Goddess Invocations, the
Circle Closing, and the Crone's speech.  We learned this
particular version of "We All Come From the Goddess/Hoof and
Horn" with the God verse from the Old Timers from United Earth
Assembly and the Witches' Version of " Amazing Grace" was taught
to us by Margot Adler at the America the Beautiful celebration in
Colorado Springs in July of 1993.  All these various parts came
together into one of the most powerful rituals we have ever seen.

We give it back to the community now with love and thanks.  It is
our heritage and our future.  We give back to the Earth that
which we have been given.
 - Bristlecone Glen

Cast:

High Priestess
High Priest
Harper
Grey Man
Crone
Quarters Callers

Props:

Cauldron
Cakes & Wine
Dry Ice
Glow Sticks
Chalice
Basket
Flash Paper

Quarters candles should be set up and lit before Circle.  Altar
Candles lit.  A cauldron sits in the north.  In the cauldron
should be glow sticks to light it from within, a pan of dry ice,
a candle, and the chalice.  The Crone sits, cloaked and hooded,
by the Cauldron.  The Harper sits in the east, an empty stool
sits beside the Harper.

Cast Circle and purify sacred space as is the custom of your
circle.

Spirits of the East!
Air, Breath of our ancestors
Be with us in this Circle
That we may KNOW we are the children of the Gods.

Spirits of the South!
Fire, Will of our ancestors,
Be with us in this Circle
That we may have the WILL to claim our heritage.

Spirits of the West!
Water, Blood of our ancestors,
Be with us in this Circle
That we may DARE to do the work of the Gods.

Spirits of the North!
Earth, Bones of our ancestors,
Be with us in this Circle
That we may NO LONGER BE SILENT, but may meet as one in love to
do the work of the Old Ones.

HP:  Maiden bring Your Flowers
     Mother, Bring Your Child
     Old One bring your Wisdom
     Bright Lady, Cerridwen
     We welcome Thee to this Circle in Herne's name.
     For we are the blush of Thy silken cheek.
     We are the children You hold to Your breast.
     We are the Carriers of Your ancient way.
     Bright Lady, Cerridwen, Welcome!

HPS: Hunter, bring Your prowess
     Warrior, bring your skill.
     Father, bring your guidance.
     Ancient One, Horned Crown
     We welcome Thee to this Circle in Thy Lady's name.
     For we are the flight of the arrow from Thy bow.
     We are the edge of the sword of Thy honor.
     We are the sparks of the flame of Thy love.
     Ancient One, Horned Crowned, Welcome!

HPS:      We're of the old religion, sired of Time, and born of
          our beloved Earth Mother.  For too long the people have

          trodden a stony path that goes only onward beneath a
          sky that goes only upwards.

HP:       The Horned God plays in a lonely glade for the people
          are scattered in this barren age and the winds carry
          his  plaintive notes over deserted heaths and reedy
          moors and into the lonely grasses.

(Grey Man raps staff on ground comes into center of Circle
unobserved by the HP/S.  When he speaks, HP/S should be
startled.)

Grey Man: Who know now the ancient tongue of the Moon?  And who
          speaks still with the Goddess?  The magic of the land
          of Lirien and the old pagan gods have withered in the
          dragons breath; the old ways of magic have slipped into
          the well of the past, and only the rocks now remember
          what the moon told us long ago, and what we learned
          from the trees, and the voices of grasses and the
          scents of flowers.

(HP/S begin to spiral into the center of the Circle to meet the
Grey Man.)

HP:       We're pagans and we worship the pagan gods, and among
          the  people there are witches yet who speak with the
          moon and  dance with the Horned One.

HPS:      But a witch is a rare pagan in these days, deep and
          inscrutable, recognizable only by their own kind, by
          the light in their eyes and the love in their breasts,
          by the magic in their hands and the lilt of their
          tongue and by their knowledge of the real.

HP:       But the wiccan way is one way.  There are many; there
          are pagans the world over who worship the Earth Mother
          and the Sky Father, the Rain God and the Rainbow
          Goddess, the Dark One and the Hag on the mountain, the
          Moon Goddess and the little People in the mists on the
          other side of the veil.


HPS:      A pagan is one who worships the goddesses and gods of
          nature, whether by observation or by study, whether by
          love or admiration, or whether in their sacred rites
          with the Moon, or the great festivals of the Sun.

Grey Man: Many suns ago, as the pale dawn of reason crept across
          the pagan sky, man grew out of believing in THE GODS.


Harper:   He has yet to grow out of disbelieving in them.

Grey Man: He who splits the Goddess on an existence-nonexistence
          dichotomy will earn himself only paradoxes, for the
          gods are not so divided and nor the magic lands of the
          Brother of Time.

Harper:   Does a mind exist?

Grey Man: Ask her and she will tell you yes, but seek her out,
          and she'll elude you.  She is in every place, and in no

          place, and you'll see her works in all places, but
          herself in none.  Existence was the second-born from
          the Mother's womb and contains neither the first-born,
          nor the unborn. Show us your mind, and we'll show you
          the gods!

Harper:   No matter that you can't, for we can't show you the
          gods.   But come with us and the Goddess herself will
          be our love and the God will call the tune.

Grey Man: But a brass penny for your reason; for logic is a
          closed ring, and the child doesn't validate the Mother,
          nor the dream the dreamer.  (Grey Man turns to face the
          seated  Crone.  Speaks almost as if talking to himself)
          And what matter the wars of opposites to she who has
          fallen in love with a whirlwind or to the lover of the
          arching rainbow.

Harper:   (To HP/S) But tell us of your Goddess as you love her,
          and the gods that guide your works, and we'll listen
          with  wonder, for to do less would be arrogant.  but
          we'll do  more, for the heart of man is aching for
          memories only  half forgotten, and the Old Ones only
          half unseen.

HP:       We'll write the old myths as they were always written
          and  we'll read them on the rocks and in the caves and
          in the deep of the greenwood's shade, and we'll hear
          them in the rippling mountain streams and in the
          rustling of the leaves, and we'll see them in the storm
          clouds, and in the evening mists.  We've no wish to
          create a new religion for our religion is as old as the
          hills and older, and we've no wish to bring differences
          together.

Harper:   Differences are like different flowers in a meadow, and

          we are all one in the Mother.

HPS:      What need is there for a pagan movement since our
          religion has no teachings and we hear it in the wind
          and feel it in the stones and the Moon will dance with
          us as she will?

Harper:   There is a need.  For long the Divider has been among
          our people and the tribes of man are no more.  The sons
          of the Sky Father have all but conquered nature, but
          they have poisoned her breast and the Mother is sad for
          the butterflies are dying and the night draws on.

Grey Man: A curse on the conqueror!

HP/S:     But not of us!

Harper:   For they curse themselves for they are nature too.

Grey Man: They have stolen our magic and sold it to the
          mindbenders and the mindbenders tramp a maze that has
          no outlet for they fear the real for the One who guards
          the path.  Where are the pagan shrines?  And where do
          the people gather?  Where is the magic made?  And where
          are the Goddess and the Old Ones?

HP:       Our shrines are in the fields and on the mountains, in
          the stars and in the wind, deep in the greenwood and on

          the algal rocks where two streams meet.  But the
          shrines are deserted, and if we gathered in the arms of
          the Moon for our ancient rites to be with our gods as
          we were of old, we would be stopped by the dead who now
          rule the Mother's land and claim rights of ownership on
          the Mother's breast, and make laws of division and
          frustration for us.

HPS:      We can no longer gather with our gods in a public place

          and the old rites of communion have been driven from
          the towns and cities ever deeper into the heath where
          barely a handful of heathens have remained to guard the
          old secrets and enact the old rites.  There is magic in
          the heath far from the cold grey society, and there are

          islands of magic hidden in the entrails of the
          metropolis behind closed doors, but the people are few,
          and the barriers between us are formidable.

HP:       The old religion has become a dark way, obscure, and
          hidden in the protective bosom of the night.  Thin
          fingers turn the pages of a book of shadows while the
          sunshine seeks in vain his worshippers in his leafy
          glades.


Harper:   Here, then, is the basic reason for a Pagan Movement;
          we must create a pagan society wherein everyone shall
          be free to worship the goddesses and gods of nature,
          and the relationship between a worshipper and their
          gods shall be sacred and inviolable, provided only that
          in their love of their own gods, they doesn't curse the
          names of the gods of others.

HPS:      It's not yet our business to press the law-makers with
          undivided endeavor to unmake the laws of repression
          and,  with the Mother's love, it may never become our
          business for the stifling tides of dogmatism are at
          last already in ebb.  Our first work, and our greatest
          wish, is to come together, to be with each other in our
          tribes for we haven't yet grown from the Mother's
          breast to the stature of the gods.

HP:       We're of the earth, and sibs to all the children of
          wild nature, born long ago in the warm mud of the ocean
          floor;  we were together then, and we were together in
          the rain forests long before that dark day when,
          beguiled by the pride of the Sky Father, and forgetful
          of the Mother's love, we killed her earlier-born
          children and impoverished the old genetic pool.

Grey Man: The Red child lives yet in America; the Black Child has

          not forsaken the gods; the old Australians are still
          with their nature gods; the Old Ones still live deep in
          the heart of Mother India, and the White Child has
          still a foot on the old wiccan way, but Neanderthaler
          is no more and her magic faded as the Lli and the
          Archan burst their banks and the ocean flowed in to
          divide the Isle of Erin from the land of the White
          Goddess.  Man looked with one eye on a two-faced god
          when he reached for the heavens and scorned the Earth
          which alone is our life and our provider and the bosom
          to which we have ever returned since the dawn of Time.

Harper:   He who looks only to reason to plum the unfathomable is
          a fool, for logic is an echo already implicit in the
          question, and it has no voice of its own;  but he is no
          greater fool than he who scorns logic or derides its
          impotence from afar, but fears to engage in fair combat
          when he stands on his opponent's threshold. Don't turn
          your back on Reason, for his thrust is deadly; but

          confound him and he'll yield for his code of combat is
          honorable. So here is more of the work of the Pagan
          Movement.

HPS:      Our lore has become encrusted over the ages with occult

          trivia and the empty vapourings of the lost.  The
          occult arts are in a state of extreme decadence,
          astrology is in a state of disrepute and fears to
          confront the statistician's sword; alien creeds oust
          our native arts and, being as little understood as our
          own forgotten arts, are just as futile for their lack
          of understanding, and more so for their unfamiliarity.

HP:       Misunderstanding is rife. Disbelief is black on every
          horizon, and vampires abound on the blood of the
          credulous.  Our work is to reject the trivial, the
          irrelevant and the erroneous, and to bring the lost
          children of the Earth Mother again into the court of
          the Sky Father where reason alone will avail.

Harper:   Belief is the deceit of the credulous; it has no place
          in the heart of a pagan.
Grey Man: But while we are sad for those who are bemused by
          Reason,  we are deadened by those who see no further
          than his syllogisms as he turns the eternal wheel of
          the Great Tautology.

HP:       We were not fashioned in the mathematician's
          computations, and we were old when the first alchemist
          was a child.

HPS:      We have walked in the magic forest, bewitched in the
          old Green Things; we have seen the cauldron and the one

          become many and the many in the one; we know the Silver

          Maid of the moonlight and the sounds of the cloven
          feet.   We have heard the pipes on the twilight ferns,
          and we've seen the spells of the enchantress, and Time
          be stilled.   We've been into eternal darkness where
          the Night Mare rides and rode her to the edge of the
          Abyss, and beyond, and we know the dark face of the
          Rising Sun.

Harper:   Spin a spell or words and make a magic knot; spin it on

          the magic loom and spin it with the gods.  Say it in
          the old chant and say it to the Goddess, and in her
          name.   Say it to a dark well and breathe it on a
          stone.

HP:       There are no signposts on the untrod way,

HPS:      but we'll make our rituals together and bring them as
          our gifts to the Goddess and her God in the great
          rites.

(HP/S turn to Circle)

HP:       Here, then, is our work in the Pagan Movement; to make
          magic in the name of our gods, to share our magic where
          the gods would wish it, and to come together in our
          ancient festivals of birth, and life, of death and of
          change in the old rhythm.

HPS:      We'll print the rituals that can be shared in the
          written work;

HP:       We'll do all in our power to bring the people together,

          to teach those who would learn, and to learn from those

          who can teach.

HPS:      We will initiate groups, bring people to groups, and
          groups to other groups in our common devotion to the
          goddesses and gods of nature.

HP:       We will not storm the secrets of any coven, nor profane

          the tools, the magic, and still less, the gods of
          another.

HPS:      We'll collect the myths of the ages, of our people and
          of the pagans of other lands, and we'll study the books
          of the wise and we'll talk to the very young.

HP:       And whatever the pagan needs in their study, or their
          worship, then it is our concern, and the Movement's
          business to do everything possible to help each other
          in  our worship of the gods we love.

HPS:      We are committed with the lone pagan on the seashore,
          with he who worships in the fastness of a mountain
          range or she who sings the old chant in a lost valley
          far from the metalloid road.

HP:       We are committed with the wanderer, and equally with
          the prisoner, disinherited from the Mother's milk in
          the darkness of the industrial webs.

HPS:      We are committed too with the coven, with the circular
          dance in the light of the full moon, with the great
          festivals of the sun, and with the gatherings of the
          people.

HP:       We are committed to build our temples in the towns and
          in the wilderness, to buy the lands and the streams
          from the landowners and give them to the Goddess for
          her children's use, and we'll replant the greenwood as
          it was of old for love of the dryad stillness, and for
          love of our children's children.

HP/S:     This we will do.  What will you?  (At this point, HP/S
          should walk around the Circle and "gather" the pledges
          from those in Circle who wish to give them.
          Participants should think carefully about what they
          wish to pledge before the Gods in this ritual.  When
          all  pledges are gathered, HP/S takes them to the Grey
          Man)

HPS:      When the streams flow clear and the winds blow pure,
          and the sun never more rises unrenowned nor the moon
          ride in the skies unloved;

HP:       when the stones tell of the Horned God and the
          greenwood grows deep to call back her own ones, then
          our work will be ended

HP/S:     and the Pagan Movement will return to the beloved womb
          of our old religion, to the nature goddesses and gods
          of paganism.   (Grey Man nods, receives the pledges and
          palms flash powder unobtrusively.  Conducts HP/S to the
          Crone.  Grey Man opens hands and lets paper fall on
          candle.  Crone pours hot water on dry ice, stands up,
          throws back hood of cape)

Crone:    I have heard your call across the mountains.  I have
          heard your cries within the web of life and I have come

          once more.  Single is the race, single of men and Gods.

          From a single source we both draw breath, but a
          difference of power in everything keeps us apart.  You
          are the children of my heart - the  light of my Soul.
          And I bring with me the seeds of your  ancestors that I
          have kept safe for you.  Like the cycle  of the
          seasons, I give them again that you may plant yet
          again.  Sow the seeds for yourselves , for your
          children, and your children's children.

(Crone hands basket of seeds to HP/S.  Reaches into the well
again and draws out chalice from cauldron.)

          The chalice contains the blood of those who have died
          for the crime of being different, the sweat of those
          who toiled that the path of the Old Ones might survive,
          and the tears of those who thought themselves alone.
          The cauldron of the Gods is that of change - of turning

          evil to good, death to life.  Through the power of the
          Cauldron, turn the blood of death to the water of life,
          turn the crime of being different to the strength of
          being whole.  Turn the sweat of toil to the joy of work
          well done.  Turn the tears of those alone to the tears
          of family reunited.  The present is the balance between
          the past and the future.  The power lies within your
          heart, within your hands.  Do you have the courage?
          The choice is his, the choice is hers, the  choice is
          yours.  Can you make a difference?  WILL you make a
          difference?

(Crone hands chalice to HP/S and wraps cloak around her,  sitting
down once more.)

HP/S spiral back out to the Circle.

Chalice blessing:

HP:       Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman
HPS:      Nor is woman greater than man
HP:       For what one lacks
HPS:      The other can provide
HP:       As the athame is to the male
HPS:      So is the cup to the female
HP/S:     And when conjoined, they become one in truth.  For
          there is no greater magick in all the world than that
          of love.

Cakes Blessing:

HPS:      Be it known that death is not the end of life ...
HP:       But the beginning of the cycle of rebirth.
HPS:      As grain is touched by death's scythe ...
HP:       And passes through fire to be reborn as bread ...
HPS:      So are we reborn, passing through death into the next
          life.

(High Priest draws Invoking Pentagram over cakes with Athame,
while both say:

HP/S:     As the Earth gives its life to strengthen us, so shall
          we, in death, strengthen the Earth, for life and death
          together are the cycle of rebirth.

HP/S take of cakes and wine and pass the basket and chalice to
quarters callers to take to the Circle.

We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop or rain
Flowing to the ocean

We all come from the Horned One
And to Him we shall return
Like a flash of flame
Ascending to the heavens.

Hoof and Horn
Hoof and Horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Vine and Grain
Vine and Grain
All that falls shall rise again.

(The chant may evolve into others such as the Isis Astarte and
corresponding God chants.  Go with the flow.   When all in the
Circle have partaken of cakes and wine, the chalice comes back to
the HP and HPS, who take it to the Harper.  Harper eats and
drinks, takes cakes and wine to Grey Man.  Grey Man eats and
drinks, takes cakes and wine to Crone, who eats, drinks, and
receives seeds and chalice again.  Replaces chalice in Cauldron,
covers seeds with cloak.  When HPS feels energy has built to a
peak, she calls a halt to it by raising her arms and dropping
them to her sides.)

HP/S:     Remember this night.  Take the energy that has been
          raised here by your sisters and brothers and put it
          into your pledges.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

HPS:      Hunter, for Your prowess
          Warrior, for Your skill
          Father for Your Guidance
          Ancient One, Horned Crowned,
          We thank you and bid you Hail and Farewell!

HP:       Maiden, for Your flowers.
          Mother, for Your child.
          Old One, for Your Wisdom.
          Bright Lady, Cerridwen, we thank You
          And bid you Hail and Farewell!

Spirits of the North!
Earth, Body of our ancestors.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.

Spirits of the West!
Water, Blood of our ancestors.
We have the courage to dare to do the work.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.
Spirits of the South,
Fire, will of our ancestors.
We have the will to do that which we promised
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.

Spirits of the East
Air, breath of our ancestors.
We KNOW that we are the children of the Gods and all one family.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.

HP draws power back up into the blade of the sword/athame and
earths the power.  HP, HPS, Harper, Grey Man and Crone move into
a circle.  The next five lines should be shot from person to
person, to form a pentagram:

HPS:      The Circle is Open
HP:       But not forgotten!
Harper:   The Circle is unbroken.
Grey Man: Nothing is forgotten
Crone:    The Circle is Free
All:      Nothing is ever forgotten

HPS, HP, Harper, Grey Man, and Crone join the larger Circle.  HPS
or Harper calls out lines of Amazing Grace to the Circle as all
sing.

Amazing Grace! How sweet the Earth
That formed a Witch like me
I once was burned, now I survive
Was hanged, but now I sing.

Twas grace that drew down the moon
And grace that raised the sea
The magick of the people's will
Will set our Mother free!

Amazing Grace! How sweet the Earth
That formed a Witch like me
I once was burned, but now I thrive
Was hanged but now I sing.

HPS:      Blessed Be!

 C.O.G. History 
By: Michael Thorn
20 Nov 93 12:09

        The Covenant of the Goddess is one of the largest and oldest 
Wiccan religious organizations with members in North America, Europe and 
Australia.  Wicca, or Witchcraft  is the most popular expression of the 
religious movement known as Neo+Paganism, which,  according to the 
Institute for the Study of American Religion, is the fastest growing 
religion in the United States. It practitioners are reviving ancient Pagan 
practices and beliefs of pre-Christian Europe and adapting them to 
contemporary life. The result is a religion that is both old and new, both 
+traditional+ and creative.

        Witchcraft is a life-affirming, earth+ and nature-oriented 
religion which sees all of life as sacred and interconnected, honors the 
natural world as the embodiment of divinity, immanent as well as 
transcendent, and experiences the divine as feminine and often as 
masculine, as well. Like the spiritual world view and practices of Native 
Americans and Taoists, Wiccan spiritual practices are intended to attune 
humanity to the natural rhythms and cycles of the universe as a means of 
personally experiencing divinity. Rituals, therefore, coincide with the 
phases of the moon, the change of the seasons, solstices and equinoxes and 
days which fall in between these such as May Day and Halloween. This 
calendar of celebrations is referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Most 
Witches consider their practice a priest/esshood, akin to the mystery 
schools of classical Greece and Rome, involving years of training and 
passage through life-transforming initiatory rituals.

        All Witches agree on an ethical code known as the Wiccan Rede, "An 
it harm none, do what ye will," which honors the freedom of each 
individual to do what she or he believes is right, but also recognizes the 
profound responsibility that none may be harmed by one+s actions.

        In the 1970+s there was a marked rise of interest in Witchcraft 
not only in the United States, but throughout the world, reflecting a 
growing feminist awareness and global concern for the environment. In the 
Spring of 1975, a number of Wiccan elders from diverse traditions, all 
sharing the idea of forming a religious organization for all practitioners 
of Witchcraft, gathered to draft a "covenant" among themselves. These 
representatives also drafted bylaws to administer this new organization 
now known as the Covenant of the Goddess. At the 1975 Summer Solstice, the 
bylaws were ratified by thirteen member congregations (or covens). The 
Covenant of the Goddess was incorporated
as a nonprofit religious organization on October 31st, 1975.

        The Covenant is an umbrella organization of cooperating autonomous 
Witchcraft congregations with the power to confer credentials on its 
qualified clergy. It fosters cooperation and mutual support among Witches 
and secures for them the legal protections enjoyed by members of other 
religions. The Covenant is non+hierarchical and governed by consensus. 
Two-thirds of its clergy are women.

        The Covenant is coordinated by a national board of directors. Many 
of its activities are conducted at the regional level by local councils. 
The Covenant holds an annual national conference open to the Wiccan 
community, as well as regional conferences, and publishes a newsletter. In 
recent years, the Covenant has taken part in spiritual and educational 
conferences, interfaith outreach, large public rituals, environmental 
activism, community projects and social action, as well as efforts to 
correct negative stereotypes and promote accurate media portrayals. Its 
clergy perform legal marriages (handfastings), preside at funerals and 
other rituals of life-transition, and provide counseling to Witches 
including those in the military and in prisons.

        The Covenant also provides for the need of it members and their
families with disaster relief, health insurance, Scouting awards, 
sponsorship of college and university student groups, and legal assistance 

in instances of discrimination. The Covenant+s participation in the 1993 
Parliament of the World+s Religions continues its efforts to restore the 
respect due to a legitimate and deeply-rooted religion, protect and 
preserve the earth through its public dissemination of its wisdom and 
traditions, and participate in dialogue as a contributing member of the 
world+s community of faiths.

           A CHRISTIAN SPEAKS ON THE FAITH AND PATH OF WICCA
                        by James Clement Taylor

I am a Christian and not a Wiccan.  A Christian is one who has been
baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has
made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and all his or her
life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Both of these things
are true of me.  I am a member of St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church,
Calhan, Colorado.  In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any
church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth
in love, as we Christians are supposed to do.

A Situation of Strife and Shame:

There are many Christians today who believe that anyone who is not a
Christian is doomed to an eternity of suffering in hell.  Any decent
person, believing this, would be compelled to try to save as many people
from this fate as possible.  But is this belief correct?  Jesus Christ,
having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pagan,
proclaimed:

       "Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith,
        not even in Israel!  And I say to you that many will come
        from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and
        Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the king-
        dom will be cast out into outer darkness.  There will be
        weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12)

If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear
that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will
contain many who are!  Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Christ
sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and
those criteria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to
judge others:

        "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
         Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive
         men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
         your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

        "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and
         with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to
         you." (Matthew 7:2)

        "But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not
         sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13)

        "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
         Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and
         you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be for-
         given." (Luke 6:36-38)

Is it not clear?  Anyone who fails in these things, will calling himself
a Christian save him?  Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being
unbaptized condemn him?  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, 
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My 
Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

Yet it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because
there is no way we can earn the free gift of God's mercy and grace, which 
alone can save us. But it is clear that it is not by faith, in the sense 
of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either.  The faith 
which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor
faith that we have the right theology and/or belong to the right church.
Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy:

       "So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs,
        but of God who has mercy."  (Romans 9:16)

But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God.  Yet by their
own theology, they certainly do.  Those who call them Satan-worshippers
are entirely wrong.  They do not worship Satan, or even believe that
Satan exists.  Instead, they worship a Goddess and a God whom they
understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity.

Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it
should.  In the Bible we find the following:

       "Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said,
        `Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are
        very religious; for as I was passing through and con-
        sidering the objects of your worship, I even found an
        altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
        Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing,
        Him I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23)

The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form
of a Goddess and a God.  Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the
same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it!

For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God's Word, and must
prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John
has given us the method for doing this.  You have only to attend any
public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see
"whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1).  You will find that, while the
power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a
Christian, that power is clearly the power of God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these people of Wicca have been
terribly slandered by us.  They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of 
business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which 
they do not.  We have persecuted them, and God will hold us accountable 
for this, you may be sure, for He has said, "Assuredly I say to you, 
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did 
it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

Let us, from this point onward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that
henceforth we shall obey Christ our God, and not judge others or condemn
them, so that He will not have to judge and condemn us for our sins.

                             
KILL A TREE   From: Ali Katz
to the tune of "Jingle Bells":

Dashing to the mall in a fleet of rented trucks,
a million hairless apes are out to spend some plastic bucks.
It's Christmas time again -- or maybe World War Three --
and to keep their spirits happy now, they've got to kill a tree.

Oh, kill a tree, kill a tree, kill a tree for Christ.
(Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, accept this sacrifice.)
Kill a tree, kill a tree, kill a tree for Christ,
not sure what we're doing, but it seems to work out nice.


We know we each deserve a ton or two of crap,
but to keep the goodies coming now, we've got to spill some sap,
and string electric lights, and raise the ritual star,
and bribe our friends and families to forget what jerks we are.

And kill a tree ... (etc.)


We always kill a tree. That's always been enough
for videos and GI Joes and all that kiddy stuff.
But Mommy wants a Harley, and Daddy wants a boat;
that's prob'ly gonna cost at least a chicken and a goat.

But kill a tree ... (etc.)


To enhance everyone's holiday cheer, I highly recommend singing this one 
at the mall. But depending on where you live, you may want to make sure 
you've got a good bail bondsman's number first.


 Lord of the Ants  
By: Karl Lembke
(tune:  "Lord of the Dance")


Well we cleansed with sugar 'cause the salt was gone,
And the color was right though the substance might be wrong,
And when the water dried, it was sticky, my oh me,
It attracted all of the ants, you see,

(chorus)
   Ants, ants, all over they shall be,
   I am the lord of the ants, you see.
   I'll crawl on you, and you'll itch from me,
   And you'll dance with ants in your pants, said he.

We have ants in the carpets and we've ants in the drapes,
We have ants in the kitchen dancing galliards on the grapes,
We have ants in the bedroom and what may be more fun,
We have ants in our circles now from sun to sun.

(chorus)

'What to do' cried the priestess, 'what to do' cried the priest,
'All the baits and the sprays haven't helped us in the least,
'The buggers eat it up and it only makes us sick,
'All in all I'd say it is no pic-nic!'

(chorus)

We stood round the fire while the flames lept up high,
With the sound of the sirens wailing up to the sky,
Though the bug bombs exploded it could still have been worse,
At least now we're free of the ant lord's curse!

<scratch, scratch> (spoken: "Oh hell!")

(chorus)

...........Karl

 It's from a Pagan version of the song CIRCLES.  I'm not sure who wrote
it - I want to say a group of women in Lansing, Mich. Unfortunately, my 
copy says "ANON".

                          CIRCLES            TUNE: WINDMILLS

(1) In days gone by, when the world was much younger,
    Men wondered at Spring, born of Winter's cold knife,
    Wondering at the games of the moon and the sunlight,
    They saw there the Lady and Lord of all life.

    CHORUS: Around and around, and around turns the good Earth,
            All things must change as the seasons go by,
            we are the children of the Lord and the Lady,
            Whose mysteries we know, but will never know why.

(2) In all lands the people were tied to the good Earth,
    Plowing and sowing, as the seasons declared,
    Waiting to reap of the rich golden harvest,
    Knowing her laughter in the joys that we shared.

    Chorus.

(3) Through Flanders and Wales and the green lands of Ireland,
    in the kingdoms of England and Csotland and Spain,
    Circles grew up all along the wild coastlines,
    And worked for the land, with the Sun and the rain.

    Chorus

(4) Circles for healing, and working the weather,
    Circles for knowing the Moon and the Sun,
    Circles for thanking the Lord and the Lady,
    Circles for dancing the dance never done.

    Chorus

(5) And we who reach for the stars in the heavens,
    Turning our eyes from the meadows and groves,
    Still live in the love of the Lord and the Lady,
    The greater the circle, the more the love grows.

    Chorus twice.

Blessed be, and keep dancing.
  Keipa
                       ght, and the clock silent.
                Water from somewhere drips,
             A breeze moves amongst your hairs.

             The Bird, her beak poised, watches
                  As I caress you, child,
            With an absent movement of my hands,
                    My mind elsewhere.

                  She of the Silver Wheel
           Wheeling in darkness her silver overhead
                Watches more than passively
           As in Her name I take you and bless you;

                   And the Dark Hunter,
                    Jewels in His belt,
                  Takes you for His own,
                  Takes me in your flesh
              His magical scabbard at His side,
            Sword outraised, unutterably distant
                Yet manifest here in you...

            And I, primal woman and primal queen,
             Feel Her powerful darkness stirring
         And shouldering me aside within my own flesh
          As I call Her forth, She of the sky-castle
            Spinning dizzily overhead seen unseen;

     And I stand by and watch as the Hunter fills your body
           (you, no doubt, standing by and watching)
     As the Dark Lady fills my body and clothed in our flesh
                        They mate

          (...but I did not tell you, nor did you ask
       that this is the time of my greatest fertility...)

 Ishtar, Inanna, & Ancient Astrology 
By Valkyrie

Many might be interested in some information that I came across awhile 
back that might shed some light on this for you.  Some may have seen part 
of this already.  Someone in a shamanic echo was asking about how 
scorpions and spiders were related to each other in dreams, and what 
meaning the scorpion had, especially in regards to an earth goddess.  I 
ran across a reference in one of those 'feminist revisionists'" books <G> 
and the statement was made that the Scorpion was found nearly world wide 
associated with an old Mother Goddess and the constellation Scorpio. I 
think it might provide some of the connections you are looking for.

So I found a book that wasn't cross-referenced by that author, which is
recognized in its field (astronomical history) and was surprised to find
that it wasn't an exageration.

Richard Hinckley Allen, _Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning_, Dover
Publications, Inc., New York:1963.  The book was originally published by
G.E. Stechert in 1899, under the former title: _Star-Names and Their
Meanings_.  I consider this a reliable source to balance a perhaps more
"revisionist" view since it was written during a period by an expert who
probably never questioned it theologically and reported facts as facts.
Bear with me, the first part becomes significant as you go along.

pg 360-365.
               SCORPIO, or SCORPIUS, the SCORPION,

was the reputed slayer of the Giant, exalted to the skies and now rising
from the horizon as Orion, still in fear of the Scorpion, sinks below
it; although the latter itself was in danger, --Sackville writing in his
Induction to the _Mirror of Magistrates_, in 1565.

        Whiles Scorpio, dreading Sagittarius' dart
        Whose bow prest bent in flight the string had slipped
        Down slid into the ocean flood apart.

Classical authors saw in it the monster that caused the disastrous
runaway of the steeds of Phoebus Apollow when in the inexperienced hands
of Phaethon.

For some centuries before the Christian era it was the largest of the
zodiac figures, forming with the [Greek name] it's Claws, --the
_prosectae chelae_ of Cicero, now our Libra,--a double constellation, as
Ovid wrote:

        Porrigit in spatium signorum membra duorum;

and this figuring has been adduced as the strongest proof of Scorpio's
great antiquity, from the belief that only six constellations made up on
the earliest zodiac, of which this extended sign was one.

With the Greeks it universally was [Greek]; Aratos, singularly making
but slight allusion to it, added [Greek]; while another very appropriate
term with Aratos was [Greek], the Great Sign.  This reported magnitude
perhaps was due to the mytholgical necessity of greater size for the
slayer of great Orion, in reference to which that author characterized
it as [Greek] 'appearing huger still.'

The Latins occasionally wrote the word _Scorpios_, but usually
_Scorpius_, or Scorpio; while Cicero, Ennius, Manilius, and perhaps
Columella gave the kindred African title Nepa, or Nepas, the first of
which the Alfonsine Tables copy, as did Manilus the Greek adjective,
[G], Walking Backward.  Astronomical writers and commentators, down to
comparatively modern times, occasionally mentioned its two division
under the combined title Sorpius cum Chelis; while some representations
even showed the Scales in the creature's Claws.

Grotius said that the Barbarians called the Claws Graffias, and the
Latins, according to Pliny, Forficulae.

In early China it was an important part of the figure of the mighty but
genial Azure Dragon of the EAst and of spring, in later days the
residence of the heavenly Blue Emperor; but in the time of Confucius it
was Ta Who, the Great Fire, a primeval name for its star Antares; and
Shing Kung, a Divine Temple, was applied to the stars of the tail.  As a
member of the early zodiac it was the _Hare_, for which, in the 16th
century, was substituted, from Jesuit teaching, _Tien He_, the Celestial
Scorpion.

Sir William Drummond asserted that in the zodiac which the partriarch
Abraham knew it was an Eagle; and some commentators have located here
the biblical Chambers of the South, Scorpio being directly opposite the
Pleiades on the sphere, both thought to be mentioned in the same passage
of the _Book of Job_ with two other opposed constellations, the Bear and
Orion; but the original usually is considered a reference to the
southern heavens in general.  Aben Ezra identified Sorpio, or Antares,
with the K'sil of the Hebrews; although that people generally considered
those stars as a Scorpion, their Akrabh, and, it is claimed, inscribed
it on the banners of Dan as the emblem of the tribe whose founder was 'a
serpent by the way."  When thus shown it was as a _crowned Snake_ or
_Basilisk_.  A similar figure appeared for it at one period of Egyptian
astronomy; indeed it is thus met with in moder times, for Chatterton,
that precocious poet of the last centruy, plainly worte of the Scorpion
in his line, " The slimy serpent swelters in his course;" and long
before him Spenser had, in the _Faeirie Queen_, " and now in Ocean deepe
Orion flying fast from hissing snake, His flaming head did hasten for to
steepe.

But the Denderah zodiac shows the typical form.

Kircher called the whole constellation [Gk] _Statio Isidis_, the bright
Antares having been at one time a symbol of Isis.

The Arabians knew it as Al Akrab, the Scorpion, from which have
degenerated Alacrab, Alatrab, Alatrap, Hacrab, --Riccioli's Askrab and
Hacerab; and similarly it was the syrians' Akreva.  Riccioli gave us
Acrobo _Chaldaeis_, which may be true, but in this Latin word he
probably had reference to the astrologers.

The Persians ahd a Scorpion in their Gherzdum or Kdum, and the Turks, in
their Koirughi, Tailed, and Uzun Koirughi, Long tailed.

The Akkadians called it Girtab, the Seizer, or Stinger, and the Place
where One Bows Down, titles indicative of the creature's dangerous
character, although some early translators of the cuneiform text
rendered it the _Double Sword_.  With later dwellers on the Euphrates it
was the symbol of darkness, showing the decline of the sun's power after
the autumnal equinox, then located in it.  Always prominent in that
astronomy.  Jensen thinks that it was formed there 5000 B.C., and
pictured much as it now is; perhaps also in the semi-human form of two
Scorpion-men, the early circular Altar or Lamp being shown grasped in
the Claws, as the Scales were in illustatoins of the 15th century.  In
Babylonia this calendar sign was identified with the eigth month, Arakh
Savna, our October-November.

Early India knew it as Ali, Vicrika, or Vrouchicam, --in Tamil,
Vrishman; but later on Varah Mihira siad Kaurpya, and Al Biruni, Kaurba,
both from the Greek Scorpios.  On the Cingalese zodiac it was Ussika.
Dante designated it as Un Secchione, "Formed like a bucket that is all
ablaze; and in the _Purgatorio_ as Il Friddo Animal of our motto, not a 
mistaken reference to the creature's nature, but to its rising in the
cold hours of the dawn when he was gazing upon it.  Dante's translator
Longfellow has something similar in his own _Poet's Calendar_ for
October:  On the frigid Scorpion I ride.

Chaucer wrote of it, in the _Hous of Fame_ as the Scorpioun; his
Anglo-Norman predecessors, Escopiun; and the Anglo-Saxons, Throwend.

Caesisu mistakenly considered it one of the Scorpions of Rehobam; but
Novidius said that it was "the scorpion or serpent whereby Pharaoh, King
of Egypt, was enforced to let the children of Israel depart out of his
country;" of which Hood said "there is no such thing in history."  Other
Christians of their day changed its figure to that of the Apostle
Bartholmew; and Weigel, to a Cardinal's Hat.

In some popular books of the present day it is the Kite, which it
resembles as much as a Scorpion.

Its symbol is now given as [Astrological symbol], but in earlier times
the sting of the creature was added, perhaps so showing the feet, tail
and dart; but the similarity in their symbols may indicate that there
has been some intimate connection, now forgotten, between  Scorpio and
the formerly adjacent Virgo.

Ampelius assigned to it the care of Africus, the Southwest Wind, a duty
which, he said, Aries and Sagittarius shared; and the weather-wise of
antiquity thought that its setting exerted a malignant influence, and
was accompanied by storms; but the alchemists held it in high regard,
for only when the sun was in this sign could the transmutation of iron
into gold be performed.  Astrologers, on the other hand, although they
considered it a fruitful sign, "active and eminent," knew it as the
accursed constellation, the baleful source of war and discord, the
birthplace of the planet mars, and so the House of Mars, the Martis
Sidus of Manilus.  But this was located in the sting and tail; the
claws, as [Gk] Jugum, or the Yoke of the Balance, being devoted to
Venus, because this goddess united persons under the yoke of matrimony.
It was supposed to govern the region of the groin in the human body and
to reign over Judaea, Mauritania, Catalonia, Norway, West Silesia, Upper
Batavia, Barbary, Morocco, Valencia, and Messina; the early Manilius
claiming it as the tutelary sign of Carthage, Libya, Egypt, Sardinia,
and other island of the Italian coast.  Brown was its assigned color,
and Pliny asserted that the appearance of a comet hre portended a plague
of reptiles and insects, especially of locusts.

Although nominally in the zodiac, the sun actually occupies but nine
days in passing through the two portions that project upwards into
Orhiuchus, so far south of the ecliptic is it; indeed, except for these
projections, it could not be claimed as a member of the zodiac.

Scorpon is famous as the region of the sky where have appeared many of
the brilliant temporary stars, chief among them, perhaps, that of 134
BC., the first in astronmical annals, and the occasion, Pliny siad of
the catalogue of Hipparchos, about 125 BC.  The Chinese She Ke confirmed
this appearance by its record of the "strange star" in June of that
year, in the sieu Fang, marked by [.....] and others in Scorpio.
Serviss thinks it conceivable that the strange outburst of these novae
in and near Scorpio may have had some effect in causing this
constellation to be regarded by the ancients as malign in its influence.
But this character may, with at least equal probablity, have come from
the fiery color of its _lucida_, as well as from the history of the
constellation in connection with Orion, and the poisonous attributes of
its earthly namesake.

In southern latitudes Scorpio is magnificently seen in its entirety,
nearly 45 degrees,--Gould catolguing in it 184 naked-eye stars.

Along its northern border, perhaps in Orphiuchus, there was, in very
early days, a constellation, the Fox, taken from the Egyptian sphere of
Petosiris, but we know nothing as to its details.

"Antares"  The Ariabians Kalb al Akrab, the Scorpion's Heart, which
probably preceded the [Gk] and Cor Scorpii of Greece and Rome
respectively.

                       -=*=-

In Buffie Johnson's _Lady of the Beasts_ (Harper, San Francisco, 1981)
pgs 332-335, there are illustrations and photos of statuatary and
pottery which show the representation of the Scorpion Goddess, as
Selket, a woman with the lower torso taking the shape of a scorpion wiht
a raised tail.  On her head is the "horned" headdress with the disk
between the horns,the horns and sun disk of Isis. (New Kingdom 1570-332
bce). A Stamp seal showing two scorpions protecting the rosette of the
goddess Inanna, from Sumer, ca 3300 bce, and a statue of Selket wearing
a scorpion on her head, as well as a drawing from Ur, ca 2400 bce
showing the goddess giving birth guarded by scorpions.

In the _Book of the Dead_ seven scorpions accompany Isis, when her son
Horus was bitten by one scorpion of the most deadly species, her
scorpion friends saved her son out of love for her...and bit the son of
a woman who had refused to help, then with her magic, Isis then saved
the bitten boy.  (A classic shamanism motif(. Selket is shown as
beneficial when associated with Isis, and it is possible that the
"other" woman is Isis's dark aspect.

Selket symbolizes resurrection into a new life beyond earthly existence.
"Gathering the setting sun into her outstretched arms she becomes the
link between the living and the dead and helps the dead accomodate
themselves to their new land.  In another aspect, Selket isunited with
Sirius, as a consequence the star if placed in her crown."  (ibid. p.
334) Johnson also compares Chamunda, the scorpion deity of the central
Indian tradition with the other scorpion goddess with the endowment of
poison which indicates her connection with death and rebirth.

"The Scorpion expresses the vital spirit in humans which, transformed,
becomes the divine pneuma.  One of its symbols is the scorpion which
stings itself to death (E. A. Wallis Budge, _The Gods of the Egyptians_
vol. 2 (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969), 377-78.

"The association between serpent and scorpion, both sudden and dangerous
stingers, appears in the Babylonina and Greek astrological sign of
Scorpio, which corresponds to the Ctyptian sign of the autumn equinox,
the serpent.  In esoteric traditions, the scorpion is recognized as a
spiritual insect rhough its gift of self-immolation and rebirth. The
venom of the scorpion is said to contain its own antidote."

the Scorpion as the dual Mother, the one who gave birth to and then
"swallowed" the divine son (sun) is found in Egyptian myth as the
Scorpion which killed Horus, sending him to his midwinter death and
resurrection as his Mother Isis gave him rebirth.  Spirits of the four
points of the year were called Sons of Horus and placed as small images
on the pharoah's tombs...a man, bull, lion and scorpion or
serpent...which seem to have become the four angels of the Apocalypse.

Istar, Babylonian, "Star" was the Great Goddess who appears as
Ashtoreth, Anath, Asherah.  She was refered to as the Great Whore, and
described in Revelation 17:5 as Babylon the Great, the Mother of
Harlots.  Another of her titles was the Goddess Har, who called herself
the compassionate prostitute.

Interestingly enough, in the Voluspa there is mention of the Hall of
Har, where Gullveig was mentioned as being, who was "held up by spears"
and who supposedly started the war between the Vanir and the Aesir by
being attacked  in the hall of Har...which is usually translated as
Odin.  <G>  There might be a better explanation, now that I think of
it... I wonder how I missed that before.

Anyway, Ishtar was also called in Bablyonian prayers: The Light of the
World, Leader of Hosts, Opener of the Womb, Righteous Judge, Lawgiver,
Goddess of Goddesses (Vanadis?), Bestower of Strength, Framer of all
Decrees, Lady of Victory, Forgiver of Sins, among many other 'kennings'.
Other sources suggest Ishtar was the same Great Goddess as Dea Syria,
Astarte, Cybelle, Aphrodite, Kore, Mari, Mari-Ana and others.
Preceding her though were supposedly the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, who
rescued and/or gave birth to Dumuzi her sacred son/lover just as Ishtar
did with Tammuz.  Correlating to both was the Egyptian goddess Isis, who
was the "Oldest of the Old," and the "Goddess from whom all becoming
Arose," and her title was the same as the Queen Mother of Egypt's.

Apuleius, a Roman philosopher, poet and Isis-worshipper, addressed her
under several goddess names:  For the Phrygians that are the first of
all men call me the Mother of the gods of Pessinus; the Athenians, which
are sprung from their own soil, Cecropian Minerva; the Cyprians, which
are girt about by the sea, Pahphian Venus; the Cretans, which bear
arrows, Dictynian Diana; the Sicilians, which speak three tongues,
infernal Proserpine; the Eleusinians, their ancient goddess Ceres; some
Juno, others Bellona, others Hecate, others Ramnusie...the Egyptians,
skilled in ancient lore, worship me with proper ceremonies and call me
by my true name, Queen Isis. (Richard Knight, _the Symbolical Language
of Ancient Art and Mythology_.  New YOrk: J.W. Bouton, 1892.)

Isis/Nephthys was, or were, the Egyptian version of the
creating-and-destroying Goddess, who were also typified as "weeping
goddesses."  And with other goddesses of this type were known as
Guardians and Keepers of the Dead, and with the power over life and
death, and healing.  They can be found in shamanic traditions the world
over as the Underworld deity and as the Lady of the Beasts.


[Gk] _Statio Isidis_, the bright Antares having been at one time a
symbol of Isis.

This part becomes particularly interesting to me, since the Isidis is
very similar to a term used for a particular group of ladies, comparable
to the Disir of the Norse tradition, the OHG 'itis' or OE "ides" meaning
applied to earthly women, but also used in kennings as 'goddess.'  As a
term for 'woman' it also has the meaning of 'virgin'.

The worship of the Disir occured during the winter nights.  And
interesting correlation that could be made is that the Celtic and the
Norse "winter" rites both involve some of the same archtypes and
ceremonies, especially the duality of life and death and the door being
open and "unguarded" at that time.  The Wild Hunt Motif would be a
defining factor here, including both the Dark Mother and the Lord of
Death.  The disir had two appearances, bright (swans feathers) and black
(raven or crow feathers)...they were psychopomps, and hardly
distinguishable from valkyrie at times.  In the Wild Hunt they were
accompanied by various Gods, Herne, Woden and others in various
traditions and countries.

 Mazes in Myth 
Valkyrie

I've been working with the labyrinth myths and stories myself. And there
is another version or way of viewing the Maiden at the center of the
labyrinth that I thought you might be interested in.  The maze/labyrinth
theme is central not only to the Celtic legends, but the Norse and
others besides European. In some of the turf/snow games still played
with the 'classical' unicursal labyrinth the Maiden at the center is
guarded or held by a troll.

In the symbolic analysis of the hero rescuing the maiden from the
labyrinth there is the concept of the hero going through a rebirth
process and recapturing the feminine, intuitive side of his nature
(according to folks who like to do this sort of thing).  In many of the
later Grail stories, the hero soon abandons the feminine, rejecting it.
Those that don't are the ones who remained with the old faith, with the
"abandoning" ones the ones who rejected the feminine and went with the
male dominant religion of Christianity.

The maze can be interchangeable with a dragon or serpent in the same
sort of stories as meaning basically the same thing, since the labyrinth
is a symbol of a descent and ascent of death and rebirth through the
Earth Mother.  Old Anglo-Saxon castles were guarded by mounds of earth
with basically the same name as dragon.  At the center of the Underworld
maze is also found the castle and the Cauldron of Regeneration or
Plenty.

Women undergoing the traditional challenge and initiation comprable to
the Underground journey, were "given" to the trolls.  The trolls, being
the underground guardians (and not the nasty demons Tolkein and other
Christians made them out to be...just ask any Swede) taught the girl
secrets as she "served" in the Underworld, in many legends for Frau
Holle, who has many well-known counterparts, including Hel, Annwyn,
Hecate and others.  This is a fairly well known theme in fairy tales
also, but not as well recognized as being an initiatory story as the
Heroic journeys are.

In many Northern folktales, a girl is "given" to the trolls, or
abandoned in the woods.  In some stories she with her brother, in others
she is alone, and the hunter is told to kill her.  This journey into the
wilderness is the beginning of her wandering through the maze.  Or in
some of the stories she is taken to a castle and beset with tasks that
she must accomplish in order to "marry" the king or prince.  She spins
straw into gold with the help of the trolls, dwarfs or gnomes, all names
for the Underworld beings who guard the fertility of the Upperworld.
The spinning of straw into gold is the power of insuring the crops come
to fruitful harvest as the grass winds through the season to gold.  She
is usually set three tasks by either the King who will marry her, or the
Queen Mother of the Prince.

When she accomplishes the tasks set for her, she "claims" the masculine
side of herself and "marries" or becomes united with her masculine side.

The story is told in different ways, but the journey to the center of
the labyrinth/maze is form of the Spiral Dance of life and death.  One
of the themes that is found in conjunction with these stories are the
ones that have the "poison" apple in them.  The apple was a symbol of
life and rebirth for many ancient cultures.  Apples were associated with
the Roman/Etruscan goddess Pomona, the Greek Hera, Demeter, Morgan in
her Crone form in Celtic legends, and Holle or Hel in Norse and Germanic
legends.  Idunn was the Maiden form of Holle or Hel, who kept the apples
of immortality in a basket.  In the Volsung Saga it tells of the belief
that a man could be perserved in death by the apples given to him by his
wife.  In other legends children are conceived after eating a magical
apple.  When the Bible was translated, the apple of life and death was
found in the Garden of Idunn.

The Apple, Rose and Hawthorn are all members of the same family.  The
Hawthorne, especially as a hedge or protective enclosure is found with
the maze, either protecting it, or actually forming the walls.  They are
sacred trees/plants, the first to begin blooming in the spring.  The
Hawthorn is especially sacred because it can have blossoms, ripe fruit
and ripening fruit on it at all times, as well as protective thorns.

I'm posting from the Seattle, Washington area of the United States.

Blessings
V
By: Deborah Kest
To: Rose Dawn
Re: PAGAN SEMANTICS

RD> OK, having some more thoughts about this. If there is/are one/two
RD> original 'creators,' the system would still be polytheistic if the
RD> original(s) created a bunch of gods/demi-gods and cut 'em loose so RD> 
to speak--not assigning them roles in the grand scheme of the
RD> original(s)? If so, what would be a counter-example--something like
RD> Yahweh & Son and the angelic hosts? I think I'm following you, it's
RD> just a bitch to put into words, LOL!

 It's hard to imagine an original creator with a grand scheme who would
 "cut 'em loose."

 "Well, yes, I have this plan, you see.  And things are going pretty
 well according to plan.  But this demi-god was supposed to be in charge
 of the dinosaurs, and he really doesn't do his job very well.  So I'm
 afraid I'm going to have to fire him, and let him shift for himself."

 Just an extra force in the universe, which doesn't really play any role
 at all in the "grand scheme?"  This would be rather contradictory if
 the Grand Poo-Ba were omnipotent and omniscient, for if he wanted
 things to work according to plan, he would always have the power to
 make them work.

 But, much to my distress, I taught Neoplatonism in my sections this
 week.  One of my students, (the only one who has displayed a mystical
 bent), has been to section every single time, and I was relying on him
 to defend the Neoplatonists.  Figures this would be the only time he
 oversleeps.

 The reason the Neoplatonists bother me so much is that they do have the
 different levels of reality schtick, with The One, aka "The Good" at
 the top of the ladder.  Because the cause is greater than the effect,
 (the first premise which I don't accept), The One emanates from itself
 the next level of reality, Intellect.  (I still don't understand how
 something which is in no way differentiated, entirely uniform, could
 cause anything.  After all, isn't causation a process involving some
 sort of differentiation?)  But, anyway, like the sun emanates the
 halos around it without diminishing itself, or without being anything
 other than what it is, so too does The One have great fecundity and
 emanates Intellect.  Intellect is still unified, as a mind thinking
 upon itself.  But insofar as it can have thoughts, it has
 differentiation within its unity.  Intellect is the act of unifying.
 All of the things it thinks on are Platonic Forms, like Beauty, which
 unify all of the particular instances (of beauty) in our world, (and
 all other worlds which the World-Soul spins).  But Intellect doesn't
 think of the particular, it thinks only of true Beauty, true Justice,
 etc.  It is not separate from all of these forms, so the way it thinks
 is from the perspective of each form onto all of the other forms.  So
 from Beauty it contemplates Justice and Equality, and from Justice it
 contemplates Beauty, etc.

 Well, somehow in all of this pure thinking on itself, it too emanates
 another less perfect level of reality, which is Soul, explained as the
 higher Soul, or World-Soul, and the lower Soul, or our souls.  The
 World-Soul is less fertile than the level before, so it can't manage  to 
produce real babies, but "less real" babies, imitations of the Forms  in 
the mind of Intellect.  So it spins all of the myriads of combina tions  
of Forms, aka our world.

 This process of causality, where the effect is always inferior to that
 which causes it, continues down to the point where no causality is
 possible any more.  This point is Prime Matter, which has no form left
 at all.  As something approaches Prime Matter, it is less and less
 formed, less and less intelligible.  Something is ugly not because it
 partakes in a form of ugliness, but because it does not partake in the
 form of beauty at all.  This breakdown of order is responsible for what
 we call evil.  According to Plotinus Prime Matter *is* Evil.

 This would suggest that either The Good is responsible for Evil, or
 there is more than one principle in the universe, which would deny the
 premise on which The One is based.  The way they try to weasel out of
 this problem is by saying that Prime Matter is the least real of all,
 or that it isn't real.  That doesn't mean that evil doesn't exist, but
 it exists because of holes, which are in themselves nothing-ness.  It's
 like Swiss cheese.  Swiss cheese has holes, but the holes are in
 themselves not anything.  You wouldn't say that Swiss cheese is made  up 
of cheese and holes, but that there are places in the cheese which
 simply lack cheese.  Holes can't make up anything.  So too Prime Matter
 can't cause anything.

 Well, anyway, the reason I laid the skeleton of the system out is
 because Neoplatonism would seem to be a system whose first cause was
 The One, and who followed necessarily according to a single principle,
 to produce a manifold which is, in a sense, independent of its
 "creator."  But though there is order, there isn't a divine plan, in
 that The One can't have any goals.  It just emanates from itself, from
 which all else is derived.  The manifold is independent of The One
 because it isn't itself The One.  While there are unifying principles
 which can only be derived from Unity itself, because they are not
 perfectly uniform, they are not part of The One.  The One can't have
 parts!!!

 So, are they monotheists, (The One), duo-theists, (The One and Prime
 Matter), polytheists, (all of the levels of the hierarchy of reality,
 which includes levels of spirits which I didn't spell out), or all of
 the above?  One could argue for all of the options, since The One is
 responsible for all, (but then where does matter, the building stuff  of 
our world, come from, if by itself it is evil), and since the   efficient  
causes of every phenomenon we experience comes from the   lower deities,  
not The One itself.

 If I *had* to accept such a system, (which I don't feel myself obliged
 to accept at all, since the arguments which Plotinus and Proclus give
 are terribly flawed), I would be inclined to favor polytheism, since
 even though The One is the first principle, not everything is
 incorporated into The One.  In fact nothing is, since that would
 violate its Unity.  So, The One is sort of off by itself, just
 emanating, while the efficient cause of our world is the World Soul,
 and all of the levels of spirits can have their hand in our pie. It's
 my understanding that the Neoplatonic hierarchy of spirits is what much
 of magic is still based on today.  Their nature isn't determined by The
 One, except insofar as they are caused by The One and this process of
 diminishing causation, which makes them worse than that which caused
 them.  They have more unity than we do, being higher up the chain, but
 less than The One.  So while they couldn't do terribly disunified
 things, they can still do somewhat disunified things, and thus aren't
 determined.  If they aren't determined by The One, then they are powers
 unto themselves, and the ones which actually do stuff which matters to
 us.

 >  Well, the "specific group" would be neo-pagans, of course.  But then
 >  the argument is circular, and I'm not surprised that you would be
 >  confused. I think there is such a thing as neo-pagans.  They are
 >  defined, more or less, by a few distinguishing traits: polytheism,
 >  feminist spirituality, environmental spirituality, and belief in/use 
of
 >  magic.  (This would be my starting list).  (Again, none of the traits
 >  are either necessary or sufficient, except *maybe* polytheism, as
 >  sufficient, but not necessary.)  So, if we start with the foundation 
of
 >  neo-pagans, then their reclamation would be of religions which 
resemble
 >  that which they seek.
 RD>
 RD> OK. It still sounds a little tautological to me! I definitely also
 RD> think there is such a thing as neo-pagans, but the major identifier
 RD> for me personally is that they define their religion *as* neo-pagan,
 RD> which is also tautological... oh hell, my head hurts. Reminds me of a
 RD> local GLAAD meeting a while back; roundtable discussion, topic: What
 RD> Is A Lesbian? (After much discussion, the answer everyone agreed on
 RD> was 'Anyone who says she is.')

 I think the way to get out of the tautology is to differentiate between
 the questions "what are they" and "how are they identified."  My
 foundation was that there *is* such a thing as a Neopagan, and I gave a
 rough description/definition.  Your challenge was that *is* is
 dependant on *what we know to be the case*.  If our knowledge is
 dependant on their self-identification as a Neopagan, we are back in
 the circle again.  I'd like to break the circle by claiming that *is*
 is not dependant on what we know to be the case.  There are Neopagans,
 separate from the issue of identification of Neopagans.  The issue of
 identification is important for different purposes, but not to the
 purpose of whether there are Neopagans.

 If we break the circle, and give rough starting definitions, then the
 reclamations would be of those religions which have traits which would
 fit those starting definitions.  This means that if just anyone found
 something appealing from ancient times, and worked to reclaim it, it
 wouldn't automatically get the label "Pagan."  The "just anyone" would
 have to fit the rough starting definition, or convince the rest of us
 to include them in a revised definition, before they would count as
 Neopagans, and their reclamation count as "Pagan."  Furthermore, if a
 Neopagan wanted to reclaim something which had nothing to do with
 religion, that wouldn't count as Pagan either.

 RD> Hmm, I don't think I was looking at it in terms of counting them as
 RD> pagans. I seem to recall you'd questioned whether Hinduism had
 RD> features that neo-pagans would find desireable,

 Yes, but I had made the argument that the fact that they wouldn't apply
 the word to themselves wasn't sufficient to prove that we shouldn't
 apply the word to them, if they had the features which we thought of  as  
Pagan.  Since the purpose of our discussion is to better understand  our 
own word, we are concerned with whether, as we use it, it fits  them,  
whether they use it or not.

 RD> and I was pointing out
 RD> the beliefs/practices of different denominations that might be
 RD> attractive to various neo-Pagan religions. But yes, I'd say the
 RD> argument against counting them as Pagans is pretty much spot-on.  RD> 
If not originally a neo-Pagan word, it definitely *was* a western  RD> 
word, no? As to the second, I hadn't even considered it & it's an
 RD> interesting point. I wouldn't say it was an argument in favor of
 RD> counting them as Pagan, but there's a lot of truth in it!

 Why isn't it an argument in favor of counting them as Pagan?  If the
 major things which we use to define Paganism we share with them, and  if 
their sects are closer to some of our "sects" than the sects of each
 respective religion (understood loosely) are to each other, why not?
 The Anglo - Saxon Rune Poem 
By:  Steph Parker

Anyway, here is the Anglo-Saxon Rune poem.  The OE version is in West 
Saxon though the spelling hasn't been regulised (though I'm using the 
standard 'ae' for 'ash' and 'th' for 'thorn' and 'eth').  The translation 
will be Anthony E. Farnham's from A Sourcebook in the History of English 
as it's much too late for me to bother doing my own and I'll be too busy 
over the next few days.

Where the number '7' appears that is the Old English equivalent of the
ampersand (&) and should be read as 'and' or 'ond'.

One last point - the poem here has not been proofread so there is a chance 
that there are errors in the transcription (particularly with ommission of 
the letter 'e' as there is a slight problem with my keyboard).


Feoh byth frofur     fira gehwylcum -
sceal theah manna gehwylc     miclun hyt daelan
gif he wile for drihtne     domes hleotan.

(Wealth is a joy to every man -
    but every man must share it well
    if he wish to gain glory in the sight of the Lord.)

Ur byth anmod     7 oferhyrned,
felafrecne deor,     feohteth mid hornum,
maere morstapa:    thaet is modiy wuht!

(Aurochs is fierce, with gigantic horns,
    a very savage animal, it fights with horns,
    a well-known moor-stepper: it is a creature of courage!)

THorn byth thearle scearp,    thegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl,     ungemetun rethe
manna gehwylcun     the him mid resteth.
(Thorn is very sharp, harmful to every man
    who seizes it, unsuitably severe
    to every man who rests on it.)

Os byth ordfruma     aelcre spraece,
wisdomes wrathu     and witena frofur
and eorla gehwam     eadnys and tohiht.

(Os is the creator of all speech,
    a supporter of wisdom and comfort of wise men,
    and a blessing aand hope to every man.)

Rad byth on recyde     rinca gehwylcum
sefte, and swithhwaet     tham the sitteth onufan
meare maegenheardum     ofer milpathas.

(Journey is to every warrior in the hall
    pleasant, and bitingly tough to him who sits
    on a might steed over the mile-paths.)

Cen byth cwicera gehwam     cuth on fyre,
blac and beorhtlic,     byrneth oftust
thaer hi aethelingas     inne restath.

(Torch is to every living thing known by its fire;
    bright and brilliant, it burns most often
    where the princes take their rest within.)

Gyfu gumena byth     gleng and herenys,
wrathu 7 wyrthscype,     7 wraecna gehwam
ar and aetwist     the byth othra leas.

(Generosity of men is an ornament and praise,
    support and dignity, magnificence and existence
    to every suffering man, who is otherwise destitute.)

Wenne bruceth     the can weana lyt,
sares and sorge,     and him sylfa haefth
blaed 7 blysse     and eac byrga geniht.

(Joy he possesses who knows few woes,
    pain and sorrow, and has for himself
    prosperity and bliss, and also the abundance found in the fortified
dwellings of men.)

Haegl byth hwitust corna,     hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcath hit windes scura,     weortheth hit to waetere syththan.

(Hail is the whitest of seeds, it comes down from the air of heaven,
    the gusts of wind toss it about, afterward it turns to water.)

Nyd byth nearu on breostan:     weortheth hi theah oft nitha bearnum
to helpe and to haele gehwaethre,     gif hi his hlystath aeror.

(Necessity is oppressive to the heart: yet it often becomes for the 
children of men a help and salvation for each, if they have hearkened unto 
it.)
Is byth oferceald,     ungemetum slidor,
glisnath glaeshluttur     gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht,     faeger ansyne.

(Ice is extremely cold, excessively slippery,
    it glistens glass-clear, most like to gems,
    it is a floor wrought by frost, fair of sight.)

Ger byth gumena hiht,     thon God laeteth,
halig heofones cyning,     hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda     beornum and thearfum.

(Year (the growing season) is the hope of men, when God,
    holy king of heaven, causes the earth to give forth
    shining fruits to wealthy and to needy.)

Eoh byth utan     unsmethe treow,
heard hrusan faest,     hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwrethyd,     wynn on ethle.

(Yew is a tree with unsmooth bark,
    hard and fast in the earth, keeper of fire,
    supported by roots, a joy in the land.)

Peorth byth symble     plega and hlehter
wlancum [and wisum],     thar wigan sittath
on beorsele     blithe aetsomne.

(Peorth is always sport and laughter
    to the noble [and the wise], where men sit
    together in merriment in the mead-hall.)

Eolhx secg eard haefth     oftust on fenne,
wexeth on wature,     wundath grimme,
blode breneth     beorna gehwylcne
the him aenigne     onfeng gedeth.

(Eolhx-sedge has its home most often in the marsh,
    it grows in the water, wounds cruelly,
    darkens with blood every man
    who touches it in any way.)

Sigel semannum     symble bith on hihte,
thonn hi hine feriath     ofer fisces beth,
oth hi brimhengest     bringeth to lande.

(Sun is always a hope to seamen,
    when they guide the sea-steed over the fish's bath
    until it carries them to land.)

Tir bith tacna sum:     healdeth trywa wel
with aethelingas,     a bith on faerylde
ofer nihta genipu,     naefre swiceth.

(Tir is a sign to remember: it holds faith well
    with princes, is always on course
    above the mists of the nights, it never wanders or deceives.)

Beorc byth bleda leas,     bereth efne swa theah
tanas butan tudder,     bith on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme     hrysted faegere,
geloden leafum,     lyfte getenge.

(Birch (referring to the poplar?) is seedless, yet without fruit it
nevertheless
    puts forth sprouts; it is beautiful with its branches,
    lofty in its crown, fairly adorned,
    sprung from shoots, pressing aloft.)

Eh byth for eorlum     aethelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc,     thar him haelethe ymb
welege on wicgum     wrixlath spraece,
7 bith unstyllum     aefre frofur.

(Horse in the presence of warriors is a joy to princes,
    a steed proud of its hoofs, where mounted men
    and wealthy exchange speech about him,
    and is ever a joy to the restless.)

Man byth on myrgthe     his magan leof -
sceal theah anra gehwylc     othrum swican;
fortham Dryhten wyle     dome sine
thaet earme flaesc     eorthan betaecan.

(Man in merriment is beloved of his fellow -
    yet shall every one betray the other;
    for this reason God wills by his decree
    that the unhappy flesh be committed to the earth.)

Lagu byth leodum     langsum gethuht,
gif hi sculun nethan     on nacan tealtum
7hi saeytha     swythe bregath
and se brimhengest     bridles ne gymeth.

(Sea is to men a thing which seems everlasting,
    if they must dare to venture on the unsteady and untrustorthy ship
    and the sea-waves greatly terrify them
    and the sea-steed cares not for its bridle.)

Ing waes aerest     mid Eastdenum
gesewen secgun,     oth he siththan est
ofer waeg gewat;     waen aefter ran.
THus Heardingas     thone haele nemdun.

(Ing was first among the East-Danes
    visible to men, until he later eastward
    departed over the sea; his chariot followed him.
    Thus did the Heardings invoke that hero.)

AEthel byth oferleof     aeghwylcum men,
gif he mot thaer rigtes     and gerysena on
brucan on bolde     bleadum oftast.

(Homeland is most precious to every man,
    if he may therein enjoy justice and courtesies
    in his house, in frequent and abundant prosperity.)

Daeg byth Drihtnes sond,     deore mannum,
maere Metodes leoht,     myrgth and tohiht
eadgum and earmum,     eallum brice.

(Day is the envoy of the Lord, dear to men,
    the great light of God, happiness and hope
    to blessed and to miserable, an enjoyment for all.)

Ac byth on eorthan     elda bearnum
flaesces fodor,     fereth gelome
ofer ganotes baeth:     garsecg fandath
hwaether ac haebbe     aethele treowe.

(Oak is for the children of men on earth
    a provider of meat (acorns are food for swine); it journeys 
continually
    over the bath of the gannet: Neptune the spearman proves
    if the oak keep faith in honorable fashion.)

AEsc bith oferheah,     eldum dyre,
stith on stathule,     stede rihte hylt
theah him feohtan on     firas monige.

(Ash (used for spears) is very tall, precious to men,
    stubborn in standing, holds its place well
    even though many men attack it.)

Yr byth aethelinga     7 eorla gehwaes
wyn and wyrthmynd,     byth on wicge faeger,
faestlic on faerelde,     fyrdgeatewa sum.

(Yr is for every prince and noble
    a joy and an hononr, it is fair on a horse,
    dependable on an expedition, a fine piece of military equipage.)

Ior byth eafixa,     and theah a bruceth
fodres on foldan;     hafath faegerne eard,
waetre beworpen,     thaer he wynnum leofath.

(Ior is of the river-fish, and yet always partakes
    of food on land; it has a fair home,
    surrounded by water, where it dwells in joy.)

Ear byth egle     eorla gehwylcun
thonn faestlice     flaesc onginneth
hraw colian,     hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan:     bleda gedreosath,
wynna gewitath,     wera geswicath.

(Earth is loathsome to every man
    when relentlessly the flesh, the carrion body,
    begins to cool, lividly to accept marriage
    to its fellow dust: blossoms fall,
    joys pass away, friendships fail.)


Wyrd wes eower weard.
Steph.
Traditional Aboriginal myth, which was printed in Web of Wyrd #10

Back in the Dreamtime, Gidja the Moon lived by the river with the Bullanji 
people. They made fun of him, because he was round and fat, with little 
stringy legs and arms. Gidja loved Yalma, the Evening Star, but she 
laughed at him too. So Gidja made a magic circle of stones, and at dusk 
every night, sat in his circle and sang of his love for Yalma. He made so 
many songs! So, Yalma agreed to marry him and the Bullanji people held 
corroboree for them. Now Yalma had a baby daughter - Lilga,
the Morning Star. Lilga would go hunting with her father, Gidja. One day, 
while gathering honey, a limb fell off a tree and crushed Lilga, so she 
died. This was the first time that anyone had ever died. Poor Gidja 
mourned his daughter, but the Bullanji people were afraid, and blamed 
Gidja for bringing death to the world. When Gidja carried his little 
Morning Star in her coffin over the river, some men cut the ropes holding 
the bridge, and he fell into the river. The coffin drifted out to sea, and 
today, you can still see little Morning Star shining out at sea. Gidja 
climed out of the river, and made a fire. He carried a
bright burning brand from the fire, and walked through the forest. The 
people saw him and were afraid. The they saw it was Gidja, and were angry. 
They tried to kill him, but couldn't, so they picked him up and
threw him up into the sky. As he rose up, he cursed the people, and said 
they would all die, and remain dead. But he, and the grass, would die, and 
would come back to new life.  And so it is. Gidja grows fatter and fatter, 
and then fades away like a little old man. Lilga though, shines brightly. 
Just like he said, Gidja comes back to life. At dusk on the third day 
after he dies, you can see him again, floating like a baby's cradle, 
waiting to start again.

 Christmas Customs 
by Rick Hayward

Now  that  Christmas  is  fast approaching and the year has once
more come full circle, most of us will soon be busy adorning the
house  with  brightly  coloured decorations, a Christmas tree and
all the other paraphernalia that goes to create a festive atmosphere.

Holly and mistletoe will almost certainly  be  included  in  our
decorations as  evergreens  have been used in the winter festivities
from  very  ancient  times  and definitely long before Christianity
appeared on the scene.

What Christians celebrate as the birthday  of  Christ  is  really
something that was superimposed on  to  a  much  earlier  pagan
festival--that which celebrated the Winter Solstice or the time when
the Sun reaches its lowest point south  and  is    reborn  at  the
beginning  of  a  new  cycle  of seasons.

In  Northern  Europe  and Scandinavia it was noted by the early Christian 
scholar, Bede, that the heathens began the year on
December 25th which they called Mother's Night in honour of the
great  Earth  Mother.  Their celebrations were held in order to
ensure  fertility and  abundance during the coming year, and these
included much feasting, burning of lamps, lighting of great fires (the
Yule fires) and exchanges of gifts.

The Romans, too,  held their great celebrations--Saturnalia--
from December 17th to 25th and it was the latter date which they
honoured as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Saturnalia
was characterised by much merry-making,  sometimes  going  to
riotous extremes, with masters and slaves  temporarily  exchanging
roles. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses
was also very much in evidence at this great winter festival.

That we now celebrate the birth of Christ at the same time is largely
due to the early Church Fathers who found it was much easier to
win converts to the faith by makng Christ's birthday coincide with an
already  long established  pagan festival. In fact, it wasn't until the
4th century that Pope Julius I finally established the 25th as the 
official birthday of Christ; earlier Christians differed widely as to this 
date-- some choosing September 29th, while others held that January 6th or 
March 29th were the correct dates.

As we have seen, the pagan element in Christmas lives on in the
festival at the Winter Solstice. But these elements are also very much
alive in our use of evergreens as decorations at this time of year.

Like most evergreens, the holly and mistletoe have long been held
to  symbolise  eternal  life, regeneration and rebirth.

Holly, with its bright red berries and dark spiky foliage, has been
revered from ancient times as a symbol of life everlasting. It was
associated  with  strength  and masculinity and was considered
useful in the treatment of various ailments which were seen to lower
the vital spirits.

In old England, a decoction of holly leaves was considered a cure
for worms; but most of all this prickly evergreen was looked upon
as a luck bringer--particularly in rural areas where a bunch of holly
hung in the cow shed or stable was thought to favour the animals if
placed there on Christmas Eve.  Many people used to take a piece of
holly from the church decorations at Christmas as a charm against bad
luck in the coming year. Holly was also considered a very protective
tree which, if planted outside the house,  was  believed  to  avert
lightning, fire and the evil spells of witches.

An old holly spell describes how to know one's future spouse. At
midnight on a Friday, nine holly leaves must be plucked and tied
with nine knots in a three-cornered cloth. This is then placed under the
pillow and,  provided  silence  is observed from the time of plucking
until dawn the next day, your future spouse will come to you in your
dreams.

In certain areas of Wales, it was thought extremely unlucky to bring
holly  into  the  house  before December 24th and if you did so
there would be family quarrels and domestic upheavals. You would
also be inviting disaster if you burned green holly or squashed the
red berries.

Turning  now to mistletoe,  it seems that this is by far the most
mystical of the plants associated with Christmas and has, from very
ancient times,  been treated as magical  or sacred.  It is often
included  in  modern  Christmas decorations simply for the fun of
kissing beneath it and, though this seems to be a peculiarly English
custom, it probably harks back to the mistletoe's association with
fertility.

The real reason why mistletoe is now associated with Christmas is
very  much  a  carry-over  from ancient practices, when it was
considered as somehow belonging to the gods. The Roman historian,
Pliny, gives an early account of how the  Druids would  hold a  very
solemn ceremony at the Winter Solstice when the mistletoe had to
be gathered, for the Druids looked upon this unusual plant, which has
no roots in the earth, as being of divine  origin  or  produced  by
lightning. Mistletoe which grew on the oak was considered especially
potent in magical virtues, for it was the oak that the Druids held as
sacred to the gods.

At  the Winter  Solstice,  the Druids would lead a procession into
the forest and, on finding the sacred plant growing on an oak, the
chief priest, dressed all in white, would climb the tree and cut the
mistletoe with a knife or sickle made of gold. The mistletoe was
not allowed to touch the ground and was therefore caught in a white
linen cloth.

On securing the sacred mistletoe, the Druids would then carry it to
their temple where it would be laid beneath the altar stone for three
days. Early on the fourth day, which would correspond to our
Christmas Day, it was taken out, chopped into pieces and handed
out among the worshippers. The berries were used by the priests to
heal various diseases.

Mistletoe was considered something of a universal panacea, as can
be gleaned from the ancient celtic word for it--uile, which literally
translated  means  'all-healer'.  A widespread  belief  was  that
mistletoe could cure anything from headaches to epilepsy; and indeed
modern research has shown that the drug guipsine which is used in
the treatment of nervous illnesses and high blood pressure is con-
tained in mistletoe.

Until quite recently the rural folk of  Sweden  and  Switzerland
believed that the mistletoe could only be picked at certain times and
in a special way if its full potency as healer and protector was to be
secured. The Sun must be in Sagittarius (close to the Winter
Solstice) and the Moon must be on the wane and, following ancient
practices, the mistletoe must not be just picked but shot or knocked
down and caught before reaching the ground.

Not only was mistletoe looked upon as a healer of all ills, but if
hung  around  the  house  was believed  to  protect  the  home
against fire and other hazards. As the mistletoe was supposed to have
been produced by lightning, it had the power to protect the home
against thunder bolts by a kind of sympathetic magic.

Of great importance, however, was the power of mistletoe to protect  
against witchcraft  and sorcery. This is evident in an old superstition 
which holds that a sprig of mistletoe placed beneath the pillow will avert 
nightmares (once considered to be the product of evil demons).

In the north of England, it used to be the practice of farmers to give
mistletoe to the first cow that calved after New Year's Day. This was 
believed to ensure health to the stock  and  a  good  milk  yield
throughout the year. Underlying this old belief is the fear of witches
or mischievous fairy folk who could play havoc with dairy produce, so
here  mistletoe  was  used  as a counter magic    against such evil
influences.  In  Sweden,  too,  a bunch of this magical plant hung
from the living room ceiling or in the stable or cow-shed was thought
to render trolls powerless to work mischief.

With such a tremendous array of myth, magic and folklore associated with 
it, reaching far back into the pagan past, it is understandable that  even  
today  this  favourite Christmas plant is forbidden in many churches. Yet 
even the holly and the ivy, much celebrated in a popular carol of that 
title, were once revered as sacred and magical by our pre-Christian 
ancestors.

In view of what has been said, one could speculate that even if 
Christianity had never emerged it is more than likely that we would still 
be getting  ready for the late-December festivities, putting up
decorations,  including holly and mistletoe, in order to celebrate the
rebirth of the Sun, the great giver and sustainer of all earthly life.

           BYLAWS OF THE  CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS, INC. 

  As amended by General Meeting August 9, 1992  PREAMBLE  Section 1: 
Recognizing the necessity for the affirmation of life in a world choked by 
the worship of death, we, the Priesthood and Councils of the Church of All 
Worlds do re-establish and re-ordain on this fair planet a vital new Pagan 
religion, dedicated to the celebration of Life, the maximal actualization 
of Human potential, and the realization of ultimate individual freedom and 
personal responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic relationship with the 
total Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth. To which end we do hereby adopt and 
enact the following Articles:

  ARTICLE I Name  
          Section 1: 
The name of the corporation shall be the Church of All Worlds, Inc., and 
is a non-profit religious organization, incorporated under the laws of the 
States of Missouri and California. 

     ARTICLE II Purpose  
          Section 1: 
The purpose of this Corporation shall be as outlined in the Articles of 
Incorporation; and specifically the following:
     A.  To present an alternative to war, hatred, violence, frustration, 
insecurity, fear, ignorance, jealousy, brutality, dishonesty, apathy, 
misery, loneliness, guilt, anxiety, alienation, paranoia, dominance, 
killing, force, hypocrisy, envy, malevolence, irresponsibility, 
intolerance, prejudice, persecution, greed, addiction, authoritarianism, 
and presently established religions and institutions, and to aid and 
support individuals in their rejection of these;
     B.  To provide mutual help and encouragement in the search for 
meaning and identity through association with similarly oriented fellows 
in a context of acceptance and love;
     C.  To aid individuals and groups in the maximal actualization of 
Human potential and the realization of ultimate individual freedom and 
personal responsibility: to help people become what they potentially are;
     D.  To furnish a central headquarters and branch offices (called 
Churches, Nests, Centers, or Temples) through which seekers may locate and 
communicate with each other, and to buy, sell, own, hold, mortgage, or 
otherwise encumber, lease, or otherwise hold and dispose of real and 
personal property necessary to properly establish, fit up, and maintain 
such places;
     E.  To encourage reading, study and growth on the part of members and 
friends, and to make available literature in various relevant fields;
     F. To publish newsletters, papers, magazines, pamphlets, books, 
directories and other materials deemed appropriate to the purposes of the 
Church by the Board of Directors or their delegated authority;
     G.  To work, associate, and affiliate with other similarly oriented 
individuals, churches, agencies and groups promoting peace, love, joy, 
freedom, brotherhood, conservation, personal awareness and development, 
celebration of life and the eco-psychic recovery of Natural Wilderness, 
and to aid and support such people in such efforts as shall be found not 
to be in conflict with the purposes and principles of this Church;
     H.  To establish and maintain Wilderness sanctuaries, retreats, 
camps, and communities in various regions;
     I.  To establish and maintain schools, colleges, libraries and 
research facilities based on the principles of the Church;
     J.  To receive money, property, and values of every kind heretofore 
donated, contributed, collected, and held, and to receive, and hold money, 
property and values of every kind that might be donated, contributed, 
collected and held, for the benefit of this religious organization;
     K.  To engage in and promote any functions, services and activities 
deemed appropriate, necessary or expedient for the purposes of the Church 
by the Board of Directors , their delegated authority, or the directors of 
the various subsidiary groups;
     L.  To do all in our power to increase the total degree of 
consciousness, individually, collectively, and synergically, at all levels 
of Being, in the unfolding course of emergent evolution;
     M.  To provide all possible means for recycling the bodies of 
deceased members consistent with eco-psychic awareness and personal will;
     N.  To make provision to establish and ordain various sacraments of 
the Church of All Worlds.

  ARTICLE I Membership
     Section l:
Membership shall consist of those who understand the principles of the 
Church, who have made written application, paid the annual dues, and have 
been accepted by the Board of Directors or their delegated authority. The 
form of application shall be that approved by the Board of Directors or 
their delegated authority.

     Section 2:  
Members whose annual dues are current shall be referred to as active 
members, with full voting privileges and discounts at paid functions.  
Those whose dues are in arrears shall be regarded as inactive members, and 
their voting privileges and discounts at paid functions shall be suspended 
until such time as they renew their memberships with a payment of the 
annual dues. 

     Section 3: 
Membership shall be organized in degrees of ranking, as follows:
     A.  Three Rings of three Circles each, to be known (from outer to 
inner) respectively as Seekers, Scions, and Priests/Priestesses, or 
Clergy.
     B.  Members may be referred to by designation of a Circle, one 
through nine.

  ARTICLE IV Seekers
     Section 1:  
The First Ring shall consist of Seekers, to be identified by the color 
green, as used on membership cards, newsletters and in ceremonial 
vestments. They shall be grouped in the following three Circles, by 
qualifications to be determined by combined Councils of all Rings;
     A. First Circle (identified with the planet Pluto and its symbols.)  
B. Second circle (identified with the planet Neptune and its symbols.)
     C. Third Circle (identified with the planet Uranus and its symbols.)

  ARTICLE V Scions  
     Section l: 
The second Ring shall consist of Scions, to be identified by the color 
red, as used on membership cards, newsletters, and in ceremonial 
vestments. They shall be grouped into the following three Circles by 
qualifications to be determined and amended by the Board of Directors:  

     A. Fourth circle (identified with the planet Saturn and its symbols.)
     B. Fifth circle (identified with the planet Jupiter and its symbols.)
     C. Sixth circle (identified with the planet Mars and its symbols.) 
     Section 2: Duties of Scions shall include management of various 
Church programs, functions, and activities, as well as studies directed 
toward qualification for the Clergy, determination of qualifications for 
advancement through First and Second Rings, and any other such duties as 
may be determined by the Board of Directors.  
     Section 3:  In the event no Priest or Priestess is available to serve 
an established Nest, the Scion who takes on major responsibility for 
coordinating that Nest shall be designated High Scion by consensual 
agreement of the members of said Nest. The High Scion shall assume the 
administrative and organizational functions normally assigned to Clergy, 
until such time as said High Scion or any other member of said Nest shall 
become ordained. If members of the Nest desire, the position of High Scion 
may rotate among qualified members of the Nest.  
     Section 4: In areas where no Nest exists, Scions may, with the 
approval of the Board of directors, establish proto-nests of the Church of 
All Worlds, Inc.; such proto-nests shall conduct meetings in accordance 
with the Bylaws and principles of the Church of All Worlds and shall 
forward monthly reports of activities to the Board of Directors via the 
Membership Officer.  
     Section 5:  In special cases the Church may license a Scion of 6th 
Circle as a Minister and iissue Ministerial Credentials, which shall 
consist of a Ministerial Certificate and wallet-sized ID card.  Licensed 
CAW MInisters shall function as the equivalent of Chaplains, and be 
authorized to perform such sacraments as authorized by the Council of the 
Third Ring.  In order to qualify for this special status, the Scion must 
present a Ministerial Proposal to the Board of Directors indicating the 
nature of the Scion's intended Ministry and his/he qualifications to 
fulfill it.  Examples of such Ministries shall include (but not be limited 
to):  Prison Ministries, Hospital Ministries, Armed Services Ministries.      

     ARTICLE VI Clergy
          Section 1: 
The Third Ring shall consist of Priests and Priestesses, to be identified 
by the color purple, as used on membership cards, in newsletters, and in 
ceremonial vestments. They shall be grouped into the following three 
Circles, by qualifications to be determined and amended by the Board of 
Directors.     
     A. Seventh Circle (identified with the planet Earth and its symbols.)
     B. Eighth Circle (identified with the planet Venus and its symbols.)
     C. Ninth Circle (identified with the planet Mercury and its symbols.)  

          Section 2: 
Duties of the Clergy shall include hosting and officiating at various 
ceremonies and services, administering the sacraments, writing and 
preparing rituals, arranging meetings and councils, supervising the 
training of Seekers and Scions, sponsoring and aiding postulants to the 
Clergy, voting for and serving as members of the Board of Directors, 
maintaining communications with other Nests, and any other such duties as 
may be determined by Councils of the Third Ring or the Board of Directors.  
          Section 3: 
The Priest and/or Priestess establishing a Nest or assuming responsibility 
for an established Nest shall be known as High Priest or High Priestess of 
that Nest. The duties of High Priest or HIgh Priestess include primary 
responsibility for all Church activities in that Nest, including reports 
to the Board of Directors, and any other such functions as they themselves 
shall determine, subject to approval by the board of Directors. The term 
of office for High Priests and High Priestesses shall customarily be for a 
period of not more than seven years, during which time it shall be the 
duty of such persons to select and train their successors. Any High Priest 
or High Priestess who does not step down before this seven year period is 
up may, at any time after the seven years, be summarily eliminated at the 
consensual agreement of the rest of the Nest.  
          Section 4: 
Ordination into the Priesthood may be bestowed upon Scions who have 
completed all the currently stated qualifications of the Sixth Circle and 
have been recommended for the Seventh by any sponsoring member of the 
Clergy, provided the candidate has first been approved unanimously by the 
Board of Directors through the submission of such data as the Board may 
choose to require. 

     ARTICLE VII Primate  
          Section 1: 
The primary authoritative and not authoritarian spokesperson for the 
Church of All Worlds shall be known as the Primate, and shall hold this 
position for as long as he or she can adequately demonstrate his or her 
capability to perform its duties and functions, or until successfully 
challenged for the position by a would-be successor, or for life, or for 
as long as he or she desires to hold the position. Any of the foregoing 
conditions may serve to limit the term of office of the Primate. 
          Section 2: 
Duties of the Primacy shall include all appropriate duties of a general 
spokesperson, coordination and integration of programs, activities, 
information and input included in the Church gestalt, and coordination of 
relationships with other groups within the larger Pagan and Neo-Pagan 
community. It shall be the responsibility of the Primate to keep well 
informed enough on all phases of both the Church of All Worlds and 
Paganism/Neo-Paganism as a whole that such duties may always be 
competently and effectively performed. 
          Section 3: 
As the Primate is largely an honorific position awarded by the membership 
in respect for a person's years of service to the Church of All Worlds, a 
successor may or may not be chosen upon the discontinuation of one 
Primate's term of office. Should  it be desired, a successor shall be 
chosen by the same method as any other elected official.     
     ARTICLE VIII Directors  
          Section 1: 
Management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors, 
consisting of not less than three nor more than thirteen persons, 
consisting of a representative of each chartered subsidiary and the 
following officers: President, Vice-President in charge of Membership, 
Treasurer, and Secretary. A minimum of one-third of the Board of Directors 
shall be members of the Clergy. The Board can approve the calling of 
qualified persons among the membership to the positions of Secretary and 
Treasurer by unanimous decision. An individual may hold the position of an 
officer and a representative of a subsidiary group, if necessary. 
Decision-making shall be by consensus, but if agreement cannot be reached, 
decisions will be made by two-thirds majority vote. In such a case, the 
votes of all members of the Board of Directors are equal, regardless of 
the Ring status of the person voting. 
          Section 2: 
At the first annual meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board shall 
elect from its own number, a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a 
Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall serve as officers both for the Board 
of Directors and for the Corporation. At the discretion of the Directors, 
the same person may serve in more than one office. The President and 
Vice-President in charge of Membership must be members of the Clergy. 
          Section 3: 
The powers of the Board of Directors shall be those usually assigned to 
such Directors. They are subject to limitation or specification at any 
meeting of the Board or the Third Ring. They shall specifically include 
the following powers:    
     A. To call regular or special meetings of the Directors, the 
Councils, or of the membership, on initiative of the President, or by 
mutual agreement of two or more of the Directors.      
     B. To make rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of 
the State of California or the Bylaws of this Corporation, for the 
guidance of officers, Directors, and members.     
     C. To make rules and regulations for the use and management of all 
Church property, whether real or personal, and to change such rules and 
regulations at such time and in such manner as to said Board of Directors, 
or Directors of subsidiary groups, shall seem right and proper.  

     D. To accept, review, and approve or reject applications for 
Priesthood, and to issue certificates of ordination to those applicants 
who shall have fulfilled their qualifications and shall have complied with 
the requirements of the rules, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation, and 
who are recommended by their High Priests or High Priestesses, to serve as 
Clergy or for other special purposes recognized by act of the Board of 
Directors.     
     E. To issue certificates of Charter to members in other areas when 
they wish to establish a local Nest, or to establish Subsidiary 
Organizations, upon conditions to be determined by the Board.  

     F. To determine what shall be due and reasonable compensation to be 
paid any member of the Corporation for services rendered to or for the 
Corporation, affecting one or more of its purposes.    
     G. To maintain, at the Central Nest, confidential files on all 
members, active and inactive, and such other records as may be deemed 
necessary adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation.  
     Section 4: 
The Board of Directors shall have full power and authority to borrow money 
on behalf of the Corporation, including the power and authority to borrow 
money from any of the members, Directors, or officers of the Corporation, 
and to otherwise incur indebtedness on behalf of the Corporation, and to 
authorize the execution of promissory notes, or other evidences of 
indebtedness of the Corporation, and to agree to pay interest thereon to 
sell, convey, alienate, transfer, assign, exchange, lease, and otherwise 
dispose of, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, and otherwise encumber the 
property, real or personal, and the franchises of the Corporation to 
purchase, lease, and otherwise acquire property, real and personal, on 
behalf of the Corporation; and generally to do and perform, or cause to be 
done and performed, every act which the Corporation may lawfully do and 
perform. 
          Section 5: 
The Board of Directors shall have summary power by vote of a two-thirds 
majority of its members to suspend, or to expel and terminate the 
membership of any member of the Church, including the Priesthood and the 
Board of Directors, for conduct which in its opinion disturbs the order, 
dignity, business or harmony, or impairs the good name, popularity or 
prosperity of the organization, or which is likely in its opinion, to 
endanger the welfare, interest or character of the organization, or for 
any conduct in violation of these Bylaws or of the rules and regulations 
of the Corporation, which may be made from time to time.Such action by the 
Board of Directors may be taken at any meeting of such Board upon the 
initiative of any member or members thereof. The proceedings of the Board 
of Directors in such matter shall be final and conclusive, unless 
overruled by majority vote of the Council of the Third Ring, acting as a 
Board of Appeal. It is expected that any Clergy serving on such a Board 
will absent themselves if s/he is unable to be impartial, or is affected 
personally by the decsions of such a Board. 
          Section 6: 
The Board of Directors shall constitute a nominating committee for 
Directors to serve on the Board. Their recommendations shall be presented 
by the Secretary to the Council of the Third Ring at any regular meeting. 
Other nominations may be made by any member present at the said meeting.  

     ARTICLE IX Officers  
          Section 1: 
The officers of the Corporation shall be a President, a Vice-President in 
charge of Membership, a Secretary, and Treasurer. Other officers may be 
created by resolution of the Board, not to exceed thirteen. Doubling of 
roles is permissible with the agreement of the Board. 
          Section 2: 
The term of all offices shall be one year. 
          Section 3: 
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation, and 
shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. S/he shall have 
general charge of the business of the Corporation, and shall execute, with 
the Secretary, in the name of the Corporation, all deeds, bonds, 
contracts, and other obligations and instruments authorized by the Board 
of Directors. The President shall also have such other powers and shall 
perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors. 
          Section 4:  
Unless the Board of Directors shall specify otherwise, the Vice-President 
shall be the regularly designated authority to act on applications for 
membership and ordination, and may head a committee which performs this 
task. It shall be the responsibility of the Vice-President to keep 
addresses and other information relating to membership up-to-date. The 
Vice-President shall be vested  with all the powers and shall perform all 
the duties of the President, in case of the absence or disability of the 
President. The Vice-President shall also have such other powers and shall 
perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of Directors. 
          Section 5: 
The Secretary shall keep records of all regular and special meetings of 
the Board of Directors, and forward these records to the members of the 
Board and the Third Ring. The Secretary shall also mail notification to 
members of the Third Ring and the Board of the time, place, and planned 
agenda of the regular Board meetings. Subsidiary representatives are asked 
to send the secretary a record of the quarterly business of each 
subsidiary three weeks prior to the regular meeting, for inclusion in the 
quarterly meeting notes. Notices should be sent at least two weeks prior 
to each regular meeting, and as early as possible before a special 
meeting. The Secretary also serves as the correspondent of the Corporation 
with persons representing the State of California, and files whatever 
reports and forms may be required by the State on an annual or ongoing 
basis.
     A. In case of the absence or disability of the Secretary, or refusal 
or neglect to act, notices may be given and served by the President, or by 
the Vice-President, or by any person authorized by the President or the 
Vice-President, or by the board of Directors. Section 6: The Treasurer 
shall receive and safely keep all funds of the Corporation and deposit 
same in such bank or banks as may be designated by the Board of Directors. 
Such funds shall be paid out only on the cheque of the Corporation signed 
as directed by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall also control 
the keeping of the books and accounts of the Corporation, and is 
responsible for the filing and payment of any monies required by the State 
of California. Subsidiary representaives are responsible for the 
forwarding of quarterly financial records of each subsidiary to the 
Treasurer in advance of each quarterly Board of Directors meeting.  

     ARTICLE X Councils  
          Section 1: Seekers of the First through Third Circles shall be 
the general laity, and shall relate peripherally to the Inner Circles, 
members serving on committees, participating in open meetings, and 
fulfilling any other such functions as shall be designated by members of 
the Second and Third Rings. 
          Section 2: 
Scions shall constitute the Council of the Second Ring, or the Scion 
Council, which shall function in the interest of the Corporation in such 
matters as cannot conveniently be brought before a regular or special 
meeting of the First Ring. This council shall have one representative sit 
on each meeting of the First Ring as Chairman. This Council shall fulfill 
any other particular functions as shall be designated by members of the 
Third Ring, and may hold such regular or special meetings as shall be 
found necessary adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation. 
          Section 3: 
Clergy of the Seventh through Ninth Circles shall constitute the Council 
of the Third Ring, or the Clergy Council, which shall function in the 
interests of the Corporation in such matters as cannot conveniently be 
brought before a regular or special meeting of the First or Second Rings. 
This Council shall have one representative sit on each meeting of the 
Second Ring as Chairperson. This Council shall fulfill any other such 
functions as shall be designated by the Board of Directors, and may hold 
such regular or special meetings as shall be found necessary to adequately 
carry out the purposes of the Corporation.  
          Section 4: 
The officers of the Board of Directors shall constitute the Executive 
Council, which shall function in the interest of the Corporation in such 
matters as cannot conveniently be brought before a regular or special 
meeting of the Board of Directors or of the Ring councils. This Council 
may hold such regular or special meetings as shall be found necessary 
adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation. 
          Section 5: 
Each Nest shall establish a Nest Council, which shall function in the 
interest of that Nest in such matters as cannot appropriately or 
conveniently be brought before meetings of any of the other aforementioned 
Councils or the Board of Directors.The Nest Councils shall deal with all 
those matters which are the exclusive concern of the particular individual 
Nests, rather than of concern to the Church or Corporation as a whole. 
Such Nest Councils shall consist only of Second and Third Ring members of 
such Nests, in number not to exceed thirteen. Application for membership 
on a Nest Council must be made in person before the assembled body of the  
Council, during which the applicant should be questioned on his or her 
reasons for wanting to serve on the Council and his or her understanding 
of the principles and purposes of the Nest and the Church. Acceptance to 
the council must be by unanimous vote or consensus of the current Nest 
Council membership. Candidates for Priesthood must first have served at 
least six months on a Nest Council, and that Council must unanimously 
approve the candidate's application for ordination before it can be 
submitted to the Board. The advancement and training of members of each 
Nest through the Second Ring shall be under the supervision of the 
Priesthood of that Nest, who may consult the Nest Council if such 
consultation shall be found useful or necessary. Second Ring members who 
are not affiliated with a particular Nest shall be trained under the 
supervision of the Priesthood of the Central Nest. At meetings of the Nest 
Councils, the High Priest, High Priestess, or High Scion shall be 
Chairperson, and shall be familiar with the rudiments of parliamentary or 
consensus procedure. 
          Section 6: 
Any of the aforementioned Councils are authorized to appoint such 
committees as shall be found useful in the conduct of the activities of 
the Corporation. 
          Section 7: 
Each of the aforementioned Councils and Committees shall elect or appoint, 
for any term necessary, such officers as may be found necessary to the 
conduct of the Councils. Such offices shall include a Secretary, whereby 
minutes shall be taken and notices of meetings disseminated.  
     Section 8: 
General membership shall have the prerogative of vetoing any action taken 
by the Board of Directors, which it finds objectionable. Such veto to be 
taken by two-thirds majority at the Annual meeting.   

     ARTICLE XI Nests  
          Section 1:  
The basic local organizational/congregational unit of the Church of All 
Worlds shall be the nest.  A nest is a group of Church members, with at 
least one member 4th Circle or above, organized in a local area to learn 
about, discuss, and creatively practice the purposes of the Church.  Nests 
shall be largely autonomous units which have agreed to adopt and practice 
the values and purposes of the Church and have, after applying to the 
Board, been granted a charter by the Board of Directors pursuant to a 
recommendation of the Nest Co-ordinating Council.  
          Section 2:  
In order to form a nest, a group of at least three Church members of at 
least 2nd Circle must apply to the Nest Co-ordinating Council for a 
charter as a proto-nest, or Chapter.  Chapter charters are issued a the 
discretion of the Nest Co-ordinating Council.  In order to be granted a 
full Nest Charter, a group must function for at least a year and a day and 
have at least one member who has reached the level of Scion (4th Circle).  
Granting of a Nest Charter will be by vote of the Board of Directors.  
          Section 3:  
Nests chartered by the Board of Directors shall be legal subsidiaries of 
the Church of All Worlds as incorporated under the laws of the States of 
Missouri and California.  Nest shall not have the power to incur debt in 
the name of the Church of All Worlds.  
          Section 4:  
The Board and Clergy of the Church of All Worlds do not wish to impose any 
doctrinal restraints upon local nests beyond the requirement that their 
activities be in accord with the purpose of the Corporation as stated in 
Article II of these bylaws.  The board and Clergy in fact encourage 
creativity and innovation on the part of all local nests and groups in the 
lawful pursuit of the goals of the Church of All Worlds.  
     Section 5:  
The Board of Directors does, however, reserve the right to revoke either a 
Chapter or Nest Charter on the recommendation of either the Council of the 
Third Ring or the Nest Co-ordinating Council for one of the following 
reasons:  
     A.  The conduct at its meetings and public functions or in its public 
statements is found to be incompatible with the purposes of the 
Corporation as stated in Article II of these Bylaws, or contrary to the 
laws of the United States or the State of residence of the Nest or 
Chapter;  
     B.  The conduct or statements of the Nest or Chapter in its meetings 
and public functions or in its public statements, in the judgement of the 
Board of Directors, reflects unacceptable discredit on the Church of All 
Worlds, its purposes, members and Clergy;    
     C.  The Board of Directors has reason to believe -- on recommendation 
from either the Council of the Third Ring or the Nest Co-ordinating 
Council -- that the chartered group is not truly functioning as a Nest or 
Chapter in that the contact person of that Nest or Chapter does not 
respond to queries, show evidence of membership or the holding of regular 
meetings or other evidence that the Chartered Nest or Chapter is, indeed, 
functioning as a viable organizational unit of the Church of All Worlds.   

     ARTICLE XII Meetings  
          Section l: 
General meetings of the Corporation shall be held in conjunction with the 
first yearly meeting of the Board of Directors. Regular meetings of the 
Board of Directors shall be held quarterly, approximately three weeks 
before cross-quarter Sabbats. The first annual meeting shall propose the 
meeting dates for the remaining quarters of the year. Special meetings may 
be held whenever deemed necessary. 
          Section 2: 
Notice of the Annual Meetings of the General Membership shall be made each 
year at least one month in advance of the date of the meeting by a special 
mailing to all registered members of the Church of at least 2nd Circle. 
Notices of regular meetings of the Board of Directors, together with 
quarterly subsidiary reports and proposed agenda items, shall be sent to 
members of the Board  two weeks prior to such meetings by the Church 
Secretary. Notice of special Board meetings shall be made as early as 
possible. Notice of regular meetings of other councils shall be sent to 
relevant members two weeks in advance by the appropriate council 
secretary, and notices of special meetings, as early as possible.  
Meetings of Nest Councils shall be held at least quarterly, the frequency 
and dates to be determined by said councils. 
          Section 3:  
The privelege of decision-making at any meeting shall be limited to those 
present who are actual active members both of the Church and of the 
particular Council or Ring convening the meeting. If the number present is 
thirteen or less than thirteen, all decisions must be made by consensus, 
and if consensus cannot be reached, by a twothirds majority. If the number 
present is greater than thirteen, all decisions must be by a two-thirds 
majority vote. In meetings where more than thirteen voting members are 
present, the number of votes carried by each member shall be equal to the 
ring (1,2, or 3) that member has attained. Section 4: A quorum to conduct 
business shall consist of a number of voting members equal to two-thirds 
majority plus one of the members of that particular council. 
          Section 5: The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be from 
January l to December 31, inclusive.  

     ARTICLE XIII Subsidiary Operations  
          Section 1: 
The Corporation, acting through the Board of Directors or their delegated 
authority, may organize, charter, establish, and operate such subsidiary 
operations, agencies, groups, and institutions as may be found necessary 
or expedient adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation. 
          Section 2: 
Each subsidiary shall send a representative to serve on the Board of 
Directors. The subsidiary representatives shall be responsible for 
reporting the activities of the Subsidiary to the Board, and for relaying 
information from the Board to each subsidiary. In addition, the subsidiary 
representatives shall submit reports to the Secretary and the Treasurer 
detailing the activities of each subsidiary.
          Section 3: 
Chartering and serving as Directors of subsidiary organizations is open 
only to active members of the Church with Scion or Clergy status.  Under 
exceptional circumstances, and by special dispensation of the Board of 
Directors, a project or provisional subsidiary may be approved for 
inception by a Church member of only 3rd Circle status, conditional upon 
that person's attainment of 4th Circle within a year from the date of 
approval, or the appointment within that time as a Director of the 
aforesaid subsidiary of another active Churcdh member of at least 4th 
Circle. Subsidiaries should begin as projects or provisional subsidiaries 
and be considered for full subsidiary status if they have been active for 
two years and two days. Provisional subsidiaries should send a contact 
person to the Board of Directors' meetings. 
          Section 4:  
The governance of subsidiaries shall be by Directors and Councils, the 
combined total number of which must always be an odd number, from one to 
seven, of whom one to three shall be designated Directors.  Should the 
subsidiary be authorized to open a bank or checking account, there shall 
be three approved signatories on the account, at least one of which must 
be a Scion or Clergy. Directors of subsidiaries must be Scions or Clergy, 
but other members of the subsidiary councils may be any active members of 
the Church that the subsidiary Directors wish to delegate. 
          Section 5:  
Decision-making in subsidiary councils should follow the procedures 
outlined in Article XI, Section 3 above. 

     ARTICLE IV Amendments  
          Section 1: 
Amendments or changes in these Bylaws may be made by recommendation of the 
Board of Directors at the Annual meeting, by unanimous vote or consensus 
of voting members present. 
 A Pagan Sacrament of Holy Communion 
(as performed in the Church of All Worlds)
by Morning Glory Zell

The Priestess, Priest and Congregation sit in a circle, with the Priestess 
to the right of the Priest, on the ground outside or the carpet indoors.

An altar is set in the center, with Bread and Water and either fresh 
flowers and greenery (when outdoors) or a potted plant (indoors).

When everyone is settled and silent, the Priestess begins the blessing:

P'ess:  Blessed be this Bread, the body of our Lord,
        And Blessed be this Water, the blood of our Lady.
        As our bodies are nourished by Their divine energy,
        So let Them ever nurture our spirits.
        We are the conscious product of Their eternal passion,                
And so do we give Them our gratitude in celebration of Life.

The Priest takes the Bread from the altar and raises it aloft in 
consecration:

Priest:  Seed fallen on the wet Spring table, 
         embryos bedding in the night.
         The Sun is joy on the Earth in the morning,
         And the wheat reaches up for the food that is Light.          He 
holds his child to the Sun and would free him to the wind.          Then 
we take them both, Father and Son, both still young.
We fold them into tight brown loaves, Rocks of Sun for the tables of the 
People.

The Priest takes a piece of the Bread and places it into the mouth of the 
person on his left with the words:  "May you always have sufficiency".  He 
then passes the plate on to that person, who does the same actions and 
gives the same blessing to the next person to the left, and so on round 
the circle.  When the loaf comes around to the Priestess sitting on the 
Priest's right, she gives him his share while taking a small piece and 
crumbling it onto the Earth , if outdoors, or into the potted plant if 
indoors, saying:
          "Mother Divine, take back what is Thine."

The Priestess then takes the chalice of Water from the altar and holds it 
aloft in consecration:

P'ess:  Ice in the North will melt into the Earth.
        She will soften and breathe again.
        Water, sweetened by the lungs of the Earth, our Mother, runs  
          South To the houses of the people, and the clouds give birth and          
die.
        They tremble on beds of air giving birth.
        Their trembling rocks the Earth with thunder; all their life is         
gone.
        Their last breath is in our cup,
        Let us drink the rain.

The Priestess then holds the chalice to the lips of the Priest on her 
left, who drinks as she says:
            "Water shared is Life shared."  He then holds the cup and 
repeats the phrase for the person on his left, and so it goes, clockwise, 
around the circle.  Other phrases may be spoken, such as "May you never 
thirst", or "Drink deeply".  As the chalice passes from each person, they 
link hands with those who already shared the water, until, as the chalice 
completes its round, all hands are joined.  Finally the person to the 
right of the Priestess gives her back the chalice and the blessing, 
whereupon she pours out the remainder of the water onto the ground or the 
plant as a libation to the Earth, speaking again the words:
            "Mother Divine,take back what is Thine."  
She places the chalice back onto the altar, then returns to her place to 
link hands and complete the circle.  Then may follow a silent meditation, 
a chant or song, a breathing exercise to raise energy,
or whatever is desired.  When the exercise or meditation has reached its 
conclusion, the Priest pronounces the Benediction:

Priest: O Gracious Lady and Laughing Lord,
        We would ever have Thee here with us.
        Now the time is come to break the circle and return to the world.
        May Thy love be ever with us and Thy wisdom guide our steps.           
Blessed Be.

Everyone repeats the words "Blessed Be" simultaneously dropping the hands 
they are holding, thereby breaking the link and ending the Rite.

 "Earthmom" 
     "Well, for instance, who is this All-Mother you're always talking 
about?"

     "Why, you are, Edward. . . The All-Mother.  You're the All-Mother, 
I'm the All-Mother, that little bird singing out there, it's the 
All-Mother.  The All-Mother is everything.  The All-Mother is life..."
     The primal and supreme deity of the ancient world, the oldest and 
most universally worshipped, was the Great Mother, Mother Earth.  Images 
of Her date back to Aurignacian Cro-Magnon peoples, from 27,000 years ago, 
and are found all over the Eurasian continent from Spain to Siberia.  For 
thousands of years before there were any male gods, there was The Goddess, 
and Her worship continued unabated clear up until its violent suppression 
by Iron Age patrism.  When and where worship of the Mother prevailed women 
and Nature were held in esteem. The Chinese called Her Kwan Yin; the 
Egyptians knew Her as Isis; the Navajo call Her Changing Woman.  To the 
Greeks She was Gaia, and to many black peoples She is Yemanja.  She is 
Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and She says:  "All acts of love and 
pleasure are my rituals."  She is also the ancient Crone Hecate,who gives 
us both wisdom and death.     The Goddess is diversity. She represents 
both darkness and Light and Her worship is the reconciliation of 
opposites. There can be no such thing as a "Good Goddess" or an "Evil 
Goddess".  Death is part of the natural cycle as night follows day and we 
accept it with grace as Her final gift.  The search for Balance is the 
goal of Her people, and it is achieved by the acceptance of multiple paths 
and truths.  Dion Fortune once commented that all goddesses are 
manifestations of the One Great Goddess whose identity is as the universal 
feminine spirit of Nature.

     The eldest and greatest aspect of the Goddess is as Great Mother 
Nature, the all-encompassing energy of Universal Life.  Her womb is the 
Quasar, the white hole through which all energy pours into creation, and 
Her all-devouring mouth is the Black hole itself through which all matter 
is consumed to be reborn once again as between Her thighs the universe is 
squeezed from spirit.  Her energy then coalesces into Matter-Mater:the 
Mother of all forms. She ignites, becoming the Star Goddess Nuit, whose 
galactic breast is our Milky way.  Of Her are born star systems and 
planets including, of course, our very own Earth Mother, Gaia.

     Because of the diversity of the Goddess, She is seen as manifesting 
in many different aspects.  She is often called The Triple Goddess, which 
refers to Her link in the fertility cycle where She appears as Maiden, 
Mother and Crone.  Some ancient cultures personified this Triplicity as 
the waxing, full, and waning Moon, and other three-faced Goddess aspects 
are familiar to us as the Fates, the Graces, the Furies, the Muses, or 
even as Faith, Hope and Charity.  Another familiar division of Her aspects 
is into Mother and Daughter (Demeter and Persephone), or as Sisters/Lovers 
(Fauna and Flora).  Such polarities are also important in Her worship.  
Sometimes the polarity can exist with two different aspects of the Goddess 
representing both poles, but more commonly it is the great gender 
polarity, for the Goddess is a deity of sexual loving.      


     She is Ishtar or Aphrodite, the eternal Lover who awaits with eager 
arms the mortal man brave enough to risk Her immortal favor.  Many men 
have worshipped Her as a lover, but she may never be possessed, for She 
belongs only to Herself.  She is Parthenos, the eternal Virgin (in the 
prepatriarchal meaning "of her own household").  She represents the Strong 
Woman : not dominant, but independent.  Her lovers are not truly human but 
divine.  She has been the Beloved of many gods, and though jealous male 
gods eventually suppressed Her worship, She shared the co-rulership of 
Heaven and Earth for thousands of years of marital bliss.  She is the 
inescapable Yin necessary for the cosmic balance of Yang/Yin.  Symbols 
associated with Her (the Tree of Life, the Sacred Serpent, the Labryrinth) 
are found in all parts of the globe, at the heart of all the Mysteries, 
and underlying all the later accretions of successive religions. The 
search for Her is the search for our deepest ancestral roots.I am the star 
that rises from the twilight sea.I bring men dreams to rule their 
destiny.I am the eternal Woman; I am She!The tides of all souls belong to 
me-Touch of my hand confers polarity-These are the moontides, these belong 
to me.

Honor Thy Mother
     In all the cultures where She is still worshipped, there is no 
confusion over Her identity : She is Nature, and She is the Earth.  She is 
not an atavistic abstraction, not a mystical metaphor, not a construct of 
consciousness.  Her body is of substance as material as our own, and we 
tread upon Her breast and are formed of Her flesh.  "Walk lightly on the 
bosom of the Earth Mother," says Sun Bear, and traditional Native 
Americans agree.  Cherokee shaman Rolling Thunder emphasizes that "It's 
very important for people to realize this:  the Earth is a living 
organism, the body of a higher individual who has a will and wants to be 
well, who is at times less healthy or more healthy, physically and 
mentally."3  Frank Waters, author of Masked Gods and Book of the Hopi, 
makes the same point::. . . To Indians the Earth is not inanimate.  It is 
a living entity, the mother of all life, our Mother Earth.  All Her 
children, everything in nature, is alive:  the living stone, the great 
breathing mountains, trees and plants, as well as birds and animals and 
man.  All are united in one harmonious whole.4         Renowned historian 
Arnold Toynbee, writing on "The Religious Background of the Present 
Environmental Crisis," also observed that:For pre-monotheistic man, nature 
was not just a treasure-trove of "natural resources".  Nature was, for 
him, a goddess, "Mother Earth," and the vegetation that sprang from the 
Earth, the animals that roamed, like man himself, over the Earth's 
surface, and the minerals hiding in the Earth's bowels, all partook of 
Nature's divinity.5 Before ever land was, before ever the sea, 
Or soft hair of the grass, or fair limbs of the tree,  Or flesh-
coloured fruit of my branches, I was :       And thy soul was in me.

The Gaia Thesis
     In order to understand the nature of the Earth Mother, we must first 
understand our own origins.  Biologically, unisexual organisms are always 
considered to be female, since only the female brings forth life from her 
own body; in the act of reproduction single cells are referred to as 
mothers and their offspring as daughters. Each of us began our individual 
life as a single fertilized cell, or zygote.  In the process of its 
innumerable divisions and multiplications, that cell kept dividing up and 
redistributing the very same protoplasm.  That protoplasm which now 
courses through all of the several trillion cells of your adult body is 
the very same substance which once coursed through the body of that 
original zygote.  For when a cell reproduces, the mother cell does not 
remain intact, but actually becomes the two new daughter cells.  And this 
is why, no matter how many times a cell fissions in the process of 
embryological development, all the daughter cells collectively continue to 
comprise but one single organism.       We may imagine that, should our 
cells have consciousness akin to our own, they may very well fancy 
themselves to be independent entities living and dying in a world that to 
them would seem to be merely an inanimate environment.  Blood cells race 
along our arterial highways, but we know them to be in fact minute 
components of the far vaster living beings that we ourselves are. 
Over three billion years ago, life on Earth began, as do we all, with a 
single living cell containing a replicating molecule of DNA.  From that 
point on, that original cell, the first to develop the awesome capacity 
for reproduction, divided and redivided and subdivided its protoplasm into 
the myriads of plants and animals, including ourselves, which now inhabit 
this third planet from the Sun.    But no matter how many times a cell 
fissions in the process of embryological development, all the daughter 
cells collectively continue to comprise but one single organism.  All life 
on Earth comprises the body of a single vast living being:Mother Earth 
Herself.  The Moon is Her radiant heart, and in the tides beats the pulse 
of Her blood.  The protoplasm which coursed through the body of that first 
primeval ancestral cell is the very protoplasm which now courses through 
every cell of every living organism, plant or animal, of our planet.  And 
as in our own bodies, Earthly life was biologically female for the first 3 
billion years, before sexual reproduction, complete with males, evolved 
around 600 million years ago.  In evolutionary theory we say "ontogeny 
recapitulates phylogeny" (the development of the individual repeats the 
development of the ancestry)~  ancient people anticipated such scientific 
ideas when they intuitively conceptualized our planetary Divinity, like 
that first single cell, as feminine:  our Mother Earth.  
  The soul of our planetary biosphere is She whom we call Goddess.
First life on my sources first drifted and swam.  Out of me are the forces 
which save it or damn.

Out of me man and woman, and wild-beast and bird.  Before God was, I 
am.6". . . Be the terror and the dread of all the wild beasts and all the 
birds of heaven, of everything that crawls on the ground and all the fish 
of the sea: they are handed over to you."   (Gen. 9:2-3)          
     Since the time of the Exodus, 3,500 years ago, Western Civilization 
has been pursuing a course that has taken it farther and fhree great 
monotheistic religions of the West, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have 
from their beginning activity suppressed the worship of the Goddess, and 
have tortured and brutally murdered millions of Her people.  Today, she is 
all but forgotten in the hearts of Her children, and Her body lies raped 
and ravished in the wake of human progress.  The Goddess is the concept of 
feminine divinity incarnate.  The denial of feminine divinity results in 
the oppression of all women, including Mother Nature.  As Toybee says:The 
thesis of the present essay is that some of the major maladies of the 
present-day world:for instance the recklessly extravagant consumption of 
nature"s irreplaceable treasures, and the pollution of those of them that 
man has not already devoured:can be traced back in the last analysis to a 
religious cause, and that this cause is the rise of monotheism. 5

     This is not to say that all non-monotheistic religions have a perfect 
track record for the treatment of women in those societies.  Certainly 
Hindu cultures revere various goddesses and yet are among the more sexist 
and female-suppressive societies in the modern world. Nevertheless, there 
is abundant archeological evidence to indicate that things were not always 
as they are now, especially in truly ancient societies like India.  Before 
the Aryan Indo-European invasion around 1,500 BCE many Neolithic and 
Bronze Age cultures, including the Harrapan culture of the Indus Valley 
and the Minoan people of Crete, had societies that appeared remarkably 
egalitarian.  These societies were universally characterized by the 
worship of a powerful Great Mother whom the Hindu people still call Maha 
Devi Ma.  She was later broken into a multiplicity of minor goddesses 
which were demoted to the position of wives or concubines of the gods.   
 By the time sacred writings were codified in the Vedas, the Primal 
Goddess Maha Devi in India had been divided into a triplicity of goddesses 
characterized as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer:  Saraswati, Laksmi and 
Kali~ respectively the consorts of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.  In  Greece, 
a similar process led to Kore, Demeter and Persephone (or Hecate) created 
from the original Cretan Rhea.     Once the Great Mother had been married 
off She became easier to control and the way was paved for  Her dowry of 
natural wealth to be handed over to the financial control of Her divine 
consorts.  Whether this new mythical development was a simple mirror of  
the social diminishment of women"s rights or whether it preceded it and 
was invoked as a justification is really a moot point.  But the land, 
formerly tied to matrilineal territorial clans, passed into the hands of 
patriarchal kings and princes who began to treat it as their private 
property and to lay waste to the forests in order to build vast temples 
and palaces to house their harems and other slaves.  The Goddess of Nature 
went from the position of being  the body and soul of all that lives to 
that of a wife, mother and household servant. Many traditions have given 
lip service to the so-called "Female Principle," either in the form of a 
divided identity like the Hindu Shakti or as a semi-divine emanation.  But 
the power of the Goddess of Nature has gradually lost its ability to 
inspire the necessary respect and reverence once accorded to the Source 
and Bearer of Life.

          Where are You, then, Mother, whose strength was before 
All other powers?  Your name is the only freedom.8     Pantheism is the 
view that everything in Nature is alive, and that all living is Divine.  
In that context, then,  the simplest explanation of Divinity is as "an 
energy field created by all living things.  It surrounds us, it penetrates 
us, it binds the galaxy together." (Star Wars:  "The Force")  Thus a 
pantheistic theology of Immanent Divinity ("Thou Art God/dess") contrasts 
sharply with the theology of Transcendent Divinity ("God is Out There") 
presented by most of "The World"s Great Religions."  Unlike the God 
worshipped by Christians, Moslems and Jews, the Goddess is not an 
all-powerful, indestructible, non-physical being who created the world and 
exists apart from it.  Though Mother Nature is Life on the universal 
scale,  Gaia, the Earth Mother is the very soul of this living planet, and 
she lives or dies as all life on this planet lives or dies. . . 
Mother, not maker~ born, and not made.  Though her children forsake her, 
allured or afraid,  Praying prayers to the God of their fashion, 
She stirs not for all who have prayed.  O my children, too dutiful towards 
Gods not of me,     Was not I enough beautiful? Was it hard to be free? 
For, behold, I am with you, am in you, and of you:  Look forth now and 
see!6  "Earth Mother, Your Children Are Here!"    Current environmental 
crises are legion. Chlorofluorocarbon chemicals are destroying the ozone 
layer in the atmosphere~ industrial pollution is creating the greenhouse 
effect which will melt the polar icecaps, drowning the coastal regions~ 
and  the destruction of the rainforests and the pollution of phytoplankton 
in the seas is causing worldwide droughts.  The problems are so vast and 
the politics of greed and corruption are so complex that it will truly 
take a miracle to reverse such global destruction. The only thing that can 
save us is a total and electrifying change of consciousness.  Nothing 
short of a worldwide realization of our planetary awareness will bring 
home the desperation of our plight.  We must activate our Gaian 
identification so that we regain our shattered empathy with the Spirit of 
Nature.  We must become one with the Earth Mother in order to feel Her 
pain/our pain and make it stop before the cancer we have become reaches 
the terminal phase.

     The word religion derives from the Latin re-ligio~ "relinking."  The 
very purpose of true religion, then, is to heal the rifts and alienations 
which have caused us to become separated from the divine Source of Being:  
the rifts between humanity and Nature~ between matter and spirit~ between 
mind and body~ between man and woman~ between our own egos and the Soul of 
Nature.  Recent books analyzing the trends of our wayward world have, with 
increasing frequency, been calling for a return to the worship of the 
Mother.  So many wistful comments made by writers such as Merlin Stone, 
Mary Daly, James Lovelock, Judy Chicago, Dolores LaChapelle, Rene Dubos, 
Daniela Gioseffi, Paolo Soleri, Elizabeth Gould Davis, Arnold Toynbee, 
Joseph Campbell, Marija Gimbutas and Riane Eisler reflect a craving for 
such a religious revival.  The truth is that such a revival has been going 
on for some time now:since the early 1960"s:in the form of what we call 
the Neo-Pagan movement (from Latin paganus:"peasant" or country 
dweller:Paganism now refers to all nature religions).  To the several 
hundred thousand Neo-Pagans who have been actively practicing and 
publishing for more than a quarter of a century, the greatest mystery of 
this religion is its continuing obscurity and invisibility to those such 
as the above-named writers, who continue to publish books advocating such 
a movement as this, while remaining ignorant that it is already in effect.  
The new Paganism encompasses many Nature-oriented groups such as 
Feraferia, Church of All Worlds, Madrakara, Bear Tribe, Venusian Church, 
Pagan Way, Church of the Eternal Source, Odinic Fellowship, Reformed 
Druids, Earth Church of Amargi and Children of the Earth Mother.  
The largest contingent of modern Goddess-worshippers, however, is found in 
Witchcraft, or Wicca.  Wicca is a pre-Christian European Pagan magical 
tradition; European Shamanism.  The violent suppression to the point of 
eradication of the followers of Wicca by the Inquisition can only be 
compared to the Jewish Holocaust of Nazi Germany (estimates of the number 
of martyrs run as high as nine million!), but today the Craft is making a 
powerful comeback on the wings of the re-emergent Goddess.

     The Neo-Pagan movement, and especially Feminist Witchcraft, has 
recently been joined by increasing numbers from the Women's Spirituality 
movement and lately also by many thinkers from the Deep Ecology movement 
and even such radical environmental activists as Earth First!.  These are 
some of the forces which form the core of the movement to restore the 
Earth Goddess to Her rightful place; a movement which has its roots in the 
combined studies of feminism and ecology and is the logical spiritual 
application of such studies.  If Witches can be priestesses of feminism, 
then Neo-Pagans are the chaplains of the ecology movement. The overall 
movement, though variously called Eco-feminism and Ecosophy, is  truly an 
attempt at expressing Gaian Spirituality.    These three streams of 
spirituality:Deep Ecology, Goddess Spirituality, and Neo-Paganism:have met 
and mingled with Native American, Hindu, Tibetan, Hawaiian and other 
ancient spiritual teachings and fused somewhat with the more nebulous New 
Age Movement. What is struggling to be born from this blending of pathways 
is a truly planetary religious metaphor that will transcend all the 
tradition-specific patterns in the same way the idea of Neo-Paganism 
absorbed and united a multiplicity of wildly differing but basically 
polytheistic religious groups in the 1970's.   Perhaps what we are looking 
for could be called Gaean religion, because at the heart of our Unity is 
our identity as children of the same Mother:Gaia Herself; Mother Earth.  
It is said that it's a wise child who knows its own Mother! 
A  brief digression on  etymology  here:  Who is Gaia, that we would name 
a movement after Her?  
The name Gaia is the Greek name for the Earth Mother Goddess, She who was 
created by Light and by Love from the primal cosmic chaos. Pierced by the 
arrows of Eros, Gaia gave birth to all the plants, animals, gods and 
goddesses and of course the human race.  So Gaia is the Mother of us all 
according to ancient Greek mythology.

     From the moment that the people of Earth achieved the ability to 
observe the image of our planet spinning in all Her radiant blue-and-
white splendor through the black velvet night, we have been impelled 
towards planetary identification.  We must inevitably begin to think of 
ourselves as one planet, one people, one organism.  The power of that 
image alone unites us, not to mention the concept that the past 
three-and-a-half billion years of terrestrial evolution resembles one vast 
embryogenesis. Something is developing, hatching, unfolding as a 
self-reflexive mind capable of contemplating its own existence.  Gaia 
developed  increasingly complex eyes and extensions of Her eyes/our eyes 
in order to contemplate Her own image.  And now, having seen Herself 
through our satellite eyes, She is awakening to consciousness.  She has a 
face, an identity and now even a name, and so we inevitably come to 
identify ourselves through Her as Gaian.

     A Gaian movement would be deeply committed to communication and 
education.  Many tribal people and many of the old nature-based folk 
religions such as native Australians, Hawaiians, Siberians, Tibetans and 
Americans have come to the brink of extinction rather than to allow the 
mysteries of their sacred rites to pass outside their tribes.  Others have 
realized the need to become more eclectic if they are to survive.  
     The Gaian movement is presently small and largely unrecognized, since 
it is anarchic and not evangelical, but it has tremendous potential in 
having no single head and presenting a genuine answer to so many of the 
world's problems.  Its vision is, in fact, an idea whose time has come.  
Yet there are still many obstacles, and revolutions in consciousness 
rarely happen overnight.  The greatest forces operating against a new 
Gaian renaissance are inertia and apathy_ the watchwords of the _70s and 
_80s.  But winds of change are blowing, and by the time the century turns 
we will see that once again Goddess is Alive and Magick is Afoot!And you 
who think to seek for me -Know that your seeking and yearning will avail 
you naughtUnless you know the Mystery:That if that which you seek you find 
not within you,You shall never find it without.For behold: I have been 
with you from the beginning,And I am that which is attained at the end of 
desire.9

Footnotes:
1. Mack Reynolds, Of Godlike Power, 1966, pp. 146-1472.
2. Dion Fortune, "Charge of the Moon Goddess"
3. Doug Boyd, Rolling Thunder, 1974, p. 51
4. Frank Waters, "Lessons From the Indian Soul," Psychology Today, May    
1973
5. Arnold Toynbee, "The Religious Background of the Present Environmen   
tal Crisis," International Journal of Environmental Studies, 1972,    Vol. 
III
6. Algernon Charles Swinburne, "Hertha"
7. Tim Zell, "The Gods of Nature; The Nature of Gods," Gnostica #15,      
1973
8. Ramprasad Sen, Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair; 18th Century Bengal
9. Doreen Valiente, "Charge of the Star Goddess" 
(This article was first written in 1978; revised and updated in 1990.)

 The Church of All Worlds, a Brief History 

     It all began on April 7, 1962, when, after reading Stranger in a 
Strange Land, Tim Zell and Lance Christie shared water and formed a 
water-brotherhood called "Atl" at Westminster College at Fulton, Missouri. 
During the mid-1960s the group was centered on the University of Oklahoma 
campus at Norman under the name Atlan Foundation. A periodical, The Atlan 
Torch (later The Atlan Annals), was published from 1962-1968. Following a 
move to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1968 the Church of All Worlds was legally 
incorporated. In March of that year, the first issue of Green Egg appeared 
and over the years made Tim Zell, its editor, a major force in 
Neo-Paganism, a term which Zell coined. CAW was the first Neo-Pagan/Earth 
Religion to obtain full federal recognition, although it was initially 
refused recognition by the Missouri Department of Revenue on the basis of 
its lack of primary concern about the hereafter, God, the destiny of 
souls, heaven, hell, sin and its punishment, and other supernatural 
matters. The ruling was overturned as unconstitutional in 1971.  
The Church of All Worlds took much inspiration from the science fiction 
classic, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. In the novel, 
Valentine Michael Smith was a human being born on Mars and raised by 
Martians. Upon being brought to Earth, he established the Church of All 
Worlds, built around "nests", a combination of a congregations and an 
intentional communities. A basic concept was "grokking", i.e., the ability 
to be fully empathic. Heinlein's CAW emphasized non-possessive love and 
joyous expression of sexuality as divine union. Their greeting was "Thou 
art God" or "Thou art Goddess", a recognition of  immanent divinity in 
each person.   The basic theology of the CAW is a pantheism focused on 
immanent rather than transcendent divinity, which is worshiped in female 
as well as a male form. 

     The most important thealogical statement came in revelatory writings 
by Zell in 1970-73, on a theory which later came to be known as the Gaia 
Thesis, a biological validation of the ancient intuition that the planet 
is a single living organism, Mother Earth.   Pantheists hold as divine the 
living spirit of Nature. Thus the CAW recognizes Mother Earth, the Horned 
God, the Green Man and other spirits of animistic totemism as the Divine 
Pantheon. Church of All Worlds was an early forerunner of the Deep Ecology 
movement. Through its focus on Mother Nature as Goddess and its 
recognition and ordination of women as Priestesses, CAW can also rightly 
be held to be the first Eco-Feminist Church. Its only creed states: "The 
Church of All Worlds is dedicated to the celebration of life, the maximal 
actualization of human potential and the realization of ultimate 
individual freedom and personal responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic 
relationship with the total Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth."

     In 1974, CAW reported nests in Missouri, California, Illinois, 
Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Wyoming, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, New 
Jersey, New York, and Ohio. It was then publishing two periodicals, Green 
Egg and The Pagan. Two years later Zell moved to Oregon with his new wife, 
Morning Glory, an ordained Priestess, for a rural life of writing, 
research and the practice of the religion he had developed. They left the 
administration of the CAW and the publication of the Green Egg in the 
hands of other Church leaders. After only a few more issues, the magazine 
ceased publication. Subsequently many Church Nests dissolved due to 
internal conflicts.

     By the mid-1980s CAW survived only in California, focused around the 
sanctuary land bequeathed to the Church by its Bard, Gwydion Pendderwen. 
On and around this rural retreat, a Pagan homesteading community grew 
which included the Zells (Tim Zell had changed his first name to Otter in 
1979 following a vision quest) and other long-time Church members who had 
moved to California, as well as many new people. Two new clergy were 
ordained during that time, Orion Stormcrow (a Church member since 1969) 
and Anodea Judith. (In 1991, Deborah Hamouris was ordained, bringing the 
present number of active clergy to six.)     In the late 1980s, following 
Otter and Morning Glory's emergence from eight years of living in the 
wilderness, the Church of All Worlds began reorganizing under the 
leadership of Anodea Judith. The membership program was radically upgraded 
to include a Progressive Involvement Program (PIP), intensive training 
courses and a new members newsletter, The Scarlet Flame. Activities and 
membership increased dramatically during this period as CAW emerged from 
its slumber.   The first issue of Green Egg (The Next Generation!) 
appeared in May, 1988, the 20th anniversary of its original publication. 
It has risen to a position of prominence among Pagan periodicals. Diane 
Darling, who joined the Church in the mid-'80s, is its editrix, Otter its 
publisher and designer. In 1991, with 52 pages and a four-color glossy 
cover, Green Egg won the Silver Award from the Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance 
(WPPA) for "Most Professionally Formatted Pagan Publication". In 1992 
Green Egg won the WPPA Gold Award for "Readers' Choice" as well as the 
Dragonfest Awards for "Most Attractive Format" and "Best Graphics". Diane 
won the Pentacle Award for "Favorite Pagan Editrix", and Otter for 
"Favorite Pagan Writer".

     The non-fictional Church of All Worlds has grown far beyond 
Heinlein's dream. There are nine concentric circles of member involvement, 
named after the planets and grouped into three rings. Each circle's 
activity includes study, writings, magical training, sensitivity and 
encounter-group experience, as well as active participation in the life of 
the Church. The First Ring, Circles 1, 2, and 3, is for Seekers, those who 
are only participants. Second Ring, Circles 4 through 6, is made up of 
Scions, members who help run the church.  The clergy, Council of the Third 
Ring, consists of legally ordained priests and priestesses; longtime 
members who have worked through the other circles, undergone personal and 
leadership development, religious training, and completed the Church's 
ordination requirements. There are two governing bodies in addition to the 
Clergy: the Board of Directors, which determines policy and business 
matters, and the Fun Committee, which implements the activities and 
functions of the Church. The Fun Committee is made up of a Board member, a 
clergy member, and one representative from each of the church functions, 
such as Rites and Festivals, Publications, Membership, Communications and 
each subsidiary. There is an annual General Meeting to elect officers and 
make changes in the Church's ever-evolving Bylaws.     Worship involves 
attending weekly or monthly Nest meetings usually held in the homes of 
Nest members. Autonomous nests are composed of at least three members of 
2nd Circle meeting monthly or more often. The basic liturgical form is 
based on a circle where a chalice of water is shared around as part of the 
ritual part of the Nest meeting.   Longer events are celebrated at the 
Church sanctuary, Annwfn, a 55-acres of land in northern California. 
Annwfn has a two-story temple, cabins, garden, orchard and a small pond. 
It is maintained by a small community of resident caretakers.  In addition 
to the eight Celtic seasonal festivals, the Church holds handfastings 
(marriages), vision quests, initiations, workshops, retreats, work parties 
and meetings on the land.     As of 1993, the Church has ten chartered 
nests in California, with others in Florida, Illinois, Arizona, Maryland, 
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Australia (where CAW has become the first 
legally-incorporated Pagan church in that country). A number of 
proto-Nests are in the process of forming.  Current President is priest 
Tom Williams (a member since 1968).  Otter is presently engaged in the 
formation of the Universal Federation of Pagans (UFP), a worldwide 
association with which he hopes to unify the global Pagan community.  1992 
was the 30th anniversary of the Church. A Grand Convocation was held in 
August, with an attendance of nearly 300. Membership at the end of 1993 
was around 600.

     The Mission Statement of the Church of All Worlds is as follows:
The mission of the Church of All Worlds is to evolve a network of 
information, mythology, and experience that provides a context and 
stimulus for reawakening Gaea, and reuniting Her children through tribal 
community dedicated to responsible stewardship and the general evolution 
of consciousness.   Over the years, the Church of All Worlds has chartered 
a number of subsidiary branches through which it practices and teaches its 
religion:

*    Forever Forests : Box 212, Redwood Valley, CA 95470.  Founded in 1977 
by  Gwydion Pendderwen; the ecology branch.  Sponsors tree-planting events 
and rituals. 

*    Lifeways : 2140 Shattuck #2093, Berkeley, CA 94704.  Founded in 1983 
by Anodea Judith; the teaching branch.  Offers workshops, classes, healing 
rituals, recovery programs, wilderness excursions, and training for the 
priesthood. Handles the Progressive Involvement Program.

*    Nemeton : Box 610, Laytonville, CA 95454.  Founded in 1972 by Gwydion 
Pennderwen and Alison Harlow; the marketing branch.  Tapes and CDs, 
songbooks, T-shirts, philosophical tracts and books.  Catalog available.

*    Ecosophical Research Assn. (ERA) : Box 982, Ukiah, CA 95482.  Founded 
in 1977 by Morning Glory Zell; devoted to research and exploration in the 
fields of history, mythology and natural sciences. Produced the Living 
Unicorn, the New Guinea Mermaid expedition and a Peruvian Pilgrimage.

*    Holy Order of Mother Earth (HOME) : Box 212, Redwood Valley, CA 95470  
Founded in 1977 by the Zells and Alison Harlow; magical and shamanic 
branch open only to trained initiates. Creates and conducts the Church's 
rituals and ceremonies.*      Peaceful Order of the Earth Mother (POEM) : 
Box 5227, Clearlake, CA 95422.  Founded in 1988 by Willowoak Istarwood; 
dedicated to children and child nurturing.  Provides enriching activities 
for children at gatherings, summer camps and a quarterly magazine for 
Pagan youth, How About Magic? (HAM) :$7 per year.

*    Green Egg : Box 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482.  Award-winning quarterly 
journal of the New Paganism and the Gaian Renaissance, founded in 1968 by 
Otter Zell.  Sample $6; subscription $15/yr US bulk mail; $21/yr US/Canada 
1st class/envelope; $27/yr trans-Atlantic; $30/yr trans-Pacific.

*    Annwfn : Box 48, Calpella, CA 95418.  CAW's 55-acre land sanctuary 
and retreat in the Misty Mountains of Mendonesia.  Write for Visitor's 
Policy.

*    CAW Membership and General Correspondence : 
(Australian Headquaters) PO Box 408, Woden, ACT 2606.

 References:
  Further information on the Church of All Worlds may be found in the 
following books:

Adler, Margot, Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess- Worshipers 
and other Pagans in America Today, Beacon Press, 1979; revised and updated 
1987. (essential!)

Ellwood, Robert, Religious and Spiritual Groups in Modern America, 1973.

Gottleib, Annie, Do You Believe in Magic? The Second Coming of the Sixties 
Generation, Times Books, 1987

Guiley, Rosemary, Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Facts on File, 
1989; (extensive!)  

The Perennial Encyclopedia of Mystical and Psychic Experience, 1990.

Jade, To Know, Delphi Press, 1991.

Martello, Leo Louis, Witchcraft, the Old Religion, University Books, 1973.

Melton, J. Gordon, The Encyclopedia of American Religions, from the 
Institute for the Study of American Religions, POB 90709, Santa Barbara, 
CA 93190 1979 ( 3rd edition, 1988); The Essential New Age, 1990.

Wilson, Robert Anton, Coincidance, Falcon Press, 1988
 Neo-Paganism:  An Old Religion for a New Age 
by Otter G'ZellFounder, Church of All Worlds

          As founder and priest of a Neo-Pagan church, I have often been 
asked to explain exactly what we mean by the term "Pagan".  We find 
ourselves in the peculiar position of having a public image that was 
created not by ourselves, but by our persecutors.  It is much as if the 
Nazis had succeeded in eradicating Judaism to the extent that, generations 
later, the common opinion of what the Jewish faith was all about was 
derived solely from the anti-Semitic propaganda of the Third Reich.

     In Europe alone, from tens of thousands to millions (the figures are 
still in dispute) of Pagans were martyred by the Christian churches during 
the Inquisition and Witch trials. Those figures do not even count the 
millions of other Pagan peoples in North and South America, Africa, 
Polynesia, Melanesia and Asia who fell before the advancing plague of 
Western Christendom.

   Today, the conception most people have of Paganism is the lurid one 
drawn by the Christian church to justify its own reign of terror, and 
bears about as much relation to reality as the similar propaganda 
Christianity once fostered about Jews.  In the 13th century the Church 
opened its long-drawn-out conflict with Paganism in Europe by declaring 
Witchcraft to be a 'sect' and heretical.  It was not til the 14th century 
that the two religions came to grips.

     All through the 16th and 17th centuries the battle raged.  The Pagans 
fought a gallant, though losing, fight against a remorseless and 
unscrupulous enemy; every inch of the field was disputed.  At first 
victory occasionally inclined to the Pagans, but the Christian policy of 
obtaining influence over the rulers and law-givers was irresistible.  Vae 
victis was also the policy of the Christians, and we see the priests of 
the Papacy gloating over the thousands whom they had consigned to the 
flames while the ministers of the Reformed Churches hounded on the 
administrators of the law to condemn the 'devil worshipers'.

     What can have been the feelings with which those unhappy victims 
regarded the vaunted God of Love, the Prince of Peace, whose votaries 
condemned them to torture and death?  What wonder that they clung to their 
old faith, and died in agony unspeakable rather than deny their God. 
(Margaret Murray, The God of the Witches, 1931, Oxford GB 332, pp. 21-22)

     'Pagan' does not mean "irreligious" or "barbarian".  It is the 
correct anthropological term to describe indigenous folk religions, being 
derived from the Latin paganus, "peasant," which derives in turn from 
pagus, "village".  The Latin comes from the Greek pagos, "standing stone," 
and paga, "sacred spring," representing, respectively, the male and female 
generative powers.  Paganism is basically Nature worship.  'Pagan' is a 
proper noun or adjective denoting the name of a religion, and as such, is 
properly always capitalized, as is 'Jewish' or 'Hindu'. 


     Religions can be roughly divided into two distinct categories:  the 
naturally evolving, indigenous "folk" religions of particular regions and 
peoples (the Pagan religions), and on the other hand the "revealed" 
religions:  those religions owing their existence to a "revelation" taught 
by some great "prophet" and formulated in various creeds and dogmas.  The 
latter category, of course, includes most of the "Great Religions of 
Mankind:" Judeo-Christian-Islamic, Buddhist, Confucian, etc.  Though 
articulated by a great teacher, Lao-tsu, Taoism is essentially Pagan in 
philosophy and attitude, while Hinduism and Shinto are Pagan in origin and 
essence even though they have become institutionalized as State religions. 


     Pagan religions are characterized by being "natural," both in origin 
and mode of expression, as opposed to the artificiality of constructed 
revealed religions.  Paganism emerges out of the processes of Life and 
Nature, and continues to evolve as a living, growing, organic entity. 


     Revealed religions are like buildings:  an architect (prophet) get an 
inspiration (revelation) and lays down his vision in blueprints (prophecy; 
scriptures).  Then contractors, carpenters, masons, etc. (disciples and 
followers) build the structure more or less according to his 
specifications.  It is made of non-living materials, and does not grow 
naturally; it is assembled.  When it is finished, it cannot grow further, 
and begins to deteriorate, until it is eventually so outmoded and rundown 
it is demolished to make way for new buildings.  A world of revealed 
religions is like unto a city, with all the problems (hunger, war, 
hatreds, crime, pollution, dis-ease) of a city, and for much the same 
reason:  alienation from the life-flow. 

     A Pagan religion, on the other hand, is like a tree:  it emerges 
alive from the Earth, grows, changes (both cyclically through the seasons, 
and continually in upward and outward growth), bears flowers and fruit, 
and shares its life with other living beings.  It is not made or designed 
according to any blueprint other than genetic.  And when, after many 
thousands of years, perhaps, it should come to the end of its time, it 
does not pass from the world entirely, for its own progeny have, in the 
interval, begun to spring up all around, again from the Earth, and again, 
similar yet each unique.  A world of Pagan religions is like a forest. 


     Paganism includes Animism, Pantheism, Shamanism and Totemism.  
(Witchcraft is the survival or reconstruction of European Shamanism; i.e., 
the magical arts of tribal peoples.)  Pagan are the native religions of 
the American Indians, the Africans, the various Island peoples, many 
peasants in the mountains of Asia, the Aborigines of Australia, and, at 
one time, the Gauls, Teutons, Norse, Celts and Faeries (as the invading 
Saxons called the pygmy neolithic race they encountered in the British 
Isles).   Long before they encountered Christianity, the Faeries (known to 
archaeologists as Pretani, or Picts) had been forced by the Saxons onto 
the inhospitable Heaths of Britain, later to be called "Heathens" by the 
Church.  By 1500 CE, they had been virtually exterminated, save for those 
who managed to intermarry or exchange their infants for those of the 
invaders ("changelings").  Moreover, as it was later to do in the case of 
the Witches, who inherited much of the Faery lore and religion, the Church 
began a campaign to convince the world and future generations that these 
people had never existed in the first place, but were merely imaginary! 
The old Pagan religions were never "created".  They had no founding 
prophets and no saviors.  They grew up with their people, and their 
origins are lost in the mists at the dawn of humanity.  What little we can 
trace indicates a descent from paleolithic and neolithic "fertility 
cults," hence the common symbols of the Earth Mother Goddess, the Green 
Man and the Horned God_the fecund embodiments of living Nature.  We find 
them therefore unanimous in their veneration of Nature and their sensual 
celebration of life, birth, sex and death as expressed in the seasonal 
Festivals of the Sacred Year. All these Great Festivals of Paganism, 
wherever they may be found, correspond in common with the Solstices, 
Equinoxes, and other natural annual cycles of life (animal mating and 
birth seasons, planting, harvest).

     Most of these remain with us today in more-or-less disguised form as 
the so-called "Christian" holidays of Christmas (Yule), Easter (Ostara), 
May Day (Beltane), Thanksgiving (Mabon or Harvest Home), Halloween 
(Samhain) and even Groundhog's Day (Oimelc).  In addition to these six, 
there are two others, Litha (Midsummer) and Lughnasadh, comprising a total 
of eight Festivals (or Sabbats, as they are known, sometimes under 
different names, in Witchcraft).   Thus it is obvious that the rich 
heritage of Paganism forms a solid foundation for the spontaneous 
emergence of a Neo-Pagan revival today.  In the midst of our current 
spiritual and ecological crisis, it is highly appropriate that natural 
religions are once again finding a place among the children of Earth.

     Modern Neo-Paganism, however, is somewhat distinct from the Old 
Religion, in that it is to a large measure a relatively new phenomenon.  
Neo-Pagan religions are many and diverse.  They range from the sublimely 
artistic Paradisal vision and reconstruction of old Pagan Mysteries of 
Feraferia to the astrological divination and ancient Egyptian religion of 
the Church of the Eternal Source, and from the Wiccan-oriented myth and 
ritual of the Pagan Way to the transpersonal psychology, science-
fiction mythology and deep ecology of the Church of All Worlds.   
All of the dozens of Neo-Pagan religions now in existence, and most of the 
countless sects of Witchcraft, however, do hold certain values in common, 
and it is these values which relate them to Paganism in the older sense. 


     One of the key values of Neo-Paganism is its insistence on personal 
responsibility.  The Church of All Worlds expresses this in the phrase, 
"Thou art God/dess," implying total personal freedom and individual 
responsibility on the part of every one of us.  Paganism has  no concept 
of "original sin," and hence has no need of saviors.  Neo-Pagans do not 
expect Divine retribution for breaking social taboos.  Rather, concepts of 
"sin" and "atonement" are restated in the framework of ecological 
awareness and karma.  If our actions are discordant and in opposition to 
the evolutionary flow of Life, we suffer the ecological consequences, in 
much the same way, and for exactly the same reason, as diseased cells in 
the body are attacked by the antibodies and other natural defenses.  
Whatever energy we put out returns to us multiplied threefold.  Love 
returns love; hate returns hate.  Robert Ingersoll observed:  "In Nature 
there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences".  The 
total responsibility (and hence the total freedom) rests in our hands. 


     As in the Old Religion, Neo-Pagans conceptualize Divinity as manifest 
in the processes of Nature.  Indeed, in a very literal sense, Mother 
Nature, Mother Earth, is "Goddess," and She has been recognized as such 
since time immemorial.  Thus ecology is seen as the supreme religious 
study:    "Nature is Divinity made manifest...It is creativity, 
continuity, balance, beauty and truth of life.    "Everything we encounter 
in the Biosphere is a part of Nature, and ecology reveals the pattern of 
that is-ness, the natural relationships among all these things and the 
Organic Unity of all of them as a Biospheric Whole.  Thus ecology shows 
the pattern of man's proper and creative involvement with Nature, that 
Nature which encompasses his own life and on proper relation to which his 
survival and development depend:        Of all man's secular studies, 
ecology comes closest to bringing him to the threshold of religious 
relationship to his world.  Ecology not only confirms the wonders of form 
and function that other secular studies have revealed, but it brings these 
into organic union with each other as one dynamic, living Whole; and it 
points out the conditions for the wellbeing of both this overall Unity and 
the parts that comprise it.

     An intensive realization of these conditions, and of one's own 
immediate role in their sustainment and development, brings one to the 
threshold of religious awe.  To worship Nature, therefore, is to venerate 
and commune with Divinity as the dynamically organic perfection of the 
whole.  (Council of Themis, from Green Egg  #43)

     Neo-Paganism is a recent mutation of the Old Religion which had its 
earliest emergence during the European Renaissance with the rediscovery of 
the ancient Greek philosophers via Arabian texts brought by travelers.  
However, this was also the time of the Burnings, and the budding Neo-Pagan 
emergence was suppressed until the late 1700's, when it found expression 
in the Romantic Period of art, music and literature, especially in 
Germany.

     This Romantic flowering of Neo-Paganism, especially the element known 
as the Bavarian Illuminati (whose mottoes were "eternal flower power" and 
"eternal serpent power"), greatly appealed to a visiting American named 
Benjamin Franklin, and upon his return to the colonies, it became a major 
spiritual force in the post-Revolutionary America of the 1780s, where its 
influence continued to shape the new nation through the presidencies of 
the Adams family.  It was Monroe and the War of 1812 that managed to 
suppress this movement for a time, but it re-emerged 60 years later in the 
form of the Transcendentalist Movement, exemplified in the poetry and 
writings of Whitman, Thoreau and Emerson, and the overnight mushrooming of 
the commune movement in the 1840's.  The Civil War, Reconstruction, the 
conquest of the West and the Gold Rush drained the Nature-oriented 
spiritual energy from the people of America for another 60 years, but it 
blossomed again through the Art Nouveau movement in the 1900's.  Then came 
the World Wars, the Depression, McCarthyism...60 more years had to pass 
before the gathering impact of Eastern religious philosophy, especially 
Zen, and Existentialism gave birth to the "hip" "underground" 
counter-culture of the Beatniks, whose experimentation with drugs, 
sexuality, music, poetry, communal living and alternate lifestyles paved 
the way for the Hippie phenomenon of the 1960's (which spontaneously 
resurrected the old Illuminati motto of "flower power").

     The seeds of Neo-Paganism which had again lain dormant for three 
generations took root in such fertile soil, and emerged once more into the 
light, to be joined in the '70s by the heirs of Wicca, the last vestiges 
of the Old Religion of Europe.     The New Religion is still very much 
Paganism, for its inspiration and orientation today is based, as was that 
of its predecessors, upon an understanding and relationship of Humanity 
within the larger perspective of Life, Nature and the Universe.  Fred 
Adams of Feraferia coined the term "eco-psychic" to describe the type of 
awareness that permeates the New Religion.

     Revealed religions, especially of the monotheistic variety, tend to 
see man as a special creation, exalted above all Nature, and the epitome 
of God's handiwork.  Thus the Biblical injunction to Man to "have dominion 
over all the Earth" is not seen by Judeo-Christians as outrageously 
presumptuous; nor is God's destruction of all life on Earth in the legend 
of the Deluge seen as insanely immoral ecocide.  Both God and Man are 
considered to have a "divine right" to desecrate the Earth at their 
pleasure. This is in direct opposition to the view of Paganism, which sees 
humanity's duty not to conquer Nature, but to live in harmony and 
stewardship with Her.    Every revealed religion claims to have its own 
direct pipeline to the Divinity, and its own essential precepts from 
direct, unassailable revelation.  Neo-Pagans, on the other hand, have 
outgrown egotistical and temperamental gods, and expect no intervention 
from some Big Daddy in the Sky to solve the problems of our times.  
Instead, we look to Nature (through the clear glass of ecology) for 
inspiration and direction, and to ourselves as the instrumentality for all 
that needs to be done.  

Thou art God/dess! 
Otter G'Zell, 1970 (revised Jan. 8, 1991) 

 Neo-Pagan Witchcraft vs. Satanism:Confusions and Distinctions 
by Otter and Morning Glory Zell

     It seems to be necessary to preface every discussion of Witchcraft 
with an explanation that, no, Neo-Pagan Witches aren't Satanists.  The 
Christian anti-God, Satan, has no place in Pagan pantheons, either 
mythologically or theologically.  Plainly and simply, Satanism is the dark 
side of Christianity, and Satan is nothing other than the collective Id of 
Christendom.

     Even today, Witchcraft is frequently misrepresented by being confused 
with Satanism. Often the word Witchcraft is used to represent two wholly 
opposite phenomena: the survival of ancient Paganism in one instance, and 
the inversion of Christianity in another.  Let us make it clear:  a 
Satanist is a renegade Christian, who, in his rebellion against the 
authority of the church, worships Satan rather than Christ.  Such people 
are at times called witches and warlocks in popular books and movies but 
they have little to do with Pagan Witches.  Satanists, for one thing, 
accept the Christian duality between good and evil; Pagans do not.  
Satanists may choose to worship evil rather than good: but they have 
utterly bought the Christian world view".1

     The word Pagan derives from the Latin paganus, meaning "peasant" or 
"country dweller". It is correctly  applied to indigenous (native) 
pantheistic folk religions and peoples.  The term "Neo-Paganism" is 
applied to the current revival of ancient Pagan religious values, 
including the sacredness of all Life and the worship of Nature.  Modern 
Witchcraft has been a major component of the Neo-Pagan resurgence since 
England repealed its anti-Witchcraft laws in 1951.The Goddess and the God 
of Witchcraft  The many traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft have few 
universal theological precepts, but one of them is certainly the 
veneration of the Moon Goddess, known most commonly by her Roman name, 
Diana.  She is perceived as manifesting in triple form: as Maiden, Mother 
and Crone.  These triple aspects are identified respectively with the 
waxing, full, and waning moons.  Witches gather at esbats every full moon, 
to sing and dance in Her moonlight, share cakes and wine, and work magic 
to heal each other, their friends, and the Earth.  Many modern Witches 
expand the concept of the Goddess considerably, and see Her also as Mother 
Earth and Mother Nature.

     Most traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft also honor the Consort of the 
Goddess in the form of the Horned God, who is seen as Lord of Animals as 
well as seasonal ruler of the Underworld. The most familiar version of the 
Horned God is the Greek Pan, goat-horned and goat-hooved, playing His 
panpipes, guzzling wine from His freely-flowing wineskin, and seducing 
nymphs in the woods.  He is regarded as lusty and jovial, epitomizing 
masculine attributes of ideal father, brother or lover.  As the Goddess of 
Witchcraft is closely identified with the Moon, so the God is identified 
with the Sun.  In this way He may be seen mythologically as the lover both 
of the Moon and of the Earth.  Another of His many epithets is "Lord of 
Light".   Every light casts its shadows, and the Lord of Shadows is the 
other face of the Lord of Light.  Lord of the Underworld is the title of 
the God in Winter when He goes underground with the animals to hibernate.  
Some traditions had Him alternate with His brother as husband to the 
eternal Goddess.  Others, as in the Greek Hades, had a year-round God of 
the Underworld, "The Devil."

     It is essential to clarify the historic relationship of Pan and the 
Devil, as Christianity has tended to confuse the two, giving rise to the 
accusation that Pagans are Devil-worshipers because some Pagan gods have 
horns.  Once and for all, the Christian Devil is not the God of the 
Witches!  The genesis of the Devil comes from a merging of two concepts:  
Satan and Lucifer. The original meaning of the word satan is "adversary", 
and his inclusion in the Bible represents an attempt by later apologists 
of the Old Testament to justify the more negative actions of a benevolent 
God (such as the persecution of Job) by attributing the actual dirty work 
to a testing spirit; the original "devil's advocate".  This entity was not 
considered evil until after the Persian conquest  introduced the Hebrews 
to the Zoroastrian dualism of Ahura-Mazda (the good God) vs. Ahriman (the 
evil God). This later manifested in Christianity as Manichean dualism.  
The Manichean equation was brutally simple:  God=Good; Devil=Evil.  But it 
was not until the year 447 CE that the Council of Toledo declared the 
legal existence of the Devil as an actual entity, though he was still not 
thought of as necessarily manifesting in human form.

     The Lucifer story is a mish-mashed retelling of the Canaanite myth 
about the overthrow of Baal by Mot and the usurpation of Baal's throne by 
Athar, the god of the morning star.  The original Hebrew name for Lucifer 
was helel ben shahar  meaning "son of the day star" (the planet Venus).  
The name Lucifer ("light bearer"), a Romano-Etruscan title of the Sun God, 
was erroneously used when the Bible was first translated into Latin.2

     Various shadow gods or divine adversaries contributed to the creation 
of the Devil, including the Canaanite Moloch or Mot, the Egyptian Set or 
Suteck and the Roman Saturn.

   Judeo-Christian theologians placed all Pagan gods and goddesses in an 
adversary position to Yahweh, the god of Israel, who, as a monotheistic 
deity, cannot share a pantheon.  This is a profound cultural difference 
from Pagan pantheons and polytheistic peoples who co-existed together, 
whether or not in harmony.  Also since unbridled sexuality, especially for 
females, was defined by Judeo-Christianity as evil, Pagan gods and 
goddesses who were especially sexual or sensual garnered the new sect's 
particular hatred.  Pan (who instills panic) and Dionysus were neither 
evil nor adversary deities, but because of their riotous celebrations the 
Devil acquired Pan's horns and hooves and Dionysus' ambiguously mad and 
bibulous nature.  This final equation of the Pagan Horned God with Satan 
was not established, however, until the year 1486, when the Dominicans 
Kramer and Sprenger published the Malleus Malificarum, or "Hammer of the 
Witches", wherein they gave the first physical description of the Devil as 
he is commonly depicted today, declaring that this was the god worshiped 
by those they wanted to call "witches", thereby justifying the centuries 
of terrible persecution inflicted upon those who clung faithfully to their 
worship of the elder gods.    
     Witchcraft and Shamanism Witches were the shamans, or medicine men 
and women, of the tribal Celtic peoples of Europe, and they functioned in  
the same fashion as shamans of any other tribal culture, be it American 
Indians, Africans, or Australian Aborigines.  In fact, and in time-honored 
tradition, shamans are still commonly referred to as "Witch Doctors".

     Shamans are specialists in herbal lore, and the Witches of Pagan 
Europe were no exception. Usually, but not exclusively, women, they 
practiced herbal medicine, midwifery, augury, spellcasting, and 
counseling.  Often dwelling alone out in the woods, Witches lived close to 
Nature, and attuned to Her cycles.  Their gardens grew not only food, but 
also many kinds of herbs, including those valued for their medicinal, 
anesthetic and hallucinogenic properties. In a period of time when good 
Christian folk maintained only those domestic animals that could be 
considered "livestock" (i.e., useful to humans), Witches frequently kept 
wild animal pets: foxes, ferrets, owls, ravens and of course, the 
ubiquitous cats. Such became known, appropriately enough, as familiars.  
When Witches came to be persecuted, so did these familiar animals, and the 
brutal capture, torture and burning of millions of cats that accompanied 
the Witch burnings begat the horrible Black Plague that devastated Europe 
in the 14th century, for the cats had kept the rat populations under 
control, and it was rat fleas that were the carrier of the bubonic plague 
bacillus."The Burning Times"

     It is sadly ironic that, though  the practitioners of Witchcraft have 
historically suffered real abuse and persecution, the Witch has somehow 
continued to be misrepresented as the villain.  Christianity did not 
become the world's dominant religion by peaceful conversion, but by the 
sword and stake.  As the legions of Caesar had forged the Roman Empire 
over the dead bodies of countless tribal peoples of Europe, so did its 
heir, the Holy Roman Empire, continue the tradition.  Declaring them 
"heresies", agents of the Holy Inquisition hunted out and ruthlessly 
exterminated every religion, sect or tradition that would not convert to 
"The One True Right And Only Way".  Witches, however, lived outside of any 
organized religious structure and were largely ignored until the 13th 
century, when the Church had finally gained enough power to deal with 
grass-roots Paganism.    "In the 13th century the Church opened its 
long-drawn-out conflict with Paganism in Europe by declaring "Witchcraft' 
to be a "sect' and heretical.  It was not til the 14th century that the 
two religions came to grips. . . In 1324 the bishop of Ossory tried Dame 
Alice Kyteler in his ecclesiastical court for the crime of worshiping a 
deity other than the Christian God. . .

     "The 15th century marks the first great victories of the Church.  
Beginning with the trials in Lorraine in 1408, the Church moved 
triumphantly against Joan of Arc and her followers in 1431, against Gilles 
de Rais and his coven in 1440, and against the Witches of Brescia in 1457.  
Towards the end of the century the Christian power was so well-established 
that the Church felt the time had come for an organized attack, and in 
1484 Pope Innocent VIII published his Bull against "Witches.'  All through 
the 16th and 17th centuries the battle raged.  The Pagans fought a 
gallant, though losing, fight against a remorseless and unscrupulous 
enemy; every inch of the field was disputed, but the Christian policy of 
obtaining influence over the rulers and law-givers was irresistible.  Vae 
victis ["woe to the conquered"] was also the policy of the Christians, and 
we see the priests of the Papacy gloating over the thousands they had 
consigned to the flames while the ministers of the Reformed Churches 
hounded on the administrators of the law to condemn the "devil 
worshipers.'  What could have been the feelings with which those unhappy 
victims regarded the vaunted God of Love, the Prince of Peace, whose 
votaries condemned them to torture and death?  What wonder that they clung 
to their old faith, and died in agony unspeakable rather than deny their 
God".3    It should also be pointed out that the court recorders at the 
Witch trials were specifically instructed that, whatever gods or goddesses 
the accused actually claimed to worship, what went into the record was 
"Satan" or "The Devil".  And what wonder if some of those who had come to 
believe the Biblical history taught them by the missionaries, monks and 
priests of the conquering faith, concluded that the story must have gotten 
it wrong somehow?  That if there had indeed been a rebellion in heaven, it 
was clearly evident that the winner had not been the God of love and 
peace, as his propagandists claimed, but rather a God of cruelty and evil; 
of war and violence, wrath and jealousy.  (This had, in fact, been an old 
Gnostic tradition.)  
     The clear implication was that the defeated Lucifer must have been 
the good guy, and surely many must have swarmed to his allegiance in this 
belief. While true adherents of the Old Religions certainly knew better, 
and continued their faith entirely distinct from Christianity, there were 
surely, then as now, many ignorant people who were simply too 
unsophisticated or too illiterate to question the Christian paradigm once 
it became established.  And thus did Satanism as a belief and a practice 
come into being, spawned by the Church, and forever to be locked together 
with it in a fatal embrace of mutual antagonism.

     Whether or not the persecuted peasantry who came to side with Satan 
against their oppressors thought of themselves as "Witches", the Church 
and the authorities of the Holy Inquisition certainly identified them as 
such:     "The heart and centre of the persecution of Witches was that 
they were Satanists, that they had rejected the rightful God and given 
their allegiance to his arch-opponent, and that in their "sabbaths' or 
meetings they worshiped the ruler of evil, carnality and filth.  Some of 
those accused as Witches do seem to have taken the Devil for their god, 
worshiping him as an equal opponent of the Christian God, over whom he 
would eventually triumph.  They looked to Satan for power and pleasure in 
this world and for a happy future in the next, and they vilified Christ as 
a traitor and a cheat, who had made promises which he did not keep, and 
who had gone away to live in heaven while Satan remained with his faithful 
on earth".4    "The Witches and sorcerers of early times were a widely 
spread class who had retained the beliefs and traditions of heathenism 
with all its license and romance and charm of the forbidden. . . in their 
ranks every one who was oppressed or injured either by the nobility or the 
church.  They were treated with indescribable cruelty, in most cases worse 
than beasts of burden, for they were outraged in all their feelings, not 
at intervals for punishment, but habitually by custom, and they revenged 
themselves by secret orgies and fancied devil-worship, and occult ties, 
and stupendous sins, or what they fancied were such.  I can seriously 
conceive: what no writer seems to have considered: that there must have 
been an immense satisfaction in selling or giving one's self to the devil, 
or to any power which was at war with their oppressors.  So they went by 
night, at the full moon, and sacrificed to Diana, or "later on' to Satan, 
and they danced and rebelled.  It is very well worth noting that we have 
all our accounts of sorcerers and heretics from Catholic priests, who had 
every earthly reason for misrepresenting them, and did so.  In the vast 
amount of ancient Witchcraft still surviving in Italy, there is not much 
anti-
Christianity, but a great deal of early heathenism.  Diana, not Satan, is 
still the real head of the Witches".5

     Since Witchcraft is still little understood by the general public, 
whose images are shaped mostly by the popular media, Witches continue to 
be easy targets for persecution.  It must be remembered that, in the 
previous episodes of Witchcraft persecution hysteria, it was the Witches 
who were the victims, not the Christians.  Witches, and those conveniently 
accused of being Witches, died by the millions during the terrible 
centuries of the holocaust they remember as "The Burning Times".  They do 
not wish to repeat that experience today.6

 Notes and References: 

1.  Jong, Erica, Witches (New American Library, New York,1981) p. 52
2.  Zell, Morning Glory, "The Lord of Light", Green Egg, Vol. XXI, No.      
82; Aug. 1, 1988 (POB 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482) p. 12
3.  Murray, Margaret, The God of the Witches (Oxford Univ. Press, NY,      
1931)  pp. 21-22
4.  Cavendish, Richard, "Satanism", Encyclopedia of Man, Myth and          
Magic, Vol. 18 (Marshall Cavendish, NY, 1970) p. 2479
5.  Leland, Charles Godfrey, Legends of Florence, (David Nutt, London,     
1896)
6.  Guiley, Rosemary, Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft (Facts on      
File, NY, 1989)


                WHERE THE HELL IS THE CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS


  WHERE WE'RE AT:
The Church of All Worlds offers a religious position uniquely suited to 
the enlightened, inquiring modern mind. In harmony with the principles and 
conclusions of science, receptive to the values and wisdom of the ancients 
and the great religions of humanity, sensitive to the deep psychological 
and spiritual needs of all people, the Church of All Worlds aspires to be 
the kind of free, growing and unifying religion that today's and 
tomorrow's world so urgently needs.

The Church of All Worlds is Neo-Pagan : a modern Earth Religion - an
orientation chosen because of its traditional associations with Life and 
the processes of Nature, which we consider an appropriate religious 
orientation for the emerging Aquarian Age. As Western civilisation has 
been to a great degree the product of the past two thousand years of 
Piscean Age Chrisianity, so do we envision a new whole-Earth culture of 
transformative religious ecology to become the product of the next epoch 
of Aquarian Age Neo-Paganism.  In common with many other Neo-Pagan 
religions, CAW presents a life-affirming religious philosophy for the 
joyous unification of eros, ethos and ecos; of cult, culture and 
cultivation.

We consider the Church of All Worlds to be radically evolutionary in 
concept, rather than revolutionary. We see the evolution of Life on Earth 
as moving towards a point of actualisation whereby the entire planet will 
come to share a single vast global consciousness. We see humanity being 
instrumental in the course of that evolution. As humans seem to be the 
only creatures on the planet capable of disrupting entire ecosystems, it 
becomes our manifest responsibility through our unique freedom of choice 
to prevent such systems from being disrupted. We are not anti-technology 
or science, for we recognise that certain scientific and technological 
advances, such as ecology, geology, astronomy, psychology, archaeology, 
cybernetics, astrophysics, communications
and the technology of the bio-renaissance can be positively evolutionary 
and in harmony with the accelerating advance of planetary consciousness. 
What we oppose is the senseless use of industrial technology to wreak 
havok with the planetary ecosystem, often in the name of the Biblical 
injunction that Man is to have "dominion over the Earth." We percieve our 
not as dominion, but as responsible stewardship.

Applying evolutionary concepts to each individual, we agree with Erich 
Fromm that the purpose of life is "to become what we potentially are." We 
identify strongly with the concepts of human self-actualisation identified 
by Abraham Maslow and found in transpersonal psychology and ethics. 
Rejecting utterly concepts of predestination and inherent sin, we affirm 
the ultimate freedom and responsibility appropriate to conscious entities, 
which we express in the phrase "Thou Art God/dess," derived from Robert 
Heinlein's novel, 'Stranger in a Strange Land.' This implies that each one 
of us must define our own specific purpose. There is no excuse; no shelter 
from the awesome responsibility of total freedom.

Recognising that all Life on Earth comprises a single vast living Entity, 
which has been intuitively conceptualised as a feminine from time 
immemorial, we are in harmony with our Pagan ancestors who worshipped The 
Goddess: Mother Earth, Mother Nature. Thus we also affirm mystically and 
mythically the pantheistic conceptualisation of immanent divinity inherent 
in all living entities, as synergic living Nature, for we define divinity 
as the highest level of aware consciousness accessible to each living 
being, manifesting itself in the self-actualisation of that being. Hence, 
"Thou Art God/dess" applies equally to a person, a tree, a grasshopper or 
a planet.

As Neo-Pagans, we are concerned, not with life after death, but with life 
after birth. We have no dogmas of immortality, considering that whatever 
one believes about an afterlife, may very well be what one gets. We view 
death as an evolutionary prerequisite for the emergence of new life, and 
so we return the dead to the Earth, from which the elements of their 
energy and matter will eventually be recycled and reconstituted into the 
energy and matter of other life forms. Other than our ecological 
responsibility of returning to the Earth that which we have taken from 
Her, we are not concerned with dying, but with living.

We are deeply concerned with improving the quality of that life, to which 
end we agree with population ecologists that its quantity (in sheer 
numbers of people) must be drastically reduced. Thus we are strongly 
supportive of the various measures of birth control advocated by such 
agencies as Planned Parenthood, including full legalisation of abortion. 
We greatly fear that if humanity does not choose to limit its numbers by 
reducing births, Nature will do it for us by increasing deaths.


  WHERE WE'RE GOING:

The word 'Religion' means "re-linking." The basic committment of the 
Church of All Worlds is to the re-integration of people with themselves, 
their fellow humans, and with the whole of living Nature. In company with 
all other Pagan peoples, we create no artificial demarkations between the 
sacred and the secular, for we recognise that religion must ultimately be 
an entire way of life, not merely some ritual acts performed once a week. 
We are committed to developing an organic, vitalistic philosophy of life 
and its expression in an organic culture.

To this end, then, the Church of All Worlds devotes itself to those who 
need or want the help and understanding through the processes of 
unlearning and learning. It is our aim to offer assistance through any 
personal expansion programs found to be effective. Furthermore, we intend 
to remain openminded and receptive to new ideas, interests and goals, and 
learn to live responsibly and responsively with each other.

We advocate envolvement with every conceivable aspect of the emerging 
Gaian culture, from religious service and mythology to family relations 
and child rearing; from education to ecology; from psychic development to 
space travel; from the sensual to the sexual; from intentional communities 
to planetary government and world peace. "Nothing short of everything will 
ever really do."  We are engaged in the eclectic reconstruction of ancient 
Nature religions, combining archetypes of many cultures with other mystic 
and spiritual disciplines. But we are not just trying to re-create a 
Paradise Lost; we are actively working to actualise a visionary future. 
With roots deep in the Earth and branches reaching towards the stars, we 
evoke and create myths not only of a Golden Age long past, but also of one 
yet to come...

Since we are concerned with the emergent evolution of a total new culture 
and lifestyle, and since we perceive no distinction between the sacred and 
the secular, we consider every activity to be essentially a religious 
activity.  For us, taking our cans and bottles to the recycling centre is 
as much a religious duty as prayer and meditation. And so are composting 
our garbage, growing organicl vegetables, practicing birth control, using 
bio-degradable products, boycotting tuna, training and study, protecting 
animals and celebration of the seasons. We recognise that the essence of a 
religion is in the living of it.


  WHERE WE CAME FROM:

The Church of All Worlds traces its history back to 1962, when a "water
brotherhood" called "Atl" was formed by Tim Zell and Lance Christie at
Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. During the mid 60's the group was 
centered on the University of Oklahoma campus at Norman and operated under 
the name "Atlan Foundation". A periodical "The Atlan Torch" (later "The 
Atlan Annals") was published from 1962-1968. In 1968, following a move to 
St. Louis, the Church of All Worlds was incorporated, becoming the first 
of the Neo-Pagan/Earth Religions to obtain full federal recognition. In 
March of that year, the Green Egg appeared. From its inauspicious 
beginnings as a one page ditto sheet, it grew over 80 issues into a 60 
page journal, evolving into the most significant periodical in the Pagan 
movement during the 1970's. After a 10 year hiatus while the original 
staff moved to northern California to experience a life of homesteading in 
the mountain wilderness, the Green Egg resumed publication in 1988 with 
its 81st edition.

The Church of All Worlds took much inspiration from the 1961 science 
fiction classic, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' by Robert Heinlein. In the 
novel, the stranger, Michael Valentine Smith, was an earthman born on Mars 
and raised by Martians. Among his other adventures upon being brought to 
earth was the formation of the "Church of All Worlds". The "Church" was 
built around "Nests," a combination of congregation and expanded family. A 
basic concept was "grokking" i.e. the ability to be fully empathic. It 
also emphasised the experience of co-equal love between sexes. The common 
greeting was "thou Art God;" as recognition of the immanent divinity in 
each person.

The basic theology of the real-life Church of All Worlds is a form of
pantheism which focusses on immanent rather than transcendant divinity. 
The most important theological statement came in the form of revelatory 
writings by Tim (now Otter) Zell in 1970-1973, on the theory which later 
became known as the "Gaia Thesis". This concept is a biological validation 
of an ancient intuition: that the planet is a single living organism; 
Mother Earth (Gaia).  Pantheists hold as divine the living spirit of 
Nature. Thus to CAW recognises Gaia, Pan and other nature spirits as the 
Divine Pantheon. In this manner, the Church of All Worlds became a 
forerunner of the Deep Ecology movement.

Though the Church maintains an egalitarian rather than matriarchal social 
structure, nevertheless, through its focus on Mother Nature as Goddess, 
its recognition and ordination of women to the priesthood, and the 
important central policy making positions held by women in the Church, CAW 
can rightly be held to be the first Eco-Feminist Church. We are not a 
secret or members only organisation, and we welcome participation by all 
who are sincerely interested in our path regardless of race, sex, national 
or cultural origins or sexual preference. We support unity through 
diversity. Our only creed states: "The Church of All Worlds is dedicated 
to the celebration of life, the maximum actualisation of human potential 
and the realisation of ultimate individual freedom and personal 
responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic relationship with the total 
Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth"

Worship in the Church involves weekly or monthly meeting which are held
usually in the homes of nest members on a rotational basis. The basic
liturgical form is a Circle where members take turns in sharing their
creativity. A chalice of water is always shared around the Circle either 
as the opening or closing of the ceremony. Other events are celebrated at 
the Church retreat sanctuary, a 55 acre parcel of land called "Annwfn" in 
Northern California. It is maintained by a small residential community of 
caretakers.  In addition to various campfire and ritual areas, the land 
has several hand-built buildings including a two-storey temple, plus a 
garden, an orchard and a small pond. It has limited solar electricity, 
propane hot water and a radio telephone, but no TV. In addition to the 
eight Celtic seasonal festivals, we hold handfastings, vision quests, 
rites of passage, workshops, retreats, work parties, summer camps and 
staff meetings on the land.

As in "Stranger in a Strange Land", congregations of the Church of All 
Workds are called nests, and quite a few are currently in existance around 
the world.  See the latest issue of Green Egg for listings to find the 
nest nearest you.

Over the years, the Church has founded a number of subsidiary branch
orders through which we practice and teach our religion. These include:

 NEMETON - Founded in 1972 by Gwydion Pendderwen and Alison Harlow, this  
     is the publishing arm. Tapes, records, songbooks, T-shirts,  
     figurines, jewelery and philosophical tracts. Catalog $US 1.

 FOREVER FORESTS - Founded in 1977 by Gwydion Pendderwen, this is the  
     Churches ecology branch. Sponsors tree planting rituals and  
     environmental actions. Has stewardship of Annwfn, the Church  
     land.

 ECOSOPHICAL RESEARCH ASSN - Founded in 1977 by Morning Glory Zell, the  
     ERA is devoted to research and exploration in the fields of  
     history, mythology, and natural sciences.

 LIFEWAYS - Founded in 1983 by Anodea Judith, this is the teaching  
     order.  Offers workshops, classes, healing rituals and  
     training for the priesthood.

 PEACEFUL ORDER OF MOTHER EARTH - Founded 1n 1988 by Willowoak, POEM is
           dedicated to children and child nurturing. Provides enriching
           activities for children at gatherings, summer camps,and a  
      quarterly childrens magazine, 'How About Magic?'



FOR MORE INFORMATION:

   Director of Australian Operations,
   PO Box 408,
   Woden, ACT, 2606,
   AUSTRALIA.

   FAX (06) 299 4100
   PHONE (06) 299 2432


 What is Myth? 
This article appeared in Web of Wyrd #10, and is by Anna from Canberra.


Mythology can be approached from various perspectives, such as 
anthropological, sociological, folk-lorist, psychological and 
metaphysical. Our understanding of what myth is depends on the perspective 
we use. The folk-lorist is interested in the variety of myths and their 
spread with migrations of peoples.  The anthropologists study myth as part 
of a peoples' culture. The sociologist is interested in how it helps 
society to function. The psychologist studies its effects on peoples' 
perspectives, and how it helps them cope with the world in which they 
live. The occultist and mystic regard it as a tool to help them achieve 
their aims, whether that be union with the divine, or a greater 
understanding of themselves and the divine within.  Myth occurs in the 
history of most, if not all, human traditions and communities, and is a 
basic constituent of human culture. It occurs both with and without 
associated
rites (though not all rites have myths associated with them). This paper 
discusses the purpose of myth, and how we may use myth more effectively in 
the magical context.

Some definitions of myth:
     "Myth is the secret opening through which the
inexhaustible energy of the cosmos pour through into human
cultural manifestation."
          (Campbell: The Masks of God - Primitive Mythology)
     "Myth is a psychic phenomenon that reveals the nature of
the soul."
          Jung: The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious)
     "Myths are accounts about  how the world came to be the
way it is, about a super-ordinary realm of events before (or
behind) the natural world."
          (Keesing: Cultural Anthropology - a Contemporary
Perspective)
     "A myth is a statement about society and man's place in
it and the surrounding universe."
          (Middleton: Myth and Cosmos)
     "Myth is a collective term used for one kind of symbolic
communication and specifically indicates one basic form of
religious symbolism, as distinguished from symbolic behaviour
(cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (such as temples
and icons). Myths are specific accounts concerning gods or
superhuman beings and extraordinary events or circumstances at
a time that is altogether different from that of ordinary
human experience."
          (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
From these definitions it can be seen that myth has two functions, 
esoteric and exoteric. The exoteric function is to:      "...bind the 
individual to his family's system of historically-conditioned sentiments, 
as a functioning member of a sociological organism." (Campbell: ibid)

In this role myth is exploratory and narrative. An example is the North 
American tale: Old man saw a circle of cottontail rabbits singing and 
making medicine; they would lie in the ashes of a hot fire and sing while 
one of their number covered them up; it was lots of fun. Old Man asked to 
be shown how to do this, and was covered in the coals and ashes and was 
not burnt. Then he wanted to be the one to cover up the others,
and all the rabbits jumped into the fire. Only one got out, who was about 
to have babies; Old Man let her go so that there would continue to be 
rabbits. She went off with a dark place on her back where she got singed, 
which all rabbits since have had. The others he roasted and laid on red 
willow brush to cool. The grease soaked into the branches and even today, 
if you hold red willow over a fire, you will see the grease on the bark.  
This myth is explanatory; it explains two observed
features of the natural world.

Another myth explains not the natural world, but the use man puts it to. 
This is an Ojibway myth explaining the origin of maize and man's use of 
it. To summarise this myth: a young man went to the forest to fast for 
seven days and search for his spirit guide or guardian. During this period 
he was visited by a richly-dressed handsome young man, sent by the Great 
Spirit, whom he had to wrestle, despite his weakness from his fast.  
Before the last time the visitor told him he would prevail this time, and 
gave him instructions: how to prepare the ground, how to bury his body, 
how to care for the ground after, and how to harvest the maize that would 
grow. This he did, so his people now have maize. This myth not only 
explains the origin of maize, but also gives instructions for planting, 
care and harvesting, thus ensuring that all the tribe know how
to grow it, as well as learn where it came from.  Other myths are 
justifying and validating, answering questions about the nature and 
foundation of ritual and cultic customs.  

An example is the Blackfoot myth about the origin of the Buffalo Dance. 
The Blackfeet hunt buffalo by chasing them over a cliff, but at one time 
they could not induce the animals to the fall, and the people were 
starving. A young woman, seeing a herd of buffalo near the edge of the 
fall said, "if you will only jump into the canal, I shall marry one of 
you." The buffalo did so, and a big bull came and carried her off. Her
father came looking for her, but was trampled to pieces by the buffalo. 
The woman got a piece of his backbone and sang over it until his body was 
restored and he was alive again. The buffalo allowed the woman and her 
father to go, on condition that they learn the dance and song of the 
buffalo, and not forget them. For these would be the magical means by 
which the buffalo killed by the people for their food should be restored
to life, just as the man killed by the buffalo was restored.  This myth 
tells the people why they do the dance, and the consequences if they 
don't. It is also a piece of sympathetic magic designed to increase the 
fertility of the buffalo herds when the dance is performed. As such it 
gives them a sense of control over some of the important factors of their 
environment and indicates appropriate action if the buffalo do
decline.

Myths also have a descriptive function, explaining facts beyond normal 
reason and observation. Creation myths are an example. The Norse creation 
myth describes Niffleheim forming out of the Abyss, with ice to the north 
and fire to the south.

From the melting ice where these two realms met formed a giant, Ymir, and 
a cow, Audmulla, who became the wet-nurse of the gods. From Ymir came the 
frost giants, and Audmulla's licking of the ice freed the progenitors of 
the gods, Odin, Vile and Ve. And so the myth goes on, describing the 
creation of the world, the gods and mankind. This myth does not describe 
or explain the world as it is, but how it came about
in the first place. It is an explanation of something that man couldn't 
see or comprehend, that is beyond his knowledge and experience.

One purpose of myth is to help tie a community together. When
myth is expressed in ritual, it builds the community, or
specific segments of it, together. An example is the
Aborigines' use of myth in boys' initiation rites. Myths are
revealed to the boys as part of their initiation to manhood;
since the women and children do not know these mysteries, they
serve to bind the men together, and important factor for a
group that needs to hunt together.

Myth gives a community a common framework, a common view of
the world. The whole community has the same understanding of
why the world is the way that it is. It also tells them how to
behave in certain circumstances and why they should do so; why
their society is structured the way that it is, and what will
happen if they break cultural taboos.

An example in our cultural context is the myth of David and
Goliath. This myth tells us how to behave in a situation where
we are faced with overwhelming odds. It teaches us courage
rather than running away, and suggests an approach that can be
used to cope with the situation.

Myth provides the moral values of the culture. Many of our
moral values, for example, come from the Christian myths. The
story of David and Goliath is one reason why we revere
courage. Murder and theft are regarded as wrong, evil, as the
myth of Moses teaches us. The myth of Noah and the Ark tells
us of the consequences of evil and righteousness. To summarise
then, myth provides a guide for the individual throughout his
life; one that aids him to live in health, strength, and
harmony in the particular society in which he was born.

Myth also has an esoteric function, which is almost the opposite of the 
exoteric function. Myth transforms the individual, detatching him from his 
local historical and cultural condition, and leading him to some kind of 
ineffable experience. It provides a bridge between an individual's local 
consciousness and universal consciousness. Myth and rites constitute a 
mesocosm, a mediating middle cosmos through which
the microcosm of the individual is brought into relation with the 
macrocosm of the all, the universe. Myth, "... fosters the centering and 
unfolding of the universe in integrity with himself (microcosm), his 
culture (mesocosm), the universe (macrocosm) and finally with the ultimate 
creative mystery that is both beyond and within himself and all things." 
(Houston: The Search for the Beloved)

Myth bridges the gap between ourselves and godhead, providing a path that 
we may use to become aware of the cosmos, the godhead. In this context, R 
J Stewart describes creation myths not as explorations but as, "... 
resonant re-creations that echo the original creation... an organic 
timeless flow of images and narrative within which such questions [of the 
nature of the world] were by-passed altogether, for the 'answers' of such 
mythology come from deep levels of
consciousness, in which universal patterns or intimations are
apprehended." (Stewart: The Elements of Creation Myth) 

When we imagine a creation myth, irrespective of our belief or 
disbelief in the myth, we re-create or re-balance ourselves.  Another 
function of myth is to act as a filter. The full, unadulterated experience 
of the universal consciousness is more than our minds are capable of 
holding, and there are those who went too far and fell into psychosis and 
other imbalances as a result. Myth provides a way of experiencing 
universal consciousness or godhead without it overwhelming us to the point 
where we cannot return to ourselves.

There is an alternative way of looking at the esoteric levels of myth. C G 
Jung considers mythological processes to be, "symbolic expressions of the 
inner unconscious drama of the psyche which becomes accessible to man's 
consciousness by way of projection." (Jung: ibid.) He views the 
unconscious as having two levels; personal and collective. The personal
unconscious contains experiences that have been forgotten, whereas the 
collective unconscious has contents and modes of behaviour that have never 
been through consciousness, and are more or less the same everywhere and 
in everyone. The contents of the collective unconscious are called 
archetypes.They are expressed in myth and fairy-tale in a specific form, 
but can also be experienced by the individual in a more naive and less 
understandable form as dreams and visions.

An archetype is a memory deposit, derived from endless repetition of a 
typical situation in life. It is the psychic expression of an anatomically 
physiologically determined natural tendency. Archetypes are normally 
referred to as figures; the wise old man, the mother, the trickster. 
However, they also include experiences, of which an example is the birth 
experience. Everyone goes through this experience, so it
has made a strong imprint on the collective unconscious. As a result, 
rebirth experiences are a very powerful mythic image, and form the core of 
initiation rites and the process of becoming a shaman.

For example, as part of his initiation into manhood, and Arandan boy, 
after the trauma of circumcision (which mirrors the birth trauma), stands 
in the smoke of a fire, a repetition of the smoking he underwent as soon 
as he was born. Similarly, many shamans, ind escribing the experience that 
made them a shaman, report being swallowed or eaten by an animal or spirit 
person, then being reborn. Taking on a new name at initiation is an 
outward symbol of the rebirth that has occurred.

Archetypes have given rise to the eternal images in myth and religion. 
These are meant to attract, convince, fascinate, overpower. They give man 
an experience of the divine, while at the same time protecting him from 
being completely overwhelmed. In this sense, archetypes and mythic images 
are the same; they are both the gateway for this experience of the divine. 
They are an image or a reflection of a god or goddess,
but are not the divine itself.

In the Greek creation myth Gaea is the archetype of the earth mother, the 
image of that aspect of godhead; the image that allows us to reach out and 
touch that aspect of godhead.

However the mythic image of Gaea, the archetype image from the myth, is 
not actually godhead itself. Both are filters, not the actuality.
Jung sees archetypes as having psychological as well as metaphysical 
significance. In our daily lives our attention is focused outwards to deal 
with the world, and we lose contact with our inner world, powers in our 
psyche such as creativity. Myth is a means to bring us back in touch with 
these inward forces. When archetypes are activated in our lives we have 
two choices: either let the archetype have its way irrespective of other 
factors, or block it, producing a conflict that leads to neurosis.

Jung sees the symbols of modern psychology analogous to those of myth, and 
considers that we have replaced myth by psychology. We have done so as a 
result of a growing impoverishment of symbols; as our culture has become 
more scientific and rational, we have analysed our cultural mythic symbols 
until they have appeared to die, leaving us with a
culture that seems superficial to many.

Some individuals have coped with this by turning to the myths of other 
cultures, leading to the popularity of eastern philosophy in western 
culture. Others haven't coped at all, hence the increased violence, crime, 
despair, suicide, and so on, of our culture. Some are developing new 
modern myths, imspired by visions such as the blue-green jewel of the 
earth seen from space.

Because myth is a means of regeneration for both the individual and the 
group, this turning to old myths, to myths of other cultures and to new 
myths coming out of our culture is seen by people such as Campbell as the 
beginning of a new age, a rebirth of mankind. Whether this is so remains 
to be seen.

What does this teach us about the use of myth in magic? What we often do 
in Wicca is to take an old myth and apply it or adapt it in some way for 
our use in ritual. Understanding the distinction between the two levels of 
myth, exoteric and esoteric, aids in this adaptation. To modify a myth for 
use in ritual, those aspects of the myth relating only to the exoteric, ie 
the explanatory and justifying aspects, can be excluded with impunity. 
However, those aspects relating to the esoteric function (some, of course, 
may relate to both) cannot be excluded or modified without changing or 
destroying the myth's ability to take us beyond ourselves and towards the 
universal consciousness.

Another aspect to consider is how this journey to universal consciousness 
is achieved. To experience myth fully requires the willing suspension of 
disbelief. Logic is set aside, imagination comes into play, and the masks 
used change from the symbolic to the actuality. Enactment of the myth 
becomes, not people masked and dressed up, but reality itself. Children do 
this easily; to a child playing, a piece of wood is a person or a horse, 
to the extent that the child can become
terrified of a piece of wood that at the beginning of the game he or she 
pretended was a monster. To the adult westerner with his developed 
rational mind this is more difficult, and much of western occult training 
is aimed at attaining this child-like state of experiencing the world and 
myth again.

Meditation stills the active mind. Visualisation and imagination create 
the symbols, the game, the mythic images. Ritual gives the images life, 
enacting the myth so that it might impact upon the individual. 
Concentration maintains the images long enough that the desired effect is 
attained. The result: contact with, and experience of, universal
consciousness.

Finally, the fate of our cultural myths warns us of a danger that lies in 
wait with the myths we use. The mind is a powerful tool that is very 
useful in magic; eg, it can prevent us from falling into the trap of 
self-delusion. However, abuse of the mind in relation to myths can be 
destructive. Myths are experiential. If we analyse and explain away the 
myths we use in the same way our culture has recently done with its own
myths, we run the risk of devaluing them to the extent that they no longer 
have an impact on us and can no longer be used effectively to touch 
godhead.

References
Campbell J:    "The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology"
               (Penguin Books, New York, 1969)
          "Myths to Live By" (Bantam Books, New York, 1972)

Encycopaedia Britannica, vol 12, macropaedia, 15th edition,1978

Houston J:     "The Search for the Beloved. Journeys in Mythology and  
          Sacred Psychology" (Jeremy P Tarcher Inc., Los
               Angeles, 1987)

Jung C G: "The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious" (Bollingen  
     Series XX, Princeton University Press, New York,1969)

Keesing RM:    "Cultural Anthropology: a Contemporary Perspective"(Halt,  
          Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976)

Middleton J:   "Myth and Cosmos: Readings in Mythology and Symbolism"  
          (University of Texas Press, London, 1967)

Stewart RJ:    "The Elements of Creation Myth" (Element Books Ltd,  
          Longmead, 1989)
               "Magical Tales: the Story-telling Tradition" (Aquarian  
          Press, London, 1990)



 Generic Pagan Funeral for a Elder Woman 
By: She-Wolf

(as written, to be conducted by a group of Priestess, Priest, chief 
mourner and possibly other coven members as attendants, i.e. ushers.)

The room (perhaps of a funeral home) is decorated with evergreen boughs 
and roses.  This supposes there is a casket, but may be adapted if there 
is a picture only of the deceased.

Before anyone comes into the room, the priest and priestess may cast a 
circle, summon the quarters and invoke the Lady and Lord.

As the mourners enter, they will be greeted at the door (and portal to the 
circle) by the Priest and Priestess.  When all are seated, the priestess 
begins.

PRIESTESS: (adapted from the "Decent of the Goddess," in the Farrars' 
Witches Bible Complete )

There are three great events in the life of a person: love, death and
resurrection to a new life.  Of these love is the most important.  For by 
love and in fulfillment of it, we may again be joined with our families 
and friends, remembering and loving them again.  Death cannot take away 
love or our loved ones.

Without love there is no birth, without birth no death, without death no 
rebirth.  This is the miracle of love.

PRIEST:

-------(name of Chief mourner, here a son), loving son, all here feel your 
sorrow and with you honor --------(name of deceased).

Nearest relative or chief mourner tells about the persons life and
accomplishments.  Others may speak also.  When this is finished, the 
priest continues.

PRIEST:(adapted from memorial service of "Magical rites from the Crystal 
Well")

For a while we have lost one who is dear to us, but it is only for a time 
and we should not be sorrowful.  There is a reason to be here and a reason 
to go when we have fulfilled the tasks of a life's work.  Dying is only a 
way of forgetting, of resting, of returning to the eternal source to be 
renewed and made strong.

PRIESTESS:(adapted from the rite of the Three-Fold-Goddess in the Witches 
Bible)

Behold a woman who has been three women.  First a girl full of dreams and 
hope. Then a mother who brought forth life and gave love.  Finally an 
elder, rich in knowledge and experience.  Her journey is ended and a new 
one begun. Let us bid her farewell and entreat all her loved ones who have 
gone before her to greet and guide her on her way.

The priest may then instruct the mourners to bid a personal farewell if 
they desire, then proceed to the foyer or otherwise outside the room. This 
is the traditional time to play the departed loved one's favorite song or 
hymn.  Again, some attendant should be at the portal to see all out of the 
circle. The priest, priestess and perhaps the chief mourner may then thank 
the Gods, release the quarters and open the circle.

Some refreshment in the outer area might be available to help the people 
ground a bit.  The pall bearers may then return and carry the casket to 
the conveyance.

At the grave side, salt or ashes, water and wine, and aromatic oil may 
have been poured to bless the site.

"We wish you all love and happiness.  Do not forget us.  We will not 
forget you.  We find our peace and hope in the sure and certain knowledge 
that we shall meet again and at that time we will celebrate in perfect 
love."

After the casket is lowered, the chief mourner throws earth upon the 
grave.

This is again a traditional time for all to eat together.  This helps in 
grounding.

 CAW Contacts 
Tue 21 Dec 93 20:58
By: Irv Koch
Copied from "Nesting Notes" in GREEN EGG Winter '93-94 (Issue # 103)
Accuracy NOT guaranteed:  contact Nest Coordinator, Tony Navarra,
692 SanJose Ave #6, SanFrancisco, CA 94110; 415-282-1872 or Voicemail
at 510-549-7745 or e-mail (responds slow) at navarra@well.sf.ca.us to
further confuse the issues.  (Newletters -- samples = $2 standard).
This may be "freqed" as CAWNEST1.txt (see below re complete set).

CAW OZ HQ (DRAGONSONG), Anthorr & Fiona Nomchong, Box 408, Woden, ACT
2606 Australia; 06-299-2432 or Fax 299-4100.
Draconis Nest (DRAGONSONG), Bunz, 5 Sollya Pl, Rivett, ACT 2606
Australia; 06-288-8732. 

Ectopia Nest (ECTOPIA NEST NEWS), Aeona Silversong, Box 335, Redwood
Valley, CA 95470; 707-485-0098.

Eleusis, c/o Carrie McMaster, Box 300762, Arlington, TX 76007;
(This is Dallas-FtWorth) 817-827-1218.

Fog City (THE FOGHORN), Don Eigenhauser, 756A 12th Av, SanFrancisco,
CA 94118; 415-751-4009.

Holy Oak Nest,Paul Moonoak,Box12625,Gainesville,FL32604;904-472-9395.

Home (GREEN SPIRIT), Gerald Osgood, 1/105 Washington St, Vic Park,
WA 6100.

Hornet's (THE ELEMENTAL), Helen & Quinton Phillips, 13 Reiby St,
Newton, NSW.

Ides Nest (IDOL CHATTER), Melissa Ellen Penn, 2140 Shattuck Av, Box
2093, Berkely, CA 94704; 510-549-9606.

Lake Nest Monsters, Willowoak Ishtarwood, Box 5277, Clearlake, CA
95422; 707-994-1742.MACAW Nest (VOICE OF THE HERETICS), Kris Jensen, 
Box24124, Milwaukee,
WI 53224; 414-357-6571.

Moon-in-Redwoods Nest (MIR NEWS), Eric HeBert, Box2610,McKinleyville,
CA 95221; 707-839-6113.

Osprey Protonest, 855 Leesburg Ct, Huntington,MD 20639; 301-855-9479.
South SF Bay & San Jose, CA, Jeff Williams; 408-378-5173.

Our Lady of the Lakes Nest (WAVE INTERSECTIONS), Tess Kolney, Box
80792, Minn., MN 55408; 612-824-2893.

Outpost (OUTPOSTULATE), c/o Danae, 86223 Franklin Blvd, Eugene, OR
97405; 503-744-2517.

Primeval Soup, Carline Tully, 7 Turner St, East Malvern, VIC 3145,
Australia; 03-751-9385.

Star City Sanctuary (CORONA), Avilynn Waters, 20851 ShermanWay #101,
Canoga Park, CA 91306; 818-888-NEST.

Two Rivers Nest (BARSOON FISH 'RAP), Wilma McCann, 4247 Sloan Dr, N.
Highlands, CA 95660; 916-344-9561.

Triskelion (CROWINGS ON), Larry Cornett, 10310 Main St #110, Fairfax,
VA 22030; 703-904-8559(VoiceMail).  E-mail: torin@netcom.com

Valley of the Moon Nest (The LUNATIC FRINGE), Dragon Singing, Box
5622, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.

Amber Agawela, 601 Brown Tr #421, Hurst, TX 76053-5754.
Chane Alvarez, Box 11183, Huntsville, AL 35814; 205-837-7628.
Inanna Arthen, Box 1233, Pepperell, MA 01463.

Gabriele, 335 NW 19th Ave #352, Portland, OR 97209; 503-335-0975.

David Hall, 2111 Lido Cr, Stockton, CA 95207; 209-474-7421.

Damien Markland, Box 2135, Crescent City, CA 94431.
Kathryn Millar, Box 138,Gabriola Is, BC, VOR 1XO Canada;604-247-8929.
Parris McBride, 102 San Salvador, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

John Percy, 1137 Borden St #202, Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1V6, Canada.
Diana Parr, 7717 Brashear St #2, Pittsburg, PA 15221; 412-371-7065.

Silver Ravenwolf, Box 1392, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; 717-432-9118.

Paul Shumway, 239 1/2 W.Mulberry, Lancaster, OH 43130; 614-654-5061.
Jeanmarie Simpson, 454 Glenmanor Dr, Reno, NV 89509; 702-786-3969.
"Mr Bill" Stewart, Box 24731, Winston-Salem, NC 27114; 919-723-8024.

Silva Viridis Thorne, Box 8853, Atlanta, GA 30306; 404-522-2131.

Brett Culloden/Les Kiss, 6/L15 Leichardt St, Bronte, NSW 2113;
02-387-2923.

 Electronic CAW (Draft1 for SCARLET FLAME) 
Sat 18 Dec 93 21:22
By: Irv Koch



When Triskelion Nest et al imported or diverted Otter up here for our 
Summer's End festival this past Oct/Nov, I in turn diverted him to my apt. 
and put him online to the International CAW "echo" on computer bulletin 
board systems.  As a result I was to do a more extensive article on BBSes, 
Internet, and the like, with a shorter version directed at the membership, 
here.  Events have been moving faster than I am, so this is just the 
basics of what is already happening and what, in my opinion (and there 
seems to be a lot of agreement) NEEDS to happen.

The overall object of the entire exercise is for every CAW nest and 
activity to have a reasonably stable internet AND PODS phone number.  
These should be listed in SCARLET FLAME (not necessarily GREEN EGG) and 
used so ALL OF CAW can TALK TO EACH other, with only a few days "lag" as 
opposed to trying to pile the world on the shoulders of one small group 
putting out the central publications quarterly.

This is BY FAR the fastest, least effort, way to meet the challenge of 
everyone outside Northern California tending to be isolated.  It is also
the easiest, SAFEST, way to growth of the membership while still 
acculturating and assimilating new persons, not being overrun in such a 
way as to change the character of the organization.

It not only can be used to conduct national business, in a way, ADF and 
other groups are already doing it to some extent.

If you don't understand the following, wait for the main article.  If you 
do have a computer with a modem, just "go for it."  There are
plenty of computer experts who love people who listen to them.  Once you 
get online at all, there are even more, if you ask politely.

If you have access to the Internet, and can get alt.religion.all-worlds 
then you have found CAW. Reports say that it's rarely posted to.  You can 
change that by posting.  Introduce yourself as a CAW member, ask a 
question or talk about what you're doing or want to do in CAW.  It can 
build fast.  Non-members will be drawn in to the discussion and even if 
they never join, if we can get 100 people -- and remember this is
worldwide so you have access to many thousands -- this "newsgroup" can be 
moved to the main "rel" "hierarchy" and accessible by incredible
numbers.  And, for some reason the culture of the net tends to favor 
tolerance. 

Access to "THE net," however, isn't always easy to come by.  Access to 
BBSes usually, more or less, is.  Like pagan (or sf fan) publications,
once you find one, it will lead you to many others.  The object of your 
game here is to find one of the "fidonet TYPE," that either belongs
to a network called PODS (Pagan Occult Distribution System) or is willing 
to join.  Then you politely ask them to carry the CAW "echo" if they don't 
already.  It's currently a hot item on PODS so that shouldn't be a 
problem.

This operation, thanks to Bunz of OZ CAW and others is already a going 
operation.  Bunz and myself are also building sets of downloadable
files such as the bylaws, application, nesting-notes, other new member, 
and general information about CAW.  (And we need help, people to furnish 
us ASCII copies of such stuff.  It doesn't make any difference if it was
created on a Macintosh, PC, or school Vax -- if you can get it into ASCII 
and fire it at either of our boards or any similar site, it is
available to the world MUCH easier than people having to phone or mail 
someone and wait for the person to be available to stuff the material
into the mail.)  It's looking like we'll see 1 - 3 protonests formed in 
the next year or so, JUST from people who became interested by the Aussies 
and a few of us up here chatting, and already having Dancing Hummingbird's 
old electronic copy of the CAW application online.  These new people will 
likely be knowledgeable stable types also, not your suburban kid cruising 
for new groups to play in.

Because these, unlike internet, are systems sitting in people's homes, 
possible targets of attacks, in some cases for reasons having
nothing to do with beliefs, I'm not yet ready to list any system phone 
numbers besides my own. Some sysops don't want it.  The following,
however, are the Fidonet (more universal) addresses of PODS systems either 
known to be interested in the CAW echo or good candidates.
Therefore if you can find ANY nearby Fidonet system (and they're 
EVERYwhere) and are VERY nice to the sysop, they can find you the phone
number.  Of course, if you dial in to a Fidonet system and they are 
spouting hellfire and brimstone -- you won't ask THAT sysop.  (On the
other hand, if you find a Fidonet system where half the people are talking 
Hebrew (but not Yiddish), there's a fair chance they're ALSO a
PODS system -- go figure.)  

Also, all Fidonet addresses convert into internet e-mail-only addresses, 
thus:

My own BBS is 1:109/629 so to get me by normal internet, you send to
Irv.Koch@f629.n109.z1.fidonet.org 

The board is 703-354-4176 if you want to dial straight in (Washington, DC 
area).  Contact me one way or another and I can give leads on your
area.

  CAW Central OZ and Draconis Nest, Bunz (Ian Metcalfe), Anthorr Nomchong, 
et al in Canberra= 3:620/259

  Hornets Proto-nest, Quintin & Helen Phillips
in Werrington Co, NSW= 3:713/805 

Primeval Soup Proto-nest, Nigel Cooper and Caroline Tully in Melbourne= 
3:632/360

  Home Proto-nest, Gerald Osgood in Perth=3:690/115

  So far only Ian, Anthorr, and Quintin have equipment to call in; the 
others may or may not be reachable, yet, indirectly, but have systems
near them, as listed.

Cary/Raleigh, NC = 1:151/186 (also possible "gate" to WWIVnet and 
Virtualnet)

Reno/OKC-North, OK = 1:147/1701
Providence, RI = 1:323/101

Millington/Memphis, TN = 1:123/422 (REALLY good)

Cincinatti, OH = 1:108/215

SanDiego, CA = 1:202/909

Oakland, CA= 1:125/33 (Also the Buddhist net HQ)

San Francisco, CA = 1:125/28 (not a sure bet)

Fairfield, CA = 1:161/609 (not a sure bet)

Aurora/Denver, CO = 1:104/680 ("DarkLing," #2 in PODS, pretty much has 
sworn to do "anything which contributes to Pagan BBS networking")

Austin, TX = 1:382/502 (Chuck Haynes, PODS HQ)

NorthMetro, NJ = 1:107/585 (very helpful)

KC, MO = 1:280/89

There is, reportedly, a third type network with a CAW "sub" in operation:  
WWIVnet.  Work is proceeding on linking it to PODS, and the PODS
online CAW to the one on Internet.  Then it won't matter which you can 
access as what you say on one will show up on all, and you'll get answers 
from all.  If you're on WWIVnet, ask for "Subtype 5303 Host 5303 from Mind 
Game BBS."

Last, you can send e-mail to people in CAW FROM BBSes (ask the Sysop) as 
well as from Internet, and they mail back, even if they aren't on a BBS or 
directly on the Internet.  Here are some key addresses:

GREEN EGG, Otter, etc. = 5878037@mcimail.com

Tony Navarra,Nest Coord. = navarra@well.sf.ca.us

Quintin (in OZ) = elemental@peg.pegasus.oz.au

Triskelion/Torin = c-a-w@netcom.com or torin@netcom.com ... willing/able 
to be an FTP site!

Eric HeBert (nest, Chaplain project, etc.) = 5986758@mcimail.com  [The 
previously published addresses will NOT work from outside MCI's piece 
of the net.  Use ONLY this format when sending to someone on MCImail.  
There is also a trick for Compuserv, besides converting the comma to a
period, but I haven't figured it out yet.  If you're sending FROM Bitnet, 
enclose the whole address in braces thus:
{Irv.Koch@f629.n109.z1.fidonet.org}:internet

Sending TO "Bitnet" is a normal path name however it may NOT be the one 
your recipient is used to.  Gates.  Have them ask their Sysadmin.]

Don't be surprised if this is only the first in a series of stuff about 
Electronic CAW.

/s/ Sysop of Ice Fire (where Hell DOES freeze over?)

 Ghosts of Christmas Past 
by Eric Maple

Every December 25th the normally phlegmatic British let down their hair 
and plunge into an orgy of fun which one would normally associate  with  
the  people  of more exuberant nations.

    Complete strangers wish one another a Happy Christmas as a parting 
greeting and the public houses are filled with revellers strenuously 
keeping up the spirit of the season of goodwill.

    Few of these light-hearted souls will be aware that the celebration
of Christmas had its origins in the pagan worship of the Sun or, for that 
matter, that the funny hats, the evergreens and the festive board have 
nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, but 
rather with the older gods worshipped by our ancestors in the twilight 
world of pre-Christmas Europe.

    It is strange to consider that the presence of pork on the Christmas 
table and the custom of carrying in the boar's head was once associated 
with the sacrifice of a sacred Boar to the Sun god. At the festival of 
Frey, the dispenser of  rain  and  sunshine  in  the mythology of Northern 
Europe, a boar was a good luck offering for the New Year and its head, 
with an apple in its mouth, was borne into the banqueting-hall
amid singing and the sound of welcoming  trumpets.  Later in history, the 
boar's head gave way to the goose and the turkey. But where this custom 
survives, it should be seen as one of the many curious ghosts of Christmas 
past.

    Consider the evergreens and their modern counterparts: the 
paper-chains which festoon the house  at  Christmastide.  The evergreen 
was once the symbol of immortality, declared sacred to the Teutonic 
nations, and given pride of place in celebrations associated with the 
Winter Sol-
stice from which our modern Christmas is descended.

    As a symbol, the evergreen means constancy and eternity, and even in 
the Orient we find that it expresses a similar idea, for the Japanese 
believe the evergreen needle brings longevity and prosperity. The holly, 
especially, brings happiness and friendship, but if kept in the house 
after New Year's Day misfortune is ordained.   Generally speaking,
however, all evergreens must be taken down by Twelfth Night-- then all 
will be well.

    When we look around the room that has been decked with the regalia of 
the Christmas party our eyes inevitably settle on one of the focal points, 
the mistletoe.  In pagan times, it was customary to celebrate the death of 
the old year and the birth of the new by kissing under the mistletoe's 
berries.  Old enemies were then expected to forget their quarrels and take 
a ceremonial kiss, promising to live in amity from that time forth.

    It is not generally known that the mistletoe became a powerful
life symbol because it grew' berries in winter when other plant life
seemed dead. Once known as All Heal,  it was employed as an ingredient in 
many folk medicines. It was the golden bough of the ancient Druids and, 
because of its  association  with sacrificial ceremonies, was outlawed by 
the Church as an emblem of paganism.

    Oddly enough, the sole exception was York Minster where a sprig  of  
mistletoe was  placed on the altar each Christmas. A general pardon for 
crimes remained in force throughout that city for as long as it remained 
there.

    The  central  symbol  of  the Christmas scene, the evergreen Christmas 
tree, had its origins in Germany where St Boniface cut
down a sacred oak which was worshipped by the pagans and, to placate them, 
offered a fir tree in  its  place.  However, later research indicates that 
traces of a similar custom existed in other lands, notably Greece and 
Rome, where trees were decorated at the time of year later dedicated to 
Christmas. There is also reason for believing that the same or a similar 
custom was  known  in ancient Egypt.

    The mystical heritage of Christmas is very strongly represented in one 
of the principal characters in the celebrations, Santa Claus, the 
embodiment of the spirit of goodwill. The name Santa Claus is in fact a 
corruption of the fifth century St Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, who was 
honoured with special ceremonies by the Greeks and Romans on December 6th, 
later changed to December 25th.

    This distinctly un- ghostlike genus of happiness was a 'reincarnation' 
of Odin, God of the Scandinavians who, on the conversion of Northern 
Europe to Christianity, was transformed first into St Nicholas and later 
into the modern Father Christmas.

    Christmas has no equal as a religious feast; it is the most important 
as well as the most enjoyable festival of the entire year. Yet even the 
good things spread out on the table have their religious aspects, 
particularly the mince-pies which were originally fashioned in the shape 
of small cribs in honour of the Christ Child.

    Among the superstitions associated with mince-pies is one which
demands that the Christmas reveller makes a pilgrimage among his   
neighbours   and   friends demanding the gift of a mince-pie wherever he 
calls. For each one eaten, so goes the tradition, the visitor may expect a 
month's good health for the ensuing year.

    Originally, mince-pies contained a far more potent filling than
mere mincemeat. They were stuffed with flesh of game hashed together with 
pickled mushrooms. One should always make a wish when taking the first 
bite of the first mince-pie of the season.

    The Christmas pudding qualifies as a magical ritual in its own
own right, for it is surrounded by the  most  curious  ceremonies.
Prior to the 18th century the pudding was known as Plum Porage and was a 
concoction of plums, spices, wines, meat broth and breadcrumbs. It was 
eaten in a semi-liquid state and only later in its history were the plums 
replaced by raisins.

    To preserve good luck, the pudding should be stirred deasil or 
clockwise: a ceremony known to most psychic cooks. Lucky charms and silver 
coins have to be incorporated in the mix to bring good fortune to the 
eater, usually a silver coin, a silver thimble and a ring, with the 
following meanings:  the silver coin brings good luck; the ring promises a 
happy marriage to the girl who finds it; while the thimble hints that she 
is likely to remain a spinster.

    The most interesting feature of Christmas pudding lore is the custom 
of setting fire to the brandy, so that the pudding can be brought to the 
table all aflame. This is a curious reminder that in ancient times special 
fires were lit  at the midwinter  feast  to honour the Sun god.

    One ghost which  has  been finally exorcised from the Christmas scene 
is the Dumb Cake which in times past was prepared by single girls for 
consumption on Christmas Eve. Its ingredients were salt, wheatmeal and 
barley, and it had to be baked in complete silence.  It was carefully 
placed in the oven and the front door opened  precisely  at  midnight.  
The spectre of the girl's future husband was expected to enter the house 
at that time and march into the kitchen to turn the cake.  In some areas 
the cook would prick her initials on the cake and
in due course her future husband would  materialise  to  add  his initials 
to hers. Alas, this custom seems to have vanished for ever.

    The modern Christmas cake is still with us. It is supposed to have 
originated with a cake presented by the people of ancient Rome to their 
senators. A custom among Scots demanded that the cook should rise in the 
early hours of Christmas Day and bake sowen  (oatmeal)  cakes. These
were distributed to the family at Hogmanay. If a cake happened to
break, bad luck followed, but if it remained unbroken the eater
could look forward to a Happy New Year.

    Although there is no clear-cut tradition that Christmas Day was ever 
associated with the giving of presents prior to modern times, it is known 
that a similar custom was observed by the Romans on New Year's Day. The 
Roman gift would have been a goodwill symbol only, consisting of branches 
of evergreen, but in time the presents became more lavish.

    Many of the enjoyable rituals which involve our lives at Christmas 
time are but the shadow survivals or 'ghosts' of very ancient customs 
performed around the close of the old year and the birth of the new, and 
the feast of fire celebrated at the time of the Winter Solstice to honour 
the Sun god.

    But the season of fire and light, as it is sometimes called, would
be nothing without the Yule-log,for Christmas is also known as Yule, which 
was the Scandinavian feast of the Winter Solstice.

    In the days of old, an oak log was cut down on Yule Eve, and borne 
with much ceremony into the house and rolled onto the huge fire that was 
to burn during the days of the Nativity, especially Christmas Day. Little 
did the pious Christians of the medieval world realise that originally it 
had been burned in honour of the god Thor and represented the sacred 
element: fire.

    No doubt it was due to this association with the old gods that the  
hearth  fire  at Christmas assumed the important role which it retained 
until the advent of artificial forms of heating. The hearth was the centre 
for the telling of Christmas ghost stories and for those curious 
superstitions relating to the mysteries of fire.

    Throughout Northern Europe there were traditions that the family 
ghosts returned at Christmas time to share the festival with their living 
relatives. In Brittany there was the custom of leaving food for the ghosts 
while the family attended church. In Scandinavia, stories were told of 
trolls (who  were ogres  not  ghosts) returning at this season to rattle 
the window-panes. In the British Isles  there  were  contradictory 
beliefs, some people thought, erroneously, that no ghost had power to 
haunt during the Christmas season.

    It is when the light is extinguished save for the glowing embers that 
the ghost-story teller comes into his own and, surrounded by the family, 
describes some ancient haunting which is calculated to chill the blood of 
his listeners.  Traditional  hauntings include the posthumous adventures 
of Anne Boleyn who haunts her old homes during the Christmas season. Her 
ghost has been reported at Rochford Hall in Essex and Hever Castle in 
Kent, wandering headless during the 12 days of the festival.

    There are a number of cheerless proverbs which surface at the season 
of goodwill, as when someone  observes, 'A green Christmas brings a full 
church-yard,' possibly to counteract any excessive exuberance among the
party.

    However, the children turn to less ghostly rituals, including 
divination to discover the future.  Each of them cuts an apple and
counts the pips. The one whose apple has the most pips can look forward to 
the most happiness in the 12 months ahead.

    And so young and old join in quiet communion with Christmas-
es  past,  present  and  future, united in quaint ceremonies whose
origins are lost in history - a celebration presided over by ancestral
spirits who have been lured into the home from outer darkness by the glow 
of the pagan fire.


 A Yule Mythos 
The Bard
Thu 23 Dec 93
From "The Mystery of the Bards: The Book of the Fool"

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

        "Hey! Wake up there!"
        The Fool opened His eyes, stretched, and rolled over on the soft
grass of the Summerland.
        "I suppose you're talking to me?" he murmured.
        "I certainly am!" The Lady, shimmering in Her Aspect as the 
Goddess of Love, smiled at Him. Had He been human, that smile would have 
sent Him into a transport of happiness. As it was, He felt a little shiver 
of joy run on catfeet down his spine.
        "What's up?" He got to His feet, brushing back his hair.
        "What's up? WHAT'S UP?" The Lady looked at Him in disbelief. 
"Dummy! It's almost Your birthday!"
        The Fool looked puzzled for a moment. "My birthday? I thought We 
have been....for always. We don't -have- birthdays, do we?"
        The Lady grinned, shifting into the Nymph for a delightful moment.  
"No, we don't, but Humanity likes to give Us birthday parties, and yours 
is probably the biggest.....so you need to get moving!"
        "So I do! And this Aspect is probably one of my favorites!" The 
Fool jumped in the air, landing on His hands in a perfect handstand with a 
jingling of bells. Then he took His hands off the ground, and hung 
suspended, upside down, in mid-air. One leg was folded at the knee.
        "Can You stand on Your head?" He grinned.
        "Not with -this- dress on!" She laughed.

        Humming a tuneless melody. the Fool strode thru Summerland, and 
thru the cloudy space between the Worlds of the MultiVerse, finally ending 
up on a small, very green-and-blue planet that the natives called "the 
Earth."
        "It's My Birthday a-comin'!" He shouted, and there was a stirring, 
and a movement. The Life that was locked in the grip of Winter remembered 
that Spring would come, as it always will, and the half of the world that 
was in Summer gave a little quiver of happiness.
        He went to a Place, and put on the suit, and the Aspect to fit it. 
He hitched the nine animals to His sleigh, grooming them with loving 
hands. Then He loaded it with gifts for all the people of the Earth. He 
was helped by quite a lot of the smaller elves, who found the game most 
enjoyable. Most of these gifts were toys, but many of them were practical, 
useful things. Some, like Love, and Peace, and Happiness, were quite 
insubstantial....but they were His Gifts nonetheless.
        He laughed. No longer slim, but chunky (if not fat), and dressed 
in a red suit lined with white fur, His laughter was a "Ho! Ho! Ho!" of
gladness that rolled over the Earth.
        He spent the next instant of Time ("And what a clever concept Time 
is," He thought in self-congratulation) delivering His gifts, riding the 
sleigh to the music of tiny bells thru the Night.
        "Good Yule! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukka! Io Saturnalia! Hail
Mithras! Welcome Cernunnos!" He shouted.
        "And a Happy Birthday to Me," He added under His breath, with a 
grin.
        He landed the sleigh, and unhitched His animals. Each one was 
Named, and each one nuzzled Him as an old friend. The last was younger 
then the rest, and full of energy, bounding across the Place like a puppy 
in a warm kitchen. The red light from his nose reflected on the snow, and 
gave a joyful light that lit the sky in a glowing aurora.
        The Fool laughed at the sight, and hung up His suit, and took off 
the Aspect, and returned to the Summerland over the paths He knew so well.

        "Well," She said, "Did everything go all right?"
        The Fool leaned back against a tree and watched a butterfly land 
on His nose. "Yep. Got all My presents delivered. Did the usual 
sleigh-and-reindeer thing with the red suit and all.....great fun! I sure 
like to see the children happy."
        "Well, You sure are bass-ackwards sometimes!" The Lady shook Her
finger at Him in mock anger.
        "Huh? Whattya mean?" The Fool was puzzled.
        "Well....everybody else -gets- presents for their birthdays. You
gotta reverse it and give presents away!"
        The Fool giggled, and said, "That's my Nature, dearest. By the 
way, your fly's open."
        The Lady looked down and reached to zip up Her fly, and then did a 
perfect double-take.
        "But....I don't -have- a fly!"
        And the Fool leaned back against the World Tree and laughed and
laughed and laughed.

        Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------


The following is from The Mysts of Annwfn Book of Shadows, and
appeared in NightScapes Vol. 1, No. 5 (a journal of Magick,
Paganism and the Occult).  Subscriptions are $13.00 a year/six
issues, sample copy $3.00.  Write to:  NightScapes, P.O. Box
4559, Mesa, AZ 85211-4559.  Phone:  (602) 898-3551.

Information about The Mysts of Annwfn (who publishes
NightScapes), can also be obtained by contacting the above
information.


                    THE LEGEND OF THE MAIDEN

                       The Mysts of Annwfn
                         Book of Shadows


     In Ages long past, the lovely Lady Brighid came to Hibernia
to dwell in that land among her people.  She brought to them many
special treasures from the Outer Realms to enrich their lives.
She gave them the art of Smithcraft, Poetry, and Inspiration.
Brighid also shared a sacred Cauldron that overflowed with
inspiration and love.  She was adept at the healing arts, and in
the Magick of Medicine.  Her people loved her deeply, and kindled
a fire in her honor which was constantly attended by nineteen
maidens, and was never allowed to go out.

     The Lady Brighid eventually became a mother, and her people
rejoiced, knowing their lands would be fruitful just as their
Goddess was fertile.  However, Brighid also knew the misery of
loss.  When one of her beloved sons was killed, the whole land
wept.  She lamented so deeply that she invented "keening," the
mournful song of the bereaved women of Erin.  Her Flame burned so
brightly, however, that happiness soon returned to the land.  She
bestowed upon her people, yet, another gift:  The Art of
Whistling.

     However, in the fullness of time, the beloved Lady could no
longer dwell openly with her people, and she made her home in the
Sidhe.  There, she would dwell close to her people and her land,
and they could call upon her name at the appointed times, and
keep her Flame burning within their hearts.


              The Eternal Flame continues to burn!


The following ritual derives from The Mysts of Annwfn Book of
Shadows, and was publicly conducted by Goddess Moon Rising Coven
in San Diego, Ca. on Imbolg, 1988, and by The Mysts of Annwfn
Coven in Mesa, Az. at Pagan Arizona Network's Imbolg celebration
in 1993.

This ritual appeared in NightScapes, Vol. 1, No. 5 (a journal of
Magick, Paganism and the Occult).  Subscriptions are $13.00 a
year/six issues, sample copy $3.00.  Write to:  NightScapes, P.O.
Box 4559, Mesa, Az  85211-4559.  Phone (602) 898-3551.

Information on The Mysts of Annwfn (who publishes NightScapes),
may also be obtained by contacting the above information.




                        CANDLEMAS RITUAL

                         Mysts of Annwfn
                         Book of Shadows


     The following ritual calls for the participation of eight
people, and is best performed at a large gathering.  The
participants include:  The Maiden Goddess, the Young Lord, the
High Priestess, the High Priest, and the four Watchtowers.

     Specific items needed for this ritual are:  a Crystal Ball,
a cross of rushes, a mat, a basket, a phallic wand, a sprig of
evergreen, pieces of paper, cakes, wine, and basic Altar and
ritual equipment.  All participants shall write upon the paper
things and qualities they wish to gain during the coming season,
and then place them in the basket prior to ritual.

     Candlemas is the festival of the Flame, and is best
performed at night.  This is Brighid's celebration.  Winter is
bade farewell, and as Spring approaches, it's a time to think of
love.

                        *   *   *   *   *

     All members of the ritual enter the Circle except for the
Maiden.  She should be wearing white, and is adorned with a
garland of flowers in her hair.  She stands out of sight,
awaiting her cue.  All attendants of the ritual should line the
outer ring of the Circle, leaving a walkway into it.  The Young
Lord is to position himself among the attendants.

     The High Priest starts the ritual by saying:

     The young Sun King now begins to feel the first stirring of
desire for the Lady.  The Goddess patiently awaits her future
lover.  The Rites of Spring are near, and the year is in its
waxing phase.  The Sun's presence is ever-more increasing and the
darkness runs and hides.

     The Invocation of the Four Quarters comes next, starting
with the East:

     We welcome the Guardians of the East.  Your breath of life
is sacred, and greetings to the lovely Fand, the Pearl of Beauty,
and gracious Olwen, the White Lady of the Day.  Your presence is
most welcome at this Festival of Imbolc!

South:

     We welcome the Lords of the South.  Your warmth flows
through us all, and greetings to the Honored Lady Brighid, and to
beautiful Branwen, the White Bossomed One.  Your presence is most
welcome at this Festival of Oemlic!

West:

     We welcome the Holy Ones of the West.  Your moisture is
refreshing and precious to life, and greetings to our Queen
Arianrhod of The Silver Wheel, and sweet Aine of the Wisps.  Your
presence is most welcome at this Festival of Lights!

North:
     We welcome the Watchers of the North.  Your power and wisdom
is ours, and greetings to the Wise Cerridwen of Lake Tegid, and
to the desirable Rhiannon of the Netherworld.  Your presence is
most welcome at this Festival of Candlemas!

The High Priest continues:

     From now to Beltane, is the pathway less dark.  Thus, shall
the journey be made through to Beltane, renewed in strength and
happy in love.

 The High Priestess now turns slowly, addressing those assembled.
As she speaks, the Maiden walks slowly into view down the
processional towards the Circle, until she stands at the Northern
Gateway.  She is holding the Cross of Rushes.  The High Priestess
says:

     Long Winter is now passing away and the buds will soon swell
on the Apple tree bough.  The Earth gladly receives the plow in
preparation for the celebration of life.  For the Queen and the
King will begin to wear the garden's green and will speak in a
single voice!

     The High Priest acknowledges the physical presence of the
Maiden, and exclaims:

     Behold!!! Brighid has come!  Brighid is welcome!

     The Maiden enters the Circle and lays the Cross on a mat
situated just South of the Altar.  She says:

     Greetings to you, not only from myself, but from the Mother
and the Crone as well.  All seasons of the Earth are important
and must have their course.....but now, I weary of Winter, and I
long for the greenness of Spring, and all that it encompasses.  I
strongly desire the companionship of my Lover-to be!

     She searches the Circle of people and draws him out.  She
kneels before him and invokes the God Lugh:

     Lord of Death, Resurrection, Life, and the Giver of Life!
Lord who is within us, whose name is Mystery of Mysteries!
Descend we pray thee, upon thy servant and Priest!

     Lugh, after indwelling the Priest, now moves over to the
Altar, picks up the Phallic Wand, and places it on Brighid's Bed
(the mat).  The Maiden addresses the God:

     I grow weary of the darkness.  Let's join to hurry Winter
along its way so we can enjoy the pleasures that await us!  (She
motions to the mat).

     The God starts the Balefire in the South, and while doing
this, the Maiden sweeps the Circle three times while everyone
chants:

     Return, return, return, return
     The earth, the water, the fire, and the air.

     At an appropriate time, the singing comes to an end and the
God says:

     The Key to unlocking Winter's hold is to erase its memories!

     He now holds up a sprig of evergreen and hands it to the
Maiden Goddess.  She tosses it into the Balefire.  She then picks
up a basket full of everyone's desires and wishes for the coming
season, and says:

     Behold!  In my hands I carry Hopes and Wishes for the coming
seasons.  I place them in this fire and as quickly as the
memories of Winter fade, let the Hopes and Wishes just as quickly
take root!

     She tosses them into the Balefire, and Lugh now says:

     My dear Lady and Lover-to-be, do us great honor by gazing
into the Crystal and give your people words they can hold as
their own!

     Brighid picks up the Crystal Ball and holds it between her
hands.  She gazes into it momentarily before saying:

     All the gods are one God, and the goddesses, one Goddess,
and there is but one Initiator.  And to every man, his own Truth,
and the God within.

     Upon hearing this, he smiles and says:

     Come!  Let's feast and make merry on this great occasion!

     The High Priestess steps in front of the altar and raises
the water and Wine.  She faces North and says:

     In celebration of Brighid's Day, we open the Moongate and
let the Westwind blow!  We bring Water, life's elixir, to refresh
ourselves.  We bring the Fruit of the Vine, the drink of the
gods!  Let us sip and enjoy.  Hail to fair Brighid!

     The High Priestess now picks up the plate of cakes and says:

     Upon this plate are gifts from Erin!  Farrels for us to
enjoy!  Let us eat and remember the Gods.  These are holy Sabbat
Cakes.  They bring us sustenance and fill the hunger.  Blessed Be
Brighid's Feast!  Let us dance in joy and mirth!

     The High Priestess now raises the honey as all say:

     Here is the Sweet Nectar!  Sacred to the Gods!

     All now partake of the Cakes and Wine.  Sing songs, dance,
and do anything else that feels appropriate.  (Brighid's Day is a
traditional time for initiations).  When the celebration is
winding down, the God, taking the Maiden Goddess into his arms,
declares:

     Now that we all have feasted and made merry, come with me
now, our bed of Love awaits us!

     The Maiden, protesting lightly, responds:

     Oh!  How I've longed for you through the Dark days of
Winter!  But My Love, though our bed is ready, we still must wait
a short while.  Our time of Union is not yet upon us, but the
Rites of Spring, and of Beltane, are not far off!

     The Sun King looks slightly disappointed, but smiles
lovingly at her.  They embrace and kiss passionately, while
everyone starts to sing, "Lady Weave Your Circle Tight."  While
the song continues, she slowly leaves his arms and exits the
Circle.  He follows her, not wanting her to leave, but stops at
the Circle's edge.  She turns and says to him:

     My Heart is with you, and Destiny will bring us back
together soon!  As the Cup is to the Knife, so am I to you!

     She now disappears out of sight, and the singing shall die
down.  The High Priest now says:

     Even though the Maiden has departed, her presence continues
to increase!  Light chases away the Darkness, and soon, the
Maiden shall reign Supreme!  The Winter grows short, and the
leaves shall return to the trees!  New Life shall spring forth,
and New Love along with it!  The Wheel turns, and the Young Lord
and his Lady shall meet to consummate their Love.  So ends this
prelude to Spring!  May the coming season bring you much joy and
happiness!

     The Watchtowers are now given their release:

     Farewell to the Watchtowers of the North, and to Rhiannon
and Cerridwen.  May we depart in love and peace until we gather
again.

West:

     Farewell to the Holy Ones of the West, and to Queen
Arianrhod and Aine.  May we depart in love and peace until me
gather again.

South:

     Farewell to the Lords of the South, and to Branwen and the
Maiden Brighid.  May we depart in love and peace until we gather
again.

East:

     Farewell to the Guardians of the East, and to Olwen and
Fand.  May we depart in love and peace until we gather again.

Everyone:

     Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again!



References for inspiration:

Gwydion Pendderwen
Dion Fortune
Janet & Stewart Farrar
Marion Zimmer Bradley


 An Herbal "Quick Reference" 

    Acicia - Protection, Psychic Powers
    Adam & Eve Roots - Love, Happiness.
    Adders Tongue - Healing
    African Violet - Spirituality, Protection
    Agaric - Fertility
    Agrimony - Protection, Sleep
    Ague Root - Protection
    Alfalfa - Prosperity, Anti-hunger, Money
    Alkanet - Purification, Prosperity
    Allspice - Money, Luck, Healing
    Almond - Money, Prosperity, Wisdom
    Aloe - Protection, Luck
    Aloes, Wood - Love, Spirituality
    Althea - Protection, Psychic Powers
    Alyssum - Protection, Moderating Anger
    Amaranth - Healing, Protection, Invisibility
    Anemone - Health, Protection, Healing
    Angelica - Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Visions
    Apple - Love,Healing, Garden Magic, Immortality
    Apricot - Love
    Arabic Gum - Purify negativity and evil
    Arbutus - Exorcism, Protection
    Asafoetida - Exorcism, Purification, Protection
    Ash - Protection, Prosperity, Sea Rituals, Health
    Aspen - Eloquence, Anti-Theft
    Aster - Love
    Avens - Exorcism, Purification,Love
    Avocado - Love,Lust,Beauty
    Bachelor's Buttons - Love
    Balm, Lemon - Love,Success, Healing
    Balm of Gilead - Love,Manifestations,Protection,Healing
    Bamboo - Protection, Luck, Hex-Breaking, Wishes
    Banana - Fertility, Potency, Prosperity
    Banyan - Luck
    Barley - Love, Healing, Protection
    Basil - Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Flying, Protection
    Bay - Protection, Psychic Powers, Healing, Purification, Strength
    Bean - Protection, Exorcism, Wart Charming, Reconciliations,            
Potency, Love
    Bedstraw/Fragrant - Love
    Beech - Wishes
    Beet - love
    Belladonna - astral projection *DEADLY POISON!!
    Benzoin - Purification, Prosperity
    Bergamot, Orange - Money
    Be-Still - Luck
    Betony/wood - Protection,Purification,Love
    Birch - Protection, Exorcism, Purification
    Bistort - Psychic Powers, Fertility
    Bittersweet - Protection, Healing
    Blackberry - Healing, Money, Protection
    Bladderwrack - Protection, Sea Spells, Wind Spells, Money, Psychic
                   Powers
    Bleeding Heart - Love
    Bloodroot - Love, Protection, Purification
    Bluebell - Luck, Truth
    Blueberry - Protection
    Blue Flag - Money
    Bodhi - Fertility, Protection, WIsdom, Meditation
    Boneset - Protection, Exorcism
    Borage - Courage, Psychic Powers
    Bracken - Healing, Rune Magic, Prophetic Dreams
    Brazil Nut - Love
    Briony - Image Magic, Money, Protection
    Bromeliad - Protection, Money
    Broom - Purification, Protection, Wind Spells, Divination
    Buchu - Psychic Powers, Prophetic Dreams
    Buckthorn - Protection, Exorcism, Wishes, Legal Matters
    Buckwheat - Money, Protection
    Burdock - Protection, Healing
    Cabbage - Luck
    Cactus - Protection, Chastity
    Calamus - Luck, Healing, Money, Protection
    Camellia -Riches
    Camphor - Chastity, Health, Divination
    Caper - Potency, Lust, Luck
    Carawy - Protection, Lust, Health, Anti-theft, Mental Powers
    Cardamon - Lust, Love
    Carnation - Protection, Strength, Healing
    Carob - Protection, Health
    Carrot - Fertility, Lust
    Cascara Sagrada - Legal Matters, Money, Protection,
    Cashew - Money
    Castor - Protection
    Catnip - Cat Magic, Love, Beauty, Happiness
    Cattail - Lust
    Cedar - Healing, Purification, Money, Protection
    Celandine - Protection, Escape, Happiness, Legal Matters
    Celery - Mental Powers, Lust, Psychic Powers
    Centaury - Snake Removing
    Chamomile - Money, Sleep, Love, Purification
    Cherry - Love, divination
    Chestnut - Love
    Chickweed - Fertility, Love
    Chicory - Removing Obstacles, Invisibility, favors, Frigidity
    Chili pepper - Fidelity, hex Breaking, Love
    China Berry - Luck
    Chrysanthemum - Protection
    Cinchona - Luck, Protection
    Cinnamon - Spirituality, Success, Healing, Power, Psychic Powers,                
Lust, Protection, Love
    Cinquefoil - Money, Protection, Prophetic Dreams, Sleep
    Citron - Psychic Powers, Healing
    Cloth of Gold - Understand animal languages
    Clove - Protection, Exorcism, Love, Money
    Clover - Protection, Money, Love, fidelity, Exorcism, Success
    Club Moss - Protection, Power
    Coconut - Purification, Protection, Chastity
    Cohosh,Black - love, courage,protection,potency
    Coltsfoot - Love,Visions
    Columbine - Courage,Love
    Comfrey - Safety during travel, Money
    Copal - Love, Purification
    Coriander - Love,Health, Healing
    Corn - protection,luck, divination
    Cotton - Luck,Healing,Protection,Rain,Fishing Magic
    Cowslip - Healing,Youth,Treasure Finding
    Crocus - Love, Visions
    Cubeb - Love
    Cuckoo-flower - Fertility,Lover
    Cucumber - Chastity,Healing,Fertility
    Cumin - Protection,Fidelity, Exorcism
    Curry - Protection
    Cyclamen - fertility,Protection,Happiness, Lust
    Cypress - Longevity, Healing, Comfort,Protection
    Daffodil - Love,Fertility, Luck
    Daisy - Lust,Luck
    Damiana - Lust, Love, Visions
    Dandelion - Divination,Wishes,Calling Spirits
    Datura - Hex Breaking,Sleep,Protection
    Deerstongue - Lust, Psychic Powers
    Devils Bit - Exorcism, Love, Protection, Lust
    Devils Shoestring - Protection, Gambling, Luck, Power, Employment
    Dill - Protection, Money, Lust,Luck
    Dittany of Crete - Manifestations, Astral Projection
    Dock - Healing,Fertility, Money
    Dodder - Love,Divination,Knot Magic
    Dogbane - Love
    Dogwood - Wishes, Protection
    Dragons Blood - Love,Protection,Exorcism,Potency
    Dulse - Lust, Harmony
    Dutchmans Breeches - Love
    Ebony - Protection, Power
    Echinacea - Strengthening Spells
    Edelweiss - Invisibility, Bullet-Proofing
    Elder - Exorcism,Protection,Healing,Prosperity,Sleep
    Elecampane - Love,Protection,Psychic Powers
    Elm - Love
    Endive - Lust,Love
    Eryngo - Travelers Luck, Peace, Lust, Love
    Eucalyptus - Healing,Protection
    Euphorbia - Purification, Protection
    Eyebright - Mental Powers, Psychic Power
    Fennel - Protection, Healing, Purification
    Fenugreek - Money
    Fern - Rain Making, Protection,Luck,Riches,Eternal Youth, Health,
           Exorcism
    Feverfew - Protection
    Fig - Divination,Fertility, Love
    Figwort - Health,Protection
    Flax - Money, Protection,Beauty,Psychic Powers, Healing
    Fleabane - Exorcism, Protection, Chastity
    Foxglove - Protection
    Frankincense - Protection, Exorcism, Spirituality
    Fumitory - Money, Exorcism
    Fuzzy Weed - Love,Hunting
    Galangal - Protection, Lust, Health, Money, Psychic Powers, Hex
               breaking
    Gardenia - Love, Peace, Healing, Spirituality
    Garlic - Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft
    Gentian - Love, Power
    Geranium - Fertility, Health, Love, Protection
    Ginger - Love, Money, Success, Power
    Ginseng - Love, Wishes, Healing, Beauty, Protection, Lust
    Goats Rue - Healing, Health
    Goldenrod - Money, Divination
    Golden Seal - Healing, Money
    Gorse - Protection, Money
    Gotu Kola - Meditation
    Gourd - Protection
    Grain - Protection
    Grains of Paradise - Lust, Luck, Love, Money, Wishes
    Grape - Fertility, Garden Magic, Mental Powers,Money
    Grass - Psychic Powers, Protection
    Ground Ivy - Divination
    Groundsel - Health, Healing
    Hawthorn - Fertility, Chastity, Fishing Magic, Happiness
    Hazel - Luck, Fertility, Anti-Lightning,  Protection, Wishes
    Heather - Protection, Rain Making, Luck
    Heliotrope - Exorcism, Prophetic dreams, Healing, Wealth, Invis                 
ibility
    Hellebore,Black - Protection *POISON*
    Hemlock - Destroy sexual drives *POISON*
    Hemp - Healing, Love, Vision, Meditation
    Henbane - POISON Not used
    Henna - Healing
    Hibiscus - Lust,Love, Divination
    Hickory - Legal Matters
    High John the Conquerer - Money, Love, Success, Happiness
    Holly - Protection, Anti-Lightning, Luck, Dream Magic
    Honesty - Money, Repelling Monsters
    Honeysuckle - Money, Psychic Powers, Protection
    Hops - Healing, Sleep
    Horehound - Protection, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Healing
    Horse Chestnut - Money, Healing
    Horseradish - Purification, Exorcism
    Horsetail - Snake Charming, Fertility
    Houndstongue - Tying dogs tongues
    Houseleek - Luck,Protection, Love
    Huckleberry - Luck, Protection, Dream Magic, Hex Breaking
    Hyacinth - Love, Protection, Happiness
    Hydrangea - Hex Breaking
    Hyssop - Purification, Protection
    Indian Paint Brush - Love
    Iris - Purification, Wisdom
    Irish Moss - Money, Luck, Protection
    Ivy - Protection, Healing
    Jasmine - Love, Money, Prophetic Dreams
    Jobs Tears - Healing, Wishes, Luck
    Joe-pye weed - Love, Respect
    Juniper - Protection, Anti-theft, Love, Exorcism, Health
    kava-Kave - Visions, Protection, luck
    knotweed - Binding, Health
    Ladys mantle - Love
    Ladys slipper - Protection
    Larch - Protection, Anti theft
    Larkspur - Health, Protection
    Lavendar - Love, Protection, Sleep, Chastity, Longevity, Purifica                 
tion, Happiness, Peace
    Leek - Love, Protection, Exorcism
    Lemon - Longevity, Purification, Love, Friendship
    Lemongrass - Repel snakes, Lust, Psychic powers
    Lemon Verbena - Purification, Love
    Lettuce - Chastity, Protection, Love, Divination, Sleep
    Licorice - Love,Lust, Fidelity
    Life Everlasting - longevity, Health, Healing
    Lilac - Exorcism, Protection
    Lily - Protection, Breaking Love spells
    Lily of the Valley - Mental Powers, Happiness
    Lime - Healing,Love,Protection
    Linden - Protection, Immortality, Luck, Love, Sleep
    Liquidamber - Protection
    Liverwort - Protection
    Liverwort - Love
    Looestrife - Peace,Protection
    Lotus - Protection, Lock-Opening
    Lovage - Love
    Love Seed - Love,Friendship

                    HOUSE BLESSING 
Assemble:
1.  Salt & Water
2.  Incense (fire and air)
3.  Milk & Honey
4.  Oil (for anointing)
5.  Wine (for offering)
6.  Bells, Pots, Pans, Whistles, etc.

Cast a circle in the main room (livingroom) and after casting, visualize
the circle expanding to include the entire house. Call upon the spirits
and energies living in the house (or apartment). Invite those who will
be harmonious with the new household and its energies to remain.
Invite/ask those who will be happier elsewhere to depart.  Release all
"energies" not compatible with the new household.  (This may be
expressed as a "release" in order to unbind anything that may be stuck.)

Then call upon, greet, and invite ancestors, patron deities, and all
harmonious spirits and energies to dwell in the house as they please.

Gather up the pots, pans, and all the noise-makers.  Go to each door and
window, not forgetting the fire-place and dog-door, making as much
racket as humanly possible--to shoo out anything unwanted.  (This is
hysterical fun, and also raises lots of energy for the next important
step.) Go again throughout the house and at each portal (door, window,
etc.) sprinkle salt-water and cense, saying: "By the Elements I purify
and charge this portal."  Then anoint the portal with milk and honey,
saying: "By Milk and Honey I ensure prosperity and peace within this
place."  Finally, anoint the portal with oil, saying: "With Oil I seal
this portal and protect all within."  At the front door a special prayer
is said, asking the guardian deities (God & Goddess) to freely grant
entry to all frien ds and loved ones, and to prevent passage (turn
aside) to any who would do harm." Then, if it's a house--pour wine
across the width of the threshold; if it's an apartment anoint the
threshold with light touches of wine.

The house-holders then each take a sip of wine, leaving some as an
offering to the Gods, and the Circle should be closed.  The remaining
wine, milk, and honey should be offered to the Gods.  (In our case to
the fruit tree and the oak tree in our yard.)

Addenda: This is very effective if done as part of a house-warming
party, followed by much  feasting.  It has also been done very
effectively by two people.  It only takes about 30 minutes to do a large
house.  You _can_ take the time.

Do make certain to "ground" afterward, by closing the circle and by
eating.  This ritual can "stir" up everybody and make the house feel
full of "buzzy" energy.

By: Pirate Jenny
To: All
Re: Re: House Blessing notes

In the spirit of house blessings, and because I'm basically a kitchen
witch at heart, and like little projects over serious ritual, I offer
some selections gleaned from Cunningham's The Magical Household. I'm
typing these without permission but with the hope that they'll
inspire you to pick up the Cunningham book, because it's wonderful
stuph... :>

For the doorway:

o Suspend over the door a fresh sprig of dill, tied with a blue cord (or
  red, if you prefer), to prevent those who mean you harm from entering.

o Cross two needles, and stick into or tie onto a corner of your
  doormat, to prevent evil from entering.

o Grind Dragon's Blood herb into a powder and sprinkle it on door and
  window sills, to protect your house from harm.
"Witch Bottles"

o Powder some more Dragon's Blood herb with a small quantity of sugar
  and salt, and place in a small corked or screw-lidded bottle. Shake
  and seal with red wax, then place it where it won't be found (or at
  least not easily seen). This will ensure harmony and peace within
  the house.

o Place three new needles, three new pins, and three new nails in a
  glass jar. Fill with salt and shake vigorously nine times. Seal with
  white wax and place in kitchen cupboard where it will not be seen.
  This protects your food from contamination.

o Gather rosemary, along with several needles and pins, into a small
  glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or cork. When full, pour in red
  wine and shake. Seal with black or red wax, and place in an
  inconspicuous place in the apartment. If you own your own house,
  bury this at the furthestmost corner of your property. The book
  also adds this:
          As you're filling the jar, say these words...
          "Pins, needles, rosemary, wine,
          In this witch's bottle of mine;
          Guard against harm and enmity;
          This is my will; so Mote it Be!"
  Personally, I'm not hip on anything but, "Hey, Gods? It's me again",
  but I know, I'm CONSIDERABLY less formal than most!

An Anti-Theft Sachet

o Mix caraway, rosemary, juniper berries, and elder leaves or mistletoe,
and place into white square of cloth. Tie with white yarn and hang
prominently. I'd assume either at the place you think thieves are most
likely to enter--this being an anti-theft sachet--or at every entrance
and doorway. This will require more cloth and more herbs, but most of
the above are fairly inexpensive.

Finally, on Moving Day itself:

o  Bring two things into the house first: a small amount of salt, half
to be scattered upon crossing the threshhold, and a small loaf of bread.
Break the bread into as many pieces as you have people moving in, with
one extra piece for the gods' portion. Sprinkle a dash of salt on each
piece; share, when you have a moment. (I'd say have water on hand as
well--at the very least, to clear the salt!) Next, bring in an apple and
do the same thing--Cunningham recommends a fruit and cheese basket--I'd
stick with just the apple and maybe a few slices of cheddar, or
something. Lastly, bring in a sturdy chair and place it either near the
apple and bread bits, or facing the door. This ensures that you will
never know poverty, for there is bread and salt, hunger, for there is
fruit (and cheese), and instability (for there's your stable chair
guarding the door. After that, heave and lift until you're moved in!

-------
A Note: I think ritual is very important, and I do admire rituals I've
picked up here and those I've found on my own. In the long run, though,
I know myself well enough to think that if I have to wait for a certain
day and have a certain robe on, or need a special tool or altar lay-out,
it'll never happen. But I can put my hands on needles, pins, wine and
spices at virtually any time, and can easily make up witch's bottles for
the shelves and cupboards, sachets for the windows, and incenses for
household protection and cleansing. These simple items can have just as
much power as just about any major ritual, and are sometimes easier to
"whip up" for the busy pagan... :>

-------
  Cleansing Incense 
2 parts Dragon's Blood 
1 part Valerian Root 
1 part Sulphur 
1 part Asafoetida 
In conjunction with any banishing ritual this WILL remove ANY psychic or 
magical impression from your home.  Then you can start fresh filling it 
with the energies you want. 
It may sound strange but it works! (Though it WILL GAG a Maggot!)                             
WARRIORS
 ** Gwydyon Masengale,  P.O.Box 4,  Tolleson, Az 85353**

 
 A Warrior is born with Three Things,
 A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...

 With these three things a Warrior is to build a Life,
 A Life of Balance, A Life of Peace, A Life of Will. 

  A Warrior is born with Three Things,
   A Body...

 Speed, Dexterity, and Reflexes, these are the gifts of the Gods to 
 A Warrior.  Skills can be learned, but the gifts are rare, and are 
 to be honed to the sharpest of edges and used to build...
   A Life of Balance.

 A physical battle is quite simply an exercise, in which A Warrior
 is given the opritunity to use the gifts of the Gods, and test the 
 skills learned on this plane.  It will at times be necessary to use 
 the gifts and the skills knowen to A Warrior to build...
   A Life of Peace.

 Through training, the development of the gifts and skills combined can
 become a formidable weapon.  Perfect Balance, Peace of Mind, and An
 Indomitable Spirit are necessary for A Warrior to build...
               A Life of Will...                     

               A Warrior is born with Three Things,
   A Mind...

 Intellect, Creativity, and Common Sence, these are the compasses and 
 maps given A Warrior to help in navigating this existance.  In life 
 A Warrior will make mistakes.  The way these mistakes are handled
 will set the tone of countless lives determining the measure of 
 A Warrior's steel.  A Warrior will accept responsibility for the 
 actions taken, learn from them, and use the experiance to build...
   A Life of Balance.

 A Warrior must constantly endeavor to learn all that is to be learned
 of the path ahead, always drawing inspiration from the path which
 lies behind.  For strength is the knowledge drawn from the past, and
 discretion is the wisdom of the future which empowers the Warrior
 to build...
   A Life of Peace.

 A Warriors mind is to be constantly sharpened, for the mind alone
 IS the most formidable weapon the Warrior will ever posses.  
 The balance of knowledge and wisdom is the temporing of the steel 
 that makes A Warrior, lending the strength necessary to build...
   A Life of Will.

  A Warrior is Born With Three Things,
   A Spirit...

 A Warrior will carry a shield of Honor.  The strength of which 
 is in perfect balance with the Honor of the Warrior.

 The Warrior will carry a sword of Truth.  With an edge that mirrors the 
 inner peace and honesty of the Warrior.

 A Warrior will wear a helmet of Integrity.  With power matched only 
 by the will of the Warrior.

 While battles can be fought and won with the well trained body.  
 While wars can be waged and won with the tempored and sharpened mind.
 The most perilous test A Warrior will face is the test of the Spirit.
 Here the Gods give no gifts.  A Warrior will have only the strengths  of 
the spiritthat have been developed in the short life on the physical  
plane.  

  A Warrior is born with Three Things,
  A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...

  With these Three Things A Warrior must build a Life,
   A Life Eternal...

  My Name is Nite Hawk,

 A pledge 
By: Judy Harrow


The ceremony originated with Judy Harrow and one of her coveners who 
co-wrote the dedication ritual.  During the ritual, the dedicant is asked 
several questions and is expected to respond in whatever way s/he feels 
appropriate.
I will include all the questions here for completeness sake:

1.  Do you understand that Witchcraft is the Priesthood of the Old Gods 
and Old Ways of Nature, and that every Witch is a Priestess or Priest?

2.  Do you understand that initiation into that Priesthood will change 
your life forever, in ways that you cannot now forsee?

3.  Do you understand what priesthood requires:  that, if you become a
Witch, you serve the Lady and the Lord by serving Their People, to the
fullest of your ability?

4.  Knowing these things, do you want to study Witchcraft and its related 
arts until you know enough to decide whether this is truly your Path?

5.  Do you understand that Witchcraft is one of many means to serve the 
Old Gods and awaken the Old Ways, and that even if this is not your way 
after all, you may learn and grow while you are here?  Can you accept that 
the decision may be, "No?"

6.  Teaching what I love is a great joy.  But I can only teach in joy if I 
know that what I love will be used and shared with care and honor.  Before 
I am willing to teach you, there are three things and a fourth that you 
must promise me:

        Will you respect and protect the confidence of all who you meet in 
this Circle and all who seek our aid, revealing  their identities to no 
one except by their explicit permission?

7.  Will you practice and teach the Craft for love alone, using this
knowledge or teaching it only as a free gift, as I give it now to you,
never accepting payment for it in money or goods or labor?

8.  Will you promise never to use what I teach you to affect another 
person, avoiding not only baneful magic but all well-intentioned meddling, 
unless you have that person's explicit permission?

9.  And if time brings fullness, as all here hope and expect it will, when 
you teach new students of your own, will you require these three pledges 
of them, along with their pledge to similarly bind their own students, so 
that all that spring from this line may be so pledged?


 MEAD: THE BREW OF THE GODS! 
Lewis Stead

Mead is the oldest alcoholic drink known to mankind. More recently it
has been taken up in the Pagan and other _alternative_ communities
such as the SCA as a favorite for years. It's a form of wine made
with a honey instead of grape juice. Mead is most often associated
with the Vikings and in the Pagan community with modern day Norse
Paganism or Asatru.

Mead is an important part of the Asatru religion and has a place in
both of the major Norse rituals: the blot and the sumble. The sumble
is a drinking ritual where stories, oaths, and poetry are shared and
mead_s function here is obvious. In this day and age mead is even
more important to the blot or sacrifice ritual. The blot is actually
quite simple. A God or Goddess is called upon and a sacrifice is
poured in their honor. In ancient times this was most often an
animal sacrifice and blood was poured out onto the ground or altar.
Today an alcoholic beverage of some kind is the usual sacrifice. This
is not only an adjustment to modern feelings about animal sacrifice,
but is appropriate from an esoteric point of view as well. In ancient
times the Norsemen were primarily farmers and an animal would
have been a product that they had raised. Also, sacrifices were not a
wasting of the animal, merely given to the Gods and left to rot, but
were usually feasts where the Gods got their portion and the humans
their own. Today mead making has been a frenzied activity among
Norse Pagans, and it is most appropriate that something be
sacrificed to the Gods which has been made by your own hands in a
sacred manner. Mead fits the bill. It has the immediate links to our
farming ancestors, but it can be easily made from household items
in even a small apartment.

While we really don_t know a great deal about how the ancients
viewed mead, other than as an intoxicant, we do have a few clues.
One interesting item to start with is that mead was apparently
sometimes strained through rye, which contains the hallucinogenic
chemical ergot. This may offer some insights into Seidhr, a Nordic
shamanic practice, and the frenzy of the berserkers. Another
interesting item is that Frey, a God of farming and harvest, was said
to have two close companions, Bygvir and Beyla. Bygvir was the
spirit of the barley and Beyla of the honey _ both important Gods to
brewers and appropriate companions for the God of fertility.
Finally, we have a few myths involving mead directly. Mead was
known as Kvasir_s blood and it_s primary association was with
wisdom. Kvasir was a being who was the wisest in all the universe,
but he was killed and a mead created out of his blood that when
drank brought the drinker wisdom. Aegir, a God of the Sea, was held
to be the patron of brewing and the finest of mead and ale for the
Gods to drink in Valhalla. Odin is said to never eat, but to exist
purely on mead, just as the Greek Gods had their nectar.

Even if it were not for any mythological importance, mead is of
interest to the modern brewer because it is easy to produce and
delicious. One merely introduces a yeast to the sugary liquid, and the
yeast converts the natural sugars into alcohol. After all the sugar is
converted, the yeast dies off and the wine can be bottled. However,
this is not always as easy as it sounds.

The largest problem in brewing is keeping inappropriate yeasts out
of the drink. While the correct wine (or beer) yeasts eat sugar and
excrete alcohol, other yeasts produce vinegar instead. Because of
this it is absolutely vital to keep all brewing equipment absolutely
sterile. This is the most important thing you can do in brewing. All
the great equipment purchased as your wine making shop and the
finest ingredients cannot beat a glass jar filled with welfare honey
if the former is contaminated and the latter sterile. There are two
major ways to sterilize your materials, one is a commercial
"sanitizer" found in wine making shops. Follow label directions and
you_re all set. The other is to make a solution of 25% bleach and
rinse very thoroughly.

Let_s make some cheap and easy mead. You_ll need a large pot, a one
gallon vinegar or cider bottle, a 4' or 5' length of plastic tubing (try
_airline_ tubing from a pet shop), a balloon or non-lubricated
condom, a package of wine yeast (not bread yeast), wine bottles,
corks, a corking device, and 2 1/2 pounds of honey.

First you need to prepare the mixture that will be fermented. Take
your pot and add the honey and enough water to finish filling up the
one gallon bottle. Bring these to a boil slowly. If you don_t want
scum in your mead and it forms on the top, skim it off. You don_t
need to boil it for any length of time, you just need to bring it up to
this temperature. Boiling for a while will release a lot of scum and
additives which you can get rid of right now and it will also allow
the mead to age more quickly. However, some of this _scum_ as I_ve
called it is made up of those very things which can create flavor
nuances. I don_t boil mine. When you decide it_s done, let it cool long
enough so it won_t melt the plastic tubing, then siphon the mead into
the gallon jug , cap and let cool overnight. The gallon jug is your
primary fermenter.

Did you sterilize the pot? the bottle? the cap? the plastic tubing?
No! Pour it out and start again _ yes I am serious.

Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature you will need to
pitch the yeast. Get a small cup half full with warm, but not hot,
water and add the yeast. Let it sit for about ten minutes and absorb
water and liven up, then pour it into your gallon jug and mix it in.
As of now your honey and water mixture is now being converted into
mead. However, this will take about two weeks, perhaps more, to
complete. During this time the mead mixture will bubble and foam,
and this is what the balloon is for. Cover the top of the bottle with
the balloon and about an hour later, when the balloon has started to
inflate but has not become too stretched, poke a few holes in it with
a pin. (I understand this may make you wince if you are using a
condom.) This balloon takes the place of a fermentation lock and
allows the gas to escape while not allowing air in, thus keeping the
fermentation bottle sterile. The holes may become clogged with
foam and you may need to poke a few more. Just remember the
purpose of this and use your common sense. I_ve accomplished this
with plastic wrap and a rubber band, but I wouldn_t advise others to
try unless you_re fond of unmet expectations.

About two weeks from this point the balloon will cease to be greatly
inflated and will eventually go limp. When it has been completely
limp for a few days and the mead is clear rather than cloudy,
fermentation is over. At this point sanitize your wine bottles and
plastic tubing and bottle the mead. Be careful not to get the yeast
into the bottles as it_s not exactly tasty stuff. I stop about an inch
before the bottom of the primary fermenter and we siphon off the
last inch into cups and toast the new mead. My mead has been very
tasty at this point, other people describe theirs as tasting like paint
thinner. In any case, you may not mind a little yeast in your cup now,
but don_t inflict it on yourself in the future by bottling it.

Wait two to six months and then enjoy. Since the above recipe has no
additives which would hasten aging, it may take a while for it to
become truly fine mead, perhaps years. There are a lot of chemical
additives that one can use to improve the flavor and process. The
most common and important addition is a teaspoon of yeast
energizer or yeast nutrient. Others include grape tannin (1/4
teaspoon), malic acid (2 or 3 teaspoons), tartaric acid (1 to 2
teaspoons). I recommend all of these chemical additives in your first
batch, but if you can_t find them you can make do with natural
ingredients or nothing at all.

One can also add slices of fruit, raisins, or berries for flavor and in
place of grape tannin. One recipe I know of adds some apple jelly. A
few lemon peels will substitute for malic acid and a spoonful of
strong tea will do replace tartaric acid. Hops are a common additive
and will give the mead a bit of a bitterness to offset the sweetness
of the honey. The more bizarre ingredient I have heard of was
Szechuan peppers, use your imagination.

All of the above additives should be made to the honey and water mix
when it is boiled. Depending on the ingredient, some, such as fruit,
may have to be boiled in this mixture for a while to break them
down. Obviously hunks of fruit should be strained out after the
boiling. Also, all the above ingredients are based on 1 gallon of
mead, adjust appropriately with the exception of the yeast itself,
one package of which will do for anywhere between 1 and 5 gallons.

Another semi-useful item is sulfite tablets which can be added to
the mead mixture a day before bottling. This will kill all remaining
yeast and will assure that you are not contaminated by vinegar yeast
after bottling or worse that the fermentation process does not
continue in the bottle, causing it to explode or pop its cork. I don_t
use sulfite and I_ve heard negative comments about a sulfurous
aftertaste.  It_s probably the better part of valor to simply wait a
while longer and make sure the fermentation process is truly ended.

The above instructions also assume you are not interested in
spending a great deal of money on equipment. The only things you
really must obtain from a wine making store are the yeast, the
corks, and the corker.

If you are willing to spend $50 to $100 more you can improve your
chances of making a good mead by purchasing equipment made for
the purpose. A balloon works, but it is a poor substitute for a proper
fermentation lock that is custom fit to a vat built for the purpose.
Likewise there are many other devices which will useful.


                        In Defense of Excellence 
Adrienne
I've noticed a trend, particularly in paganism, toward "elite" becoming a 
derogatory term. "Elitist" has very unpleasant connotations.  In the mad 
scramble toward equality and egalitarianism, perhaps the trend has gone 
too far.

I am all in favour of equality of opportunity.  I believe in Martin Luther 
King's dream, "I have a dream that someday my children will be judged, not 
upon the colour of their skin, but on the content of their character."

Yet, I am deeply disturbed by structures and titles meant to reward 
excellence downgraded and dismissed as being elitist and hierarchical.

It the Wicca, this is most strongly epitomised by the continuing attempts 
to do away with degree systems on the basis of being elitists and 
hierarchical.

So I ask, what is wrong with elites?  Elites exist as an informal (and 
often highly formal) network of persons who, by virtue of
personal qualities, or power, or money, or birth status, are capable of 
shaping and changing the structure of society.  Some elites are based on 
nothing more than bank balances or parentage. Others are firmly based on 
intelligence, wisdom, commitment and ethical stance of their members.

I have no problem with the concept of elites.  Not everyone has the desire 
or capability to belong to every group.  The problem lies with the 
qualification for membership, not with the concept.

Hierarchy has an even nastier reputation.  Yet in all societies, 
regardless of size, structure of purpose, have a hierarchy.  Leadership 
roles exists and will be filled by those who can fill them.  Leaders are 
necessary to achieve the goals of the group, regardless of how that 
leadership manifests.  It is only when a hierarchy becomes closed and 
fixed that the structure becomes abusive.

The concerns of those who dislike the concept of hierarchy due to 
experience of its abuses are valid.  It is very easy to fall into a system 
where power rests, not on those who are qualified, but upon other,less 
desirable criteria, such as birth status, or wealth, or loudness of voice. 
However, doing away with the formal structure of hierarchy does not solve 
the problem.  Non hierarchical groups often fall into leadership by peer 
pressure.  Those that are thick skinned and dominant will lead de facto, 
especially if there is no de jure leader.

Hierarchies exist.  They exist because, like physics, nature abhors a 
vaccuum.  A power vaccuum will be filled regardless of the good intentions 
on all sides.  The solution is to have structures where all persons have 
the opportunity to become leaders, to participate in the decision making 
process, based only upon ability and desire to do so.  Equal 
opportunity,equal access.

The degree system within the Craft is not perfect.  Like any other 
system,it has its abuses. However, if properly used, it has rewards far 
greater than having no such system.

First, there is the reward for excellence.  Those who have personal 
qualities such as commitment, talent, study, intelligence and open 
mindedness, should be rewarded for their abilities.  The reward is not 
just a fancy title, but a recognition of that excellence, and membership 
in an elite.

Second, there is a benchmark for others to judge by.  If I know what 
degree a person holds, mundane or Craft, I have some idea of their 
abilities and can assume a certain level of understanding.

Third, there is the recognition of self.  A standard of excellence is 
required and achieving a degree is a feedback upon the levels achieved.

There are other aspects dealing with the magic rite itself, but even if 
there were not, the hierarchy of degrees and the elite groups formed by 
having them are a mark of excellence for those who belong.  Within my 
tradition and, according to my faith, within the Wicca itself, there are 
no barriers of opportunity to the system.  Therefore, I see no reason to 
abandon it. I do not say that the system cannot be improved or that 
another system cannot provide the same benefits, but I haven't seen one 
that provides a reward for excellence while avoiding the pitfalls.

Without active encouragement of excellence, whether in Craft or in the 
mundane world, entropy says that we will end up with mediocrity and least 
common denominator.  And a world where mediocrity rules is not a world I 
wish to live in.


(This article previously appeared in "The Messenger")

 BADGERS 
     I looked through all my information, but as far as the Seminoles go I 
couldn't find any reference to the Badger.  I'm not saying that it
doesn't exist, I just couldn't find any.  Here is something from one of my 
books that I thought you might find interesting:

     "Badgers are 2-3 feet long and are about 12 inches high.  Family
members mark each other with scent for recognition since their sight
is poor.  Their senses of smell and hearing, however, are excellent.
Their diet includes a wide variety of roots, herbs, plant, and many
small animals.  They dig with remarkable speed to catch burrowing prey and 
when they need to get underground quickly.  Badgers live in simple but 
extremely clean, well kept dens.  They pay close attention to details 
within their home environments.  They change their bedding often, backing 
carefully into their dens with straw, so as not to make a mess in the 
process.

     Badgers bring us gifts of tidiness and organization.  They are
fastidious about their surroundings and will correct any disorder
quickly.  If Badger has come to you in some way, it may be saying that you 
need to concentrate on maintaining an orderly environment to better 
facilitate your day to day living.  Badger can also be helpful to call 
upon for aid in managing your time.  This can be useful for those of us 
who are trying to satisfy our need to devote time to ceremonies and the 
spirit realm and still work a job.

     Badger will fight to the death if cornered.  While this may be a
useful trait in the wild, men used this quality of Badger to exploit it in 
the so-called sport of Badger-baiting.  Captured Badgers were put into 
small enclosed areas with a dog or dogs, and bets were placed on the 
outcome of the fight.  Are you stuck in a pattern that served you well 
once, but is now damaging?  Badger could be warning you that a change of 
behavior is in order if you don't want to be cornered or used."

     [From _Animal Energies_ by Gary Buffalo Horn Man and Sherry
     Firedancer - Dancing Otter Publishing]


Here's something I think you might find interesting.

It's from a book on Zuni fetishes. (Author: Hal Zina Bennett)

BADGER (Guardian of the South)
   Zuni name: Black Mark face

Wide, bulky, compact body, spread out along the ground, legs and tail
barely suggested.  Narrow, blunt face, prominent nose.
(Describing the fetish itself)

AS TALISMAN:
This fetish helps you focus your attention and deepen your passion.
It is an antidote to passivity and 'victimized' feelings.  It helps you
become more tenacious and grounded, for achieving any goal.

PERSONALITY TYPE:
If you are a Badger person, you are aggressive, highly goal oriented,
able to concentrate on a single task or mission for long periods; and a 
good provider.

 Imbolc for the Covenstead 
Erin
    First, the cleansing.  We do covenstead cleansing on this day, partl 
because of the (somewhat) purificatory nature of Imbolc, and partly 
because it coincides with the date a Japanese custom called yokubrai, if 
memory serves correctly, is carried out.  Yokubarai means the same as 
exorcism, and is done with beans!  More about that in a minute.

    I give as many parts to the cleansing as there are people to perform 
them.  The last house cleansing we did had about 10 people take part and I 
found something for each of them to do. But that wasnt easy.  Lessee, I 
think the most necessary elements for me to go around with are salt water, 
incense and beans.  But Ive also had people waving away negative energy 
with brooms and wands.  Ive had them sprinkle with salt water, and with 
water in which basil had been soaking for awhile. Ive had people carry 
around bells, incense and candles (not quite bell, book and candle, but 
close enough <g>).  I live in a loft apartment, so we start in the closet 
up there, partly because its in the heart of the house, partly because I 
like the humorous aspect of coming out of the closet to do the blessing.  
Anyway, we banish in a counterclockwise 
diretion, single file, sprinkling, censing, or chanting into each corner 
each mirror, light fixture, appliance or outlet, as well as the walls 
themselves.  

     In other words, we banish negative energy from all things giving 
ingress or egress from the house, as well as walls and mirrors.  Sometimes 
we just take in everything in one room at once if its small, or everything 
along one wall--saves time.  I usually come at the end of the line 
throwing beans at things (I find beans for MONTHS afterward) and chanting 
in Japanese: Funiki ga ire; oni ga soto!  (Good luck, come in; devils, 
begone!)  Then someone follows me making a banishing pentagram with an 
athame.  We circle around the house in a counter-clockwise spiral till 
were back where we started--downstairs by that time.  Then we go back 
upstairs for the blessing part.  For the mos part, this uses the same 
tools, but no beans this time, and we go clockwise.  We 
bless the corners, walls, outlets, appliances, and mirror, doors and 
windows.  We concentrate on blessing and on making a seal that cannot be 
broken on the windows and doors especially.  I usually come last and seal 
everything with a pentagram drawn by my atham.  Then I draw a large 
permanent circle around the house, call in the elements, and ask the Lord 
and Lady to guard and bless the house for another year.

    Consecrating the dirt is simpler.  I usually buy potting soil and 
place it in the center of the circle.  All the ritual is done around it.  
We usually consecrate it just before we do cakes and wine by placin our 
hands on it and channeling energy into it.  Then everyone takes some home.

    The last thing we do is to make up Bridgets bed.  We take some long 
grass, or herbs and fold them into the shape of a doll about a foot long  
We dress her up and name her Bridget.  Then we make her a soft bedof some 
grasses (all on a sheet of newspaper, of course, so the Virgo HPS doesnt 
get her nose, or her carpet, bent out of shape), lay her down and put a 
phallic image in the bed with her.  We use a large dried seed pod with a 
rounded head for this.  Then we place some of the consecrated dirt on a 
sheet of newspaper beside her.  She was put by the hearth in days of yore, 
but, alas, I have no fireplace!  In the mornng, if there are prints in the 
dirt (ashes), it foretold a favorableyear.  When we did it last year, I 
swear there was the image of the phallic figure in the dirt, though no one 
had moved him!  And it was a very good year for the coven, all in all.
    Hope you can use some of this.
 Blessings,       Erin

 Invocation of Lord and Lady (Ritual)
Dan Holdgreiwe

The following is the text of a ritual titled Invocation of the Lord and 
Lady which was presented by the Fellowship of the Sacred Grove at a local 
gathering in November of 1993.  Prayers and invocations are not included 
in the text as these are delivered spontaneously by the Priest and 
Priestess. 
 
 
PART ONE: THE PREPARATIONS 
 
[Priest, Priestess, Bard and Quarters begin standing in circle just 
outside the circle that will be consecrated for the ritual. Other 
participants begin outside of circle and will later enter through South 
gate. Customarily, East and North are male, South and West female.] 
 
1. The Warning 
 
[The Bard moves to center of circle and addresses all.] 
 
"We gather tonight to open the veil between the worlds. 
 
This is not safe -- To pass beyond that threshold we must leave behind the 
protections of the mundane world. We must remove the veils which disguise 
us and lay aside the jewels which dazzle our eyes.  We must take the risk 
of Seeing, and of being Seen. 
 
For our protection we rely upon the Lord and the Lady, whose Children we 
are. Any who are not ready to approach Them in reverence, love and trust 
should leave now. 
 
[Pause] 
 
Those of you who have chosen to walk this path, prepare yourselves to meet 
God and Goddess. 
 
[Bard remains in center.] 
 
2.Claiming the Circle 
 
[East takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.] 
 
"In the name of the Lady of Light, and in my own name, 
I claim this circle as a place of Men. 
Let all who enter be bound to speak, and hear, the Truth. 
So mote it be." 
 
[West takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.] 
 
"In the name of the Sacred King, and in my own name, 
I claim this circle as a place of Women. 
Let all who enter be bound to Perfect Love and Trust. 
So mote it be." 
 
[South takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.] 
 
"In the name of the Lord of the Greenwood, and in my own name, 
I claim this circle as a place of Nature 
Let all who enter be bound to the sacred web of life. 
So mote it be." 
 
[North takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.] 
 
"In the name of the Queen of Heaven, and in my own name, 
I claim this circle as Sacred Space. 
Let all who enter be opened to the presence of God and Goddess. 
So mote it be." 
 
3. Marking the Circle 
 
[All sing Listen to the Lord and Lady while Priest and Priest mark circle. 
When finished Priest and Priestess stand before alter in North, facing 
South.] 
 
4. The Challenges 
 
[East and West move to South gate and form Arch with athames. North 
crosses to South gate. Participants enter through South gate one at a time 
and are challenged at knife point by North and South, then shown to places 
by Bard.] 
 
Who seeks to join this fellowship? 
 
Will you support and defend your companions on this quest? 
 
Do you swear to use that which you learn in this circle only in service of 
the light? 
 
Are you ready to meet the Mother and Father of All life? 
 
Then enter and be welcome. 
 
[Comment: This took several minutes, but the effect of the delay was 
positive rather than negative. The lengthy challenge process acted to 
center and focus the entire circle.] 
 
5.Sealing the Circle 
 
[Bard speaks from center.] 
 
We have stepped beyond time, to a place not of earth. In the presence of 
the Lord and Lady, we join together and are one. 
 
[Bard crosses to take place in circle, then takes hand of next person 
deosil and says We are one. Each participant takes the hand of the next 
repeating We are one until the whole circle is joined. When the circle is 
complete, the Bard announces again We are one!] 
 
PART TWO: THE MYSTERY 
 
1. Pathworking 
 
[Priest moves to center and leads all in pathworking. After preliminary 
relaxation and centering, the working takes the participant first to four 
symbols -- a living tree, a sword, a cup, and a standing stone -- each of 
which holds a message for the visitor. Then the participants journey to an 
ancient clearing around a weathered stone alter where, in times long past, 
their ancestors honored the Lord and Lady.  In that holy place, the 
participants call the Guardians of the Quarters, then prepare to invoke 
the Lord and Lady.] 
 
[Comment: The actual invocation of the Lord and Lady follows without 
transition, inviting the participants to continue to experience it in the 
ancient clearing.] 
 
2. Calling the Lord and Lady 
 
[Priestess joins Priest in center. Priestess invokes the Lord. Other 
celebrants 
invoke Lord and/or Lady as they feel inspired. Priest closes invocations 
by invoking the Lady. All invocations end with Come join with us. which is 
repeated by all.] 
 
3. Chant: 
Priestess begins chant alone, all join in after first time through. 
Participants should stand, clap and dance as they feel moved.] 
 
Isis, Osiris, Woden and Freya; Lord and Lady, Brigid and Lugh 
 
[Chant builds in power to be cut off at peak by Bard striking staff on the 
ground.] 
 
4. Readings 
 
[During chant East and West have stepped outside circle and deliver 
readings from opposite sides of circle. Bard is at center. Bard speaks.] 
 
Hear now the words of the Great Mother who is called Isis, and Freya, and 
Brigid, and many other names. 
 
[West speaks.] 
 
Think not that I am far from you, for you can see my visage in the moon, 
and hear my voice upon the wind. 
I am the silence of the sea, and the secret of the standing stones. 
I am the beauty of the green earth, and the mystery of the stars. 
I am the Mother of all things, and the soul of nature, who gives life to 
the universe. 
I am the source of your beginning, and I am the fulfillment of your 
desire. 
 
[Bard speaks.] 
 
Hear the words of the All Father who is called Osiris, and Woden, and 
Lugh, and other names beyond counting. 
 
[East speaks.] 
 
You know me not, but I am with you. My face is the sun, and my voice the 
thunder. 
I am the strength of the forest, and the keenness of the sword. 
I am the rune giver; the patient teacher; the revealer of secrets. 
I am the warrior, the defender of the weak and the companion of heroes. I 
am the Horned One. I am the gateway to the Mysteries, and I am Mystery 
itself. 
 
[West speaks.] 
 
Arise and come unto us, for mine in the womb that bore thee and the breast 
that nursed thee. Your joy is our joy, and your sorrow, our sorrow. We 
would teach you the ways of healing, and the joys of love, for our law is 
love unto all beings. We give the knowledge of the eternal spirit, and 
beyond death we give peace and reunion with those who have gone before. We 
would lead you to love and to freedom. Call on us, and we will show you 
the hidden paths. 
 
[East speaks.] 
 
Follow my white stag into the deep forest. There is mystery in the wild 
places, and a path that leads between the worlds. 
The path is not easy, for it leads to that which cannot be given by 
another. 
Those who would share our freedom must create it anew within their own 
hearts. 
But no one who walks that path walks alone. Fear not to call on us, for we 
have not forgotten our Children. 
 
5. Great Rite 
 
[Priest and Priestess take positions in center of circle, Priest kneeling 
with chalice, Priestess standing with athame. Priest makes spontaneous 
prayer to Lord and Lady. Priestess prays and/or responds on behalf of Lord 
and Lady, customarily ending with So mote it be as she lowers the athame. 
 
[Comment: a common theme here is to invite the Lord and Lady to join with 
us as they join with each other, but sensitivity to the inspiration of the 
moment is the prime concern.] 
 
6. Blessing 
 
[All sing We all come from the Goddess as Priest and Priestess circle 
group, touching and offering a blessing to each in turn. When all have 
received a blessing, Priest and Priestess return to circle and all join 
hands. Priest and Priestess signal end to song by returning to center.] 
 
PART THREE CLOSING 
 
1. Thanking the Lord and Lady 
 
[Priest thanks Lady, Priestess thanks Lord.] 
 
2. Return to Mundane Consciousness 
 
[Priestess return to circle. Priest resumes pathworking in ancient 
clearing, thanks quarters and draws participants back into normal 
consciousness. Priest returns to circle.] 
 
3. Opening the Circle 
 
[Bard moves to center and addresses all.] 
 
The rite is ended, the circle is open, may the blessing of the Lord and 
Lady be with you all. So mote it be. (All respond.) 
 
END 
 Yule Ritual 
YULE DIVINE PLAY - by Lady Allusha, Coven Tara, publiched in the Georgian 
Newsletter, December 1983

Characters:  Narrator, Earth Goddess, Handmaidens, Sun God
Props:  Yule Fire

Narrator:  It has been a long cold winter.  Here, where the trees are all 
barren and the snow covers the ground the nights are dark and long.

Earth Goddess enters, followed by her Handmaidens.  They all move slowly
around towards the birthing spot.

Narrator:  We see shadowy figures in the distance, moving slowly.  The
delicate footprints lead into the deepest realms of the forest.  It is the 
Earth Goddess, pregnant with Life, followed by her Handmaidens.

Earth Goddess stops.  Handmaidens gather before her and kneel.  Earth
Goddess starts to make soft birthing sounds.

Narrator:  Listen!  The Earth Goddess is about to give birth.   In the 
midst of deepest darkness, light shall be reborn.  Lend her your aid!

Handmaidens start swaying gently, joining in the birthing sounds.  
Narrator encourages all present to join in the birthing sounds.  The 
sounds get louder and louder until ...

Narrator:  The Sun is Born!

Sun God jumps out from hiding into the center.  He appears small and weak.

Earth Goddess:  Go, my faithful Handmaidens, and build up the Yule fire.
That the weak Sun God shall grow in warmth and strength by its flames.

She collapses with a sigh.  Handmaidens build up the fire.  The Sun God
slowly grows as the fire grows, until he stands tall with his arms
outstretched.  He says, " I have returned"  Then he dances a little jig.
                                  YULE RITUAL

         The celebrants gather in a room apart from the ritual area.
         It is best if the ritual can be held in a room without lights
         and with no heat.  Priest and Priestess may choose to cast
         the circle before hand and allow all to enter through a
         portal, or cast after the candle lighting. At the time for
         the ritual to begin, the warden and maiden lead all into the
         ritual area with only one dim candle to light the way which
         circles to the Southern tower and stays there.  As all shiver
         in the darkness, the priest and priestess, at the Southern
         tower begin, alternating:

         It is winter.
         It is night.

         We await the Sun.
         We await the light.

         In this darkness
         In this night,

         We await the warmth.
         We await the light.

         (Together:) And slowly it comes.

         (As they have moved around the cirle saying these things, the
         Priestess Widdershins and the Priest Deosil, they light
         candles which completely surround the circle. By the time
         they have finished, the room should be very bright.)

         Circle is cast if not already.  Salt and water. Fire and air.
         Quarters summoned in manner appropriate to the season.

         God Invocation
         Priestess:

         Horned God, Winter God, Father of the Sun, with frost upon
         your beard and the blazing of Yule fires in your eyes, you
         bless us with your presence. We greet you.

         Goddess Invocation
         The Winter God (lighting the appropriate candles, which are
         held by women appropriately dressed):

         White is for the Maiden, divine and joyous child.  Fresh as
         the snow is her taper.  I give greetings, Blessed One.

         Red is for the Mother, warm embracing creation queen.
         Scarlet as the winter sunset is her taper.  I give greetings,
         Regal One.

         Black is for the Crone, keeper of magical mysteries.  Ebon as
         the stormy night is her taper.  I give greetings, Wise One.

         Queens of winter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, I greet you
         and ask your blessings upon your people gathered here.

         The three Goddesses, dividing the parts appropriately, invoke
         the Sun (the Maiden then crowns the God with a crown of
         candles or other appropriate crown, the Mother gives him a
         staff with a pine cone tip and the Crone gives him a kiss):
         Return, oh, return!  God of the sun, god of the light,
         return!  Darkness has fled -- Thou hast no enemies.  O lovely
         helper, return, return!
         Return to thy sister, thy spouse, thy mother who loveth thee!
         We shall not be put asunder.  O my brother, my consort, my
         son, return, return!  When I see thee not my heart grieveth
         for thee, mine eyes seek for thee, my feet roam the earth in
         search of thee!  Gods and men weep for thee together.  God of
         the sun, god of the light, return!  Return to thy sister, thy
         spouse, thy mother, who loveth thee!  Return!  Return!
         Return!

         The God raps three times on the altar with his wand

         Sun King:
         Newly born, am I.  What wisdom says the watcher of the east
         to aid me and those gathered here with me?

         East:
         This is a time for entering wilderness and seeking its
         magical strengths.  A time for standing alone and godlike,
         and seeing all things clearly.  It is a season of joy!

         Sun King:
         What wisdom says the watcher of the south?

         South:
         This is a time of active seeking, both without in nature and
         within oneself.  Eagerness and resolution shall concern
         mysteries and create results.  It is a season of courage!

         Sun King:
         What wisdom says the watcher of the west?

         West:
         This is a time for devotion to the way of the wild places and
         seeking the calmness of solitary locales.  A time for finding
         understanding, and confiding only in trusted friends.  It is
         a season of meditation!

         Sun King:
         What wisdom says the watcher of the north?

         North:
         This is a time to know the endurance of the hills, and to so
         grow in one's own inner firmness.  A time for scrupulousness
         and thoroughness and considering all things.  It is a season
         of confidence!

         The Winter God:

         Rich are these gifts of knowledge.  Soon I will give way to
         my Son, but until that time mine is the feast and the season
         of joy.  (The God blesses the feast as is customary for the
         group.)

         Each Deity and Watchers is thanked and bid farewell as they
         were invoked.

         The circle is released as is appropriate to the group.

         Notes:

         If anyone is crowned with a crown of candles, a veil helps
         with the dripping wax.  Holly can be pretty uncomfortable,
         too, so ditto.

         Portions of this are liberally stolen from the Magical Rites
         from the Crystal Well by Ed Fitch.  It's great stuff and you
         may want to use it outright, rather than my mutilated
         version.

         If you have enough people and candles, everybody may be naked
         by the end of this.

         It's great to use your oldest male as Winter and your
         youngest male for the Sun (kids are great suns).  Same for
         the Goddesses.

         Obviously, this is just an outline that can be spindled,
         folded and mutilated any way you like.  The opening part with
         the candles we have used for more than one Yule and it's
         really great.

         We have also done a guided meditation into Herne's Grove,
         rather than a Winter God invocation.  It involves a treck
         through the winter forest, trudging through snow until you
         find the lone pine tree in the clearing in the heart of the


 Female Wine Blessing 

The Goddess calls originate from an all-female version I wrote of the
Dedication ritual of the Odyssian tradition. The original was written by 
Richard and Tamarra James. This version follows the structure of the
original fairly closely, and maintains some of the original lines, so if 
you like it, send your compliments to Richard as well as to me.

Ditto for the Wine Blessing, as it is a modified version of the Odyssian
standard WB.

One priestess represents the Moon Goddess (the conventionally feminine
role), and the other the Sun Goddess (the conventionally mascualine role).
We half-jokingly called this the butch-femme wine blessing...

Goddess Calls:

SG:     I am She who shone forth from the Dark of Night,
        When time was begun.
        Lady of the Sea, join Me,
        And let all things be formed of Our union.
       Thou who art called Artemis, Hecate, Cerridwen, Isis.
        Giver of love, protection, and the joy of life,
        Goddess of the Earth, Moon and Sea,
        Ruler of the Night,
        Mistress of Magic, Keeper of the Mysteries.
        Ascend to Me on bright and silvered wing.
        For lo, I receive these gifts of Thee:
        Life, and love, and gifts from the Sea.
        I am the Sun, the Sun that calleth Thee.
        I am the arching Sky that covers Thee.
        Come unto Me, my Lady, come unto Me,
        And be welcome.
        Hail, and blessed be.

MG:     I am She who rose from the depths of the Sea,
        When time was begun.
        Lady of the Bright Sky, join Me,
        And let all things be formed of Our union.
        Thou who art called Athena, Bast, Sekhmet, Amaterasu.
        Giver of strength, guidance, and the will of life,
        Goddess of the Sun, Sky, and Winds,
        Ruler of the Day,
        Bringer of Justice and Voice of Truth.
        Descend to Me on bright and golden wing.
        For lo, I receive these gifts of Thee:
        Life, and strength, and fullest ecstasy.
        I am the Sea, the Sea that calleth Thee.
        I am the waiting Earth that welcomes Thee.
      Come unto Me, my Lady, come unto Me,
      And be welcome.
         Hail, and blessed be.

Wine Blessing:

MG  anoints SG and hands her the athame.

MG:     Bright Lady, thou art the Sun.
      Thy heat is radiant.
      Warrior Maiden, Giver of the Law,
      Here is the athame,
      The Air and Fire are contained within it,
      As are their powers.

SG  anoints MG and hands her the chalice.

SG:     Dark Lady, thou art the Moon,
      Giver of dreams and visions.
      Wise One, Teacher of the Mysteries,
      Here is the chalice,
      The Earth and the Sea are contained within it,
      As are their powers.

SG:   I am the spark of life,
       The well of flame wherein dwells all power and potential.

MG:      And I am the primal matter,
         The core of earth that gives shape and form to that power.

Both: Neither one can work without the other.
      One without the other is incomplete.

SG:   Mine are wisdom and knowledge, passion and pride.

MG:     And mine are love and dreams, silence and mystery.


Both: To learn you must suffer,
        To live you must be born,
        To be born you must die.
        The beginning, continuation and the end,
        Over and over.

SG:     The Sun brings forth light,

MG:     And the Moon holds it in darkness.

SG:     As above,

MG:     So below.

SG:     (Raises athame) And as the athame is one half of our divine 
nature,

MG:   So the chalice is the other.

Both: (Athame into chalice) And conjoined they be one in truth,
        For it is in the Dance that Life is born,
        In the balance that truth is found,
        And there is no greater power in all the world
        Than that of Love.

 Altars (misc. Thoughts)
Chris Olmstead

As for Altar set ups...
1.  I once read Crowley's remarks on how he contrived his stuff while he 
was out wandering the world or climbing mountains.  He found ways to just 
use the simple things from his kit...cook knife became Athame, tin cup 
became the Cup...etc.

This sort of 'kitchen witch' working is accepted by lots of folks.  You 
can set an altar up and take it down as fast as you can set a table.

2.  I also have noted the "Porto-Pagan" set-ups at some of the Pagan Fests 
I've attended.  Carry the stuff in a cardboard box that can be up-ended 
for an altar, or even placed on it's side for a rain-proof 'shrine'.  
Close and carry off at the end of the visit with a minimum of re-wrapping 
to protect the fragiles.
Some just contrive one with the natural objects at hand...a rock, a stick, 
a lantern or candle, etc.

3.  Some folks (including myself) have a small duffle into which I've 
placed a second set of "traveling" working tools.  I have the great 
good-fortune of having friends who give me cool things.  The coolest stay 
on my Altar, the second-coolest hang out in the sac, and sometimes I shift 
the goodies around.

4.  I have a buncha books that offer arrangements I find a bit 
Overwhelming, but I can certainly post them, if you really need them.  If 
you want me to fetch out Official Altar diagrams from some of the slick 
commercial works I have on the shelf, RSVP.

5.  For "public" Altar, in my home, I 'clutter' a shelf, a mantle, or a 
small window sill.  It sounds to me as though, since all your stuff is 
packed andyour space is totally compressed, that the "window sill" Altar 
is a good solution for you.  I put a little origami pinwheel up on an 
Eastern sill, a small shell on a Western one, a tiny oil lamp on a 
Southern one, and a pretty rock on a Northern one.  The whole House is the 
Altar "Table".

To clear my space I have been known to light a stick of incense, scaling 
it upward in my mind until I am swinging a huge flaming brand before the 
various Darks I'm dispelling, and run through the house screaming and 
raving aloud until they back off.  A joss stick lasts about 20 minutes.  I 
can almost guarantee that if you summon your Ki and Incant over a flaming 
brand for 15 minutes, most Shadows _will_ go elsewhere.  I haven't had to 
do it in THIS house more than twice in 3 years.


 What Is Shamanism? 
Since the term "shamanism" has been used in a number of ways during the
discussions here I thought it might be helpful to present some basic
information on shamanism as the inter-disicplinary subject that it has
become since Mircea Eliade wrote _Shamanism_.

The following is from the Foreward, which explains the approach that
Eliade took to study Shamanism as a magico-religious phenomena, and
which has been the foundation that shamanism as a spiritual tradition,
as well as explaining how other academic disciplines approach the
subject.

         ---------------------------------------

Mircea Eliade
_Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy_
Princeton University, Bollingen Series LXXVI 1964

Originally published in French as _Le Chamanisme et les techniques
archaiques de l'extase_, Librairie Payot, Paris, 1951.  Revised and
enlarged for the Bollinger edition.

ISBN 0-691-01779-4 pbk   0-691-09827-1 hdbk


   To the best of our knowledge the present book is the first to cover
   the entire phenomenon of shamanism and at the same time to situate it
   in the general history of religions.  To say this is to imply its
   liability to imperfection and approximation and the risks that it
   takes.  Today the student has at his disposition a considerable
   quantity of documents for the various shamanisms--Siberian, North
   American, South American, Indonesian, Oceanian, and so on.  Then too,
   a number of works, important in their several ways have broken ground
   for the ethnological, sociological, and psychological study of
   shamanism (or rather, of a particular type of shamanism).  But with a
   few notable exceptions--we refer especially to the studies of Altaic
   shamanism by Holmberg (Harva)--the immense shamanic bibliography has
   neglected to interpret this extremely complex phenomenon in the
   framework of the history of religion.  It is as a historian of
   religions that we, in our turn, have attempted to approach,
   understand, and present shamanism.  Far be it from us to think of
   belittling the admirable studies undertaken from the viewpoints of
   psychology, sociology, or ethnology; we consider them indispensable
   to understanding the various aspects of shamanism.  But we believe
   that there is room for another approach--that which we have sought to
   implement in the following pages.

   The writer who approaches shamanism as a psychologist will be led to
   regard it as primarily the manifestation of a psyche in crisis or
   even in retrogression; he will not fail to compare it with certain
   aberrant psychic behavior patterns or to class it among mental
   diseases of the hysteroid or epileptoid type.

   We shall explain why we consider it inacceptable to assimilate
   shamanism to any kind of mental disease.  But one point remains (and
   it is an important one), to which the psychologist will always be
   justified in drawing attention: like any other religious vocation,
   the shamanic vocation is manifested by a crisis, a temporary
   derangement of the future shaman's spiritual equilibrium. All the
   observations and analyses that have been made on this point are
   particularly valuable  They show us, in actual process as it were,
   the repercussions, within th epsyche, of what we have called the
   "dialectic of hierophanies"--the radical separation between profane
   and sacred and the resulting splitting of the world.  To say this is
   to indicate all the importance that we attribute to such studies in
   religious psychology.

   The sociologist, for his part, is concerned with the social function
   of the shaman, the priest, the magician.  He will study prestige
   originating from magical powers, its role in the structure of
   society, the relations between religious and political leaders and so
   on.  A sociological analysis of the myths of the First Shaman will
   elicit revealing indications concerning the exceptional position of
   the earliest shamans in certain archaic societies.  The sociology of
   shamnism remains to be written, and it will be among the most
   important chapters in general sociology of religion.  The historian
   of religions must take all these studies and their conclusions into
   account.  Added to the psychological conditions brought out by the
   psychologist, the social ocnditions, in the broadest sense of the
   term, reinforce the element of human and historical concreteness in
   the documents that he is called upon to handle.

   The concreteness will be accented by the studies of the ehtnologist.
   It will be the task of ethnological monographs to situate the shaman
   in his cultural milieu.  There is danger of misunderstanding the true
   personality of a Chukchee shaman, for example, if one reads of his
   exploits without knowing anything about the life and traditions of
   the Chukchee.  Again, it will be for the ehtnologist to make
   exhaustive studies of the shaman's costume and drum, to describe the
   seances, to record texts and melodies, and so on.  By undertaking to
   establish the "history" of one or another constituent element of
   shamanism (the drum, for example, or the use of narcotics during
   seances), the ethnologist--joined when circumstances demand it, by a
   comparatist and historian--will suceed in showing the circulation of
   the particular motif in time and space; so far as possible, he will
   define its center of expansion and the stages and the chronology of
   its dissemination.  In short, the ethnolgist will also become a
   "historian," whether or not he adopts the Graebner-Schmidt-Koppers
   method of cultural cycles.  In any case, in addition to an admirable
   purely descriptive ethnographical literature, there are now available
   numerous works of historical ethnology: in the overwelming "gray
   mass" of cultural data stemming from the so-called "ahistorical"
   peoples, we now begin to see certain lines of force appearing; we
   begin to distinguish "history" where we were in the habit of finding
   only "Naturvolker," "primitives," or "savages."

   It is unnecessary to dwell here on the great services that historical
   ethnology has already rendered to the histroy of religions.  But we
   do not believe that it can take the place of the history of
   religions.  The latter's mission is to integrate the results of
   ethnology, psychology, and sociology.  Yet in doing so, it will not
   renounce its own method of investigation or the viewpoint that
   specifically defines it.  Cultural ethnology may have demonstrated
   the relation of shamanism to certain cultural cycles, for example, or
   the dissemination of one or another shamanic complex; yet its object
   is not to reveal the deeper meaning of all these religious phenomena,
   to illuminate their symbolism, and to place them in the general
   history of religions.  In the last analysis, it is for the historian
   of religions to synthesize all the studies of particular aspects of
   shamanism and to present a comprehensive view which shall be at once
   a morphology and a history of this complex religious phenomena.

                                            pg. xi-xiii



    Chapter One, General considerations.  REcruiting Methods.  Shamanism
    and Mystical Vocation.

    Since the beginning of the century, ehtnologists have fallen into
    the habit of using the terms, "shaman,"  "medicine man," "sorcer,"
    and "magician" interchangeably to designate certain individuals
    possessing magico-religious powers and found in all "primitive"
    societies.  By extension, the smae terminology has been applied in
    studying the religious history of "civilized" peoples, and there
    have been discussions, for example, of an Indian, an Iranian, a
    Germanic, a Chinese, and even a Babylonian "shamanism" with
    reference to the "primitive" elements attested in the corresponding
    religions.  For many reasons this confusion can only militate
    against any understanding of the shamanic phenomenon.  If the word
    "shaman" is taken to mean any magician, sorcerer, medicine man, or
    ecstatic found throughout the history of religions and religious
    ethnology, we arrive at a notion at once extremely complex and
    extremely vague; it seems, furthermore, to serve no purpose, for we
    already have the terms "magician" or "sorcerer" to express notions
    as unlike and as ill-defined as "primitive magic" or "primitive
    mysticism."
    We consider it advantageous to restrict the use of the words
    "shaman" and "shamanism" precisely to avoid misunderstandings and     
to
    cast a clearer light on the history of "magic" and "sorcery."  For
    of course, the shaman is also a magician and medicine man; he is
    believed to cure, like all doctors, and to perform miracles of the
    fakir type, like all magicians, whether primitive or modern.  But
    beyond this, he is a psychopmp, and he may also be preist, mystic
    and powet.  In the dim, "confusionistic" mass of the religious life
    of archaic socieites considered as a whole, shamanism--taken in its
    strict and exact sense--already shows a structure of its own and
    implies a "history" that there is every reason to clarify.

    Shamanism in the strict sense is pre-eminently a religious
    phenomenon of Siberia and Central Asia.  The word comes to us,
    through the Russian, from the Tungusic _saman_.  In the other
    languages of Centeral and North Asia the corresponding terms are
    Yakut _ojuna_ (_oyuna_), Mongolian _buga_, _boga_ (_buge_, _bu_) and
    _udagan_ (cf. also Buryat _udayan_, Yukut _udoyan_: "shamaness")_,
    Turko-Tartar _kam_ (Altaic _kam_, _gam_, Mongolian _kami_, etc.)  It
    has been sought to explain the Tungusic term by the Pali _samana_,
    and we shall return to this possible etymology (which is part of the
    great problem of Indian influences on Siberian religions) in the
    last chapter of this book.  Throughout the immense area comprising
    Central and North Asia, the magico-religious life of society centers
    on teh shaman.  This, of course, does not mean that he is the one
    and only manipulator of the sacred, nor that religious activity is
    completely usurped by him.  IN many tribes the sacrificing priest
    coexists with the shaman, not to mention the fact that every head of
    a family is also the head of the domestic cult.  Nevertheless the
    shaman remains the dominating figure; for throught the whole region
    in which the ecstatic experience is considered the religious
    experience par excellence, the shaman, and he alone, is the great
    master of ecstasy.  A first definition of this complex phenomenon,
    and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = _technique of
    ecstasy_.

                                        pgs 3-4


    Yet one observation must be made at the outset: the presence of a
    shamanistic complex in one region or another does not necessarily
    mean that the magico-religious life of the corresponding poeple is
    crystallized around shamanism.  This can ocur (as, for example, in
    certain parts of Indonesia), but it is not the most usual state of
    affairs.  Generally shamanism coexixsts with other forms of magic
    and religion.

    It is here that we see all the advantage of emplying the term
    "shamanism" in its strict and proper sense.  For, if we take the
    trouble to differentiate the shaman from other magicians and
    medicine men of primitive societies, the identification of shamanic
    complexes in one or another region immediately acquires definite
    significance.  Magic and magicians are to be foudn more or less all
    over the world, where as shamaism exhibits a particular magical
    specialty, on which we shall dwell at legth: "master over fire,"
    "magical flight," and so on.  By virtue of this fact, though the
    shaman is, among other things, a magician, not every magician can
    properly be termed a shaman.  The same distinction must be applied
    in regard to shamanic healing; ever medicine man is a healer, but
    the shaman employs a method that is his and his alone.  AS for the
    shamanic techniques of ecstasy, they do not exhaust all the
    varieties of ecstatic experience documented in the history of
    religions an dreligious ethnolgoy.  Hence any ecstatic cannot be
    considered a shaman; the shaman specializes in a trance during which
    his sould is believed to leave his body and ascend to the sky or
    descend to the underworld.

    A similar distinction is also necessary to define the shaman's
    relation to "spirits."  All through the primitive and modern worlds
    we find individuals who profess to maintain relations with
    "spirits," whether they are "possessed" by them or control them.
    SSEveral volumes would be needed for an adequate study of all the
    problems that arise in connection with the mere idea of "spirits"
    and of their possible relations with human beings; for a "spirit"
    can equally well be the sould of a dead person, a "nature spirit," a
    mythical animal, and so on.  But the study of shamanism does not
    require going into all this; we need only define the shaman's
    relation to his helping spirits.  It will easily be seen wehrein a
    shaman differs from a "possessed" person, for example; the shaman
    controls his "spirits," in the sense that he, a human being, is able
    to communicate with the dead, "demons," and "nature spirits,"
    without thereby becoming their insturment.  To be sure, shamans are
    sometimes found to be "possessed," but these are exceptional cases
    for which there is a particular explanation.

    These few preliminary observations already indicate the course that
    we propose to follow in odrder to reach an adequate understanding of
    shamanism.  In view of the fact that this magico-religious
    phenomenon has had its most complete manifestation in North and
    Central Asia, we shall take the shaman of these regions as our
    typical example.  We are not unaware, and we shall endeavor to show,
    that Central and North Asian shamanism, at least in its present
    form, is not a primordial phenomenon that has a long "history."  But
    this Central Asian and Siberian shamanism has the advantage of
    presenting a structure in which elements that exist independently
    elsewhere in the world--i.e., special relations with "spirits,"
    ecstatic capacities permitting of magical flight, ascents to the
    sky, descents to the underworld, mastery over fire, etc.--are here
    already found integrated with a particular ideology and validating
    specific techniques.

                                        pgs. 5-6

                          -------------------------
By: JULIA PHILLIPS
Re: Travelling Chant
Some time ago I promised to post some of the BoS material I have which
(allegedly) pre-dates Gardner. No guarantees <g>, but I was told that
this chant dates from the 1920s:

Let's ride, let's ride, to the sabbat tonight,
we'll ride over hill, over dale.
We'll ride to the feasting and ride to the dance,
and ride to the October ale.

Let's dance, let's dance at the sabbat tonight,
We'll sing with a heart full and glad.
We'll sing and we'll love through the chill autumn night,
and remember the loves we have had.

Let's ride, let's ride when the sabbat is done,
let's ride back to hearth and to home.
Let's ride back together all under the stars,
and wait for the next sabbat to come.

I think it's rather a nice chant, whenever it was written.

B*B Julia
 Bridal Blessing Song 
This is one of a collection which I have been told dates from the 18th
century. As with the previous one, no guarantees <g>!

Blessing Song for a Bridal

Bless the furrow, bless the plough
and bless the seed that springs.
Bless the fruit and bless the corn
the blossoms on the bough.
Bless the man and bless the maid
and bless the bed they share.
Bless the babe that's got this night
and in the Lady's care.

B*B Julia


---- A WICCANING PART 4 ---



THE DIVULGENCE OF THE NAMES (explained to the Witnesses):

ANCIENT EUROPEAN PEOPLES BELIEVED THAT YOU MUST HAVE TWO
NAMES, ONE PUBLIC AND ONE A SECRET NAME THAT ONLY THOSE
PRESENT AT THE BLESSING CEREMONY KNEW. THIS SECOND NAME
IS FOR USE AFTER PUBERTY, WHEN THE SOUL CHANGES INTO ITS
FIRST ADULT SELF, WHEN IT CAN BE UTTERED ONCE MORE, AND
MADE PUBLIC. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC NAME WAS TO
DIVERT THE EVIL EYE, TO GAIN FAVOR WITH THE FATES, TO
KEEP AWAY SICKNESS, AND TO HELP THE CHILD REACH ADULTHOOD.

Priestess:
"Great Spirit of Nature, protect and guide these young souls
among us. May the Blessings of the wise and joyous Father of the Gods
far-seeing and far-knowing be upon thee. May the blessings of the Triple
Goddess, of Maiden, of Mother, of Crone, and all their power
be upon thee."

The following blessings/invocations were spoken and followed by
the child being immersed in the ocean water of the beach where
the ritual was held:

ELIZABETH'S DUNKING:

Anna Perenna
Great Goddess, Mother of All
Envelope this daughter of yours
in the waters of Your womb
Grant her protection from wrong-doing
Wash away the memories of her pain
Shower her with Your blessings
in a life everlasting
Bless Elizabeth Mae Luzerne.
So Mote it Be!



PATRICK'S DUNKING:

Great Goddess, Nurturer and Bearer of all Men, great and small
Without whose womb they would not be
Mother of Gods, of Sacrificial Kings,
Presidents, Emperors, and beggars
Welcome this son of Yours into Your Light
and as you have taught us, let him find
"Beauty and strength, power and compassion,
mirth and reverence, honor and humility"
within his heart.
Wash his fears away with your caress!
Bless Patrick Howard Lloyd!
Blessed Be!


MORGAINNE'S DUNKING:

Hail, o gracious and most magnificent Lady
whose slender hand turns the vast wheel of the sky.
whose triple aspect does see
the beginning, the life, and the end of all things.
whose wells of mystery do give
inspiration and rebirth thoughout eternity,
receive here this small daughter of yours with blessings
and with love.
Bless Morgainne Ellayne!
So mote it be!

 Santa 
TANE JACKSON

Christmas has two distinct themes running through it, as study of any 
collection of Christmas cards shows. One is the religious aspect, 
involving Wise  Men, angels, the Star and shepherds, and refers to
the Gospel story of the birth of Christ. The other theme seems totally 
unrelated and depicts reindeer, stockings, a sleigh and, of course, Santa 
Claus.

The two main Christmas personalities are Jesus and Santa, as most people 
will agree. Everyone brought up in a Christian country knows the 
significance of Jesus at this time but just who is Father Christmas and 
why should he become  part  of  a  religious festival?

    We must first look back at history and see why December became  such  
an  important month in the religious calendar in the first place. The 
reason is, of course,  the  Winter  Solstice, December 21st, when the Sun 
appears to stop in the sky prior to beginning its journey back across the 
heavens.

    After the Solstice the days gradually  get  longer  and  the peoples 
of old considered this to be almost the birthday of the Sun. The peoples 
of the northern hemisphere were fond of having a festival in mid-winter, 
perhaps because they needed something to take their minds off the long, 
cold, dark days.

    In ancient Rome the feast of Saturnalia  was  held  between December 
17th and 23rd and gifts  were   exchanged.   The Romans also held the 
feast of Brumalia on the Solstice day itself and considered this to be the 
birthday of Mithra the unconquered Sun god. The Norsemen celebrated Yule 
at this time, to herald the return of the Sun.

    It is interesting to note that Christ is often known as the Light of 
the World, a title that continues this theme of darkness in retreat in the 
face of good.

    The Solstice has long been associated with the idea of people giving 
each other presents. Apart from giving gifts at Saturnalia the Romans also 
exchanged presents on the feast of the Kalends, which we call New Year's 
Day.  These customs prevailed all over the Roman Empire when Christianity 
was still a new religion.

    When Christianity spread to the northern lands they found the Norsemen 
worshipping Odin--who rode his chariot through the night sky at the time 
of the Winter Solstice, handing out gifts.

    Because the exchange of gifts was so linked in the pagan mind with 
these old festivals devout Christians were not supposed to exchange  gifts  
at  this  time.  However,  gift-exchange never died out on the European 
scene and finally the Church fathers had to do something about it.  They 
did not want to let people keep on believing that Odin or any other pagan 
deity had anything to do with gift-bringing so they looked around for an 
acceptable Christian figure to bring them instead. The person they chose  
was  St  Nicholas,  the former Bishop of Myra in the 4th century AD.

    Not much is actually known about St Nicholas, though many legends grew 
up around his kind ly figure. One thing that qualified him for the role of 
gift-bringer was his feast day being December 6th, a date sufficiently 
close to the Solstice for the two to be connected in the mass mind.

    St Nicholas was a useful saint and could even be described as 
all-purpose.  His responsibilities included the welfare of pawn-
brokers, boatmen, parish clerks, dockers   and   barrel-makers among 
others. He was the patron saint of both Russia and Aberdeen.  The  
best-known  story about him tells of his leaving three bags of gold on a 
poor man's windowsill as dowries for his three daughters. One version
of this tale states that the gold was thrown through the window and landed 
in a stocking that had been hung up to dry, which perhaps explains our 
custom of the Christmas stocking.

                         ********************
 A Witch's Thoughts on Halloween 
     Most people celebrate Halloween as a children's holiday of candy and 
costumes.  However, I will be celebrating tonight as Samhain 
("Sow-wen"), the Celtic New Year, the night for remembering loved ones 
past and looking toward the future. For I am a Neo-pagan, a follower of 
the Old Religion, a Wiccan.  I am a Witch.
     There are probably as many definitions of Wicca as there are 
practitioners of the Craft--one of the joys of this path is that there is 
no "one, true way"; intuition is as valuable as teaching.  This then is my 
personal definition of what Wicca is to me.
     First, what Wicca is not is devil-worship.  Wiccans don't believe in 
an entity of all-evil.  (I personally don't believe in evil per se;  all 
evil is simply a perversion or excess of something that is good when 
present in a proper balance.)
     Wicca is a religion based on experience of Deity as male and female.  
It is pantheistic--seeing all things as part of God/dess, and seeing the 
Earth Herself as a living organism of whom we are part.  It is also a 
religion of immanence--seeing God/dess present in each of us and in the 
world around us, not "out there somewhere" but part of daily life.
     Wiccans celebrate eight major holidays, or sabbats--the beginning and 
midpoint of each season.  We also celebrate the phases of the moon:  some 
only celebrate the full moon while others celebrate full, waxing, and new 
moons.  Each of these rituals helps keep us in touch with Nature.  These 
celebrations are in small groups usually called circles, covens, or groves 
and are usually led by a Priestess, and often a Priest.  Some groups share 
duties and avoid titles.
     Wicca is also a "Craft".  We practice magic through chants, 
visualizations and spells, all to focus our will on something we want to 
happen.  We believe that everything we do, good or ill, comes back to us 
tripled, which is why we don't "hex" or "curse" anyone.  We also believe 
that many psychic talents are real and simply haven't been studied enough 
by science to be catalogued as such.
     Wiccans for the most part accept reincarnation, not as dogma to be 
believed, but as fact based on personal experience.  Many of us remember 
past lives.  As one who has studied science, I know that every atom of my 
body once was part of something else, and I am  continually losing atoms 
that become part of others.  Knowing this, it makes sense that my soul 
also is "recycled".
     Wicca is a positive philosophy.  The only "law" is 'An it harm none, 
do as ye will": Enjoy life to its fullest, and remember to help everyone 
else enjoy it as well.  Wiccans don't preach; Wiccans don't evangelize.  
Everyone has to find his/her own path, and we welcome the diversity this 
brings.
     So tonight, when you dress up as a "wicked witch", know that there 
are "good witches" celebrating as well.  Know that I and thousands like me 
throughout the world are celebrating the cycles of life through the dance 
of the Lord and the Lady, trying to make this world we all share a little 
brighter through our cauldron fires in the darkness.  Know we are not out 
to convert you;  know we mean you no harm.  All we ask for is 
understanding, tolerance, and the freedom to practice as we choose.

Blessed Be,

Cecylyna Brightsword
High Priestess, Thalia Clan
P.O. Box 681092 _ Indianapolis, IN 46268-1092 _ (317) 579-3083 The Money 
Tree Spell 
Rowan Moonstone

YOu wil need:

Green candle annointed w/ pine oil.
Sweet basil (1tbsp of basil in r hand.)
Pine incense
 (Pass the basil over the altar candles and the green candle and incense 3 
times and sprinkle basil around the green candle.

Green silk pouch
White altar candles annointed w/ sandalwood oil
5 pennies, 4 old, 1 new.
Salt
Water
orange candle annointed w/ basil oil
parchment

O Altar Candle                                  O Altar Candle

                        O Green Candle
                        _____________
                       |             |
                       | Parchment   |
                        --------------

O orange candle                                 O salt
                        O pennies

                        O  pine incense         O  water

On a waxing moon, set the altar in the east of yoru circle.  This will 
need to be left up for a full waxing cycle.  You will need easy access to 
a door.
Take a new penny in your hand, Circle the altar deosil and say
"Bring to me what I see By thy power, Hecate,"

Spin rapidly deosil and go outside and toss the new penny in the air.
Wherever it lands, bury all 5 pennies, saying:

"I give thee money - Hecate
Return to me prosperity.
I give thee five
REturn by three
As I will
So mote it be."

Return to your altar and snuff out the candles.

Next week, at the same day and time, return to your altar with your 
talisman bag and the parchment.  Light the orange candle.  Visualize money 
flowing onto the altar.  Unearth the coins and bring them to the altar.  
Wash them in the chalice water to purify them.  Pass them through the 
incense smoke and the fire from the orange candle.  Place each coin in the 
talisman pouch, old coins first.  Add nine pieces of rock salt, close the 
mouth of the talisman pouch and face east and say:

"Bring to me
what I see
By thy power
Hecate.
Altar power
Must it be
Earth and Air
Fire and Sea
Bring to me
What I see
By thy power
Hecate."

Place the bag inside your cloting and wear it every day for 7 days.  Leave 
it on your altar every night visualizing prosperity.  On the 7th day, hide 
it in the eastern portion of your house.

There it is.  It's a complicated spell, but it does work.

BB
Rowan


 Spell for contacting a friend 
 Rowan Moonstone 
This spell should be used to cause someone with whom you have lost contact 
to contact you.  It is not manipulation so much as an astral call for 
contact when you have no other way to reach them that you know of.

You will need:

White candle annointed w/ sandalwood oil
Sandalwood incense
photo of the person
small glass of water.
salt

Light the white candle and the incense.  Place the picture of the person 
on your altar.  Put 2 heaping tablespoons of salt in the palm of your 
right hand.  Let a small amount of salt trickle into the glass while 
making the sign of the equal armed cross of the elements.  Make this cross 
3 times.  Say " Call me" three times as yo do this.  Then set the glass on 
the altar and say "Get in touch with me, please."  They
should contact you by the time the water has evaporated from the glass.

 Coming of Age Ritual Notes 
 Malakus
     Over the past weekend during an emotional upheaval I "Birthed" the 
concept for the ritual. I thought I would pass the concept on to you and 
see what you think.  I have the ability to visualize a ritual from
beginning to end, sometime with brief snatches of dialogue.  It's like 
watching a play from the catwalks.
    This is how I see this ritual unfolding.  The boy who is entering into 
Manhood will be abducted from the encampment where he is staying.  The 
women of his Mother Grove will try to fight the men off from abducting the 
boy.  When this skirmish is over and the boy is being taken off by the men 
the women will mourn the loss of the child.  The boy will be stripped of 
his clothing and dressed in a deerhide loin cloth.  He will then be 
blindfolded and his journey will begin.  Where this ritual is being held 
there is approximately 5 miles of paths which the boy will journey over.  
He will be led by his Father who will carry a lamp to light his and his 
son's way.  At the first prescribed stop the
boy will be addressed by Herne.  Herne, will speak to the boy of his wild 
nature, what it is like to be the hunter and the hunted.  He will charge 
the boy with the responsibilities of becoming a man through Him.  He will 
then tell the boy that He will meet him at the appointed place in the 
appointed hour.  Never revealing when and where that is.  Herne will 
withdraw into the woods as the Father and son begin to journey again.
    At the second stop the Father and boy will meet the Green Man.  He
represents the boy's earthy nature.  He is the boy sexual responsibility 
as a carrier of sacred seed which is necessary to begin life.  That he 
must act intelligently when it comes to the act of procreation.  The Green 
Man as well will tell the boy that they will meet in the appointed placed 
at the appointed hour.   The Green Man will stand in silence as the Father 
and boy leave.
    At the third stop the Father and boy will meet Loki\Rainbow Dancer.
When I visualized the archetype I saw a myriad number of colours and 
flashed of refracted light. Loki will speak to the boy of his dreams, 
wishes and hope He will inform the boy that these are necessary even as a 
man.  That he should not give them up but allow them to mature as he 
matures.  Loki will also tell the boy that they will meet at the appointed 
place in the appointed hour.
    The Father and son will continue there journey until they reach the
last stop on their journey.  Here they will meet the Magus who is robed in 
black and you are unable to see his face.  The Magus will speak to the boy 
of his inner true self, his highest ideals, his magical self.  He 
symbolizes Divine Wisdom.  When he is finished speaking he will also tell 
the boy of meeting in the appointed place in the appointed hour.
    All the archetype will be wearing masks that will be indicative of 
them.  Herne with horns, Green Man with a mask made of leaves, Loki with 
the face of the fox, and the Magus with a black mask which entirely covers 
his face.  All the other masks will not cover the mouth area.  My Spirit 
Brother in Akron, OH is creating the masks and the staves for the four 
archetypes.  After the journey has been completed he will be brought to 
the gateway of the ritual are Prior to the ritual itself the boy will be 
asked to select something that symbolizes his childhood and that he should 
bring it with him.  When the boy is abducted those who abduct him must be 
sure to acquire this childhood symbol to be given to the father to take on 
the journey.  At the gateway the father will stop the boy and inform him 
that he must now give up this childhood symbol in order to enter into the 
world of men. The boy must surrender the symbol before the rite can 
continue.  The symbol will be left at the gateway.  I didn see a 
traditional circle being cast, rather a ring of men hand in hand passing 
energy to form the circle.  I keep hearing "a hand to a hand, to feed a 
hand" or a "brother to a brother".  The circle will open to admit the 
father and boy The boy is still blindfold and will be place before the 
balefire facing the gateway through which he just entered.  I see four men 
at various stage of the lives serving as Priests. One is just past 
puberty, the next has himself just become a father, the next being around 
40-50 years (the age of the God at the
time of his decline in power) and the last being the Grandfather.  The
four will each evoke one of the four achetypes that spoke to the boy 
during his journey.  The Priest just past puberty will evoke Loki, the new 
father will evoke the Green Man, the 40-50 year old will evoke Herne, and 
Grandfather will evoke the Magus.  Each will be evoked separately and when 
each has been evoked will enter the circle from where they have been 
waiting out of sight of the circle itself.  Each will speak further to the 
boy of his mystery and present the boy with a "gift" which will enable the 
boy to commune with the archetype
in times of trial in his life as a man.  The last to speak will be Herne.  
Just as he is is finishing what he has to say he will be interrupted by 
the final archetype.  This is the Great Mother.  She will speak to the boy 
of his union with her and to truly become a man he must understand her 
magics as well.  Herne and the Great Mother will argue (choice of words, 
maybe not the best) over who this boy/man belong.  The Great Mother 
informs Herne that the boy/man belongs to Her.  Herne informs Her that She 
was there at his conception and birth and that She will have him in death 
but now the boy/man belongs to Him.  My Spirit Brother has a staff with a 
deer hoof end which I see being placed on the boy's heart while Herne 
claims him as his. During the claiming the boy's blindfold will be removed 
and the boy/man will see Herne for the
first time with his hoof on his chest over his heart.  After the claiming 
is finished the boy will be approached by the four Priests for the 
anointing.
     I have an anointing already written for this part of the rite.  While 
the anointing is being done the four persons who are taking the roles of 
the archetypes will leave and return dressed as they wish.  The boy will 
be taken to his father who will first greet the boy/man now as a fellow 
man and a guardian of the male mystery.  The father will then take the 
newly made man to the North quarter where the Great Mother will speak to 
the newly made man bestowing Her gift to him.  When the Great Mother 
speaks She will be heard only and not seen as if Her voice were being 
carried on the wind.
    The the newly made man will be taken to each man in turn in the circle 
who will give the newly made man a gift.  I see the gift being wisdom 
something that they have learned of life and that they wish to
pass on to help the newly made man's journey through life.  As each man 
has an occupation which requires particular tools so does life require its 
tools.
     When all have granted their gift the newly made man will be asked to 
bestow his blessing upon a horn of ale which symbolized the cup of 
brotherhood of all peoples.  The cup will be shared with all in the circle 
and will symbolized the universality of men.
    This is where I see the ritual ending.  I see a simple feast being 
held where the ritual has been.  More cups will be filled, stories share 
in the spirit of brotherhood.  As the night wears on towards dawn the 
newly made made will be left to himself, the balefire and the night.  He 
will return to the campsite from which he was abducted no longer as a 
child but as a man with all the responsibilities of a man.
 Lupercalia 
She-Wolf

Lupercalia ia a Roman ritual of purification and fertility dating from 
such an ancient time that even the Romans of the first century B.C.E. had 
forgotten its origin and to which Gods it was dedicated and even the 
meaning of some of its symbolism. (Contrary to Z Budapest's statements, it 
was not known whether it was to Faunus and in fact I think it may have 
been sacred to the more ancient founding Goddess, Rumina, the She-Wolf of 
Rome.)  Central to the ritual is the lustration (light flogging) with a 
goat skin scourge (see, Gardner didn't
invent it).  This was often accompanied by much rowdiness and horse-play.  
The purpose was the purification of the people from curses, bad luck and 
infertility.  The ritual is performed on February 15.  The name of the 
month comes from the februa, anything used in purifying including wool 
(used for cleaning), brooms, pine boughs (which make the air sweet and 
pure), etc.

The rite began in the cave of the She-Wolf in the city of Rome where 
legend had it that the founders of the city, Romulus and Remus, had been 
suckled by the wolf before they were found by a shepherd.  The sacred fig 
tree grew in front of the cave.  Vestals brought to the site of the 
sacrifice the sacred cakes made from the first ears of the last years 
grain harvest.  Two naked young men presided over the sacrifice of a dog 
and a goat.  With the bloody knife, their foreheads were smeared with 
blood, then wiped clean with wool dipped in milk.  The young men laughed 
and girded themselves in the skin of the sacrificed goat.   Much feasting 
followed. Finally, using strips of the goat skin, the young men ran, each 
leading a group of priests, around the base of the hills of Rome, around 
the ancient sacred boundary of the old city called the pomarium.  During 
this run, the women of the city would vie for the opportunity to be 
scourged by the young men as they ran by, some baring their flesh to get 
the best results of the fertility blessing (you can see why the Christian 
church tried so hard to get this ritual banned, but it was so popular that 
it continued for quite some time under the new regime.)

Except for the intrusion of foreign cults, this was the only Roman ritual 
where a goat was sacrificed.  Dogs were only offered to Robigus (a 
guardian associated with crops), the Lares Praestites (the guardians of 
community), and Mana Genata (ancestral guardians).

Because of the cave, the fig tree, the milk, and such, I suspect the very 
oldest forms of this rite honored a Goddess.  Unlike some of the other 
Roman rites like the October Horse sacrifice, there is no other 
Indo-European equivalent in Vedic, Scandinavian, Irish, or Indo-Iranian 
traditions.

With modifications, the Temple of Pomona performed Lupercalias and has a 
great time.
 Stones, A Short Catalog 
Tandika Star
BLOODSTONE

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Bloodstone is a member of the Chalcedony family.It 
is a variety of quartz (silicon dioxide) often with some iron and 
aluminum. The chemistry is SiO2. It is dark, bright green spotted with red 
inclusions. The streak is white. This is considered a microcrystalline 
variety of quartz and is not found in crystal form.

ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally near 
the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are relatively 
low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and massive 
hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in chemical 
sedimentary rocks.

OCCURENCE: India, Germany.

NAME: This stone is also referred to as "heliotrope," which is derived 
from two Greek words which signify "sun-turning". It was given this name 
because of a notion that when immersed in water it would turn the sun red. 
Chalcedony is derived from Chalcedon, an ancient Greek city of Asia Minor.

LEGEND and LORE: This is one of the birthstones for March.

    "Who in this world of ours, her eyes
    In March first opens, shall be wise.
    In days of peril, firm and brave,
    And wear a Bloodstone to her grave." (5)

Ancient warriors often carried an amulet of bloodstone which was intended 
to stop bleeding when applied to a wound.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Because it is green, it can be used for "money 
spells". It is also considered a "lucky" stone for atheletes because it 
imparts courage and stamina.

HEALING: Heliotrope is used today in conjunction with anything having to 
do with blood.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:I consider the ancient uses of bloodstone in line with 
what I use it for today. In addition, I consider it a "cholesterol 
buster", and wouldn't hesitate to apply it to any with this type of 
problem. Generally I would use it at the Heart Chakra. I've also used it 
successfully in situations where I needed "courage" to accomplish 
something. I will just carry a piece of it in my pocket for this purpose.

NOTE: Chrysoprase, carnelian, jasper and agate are all forms of 
Chalcedony.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

5. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious 
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.

 an interesting experiment (BLOODSTONE cont.)
_______________________________________________________________________This
 is more about bloodstone, but I didn't want to include it in the main 
text.  Read on, and you'll see why...

A few years ago, I had a discussion with my daughter (who was about 13 at 
the time) about the "spiritual essence" of plants and stones. I explained 
to her that different people "see" this spiritual essence in various 
forms. Somehow, this led to a discussion of "devas", which she interpreted 
as "people, but without a body that we can see with mundane eyes."

A few days later, I was reading a novel, reposed on the sofa in my 
livingroom.  She was sitting on the floor by the coffee table, drawing in 
her sketchbook with her pastels.

On the coffee table were several stones in a dish. One was an amethyst, 
one a bloodstone, one was some yellow/green crystal that someone had 
loaned to me because they wanted my "impressions" ...and there were some 
others that I don't remember now.

I glanced over at my daughter, and she was holding one of the stones in 
her hands, with her eyes closed. She apparently had achieved some form of 
"altered state" because her little eyeballs were just wigglin' away (REM).
A while later, I glanced over, and she was drawing a portrait. After she 
seemed finished and satisfied with what she was doing, I questioned her 
about it. She said she was drawing the "spirit/deva" of the stones in the 
dish.

The one for bloodstone was an elf-like, male person. He had dark/black 
hair, green, slanted eyes, "Spock" eyebrows, and pointed ears. Because of 
the expression on his face, I asked her what she thought of him. Her 
comments were:
"He is very fierce. I'm kind of afraid of him, because it seems like he is 
pretty strong and could get mad. He uses weapons...and can fight."

My daughter didn't know anything about the "lore" connected with the 
stones. In addition, I found that "bloodstone" was very different from any 
of the other "stone portraits" that she did...The rest were much more 
"human"...

BROWN (PICTURE) JASPER

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Brown Jasper, sometimes called "picture" Jasper 
because of the beautiful variations in coloring, is a type of Chalcedony. 
It is closely related to Quartz, with the chemistry of SiO2. The color 
variations are from trace amounts of other minerals, usually iron and 
aluminum. The hardness is 7.

ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally near 
the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are relatively 
low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and massive 
hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in chemical 
sedimentary rocks.

OCCURENCE: Montana, Utah and Wyoming are prolific locations for Brown 
Jasper in the U.S. In addition, fine specimens have come from Brazil, 
Uruguay and Egypt.  Other colors and forms of Jasper are abundant in 
California, Texas and Arkansas.

NAME: The name Chalcedony is from Chalcedon, an ancient Greek city of Asia 
Minor.

LEGEND and LORE: Beautiful Jasper, with light and dark brown markings was 
referred to as "Egyptian Marble". Various Native American tribes used 
Jasper as a rubbing stone and some called it "the rain bringer".

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Brown Jasper is balancing and grounding. This stone, 
carved into an arrowhead, is worn to attract luck. It is a good stone to 
use after completing a ritual to help you regain your center and become 
grounded.

HEALING: Jasper is stabilizing. It will help to reduce insecurity, fear 
and guilt.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use a piece of Montana Picture Jasper, which is 
mostly brown and tan with a slight bit of sky or navy blue as a strong 
grounding stone for those who have an excess of energy at the Splenic 
Chakra.I've also used the stone as a basis for a "journey"...The stone 
looks like a scene of the Rocky Mountains. Finally, I've used Picture 
Jasper as a psychological tool:I will ask someone who is "looking for an 
answer" to gaze into the stone and describe all the symbols they see. Then 
I work with the client to form the "symbols" into some sort of answer.

NOTES: Agate, Jasper, Flint, Sardonyx, and onyx are all forms of 
Chalcedony. In addition, particular colors of Chalcedony have specific 
names, such as Heliotrope, Bloodstone, Chrysophrase and Moss Agate.

-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
CARNELIAN

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:Carnelian is the clear red to brownish red member 
of the Chalcedony family. It is a microcrystalline variety of 
Quartz(Silicone Dioxide) and may contain small amounts of iron oxides. The 
hardness is 7, and the streak is white.

ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally near 
the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are relatively 
low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and massive 
hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in chemical 
sedimentary rocks.

OCCURENCE: Fine carnelian comes from India and South America.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION:Carnelian is used as an alternate birthstone for the 
month of May.It is normally cut into cabochons, engraved, or made into 
seal stones or rounded, polished, and pierced for necklaces and other 
items of jewelry.

NAME: The name means "flesh-colored", from [caro], meaning "genitive" and 
[carnis], meaning "flesh".

LEGEND and LORE: Carnelian has long been associated with courage and 
cleansing of the blood. It was beleived that the stone would improve one's 
outlook, making the individual cheerful and expelling fears.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Katrina Raphaell says that Carnelian can be used to 
"see into the past". The "Crystal Oracle" says that Carnelian referrs to 
the Self, and Current Conditions. It is a grounding stone, and associated 
with the Earth.  As such, it is considered practical, sensible and 
balanced. Cunningham associates the stone with the element of Fire. He 
suggests it as a talisman against Telepathic invasion.

HEALING: It is recommended for infertility or impotency. In addition it is 
used for purification of the blood. It has also been suggested that this 
stone will stop nosebleeding.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I call this the "sexy" stone...since I beleive it
stimulates sexual appetites. I use it in the lower Chakras for infertility 
and impotency for men(I use Coral as the feminine counterpart.) I always 
get a good chuckle when I notice a man wearing a LARGE Cornelian belt 
buckle. In addition, I would use this stone for relief of pain from 
arthritis in men.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.

3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.

4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

___________________________________________________________________
CORAL

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: CaCo3, or calcium carbonate in the form of 
calcite, is the main constituent of calcareous corals; minor constituents 
are MgCo3, or magnesium carbonate and proteinaceous organic substances, 
which act as binding agents. At 2.5 to 4, the hardness is slightly higher 
than that of calcite. The skeletons of corals vary in color: from bright 
to dark red, slightly orange-red, pink and white.

ENVIRONMENT: In all cases, coral consists of the branching skeletons of 
animals which live in colonies planted on the seabed at depths varying 
from tens to hundreds of meters. They are typical of warmish to very warm 
seas.

OCCURENCE: The most famous of these organisms is Corallium rubrum, which 
lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and, despite its name,provides 
not only red, but orange, pink, and white coral. Similar to this are 
Corallium elatius, C. japonicum, and C. secundum, which maily live off the 
coasts of Japan, China, Indochina, the Philippines, and other archipelagos 
of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Coral colonies occupy large areas 
especially in the Pacific, but also near the coast of South Africa, in the 
Red Sea, and to the east of Australia.  These latter colonies, however, 
consist of madrepore, which has little in common with the corals used as 
ornaments.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Most of the coral used since antiquity as an 
ornamental material comes from the calcareous skeletons of colonies of 
marine organisms of the phylum Cnidaria, order Corgonacea, genus 
Corallium. Corals take a good polish. They also have a certain degree of 
elasticity and can be heated and bent into bangles. Thin brancehes were 
and still are polished, pierced, and threaded, unaltered, into necklaces. 
Larger pieces are cut into spherical or faceted necklace beads, pear 
shapes for pendant jewelry, or cabochons. It is also used for carved 
pieces and small figurines, in both oriental and western
art styles. The most highly prized varities of coral are those that are a 
uniform, strong bright red.

NAME: The name is derived from the Latin [corallium,] related to the Greek 
[korallion].

LEGEND and LORE: The oldest known findings of red coral date from the
Mesopotamian civilization, i.e. from about 3000 BC. For centuries, this 
was the coral par excellence, and at the time of Pliny the Elder it was 
apparently much appreciated in India, even more than in Europe.Red coral 
has traditionally been used as a protection from the "evil eye" and as a 
cure for sterility.  One of the Greek names for Coral was Gorgeia, from 
the tradition that blood dripped from the Head of Medea, which Perseus had 
deposited on some branches near the sea-shore; which blood, becoming hard, 
was taken by the Sea Nymps, and planted in the sea. (8)

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Coral is associated with Venus, Isis and Water. It has 
been used as a form of protective magic for children for hundreds of 
years.  Cunningham recommends it as a luck-attractor for living 
areas.Sailors use it as a protection from bad weather while at sea. 
Red-orange coral is one of the four element gemstones of the Pueblo 
Indians. It is one of the four colors used for the directions in the 
Hopi/Zuni Road of Life. Coral is considered a representative of the warm 
energy of the Sun, and the southern direction.

HEALING: Coral's healing properties are mostly associated with Women, 
young children and the elderly. For women it is said to increase fertility 
and regulate menstration. For young children, it is recommended to ease 
teething and to prevent epilepsy. For the elderly, it is used as a cure 
for arthritis.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use coral at the lower Chakras for "Women's 
Healing." In  particular, I will use it for disorders relating to female 
reproductive organs.  I also use it magically, to represent female 
fertility.I have used it with some success for arthritis, but only for 
women. This is one of the stones that I "reserve" for female/feminine use. 
(I use Carnelian as the "male" counterpart.)  I have not had an 
opportunity to try it for a young child.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones".

2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.

3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.

4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

7. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

8. Some occult lore is from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious 
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.

EMERALD

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:Emerald is a type of Beryl, Beryllium aluminum 
silicate, frequently with some sodium, lithium and cesium.It's chemistry 
is Be3Al2Si6O18. Beryls range in color from Bright green (emerald), blue, 
greenish blue (aquamarine), yellow (golden beryl), red, pink (morganite) 
to white. The streak is colorless. It's hardness is 7-1/2 to 8. The 
crystals are Hexagonal and they are common. Fine emeralds have velvety 
body appearance; their value lies in their even distribution of color. 
Inclusions are common in emerald, but other stones of this group are 
usually most valuable when free of flaws.

ENVIRONMENT: Beryl develops in pegmatites and certain metamorphic rocks. 
It occurs with quartz, microcline, and muscovite in pegmatites, and with 
quartz, muscovite, and almandine in schist of regional metamorphic rocks.

OCCURENCE: Best emerald comes from Colombia.(NOTE: it is not necessary to 
spend thousands of dollars for a tiny chip of emerald to add to your 
healing/ magical collection. If you look around in rock shops, you may be 
able to come across some "less than perfect" stones that aren't faceted. 
I've found 4 of them, slightly larger than my fingernail and they were 
about $3.00 each.)

NAME: The name is from the Greek [beryllos] indicating any green gemstone.

LEGEND and LORE: Emerald is considered a birthstone for the month of May.

    "Who first beholds the light of day,
    In spring's sweet flowery month of May,
    And wears an Emerald all her life,
    Shall be a loved, and happy wife." (5)

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: "If you wish to bring a love into your life, buy an 
emerald and charge it with your magical need through your visualization, 
perhaps while placing it near a green candle. After this ritual, wear or 
carry the emerald somewhere near your heart. Do this in such a way that it 
cannot be seen by others. When you meet a future love, you'll know it 
wasn't the visible jewel that attracted him or her." (3) The Greeks 
associated this stone with the Goddess Venus. It has come to represent, 
for many people, the security of love.  Emerald, like allmost all of the 
green stones, is also advantageous for business/money ventures.

HEALING: Emerald is said to aid perception and inner clarity. Because of 
this, they are also associated with healing diseases of the eye, and 
problems affecting eyesight. It was believed that emeralds could 
counteract poisons and cure disentary.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:I sometimes use Emeralds in a stone layout. I will use 
them for their psychological/spiritual values of clarity and perception. 
If I am using them for this purpose, I use them in the area of the Heart 
Chakra, in conjunction with Rose Quartz, or Rhodochrosite for balanced 
energy. I've also used them for prosperity 
consciousness.-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner. Other sources may be "Stone 
Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

5. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious 
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.


---
GARNET (PYROPE)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Pyrope Garnets are from a group of very closely 
related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Pyrope variety is 
Mg3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from deep red to reddish black 
and on rare occasions from purple and rose to pale purplish red (sometimes 
called [rhodolite].) The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and 7-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Pyrope occurs with olivine and hypersthene in peridotite of 
plutonic rocks.

OCCURENCE: Pyrope Garnets occur in peridotite in Kentucky, Arkansas, 
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. In the latter half of the nineteenth 
century, most Pyrope came from Bohemia, where it is still found today. The 
main sources nowadays, however, are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, the 
United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: The garnet species with red or purple varieties,
including Pyrope are considered gemstones. Usually bright red, Pyrope can 
be a much less attractive brick or dark red. It can be perfectly 
transparent, but this feature is less visible in dark specimens. It is 
either made into fairly convex cabochons, or faceted, with an oval or 
round mixed cut or, more rarely, a step cut. The faceted gems have good 
luster, rather less obvious in cabochons. The most valuable types are, of 
course, the transparent ones with the brightest red color. Pyrope is 
relatively common, although less so than almandine. Very large stones, up 
to several hundred carats have been found; but these are rare and are 
found in museums and famous collections.

NAME: The name comes from the Greek [pyropos,] meaning "fiery." The name
"Garnet" comes from the Latin [granatus,] meaning "seed-like".

LEGEND and LORE: Pyrope Garnet has long been associated with love, 
passion, sensuality and sexuality. Some Asiatic tribes used red garnets as 
bullets for sling bows because they pierced their victims quickly, and 
could not be seen well in the body when they mingled with the blood. 
Throughout the ages, Pyrope has been used as a curative for all types of 
ailments dealing with blood.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Pyrope is directly linked with the Will. As such, it 
is a strong stone for the Magician and Shaman. It is associated with Fire 
and Mars, Strength and Protection. It will help the practitioner tap into 
extra energy for ritualistic purposes.

HEALING: While all Garnets are associated with the Root Chakra, Pyrope is 
particularly symbolic. It is used for healing when the subject involved 
has "lost the will to live", since it is directly related to the desire to 
live and achieve in this lifetime. This stone warms and aids blood 
circulation, rouses sexuality and heals the reproductive system and the 
heart.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: If you are already a strong willed individual or have 
a fiery temper that you need to learn to control, I suggest that you work 
with the Alamandine Garnets, rather than the Pyropes. This is a good stone 
to use for treating depression. Very often, when I've "worked" on an 
individual who has suffered a heart attack, I find that the individual is 
rather severely depressed (which I think is a side effect of the 
medication) and has lost the will to continue in this lifetime. I've found 
that fiery red Pyrope Garnets are a great help in this situation.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Latin name [carbunculus,] (small coal or ember), is 
attributed to all red transparent stones. It is more often applied to 
Pyropes when they are formed into cabochons than any other stone.

-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide to 
Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane 
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative 
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
     ---------------------------------------------------------------
GARNET (ALMANDINE)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:  Almandine Garnets are from a group of very 
closely related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Almandine 
variety is Fe2/3+Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from deep red to 
brown and brownish black. The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and 7-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Almandine occurs in diorite of plutonic rocks, and with
andalusite, hornblende, and biotite in hornfels and schist of contact and 
regional metamorphic rocks.

OCCURENCE: Well-formed crystals of Almandine have come from Wrangell, SE 
Alaska; from Emerald Creek, Benewah Co., Idaho; and from Michigamme, 
Michigan.  Gemstone quality material is obtained in large quantities from 
Sri Lanka and India, where it is also cut; other sources are Burma, 
Brazil, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Australia.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Most red garnets come under the name Almandine, even 
when their composition is midway between that of Pyrope and Almandine and 
similar, in many cases, to that of Rhodolite. The reason for this is the 
similarity in their color and absorption spectrum characteristics. 
Almandine has a brilliant luster, but its transparency is frequently 
marred, even in very clear stones, by excessive depth of color. The 
cabochon cut is widely used, often being given a strongly convex shape and 
sometimes a concave base, in an effort to lighten
the color by reducing the thickness. Rose cuts have also been used,
particularly in the past. Nowdays, when the material is quite transparent, 
faceted cuts are used as well, and sometimes square or rectangular step 
cuts.  Gems of several carats are not uncommon. Faceted or even barely 
rounded pieces of Almandine, pierced as necklace beads, were very common 
in the recent past, but are now considered old-fashioned.

NAME: The name Almandine comes from [carbunculus alabandicus,] after the 
city of Alabanda in Asia Minor, where gems were traded at the time of 
Pliny theElder.

LEGEND and LORE: All red Garnet has long been associated with love, 
passion, sensuality and sexuality. Garnet is considered a birthstone for 
those born in January:

"By her in January born
No gem save Garnets should be worn;
They will ensure her constancy,
True friendship, and fidelity."

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: The darker Garnets are associated with the Will and 
the Source of Life Incarnate. This is who and what we are in this 
lifetime. This stone is worn for protective purposes, and is thought to 
drive off demons and phantoms.

HEALING: Almandine Garnets are used to heal skin conditions associated 
with poor circulation. They improve vigor, strength and endurance.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Almandine Garnets are particularly effective when 
healing "traumas" that are carried over from a past life and deal with 
sexuality and heart/love problems.

-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide to 
Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane 
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative 
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

GARNET (SPESSARTINE)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:  Spessartine Garnets are from a group of very 
closely related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Spessartine 
variety is Mn3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from brownish red to 
hyacinth-red.  The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and 7-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Spessartine occurs with albite and muscovite in granite 
pegmatites and with quartz and riebeckite in blue schist or regional 
metamorphic rocks..

OCCURENCE: Large corroded crystals of Spessartine have come from the 
Rutherford No. 2 Mine, Amelia, Amelia Co., Virginia; crystals up to 1" in 
diameter have been found in several pegmatites in the Ramona District, San 
Diego Co., California; sharp, dark-red, well-formed crystals occur in 
cavities in rhyolite near Ely, White Pine C., Nevada; and brilliant 
crystals of Spessartine have been found with topaz at Ruby Mt., near 
Nathrop, Chaffee Co., Colorado. Gem material comes from the gem gravels of 
Sri Lanka and Burma. It is also found in Brazil and Madagascar.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: The gem variety of Spessartine Garnet is uncommon. 
It tends to be midway between spessartine and almandine in composition. 
The "aurora red", orange-red or orange-pink color is typical. It has good 
transparency and considerable luster. It is normally given a mixed, round, 
or oval cut. The weight does not normally exceed a few carats. Gems of 
about 10 carats are extremely rare and usually of an atypical, rather 
dark, unattactive color.

NAME: Spessartine is named after an occurrence in the spessart district,
Bavaria, Germany.

LEGEND and LORE: In the 13th century garnets were thought to repel insect 
stings. A magical treatise, "The Book of Wings", dating from the 
thirteenth century says "The well-formed image of a lion, if engraved on a 
garnet, will protect and preserve honors and health, cures the wearer of 
all diseases, brings him honors, and guards him from all perils in 
traveling."

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Spessartine is normally considered to be red-orange to 
orange-pink. Thus it links the "will" with the "desire". It is a good 
stone to use when casting a spell for your "heart's desire", especially if 
it is of the orange-pink" variety.

HEALING: The orange garnets are linked to the root and the belly chakra. 
They are beneficial in instances of infertility, dealing with reproductive 
organs. Mentally, it inspires confidence in personal creativity and 
self-worth.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Spessartine is not as effective as Carnelian for 
instances of infertility. But it DOES help the mental attitude of the 
individual experiencing the difficulty. It is a warming stone, and works 
well for increasing circulation in the lower part of the body.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide to 
Gems and Precious Stones".

3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.

4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.

5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.

7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.

8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane 
Stein.

9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative 
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.

10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

---
GARNET (GROSSULAR)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:  Grossular Garnets are from a group of very 
closely related calcium silicates. The Chemistry for the Grossular variety 
is Ca3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from yellow, pink and brown 
through white and colorless. The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and 7-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Grossular occurs with wollastonite, calcite, and vesuvianite 
in hornfels of contact metamorphic rocks.

OCCURENCE: Being the commonest of all garnets, it is found in a variety of 
locations. Fine colorless crystals up to 1/2" across occur in Gatineau and 
Magantic Cos., Quebec, fine lusterous pale brown crystals up to 3" across 
were found near Minot, Androscoggin Co., Main, and beautiful white and 
pick crystals up to 4" across have been found near Xalostoc, Morelos, 
Mexico.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Grossular also has the typical crystal form of 
garnets, occuring in isolated crystals which are often complete, in the 
shape of a rhombic dodecahedron, sometimes combined with a trapezohedron. 
They vary from transparent to semiopaque. The typical color is light 
(gooseberry) yellowish green; but they can be a strong to bluish green, 
honey yellow or pinkish yellow, or even colorless. When transparent, the 
crystals have good luster.  Like other garnets, they have no cleavage. The 
greenish to yellowish varieties are used as gems.  Grossular is not a rare 
mineral. The types used as gems mainly come from the gem gravels of Sri 
Lanka (honey yellow variety); the the United States, Canada, Mexico, 
Madagascar, Kenya. The green variety of
grossular garnet, discovered a few decades ago and found mainly in Kenya, 
near the Tsavo National Park, is also known as Tsavorite (or Tsavolite) It 
is a light, verdant, or dark green, similar to the color of the better 
green tourmalines and sometimes, it is said, even comparable to African 
emerald. It has good luster. These gems, which are usually given a round 
or pear-shaped mixed cut, or occasionally a brilliant cut, are generally 
small, rarely exceeding one carat and never more than a few carats.

NAME: Grossular is from the New Latin [grosssularia,] "gooseberry," 
because some Grossular crystals are pale green like the fruit.

LEGEND and LORE: I do not find anything referring specifically to yellow 
or green garnets in my sources.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: While deep red garnets focus on "Will" and orange-red 
garnets focus on "Desire", yellow garnets are focused on Personal Power 
and Personality. In addition they are (because of their color) associated 
with athletic prowess and Oriental philosophies.

HEALING: Being linked to the Solar Plexus Chakra, yellow garnets are
energizing. They can be used for the digestive organs, the diaphram (and 
the breath) and eyesight. Green garnets center their healing on the Heart 
Chakra.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: It is difficult to find a green stone that works well 
for the lower chakras and the lower half of the body. When I do total 
layouts for individuals with Aids, I use all green stones, whenever 
possible. The Green garnets work well for this. Since Garnet is the stone 
of the Root Chakra, the Will, and green is the color of the Heart Chakra, 
love, circulation, general healing, this stone works exceptionally well. I 
find that the yellow garnets work better for magical purposes than 
healing. For healing, there are several
yellow stones that seem to work better for me.

NOTES: Garnets are used in industry as an abrasive.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide to 
Gems and Precious Stones".

3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.

4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.

5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.

7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.

8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane 
Stein.

9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative 
Powers
of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.

10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks,
by <grin> Tandika Star.

-----------------------------------------------------
LAZURITE (LAPIS LAZULI)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Lazurite is a silicate of sodium calcium and 
aluminum, with some sulfur. It is a member of the sodalite group. It's 
chemistry is (Na, Ca)8(Al,Si)12O24(S,SO)4. The color ranges in shades of 
blue from violet blue and azure blue thru greenish-blue. Lazurite is 
distinguished from sodalite by its deeper color and fine grain. It is also 
softer and lighter in weight than lazulite. It is dull to greasy and the 
streak is pale blue. The hardness ranges between 5 and 5-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Crystals are rare. It is usually granular, compact, massive. 
It forms in association with pyrite, calcite, and diopside in hornfels of 
contact metamorphic rocks. The opaque, vivid blue, light blue, 
greenish-blue, or violet-blue stone, consisting largely of lazurite but 
with appreciable amounts of calcite, diopside, and pyrite, is a rock 
called [lapis lazuli.] The stone is usually veined or spotted. Its value 
depends largely upon excellence and uniformity of color and absence of 
pyrite, although some purchasers prefer lapis with pyrite.

OCCURRENCE: Lazurite is a rare mineral in North America, but it does occur 
on Italian Mt. in the Sawatch Mts. of Colorado; on Ontario Peak in the San 
Gabriel Mts., Los Angeles Co., and in Cascade Canyon in the San Bernardino 
Mts., San Bernardino Co., California. The finest lapis lazuli has come 
from Badakshan in Afghanistan, and less valuable material has come from 
Russia and Chile.

NAME:  The name is from the Arabic [lazaward], "heaven," which was also 
applied to sky-blue lapis lazuli.

LEGEND and LORE: Lapis Lazuli was a favorite stone of the ancient 
Egyptians. In the past Lazurite has been burned and ground to form the 
pigment "ultramarine." It was consider an aid to childbirth, and has long 
been associated with altered states of consciousness and trance work. 
Lapis is sometimes designated as a birthstone for December, although 
turquoise is most common.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: To quote Cunningham: "This stone is used in rituals
designed to attract spiritual love. Take an untumbled piece of lapis with 
a sharp edge.  Empower the stone and a pink candle with your need for 
love. Then, using the lapis lazuli, carve a heart onto the candle. Place 
the stone near the candleholder and burn the candle while visualizing a 
love coming into your life." Actually, the most important magical aspect 
of lapis is it's ability to strengthen psychic awareness. Cunningham says 
"Despite its somewhat high price, lapis lazuli is one stone every stone 
magician should own and utilize."(2)

HEALING: This stone is used at the Ajina, the Brow Chakra. It's related 
gland is the pituitary. The pituitary gland is also referred to as the 
"master gland" because it regulates all of the others. This location is 
also the center for the eyes, ears, nose and brain.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I don't often use Lapis for physical healing, unless 
I feel that there is a "link" between what is manifested as disease, and 
some conflict of the "higher self". I have used it for brain disorders 
(tumors, inflammation, etc.) More often, I use it in layouts where the 
client is trying to achieve an altered state of consciousness.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurrence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

--------------------------------------------------

LEPIDOLITE

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Lepidolite a potassium, lithium, aluminum 
fluorsilicate mica. Its chemistry is complex: K(Li,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10(F,OH)2. 
It is pink, lilac, yellowish, grayish white or a combination of all of 
these. The streak is colorless. It is one of the softer stones, with a 
hardness of 2-1/2 to 3.

ENVIRONMENT: Lepidolite is confined to granite pegmatites, where it occurs 
either as fine-granular masses near the core of the pegmatite or as stubby 
or tabular crystals in cavities. It is commonly associated with 
microcline, quartz, and tourmaline.

OCCURENCE: Large fine masses of lepidolite have been mined at the Stewart 
Pegmatite at Pala, and superb sharp crystals have been obtained from the 
Little Three Pegmatite near Ramona, both in San Diego Co., California. It 
has also been mined in substantial amounts in several New England states 
and in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

NAME: The name comes from the Greek [lepidos], meaning 'scale', in 
allusion to the scaly aggregates in which the mineral commonly occurs.

LEGEND and LORE: Lepidolite is a stone that could certainly be considered 
"new age" in the sense that it is just now coming into recognition by 
healers and magicians. There is no "past lore" on this stone, to the best 
of my knowledge.  Part of this may be due to the fact, that it is native 
to the United States.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: "This stone soothes anger, hatred or any other 
negative emotion. To quiet the entire house, place lepidolite stones in a 
circle around a pink candle." (2)

HEALING: Lepidolite is also know as the "Dream Stone". It will protect the 
individual from nightmares, especially those caused by stress or an upset 
in personal relationships. It can be used in the same types of 
circumstances as Kunzite, namely for manic depression or schizophrenia.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: This is one of the most soothing and relaxing stones 
I've ever held. It is a beauty to look at, and calms the mind enabling it 
to concentrate on the TRUE source of a problem...instead of running around 
in frantic circles accomplishing nothing. The more rubellite in the stone, 
the better it will help the heart and mind work together.

NOTES: Lepidolite has been used as a source of lithium. The above 
description of the appearance of this stone may be deceiving, as I found 
Cunningham's to be, also. All of the specimens of this stone that I have 
seen so far have been grey to a pale lavendar grey with "sparkles" of the 
lithium mica embedded in it. The heart-shaped cabuchon that I have also 
has very distinctive crystals of rubellite (pink tourmaline) and veins of 
white running through it. I was originally looking for a MUCH brighter 
lavendar stone. It is unusual, also, to find specimens that are cut and 
polished. Usually the stone is too "crumbly" to take a good polish. 
However, it is equally handsome in rough form.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

------------------------------------------------------
MALACHITE

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Malachite is a basic copper carbonate. It's 
chemistry is Cu2CO3(OH)2. It ranges in color from emerald green thru grass 
green to shades of silky pale green. The streak is light green. It's 
hardness is 3-1/2 to 4.  Crystals are rare. Most gem specimens display 
distinctive concentric colorbanding; (alternating dark green and light 
green bands.)

ENVIRONMENT: Malachite is a secondary copper mineral and develops in the 
zone of alteration in massive, lode, and disseminated hydrothermal 
replacement deposits.  Associated minerals are azurite, limonite, and 
chalcopyrite.

OCCURENCE: The copper mines at Bisbee, Chochise Co., Arizona, are famous 
for their fine specimens of massive malachite and pseudomorphs of 
malachite after azurite. Mines at Morenci in Greenlee Co., and at Globe in 
Gila Co., Arizona, have yielded beautiful malachite specimens, of which 
some consist of alternating layers of green malachite and blue azurite. 
Fine malachite has also come from copper mines in California, Nevada, 
Utah, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

NAME: The name is from the Greek [moloche], "mallow," an illusion to the
mineral's leaf-green color. Malachite is used as an ore of copper and as a 
gemstone.

LEGEND and LORE: It is said that if malachite is worn, it will break into 
pieces to warn the wearer of danger.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Used to direct power towards magical goals. 
Protective, especially towards children. According to Cunningham, "Small 
pieces of malachite placed in each corner of a business building or a 
small piece placed in the cash register draws customers. Worn during 
business meetings or trade shows, it increases your ability to obtain good 
deals and sales. It is the salesperson's stone." (2)

HEALING: If the malachite is of the blue-green variety, it can be 
associated with the Sacral Center, or Splenic Chakra (Svadisthana). Here, 
it's energy branches to the left, to the spleen. (It is intended in this 
position for those who are celebate.) In addition, if it is grass-green, 
it can be used at the Lumbar/Solar Plexis Center. "When the malachite is 
placed at the solar plexus and a piece of green jade is placed at the 
heart center and a double-terminated quartz crystal is placed between 
them, people may remember events that have been blocked for years. They 
may cry or scream. As these buried emotions are brought
to the surface and released, a great weight is lifted and they soon feel
renewed." (3)

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I am very careful about using Malachite. It has been 
my experience that the emotions that it releases can be very powerful, to 
the point of overwhelming some people. On the other hand, if the 
individual is ready to deal with them (in a "growth" period) it may work 
out just fine. You could "balance" the emotional content with a pink stone 
(such as rose quartz) to cut down some on the intensity.

A few years ago, I broke my arm. To do so, I damaged the muscles and 
nerves in my wrist. I was in a lot of pain, and was searching for what I 
could do to help the situation. During a journey, I saw malachite, so I 
found a malachite heart which I held in the palm of the broken arm while 
meditating. I got a lot of relief from it. Now, if the wrist acts up, I 
use the heart, taped over the wrist area when I go to bed at night. It 
seems to help quite a bit. I now recommend malachite for nerve/muscle 
damage with some success. (4)

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

--------------------------------------------------
MOONSTONE

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Moonstone is one variation of Orthoclase. It owes 
its beautiful silvery to bluish sheen ('adularescence' or 'schiller') to 
its composition of extremely thin plates of orthoclase and albite. The 
thinner these plates are, the bluer is the sheen. There are also 
moonstones consisting mainly of albite. These are less translucent, but 
they can occur in a variety of colours: grey, blue, green, brown, yellow 
and white. There are also moonstone cat's-eyes. The chemical composition 
is KAlSi3O8 and the hardness is 7. The streak is white.

ENVIRONMENT: The potash feldspars are important rock-forming minerals in 
plutonic, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks. Adularia and sanidine are found 
usually in volcanic rocks.

OCCURENCE: The main countries of origin are Ceylon, southern India (the
district near Kangayam), Tanzia and Malagasy which, together with Burma, 
produces some of the finest stones with a deep blue schiller. White 
adularia crystals up to 2.5 cm (1") across have been found in gold-bearing 
quartz veins at Bodie, Mono Co., California, and in the silver mines of 
the Silver City district, Owhyee Co., Idaho.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Moonstone is always cut into cabochons, to display 
the cat's-eye, or schiller.

NAME: Adularia (another name for Moonstone) comes from the locality in
Switzerland, the Adula Mts.

LEGEND and LORE: This stone has always been revered because of its lunar
attraction. It was believed that the shiller in the stone would follow the 
cycles of the moon. (Becoming greatest when the moon was full.) In 
addition, it has always been considered a "feminine, or Goddess" stone.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Meditation with moonstone calls into consciousness the 
three-form moon phase goddesses, Diana/Selene/Hecate, the waxing, Full and 
waning Moon. These are woman as goddess in her ages and contradictions, 
Maiden/Mother/Crone. Cunningham favors this stone for spells involving 
love. In addition he has a longish essay on using it for a "diet" stone.

HEALING: Because of it's feminine nature, Moonstone has long been 
considered a "womans healing stone". It is used traditionally for 
healing/balancing of female organs and hormones.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use Moonstone at the Transpersonal Point, for 
connection to the Goddess and Universal Feminine Energy. This is the 
connection to dreams and dreaming, feminine "intuition", and "cycles". 
There are cycles of time, seasons, the moon, stars, etc. I also use/give 
this stone for those clients who are having difficulty being in tune with 
the feminine side of their nature.  (Everyone has a masculine and a 
feminine side.)

NOTES: In the past, this stone has also been called "Cylon Opal".

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.

3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

7. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

8. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious 
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.

-----------------------------------------------
OBSIDIAN

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Obsidian occurs as volcanic lava flows that are 
thick and of limited area. Its black, glassy, lustrous, and often 
flow-banded appearance makes it rather easy to distinguish from the other 
volcanic rocks with which it is commonly associated. This mineral forms 
when a silica-rich magma of granitic composition flows onto the earth's 
surface, where it solidifies before minerals can develop and crystallize. 
It is, therefore, an amorphous solid or glass rather than an aggregate of 
minerals. The hardness of Obsidian is between 6 and 7; it will scratch 
window glass. Although generally black, it is more or less smoky along 
translucent to transparent edges; other colors are gray, reddish brown, 
mahogany and dark green. When it has small white
"flower" designs in it, it is called Snowflake Obsidian. It is also 
possible to find pieces with a sheen, or chatoyance. This is often called 
Rainbow Obsidian.

ENVIRONMENT: Obsidian is an environment for very few minerals. Lithophysae 
and spherulites may contain small but beautiful crystals of feldspar, 
tridymite, and cristobalite.

OCCURENCE: Some locations of Obsidian bodies are California (Inyo, 
Imperial, and Modoc Cos.), Oregon (Crater Lake), Wyoming (Yellowstone 
Park), and Mexico (near Pachuca.)

NAME: The name is dervied from the latin name for the mineral, [obsio.]

LEGEND and LORE: Polished pieces of black Obsidian have been used for 
Scrying.  Primitive peoples once valued obsidian highly, chipping and 
flaking it into knives, spearheads, and many other implements with 
razor-sharp edges resulting from the intersecting conchoidal fractures.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Obsidian is a very protective stone. It is also 
associated with the inner mysteries of the Goddess, symbolizing entrance 
to the labyrinth, the womb or the subconscious self.

HEALING: Because of its protective qualities, Obsidian is a good stone for 
those who are soft-hearted and gentle. It will help to guard them against 
abuse. This stone cleanses toxins from the liver, so it is also good for 
people who are exposed to environmental pollutants.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: This is the "balance" stone for Clear Quartz 
Crystals. We jokingly refer to it around here as a "dark sucker"...meaning 
it will absorb all sorts of negative things. It is also a grounding stone, 
and I use it at the Base Chakra (below the feet) at the beginning of a 
layout to keep my client "grounded". In India, the women wear obsidian toe 
rings for the same purpose. I use Black Obsidian in conjunction with 
Quartz. If I'm not using Clear Quartz, I use Snowflake Obsidian. I also 
have a piece of Rainbow Obsidian, but it is relatively new and I haven't 
finished "conversing" with it, so I have no advice
as to how to use it...at the moment.


-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

----------------------------------------------
OPAL

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Opal is hydrous silica, often with some iron and
aluminum. Its chemistry is SiO2.nH2O; amount of water varies up to 10 
percent. It ranges in color from White, yellow, red, pink, brown to gray, 
blue and even colorless. It is most easily recognized by its rich internal 
play of colors (opalescence). Its hardness ranges from 5-1/2 to 6-1/2. It 
is vitreous and pearly. The streak is white. It is not found in crystal 
form, rather is is usually massive, botryoidal, reniform, stalactitic, 
and/or earthy.

ENVIRONMENT: Opal is a low-temperature mineral and usually develops in a 
wide variety of rocks as cavity and fracture fillings. It requently 
develops as amygdules in basalt and rhyolite of volcanic rock and replaces 
the cells in wood and the shells of clams.

OCCURENCE: Common opal is widespread and can be readily obtained at many
places, but localities for precious opal are rare and seem to localized in 
W United States and Mexico. Magnificent examples of opalized wood can be 
found in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and lively green 
fluorescing opal (hyalite) occurs in seams in pegmatites in New England 
and North Carolina and in cavities in basalt near Klamath Falls, Oregon. 
Beautiful precious opal, as a replacement in wood, has been obtained in 
Virgin Valley, Humboldt Co., Nevada.  Excellent fire and precious opal 
occur in laval flows in N Mexico. Nevada, Australia, and Honduras are 
sources for black opal; Australia and Czechoslovakia
for white opal; Mexico and SW United States for fire opal. 

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Black, dark blue, dark green opal with dark gray 
body color and fine play of colors is called [black opal;] opal with white 
or light body color and fine play of color is called [white opal;] and 
transparent to translucent opal with body color ranging from orange-yellow 
to red and a play of colors is called [fire opal.] Play of colors depends 
upon interference of light and is not dependent upon body color. Black 
opal is the most highly prized, and fire opal is the most valued of the 
orange and red varieties. Most opal is fashioned into cabochons, but some 
fire opals are faceted.

NAME: The word is from the Sanskrit [upala,] meaning "precious stone."

LEGEND and LORE: Opal is a birthstone for October.

    "October's child is born for woe,
    And life's vicissitudes must know;
    But lay an  Opal on her breast,
    And hope will lull those foes to rest." (5)

Opals have traditionally been considered "lucky" stones...but only for 
those born in the month of October. It has been considered bad luck to 
wear them if you were born in any other month.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Opal is considered to be able to confer the gift of
invisibility on its wearer. To accomplish this, Cunningham says "The gem 
was wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and carried for this purpose." He also 
says, "Opals are also worn to bring out inner beauty. A beauty spell: 
Place a round mirror on the altar or behind it so that you can see your 
face within it while kneeling.  Place two green candles on eithe side of 
the mirror. Light the candles. Empower an opal with your need for beauty 
-- while holding the stone, gaze into your reflection. With the scalpel of 
your visualization, mold and form your face (and your body) to the form 
you desire. Then, carry or wear the opal and dedicate
yourself to improving your appearance." (2)

HEALING: Opals contain all the colors of the other stones, thus, it could 
be used in place of any of them. (They are akin to quartz crystals, in 
this aspect.) Generally speaking, Opal is used more frequently for healing 
the spirit, rather than the physical body.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Opals are probably my favorite stone. This may be
partially due to the fact that they are my birthstone, and I have been 
surrounded by them all of my life. For me, they are protective and 
invigorating. I normally use them during Journeying, and when doing 
"readings" for other...anything where I am using altered states of 
consciousness. I find that they help me to understand the symbols of my 
visions in a way that makes them meaningful for others.

-------bibliography-------

1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".

2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's 
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.

3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A 
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.

4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.

5. Birthday poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious Stones" 
by William T. Fernie, M.D.

-----------------------------------------------------
VESUVIANITE (IDOCRASE)

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Vesuvianite is composed of calcium, magnesium and 
aluminum silicate, often with some beryllium and fluorine. The chemistry 
is Ca10Mg2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2)7)2(OH)4. Specimens range from brown and green to 
a rare yellow or blue. The hardness is 6-1/2.

ENVIRONMENT: Vesuvianite forms by igneous and metamorphic processes. It
commonly is metamorphic and occurs with grossular, wollastonite, and 
calcite in hornfels of contact metamorphic rocks; with chromite and 
magnetite in serpentinite of hydrothermal metamorphic rocks; and with 
wollastonite, andradite, and diopside in carbonatites.

OCCURENCE: Gem-quality Vesuvianite has been obtained from a pegmatite in 
marble near Sixteen Island Lake, Laurel, Argenteuil Co., Quebec, and 
beautiful micromount cyrstals of purplish-pink color occur in massive 
Vesuvianite at the Montral chrome pit at Black Lake, Megantic Co., Quebec. 
The blue variety called [cyprine] has been obtained at Franklin, Sussex 
Co., New Jersey. Fine crystals up to 1-1/2 inches across occur in 
pale-blue calcite at Scratch Gravel, near Helena, Lewis and Clark Co., 
Montana, and spectacular material of similar nature occurs at quarries 
near Riverside, California. Beautiful pale-green massive Vesuvianite 
([californite]) occurs in California at Pulga, Butte Co.,
and near Happy Camp, Siskiyou Co., and crude yellow prismatic crystals 
occur with grossular at Xalostoc, Morelos, and Lake Jaco, Chihuahua, 
Mexico.

GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Translucent gray to green or nearly colorless 
Vesuvianite with green streaks is called [californite], and is often sold 
as "California Jade." Californite is fashioned into cabochons. Principal 
sources are the USSR, Italy, Canada and California.

NAME: The name "Vesuvianite" is from the original locality at Mt. 
Vesuvius, Italy. The alternate name, "idocrase," comes from the Greek 
[eidos,] "form", and [krasis,] "mixture," because Vesuvianite may appear 
to combine the crystal forms of several other minerals.

LEGEND and LORE: None found.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Dolfyn associates this stone with Passion, enthusiasm, 
warmth and devotion.

HEALING: No specific information found, other than what Dolfyn states.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: None. I do not have a specimen of Vesuvianite.

-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased 
from)"The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and 
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide to 
Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from 
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Some magical and healing information from "Crystal Wisdom, Spiritual
Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane 
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative 
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and 
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
 AUTHOR:  Jon Trott and Mike Hertenstein
 SOURCE:  Cornerstone, vol. 21, iss. 98, pp. 7-9,11-14,16-17,19,30,38
   DATE:  1992
  TITLE:  Selling Satan: The Tragic History of Michael Warnke
  NOTES:  Copyright 1992 by Cornerstone Communications, Inc.


                   "I always wanted to write him a letter and
                   say, `Mike, when were you able to have this
                   coven of fifteen hundred people?' About the
                   most exciting thing we used to do was play
                   croquet."
                       __One of Mike Warnke's college friends



                            SELLING SATAN:
                 The Tragic History of Michael Warnke

                   by Jon Trott & Mike Hertenstein



   This is the story of well-known comedian, evangelist, and professed
ex-Satanist Mike Warnke.

   Known as "America's Number One Christian Comedian," Mike Warnke has
sold in excess of one million records. June 29, 1988, was declared
"Mike Warnke Day" by the governor of Tennessee. The Satan Seller has,
according to its author, sold three million copies in twenty years.[1]
His 1991 Schemes of Satan quickly climbed the best-seller list. Mike
Warnke's press material includes credits for appearances on "The 700
Club," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Larry King Live," "Focus on the
Family," and ABC's "20/20." Mike has won numerous awards from the
recording industry, including the 1992 Grady Nutt Humor Award. He
continues to perform two hundred live shows a year. He is truly a
figure of national prominence.

   Mike Warnke's ministry and public profile are based upon the story
he tells of his previous involvement with Satanism. As written in The
Satan Seller, the story goes like this: a young orphan boy raised in
foster homes drifted from whatever family and friends he had to join a
secret, all-powerful satanic cult. First, he descended into the hell of
drug addiction. Then he ascended in the satanic ranks to the position
of high priest, with fifteen hundred followers in three cities. He had
unlimited wealth and power at his disposal, provided by members of
Satanism's highest echelon, the Illuminati. And then he converted to
Christ.

   A generation of Christians learned its basic concepts of Satanism
and the occult from Mike Warnke's testimony in The Satan Seller.
Based on his alleged satanic experiences, Warnke came to be recognized
as a prominent authority on the occult, even advising law enforcement
officers investigating occult crime. We believe The Satan Seller has
been responsible, more than any other single volume in the Christian
market, for promoting the current nationwide "Satanism scare."[2]

   Through the years, Cornerstone has received many calls from people
who felt something was not right concerning Mike Warnke. After our
lengthy investigation into his background, we found discrepancies that
raise serious doubts about the trustworthiness of his testimony. We
have uncovered significant evidence contradicting his alleged satanic
activity. His testimony contains major conflicts from book to book and
tape to book, it contains significant internal problems, and it doesn't
square with known external times and events. Further, we have
documentation and eyewitness testimony that contradict the claims he
has made about himself.

   The evidence we present here includes testimony from Mike's closest
friends, relatives, and daily associates __people whose names Mike
disguised or omitted entirely in his "official" testimony. These people
knew the real Mike Warnke, who was not a drug fiend or a recruiter for
Satanism. But he was a storyteller.

   Michael Alfred Warnke was born November 19, 1946, to Alfred "Al"
Warnke and his wife, Louise. Mike's parents lived in Evansville,
Indiana, and according to their son's confirmation certificate, had
Mike baptized at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.[3]

   When Mike was five, the Warnkes moved to Manchester, Tennessee,
where Al opened Warnke's Truck Stop.[4] Located on Highway 41, north of
town, the diner soon became part of the local landscape. On January 15,
1955, Louise, on her way home from town, lost control of the family's
brand-new Packard and was killed. She was thirty-seven; Mike was eight
years old.[5]

   Mike had other family, too, from his father's previous marriage. His
half sister, Shirley Schrader[6] was twenty-two years older than he
was. She first met Mike in 1954, when Al brought his family to
California on a visit. As Shirley recalls, "Dad, Louise, and Michael
came out to California in the mid-fifties. Prior to that, I wasn't
writing my father. I didn't even know where he was. My dad had
abandoned me when I was little. He was an alcoholic, and maybe twice in
my childhood did he make any effort to communicate with my mother. So I 
was working and they came to my office, very unexpectedly. He says,
`I'm your father,' and he came on big and strong, `Oh, my daughter, my
daughter.' They spent maybe a week in California, and then went back to
Tennessee."

   When Mike's mother was killed, Al flew Shirley to Tennessee for the
funeral. During that visit, Al Warnke asked Shirley if she and her
husband, Keith, would move to Manchester and help run the truck stop.
"You always think, Wouldn't it be neat to know your own dad? That was
probably one of the biggest mistakes I ever made."

   Shirley, Keith, and their six-year-old son Keith, Jr., came out to
Manchester in February of 1955. But Al and Shirley soon had their
problems. "He had me working days, with Thursday off, and he had my
husband working nights, with a different day off. Then there was the
fact that my father was a drunk. We weren't there but a few days when
he went off on a big binge and didn't show up again for a week. There
would have been enough money to support us all. But he forgot we were
supposed to be paid."

   Al Warnke seems to fit the description given him by his son in his
books and records. But what about Mike Warnke? Shirley recalls Mike as
a little boy who spent a lot of time "sitting two feet from the
television. I tried to tell my dad, `Hey, the boy can't see.' And he'd
say, `Don't try to tell me about my son!' And my dad would give the kid
ten bucks and send him uptown. That was a lot of money for those days."

   Disgusted with Al and his truck stop, but feeling empathy for Mike,
the Schraders returned to California. Two years later, Al Warnke was
dead of heart failure.[7]

   Mike Warnke's story of his life, The Satan Seller, opens just
after Al's funeral, with adults discussing Mike's future as he
eavesdrops. As the book indicates, the eleven-year-old boy was
initially placed with his two aunts, Dorothy and Edna, who lived in
Sparta, Tennessee. Warnke has a segment on his Mike Warnke Alive![8]
album called "Tennessee Home and Blankety-Blank," in which he describes
how he raised one aunt's dander with his crude, truck stop ways.

      The first night I was up there this lady came out and she
   said, "Well, honey, how do you think you're gonna like it
   here?" And I said, "Well, this is a pretty nice
   blank-blankety-blank place. We oughta get along pretty
   blank-blankety-blank well as long as you feed me
   blank-blankety properly."

   Aunt Edna Swindell[9] denies any such child appeared at her
Tennessee home. "He was just a typical boy. We had no problems." What
about his claims about being a foulmouthed brat? "He wasn't that here."
Meanwhile, Shirley Schrader was trying to get custody of young Mike.
"We wanted Michael," Shirley recalls. "And we fought through the
courts for Michael for months before they let him come out here."

   Aunt Edna notes, "He stayed with me seven months. I guess if I
wanted him, I could have kept him the entire time. His half sister in
California wanted him, and that's where he wanted to go."

                  Mike Moves in with the Schraders

   During the summer of 1959, Mike went to live with his half sister
and her family near Riverside, California. Shirley confirms Warnke's
story of how his Aunt Edna sent him to California loaded down with
anti-Catholic materials.

   Shirley Schrader took the boys to church __that is, she took her
eleven-year-old son Keith with her to Catholic mass and allowed
thirteen-year-old Mike to attend a nearby Protestant church. "And that
was fine for as long as he wanted to do it, because we weren't going to
force religion on him."

   In Riverside, Keith, Jr., attended a parochial school__St. Francis
deSales. Mike eventually decided he wanted to go to that same parochial
school. "He went for a year, until we moved up on the mountain," says
Shirley.

   In February of 1961, the Schraders and fourteen-year-old Mike moved
to Crestline, a small community planted among the pine trees atop the
San Bernardino Mountains overlooking the vast San Bernardino Valley.

   The Schraders were well respected in Crestline. Community pillars,
they ran a tight ship at home. Keith, Sr., head of the Pilot Rock
Conservation Camp, was in charge of minimum security inmates assigned
to fight forest fires. "We took the boys on camping trips. We rock
hounded. We did things together," recalls Shirley. "We sat them down
and had the sex talk. We had the talk about alcohol. We were a regular
family."

   Keith, Jr., recalls, "Mike and I had a good time growing up
together. We were real close during high school__when we weren't
fighting."[10]

   Mike Warnke attended Rim of the World High School. His best friends
through these years were Tim Smith[11] and Jeff Nesmith.[12] "We'd
spend lots of time at each other's houses," says Jeff Nesmith, "go to
school dances together, proms, and one summer Mike and I worked for my dad 
in the construction business. We weren't hellions, but we weren't
angels either. We had our parties, gate crashed some dances."

   All of Mike's friends and family we were able to contact denied his
assertion that he drifted at one point to a "rougher" crowd. In fact,
most of the kids Mike hung out with were, by all reports, good, clean,
Catholic boys. Tim Smith and another local boy, David Goodwin,[13] were
altar boys at St. Francis Cabrini Church. "Tim and I went to morning
mass every day before school," says Goodwin. "Sometimes Mike Warnke
attended mass with us." Tim's sister Terri explains, "I believe Mike
got interested in Catholicism from hanging out with us. He was like a
piece of furniture at our house."[14]

   One day Mike announced to the Schraders that he, too, wanted to
become a Catholic. In the spring of his senior year in high school,
Warnke was confirmed in the Catholic Church. His sponsor was Tim's dad,
Paul "Jerry" Smith.[15] Two months after being confirmed, Mike
graduated with the rest of his class at Rim High in the class of '65.

   Everybody we talked to who knew Mike Warnke at "Rim" remembers him
first and foremost as a chronic storyteller. His high school partner in
various escapades was Jeff Nesmith. Once, says Jeff, Mike had a date
but no car, and Jeff had his parents' Lincoln. "Mike talked me into
dropping him and his date off at a restaurant and then picking them up
after dinner. Before we picked up Mike's date, we stopped at a local
uniform store and got me a chauffeur's cap. From the moment the girl
got into the car, Mike spun this wild tale about me being an orphan boy
and how his family had taken me in, and how I sometimes performed
various services for them such as being their chauffeur. She just
soaked it all in."

   The thing that always struck Nesmith about his pal was that Warnke
would never break out of character. "We'd go into some restaurant, and
Mike would pretend to be a Russian immigrant who couldn't speak
English. I'd translate Mike's order into English for the waitress.
Sometimes __just to get him__ I'd order something I knew he'd hate. But
Mike was always enough of a pro that he'd stick with it and wouldn't
say anything . . . until we got outside the restaurant and he'd yell at
me."

   The Schraders also knew Mike as a boy with the gift of gab. "Michael
is a showman," says Shirley. "He is an actor, and he always swore he
would never make a living with his hands, that he would make his living
with his mouth." Keith, Jr., adds: "Mike is the kind of guy that can
sell somebody the Golden Gate Bridge. Or swamp land in Florida. I gotta
hand it to him. I wish I was as good a salesman."

   In high school, storytelling had been a diversion, a way to get by.
According to his friends in college, it would increasingly become a
part of Mike Warnke's identity.

                       Mike Warnke at College

   Here begins the critical period described in The Satan Seller, the
defining moment of Mike Warnke's later testimony and ministry__his
involvement with and subsequent banishment from a satanic cult.

   On September 13, 1965, Mike Warnke began school at San Bernardino
Valley College, a two-year school.[16] Mike writes in The Satan
Seller that it was after he started college that he first was
introduced to drugs, sex, and finally Satanism. And, he continues, it
was only after the Satanists threw him out of their coven that he
joined the navy. Warnke's military records say he entered the navy on
June 2, 1966.[17] Therefore, whatever happened in Mike's life regarding
Satanism had to have happened between September 13, 1965, and June 2,
1966. (See sidebar "Under a Full Moon," p. 9.)

   Mike, in his 1991 book, Schemes of Satan, claims to have had no
close friends at college and to have virtually disappeared:

      In my own case, being away from home at college and not
   having any close friends there meant that almost no one could
   have known what was happening to me except, of course, the
   members of the Satanic Brotherhood, and they were not
   telling![18]

   In reality, Mike Warnke simply did what countless other freshmen
have done: he found a new circle of friends. We found that new circle,
and they were not a part of the Satanic Brotherhood. None of these
people are mentioned by Warnke in The Satan Seller or anywhere else.

   Greg Gilbert[19] was one of Mike's first and closest friends at
college. Today an English professor at a southern California
university, Greg reflects upon the notoriety of his old college
roommate. "After Mike became a star, I assumed that since he had gotten
this far with his Satan story, he'd always get away with it. I never
knew what to do. Who could you tell?"

   Right around the time college started in 1965, Greg met Mike through
a mutual friend, Dennis Pekus.[20] Greg was living with his elderly
grandparents in San Bernardino and took Warnke to meet them. "When my
grandparents said they were from Tennessee, Mike said, `I come from
Tennessee, too,' " Greg recalls. "Before the evening was over he had us
all convinced he was a long-lost relative. Next thing we knew, he'd
talked his way into living with us."

   Greg's college girlfriend, Dawn Andrews,[21] gave us her assessment.
"The first time I saw Mike Warnke was at Greg's house. He was
introduced to me as Greg's cousin," says Dawn. "He told everybody he
was. I remember how upset I was when The Satan Seller came out,
because what Warnke said was a lie. He has a very fertile imagination."

   Dyana Cridelich[22] was another of Mike Warnke's college friends
introduced by Greg. "After he got famous, I always wanted to write him
a letter and say, Mike, remember me? The one you gave the silver cross
to? When were you able to have this coven of fifteen hundred people?
Don't you remember, about the most exciting thing we used to do was
play croquet in Greg's backyard?' "

   In The Satan Seller, Mike never mentions croquet. He was too busy
becoming a teenage alcoholic.

      I attended classes regularly at first, but I wasn't about
   to cut down on my drinking. As the days went by, it became
   harder to concentrate on what the professors were saying, but
   I could still talk my way out of anything, and this carried me
   through. I was drinking so much by now, it was starting to
   wreck my stomach."[23]

   Was Mike a heavy drinker? Not according to those who knew him. "We
drank occasionally," says Greg, "but mostly we just talked about it. We
weren't of age, and alcohol was hard to come by."

   This group of college freshmen often sat on the lawn between
classes, or got together in the student union cafeteria, The Tomahawk
Room. It was there that Lois Eckenrod,[24] a girl who was soon to be
his fiancee, joins the story. "Mike and I met in September or October,
that first semester at Valley," Lois said. "It was only a couple of
months before we got engaged. Hardly a day went by that we didn't see
each other."

   His friends remember Mike Warnke as thin, with thick glasses and
short hair. He was bright, he was mainly happy __though Lois remembers
he could swing easily to depression. Yet Mike says in The Satan
Seller that when college started, he was a "heavyset, jovial guy" who
only later lost weight due to drug use. His hair, he writes, was
already collar length. Within a short time, he claims to have become a
full-fledged hippie:

      I made a return trip to the Salvation Army and bought some
   black pants and freaky shirts. My hair was longer than ever,
   and I bleached it blond. I was really craving attention, and I
   got it. You know, weird people attract chicks.[25]

   "He looked like everybody else," says Greg. He did have one constant
accessory, a silver cross. (This cross Warnke gave to Dyana, she says.)

   Warnke writes in The Satan Seller that he frequented a coffeehouse
called Penny University, where he danced, obtained hard liquor, and got
acquainted with the owner while practicing his fake English accent.[26]

   Lois says that she and Mike did go to Penny University, "quite a bit
because Mike really liked folk music. But there was no room for
dancing. The place was full of tables and stuff."

   Cornerstone also talked with John Ingro,[27] who in 1965 not only
owned Penny U., but also was a district attorney (currently he is a San
Bernardino judge). "You couldn't dance there. It was very small, and
packed with chairs. As far as alcohol, we only served coffee at a penny
a cup. That's where the place got its name." As for remembering Mike
and the fake English accent? "No. Is this a joke?"

                  Storytelling in the Tomahawk Room

   Storytelling developed into an art form among the Tomahawk Room
crowd. One student, Gary Manbeck, is remembered as having some of the
best stories. "Gary always told stories about being in the Green
Beret," says Dawn. "He was very good, but I never thought any of it was
true."

   Mike Warnke joined right in. "Gary and Mike vied for attention with
stories, trying to be the life of the party," says George Eubank,[28]
another of the Tomahawk crowd. "Who can one-up ya. That's a real good
description of the two of them together."

   Warnke produced a never-ending stream of tall tales. "He claimed he
had some kind of white witchcraft background," recalls Greg Gilbert.
"He claimed he'd been reincarnated any number of times, that he was
born in the Irish Moors in the 1570s. Along with his other stories, he
claimed he'd once been a Trappist monk."

   In The Satan Seller, Warnke paints himself as a freshman guru,
dispensing wisdom to an eager audience of disciples:

      Most of my friends were the pseudo-intellectual type. We
   liked to lie out on the lawn in the quad after classes and
   discuss psychology, philosophy, religion, art, and politics.
   Other students began coming around, and they seemed to look to
   me for answers to their questions. Anything I said was okay
   with them. And it was certainly okay with me. If they were
   that hung up for a leader, I was happy to oblige." [29]

   Greg Gilbert remembers things this way: "We sat out under the trees
at school, all right. And there were times we listened to Mike tell his
tall tales. But if Mike thought we believed what he was saying, or that
we looked at him like some kind of guru, he was greatly mistaken. We
were all part of the same bragging team."

   It was difficult, at times, to know whether Warnke believed his own
stories or not. "I don't think it was in fun. I think he himself wanted
to believe it," says Phyliss Catalano,[30] Lois's best friend. "I used
to sit there and be embarrassed, because I'd think, How could somebody
that young have done all these things? He'd done everything. And
everything he told was with a straight face."

   Phyliss's mother, Mary Catalano,[31] saw Warnke on a regular basis
when the gang gathered at the Catalano house. "He was a likable young
man when he visited our house," she says, "but anything brought up in
conversation __he'd done it. He said he'd been a Greek dancer, and he'd
dance for us, round and round. He said he'd been a professional
ambulance driver. And he was a monk__he'd come to the house all dressed
in black. Of course, we never believed him. We just said, `Boy, is he
one big liar.' "

   In college, as he'd done in high school, Warnke continued to costume
himself for his roles. Mike particularly liked being a priest. "I
remember at Halloween he dressed up like a priest and went around
pretending," says Dawn. "My parents saw him __they're very Catholic__ so I 
heard about it." Another occasion for the priest impersonation was a 
double date with Lois and Phyliss and her boyfriend David Gibbet. "I'll 
never forget when he went dressed as a priest to Jay's Coffeehouse," says 
Lois. "He met us there, and came walking in wearing robes and a white 
collar. I about died."

   Yet another student, Tom Bolger,[32] recalls Warnke boasting how
he'd dressed as a priest and gone panhandling in downtown San
Bernardino. "He said he'd made fifty dollars." And finally, Greg
recalls Mike unsuccessfully using the priest bit to get drinks. "He got
the robes at a costume shop, went to Corky's Liquor Store, and tried to
get Christian Brothers wine for the mass. They just laughed him out."

          "The Satan Seller" And the Way Things Really Were

   According to The Satan Seller, though, things are by now getting
serious. The story is set in motion by the mysterious college-age
individual named "Dean Armstrong," who Warnke alleges was a satanic
high priest. Mike says Dean lured him into drug use, sexual
promiscuity, witchcraft, and Satanism. We will examine these elements
of the story, then compare each with what witnesses remember. For
starters, Mike's associates at school affirm that none among them
remotely resembled the Dean character in The Satan Seller.

   According to the book, Mike was encouraged by Dean to quit drinking
so much and start smoking marijuana. Mike tells Dean no, but later an
unnamed roommate brings up the subject again:

   My stomach was still hurting. I tried everything I could think
   of, except giving up drinking. My new roommate suggested I try
   . . . [grass], and not wanting to be left out, I finally went
   along with it. . . .
      . . . I really liked marijuana.[33]

   Regarding drug use, Greg laughs. "Drugs? No way, not at Valley, and
not in 1965. Two years later there was plenty of grass around, but back
in '65 we still believed Reefer Madness."

   Did Warnke ever talk about drugs around anybody else? "None of us
were into drugs," says Dyana. "We didn't even smoke cigarettes." Yet in
The Satan Seller, Warnke and his friends are allegedly full-blown
into drug use early in the year:

      When we tried the peyote, we decided it was better and
   heavier than pot. We also started eating mescaline in our food
   in increasing quantities, and from there we went on to reds. .
   . . . . .  Some doctors came to the campus to conduct
   controlled group experiments on [LSD]. My friends and I
   decided to volunteer for the tests.[34]

   Not only do Mike's friends deny controlled or uncontrolled
experimentation with drugs, but according to the records, no LSD
experiments took place on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College.
This was underscored in our conversation with Dr. George Zaharopoulos,
head of the Social Sciences Department at Valley. "I taught here during
those years, and we never, ever, asked for or had any LSD experiments
take place here. This is only a junior college."

   In ®The Satan Seller¯ Mike not only claims to have used drugs, but
to have been a major-league drug trafficker:

      One time I took some money for a drug payoff down to El
   Centro, a burg in the desert of California, not far from the
   border town of Mexicali. A really big load was involved, and
   this caused quite a flap. It was the most money I had ever
   seen at one time __fifty thousand dollars in bundles of
   hundred-dollar bills.[35]

   On his Mike Warnke Alive! album, Mike further claims:

      I'd had hepatitis four times from shooting up with dirty
   needles. I had scabs all over my face from shooting up
   crystal. I was a speed freak. I weighed 110 pounds soaking
   wet. My skin had turned yellow. My hair was falling out. My
   teeth were rotting out of my head. I'd been pistol-whipped
   five or six times. My jaw had been broken. My nose had been
   almost ripped off. I had a bullet hole in my right leg. Two
   bullet holes in my left leg.

   Greg Gilbert and the others saw Mike on a daily basis, and say that
it is totally impossible for Mike to have had hepatitis, facial scabs
from injecting "crystal," and wounds from being shot three times.
"Without us knowing it? It's a lie," Greg says.

   Lois's reaction to Mike's tale? "That's just make-believe," she
states. "Mike never fell in with drugs. My dad was an alcoholic, and
because of our family situation, I'd had to move in with the Catalanos.
So I was really sensitive to things like that. Second, I was training
to be a nurse, and I think I would have known if he was using drugs. I
wouldn't have dated Mike if he was drugged. I didn't even allow people
to drink around me."

   In The Satan Seller, drugs and sex were the magnet that drew Mike
Warnke along. Warnke gradually found himself running errands for Dean,
attending occult discussion meetings, until, finally, Dean decided his
charge was ready for the real thing: a satanic ritual service.

   The Black Mass in an orange grove turned out to be just what anybody
would expect who's seen ®Rosemary's Baby¯ or other films of this genre:
black robes, a naked woman on the altar, blasphemy and incantations.
"After the Invocation of Satan, I listened intently to the Offertory,
where the members offered their souls to Lord Satan."[36]

   According to ®The Satan Seller¯, Warnke signed his name in blood to
give his soul to Satan, and a few pages later took over the coven from
Dean as the new High Priest.

   I swung the now screaming cat over the smoking caldron and
   then over the heart of the girl on the altar. Then, when the
   sword point touched the cat's belly, I thrust it in.

      "Now!" I suddenly shouted. . . . I drew an upside-down star
   on the girl's stomach, with the freshly spilled blood. From
   the weird utterances that now came from her mouth, I knew we
   were being graced by the presence of one of the denizens of
   hell.[37]

   Just before he published The Satan Seller in 1973, Warnke brought
manuscript copies to his old high school friends Jeff Nesmith and Tim
Smith, and asked them to sign affidavits swearing the events depicted
were true. Jeff Nesmith had lost track of Warnke after high school and
had little idea what he did during college or who he hung out with. On
a rare visit to Mike's apartment during his college days, Mike asked
Jeff to join a "coven." But Jeff laughed it off, thinking it was one of
Mike's stories. In any event, when Warnke asked Jeff to sign the
affidavit, he refused.[38] "My initial reaction to the book was, `Come
on, Mike! This is poppycock!' "

   Tim Smith dropped out of college after only two months, but notes,
"I had contact with Mike off and on all the way through the fall of
1965 until the summer of 1966." Tim states he never saw Warnke with
long hair or in the drug-induced emaciated state he claimed to be
during that period. "Sign the affidavit? I told him, `Nope. Can't do
that.' "

   Warnke's two high school buddies saw him sporadically throughout the
year, but not every day. Yet Mike brought Jeff and Tim the affidavits,
but not Lois, Greg, Dawn or the others. It does not speak well for the
veracity of Warnke's claims that he did not ask those who knew him on a 
daily basis in San Bernardino Valley College to endorse his story.

                  The College Crowd and the Occult

   Interestingly, most of Mike's college friends did dabble in occult
activities. "Some of them were into seance and Ouija board type stuff,"
says George Eubank. "But it wasn't serious, just the kind of stuff
freshmen in college play with. Especially sheltered freshmen in college
that are all of a sudden free from their parents, spreading their
wings, so to speak."

   Bill Lott,[39] another college student who is now a Christian,
took the experimentation more seriously. "People were messing around
with stuff like reincarnation, tarot cards, Ouija boards. Mike was one
of those people. But he never talked about Satanism or being a devil
worshiper," Lott says.

   "People talked about witches and Ouija boards," says Dawn. "It was
that era. None of us belonged to a coven, and none of us were witches.
If we'd have thought anybody was serious, it would have scared us to
death. We did table tipping once, and the table tipped and that was
that. No more table tipping for me."

   Warnke and a few of the guys created a not-so-secret society. "We
started a club called The Royal Order of the Lantern," says Greg. "We
played chess, drank beer, and told tall tales. It was a group that
really never took off."

   Adds George Eubank, "The Royal Order of the Lantern had to do with
this lamp we'd stolen from somebody's driveway. Warnke wanted to get an
apartment and have a group of guys. I don't think it was supposed to be
secret. It was supposed to be fun and games. It flopped because nobody
was willing to put the effort into it. Mike carried it as far as he
could at the time. It was kind of a defunct fraternity that never got
anywhere." The Royal Order of the Lantern is a far cry from ®The Satan
Seller¯'s fifteen hundred followers in three cities, financed by a
worldwide network of Satanists.

   Mike eventually did get his own apartment, and the place became a
favorite hangout for the Tomahawk Room crowd __the guys in particular.
Mike gave both Greg Gilbert and Bill Lott keys. The apartment "was
above a garage," says Greg. "There was an exterior stairway that went
up to a room with an open-beam ceiling, the gable coming to a point."

   In The Satan Seller, Warnke describes the exterior of his
apartment in this way: a second-floor apartment approached by an
outside stairway. The interior, however, was redecorated by the
Satanists after Warnke became high priest:

      A long, low, oxblood leather couch replaced the sagging old
   brown horsehair one, and there were two sets of bookshelves
   full of books [on the occult]. . . . The biggest surprise was
   on the floor __two chicks sitting on a white rug . . . .

       . . . "We hope you like it, Mike, because we come with the
   apartment," said the blonde one named Lorraine.[40]

   The two women allegedly remained at Warnke's beck and call, rarely
leaving the apartment unless it was to get groceries or drugs. "It's a
fantasy," says Dennis Pekus, who knew Mike in both high school and
college. Greg Gilbert says he never knew Mike Warnke to have a
girlfriend in college besides Lois Eckenrod. None of the college
friends who frequented the apartment ever saw occult books, an oxblood
leather couch, or two love slaves.

   Mike says plenty of "soft pink sex"[41] is at the center of his
satanic experiences. These begin with the orgies Warnke says initially
drew him into the coven:

   Then they split off into couples. It was great, because there
   was a girl for every guy, not like most places I had been
   where there is a chronic chick shortage.

      Cool-looking, sexy girls, too. . . . These chicks were
   free-lovers. . . .

      "Come on over here, Mike," a blonde said.[42]

   Then there's the sexual recruiting Mike says he helped organize and
rituals that degenerate from cat killing to the rape of an innocent
virgin. (Warnke is careful to exclude himself from direct participation
in the rape, though he writes that it was his idea.)

   In a later book, Schemes of Satan, Warnke suggests that sex was a
routine part of the rituals:

   On more than one occasion, I regret to admit, we participated
   in ritual sexual abuse that even involved rape. Most of the
   time I was too doped up to perform sexually, but I would watch
   these lust rituals with great desire.[43]

   Such tales of perversion and criminal activity raise serious
questions. If Mike led in acts of rape and other violent crimes, why
(after his conversion) didn't he turn himself in and aid the police in
apprehending his old satanic friends? If, on the other hand, his rape
and abuse stories are not true, what does this say about the
imagination of their author?

   Mike's college crowd completely rejects these stories of violence
and sexual perversion. "Oh, my goodness, no," says Phyliss. "To talk
about sex orgies and all these drug parties. He didn't do them with
Lois and me, that's for sure!"

   "I never slept with him," says Lois. "We kissed and hugged, but I
never would have had sex with him because I was a very devout Catholic,
and I wanted to be a virgin till I got married. Thank God I didn't
marry him."

   There always seemed to be a story. In college, as in the high school
role-playing with Jeff Nesmith, Warnke refused to drop out of
character. "He played it to the end," says Greg. "He never gave up.
That was the remarkable thing about him. We'd question him about his
stories and he always came up with some half-baked answer. And you
couldn't disprove what he was saying __that was the common thread. It
was never anything we were likely to have the real answer for or the
time to check into. So he could say anything he wanted."

   Warnke's refusal to admit to his own storytelling made him
untrustworthy in the eyes of some members of the group. "I didn't know
anything about his past, so I didn't know what was true and what
wasn't," says Dawn. "I didn't feel like he was sincere in anything he
did. If the situation required him to be macho, he was macho. If it
required him to be mean, he was mean. He just sort of blended into the
situation and tried to monopolize everyone. There was nothing real
about him."

                  Mike and Lois Plan Their Marriage

   By Christmas of 1965, Mike and Lois were seeing each other on a
daily basis. "It was pretty fast that we said we were going to get
married," says Lois. "Within two or three months of school starting, he
gave me a rose ring with a diamond in it. It cost $60. He had to make
payments on it. I thought he really loved me. And I thought I loved
him, too."

   In The Satan Seller, Warnke has gone through his drugs, sex, and
promotion to high priest before Christmas of 1965. (Trying to fit the
long list of his claims onto a real calendar is a challenge. See
sidebar, p. 18) Shirley Schrader says Mike had Christmas dinner in
Crestline with the family. "He didn't seem emaciated by drugs to me,"
she says.

   College records show Mike Warnke left school after the first term.
"Most of us dropped out after the first semester," recalls Lois. The
group continued to hang out together at Mike's apartment, the
Catalanos', and elsewhere. What about the Mike in The Satan Seller
who flew around the country on satanic business trips to San Francisco
(where he allegedly met Anton LaVey), New York, and Salem,
Massachusetts? "You're a real traveling salesman for Satan, Mike, and
we want you to go to Salem and get more hip with some really serious
organization."[44]

   "How could he fly when he didn't have two pennies?" asks Lois, who
adds that Mike never went anywhere, and when he did it was with her.
"If he says he was a Satanist between September of 1965 to June of
1966, he's lying. How could I not know my boyfriend was into Satanism?
I don't remember there ever being a time when we didn't see or talk to
each other every day."

   Every day? "Yes," says Lois. "We went to movies together, I went to
the country club with him in the mountains, we went to the beach. We
used to go to Jay's Coffee Shop in San Bernardino. That was the big
thing. He introduced me to hot fudge sundaes. I spent the majority of
that year with him."

   Lois says she and Mike used to play pool over on Highland Avenue in
San Bernardino. We read her a story from Warnke's book Hitchhiking on
Hope Street. In it Mike writes that he got into a gunfight with Ray, a
local pimp, at the pool hall:

   I was drunk as a skunk when I shot at him with the .44,
   because I missed him by a country mile and blew off the corner
   of the pool table. . . .  The two of us went roaring down the
   street, screaming and shooting. . . .

   . . . he . . . got off a lucky shot. It hit me in the leg and
   knocked me down.[45]

   The predictable reaction: "Oh, my goodness. You're kidding. . . ."
Lois dissolves into laughter.

   According to The Satan Seller, Mike Warnke's reign as a satanic
high priest ends, apparently sometime in the spring of 1966, when
Warnke crumples under the strain of too much responsibility and too
many drugs. On a "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast, he described
his appearance at this time: "I had white hair. It was about down to my
belt. . . . I had six-inch fingernails; I painted them black."[46] (See
picture, p. 8, taken April 30, 1966.)

   Warnke says he was intentionally overdosed with heroin by one of his
live-in love slaves and thrown, naked, on the steps of a local
hospital. After a few weeks of drying out at the hospital, Warnke
escaped by joining the Navy.[47] On the ®Mike Warnke Alive!¯ album, he
describes his hair length the night before boot camp: "It hit me just
below the pockets." He continues:

   The night before I went to boot camp I went to this
   party. . . . I smoked a bunch of dope and ate a bunch of reds
   and got crashed out in a corner. . . . But the girl I was with
   decided the thing that would really be cute is if she braided
   my hair. . . . She put beads with the first bunch, feathers
   with the next bunch, a piece of red ribbon about that long
   with the last bunch, braided it all together, and hung a
   jingle bell on the end of each braid.

   Lois says she was the girl who gave Mike his going-away party.
When she heard this story for the first time in 1979, she was furious.
"I couldn't believe it when I heard that!" she says. "I'm the one who
gave him the going-away party! We never touched drugs. He never had
long hair __his hair was short, short, short!"

   Greg and Dawn, who had just gotten married, offered Lois the use of
their apartment for the party. "I bought a big cake decorated with a
navy boat," Lois remembers. "It said `Ship Ahoy, Mike.' Dawn and I made
food and pop, and we had a bunch of people over. It was just clean fun.
I took him to the bus stop, put him on the bus to go to boot camp,"
Lois says. "We were supposed to get married when he finished."

                    Mike, Sue, and Campus Crusade

   On June 2, 1966, Mike Warnke joined the U.S. Navy. During the time
he was there, he and Lois stayed in touch by letter. According to
Warnke's official story, boot camp is where he meets two Christians who
are such a bold witness for Christ that the ex-Satanist converts to
Christianity.

   According to his service records, Mike Warnke graduated from boot
camp August 22, 1966.[48] His fiancee, Lois, and the Schrader family
attended graduation. "I went down with a friend and gave Mike a St.
Christopher medal," says Lois. There was a fifteen-day leave after camp
ended. During this time Lois noticed a change in Mike. "He was
different. He was carrying a Bible. I asked him about it, and he said
he'd found Christ at boot camp. He was real excited about being a
Christian, finding God." Within days Mike told Lois "he'd had this
Christian conversion and he had to go on. That this was it. I didn't
see him anymore after that."

   The Satan Seller, once again, tells a different story. There is,
of course, no mention of Lois Eckenrod before or after boot camp.
Instead, when Warnke returns home from boot camp, he begins dating Sue
Studer, a fellow Rim High alumnus who was soon to become his first
wife. "I turned around and was surprised to see Sue Studer, the girl
who had always dated the football heroes. Sue was still as pretty as
ever."[49]

   Warnke writes that he then told Sue of his recent conversion to
Christ, and to his delight Sue replied she, too, had become a
Christian. "Sue had worked on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ at
the Arrowhead Springs Headquarters."[50]

   In The Satan Seller, Mike Warnke says that he was chased by Campus
Crusaders attempting to convert him when he was the campus Satanist.
However, Lois and several others do remember Mike Warnke taking some
interest in religion and Campus Crusade before boot camp. "I remember
him starting to get interested in religion," Lois says. "He'd go up the
hill to Campus Crusade's headquarters."

   Just how early Mike dabbled with Christianity is unclear, but at
least one witness says she saw him proclaiming faith in Christ in 1965,
a whole year before The Satan Seller says he became a Christian.
Charlotte Tweeten,[51] a 1964 Rim graduate who attended Valley College,
told Cornerstone, "It was in the fall of 1965. I know that because by
winter I had already left school. Mike Warnke came up to me while I was
sitting there drinking coffee and started proselytizing me. It was the
born-again thing. Mike was doing his religious thing and Sue Studer was
with him."

   On September 7, 1966, Mike Warnke reported to Hospital Corps School
in San Diego.[52]

   Mike gives us our choice of stories as to why he chose to become a
medic. In The Satan Seller he writes he joined the Hospital Corps
because "I could be of more use to God mending guys than swabbing
decks."[53] On the album Hey, Doc!, he says he joined the Hospital
Corps because of drugs and nurses: "Dope and women . . . for pay . . .
far out!"[54]

   In late 1966, Warnke graduated from medic school and, after training
with the marines at Camp Pendleton, went to work at the naval
dispensary in San Diego.[55] Marriage records show Mike and Sue Studer
were married May 13, 1967, in Crestline.[56] Soon after, the couple
moved onto San Diego's Louisiana Street.

   While in San Diego, the Warnkes visited Scott Memorial Baptist
Church, pastored by now well-known church leader and author Tim LaHaye
and his wife, Beverly. In The Satan Seller, Warnke offers one version
of what happened when the LaHayes visited the Warnke home. Mike says he
told Tim LaHaye about the Illuminati.

      I had already told him I had been to an occult conference.
   "There were some weird guys that seemed to be the real backers
   of the whole thing. . . . I heard the word Illuminati."[57]

   "The conversation really wasn't like he put it in his book," says
Dr. LaHaye.[58] "I brought up the term Illuminati first. I had been
reading a book on the subject, and I tried testing him to see if he
really knew anything about it. He didn't seem to have ever heard the
word before."

   "Mike gave us a little of his testimony," says Beverly LaHaye,[59]
who is now the head of Concerned Women for America. "He said a book
about the leaders of the Satan church had disappeared off his shelf
when he became interested in Christianity." Dr. LaHaye sums up, "His
type of personality tells stories for effect, not for accuracy."

                           Mike in Vietnam

   In November of 1967, the Warnkes moved back to Camp Pendleton and
Oceanside. In May of 1969, Warnke was transferred from Pendleton to the
Third Marine Division, Vietnam.[60] Warnke says he spent his time in
Vietnam, like so many who served there, anesthetized from the
experience of war by drugs.[61]

   The following is a list of the other things Mike Warnke says
happened to him while in Vietnam:

      My faith was weakening fast![62] A buddy of mine was
   killed__a mortar shell landed directly on him, disintegrating
   him except for his shoes.[63] I was existing from one bottle
   to the next.[64] The message [a spy] was carrying was a
   detailed description of myself and the skipper, identifying us
   as prime targets for the Viet Cong. . . .

      . . .  I shot a spy, went to my tent, cooked dinner, and
   ate. And something died inside of me.[65] I was the first to
   enter the tent [of marines who had been "fragged"__killed by
   their own people]. [66]

         Anyway, one day we were into this fire fight. . . .
   Everybody is shooting at each other. . . .

         . . .  All of a sudden: zooooom, zonk, and my arm is
   pinned to the ground with an arrow! I look over at this other
   Marine Corps sergeant, who goes, "Only you, man, only
   you!"[67]

         One time I went through a village and was handing out
   candy bars to little kids. Just standing in the back of my
   Jeep. . . .

         When I get done, I'm putting the box back and this
   twelve-year-old kid goes in his house, comes back out with a
   gun, and shoots me.[68]

   Add to the list this story from Keith Schrader, Jr.:  "Mike told me 
that he killed a man in a bar fight in the Philippines."

   Despite the impression such a long list may give, records show
Warnke was in Vietnam for only six months.

   In The Satan Seller Mike says that he was wounded twice. In his
second book, Hitchhiking on Hope Street, he says he was wounded five
times.[69] Military records obtained by Cornerstone show that Mike
Warnke, hospital corpsman, second class, service number B98 05 49,
received one Purple Heart, and, along with the rest of his unit,
several additional medals. The Third Marine Division he was connected
to was withdrawn from Vietnam in October of 1969 and sent to
Okinawa.[70]

   Warnke was sent back to the U.S. in the spring of 1970 and for the
first time was able to see his infant son, Brendon Michael, born
December 2, 1969, while Mike was overseas. In return for reenlisting
for six more years, Mike was enrolled in cardiopulmonary school. The
Warnke family settled in San Diego.

   George Wakeling,[71] who worked with young drug addicts, says he was
contacted by Mike around this time. George was the founder of the Drug
Prevention Center, or "the Hotline," a ministry to addicts at the
Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim. Mike started spending time at
the Hotline, and getting instruction from Hotline speaker Dick Handley.
It was through the Hotline that Mike made his first contacts with
Jesus Movement-era Christianity.

                    Mike Meets the Jesus Movement

   Melodyland was one of the Southern California centers of the
charismatic renewal movement then sweeping the Church. The ex-addicts
and others who ran the Hotline were among the original Jesus People,
part of a new youth counterculture uniquely compatible with the
charismatics. Both preferred informal gatherings and a vital,
experience-oriented faith. The culturally conservative Melodyland crowd
thus understood when the exuberant young hippies suggested "getting
high on Jesus."

   Both groups majored on the theme of acceptance. The mainstream
church was sadly out of touch with the needs of counterculture youth
and, even more sadly, unwilling by and large to reach out to them. But
Pentecostal denominations such as the Assemblies of God seemed to grasp
what God was doing among children of the sixties. Uncritically, without
attacking the cultural preferences of the young, many charismatics and
Pentecostals shamed their mainstream peers by being (in Paul's words)
all things to all men.

   But as with nearly all revivals, there were problems with the newly
revived. The mix of uncritical acceptance plus emphasis on experience
was easily taken too far. It opened the door for various cults among
the Jesus People; it also opened the door for those with fascinating
though unprovable conversion stories.

   "A lot of people came to the Hotline and told their drug
testimonies," says Ron Winckler,[72] a leader there. "Mike Warnke came
with the added attraction of the Satanist experience, which was a big
hit with the Full Gospel Businessmen and charismatics. The times were
right for that sort of testimony."

   Hotline speaker Dick Handley and friends in Crestline had introduced
Mike Warnke to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Through Handley, Warnke
met Dave Balsiger, a writer who had done promo work for Melodyland and
now was media director for charismatic evangelist Morris Cerullo.

   After starting a youth ministry in San Diego, Cerullo had come in
contact with kids dabbling with the occult and decided to write a book
on the subject. Balsiger was assigned the job. It was during this time
he met Mike Warnke and enlisted his aid. The book was to be called
®Witchcraft Never Looked Better.¯[73] They also created a specially
outfitted trailer, purchased to house "research materials" such as
voodoo oil, graveyard dust, and fortune-telling spray. The vehicle,
dubbed the "Witchmobile," was to be unveiled at an upcoming Morris
Cerullo convention, The Seventh Deeper Life Conference.[74]

   Cerullo's vision, Warnke's story, and Balsiger's media talents
combined to make the January 1972 meeting a smash. A twelve-page
tabloid on Cerullo was inserted into the ®San Diego Evening Tribune.¯
Warnke and the Witchmobile were introduced to the media at a press
conference, and at the Saturday night youth rally.[75]
   Christianity Today covered the event, noting that Cerullo "bore
down heavily on the theme that satanic forces are loose in the
nation."[76] Mike Warnke, who gave a seminar on the occult, was one of
the newsmen's favorites.

   After the January 1972 conference, Warnke and Balsiger parted with
Cerullo and decided to write a book together about Mike's Satanist
experience. We asked Dave Balsiger about evidence for the story told in
the book. Was he concerned about that? "Oh, yes." And what was the
evidence Mike offered for The Satan Seller's fifteen-hundred-member
cult; the all-powerful Illuminati, the intricate rituals complete with
various knives, candles, books, and robes? "Mike took me to some of the
sites." (The reader should recall that Mike's experiences had allegedly
occurred six years before the book was written.) "I saw where there had
been a fire started. And there were some indications of cultic writings
and graffiti."[77]

   During the first half of 1972, Warnke had been working hard (with
the help of Morris Cerullo's organization) to get out of the navy so he
could go full-time into the ministry. "I helped him write letters,"
recalls Cerullo staffer Jean Jolly,[78] "and I got hold of
[Congressman] Del Clawson's office. We got him out of the navy." On
June 2, Warnke was granted an early discharge on conscientious-objector
basis.[79]

   "As soon as he got out, Mike sent a letter to Morris Cerullo's
headquarters and said we were forbidden to use his name or his
material," recalls George Eckeroth,[80] who headed Jolly's department.
"And Balsiger left Cerullo around the same time."

   Mike launched his ministry under the banner "Alpha Omega Outreach."
In mid-June, Warnke went to Explo '72 in Dallas, a sort of Campus
Crusade version of Woodstock attended by over eighty thousand.[81]
Guideposts was running a feature on Warnke's story,[82] and his book
was due in the fall.[83]

                  "The Satan Seller" a Best-seller

   Logos International released The Satan Seller in early 1973.[84]
At that moment, Christian publishing was in the midst of an
unparalleled boom with the success of blockbusters like The Late Great
Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and the Praise books by Merlin Carothers.
While the party lasted, Logos was the life of the party, the industry
leader in both output and income.[85]

   Yet, as a former Logos editor has admitted, the boom-time books were
often "too quickly written."[86] That same year, Logos published
Michael, Michael, Why Do You Hate Me?,¯ the purported story of
born-again rabbi Michael Esses. A later expose revealed Esses' bogus
credentials and immorality.[87]

   Into this heady atmosphere The Satan Seller was born. The book was
positively reviewed in publications ranging from Moody Monthly to
The Christian Century, with nary a question as to its
credibility.[88] "The only thing I remember about that book is that it
sold better than we thought it would," says Logos founder Dan Malachuk.
Indeed, by April 1973, The Satan Seller was a religious
best-seller.[89]

   Other ex-Satanist testimonies followed Warnke's. John Todd's
warnings about the Illuminati and a conspiracy of witches were promoted
in a series of Jack Chick comic books. According to Ron Winckler, Todd
visited the Hotline once with a group of underlings to check out Mike
Warnke. "There was a backstage confrontation," says Ron Winckler."Todd
accused Warnke of stealing his material about the Illuminati."

   Another alleged ex-Satanist, Hershel Smith, purchased the
Witchmobile from Morris Cerullo and began his own tour. Smith's
testimony, seen in the 1974 book The Devil and Mr. Smith, coauthored
by Dave Hunt, was an apparent effort to one-up The Satan Seller.[90]

   Hershel Smith eventually dropped out of sight. Todd's story was
later discredited. When a book debunking Todd was written, Mike Warnke
wrote the forward. "We as Christians have to be careful of those who
take the name of the Lord in vain," said Warnke. [91] In Ron Winckler's
analysis, "Mike Warnke had the jump on John Todd. He understood the
Full Gospel mind-set better."

   Now a published author, Mike Warnke found increasing demand for his
story and told it in coffeehouses and churches beyond the West Coast.In
August of 1973, Warnke spoke at a Christian music festival in
Pennsylvania. The Jesus Movement had spawned its own music, and Warnke
gravitated toward this fraternity of musicians. Tim Archer of the group
The Archers, told the crowd at Jesus '73, "Mike Warnke is the Chaplain
of Gospel Rock."[92]

   In his travels, Warnke had met Charles Duncombe, an elderly
Pentecostal evangelist. "Brother D," who started in the ministry under
English preacher Smith Wigglesworth, was loved and respected by all who
knew him. In 1974 Mike, Sue, four-year-old Brendon, and newborn
Jesse[93] all moved to Oklahoma near Duncombe's small school, Trinity
Bible College. Mike would attend school while Sue tended children.

   Trinity Bible College was a nine-month preparation for ministry,
located in a big country house outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. The thirty
students were mostly new converts, many from a counterculture
background and eager to learn. "Within two weeks of our conversion my
wife and I were in Trinity," says John Witty,[94] who with his wife
Vicki Jo had been a nightclub comedian.

   Fellow students Bob and Karen Siegal[95] ran a Jesus People ministry
in southern Illinois and had met Brother D at a Full Gospel
Businessmen's meeting. "We were the token hippies at FGBM," says Karen.
"They'd bring us in there and have us give our testimonies." Student
Bill Fisher, known as "Wild Bill," was a colorful local who later
became Mike Warnke's traveling partner and confidant.

   In some ways Mike Warnke was the star pupil, since he was already
doing what everybody else was just learning to do: ministering in
churches around the country. "Here was a guy who was going out on the
weekends and leading hundreds to Jesus," says John Witty. "He was a
hero to us all."

   On local gigs, Trinity students would tag along, sometimes even
joining Warnke on stage. "Mike liked to introduce me as a former hippie
or drug addict __which I'd been, but I wasn't proud of," Karen Siegal
says. "Then he started introducing me as a former prostitute, which I'd
never been. I had to ask him to stop."

   Another new convert at Trinity, one with a sensational testimony of
her own, was to see her real-life story blended with Mike Warnke's.
"Part of the program at Trinity was tell your testimony," she says. "I
got up and said, `My name's Carolyn Alberty and I'm third-generation
Mafia. My father ran gambling houses, and my mother ran brothels. We
had connections in political circles and the entertainment
business.'"[96]

   This story caught Warnke's interest, says Carolyn. "Mike told me he
knew me from some parties I had given in California." He convinced her
he'd been to some, though she didn't remember him. "Then he started
inquiring about my connections and ability to promote."

   Carolyn rattled off a list of things Warnke needed to do to further
his ministry. "Mike brought me to his home, introduced me to Sue, and
said, `I really think Carolyn can help us.' " Carolyn assembled his
first real promotional package and called churches to make connections
for speaking engagements. She says she told Mike, "Ease up on the
satanic stuff and concentrate on the funny stories you've started to
tell."[97]

   It didn't take long for the relationship to move beyond a
professional level. "Mike started telling me he and Sue had different
ideas about what they wanted out of life, and that he didn't love her 
anymore," says Carolyn. "Mike began passing notes to me in class, with 
stuff like `Hubba, hubba' written on them."

   As the year wore on, Karen Siegal realized something was up.
"Carolyn and Mike started getting really hot and heavy," says Karen. "I
confronted them and said, `This is not godly.' They basically told me
it was none of my business." Karen took her concerns to fellow
students, but they suggested she was being judgmental.

   Brother D was taken by Warnke's sincerity, says Karen. John Witty
adds that the rest of the class was too naive to realize what was
happening. "Back then, Mike and Carolyn seemed to be just what Jesus
freaks would call `brothers and sisters in the Lord.' I now realize the
relationship had warning signs all over it from the beginning."

   Karen Siegal protested one last time. "I'd repeatedly told Mike he
needed to clean up his act with Carolyn," she says. "One time he came
over to our house when nobody else was home. I made the mistake of
confronting him again. All of a sudden, he said, `It's not Carolyn or
Susie I love. It's you.' He grabbed me. It freaked me out and I pushed
him away. I yelled, `Get out of here! I love my husband!' "

   Carolyn Alberty admits her relationship with Warnke took the
inevitable turn near the end of the school year. "We'd been assigned to
paraphrase the book of Isaiah. Mike rented a cabin outside Tulsa to do
his work, and he offered to help me with my homework there. I thought
that sounded reasonable, since I was living with the Siegals and had no
privacy."

   After they'd worked at the cabin for awhile, Carolyn says, the two
went for a drive, and Warnke stopped at a convenience store. "He asked
what kind of cigarettes I used to smoke, and I said, `Pall Mall Gold.
Why?' He just shut the door and kept on walking. I went, `Uh-oh.' "
Warnke returned to the car, says Carolyn, with "two bottles of Annie
Greensprings wine, two packs of cigarettes, and a package of peanut
butter cookies." That day they began an affair that would lead to
marriage two years later and divorce two years after that. "I guess
from day one I was wrong," says Carolyn.

   Meanwhile, recalls John Witty, "Mike's testimony was just starting
to break nationally. He was beginning to get calls from big churches."

   Among the churches calling Warnke during this time was the Golden
Heights Christian Center in Brockport, New York.[98] Pastor Don Riling
tried his best to disciple the young Christian musicians and speakers
who came to his church. "I loved Mike Warnke as a son," he says. But
soon problems cropped up. "We had a woman in the church who'd just
become a Christian. She began to hang out with Mike Warnke__he seemed
to have an eye for people with weaknesses," Riling says. "Later, she
confessed to me she'd met him a number of times in hotels for sex when
he was in the area."

                    The Syro-Chaldean Connection

   During the Trinity '74-'75 school year began one of the strangest,
and longest-running, chapters of the Mike Warnke story. Elijah Coady,
an independent bishop in an Eastern Orthodox splinter group called the
Syro-Chaldean Church, ordained Warnke a deacon.[99]

   Warnke had met Coady on the road, and expressed interest in the
bishop's brand of independent Eastern Orthodoxy. Several Trinity
students remember Bishop Coady's visit to Tulsa. A few were present
when Coady ordained Warnke at a local church. "The bishop wore a
strange hat, like a stack of pancakes," says Bill Fisher, who adds that
Charles Duncombe expressed some concerns about Coady. "Brother D told
us to be cool. He'd gotten a real check in the spirit about the guy."

   Another ordination was bestowed upon Warnke by Brother Duncombe on
his graduation from Trinity in the spring of 1975. After graduation,
Carolyn says Warnke made promises to her but would not be rushed. "He
told me he was going to divorce Sue, that I should wait and be patient,
that he needed to set up his escape."

   Soon afterwards, Warnke did a show at The Happy Church in
Denver,[100] where he met Pastor Wally Hickey and his wife Marilyn.
Mike and Sue Warnke decided to move to Denver with their two children,
and Mike invited Bill Fisher and Carolyn to join him there. The
entourage arrived in Denver in August of 1975, where Mike and Sue
settled.[101]  Mike had promised Fisher and Carolyn jobs with Happy
Church, but the jobs didn't materialize. Mike leased a 270-acre
mountain retreat called Joy Ranch in Evergreen, Colorado. "Mike would
go catch the plane in Denver, and I would keep the place together up
there," notes Bill Fisher.[102]

    The relationship between Warnke and Happy Church is unclear. Bill
Fisher says Mike was "a kind of evangelist for them," not on the
payroll but working under Marilyn's Life for Laymen organization. An
article in the ®Denver Post¯ in October '75 identifies Warnke as "an
evangelist with Life for Laymen, a Denver-based movement."[103] The
Hickeys refused to talk with us, but their spokesperson said Warnke and
his wife attended the church during the seventies, primarily for
counseling.

   According to Carolyn, Warnke now began to push for a divorce from
Sue. The Hickeys tried to reason with him. "Mike told them he and Sue
would try to work it out," says Carolyn. "But he told me he wanted out
of the marriage." Not long after, the relationship was broken between
Mike Warnke and The Happy Church.
   In November 1975, Mike was invited to do a show at the Adam's Apple
coffeehouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[104] Christian artists Nancy
Honeytree and Phil Keaggy were recording a concert that night. The tape
kept rolling during Warnke's part of the show. A proposed
Keaggy/Honeytree live album didn't materialize, but the Warnke tape
found a buyer in Myrrh Records, a subsidiary of Word, Inc.[105]

   Another Christian artist Mike had done concerts with on the road was
Randy Matthews. Randy, along with Wes Yoder, was co-owner of Dharma
Artists Agency, a fledgling Christian management company based in
Matthews' garage in Nashville. After talking with Matthews, Warnke and
Carolyn flew to Nashville, where he signed with the company.[106]
"While Wes was signing Mike, he asked me to work with Dharma," says
Carolyn. "Wes said he'd split my bookings down the middle, fifty-fifty.
Mike said, `I can't beat that. He may get half of me, but I get half of
it back.' So I became a working member of the team."

   During this time Brockport, NY, pastor Don Riling[107] continued to
befriend Warnke. He was growing more and more concerned over what was
going on in Mike and Sue's marriage. "On several occasions Mike had
told me and my wife__crying and the whole bit__`Sue doesn't love me.
She's kicked me out,' " Riling says. "Mike kept saying how all he
wanted to be was a family man, to raise his two boys. I told him he'd
have to choose between the road and his family." According to pastor
Riling, Marilyn Hickey then visited the Rilings. "I asked Marilyn,
`Isn't there anything we can do to persuade Sue to go back to Mike?'
Marilyn about fell out of her chair. She said, `What are you talking
about? Sue loves Mike. She wants to save their marriage. Mike is the
one who wants to end it.' Then it was my turn to be surprised. All I'd
known about the marriage problems before this was that Mike said Sue
was cheating on him."[108]

   Riling flew to Denver in the late summer of 1976 on a desperate
mission to try to save the marriage. On arriving, Riling said he found
Mike had left Sue and the two children and had moved into an apartment
with Carolyn. So Riling met with Sue. "She wanted to get back together
with Mike. Sue said at one time she had dated another man, but she was
plugged into Hickey's church and her attitude was `I just want to be
with my husband.' I think Mike saw it as his chance to dump Sue."
(Carolyn told us that Mike had urged both Sue and herself to go out
with others when he was away on the road. Finally, Carolyn says, Sue
did go out once with her to a dance hall.)

   After talking with Sue, Pastor Riling stayed with the Hickeys but
spent most of his time with Mike and Carolyn. Riling got his
information about Carolyn from Warnke: "Mike was out on the road, and
he had supposedly led this gal Carolyn to Jesus. Before then, she had
run these houses of ill repute. Mike told me he had to bring her home
to help rehab her, and she lived right there with Sue."

   During the visit, Riling didn't let up. "Every opportunity I could,
I pleaded with Mike to go back to Sue__for the sake of his marriage,
for the sake of his ministry. Mike wouldn't hear anything about leaving
Carolyn." Riling was in a restaurant with Warnke when Mike told him Sue
was being served with divorce papers that very moment. (The summons is
dated August 20, 1976.)[109] His mission a failure, the pastor returned
to New York.

   Upon receiving the divorce petition, Sue Warnke called Ron Winckler
and George Wakeling, along with others, and asked for prayer, saying
Mike had run off with another woman.

   It was at this point that Dr. Walter Martin, a well-known
counter-cult apologist and founder of Christian Research Institute
(CRI), was asked to speak to Mike about his marriage difficulties. (Dr.
Martin died in 1989.) Gretchen Passantino was Martin's senior research
consultant at the time, in charge of CRI's research staff, [110] and
her duties included overseeing Walter Martin's travel arrangements.

   "Dr. Martin had a speaking engagement near Denver and asked me to
book a couple extra days so he could speak with Mike Warnke and his
wife, Sue," says Gretchen. "When he got back, he took me aside. He
said, `I had this real difficult meeting with Mike and Sue Warnke. I
hope what I did was enough.' Realizing that Mike was determined to
leave the marriage, Dr. Martin had prayed and counseled with both of
them, advising Mike he needed to leave the ministry."

                    Mike & Carolyn in Music City

   ®Harmony¯ magazine was ®the¯ Christian music magazine in the
mid-seventies, and in September 1976, Mike Warnke was on the
cover.[111] During this era, Mike relocated to what was becoming the
center of the contemporary Christian music business. Jesus music began
to be shaped by the powerful influence of Nashville, country music
capital and home of the Gospel Music Association (GMA). The "music"
part was welcomed in Music City. As for Jesus, insiders there have a
saying: "Nashville has changed more Christians than Christians have
changed Nashville."[112]

   Mike and Carolyn pulled into town with a U-Haul trailer. "Mike and I 
moved into an apartment together," says Carolyn. "Once we'd moved in,
Mike went and bought cases of whiskey, different wines, and beer." At
the time, of course, Warnke was still married to Sue. Among their
Nashville Christian music friends, the only ones to protest Mike and
Carolyn's living arrangements was a couple they had met on the road,
Mike and Karen Johnson.[113]

   Though many of our readers may be unacquainted with Mike Johnson, he
was a Jesus music pioneer, starting his first Christian band in 1968.
According to many Jesus music historians, Johnson never received
recognition equal to the dues he paid and miles he and Karen logged on
the coffeehouse and church basement circuit.

   When Mike Warnke came to town with Carolyn, Karen Johnson wanted to
know what was going on. "We said, `Hey, what about Sue?' Mike told us,
`She's running around on me.' I called Sue, and she said that wasn't
true. She said Mike found this other woman and he wanted to marry her.
And the only way you could get a divorce in the Christian community was
to say somebody had been unfaithful."

   Out of their concern, the Johnsons orchestrated another meeting with
mutual acquaintance Don Riling. "We thought Mike Warnke was a mess and
wanted him to get help," says Karen. "Don Riling was the only pastor
that Warnke opened up to and submitted to in any form. He was like a
father figure to Mike." Mike Johnson told the Rilings that Warnke had 
asked him to be best man in his wedding with Carolyn. "We pushed for a 
meeting," says Karen Johnson. "Wes set it up. Don Riling flew to
Nashville."

   The meeting was held at the Dharma offices. Riling, Mike Johnson,
Wes Yoder, and Mike and Carolyn were there. "You'd have never guessed
that this was a meeting of Christians," says Riling. "Mike and Carolyn
were swearing the whole time, and they must have gone through a whole
pack of cigarettes." The meeting went on for hours in an effort to get
everything out on the table with Warnke. "He moped around, saying his
life was a mess," says Riling. "I tried to convince him to go back to
Sue and save his ministry."

   At one point in the meeting, Carolyn brought up Warnke's continuing
affair with the woman at Riling's church in Brockport. "Mike was still
very involved with her," says Carolyn. Pastor Riling was struck by the
bizarreness of the situation: "I'm sitting there listening to this
woman Warnke was committing adultery with talk about how Mike was
cheating on her."

   As the meeting bogged down, Riling took Wes Yoder aside and tried to
make him understand the gravity of the situation. "Wes wouldn't deal
with it," says Riling. "He knew Mike Warnke had a problem, but Wes was
young and inexperienced. Wes said to Mike, `Do whatever you want to.
Stay with this woman. Go back to your wife. It's okay. I'm behind you,
because we have to keep the ministry going.' Mike Johnson was horrified
by this," says Riling.

   Carolyn says she also gave Wes advice: "I thought Mike Johnson was
being sanctimonious and Don Riling was a joke. Wes came to me and said,
`What's going on?' I said, `Look, the guy's a joke. He's trying to get
his paws on Mike, but you've got him signed and if you don't keep him
it's your fault.' So it was really us against them."

   Wes Yoder says of those days, "I should have run Warnke out of town

when he first showed up with Carolyn. I was stupid. I didn't miss it. I 
just didn't know what to do about it. I was sinful in allowing him to
use me as a cloak of decency for what he was doing. The Lord doesn't
bless in things like that."[114] Karen Johnson forgives Wes for his
part in the debacle, saying, "Here he was, this young guy trying to be
a part of Christian music, and he's involved with all these crazy
people."

   Carolyn says the meeting accomplished nothing. "Nobody I ever met
who was around or who was connected with Mike Warnke in any way ever
had any effect on him." The day after the meeting, Mike Johnson left
Dharma. His path then began to lead downward by degrees. It was also
after this meeting, says Carolyn, that Mike Warnke initiated her in
what he called an Indian ceremony. "We were at a motel, and he said,
`I'll show you how much I love you.' He took a pocket knife and cut his
wrist, and cut mine, and mixed our blood. He said, `Now we are one.' He
gave himself the name Many Horses __because I was part American Indian."

   Bill Fisher said, "Mike told me he got the name Many Horses from an
Indian medicine man." Bill Fisher told us, explaining the Indian
identity as one of Warnke's many "mojos": "Mike would personify himself
as various characters at times. Mike had his Indian mojo, or sometimes
he'd be a Scotsman, or Jewish, or a Catholic priest, or Jeremiah
Johnson, or black __he wanted to think he had black blood because Andre
Crouch told him he had soul."

   The divorce of Mike Warnke from Sue was finalized on December 3,
1976.[115] Mike and Carolyn were married four months later.[116]
Instead of Mike Johnson, Wes Yoder was best man.

                      Downhill into the Bigtime

   In his books and on his records, Mike Warnke goes from Satan to
Christ. In Nashville, the path led from rags to riches. Warnke had no
money or credit when he came to town, says Carolyn. The bang-up
combination of a hit record and the Dharma Agency soon changed
that.[117] And the money started rolling in. "Lots of money," says
Carolyn. "Not all of a sudden. But it wasn't uncommon for us to make
five thousand dollars on the road, spend two to three thousand a day,
buy whatever we wanted, go where we wanted, do whatever we wanted."

   The Dharma Agency prospered. During this period, they moved their
offices from Randy Matthews' garage to Music Row, and later to a
penthouse suite in the United Artists Towers. They hired additional
booking agents.[118] Dharma's star rose with the fortunes of something
that was now called contemporary Christian music.

   Writes Christian media observer William D. Romanowski, "The industry
scaffolding began to go up as concert halls replaced coffeehouses and
church fellowship halls, as record labels replaced custom recordings,
and as contemporary music radio formats replaced tapes of
preachers. . . .

   Christian entrepreneurs were building a Christian entertainment
industry that paralleled its secular counterpart not just in musical
styles and trends, but in marketing techniques, management, concert
production, publicity, and glamorization."[119]

   The whole atmosphere surrounding the music changed. "We took our
eyes off what had been very precious and innocent," says industry
veteran, Dan Hickling, "the joy of being a Christian and going around
and singing music for people that would bring them closer to God."[120]

  Buddy Huey, Word Records' artists and repertoire man, who had signed
Warnke, was part of the big change.[121] "What we were trying to do was
have better distribution to get the Word out. We ended up compromising
lots. When I was with Word, the intent of the company was nothing more
than trying to find those people who had a voice or a platform. And
then all we could go on was what they told us." Including Warnke's
satanic story? "It was just accepted," says Huey. "That's one of the
things you'll find in the industry. You see something that might be
salable, marketable __that's what you look at. It saddens me that I was
a part of setting up things in the industry that I wish I had a chance
to undo."

   Romanowski writes, "Evangelism was the rhetoric, business became
reality." The manipulation of language, he says, transformed
"money-making into ministry, easing the consciences of those few who
earn healthy incomes off the music."[122]

   "You could see a kind of downhill slide," says Larry Black, a
one-time Christian deejay who is now an actor.[123] "To see the
marriages dissolve, to see them slowly begin to justify various vices."
Was this behavior common knowledge in the industry? "Yeah. I think
there was general knowledge. But you're caught in that old trap of not
wanting to criticize a brother."

   We asked Buddy Huey if there was any company policy regarding
Christian artists who were exhibiting non-Christian behavior. "No,
there really wasn't," says Buddy Huey. "I didn't personally do cocaine,
for instance, but I was present when others did cocaine. Looking back
at that, I think my silence was worse than them doing the drugs."

   Scott Ross, who now works for CBN Television and back then was the
country's foremost Christian disk jockey, recalls how kinky things had
gotten. "There was a lot of immorality, drugs, and booze."

   Says Karen Johnson, "Mike [Johnson] tried to stay so straight, for
eight years. Then everything fell apart after we'd been in Nashville
for awhile. Mike looked around and realized that Warnke and his friends
were making lots of money and fooling around on their wives. My husband
thought, `What difference does it make?' He started drinking, smoking
grass. He started hanging around with these Christian music people that
didn't care if you were moral or not."

   Says Mike Johnson, "I was one big mess." Adds Karen, "When my Mike
came home from being on the road with Warnke, he'd confess__all in the 
name of repentance __to all this drinking and going to discos.

   In the fall of 1978, the future seemed bright for Mike Warnke. His
albums were "the most popular Christian comedy records ever produced
anywhere, with sales reaching to nearly 200,000."[124] Doubleday
Publishing was assembling a book of material from the first three
albums. With dates around the world, 1979 was slated to be his biggest
tour ever. Mike asked Bill Fisher to travel with him.

   At home, Carolyn says she and Mike had been fighting, and that
several times he had hit her. Because of this, Carolyn's mother, Peggy
Alberty, had moved to Nashville to be near her daughter.

                     Enter Rose, Exit Nashville

   Warnke was on the road almost constantly. "We figured it out one
time," says Bill Fisher. "We traveled over 280,000 air miles in about
ten months that year, with three days off a month." About halfway
through the whirlwind ten-month tour, Warnke performed in Hazard,
Kentucky.[125] It was there, says Rose Hall, that she first met Mike
Warnke.[126]

   Carolyn confirms this story. "While Mike and I were still married,
he went to Kentucky to do a show, and that's where he met Rose."
Carolyn says Mike came home very excited about something. "Then he went
down to a jewelry store where we'd established credit and began buying
jewelry for someone else, who I later found out was Rose."

   The story of Mike Warnke's romance with Rose Hall is told in her
book, The Great Pretender. Rose never mentions Carolyn or the fact
that Mike was married to Carolyn during his courtship with Rose. She
says she met Warnke in various cities and stayed in the hotel with
him__in separate rooms. "Looking back, it had never occurred to me to
say, `You're a minister, an evangelist; are you married?' It never
entered my mind."[127]

   During the time she was traveling around with Warnke, Rose says she
went with him to Nashville. There, she writes, both his road manager
and his agent objected to the relationship.[128] Wes Yoder says, "Rose 
came along before Mike and Carolyn were divorced. The whole thing with 
Carolyn, I couldn't deal with personally. With Rose I did. But I was still 
there. I was so wrong."

   Mike Warnke's relationship with the Johnsons went from bad to worse.
As Karen Johnson tells it, "Mike called on the phone and said he wanted
to come over, because he knew I was angry at him over what had happened
to my Mike. I told him no, that I felt he was leading people astray,
and I didn't want him associating with my husband because he was
helping destroy our marriage. But later Warnke came over anyway and
said, `Karen, I don't want you to dislike me. I want us to be friends.'
I said, `Then change what you're doing. You're deceiving people. You're
committing adultery.' He said, `I can't change.' "

   After Karen told Warnke to get out, "He came at me like he was going
to kill me." Mike Johnson says of this episode, "I was in pretty good
shape back then, and I was ready to go at it there in the living room."
Warnke left, says Karen, "screaming obscenities at me."

   The end for Mike Warnke and wife Carolyn was, as she tells it, the
stuff of melodrama. "We were fighting and he threw me into a wall and
split my head open. He said, `If you go to a local hospital and tell
them what your name is, I'll kill you. I don't have to do it
physically. I can do it from another room or another state.' "

   "There was a revolver in the nightstand," Carolyn says. "I took it
out and said, `If you hit me again Mike, I'm gonna kill you, because
I'm tired of your beatings. I just can't take any more.' " Carolyn says
she jumped into her car, started driving, and didn't stop until she
reached Pensacola, Florida.

   Tom Carrouthers found Carolyn in a convenience store in Pensacola
that summer night in 1979, dazed and bleeding. "Carolyn said she and
her old man had gotten into it," says Carrouthers.[129] "She had a big
gouge on the top of her head, and a wad of dried blood. I took her to
the hospital. When we got there, she was like a kid and didn't want me
to leave. She stayed with my sister and me for a week or so."

   Carolyn gave us a note she received from Mike. "Dear Carolyn," it
reads, "I don't know how we ever got to this place. All I know for sure
is that we are here. . . . I can't blame you for not wanting to be
around me right now. Nor can I condemn your disgust at my rages and
tantrums. I'm trying hard to get control. . . . I'll always be there
when you need me. The scar on my wrist will never fade. . . . Peace
to you. Many Horses."

    Carrouthers remembers Carolyn talking with Warnke on the phone
during the two weeks she was there; things seemed to be improving. But
when Carolyn finally returned to Nashville from Florida, she was in for
a surprise. "I came home and there was a `For Sale' sign on the house.
All the locks had been changed, and everything in the house was gone.
In just a matter of days, I had no funds, no furniture, nothing," she
says.

   Carolyn didn't go back to Dharma. She felt most of the people she
knew in the industry had been siding with Mike, who was telling
everyone the stories about her unfaithfulness. In a bizarre twist,
Carolyn got a job working as an undercover narcotics operative with the
Regional Organized Crime Information Center, a law enforcement
organization in Nashville.

   Mike and Carolyn's divorce was final on November 29, 1979.[130] Mike
Johnson says Warnke told him that Carolyn was rubbed out by the mob,
"bludgeoned to death in a ditch." A friend from the Trinity days,
Clarence Benes, heard from Warnke that Carolyn had been killed in a
boating accident.[131] Don Riling says he was told by Warnke that
Carolyn had drowned.

   From Carolyn's viewpoint, "Mike is one of the greatest con artists
I've ever known in my life. And coming from my background, that says quite 
a bit."

   Mike and Karen Johnson divorced two years later, and he is no longer
in Christian music. "Mike Johnson has really reaped what he has sown,"
says ex-wife Karen. "He has no family, no friends, no career, no money,
no life. It makes me angry that Mike Warnke, on the other hand, seems
to be making money, going on with life, and continuing to deceive
people."

   Among the friends that took a different path than Warnke at the end
of 1979 was Bill Fisher. "Mike and I parted when he moved to Kentucky
to be with Rose," says Bill. "He was divorced, but that's not grounds
for moving in with someone. Mike said, `We married each other before
the Lord.' I said, `Do it before the state, too.' "

              Holy Orthodox Catholic Church in Kentucky

   Mike Warnke married Rose Hall in Paintsville, Kentucky, on January
2, 1980.[132] It was his third marriage, her fourth. With the marriage
came several changes: Rose was often onstage and on record with
Mike;[133] Warnke left Dharma Agency and began to book his own
concerts; the public focus shifted from onstage concerts to the
ministry back home.[134] As Mike has said: "When you get right down to
it, I'm just a glorified cheerleader. The real work of our ministry
goes on back there."[135]

   The name of the "ministry back there" was Warnke Ministries; its
nonprofit status was listed under "The Holy Orthodox Catholic Church in
Kentucky" (HOCCK). This built on Warnke's previous 1974 ordination in
Tulsa by Bishop Elijah Coady while Warnke was attending Trinity Bible
School. With HOCCK, Mike Warnke joined the ranks of "independent"
Eastern Orthodox churchmen who founded their own autonomous
denominations. During the early eighties, Warnke met James Miller, a
local bishop in the American Orthodox Church. Miller told us he
ordained Warnke a deacon and then a priest in early 1983. He suspended
the ordination later when Warnke failed to submit regular reports.
   And then Mike Warnke became a bishop. This final ecclesiastical step
occurred when another independent bishop, Richard Morrill, consecrated
Warnke __an event we have verified by speaking to three other bishops
who say they were told by the late Morrill that he had indeed made Mike
Warnke a bishop.[136]

   Bishop Richard Morrill had officiated over Mike and Carolyn's
marriage in Nashville.[137] According to Elijah Coady, Morrill was an
itinerant cleric given to flamboyance and the founding of
organizations, many of which seemed to exist only on paper. In 1981,
Morrill incorporated in Texas under the name "The Holy Orthodox
Catholic Church, Eastern and Apostolic."[138] One year later, Mike and
Rose incorporated as "The Holy Orthodox Catholic Church in Kentucky."[139]

   HOCCK's offices were located at first in a converted garage behind
the Warnkes' Versailles home.[140] As time went on, they staffed it
with a series of Christian women whose opinions of the Warnke ministry
were much higher when they joined than when they left. In the summer of
1983, Dorothy Green heard Rose on a Lexington Christian radio station
and invited her to speak to the Danville, Kentucky, Women's Aglow.[141]
Soon afterwards, "Dot" was hired to answer letters and do phone
counseling. Dot's friend, Jan Ross, joined later as Rose's personal
secretary. Roxanne Miller and Phyllis Swearinger eventually worked in
the bookkeeping department.

   All four women were nonplussed by Mike's preference for High Church
"chapel" services. Dot remembers an early chapel service with Mike: "He
had incense, and he'd come down the aisle with his robes, swinging it
in this thing."

   Roxanne Miller's opinion had less to do with the High Church
trappings than with an event where Mike's ritual got in the way of a
few friends' prayer time. "We used to go down to the park for lunch,"
Roxanne recalls.[142] "Dot, Jan, myself, a few others . . . and we'd
just talk about what God had done in our lives. What He still was
doing. Mike was usually out of town, but one day he just showed up and
said, `I'm gonna do the teaching this week.' So we sang, and then Mike
put on his robes. I thought he was plain ridiculous. It was like
dressing up to be something you're not. It made me feel sad. He wants
to be so much, and he isn't. I can still see him standing there in his
robe, all velvet and dark."

                     The Ministry and the Money

   Another point which perplexed the women was HOCCK's finances.
Roxanne Miller had been hired to get control of the finances and says
that while she was there (1985-1986) HOCCK covered various expenses for
Mike and Rose. "We paid for the car, we paid for the gas, we paid for
the parsonage, we paid for their clothes and their food," she says. Yet
she says her job was a continual battle of the budget. Mike seemed to
have no concept that money made by a nonprofit ministry is different
than personal income. Once, she says, Mike Warnke responded to her
efforts to curb his spending this way: "He told me, `Every bit of the
money is mine. I earned it. If I wasn't out front, there would be no
money.' "

   Jan Ross told us, "On several occasions Rose said to me that anybody
who was in the position she and Mike were in deserved to have the best
of everything because of who they were and what they had given up to be
where they were. I thought, `What did you give up?' "[143]

   Phyllis Swearinger said there were problems making ends meet.[144]
"I'd worked at banks before, so I was used to handling large amounts of
money. But the amount that came in here every week sort of threw me.
And then to find out it just wouldn't go far enough! Once Mike called
me, upset because he needed some trees pruned at his home, and I
wouldn't write a check for it because we didn't have enough money in
the account at the moment. What struck me about this conversation is
Mike told me he felt he deserved to make as large a salary as Jimmy
Swaggart was making."

   The Warnkes' home was certainly in line with his high aspirations.
Back in July of 1983 Rose's mother, Blanche Hall, had purchased a huge
mansion (at one time a plantation) near Danville. "Lynnwood Farm" was
leased to HOCCK for several years and later sold to Rose, who with Mike
referred to it as "the parsonage."[145]

   Tax returns indicate HOCCK's total revenue for 1984 was over
$900,000. In 1985 HOCCK grossed over $1,000,000, with over $500,000 in
love offerings alone. In 1986, the total went over two million: love
offerings brought in over $1,000,000; product sales (i.e., books and
records) grossed over $180,000; and direct public support totaled over
$450,000. The 1987 total was $2,239,927. Revenue figures for 1988
through 1990 continued at slightly over $2,000,000.[146]

   HOCCK tax returns show that the Warnke's personal salaries[147]
steadily rose (see Table 1).

     ==============================================
           Table 1: Warnke's annual income
     ----------------------------------------------
                        MIKE           ROSE
         1984:       $ 34,500       $ 11,500
         1985:       $ 95,617       $ 83,417
         1986:       $163,632       $155,418
         1987:       $177,450       $177,450
         1988:       $183,917       $183,917
         1989:       $204,383       $204,383
         1990:       $239,291       $230,291
     ==============================================


   The growth of Warnke Ministries in the mid-eighties paralleled a
sudden explosion of public fears about Satanism. In March of 1985, Mike
Warnke appeared on an ABC "20/20" report called "The Devil
Worshippers," part of a deluge of talk shows and books on contemporary
Satanism. Stories of hideous satanic crimes were often woven together
by self-proclaimed "experts" to demonstrate the existence of a
worldwide satanic conspiracy similar to the Illuminati network outlined
in The Satan Seller.

   Each year, goes the theory, thousands of children are being
sacrificed in satanic rituals laced with sex and violence. Alleged
adult survivors of satanic ritual abuse testify to the hidden cult's
existence. The Satan Seller seems tame in comparison. Yet when
evidence for the conspiracy is requested, true believers (including a
few therapists and police officers) often refer skeptics to Warnke and
his book as a final authority.[148]

   In the early eighties, when Mike and Rose began to speak about their
Kentucky ministry to audiences on the road, they offered descriptions
typically centered around their work helping victims of the occult __like 
"Jeffy."

   "Supposedly, Jeffy was this little boy who had become a vegetable
because of all the satanic abuse he'd had," says Jan Ross. "The story
was used to raise money to `help all the Jeffys of the world, so there
wouldn't be so many Jeffys.' Mike would say, `What if your child was
sent to preschool and this happened? How'd you like this to happen to
your child?' "

   The home office would always know when Mike was telling the Jeffy
story, says Dot Green. "People would write on the offering envelopes,
`This is for all the children like Jeffy.' It was amazing how many
envelopes would come back with Jeffy's name on it. Mike always had to
count the money after a concert and call Rose to give her an idea of
what was there," Dot continues. "She'd ask if he'd told the Jeffy
story. If he hadn't, she'd say, `You tell the Jeffy story tomorrow
night.' " Several staffers say the Warnkes' interest in the at-home
ministry never made it home from the road. Says Dot, "I'd try to tell
them about somebody who wrote needing help, and they didn't want to
hear."

   Adds Jan Ross, "We didn't get that many calls, maybe four or five
actual calls a day. Some people just wanted attention, but every once
in a while there'd be people with real problems. Mike and Rose just
didn't want to deal with them. They'd go on the road and say, `We're
here to help you,' but when you called they didn't want to deal with
you."

   For a while, Dot Green tried to ignore everything at Warnke
Ministries that wasn't connected to her counseling duties. "I loved my
job so much," she says. "I fooled myself into thinking it was my
ministry, since Mike and Rose didn't seem to have any interest in it.
But I started realizing the people I was writing to were sending in
offerings. I always put a pink offering envelope in with each letter. I 
began marking my envelopes so I could tell which came back with my
mark. The month I left, my letters brought in over $21,000. At that
point, the Lord let me know I was just as guilty as they were as long
as I stayed."

   Jan Ross was in the midst of her own struggle. The staff attended a
series of Warnke shows in Cincinnati. "We did this concert; it was just
a super evening. Then we walked out and went to a bar. The Warnkes were
buying rounds of drinks, dancing. I kept thinking the whole time, I
wonder if anybody's going to come in and recognize them."

   Roxanne remembers that trip. "We went to Cincinnati once. It just
grossed me out. They went out and drank and carried on afterwards, Mike
and the road guys. I said, `I just can't handle this.' "

   Dot Green and Jan Ross left Warnke Ministries at the end of 1985.
Roxanne Miller was fired in February 1986 (for refusing to give Rose
several signed, blank checks, she says), and Phyllis quit soon after.
"It's not been something we have forgotten easily," says Jan Ross.
"It's scary to think you can get involved with something like that with
a pure heart, to serve God, and then find out it's run on deception,
lies, and thievery."

   Warnke Ministries continued to expand. In October of 1986, the
Warnkes purchased property in Burgin, Kentucky, which they then sold to
HOCCK.[149] A newsletter announced that a long-promised "Center" was
about to become a reality. Plans included rehab and medical facilities.
"Phase I" was the construction of an administration building.[150]

   The fund-raising campaign began. "This Center is fast becoming a
reality and will be a reality if ®you¯ make it one," said Mike in a
ministry newsletter. "Your gifts, offerings, and prayers enable Warnke
Ministries to continue its missions."[151]

   By April of 1987, Warnke Ministries was able to move to Burgin and
into their beautiful new colonial-style brick office complex.[152]

   Dr. John Cooper worked for a short time in this building. In the
late eighties, Warnke Ministries opened a seminar department to teach
police and others the gruesome facts about Satanism and occult crime.
Dr. Cooper, a former college professor and author of twenty-nine books,
was hired in 1989 as director.

   Cooper has this to say about the Warnkes' "Center": "They were
raising money for a children's center for refugees from Satanism. Phone
calls would come to my office, people wanting to send kids there. I'd
explain to them that there wasn't any such thing there, only a building
with offices. The only parts of that building not dedicated to getting
Mike speaking engagements or handling receipts were a large room set up
like a Greek Orthodox Church and a library."[153]

   Cooper disputes the Warnkes' claim of 50,000 counseling calls and
letters a month.[154] "There isn't any way in the world for that to be
so," he says. "My guess would be, on a daily basis, they might get 6
calls." (Such a figure, if accurate, would translate to 120 calls per
month.) "The only ministry I know of that went on there was one fellow
who worked part-time answering the phone. And he'd usually just give
out other ministry numbers and tell people to call them."

   John Cooper spent several months preparing a seminar presentation,
which he premiered in May. Shortly afterwards, he was fired. He later
tried suing the Warnkes, but the case died in court.

   A more important court case for Warnke Ministries was the 1991
divorce of Mike and Rose. According to the Warnkes' new book,
®Recovering from Divorce,¯ the serious problems in the marriage date as
far back as November 1984. In the book, Rose notes an "It's over, isn't
it?" talk with Mike that took place in his office in December of
1984.[155]

   Some comparison with Rose's previous book is enlightening. Written
in mid- to late 1985, The Great Pretender reveals how Rose caught
Warnke in an "affair" in 1984. "We had a situation this last year when
we felt there was nothing left between us. We weren't communicating,
and Satan provided a woman to fill the gap in Michael's life."[156]

   The conversation in the first book goes like this:

   He began to tell me there's nothing to this and that I'm
   misunderstanding it all.

   "Okay, okay," I growled, "I don't want to hear it. If you're
   not going to tell the truth, don't say anything. . . . You're
   throwing your ministry away, your life, the whole works. I'll
   guarantee you, people will not accept this. You're not going
   to go through another divorce and people accept it."[157]

   Rose says she threatened on Christmas Eve to call the woman, and
Mike responded by moving out. Later, after Warnke had promised to end
the relationship, Rose found out he was still calling the woman. Says
Rose, "He hid all the guns. Michael's a big gun collector, and I know
how to shoot. . . . I said, `I'll continue running the ministry, I'll
get myself established ministry-wise, then I don't care what you do.
You're not going to wreck my life. I'll establish myself. You do what
you want."[158]

   These incidents go unmentioned in the new book. Instead, Recovering
from Divorce presents a rather psychologized story of a marital
mismatch, doomed from the start. While the Warnkes are evasive on the
exact reasons, they make it clear their marriage was a painful
experience for both of them. Court records say the couple last lived
together in October of 1989.[159]

   Despite her earlier warnings in The Great Pretender about how
people would not accept another divorce, Rose Warnke filed for divorce
on September 4, 1991. A property settlement agreement drawn up by
Rose's attorney and signed by both Mike and Rose was filed the same
day.[160]

   Blanche Hall had deeded Lynnwood Farm to Rose in April of 1991. In
the divorce property settlement, Rose was also awarded 327 additional
acres surrounding the farm, which the couple purchased in April 1991
for $525,000 (despite the fact that they hadn't lived together there
since October, 1989.)[161] Mike Warnke also agreed to pay half the
mortgage for the new acreage.[162]

   Additionally, Rose got a condominium the Warnkes owned in Stewart,
Florida (purchased in May, 1986, for $398,000), and another condominium
the couple owned near Danville (purchased in July, 1989, for
$231,500).[163] Further, Rose got everything in all the houses
mentioned above, plus the Yamaha piano, the 1985 Cadillac, and the
couple's four horses.

   Mike also agreed to pay Rose $8,000 per month ($96,000 per year) for
the rest of her life via a wage assignment out of Mike's salary from
HOCCK. Mike agreed to assume responsibility for paying various liens,
pay for the education of Rose's daughters until the year 2001, divide a 
$15,000 IRA with Rose, and also split the debt to their accountant.

   Rose also got 65 percent of Warnke's ownership of his copyrights for
and royalties from absolutely everything he will make from his books
and recordings. Mike agreed to keep various existing life insurance
policies and take out an additional $2 million life insurance policy on
himself, with Rose as the beneficiary, for the next fifteen years.

   Finally, Mike agreed to pay Rose $20,000 to equalize the division of
property.

   In the same property settlement, Mike Warnke was awarded whatever
property was located at the condo where he was staying, his motorcycle,
and visiting rights to the horses.

   October 2, 1991, the Warnkes' divorce was granted.[164] The local
paper quoted a ministry spokesman who said nothing would change. Rose,
who was identified as the music director and an administrator, would
continue to do separate shows and possibly make joint appearances with
Mike.[165]

   When it came time for Mike Warnke to announce his third divorce
officially to the friends of Warnke Ministries, he used a rationale
which he was sure his fellow believers would respect: He did it, he
said, for the ministry.

   "As many of you know," wrote Warnke, "Rose and I, after seeking the
Lord's guidance, and two years of intensive Christian counseling,
accepted the fact that our marriage was beyond reconciliation, and the
only hope of saving the Ministry we have poured our lives into, was
divorce."[166]

   Six weeks after his divorce was finalized, on November 18, 1991,
Mike Warnke married Susan Patton, an old Rim High classmate, and moved
to California.[167]

   As of this writing, Mike and Rose are scheduled to appear together
at the Christian Booksellers Association convention in late June, where
they will be promoting their new book, Recovering from Divorce.
According to CBA press material, the Warnkes will be available for
interviews to discuss their "unique perspective on the troublesome
issue of divorce."

   Their unique perspective: forgive and forget. In the book, Mike and
his ex-wife share the pain of their relationship and parting; then the
experiences are interpreted by their editor, Lloyd Hildebrand, and
therapist, John Joy. There is much talk of how sad divorce is, and much
assigning of blame to dysfunctional backgrounds and a codependent
relationship. Although they could not be married, Mike and Rose
conclude, they can now be friends.

   "Perhaps no one is ready for this book," writes Mike. "Could being
`up front' about our failure cost it all? That's the chance I must
take. Rose feels the same way. We both have come to the place where we
know that the only real choice we have is to go on ®as
ourselves.¯"[168]

   For those who would raise objections to what is, indeed, in the
Christian Church a "unique" perspective, Mike Warnke fires a preemptive
blast. "So I messed up. Does that change who Jesus is?"[169] Likewise,
he decries "the Gospel Gestapo" who feel bound to discover and
publicize the failures of those in ministry, "even if the evidence
proves to be true."[170]

   After our research was complete, we contacted Mike in early May to
set up an interview with him, to which we had invited some other
Christian leaders (Ron Enroth, Don Riling, and others). Mike declined
our interview and said he would only meet with us at his attorney's
office in Kentucky. We considered this a matter for the Body of Christ,
with no lawyers being necessary, and asked about the possibility of
meeting somewhere convenient for everyone. Mike's response: that we
have no further contact with him except through his attorney. This
ended our communication.

   This concludes a long and painful survey of the life and ministry of
Mike Warnke. We did not prepare it lightly, but solemnly and with
counsel from many dedicated ministers.

                      A Biblical Plan of Action

   We would be remiss in our duty as Christian journalists if we could
not offer some concrete suggestions and reflections.

   Some of our readers will expect us to have followed the steps of
Matthew 18:15-17, starting with a private confrontation. This passage
gives Christ's instructions on what to do "if your brother sins against 
you," and the process stops if the brother repents privately. We have two 
remarks on this passage.

   First, Mike has already been confronted numerous times over the
years by many concerned Christian friends, acquaintances, and church
leaders. Mike knows what the Bible says about truthfulness, integrity,
and fidelity. He is responsible to put into practice what he already
knows.

   Second, this is not a private dispute between Mike Warnke and a
magazine. A public figure is susceptible to public scrutiny and
criticism. Matthew 18 is not violated when public figures are publicly
rebuked. (However, other scriptures are violated if the rebukes being
made are not fair, true, or applicable to the person.)

   Mike has sinned against the public for years, and the public is
entitled to know the truth about his claims and actions. The
misinformation about Mike's testimony is still in circulation,
influencing how Christians view contemporary Satanism. For the sake of
the Church and the watching world, it must be corrected. (A more
complete discussion of the biblical grounds for Christian reporting
appears in the article, "Public Trust," on page 5.)

   The statements made in this report are factual and verifiable.
Anybody can read Mike's book, study its time line, and see that there
is no way for him to have done the things he claimed in ®The Satan
Seller.¯ Mike's former fiancee, his roommates, relatives, and cohorts
in school emphatically contradict his claims on everything from hair
length to drug use and from out-of-town trips to "love slaves" in his
apartment. Mike's own friends refused to sign an affidavit that his
Satanism testimony was true.

   If Mike has any real evidence to disprove what we've offered here,
we're willing to print it. However, the evidence we have uncovered
leads us to the conclusion that Mike doesn't have any. One thing is
certain: the Church should not let the master storyteller get by with
telling just another story: "There really ®was¯ a satanic coven; they
just didn't talk to the right people. . . ."

   At this stage, excuses aren't sufficient. Mike needs to provide
either evidence or repentance. It is not enough to make religious
excuses for sin or sophisticated attempts to change the subject: "Those
girls came on to me, and I was at a vulnerable point in my life. . . ."
"The person who said `the Christian Church is the only army to shoot
its own wounded' was totally right. . . ." "It's not up to you to judge
my actions. Last time I read my Bible, Jesus was sitting on the throne,
and He's not about to get off and let you take His place. . . ."

   This is sidestepping. It's a move to change the subject and get away
from calling one's actions sin and asking for forgiveness. The issues
are whether Mike has told the truth, whether he is fit for public
ministry, and whether he meets the standards for biblical leadership.
Like it or not, by addressing thousands of people he is assuming a
pastoral role, regardless of what he calls himself.

   If Mike were to seek forgiveness and restoration, what could the
Church expect to see as evidence of the genuineness of his repentance?
The following principles should apply to any Christian leader who has
manifestly fallen.

 Repentance. Repentance is fundamental to Christianity. It denotes a
complete turnaround, heading in the opposite direction than previously.
Like "to love," to repent is a verb denoting action. Nobody wants to
see another Jimmy Swaggart crying crocodile tears on camera but
returning to save "the ministry" three months later . . . and returning
to the same sin after that. In Mike Warnke's case, true repentance
would necessitate complete withdrawal from public ministry.

 Confession. If Mike is repentant, he should make an open admission of
guilt. On the other hand, Mike Warnke has built a career of telling us
about past and present sins. The Church must not allow him to emerge as
a new authority on fraudulent testimonies.

 Restitution. True moral change involves some attempt to undo past
wrongs and to provide some kind of restitution. Perhaps the best kind
of restitution Mike Warnke could perform would be to take ®Satan
Seller¯ and all his other products off the market.

   What about the rest of us? Accountability is a public as well as a
personal matter. Christian publishers have an obligation to validate
the books they print, whether nonfiction or historical fiction books.
At the same time, it is ®our¯ responsibility as the book-buying public
to ask for evidence before accepting a story.

   After Warnke's testimony began circulating, those few who knew the
truth kept silent: they felt powerless against the immensity of the
story. Where could they turn? Well, the publisher would be a place to
start. We need the active participation of all members of the Body of
Christ in provoking each other to righteousness and, where necessary,
in providing biblical confrontation and counsel.

   Sometimes a twisted man can preach a straight gospel. Through the
years, we've known many people who could speak truth while ignoring it
in their personal lives. Scripture testifies that God may bless or
anoint a sermon even while condemning the deeds of the preacher (Num.
23-24, 2 Pet. 2:15, Matt. 23:3).

   Yes, the love of God is truly as infinite and wondrous as Mike
Warnke has been telling us for twenty years. God loves Mike Warnke as
he really is __ex-Satanist, war hero, Ph.D.__or not. His choice now is
no different than it has ever been: losing the whole world or losing
his soul. For no one can know the love of God whose heart is closed to
the truth.

   Perhaps he has never stopped feeling like an outsider, and even when
Christianity opened its arms to him, he would not give up his
storytelling. His adolescent flirtation with the occult was exaggerated
into a postadolescent fantasy of having incredible amounts of money,
sex, prestige, and power as a Satanist. He later achieved money, sex,
prestige, and power. Sadly, it was in the name of Christ.

   It's not too late for Mike to change, if he wants to. The secular
press may scoff, and those who consider themselves real Satanists may
snicker, but the Jesus of the Bible is still the God of truth. The
Lord, who makes ruined lives whole and restores purity to harlots and
liars, offers each of us forgiveness and acceptance. Not on our terms,
but His.

   To Mike, and all others, who have been tempted to sacrifice the
truth for the sake of "the ministry," we can offer no better words than
these of the apostle Paul:

   Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received
   mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the hidden
   things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the
   word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth
   commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight
   of God. (2 Cor. 4:1-2)
ENDNOTES

 1. Coauthor David Balsiger, in his biographical sketch, says The
Satan Seller has sold only 500,000 copies.

 2. So-called satanic panic has led to tragedy in many cases. For
further information, see Jon Trott, "Satanic Panic," Cornerstone 20,
iss. 95 (1991): 9.

 3. Mike Warnke marriage licenses. Interview, Fr. Bob Nagler, St.
Francis Cabrini Church, Crestline, CA.

 4. Interview, Mildred Warnke Jordan; Al Warnke obituary, Manchester
Times, 17 Oct. 1958.

 5. Mildred Warnke Jordan; Larry Nee, Manchester Times, 16 Oct. 1991,
spoke with local undertaker, who referred to his notes on Louise
Cooper.

 6. Interview and letter, Shirley Schrader.

 7. "Final Rites for A. J. Warnke," Manchester Times, 17 Oct. 1958.

 8. Mike Warnke Alive!, Mike Warnke, Myrrh Records, 1976.

 9. Interview, Edna Swindell.

10. Interviews, Keith Schrader, Jr.

11. Interview, Tim Smith.

12. Interviews, Jeff Nesmith.

13. Interview, David Goodwin.

14. Interview, Terry Smith Perry.

15. Confirmation certificate (see above).

16. Charles Donovan, San Bernardino Valley College ref. librarian.

17. Warnke, Michael Alfred, USN, #B98 05 49.

18. Mike Warnke, Schemes of Satan (Tulsa, OK: Victory House, 1991),
87.

19. Interviews, Greg Gilbert.

20. Interviews, Dennis Pekus.

21. Interviews, Dawn Andrews.

22. Interview, Dyana Cridelich.

23. Mike Warnke, with Dave Balsiger and Les Jones, The Satan Seller,
(Plainfield, N.J.: Logos International, 1972), 18.

24. Interviews, Lois Eckenrod.

25. Satan Seller, 19.

26. Satan Seller, 14.

27. Interview, John Ingro.

28. Interviews, George Eubank.

29. Satan Seller, 19.

30. Interview, Phyllis Catalano.

31. Interview, Mary Catalano.

32. Interview, Tom Bolger.

33. Satan Seller, 19.

34. Satan Seller, 19, 20.

35. Satan Seller, 30.
36. Satan Seller, 33.

37. Satan Seller, 100, 101.

38. In 1981, Logos went bankrupt and sold its titles to Bridge
Publishing, which has since been purchased again. The new owners were
unable to locate any affidavits, signed or otherwise, for The Satan
Seller.

39. Interviews, Bill Lott.

40. Satan Seller, 64, 65.

41. Satan Seller, 29.

42. Satan Seller, 28.

43. Schemes of Satan, 73.

44. Satan Seller, 90, 91.

45. Mike Warnke, Hitchhiking on Hope Street (Garden City, NY:
Doubleday & Company, 1979), 63, 64.

46. "Focus on the Family" broadcast, 16 March 1985.

47. Satan Seller, 112-114, 116, 121.

48. Naval records show Warnke was transferred out of Recruit Training
Command on 22 August 1966. This is also the date he gives on his video
Do You Hear Me? as the day he became a Christian.

49. Satan Seller, 135.

50. Satan Seller, 137.

51. Interview, Charlotte Tweeten.

52. Navy Records.

53. Satan Seller, 136.

54. Mike Warnke, Hey, Doc!, 1978, Myrrh Records; Also, Hitchhiking
on Hope Street, 34.

55. Completed Hosp. Corps School 12/22/66; Reported to Field Med.
Serv. School, Camp Pendleton; 1/5/67; Reported to Naval Adcom, San
Diego, 2/7/67.

56. Certificate of Registry of Marriage, San Bernardino co., CA.

57. Satan Seller, 149, 150.

58. Interviews, Tim LaHaye.

59. Interview, Beverly LaHaye.

60. Transferred to Third Marine Division, Vietnam, 5/2/69.

61. Warnke Ministries Newsletter, 1 (1991), 4.

62. Satan Seller, 163.

63. Ibid., 165.

64. Ibid., 166.

65. Ibid.

66. Ibid., 168.

67. Hitchhiking on Hope Street, 42, 43.

68. Ibid., 45.

69. Ibid., 42.

70. "Decorations and Awards: Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon,
Vietnam Service Medal, Purple Heart, Republic of Vietnam Campaign
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Meritorious
Unit Citation; Warnke transferred home 3/1/70.

71. Interview, George Wakeling.

72. Interview, Ron Winckler.

73. Don Musgraves, director of Cerullo's Youth Action Center in San
Diego, interview: "It was during those times that I began to have heavy
contact with people coming out of the occult . . . "; Peter Brown,
"Dropout Heads WitchcraftFight," San Diego Union, 15 January 1972, 1;
"Evangelism Group Fights Witchcraft," San Diego Union, 22 January
1972, p. 5B; Dave Balsiger, "Charismatic Insider's Report," Logos
Journal, May/June 1972, 39, 40.

74. Interview, Morris Cerullo; Balsiger, "Insider's Report;" Christian
Life, March 1972, 12.

75. Dave Balsiger, et al., "It's Happening Now," insert, San Diego
Evening Tribune, 17 January 1972. (See Roddy, below: " . . .  Cerullo,
surprisingly unassuming in contrast to the image created by his flashy
PR people . . . ") Peter Brown, "Dropout Heads Witchcraft Fight"; John
Dart, "Converted `Priest' Offers Guided Tour of Satanism," Los Angeles
Times, 19 January 1972, Sec. C, Part II, 1; "Evangelism Group Fights
Witchcraft"; Balsiger, "Insider's Report."

76. Lee Roddy, "Morris Cerullo Crusade: A New Anointing?" Christianity
Today, 18 February 1972, 52-53.

77. Interview, Dave Balsiger.

78. Interview, Jean Jolly.

79. Navy Records, date of discharge, 2 June 1972.

80. Interview, George Eckeroth.

81. "YEAR END REPORT and APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE," Alpha Omega Outreach,
Rev. Mike Warnke, president, January, 1973.

82. Michael Warnke, "When Evil Fights Back," Guideposts, Nov. 1972,
22-26.

83. Dave Balsiger, "Charismatic Insider's Report," Logos Journal,
July-August 1972, 54.

84. Dave Balsiger, "Charismatic Insider's Report," Logos Journal,
Nov-Dec 1972, 56.

85. John P. Ferre, "Searching For the Great Commission: Evangelical
Book Publishing Since the 1970s," in American Evangelicals and the
Mass Media, ed. Quentin J. Schultze (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan,
1990), 99-101.

86. David Hazard, "Decatrends in Christian Publishing," Charisma,
August 1985, 140.

87. Michael Esses, Michael, Michael, Why Do You Hate Me?
(Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1973); Betty Esses DeBlase,
Survivor of a Tarnished Ministry (Santa Ana, CA: Truth Publishers,
1983).

88. James Danne, "Demonic Spirits," Christian Century, 4 July 1973,
738; Paul Nevin, "On Selling Your Soul to the Devil," Moody Monthly,
July-August 1973, 52.

89. Dave Balsiger Biographical Sketch.

90. James E. Adams, "Regards Peril of the Occult As Worse Than That of
Drugs," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 November 1972; Hershel Smith with
Dave Hunt, The Devil and Mr. Smith (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell
Company, 1974); James H. Brewster, "Rolling Along with the
Witchmobile," Probe the Unknown magazine, March 1973, 22-25;
Interview, Jean Jolly.

91. Darryl E. Hicks and Dr. David A. Lewis, The Todd Phenomenon
(Harrison, AK: New Leaf Press, 1979), foreword by Doug Wead and Mike
Warnke.

92. Don Cusic, "Mike Warnke: Jester in the King's Court,"
Contemporary Christian Music, June-July 1979, 130; Paul Baker,
"Two-Fold Laughter from Mike and Rose," Contemporary Christian Music,
December 1982, 14.

93. Jesse Joshua Warnke was born 4/18/74, according to Susan L. Warnke
Response, Civil Action D17252, District Court, Adams County, CO.

94. Interview, John Witty.

95. Interview, Karen Siegal.

96. "Holdup Victim Named as Call Girl's Queen," Long Beach
Press-Telegram, Evening Final, 8 January 1971, identifies Carolyn's
mother as "kingpin of a local prostitution racket . . . " Police call
incident "the latest rounds in a mob war over control of prostitution
in the LB-LA area."

97. Bill Hance, "That One-Liner Religion is Good Enough for Him," The
Nashville Banner, January 13, 1978, 30: "Until four years ago, he was
`just one of those preachers. . . . So, I started lightening my
testimony by telling jokes . . . '"

98. Bill Fisher says he flew with Warnke to Brockport while they were
still in Trinity (Fall '74-Spring '75). Fisher has a photo of himself
and Warnke on stage in Brockport, dated October 1975, and another photo
of himself and Warnke there, dated June 1976.

99. See Dave Medina, "Former Rabbi Named Chaldean Archbishop," Logos
Journal, Nov-Dec 1972, 58.

100. Carol O'Connor, "Ex-Satanist Happier with Christ," The Denver
Post, 20 June 1975, 4BB.

101. Petition For Dissolution of Marriage, D-17252, confirm Warnke
moved to Colorado in August 1975.

102. March 1976 is the date on a photograph of Bill Fisher at Joy
Ranch.

103. Virginia Culver, "Devil-Worshippers Called Possible Cattle

Mutilators," The Denver Post, 5 October, 1975, 31.

104. The back cover of Mike Warnke Alive! notes "Recorded Live at:
Adam's Apple, Fort Wayne, Indiana, November 14, 1975."

105. The story of the recording of the album is told in Cusic, "Jester
in the King's Court," 28; Paul Paino interview.

106. Affidavit with Respect to Financial Affairs, Civil Action
D-17252, Adams County District Court, CO, 8/6/76. Warnke lists his
employer as "Dharma Productions, 807 Redwood Cr, Nashville, TN."

107. Interview, Dan Riling.

108. According to Petition for Dissolution, D-17252, Mike and Sue last
lived together January 1, 1976.

109. Date based on Mike Warnke's statement to Don Riling that Sue was
served while Riling was in Denver. The Affidavit of Service says Sue
Warnke was served Aug. 20, 1976, at 8:42 am.

110. Interviews, Gretchen Passantino. Two other CRI staffers also
contributed information regarding this meeting.

111. Cover story by Peggy Hancherick, "Mike Warnke, Jester in the
King's Court," Harmony, vol. 2, no. 3, 8-9. Full-page ad for "Mike
Warnke Alive!", 11.

112. This saying was related to us by Frank Edmonson (aka Paul Baker),
ex-DJ, writer, and popular historian of Jesus Music. Edmonson worked
for Word at the time Warnke was signed, and played a key role in the
signing.

113. Interview, Mike and Karen Johnson.

114. Interview, Wes Yoder.

115. Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, Civil Action D-17252, Adams
County District Court, CO, 12/3/76.

116. Marriage Certificate, Davidson County, Tennessee, 4/25/77.
117. "When Mike Warnke Speaks, the World Listens!", Myrrh records ad
in Contemporary Christian Music (hereafter, abbreviated CCM),
Februrary 1979, 26.

118. See 21-page commemorative section celebrating Dharma Agency's
10th anniversary in the February 1982 issue of CCM.

119. William D. Romanowski, "Contemporary Christian Music: The
Business of the Music Ministry," in American Evangelicals, Quentin
Schultze, ed., above, 152, 155.

120. Interview, Dan Hickling.

121. Interview, Buddy Huey.

122. Romanowski, 144, 151.

123. Interview, Larry Black.

124. "When Mike Warnke Speaks, etc."

125. Itinerary in May 1979, CCM.

126. Rose Hall Warnke with Joan Hake Robie, The Great Pretender
(Lancaster, Pa.: Starburst Publishers, 1985), 73-74.

127. Rose Hall Warnke, The Great Pretender, relates her romance with
Mike, 73-85; quote cited on page 79. Carolyn is never mentioned, nor
that Warnke was married during this time, only the note, "He, too, had
been previously married." Final Decree, Sumner County Court, 11/29/79,
shows Warnke filed for divorce from Carolyn on 8/27/79, summons served
8/30/79. cf. The Great Pretender, 83: "In September of 1979, Michael
said, `I want to marry you.'" CCM itinerary shows Mike Warnke
scheduled to play Sept. 28-29, 1979, in Canada. Rose says she went to
Canada with Mike (p. 83).

128. Rose Hall Warnke, The Great Pretender, 81-82.

129. Interview, Tom Carrouthers.

130. Final Decree, Circuit Court for Sumner County, TN, 11/29/79.

131. Interview, Clarence Benes.

132. Certificate of Marriage, Johnson County, Kentucky, 1/2/80.

133. Mike and Rose Warnke, "First-Hand Rose," CCM, April 1981, 50;
"Road Rap," CCM, July 1982, 51; Paul Baker, "Twofold Laughter from
Mike & Rose," CCM, December 1982, 14.

134. Warnke, Great Pretender, on booking, 119, on accounting, 148.

135. Television interview with Mike Warnke, "Believer's Lifestyles,"
Channel 52, Orlando, Florida, 2/2/91, air-date 2/22/91.

136. Interviews, Elijah Coady; Joseph Morse; William Schillereff.

137. Marriage Certificate, Davidson County, Tennessee, 4/25/77.
Marriage "was solemnized by Mar Apriam I."

138. Articles of Incorporation, The Holy Orthodox Catholic Church,
Inc," dated 12/23/81. Pamphlet "This We Believe, Holy Orthodox Catholic
Church, Eastern and Apostolic" is dated 1977, copyright by "His
Beatitude, Mar Apriam I, Patriarch."

139. Articles of Incorporation, 11/19/82, for "The Holy Orthodox
Church in Kentucky, Inc."; Certificate of Assumed Name, 11/4/83, HOCCK
authorized by to do business under name "Mike Warnke & Associates.";
Certificate of Assumed Name, 3/1/88, HOCCK authorized to do business
under name "Warnke Ministries." "HOCCK, Inc. dba" appears on Warnke
Ministries letterhead.

140. Mike Warnke, "The Root of the Problem," CCM, Februrary 2, 1981;
Rose Warnke, "Little Keys Unlock Big Doors," CCM, July 1981, 54; Land
Contract, 7/1/81, for 153 Elm Street, Versailles, between Warnkes and
Virginia Wiglesworth, her husband James, for $180,000.

141. Interviews, Dorothy Green.

142. Interviews, Roxanne Miller.
143. Interviews, Jan Ross.

144. Interviews, Phyllis Swearinger.

145. Deed, Equitable Relocation Management Corporation and Blanche
Hall, 7/29/83, for $235,000. Deed, Blanche Hall and Rose Hall, 3/1/91,
for "the sum of One ($1.00) dollar, cash in hand paid, and the
Grantor's love and affection for her daughter."

146. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, HOCCK, 1984-1990
Forms.

147. Ibid.

148. One well-known example: James G. Friesen, Ph.D., Uncovering the
Mystery of MPD (San Bernardino, Calif.: Here's Life Publishers, 1991),
uses Warnke's book in both text and footnotes to bolster far-reaching
claims concerning a satanic cult conspiracy.

149. Deed, Lelia Mann Brown, et al. and Michael A. Warnke and Rosemary
H. Warnke, 10/28/86, for $20,395.70. Deed, Michael Warnke and Rosemary
Warnke and HOCCK, for "the sum of $1.00 and as a gift, contribution,
and donation."

150. Warnke Ministries Newsletter, 1st Quarter, 1987, 1.

151. Ibid.

152. Warnke Ministries Newsletter, 1st Quarter, 1988, p. 2 " . . .
by the time you receive this newsletter, we will be moved into the new
building."

153. Interviews, Dr. John Cooper.

154. Cf. Rose Warnke, Great Pretender, 181, "At ministry
headquarters we get some 50,000 letters and telephone calls each
month."

155. Michael A. Warnke & Rose Hall Warnke, Recovering From Divorce,
(Tulsa: Victory House, Inc.), 22-25.

156. Rose Warnke, Great Pretender, 86.

157. Ibid, 87-88.

158. Ibid, 88-90.

159. Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, 9/4/91.

160. Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, Mercer Circuit Court,
Kentucky (#91-CI-00274), Rose Hall Warnke vs. Michael A. Warnke,
9/4/91; Response, Entry of Appearance, and Waiver by Respondent,
9/4/91; Separation and Property Settlement Agreement, 9/4/91.

161. Lynnwood Farm, see above note. Deed, Land Owners, L.P., and
Michael A. Warnke and Rose H. Warnke for new acreage, 4/19/91, for
$525,000.

162. Mortgage, American Fidelity Bank & Trust, Corbin, KY, 9/10/91,
Rose Hall Warnke and Michael A. Warnke for $250,000. Mortgage, State
Bank & Trust Company, Harrodsburg, KY, 9/27/91, Rose Hall Warnke and
Michael A. Warnke, for $31,500.50.

163. Deed, Charles W. Pistole and Michael and Rose Mary Warnke,
5/30/86, for 2001 Salifish Point, Apt. 308, Stuart, FL for $398,000.
Deed, Mary & Clinton Woodard and Michael A. Warnke and Rose H. Warnke,
7/24,89, for Chimney Rock property for $231,500.

164. Final Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, Mercer Circuit Court,
Kentucky (#91-CI-00274), Rose Hall Warnke vs. Michael A. Warnke,
10/2/91.

165. Amy Wolfford, "Official downplays effect of Warnke divorce on
ministry," Danville Advocate-Messenger, 24 Oct. 1991, 1.

166. Undated Warnke Ministries letter (begins "Dear Ministry Family,
It is again the start of a New Year, PRAISE GOD!").

167. License and Certificate of Marriage, Santa Cruz County, CA, 18
Nov. 1991. 43. "Authors Available for Interview," Christian Booksellers
Convention, Dallas, Texas, June 29--July 2, 1992, 15.

168. Warnke & Warnke, ®Recovering From Divorce,¯ 63.

169. Ibid, 164.

170. Ibid, 159.


                       The Threefold Goddess 
 
                                  I 
 
     To understand the concept of Goddess requires more than the 
ability to visualize God as a woman.  The Goddess concept is built 
around the myth and mystery of the relationship between God and 
Goddess, and beneath that, and part of it, Her Threefold Aspect ... 
Maiden, Mother and Crone. 
 
     One of the oldest recognized Goddess forms is the first Greek 
Goddess - Gaia, the Earth Mother; the Universal Womb; Mother of All. 
The most ancient Goddesses were most often Earth and Mother Goddesses. 
The were worshipped and revered as bearers of life ... fat, healthy, 
pregnant and fruitful. As the Goddess concept developed, then came the 
Harvest Goddesses, who were also Earth Goddesses.  Understand that 
this was a time when people did not even understand the basic 
mechanics of procreation.  Life was very sacred and mystical indeed! 
 
     Gradually, myth and mystery developed and revealed themselves, 
creating the legend which we honor in the modern Wiccan Craft. 
 
     We recognize the Goddess as the mother of all, including her 
Mighty Consort, the God.  To Her he is Lover and Son, and together 
they form the Ultimate, the Omniverse, the Dragon, the Mystery. 
 
     Now that is a pretty tough concept all things considered. 
Especially in our society as it sounds rather incestuous.  From a 
mundane perspective, it gets worse as the Wheel of the Year Turns, and the 
Oak and Holly Kings battle ... eternal rivals and 
sacrificial mates. 
 
     In the pages that follow, we will explore the Goddess foundation 
concepts and try to reach an understanding of the basis of the 
Mystery. 
 
     I don't want to get off into all the names of all the Goddesses 
in all the mythology in all of history.  While that is certainly a 
noble endeavor, it is not the objective here.  What I do want to do is 
look at the Goddess, in whole and in part, and see just who and what 
she is. 
 
     First and foremost, the Goddess is the symbol of the Cycle of 
Everlasting.  She is constant, ever present, ever changing, and yet 
always the same.  She could be compared in that respect to the oceans. 
 
     As a part of that, she is that from which we have come, and to 
which we will return.  She is the Universal Mother, the Cosmic Womb. 
While those are largely symbolic images, as opposed to literal ones, 
they are important to bear in mind about any aspect of the Goddess. 
She never harms, she is Mother. 
 
     One of the most difficult throwback mentalities to dispell in a 
student is the difference between "dark and light" and "bad and good". 
Societally, and often religiously, we are trained to see bad and dark and 
evil as being the same.  Hence, we are also taught to hate and 
fear our own mortality.  All too often I see practicing Wiccans, who 
ought to *know* better, fall back on these concepts when trying to 
explain or understand a concept. 
 
     The Goddess is dark, she is light, she is birth, she is death, 
and she rejoices in all things.  With death comes joy, for with death 
comes renewal.  With life comes joy, for with life comes promise. 
With growth comes joy for with growth comes wisdom.  Sorrow and fear 
are not a part of her, not the way we feel those emotions.  She is 
incapable of sorrow without joy, she fears nothing, because fear is 
not real.  It is a creation of the mind. 
 
     Whether you see the Goddess as a Warrior Queen, or like the Good 
Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz, she is the Goddess.  And she 
has many parts and facets which defy comprehension as "One".  She 
simply IS, and in that, can be whatever you need her to be in order to 
establish a relationship with her.  But none of that changes what she IS. 
 
     "I greet thee in the many names of the Threefold Goddess and her 
Mighty Consort.  Athe, malkuth, ve-guburah, ve-gedulah, le-olam, Amen. 
Blessed Be." 
 
      So here, at the Circle Door, greeted by the High Priest or 
Priestess we first see mentioned the Threefold Goddess.  Full-sized 
covens have three priestesses who take the specific roles of Maiden, 
Mother and Crone, the High Priestess being Mother. 
 
      The Threefold Goddess however is NOT three entities, she is one. Her 
aspects represent Enchantment, Ripeness and Wisdom. 
 
      Taking first things first is usually best, so we shall start 
with a look at one side of the Maiden. 
 
      Quoting "The Myth of the Goddess" as found in Gardenarian Wicca 
(Gerald B. Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Aquarian Press, London, 
1959.): 
 
      Now Aradia had never loved, but she would solve all the 
Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to the 
Nether Lands. 
 
      The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy 
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into 
this our land." 
 
      So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as 
were all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One.  Such was her 
beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying, "Blessed by 
thy feet that have brought thee in these ways.  Abide with me, let me 
place my cold hand on thy heart."  She replied "I love thee not. 
Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and 
die?" 
 
      "Lady," replied Death, "it is Age and Fate, against which I am 
helpless.  Age causes all things to wither, but when men die at the 
end of time I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may 
return.  But thou, thou art lovely.  Return not; abide with me." 
 
      But she answered, "I love thee not." 
 
      Then said Death, "An' thou receive not my hand on thy heart 
thou must receive Death's scourge." 
 
      "It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt, and Death 
scourged her and she cried "I feel the pangs of love." 
 
      And Death said, "Blessed be" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, 
saying "Thus only may ye attain joy and knowledge." 
 
      And he taught her all the Mysteries.  And they loved and were 
one, and he taught her all the Magicks. 
 
      For there are three great events in the life of Man:  Love, 
Death and Resurrection in a new body, and Magick controls them all. 
For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place 
as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again.  But to 
be reborn you must die, and be ready for a new body; and to die you 
must be born; and without love you may not be born.  And these be all the 
Magicks. 
 
     So there in the Gardnerian Myth of the Goddess we have her 
Maiden aspect, seeking, searching and opening herself to the 
mysteries.  But it is well to remember that the Goddess herself is a 
mystery, and the primary gift of the Goddess is intuitive Wisdom. 
 
     Beltaine (Bealtain) is the only Sabbat where the Goddess is 
entirely devoted to the Maiden.  Here, she revels in the enchantment, 
in the joy of coming into fullness and mating with the God.  Here, she is 
maiden bride and we can most easily understand that facet of the 
Maiden aspect.  I should probably note here that some see this 
festival as maiden turning into mother, with the maiden being in full at 
Candlemas, but I do not agree with that. 
 
     Youth, newness, innocence and beauty are fundamental facets of 
the Maiden aspect.  But beneath those are seeking, and love, and love of 
seeking.  There is more to understand of the Maiden though. 
Enchantment does not end with maidenhood, it is simply the beginning 
of the Mystery of Life, for that, above all, is what the Goddess 
stands for. 
 
     In Circle, in the Balanced Universe, the Maiden takes her place 
in the East.  In examining this most comfortable quarter, you learn 
more about the Maiden Aspect.  East (Air) rules the free mind and 
intellect.  It is the place to seek the ability to learn and to open 
spiritually, to open your mind and find answers.  It is a masculine 
quarter, ruled by intellect, and analytical logic, but she brings to 
it an intuition which is required to use these to best advantage. 
 
     "The river is flowing, flowing and growing, the river is flowing back 
to the sea.  Mother carry me, a child I will always be.  Mother 
carry me, back to the sea." 
 
     This Circle chant, sung in joy, sung in sorrow, is a cry to the 
Mother Aspect for comfort and warmth, a power chant calling upon the 
steady power and fullness of the Mother and a plea for guidance. 
While the Earth Mother, and the fully aspected Goddess are placed 
North in the Earth quarter, the Mother aspect alone belongs in the 
west. 
 
     Comfort and love rule here.  Emotions, sorrow, joy, tears, these 
belong to the ripeness of the Mother.  Caring and loving for all her 
children, watching in pain and pride as they struggle to gain their 
own, knowing full well she could reach out and do it for them, but 
being both bound and desirous to let them do it for themselves. 
 
     There is a considerable difference, as you might have interpreted 
from the above, between the Earth Mother and the Mother Aspect of the 
Goddess.  That is why we've started with her quarter, because it 
reveals the limitations of the Aspect. 
 
     The Mother aspect is ripeness, the ancient bearing of fruit, 
child and grain.  She represents emotion and sexuality.  The Goddess 
in that aspect is most of the altar (as discussed in the Great Rite 
lesson.)  It is interesting to note the practice in numerous ancient 
cultures of lovemaking or outright sex magick in cornfields to help 
make the corn grow. 
 
     The Dark Mother should also be placed here, although culturally, I 
have a tendancy to think of the Dark Mother as more in keeping the 
Crone Aspect.  It is a bit of work to see the Dark Mother in the West, to 
separate Dark Mother from Crone, but it is worthwile.  If you have any 
background with the tarot I would suggest you take it in that 
context, it is beyond the scope of this text. 
 
    Our exploration of the Goddess and her Aspects brings us now to 
the Crone.  For me, the Crone is the most fascinating of the Aspects 
of the Goddess.  Partly I suppose because she is the most mysterious 
and paradoxical. 
 
    "Blessed Goddess, old and wise, open mine, thy child's, eyes. 
Speak to me in whispered tones that I may know the rune of Crones." 
 
    With life and growth comes age and wisdom, and the Crone is this 
in part.  She holds fire and power, which wisely used can be of great 
benefit, but hold great danger for the unaware.  Hers are the secrets of 
death and of life, and the mystery beyond the mystery. 
 
    Part of the pleasure in knowing the Crone aspect is that while, 
unlike the fully aspected Goddess, she is not also Maiden and Mother, she 
does retain the experiences of both those Aspects in order to be 
Crone.  The Crone, wizened though she is, must still be able to reach into 
herself and recall the innocent joys and high passions of the 
Maiden and the love and warmth of the Mother.  To be Crone and to not 
have forgotten, to still be able to experience Maiden and Mother is, 
to me, very appealing.  More importantly, to be comfortable in that 
Aspect, where you have truth and knowledge but have left youth and 
physical beauty behind, and to still _feel_ youth and beauty without 
being desirous of them is an admirable quality. 
 
    Crone is the least paralleled Aspect of the Goddess to our human 
society.  We discard our old and wise, not understanding their value 
as teachers and models, and fearing their appearance as a reminder of our 
own mortality. 
 
    Knowing Crone is a door we much each open for ourselves for to know 
and love her is to cast aside a great many of our cultural and societal 
malteachings. 
 
     While the individual Aspects of Threefold Goddess are certainly 
valid concepts and paths to knowing Goddess, I should caution that most 
mythological Goddess figures are composite Goddesses.  Earth Mother 
Goddess figures are fully aspected Goddess by definition because they 
represent the full cycle of the Wheel.  Most other Goddess figures can be 
classified as having a dominant (or operative) aspect and recessive 
(promised, or in some cases past) aspect.  Future and past should not be 
taken literally, mythological Goddess figures are always whatever they are 
eternally, they do not tend to change (ie age). 
 
     Maiden Goddesses possessing their operative in the Huntress or 
Warrior aspects most often have a promise of Crone. Maiden Goddesses 
expressing their dominance in beauty and/or love usually have their 
recessive aspect as Mother.  For example, Athena is a Maiden Goddess 
with Crone attributes (the combination produces many Mother-type 
qualities, and this results in the Crone aspected Maiden being the 
most complete of the Mythological Goddesses, with the exception of 
Earth Mother Goddesses.) Aphrodite is of course a Maiden Goddess with 
Mother attributes. 
 
     Similarly, Dark Mother Goddess figures mostly find their promise in 
Crone and Light Mother figures their recessive in Maiden.   Crone 
recessives work the same way, although sometimes it takes a bit of 
close examination to find the "hidden" aspect. 
 
     One should note that this is not a formula, rather a tool to 
assist in examining and understanding Goddess figures and creating 
one's own personal spiritual link with Goddess.  It is also a useful 
consideration when invoking a specific Goddess with purpose in ritual. 
     The purpose of this course has been to open avenues of approach 
in discovering and developing a relationship with Goddess.  For me 
personally, I do not "believe" in the reality of mythological Goddess 
figures as they were presented, but I do believe they are a valid way to 
establish communication with Goddess.  I also believe Goddess will appear 
in whatever form we are most ready to accept.  The real 
Goddess, by my belief (and this is personal, not trad) is an entity 
beyond my comprehension, perhaps composed of light (could 5000 sci-fi 
films be wrong?), most assuredly unlike anything I could ever imagine in 
true form.  However, I do find mythological Goddess figures highly useful 
for ritual, and of some help in my personal relationship with 
Goddess. I hope you will too. 
 
Blessed Be 
 
Eileen 
 Being A Witch in Britain Today 
by James Pengelly

Written for the Newcastle University Conference; Encounters of
Religion

I am regional co-ordinator for the Pagan Federation (PF) for
Humberside, North Yorkshire and the counties that form the
northeast of England up to the Scottish Borders. The PF was
founded in 1971 by a group of Gardnerian Witches, the object of
it being to counter what was perceived as being popular
misconceptions about Witchcraft.
The main reason for the existence of the PF remains largely
unchanged, as the last few years have seen what can only be
described as an onslaught by various fundamentalist Christian
organisations who have latched on to the unfortunate and sad
matter of child abuse to which they have added the word "Satanic'
as a means by which they can attack and defame the occult in
general, and Witchcraft in particular.

I will return to this matter elsewhere in this lecture, but I
mention it now to illustrate the importance of our
anti-defamation work. In addition, the Pagan Federation acts as
a networking organisation to put people who share views on
religious and spiritual matters in touch with one another, to
enable them to get together, discuss and learn, and experience
further.

The third important aspect to our work is to increase awareness
of the spiritual and cultural heritage of this country.  Given
that many, if not most, of our customs and traditions have their
roots set deep in our Pagan past and that our countryside is rich
in the physical remains of this we feel that a positive promotion
of this inheritance is vital to a fuller understanding of who we
are.

The topic of this lecture is Being A Witch In Britain Today. Now
I think that when one mentions the word, "Witch" to the average
member of the public, the image that is immediately conjured up
is one of a wizened old hag boiling up an extremely noxious brew
in some bubbling cauldron, probably on a windswept moor
somewhere. This is of course Shakespearian in its perception, but
unfortunately, whatever his intentions were at the time he wrote
Macbeth, William Shakespeare did Witchcraft a considerable
disservice, because this image has stuck. In addition, the public
is very much subject to conditioning laid down in the Middle Ages
by the Church, through historical accounts of Witch trials, which
were heavily biased. Consequently it is hardly surprising that
the image the general public has is of nasty, evil, thoroughly
bad people riding around on broomsticks at dead of night creating
havoc all over the place, poisoning people right left and centre,
doing unspeakable things with goats, not to mention chickens,
frogs, toads, cats, and sundry other animals. All in all not very
nice people!
It is interesting to note that even in this day and age, many
people are still very superstitious when it comes to magic, the
occult, Witchcraft and so on. In addition to the historical
misconceptions about Witches and Witchcraft, I would go as far
as saying that people still have a deeply rooted superstitious
attitude, and that while some may automatically dismiss out of
hand Witches having any sort of magical power, deep down, the
majority of people still harbour deep rooted fears about this
sort of thing being possible.

At a time when mankind has seemingly achieved so much in the
field of science, when there is so little mystery left in life
because everything has been rationalised and explained, and
developed beyond that which our ancestors were able to
comprehend, the fact that people do still harbour superstitions
and worries about Witchcraft and the occult in general does not
altogether surprise me. If one removes the mystery from life, one
has nothing left with which to replace it, and one has to look
to that which one cannot explain. The problem being that man has
for countless generations been frightened by that which he cannot
explain. And this is why we are now living in the scientific age,
because man has purposely set out to explain that of which he is
afraid. The thing being that there is very little left that man
cannot explain. And one of the areas that he cannot explain is,
of course, magic, Witchcraft and the occult.

Let us for a moment, examine the term, "occult". Occult simply
means 'that which is hidden'. The term has been used for
centuries to explain the general workings of the universe. The
creation of fire would have, at some point in time, been regarded
as magic. Why things moved when they were subject to certain
power sources such as steam would have been deemed magic before
the principles were understood. Illnesses were originally
considered to be occult based.  You could impose an illness on
a neighbour or friend if you had the magical power to do it. But
of course, none of these things were actually magical in any
sense. The magic lay in the fact that a lot of people didn't
understand what was going on. Those who did have an understanding
of what was going on were perceived as having some sort of power.
The biblical phrase, "Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live", is
in this context quite revealing because in its original format,
the word, "Witch", did not actually translate as Witch, it
translated as "poisoner". And there is no doubt that the original
village Witch would have in her own way been a doctor of sorts,
in that she or he would have understood the uses of various herbs
for good purposes and for bad purposes. And could quite probably
been paid to use that knowledge to achieve the results for which
she was being paid, to either kill or cure. Consequently, the
village Witch, was someone to be feared, and respected.

As the Christian Church took hold, the older Pagan ways were
perceived as something to be got rid of. I do not think this was
particularly a spiritual battle. It was a power battle. It was
simply a matter of one religious-political system wishing to gain
control over another. And as Christianity grew in strength,
largely through fear and oppression, the old ways were presented
as being evil and wicked, and not to be tolerated.
This situation remained largely extant until 1951, when the last
laws remaining on the English statute book against Witchcraft
were repealed, and what is now commonly referred to as the
British Revivalist Craft came to light. The fact that it had, in
some form or another, managed to survive over countless
generations was, in itself, quite a surprising thing. But we now
know that what are often referred to as the Hereditary Craft and
the Traditional Craft were to a certain extent passed down from
generation to generation either within specific families or
small, invariably farming, communities. It was this that the late
Dr Gerald Gardener is thought to have discovered, and built up
into what is today known as the Revivalist Craft.  His work was
later developed by others such as Alex Sanders who founded the
Alexandrian Craft and, more recently, by Janet and Stewart
Farrar. Their works are very well known, popular, and easily
available, and they have created what is sometimes jokingly
referred to as the Farrarian Craft; a hybrid mixture of
Gardenerian, Alexandrian and their own methods of working.

Being a Witch today in this country is not necessarily a hard
thing, but nor is necessarily an easy thing. There is still a
great deal of superstitious prejudice and nonsense held against
Witches. And this is fermented, and that is the only word I can
think of, to a large extent by certain areas of our national
media, in particular the more lurid tabloid press, and of course
Christian fundamentalist groups, who have over the last few years
started to expand at a rather alarming, and for many
non-Christians, a rather frightening rate. The phenomena of
Christian fundamentalism is something which has largely been
imported to this country from America, where it has been a
populist Christian movement for many, many years. One only has
to look at the news over the last few years concerning some
American fundamentalist leaders to realise that basically, they
are like so many of us human beings, subject to all the little
foibles that human beings are generally subject to, that they are
just as easily led astray as any of us can be. The rising issue
of fundamentalism is, as I say, quite a frightening thing because
it seeks to impose a set of standards, a set of behaviour, and
a set of religious beliefs, on everyone, which no-one is
permitted to question. This is one reason why we find so many
people are now turning to Paganism in its broadest sense, and to
Wicca in particular. (Wicca being the commonly used modern term
for Witchcraft.) They turn to us because they are disillusioned
with the level of dogma and the level of imposition they find
within established Christian traditions, be they Church of
England, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, or some of the more
extreme fundamentalist sects.

People seem now to be dividing into groups. There are those who
are 'the led' and they search for leaders. And when they find a
leader who is prepared to tell them what to do, when to do it,
how to think, how not to think and so on, they latch onto that
and they go on quite happy in their own way because they want to
be told. On the other hand there are an increasing number of
people who are prepared to listen to what others have to say but
then like to go away and make their own minds up about things,
and work things out for themselves. And we are finding more and
more that this is what Paganism in general and Wicca in
particular is providing. It is providing people with the means
by which they can form deeply personal relationships with their
own particular perceptions of deity. They can work with that
perception. They can utilise it within a framework that is,
generally speaking, of a very high moral and ethical standard.
And the idea that Witches are evil, nasty, wicked people who go
around sticking pins in little lumps of wax shaped into the form
of a person containing lumps of fingernail and pieces of hair and
other sundry bodily parts, is being increasingly recognised as
grossly untrue. We have to bear in mind that a lot of the popular
perceptions of the Witch are, as I have already said, largely
determined by historical records. Historical records written by
people in whose interest it was to defame the Witch, and to
register her, or him, as an evil person, but even these are now
being challenged by more and more people.

So, as I've said, being a Witch in this country today is not
always an easy thing. On the one hand, you can meet with extreme
prejudice, on the other hand you can equally meet with extreme
derision. A number of perfectly normal, sane, rational people
that I know of think that the fact that I am a Witch is a huge
joke. I am very used to people asking me "When can I come round
to your house and take all my clothes off?." My usual response
to which is "Any time you like providing I'm not having my tea
at the time, or watching Coronation Street, but believe me pal,
you're on your own." I personally find that this is the best way
to approach this sort of thing. If you can turn the question into
a joke aimed at yourself, people are happy with that and feel
comfortable with that, and will go away thinking that basically
you're a pretty decent sort of person with just some very strange
ideas. If, on the other hand, you become intensely defensive, the
opposite can be true because they will assume that you have
something to hide, something which you don't wish to talk about.
And we all know that faced with that sort of situation the human
mind is capable of conjuring up all sorts of unpleasant images.
So I stand before you today proclaiming myself to be a Witch. I
do not particularly like using the term, but it is a term with
which most people are familiar, so within the context of this
lecture, I am happy to use it. And I stand before you here, not
a wizened old crone, dressed in rags and tatters with a big wart
on the end of her nose, but, I hope, a fairly presentable man in
his early middle age, who has a very respectable job. I have a
house, a mortgage, a small daughter, I am like many people of my
generation, separated from my wife, for purely personal reasons.
I am, to all intents and purposes an ordinary person. And yet I
stand before you here, and tell you I am a Witch.

What does this mean for me personally? Basically, like most
Witches, I am a Pagan. I believe in the Old Religion. The
religion that was worldwide before Christianity or Hinduism, or
Islam took a hold on large areas of the world. Once upon a time,
whether people like to admit it or not, the whole world was
Pagan. Paganism then was vastly different from Paganism today.
There are those who go round saying that they are practising
pre-Christian Paganism.  I would say, that while they are not
necessarily deluding themselves, they are mis-leading themselves.
What we are practising today is the spirit of ancient Paganism.
We cannot possibly practise ancient Paganism, because if we were
doing so, we would be indulging in such things as blood
sacrifice, and so on and so forth, which forms no part of modern
Pagan tradition.

Witchcraft is a sub-system of broad Paganism. Most Witches regard
it as the mystery aspect of Paganism. The mystery aspect being
that one searches for the spark of the ultimate divine source,
which is inherent in each one of us, in the hope that one can
find it, come to terms with it, and accept it as part of
ourselves.

Most Pagans believe in an ultimate creative source. Christians
call it God. We believe that there exists, somewhere out there
in the wider universe, the source of all creation.   We do not
give it a name, we do not give it a form. It is, to our way of
thinking, entirely neutral. It is all things in one thing. It is
all things and it is nothing. It is largely beyond our reach.
Some people aspire to attain union with the ultimate, very, very
few people ever reach it. Consequently, most Pagans will choose
to leave it alone.

It is unreachable. And it is unaware of our existence, because
it is neutral in form. What we do is we aspect it; we split it
into the various components which form it. The ultimate split is
gender, male and female. If the ultimate creative source is all
things, then it must have male and female aspects. So the
ultimate male aspect is 'The God', the ultimate female aspect is
'The Goddess'. Below this one can continue splitting into various
other aspects as one chooses, until one gets down to a level of
elementals, nature spirits, and so on and so forth. The idea
being, that all natural things coming from the ultimate creative
source contain a spark of that creative source, and consequently
all things are inherently sacred. We reject entirely the
Christian concept that man is born sinful, and has to spend the
whole of his life begging forgiveness for sins real and
imaginary. We believe that it is because of this attitude that
mankind does a lot of the things he does. If you bring somebody
up and condition them to believe that they are inherently bad,
they are going to react in that way.

Pagans and Witches believe that man is born inherently sacred,
and it is what he himself does with his life that makes him bad
or good. It is nothing to do with God, the Gods, the Goddesses
or anything else. Consequently, Paganism and Witchcraft are
extremely responsible forms of religious practice in that they
teach that we are responsible for what we do and the effect that
it has for those around us, both immediately and out in the wider
world. We believe in what is commonly referred to as 'the ripple
effect'. Drop a stone in a pond, and it will create ripples which
will go on and on until they reach the bank and are forced to
stop. If you regard the universe as a very large ocean, everytime
one of us does something, we create a ripple effect. The ripples,
on a universal scale, may be imperceptible, but they are there
none the less. And if we regard life in that way, we need to
immediately take stock of that which we do and act upon it.
Now obviously it is not possible to take this sort of philosophy
to an extreme, otherwise, one would literally do nothing. If one
flushes the toilet one is potentially adding to sea pollution.
If one turns an electric light on, one is potentially adding to
air pollution. Whatever one does, somewhere along the line is
likely to have a detrimental effect on someone.
The Witch or Pagan will judge what he or she is doing with his
or her life and will try and determine the least harmful way of
living. It requires a great deal of thought, it requires a great
deal of honesty and self analysis and not a small amount of
self-sacrifice. it forces one to look at how one relates to
oneself, and life around us, because we believe that all natural
things on this world are sacred, and therefore to be treated with
respect.

So, what then, is our relationship with our perception of
divinity? As 1 have already mentioned, we personalise aspects of
the ultimate creative source. These personalisations can be drawn
from one or another of the existing Pagan pantheons, such as
Norse, Greek, Roman or Egyptian, or they can be done on a much
more personal level where the individual will somehow personalise
whatever aspect of divinity they wish to work with in that moment
in time. Most Witches have the Great Goddess, and the Horned God.
(The horns, incidentally have absolutely nothing to do with the
concept of the devil having horns. And are usually, in this
country, personified as being deer's antlers being simply symbols
of power and strength.) The Great Goddess is seen as being the
Mother of all things, the Horned God, her consort who is also
frequently linked with the Sun as the All Father.

Below that, we have the Triple Goddess, whose symbol is the Moon,
the Maid, the Mother, and the Crone. And then there are any
number of other personifications largely based on the individual
preference of the person or group, doing whatever it is they're
doing. This may seem to be an immensely complicated system, and
indeed it sometimes takes a great deal of understanding. But you
have to relate it to the natural seasonal cycle, or festivals,
that most Pagans, whatever their traditions, will follow.

The seasonal cycle basically follows the agricultural and solar
cycle of the year. We have eight major festivals.
The first, and possibly the most important, is Samhain, spelled
S-A-M-H-A-I-N, commonly known as Hallowe'en, and is thought to
have been the time when the ancient Celts celebrated the new
year. It was the end of one agricultural year and the beginning
of the next. It was the final onset of Winter. It was, as it is
commonly regarded today, also a festival of the dead. The modern
concept today of ghosts and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties
and things that go bump in the night, stemmed directly from the
Celtic feast of the dead. This is not some necrophiliac intention
of summoning up spirits for evil purposes, it was/is simply a
time when one reflects on the memories of lost loved ones, lost
friends, and hopes to gain some insight into one's own life from
the lessons that we can learn from those who have gone before us.
It is interesting to note that, even in its christianised form,
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve is still a festival of the dead.

The mid-Winter Solstice is, of course, Yule, an Anglo-Saxon word
so old its meaning is now completely forgotten. It has been
suggested that that it could mean 'wheel', and within a Pagan or
a Wiccan context the year is often referred to as "the wheel of
the year", in that it turns on, and on. Yule celebrates the
re-birth of the Sun. It is indeed interesting that Christians
should have taken this festival to mark the birth of Christ, when
what historical evidence we have seems to suggest that Christ was
actually either born in March or September.

From then we move on to Imbolc, christianised as Candlemas, which
represents the first stirring of Spring and the gradual return
of light. We then have the Spring Equinox, which when the earth
comes back fully to life, and has become largely associated with
Easter. Many people today do not realise that Easter is a
moveable feast because the date of Easter is set on the first
Sunday after the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox. And
if that isn't a Pagan concept, I really don't know what is. In
fact, the very name "Easter" comes from the Anglo-Saxon fertility
Goddess "Eostre" and many of the items traditionally associated
with Easter such as eggs and rabbits are directly derived from
Pagan ideas and symbols.

Then follows Beltane, which is interesting in that it is the only
Pagan holiday which does not have a Christian counterpoint. This
is probably because of its overtly sexual nature. It is
interesting that children conceived at Beltane were invariably
born on or around Imbolc, which is lambing time in the sheep
farmers year. Ewe's milk would have been important in the past
to strengthen children for the last part of Winter and to give
them strength to grow through the Spring and Summer.

After Beltane we have of course the Summer Solstice, mid-Summer,
which represents the Sun at its height. Solstices and Equinoxes
all being solar festivals. The union of Sun and Earth to produce
the harvest that is to come. Lugnassadh, commonly referred to as
Lammas, which literally means loaf-mass from the Anglo-Saxon, is
the start of the harvest. It is the time when we prepare to cut
down that which the union of the Sun and the Earth Mother has
provided for us. The Autumn equinox is the harvest festival. A
time to rest and relax after the harvest has been collected. And
then we come back again to Samhain, or Halloween.

So as you can see, we follow a very natural cycle. Rituals and
ceremonies can vary immensely from group to group, or individual
to individual. But each one, whenever it is done, will consist
of some sort of symbolic, what I can only describe as 'drama',
that reflects what we see going on in the world around us, and
how we perceive the Gods and Goddesses of Paganism or Witchcraft
as playing a part in that. There is a lot of talk about the use
of spirit powers and so on and so forth, and many Christians
perceive this as being inherently very, very dangerous.
Spiritualism, as it is commonly perceived, plays very little part
in Wicca. It is not something that we believe should be played
around with.  We will invoke on one another the spirit of a
particular God or a particular Goddess dependent on what we are
doing at the time.  But all we are asking that particular God or
Goddess to do is imbibe us with something of their power,
something of their insight. It is basically an intensely
psychological thing. Because, as we all know, if one stands in
front of a mirror saying "every day and every way, I am getting
better and better", then one is likely to grow in
self-confidence. The concept is pretty much the same.

So, as we can see, Witches are not horrible evil people, but
generally, quite ordinary nice decent people who have chosen to
try and relate more to the natural things around us than some far
distant imperceptible god-form.  But what of magic?  Witchcraft
is obviously very closely associated with the use of magic. So
what is magic?

Magic was once described as 'the art of causing change in
conformity with will'. Put more basically, this simply means mind
over matter. Causing something to happen simply by the strength
of your own mind. This is perhaps a bit too far fetched for a
great many people to accept, but when one considers the nature
of prayer, one has a concept which is easier to understand. For
most Witches, an act of magic is simply a form of prayer. You
will seek the attention of a particular God or a particular
Goddess, and you will ask her or him to assist you in something
that you want done. Surely, this is no different from anyone
going into a church or synagogue, kneeling down, and saying,
"please God, help me".

It is true that Witches will dress that up in some way and use
items of equipment and paraphernalia which are alien to a church,
mosque, or synagogue. These are primarily nothing more than
psychological props, means by which the individual can focus
their attention on something. Using the appropriate equipment at
the appropriate time aided by appropriate colours and scents are
all means by which one can focus one's mind onto a specific
point. Like anything, our acts of magic do not necessarily always
produce the desired result. But we choose to believe that if it
does not happen, it is because it is not meant to happen, rather
than we are not worthy of it happening.

Many people talk of white and black magic. This is an entirely
Christian concept; we do not accept the terms white or black
magic. Magic is a neutral force which is used by the individual
and it is what the individual does with it that makes it white
or black. But most Witches, in using the powers that they have
available to them will consider the implications of what they are
doing, and will think very seriously about undertaking any act
of magic which could prove detrimental to any-one or anything
which cannot be justified morally and spiritually.

If the Craft has any "laws" as such they apply to the use of
magic in a more obvious way than any-where else, and there are
basically two such "laws".

The first is more of an ethic - "An it harm none-do what thou
will". On the face of it this seems to offer carte-blanche to do
what you want as long as no-one gets hurt but if regarded within
the context of the "ripple effect" mentioned earlier the
relevance and importance of it becomes clearer.
In addition to this, most Wiccans subscribe to what is usually
referred to as the "Law of Threefold Return" which basically
means that the result of an act will reflect on the instigator
times three. As you will possibly appreciate, this is worth
serious consideration if what one is undertaking is potentially
or deliberately harmful.

Between the clearly "white" or "black" areas of magic however
lies the "grey" area. This is hard to define as it depends
largely on the conscience of the individual but whatever the
shade, a Witch will never undertake any act of magic without
serious consideration of all the matters and questions
surrounding it.

To go back to the matter of Satanic child-abuse, the suggestion
that there exists some sort of organised conspiracy of Satanic
based child abuse is nonsense. It is a myth created entirely by
so-called Christian extremists whose intention is to ferment a
modern Witchhunt in exactly the same way as the Nazis fermented
action against the Jews. There is no question of that. Whilst I
would not deny that there may be some sick, criminal perverts,
who utilise the cover of the occult in general and Witchcraft in
particular, to abuse children, these people are not Witches, they
are sick and evil perverts who deserve the full weight of the law
to fall upon them.

To specifically identify Wicca with child abuse is criminally
irresponsible as it brands a huge number of totally innocent
people as potential child abusers, and given that it is an
intensely emotive issue, there is a real risk of a lynch mob
mentality being provoked, with all the horror that it implies.
If we are to judge a whole belief system on the strength of the
activities of a few perverts, one could equally point the finger
at the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church, both of
whom have suffered from the publicity of members of their own
clergies being caught for this very crime.
Recently, in this country alone, there have been several
instances of Church of England and Roman Catholic clergy abusing
children, and there is evidence to suggest that it is rife within
the Roman Catholic church in America. I pass no judgement on the
churches for that. This is down to individuals, and again, we
come back to the concept of individual responsibility for one's
own actions.

For a Witch to abuse a child is total anathema. It is contrary
to everything that we hold close to our hearts. Our children are
our future. If we abuse them, we run the risk of turning them
into abusers. Apart from the fact that in abusing them, we abuse
that which is part of the sacred, the ultimate divine source.
Children born in love and unity are sacred and to be treated as
such. There is no evidence, other than in the minds of those that
make the allegations, that so-called Satanic abuse exists.

As to the future, and what we would like; basically all we seek
is the acceptance of society to be what we are, and to practise
what we choose to practise. We do not seek to impose ourselves
on anybody, or anything. We wish more than anything else, to
exist in harmony with members of other religions, who have the
perfect right to believe what they choose to believe. All we ask
is that they afford us that same right. Nobody has the right to
impose their values on any other person, other than in a purely
secular sociological situation where rules and regulations are
necessary to avoid total anarchy.

On the spiritual level, the individual has the right to choose
what form of religion he or she will follow, and how he or she
will perceive his/her own God. When one looks around the world
today, one can see that many of the conflicts going on in places
like Yugoslavia, and Northern Ireland have a religious basis.
They are based on one group of people trying to impose its
religious form on another. This, we feel, is entirely wrong.

Since the onset of Christianity, it has been the fact that one
religion has tried to impose itself on another. Millions of
people have died in modern times for this very reason. And so
much harm, and so much suffering, and so much pain could have
been avoided if mankind only accepted that one person has no
right to impose his religious will on another. We do not ask for
converts. We do not actively seek converts. All we ask is that
we be left alone in peace, to do that which we feel is right. We
would dearly love to work in harmony with members of other
religions, towards a greater good. Surely, although we walk along
different paths, our ultimate aim should be the same - to achieve
a world that can live in peace with itself.
We believe that our way is one way to achieve that. We do not say
that it is the only way, we say that it is one way. Our paths may
not meet, they may certainly not cross, but they run in parallel,
and if we can hold hands across the divides that exist between
us, surely, the world will be a better place. We have a great
deal in common. Each religion professes a love of humanity. Each
religion professes a love of the world that surrounds us, and yet
so few of those religions that profess those beliefs, do very
much about it. We do not say, as I have already said, that ours
is the only way, the one way, the true way. There is no one true
way. The Arabs I think have a saying, and I may have this wrong,
that there are a million ways to God, and it is for each one of
us to find his or her own way. This, we feel, is a fundamental
truth. We believe passionately, that the world could be a better
place if half the people in it stopped trying to impose their
will on the other half. We have no desire to do this. We wish to
move forward with others who may or may not share our beliefs to
a better world.

This paper may be freely copied or re-published providing it is
copied or re-published in its entirety without changes, and
authorship credited to James Pengelly, Pagan Federation.

James Pengelly
The Pagan Federation,
BM Box 7097,
London WCIN 3XX.
                    RITUAL THEORY AND TECHNIQUE 
 
                     Copyright Colin Low 1990
                       (cal@hplb.hpl.hp.com)
 
      1. Introduction
      2. Magical Consciousness
      3. Limitation
      4. Essential Steps
      5. Maps & Correspondences
      6. Conclusion
 
 1. Introduction
 
      These  notes attempt to say something useful  about  magical
 ritual.  This is difficult,  because ritual is invented,  and any
 sequence  of  actions  can be ritualised and  used  to  symbolise
 anything;  but then something similar can be said about words and
 language, and that doesn't prevent us from trying to communicate,
 so I will make the attempt to say something useful about  ritual,
 and  try to steer a path between the Scylla of  anthropology  and
 sweeping   generalisations,   and   the  Charybdis   of   cultish
 parochialism.  My  motivation for writing this is my belief  that
 while  any behaviour can be ritualised,  and it is impossible  to
 state  "magical  ritual  consists of  this"  or  "magical  ritual
 consists of that",  some magical rituals are better than  others.
 This raises questions of what I mean by "goodness" or  "badness",
 "effectiveness"  or "ineffectiveness" in the context  of  magical
 work, and I intend to duck this with a pragmatic reply. A magical
 ritual  is "good" if it achieves its intention without  undesired
 side  effects,  and it is "bad" if the roof falls on  your  head.
 Underlying this definition is another belief: that magical ritual
 taps  a  raw  and potentially dangerous  (and  certainly  amoral)
 psychic   force  which  has  to  be  channelled   and   directed;
 traditional  forms  of  magical ritual do that  and  are  not  so
 arbitrary as they appear to be.

      An  outline of ceremonial magical ritual (in the basic  form
 in which it has been handed down in Europe over the centuries) is
 that  the  magician works within a circle  and  uses  consecrated
 tools  and  the  magical names of various entities  to  evoke  or
 invoke Powers.  It seems to work.  Or at least it works for  some
 people some of the time.  How *well* does it work?  That's a fair
 question, and not an easy one to answer, as there is too much ego
 at  stake in admitting that one's rituals don't always work  out.
 My  rituals  don't  always work - sometimes  nothing  appears  to
 happen, sometimes I get unexpected side effects. The same is true
 of those magicians I know personally,  and I suspect the same  is
 true of most people.  Even at the mundane level,  if you've  ever
 tried to recreate a "magical moment" in a relationship,  you will
 know that it is hard to stand in the same river twice - there  is
 an elusive and wandering spark which all too often just wanders.

      In summary, I like to know why some rituals work better than
 others, and why some, even when that elusive spark is present, go
 sour and call up all the wrong things - these notes contain  some
 of  my  conclusions.  As I have tried to lift the  rug  and  look
 underneath  the surface,  the approach is abstract in  places;  I
 prefer to be practical rather than theoretical,  but if magic  is
 to be anything other than a superstitious handing-down of  mumbo-
 jumbo, we need a model of what is happening, a causality of magic
 against which it is possible to make value judgements about  what
 is good and bad in ritual. Traditional models of angels, spirits,
 gods and goddesses,  ancestral spirits and so on are useful up to
 a  point,  but  these  are  not the end  of  the  story,  and  in
 penetrating beyond these "intermediaries" the magician is  forced
 to  confront  the  nature  of  consciousness  itself  and  become
 something of a mystic.

      The idea that the physical universe is the end product of  a
 "process  of  consciousness" is virtually a  first  principle  of
 Eastern esoteric philosophy, it is at the root of the Kabbalistic
 doctrine of emanation and the sephiroth,  and it has been adopted
 by  many twentieth century magicians as a useful  complement   to
 whatever  traditional model of magic they were weaned on  -  once
 one  has accepted that it is possible to  create  "thought-forms"
 and "artificial elementals" and "telesmic images",  it is a small
 step to admitting that the gods,  goddesses,  angels, and spirits
 of   traditonal  magic  may  have  no  reality  outside  of   the
 consciousness  which creates and sustains them.  This is  what  I
 believe  personally  on  alternate  days  of  the  week.  On  the
 remaining  days  I am happy to believe in the  reality  of  gods,
 goddesses,  archangels,  elementals,  ancestral spirits etc. - in
 common  with many magicians I sit on the fence in an  interesting
 way.  There  is  a belief among some magicians that  while  gods,
 goddesses  etc may be the creations of consciousness,  on  a  par
 with money and the Bill of Rights,  such things take on a life of
 their  own and can be treated as if they were real,  so  while  I
 take  the  view  that magic is  ultimately  the  manipulation  of
 consciousness,  you will find me out there calling on the  Powers
 with as much gusto as anyone else.
 
 2. Magical Consciousness
 
 The principle function of magical ritual is to cause well-defined
 changes in consciousness.  There are other (non-magical) kinds of
 ritual and ceremony - social,  superstitious,  celebratory etc  -
 carried out for a variety of reasons,  but magical ritual can  be
 distinguished by its emphasis on causing shifts in  consciousness
 to states not normally attainable,  with a consequence of causing
 effects  which  would be considered impossible or  improbable  by
 most people in this day and age.

      The  realisation  that the content of magical  ritual  is  a
 means  to an end,  the end being the deliberate  manipulation  of
 consciousness, is an watershed in magical technique. Many people,
 particularly the non-practicing general public,  believe there is
 something inherently magical about ritual,  that it can be  done,
 like cooking,  from a recipe book; that prayers, names of powers,
 fancy candles,  crystals, five-pointed stars and the like have an
 intrinsic power which works by itself,  and it is only  necessary
 to be initiated into all the details and hey presto! - you can do
 it.  I  believe this is (mostly) wrong.  Symbols do have  magical
 power,  but not in the crude sense implied above;  magical  power
 comes from the conjunction of a symbol and a person who can bring
 that   symbol   to  life,   by  directing  and   limiting   their
 consciousness through the symbol,  in the manner of icing through
 an  icing gun.  Magical power comes from the person (or  people),
 not from the superficial trappings of ritual.  The key to  ritual
 is  the manipulation and shifting of consciousness,  and  without
 that shift it is empty posturing.

      So let us concentrate on magical consciousness,  and how  it
 differs from the state of mind in which we normally carry out our
 business in the world. Firstly, there isn't a sudden quantum jump
 into an unusual state of mind called magical  consciousness.  All
 consciousness  is  equally  magical,  and what  we  call  magical
 depends  entirely on what we consider to be normal and  take  for
 granted.  There  is a continuum of consciousness  spreading  away
 from the spot where we normally hang our hat,  and the  potential
 for  magic depends more on the appropriateness of our  state  for
 what  we  are trying to achieve than it does on  peculiar  trance
 states.  When  I  want to boil an egg I don't  spend  three  days
 fasting  and  praying to God;  I just boil an  egg.  One  of  the
 characteristics  of my "normal" state of consciousness is that  I
 understand how to boil an egg,  but from many alternative  states
 of consciousness it is a magical act of the first order.  So what
 I  call magical consciousness differs from  normal  consciousness
 only  in  so far as it is a state less  appropriate  for  boiling
 eggs,  and more appropriate for doing other things.

      Secondly,   there  isn't  one  simple  flavour  of   magical
 consciousness;  the space of potential consciousness spreads  out
 along several different axes, like moving in a space with several
 different  dimensions,  and that means the magician can  enter  a
 large number of distinct states,  all of which can be  considered
 different aspects of magical consciousness.

      Lastly,  it  is normal to shift our consciousness around  in
 this space during our everyday lives, so there is nothing unusual
 in  shifting consciousness to another place.  This makes  magical
 consciousness  hard  to define,  because it  isn't  something  so
 extraordinary  after all.  Nevertheless,  there is  a  difference
 between walking across the road and walking around the world, and
 there  are  differences between what I call  normal  and  magical
 consciousness,  even  though  they  are arbitrary  markers  in  a
 continuum.  There  is a difference in magnitude,  and there is  a
 difference in the "magnitude of intent",  that  is,  will.  Magic
 takes  us beyond the normal;  it disrupts  cosy  certainties;  it
 explores new territory. Like new technology, once it becomes part
 of  everyday life it stops being "magical" and becomes  "normal".
 We learn the "magic of normal living" at an early age and  forget
 the  magic  of it;  normal living affects us in  ways  which  the
 magician  recognises  as  magical,  but so "normal"  that  it  is
 difficult to realise what is going on.  From the point of view of
 magical  consciousness,  "normal  life" is seen to be  a  complex
 magical  balancing  act,  like a man who keeps a  hundred  plates
 spinning on canes at the same time and is always on the point  of
 losing one. Magical consciousness is not the extraordinary state:
 normal  life  is.  The man on the stage is so busy  spinning  his
 plates he can spend no time doing anything else.

      A    characteristic   of   magical    consciousness    which
 distinguishes  it  from  normal consciousness  is  that  in  most
 magical work the magician moves outside the "normally accessible"
 region  of  consciousness.  Most "normal people" will  resist  an
 attempt  to  shift  their consciousness  outside  the  circle  of
 normality, and if too much pressure is applied they panic, throw-
 up,  become ill, have hysterics, call the police or a priest or a
 psychiatrist,  or end up permanently traumatised.  Sometimes they
 experience  a  blinding  but one-sided  illumination  and  become
 fanatics for a one-sided point of view.  Real,  detectable shifts
 in  consciousness outside the "normal circle" are to  be  entered
 into  warily,  and  the determined ritualist treads a  thin  line
 between success,  and physical and psychical illness.  A neophyte
 in  Tibet  swears  that he or she is prepared  to  risk  madness,
 disease  and  death,  and in my personal experience this  is  not
 melodramatic  -  the  risks  are  real  enough.   It  depends  on
 temperament  and constitution - some people wander all  over  the
 planes  of consciousness with impunity,  some find  it  extremely
 stressful,  and some claim it never did them any harm (when  they
 are clearly as cracked as the Portland Vase).  The grosser  forms
 of  magic are hard to do because body and mind fight any  attempt
 to move into those regions of consciousness where it is  possible
 to  transcend  the "normal" and create new  kinds  of  normality.

      The  switch into magical consciousness is often  accompanied
 by a feeling of "energy" or "power". Reality becomes a fluid, and
 the will is like a wind blowing it this way and that. Far out.
 
      There are several traditional methods for reaching  abnormal
 states  of consciousness:  dance,  drumming,  hallucinogenic  and
 narcotic substances,  fasting and other forms of privation,  sex,
 meditation, dreaming, and ritual, used singly and in combination.
 These  notes deal only with ritual.  Magical ritual  has  evolved
 organically  out  of the desire to  reach  normally  inaccessible
 regions of consciousness and still continue living sanely in  the
 world  afterwards,  and once that is understood,  its  profundity
 from a psychological point of view can be appreciated.
 
 3. Limitation
 
      The concept of limitation is so important in the way magical
 ritual  has developed that it is worth taking a look at  what  it
 means  before going on to look at the basics of  ritual.

      We are limited beings: our lives are limited to some tens of
 years,  our bodies are limited in their physical  abilities,  and
 compared to all the different kinds of life on this planet we are
 clearly  very specialised compared with the potential of what  we
 could be,  if we had the choice of being anything we wanted. Even
 as human beings we are limited, in that we are all quite distinct
 from oneanother,  and guard that individuality and uniqueness  as
 an inalienable right.  We limit ourselves to a few skills because
 of  the effort and talent required to acquire them,  and only  in
 exceptional  cases  do we find people who are expert in  a  large
 number  of different skills - most people are happy if  they  are
 acknowledged  as being an expert in one thing,  and it is a  fact
 that  as  the  sum  total  of  knowledge  increases,   so  people
 (particularly  those with technical skills) are forced to  become
 more and more specialised.

      This idea of limitation and specialisation has found its way
 into  magical  ritual  because  of  the  magical  (or   mystical)
 perception  that,  although all consciousness in the universe  is
 One,  and that Oneness can be perceived directly,  it has  become
 limited.  There is a process of limitation in which the One (God,
 if  you like) becomes  progressively  structured and  constrained
 until  it reaches the level of thee and me.  The details of  this
 process (sometimes called "The Fall") lies well outside a set  of
 notes on ritual technique, and being theosophical, is the sort of
 thing  people like to have long-winded arguments about,  so I  am
 not  going  to  say much about it.  What I  *will*  say  is  that
 magicians and mystics the world over are relatively unanimous  in
 insisting  that the normal everyday consciousness of  most  human
 beings   is   a   severe  *limitation*  on   the   potential   of
 consciousness,  and it is possible,  through various disciplines,
 to extend consciousness into new regions;  this harks back to the
 "circle of normality" I mentioned in the previous section. From a
 magical point of view the personality,  the ego,  the  continuing
 sense of individual "me-ness",  is a magical creation with highly
 specialised  abilities,  an artificial elemental  or  thoughtform
 which consumes all our magical power in exchange for the kind  of
 limitation necessary to survive, and in order to work magic it is
 necessary to divert energy away from this obsession with personal
 identity and self-importance.

      Now,   consider  the  following  problem:   you  have   been
 imprisoned  inside a large inflated plastic bag.  You  have  been
 given  a sledghammer and a scalpel.  Which tool will get you  out
 faster?  The  answer I am looking for is the scalpel:  a  way  of
 getting out of large,  inflated, plastic bags is to apply as much
 force  as  possible to as sharp a point  as  possible.  Magicians
 agree on this principle - the key to successful ritual work is  a
 "single-pointed will".  A mystic may try to expand  consciousness
 in all directions simultaneously,  to encompass more and more  of
 the One,  to embrace the One,  perhaps even to transcend the One,
 but  this is hard,  and most people aren't up to it in  practise.
 Rather than expand in all directions simultaneously,  it is  much
 easier to *limit* an excursion of consciousness in one direction,
 and  the  more  precise and well-defined  that  limitation  to  a
 specific  direction,  the  easier it is to get out  of  the  bag.
 Limitation of consciousness is the trick we use to cope with  the
 complexity  of  life in modern society,  and as long  as  we  are
 forced  to  live under this yoke we can make a virtue  out  of  a
 necessity,   and   use  our  carefully  cultivated   ability   to
 focus  attention  on  minutiae  to burst  out  of  the  bag.

      What limitation means in practise is that magical ritual  is
 designed  to  produce specific and highly  *limited*  changes  in
 consciousness,  and  this  is  done by using a  specific  map  of
 consciousness,  and there are symbolic correspondences within the
 map which can be used in the construction of a ritual - I discuss
 this later. The principle of limitation is a key to understanding
 the  structure  of  magical  ritual,  and  a  key  to  successful
 practice.
 
 To   summarise   the  last  two  sections,   I  would   say   the
 characteristics of a "good" ritual are:
 
      1.  Entry  into  magical consciousness and  the  release  of
          "magical energy".
 
      2.   A limitation of consciousness to channel that energy in
           the correct direction, with minimal "splatter".
 
 Without  the  energy there is nothing  to  channel.  Without  the
 limitation, energy splatters in all directions and takes the path
 of minimal psychic resistance to earth.  A magical ritual is  the
 calculated shifting and limitation of consciousness.
 
 4. Essential Steps
 
      There is never going to be agreement about what is essential
 in  a ritual and what is not,  any more than there will  ever  be
 agreement about what makes a good novel.  That doesn't mean there
 is  nothing worth discussing.  The steps I have enumerated  below
 are  suggestions  which  were handed down to me,  and  a  lot  of
 insight (not mine) has gone into them;  they conform to a Western
 magical  tradition  which has not changed in its  essentials  for
 thousands of years,  and I hand them on to you in the same spirit
 as I received them.

      These are the steps:
 
      1. Open the Circle
      2. Open the Gates
      3. Invocation to the Powers
      4. Statement of Intention and Sacrifice
      5. Main Ritual
      6. Dismissal of Powers
      7. Close the Gates
      8. Close the Circle
 
 4.1 Open the Circle
 
      The  Circle is the place where magical work is carried  out.
 It  might  literally be circle on the ground,  or it could  be  a
 church,  or a stone ring, or a temple, or it might be an imagined
 circle inscribed in the aethyr,  or it could be any spot hallowed
 by  tradition. In some cases the Circle is  created  specifically
 for one piece of work and then closed, while in other cases (e.g.
 a  church) the building is consecrated and all the  space  within
 the  building  is  treated as if it is an open  circle  for  long
 periods of time.  I don't want to deal too much in  generalities,
 so  I  will deal with the common case where a circle  is  created
 specifically  for  one  piece  of work,  for  a  period  of  time
 typically less than one day.

      The Circle is the first important magical limit:  it creates
 an area within which the magical work takes place.  The  magician
 tries  to control everything which takes place within the  Circle
 (limitation),  and so a circle half-a-mile across is impractical.
 The  Circle  marks  the boundary between the rest  of  the  world
 (going  on its way as normal),  and a magical space where  things
 are  most  definitely  not going on as  normal  (otherwise  there
 wouldn't  be  any  point in carrying out a ritual  in  the  first
 place).  There is a dislocation:  the region inside the circle is
 separated  from the rest of space and is free to go its own  way.
 There are some types of magical work where it may not be sensible
 to have a circle (e.g.  working with the natural elements in  the
 world  at large) but unless you are working with a Power  already
 present in the environment in its normal state,  it is useful  to
 work within a circle.

      The  Circle may be a mark on the ground,  or something  more
 intangible still;  my own preference is an imagined line of  blue
 fire drawn in the air.  It is in the nature of consciousness that
 anything  taken  as real and treated as real will  eventually  be
 accepted  as  Real - and if you want to start  a  good  argument,
 state  that  money doesn't exist and isn't Real.  From  a  ritual
 point  of  view  the  Circle is  a  real  boundary,  and  if  its
 usefulness is to be maintained it should be treated with the same
 respect  as  an electrified  fence.  Pets,  children  and  casual
 onlookers  should  be kept out of it.  Whatever  procedures  take
 place within the Circle should only take place within the  Circle
 and in no other place,  and conversely,  your normal life  should
 not  intrude  on the Circle unless it is part of  your  intention
 that it should. Basically, if you don't want a circle, don't have
 one,  but if you do have one,  decide what it means and stick  to
 it.  There  is a school of thought which believes a circle  is  a
 "container for power", and another which believes a circle "keeps
 out the nasties". I subscribe to both and neither of these points
 of view.  From a symbolic point of view,  the Circle marks a  new
 "circle of normality",  a circle different from my usual  "circle
 of  normality",  making it possible to keep the two  "regions  of
 consciousness"  distinct  and  separate.   The  magician   leaves
 everyday life behind when the Circle is opened, and returns to it
 when  the  Circle  is  closed,  and for  the  duration  adopts  a
 discipline  of thought and deed which is specific to the type  of
 magical work being undertaken; this procedure is not so different
 from  that  in many kinds of laboratory where  people  work  with
 hazardous  materials.   The  circle  is  both  a  barrier  and  a
 container.  This  is a kind of psychic sanitation,  and in  magic
 "sanity"  and  "sanitary"  have more  in  common  than  spelling.

      Opening  a Circle usually involves drawing a circle  in  the
 air  or on the ground,  accompanied by an invocation to  guardian
 spirits,  or  the elemental powers of the four quarters,  or  the
 four watchtowers,  or the archangels,  or whatever.  The  details
 aren't so important as practicing it until you can do it in  your
 sleep,  and  you should carry it out with the same attitude as  a
 soldier on formal guard duty outside a public building.  You  are
 establishing  a perimeter under the watchful "eyes"  of  whatever
 guardians  you  have requested to keep an eye on  things,  and  a
 martial  attitude  and  sense of  discipline  creates  the  right
 psychological mood.
 
 4.2 Opening the Gates
 
      The  Gates in question are the boundary between  normal  and
 magical  consciousness.  Just  as opening the Circle  limits  the
 ritual in space,  so opening the Gates limits the ritual in time.
 Not  everyone opens the Gates as a separate activity;  opening  a
 Circle can be considered a de-facto opening of Gates,  but  there
 are  good  reasons  for  keeping  the  two  activities  separate.
 Firstly,  it  is convenient to be able to open a  Circle  without
 going into magical consciousness;  despite what I said about  not
 bringing normal consciousness into the Circle,  rules are made to
 be  broken,  and  there are times when something  unpleasant  and
 unwanted  intrudes on normal consciousness,  and a Circle can  be
 used  to  keep it out - like pulling blankets over your  head  at
 night.  Secondly,  opening the Gates as a separate activity means
 they   can   be  tailored  to  the  specific  type   of   magical
 consciousness  you are trying to enter.  Thirdly,  just  as  bank
 vaults  and  ICBMs have two keys,  so it is prudent to  make  the
 entry into magical consciousness something you are not likely  to
 do  on a whim,  and the more distinct steps there are,  the  more
 conscious  effort is required.  Lastly - and it is  an  important
 point  -  I open the circle with a martial attitude,  and  it  is
 useful  to have a breathing space to switch out of that mood  and
 into  the  mood  needed for the  invocation.  Opening  the  Gates
 provides an opportunity to make that switch.
 
 4.3 Invocation to the Powers
 
      The  invocation to the Powers is often an occasion for  some
 of the most laboured, leaden, pompous, grandiose and turgid prose
 ever written or recited. Tutorial books on magic are full of this
 stuff.  "Oh glorious moon,  wreathed in aetherial light...".  You
 know the stuff.  If you are invoking Saturn during a waxing  moon
 you  might be justified in going on like Brezhnev addressing  the
 Praesidium of the Soviet Communist Party,  but as in every  other
 aspect of magic,  the trick isn't what you do, but how you do it,
 and  interminable invocations aren't the answer.  On a  practical
 level,  reading a lengthy invocation from a sheet of paper in dim
 candlelight requires so much conscious effort that it is hard  to
 "let  go",  so I like keep things simple and to  the  point,  and
 practice  until  I can do an invocation without having  to  think
 about  it too much,  and that leaves room for the more  important
 "consciousness  changing"  aspect  of  the  invocation.

      An invocation is like a ticket for a train, and if you can't
 find  the  train  there isn't much point in  having  the  ticket.
 Opening   the  Gates  gets  you  to  the  doorstep   of   magical
 consciousness,  but it is the invocation which gets you onto  the
 train  and  propels  you  to the  right  place,  and  that  isn't
 something which "just happens" unless you have a natural aptitude
 for  the aspect of consciousness you are  invoking.  However,  it
 does happen;  people tend to begin their magical work with  those
 areas of consciousness where they feel most at home,  so they may
 well have some initial success.  Violent,  evil people do violent
 and  evil conjurations;  loving people invoke love - most  people
 begin  their  magical work with "a free ticket" to  some  altered
 state  of  consciousness,  but in general,  invoking  a  specific
 aspect  of  consciousness  takes  practice  and  I  don't  expect
 immediate  results when I invoke something new.  If  interminable
 tracts of deathless prose work for you,  then fine, but I find it
 hard to keep a straight face when piety and pomposity combine  to
 produce the sort of invocations to be found in print.  I name  no
 names.

      I   can't   give  a  prescription   for   entering   magical
 consciousness.  Well devised rituals, practised often, have a way
 of shifting consciousness which is surprising and  unexpected.  I
 don't know why this happens; it just does. I suspect the peculiar
 character of ritual,  the way it involves the senses and occupies
 mind and body simultaneously,  its numinous and exotic symbolism,
 the intensity of preparation and execution, involve dormant parts
 of  the mind,  or at least engage the normal parts in an  unusual
 way.  Using  ritual  to  cause shifts  in  consciousness  is  not
 exceptionally  difficult;  getting  the  results  you  want,  and
 avoiding unexpected and undesired side-effects is harder.  Ritual
 is not a rational procedure.  The symbolism of magic is intuitive
 and bubbles out of a very deep well;  the whole process of ritual
 effectively bypasses the rational mind,  so expecting the outcome
 of  a  ritual  to  obey the  dictates  of  reason  is  completely
 irrational.  The image of a horse is appropriate:  anyone can get
 on the back of a wild mustang, but reaching the point where horse
 and  rider  go  in  the same direction at  the  same  time  takes
 practice.  The  process  of limitation described in  these  notes
 can't  influence the natural waywardness of the  animal,  but  at
 least  it  is a method for ensuring that the horse gets  a  clear
 message.
 
 4.4 Statement of Intention and Sacrifice
 
 If   magical  ritual  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  form   of
 bizarre  entertainment carried out for its own sake,  then  there
 has to be a reason for doing it - healing,  divination,  personal
 development,  initiation, and the like. If it is healing, then it
 is usually healing for one specific person, and then again, it is
 probably  not  just  healing in general,  but  healing  for  some
 specific complaint,  within some period of time. The statement of
 intention  is  the culmination of a process of  limitation  which
 begins when the Circle is opened, and to return to the analogy of
 the plastic bag,  the statement of intention is like the blade on
 the scalpel - the more precise the intention, the more the energy
 of the ritual is concentrated to a single point.

      The observation that rituals work better if their energy  is
 focussed  by intention is in accord with experience  in  everyday
 life:  any change involving other people,  no matter how small or
 insignificant,  tends  to meet with opposition.  If you  want  to
 change the brand of coffee in the coffee machine,  or if you want
 to rearrange the furniture in the office, someone will object. If
 you  want  to drive a new road  through  the  countryside,  local
 people object.  If you want to raise taxes, everyone objects. The
 more  people  you involve in a change,  the more  opposition  you
 encounter,  and in magic the same principle holds, because from a
 magical point of view the whole fabric of the universe is held in
 place by an act of collective intention involving everything from
 God downwards. When you perform a ritual you are setting yourself
 up  against  a collective will to keep most things the  way  they
 are,  and  your  ritual will succeed only if certain  things  are
 true:
 
      1. you are a being of awesome will.
 
      2.  you  have allies.  The universe is  changing,  there  is
      always  a  potential  for  change,  and  if  your  intention
      coincides with an existing will to bring about that  change,
      your ritual can act as a catalyst.
 
      3.  you  limit your intention to  minimise  opposition;  the
      analogy is the diamond cutter who exploits natural lines  of
      cleavage to split a diamond.
 
      Suppose  you want to bring peace to the world.  This  is  an
 admirable  intention,  but the average person would have no  more
 effect  (with or without magic) on the peacefulness of the  world
 than  they would if they attempted to smash Mount Everest with  a
 rubber  hammer.  Rather than worry about the peacefulness of  the
 whole  world,  why  not  use  your  ritual  to  create  a  better
 relationship  with  your spouse,  or your boss,  or  someone  who
 really annoys you?  And why not work on the specific issues which
 are the main source of friction. And try to improve things within
 a specified period of time. And do it in a way which respects the
 other person's right to continue being a pain in the arse if they
 so  wish?  This  is  the idea behind  focussing  or  limiting  an
 intention. Having said all this, there are a lot of people in the
 world  who would appreciate some peace,  and perhaps  your  grand
 intention  to bring peace might catch a wave and help a  few,  so
 don't  let  me  put you off,  but as a general  principle  it  is
 sensible to avoid unnecessary opposition by making the  intention
 as precise as possible.  Think about sources of  opposition,  and
 about  ways  of circumventing that opposition - there  may  be  a
 simple  way  which avoids making waves,  and that is  when  magic
 works  best.  Minimising  opposition also reduces the  amount  of
 backlash you can expect - quite often the simplest path to  earth
 for any intention is through the magician,  and if there is a lot
 of  opposition that is what happens.  [The very act  of  invoking
 power  creates  a  resonance and a natural  channel  through  the
 magician.]

      I  try to analyse the possible outcomes and consequences  of
 my intentions. There is a popular view that "if it harms none, do
 what you will".  I can think of many worse moral principles,  and
 it is better than most,  but it is still naive.  It pretends that
 it is theoretically possible to live without treading on  another
 person's  toes,  it leaves me to make unilateral decisions  about
 what  is  or  is  not harmful to others,  and  it  is  so  wildly
 unrealistic,  even in the context of everyday life,  that it only
 seems  to  make  sense  if I intend to live  in  seclusion  in  a
 wilderness living off naturally occuring nuts and berries (having
 asked  the squirrels for permission).  If it is used as  a  moral
 principle  in  magic,  then it draws  an  artificial  distinction
 between  magical  work and the "push me,  push you/if  it  moves,
 shoot it, if it doesn't, cut it down" style of contemporary life.
 It  completely emasculates free-will.  I prefer to  believe  that
 just about anything I do is going to have an impact on someone or
 something,  and  there are no cute moral  guidelines;  there  are
 actions and there are outcomes.  The aim is not to live according
 to  guidelines,  but  to  understand as  fully  as  possible  the
 consequences of the things we do,  and to decide, in the light of
 our understanding (which has hopefully kept pace with our power),
 whether we are prepared to live with the outcomes.
 
 And so to sacrifice.  There is a problem here. The problem arises
 from  the  perception that in magic you don't get  something  for
 nothing,  and if you want to bring about change through magic you
 have to pay for it in some way.  So far so good. The question is:
 what  can you give in return?  There is a widespread belief  that
 you  can sacrifice a living creature,  and while  most  magicians
 (self included) abhor the idea,  the perpetuation of this idea is
 still  being  used  as  a stick to beat  the  magical  and  pagan
 community about the head. The issue is further complicated by the
 fact  that  if  one  looks  at  surviving  shamanistic  practices
 worldwide,  or  looks at the origins of  most  religions,  ritual
 animal sacrifice is endemic.  That doesn't make it right,  and  I
 have  an unshakeable prejudice that it isn't an acceptable  thing
 to  do,  but I am only too aware of my hypocrisy when I  order  a
 chicken curry, so I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and rant on
 about  it.

      What  I  prefer  to  do is to examine  what  the  notion  of
 sacrifice means.  What can one legitimately sacrifice?  You can't
 legitimately sacrifice anything which is not yours to  give,  and
 so the answer to the question "what can I sacrifice" lies in  the
 answer to the question "what am I, and what have I got to give?".
 You  certainly aren't any other living being,  and if  you  don't
 make  the mistake of identifying yourself with  your  possessions
 you  will see that the only sacrifice you can make  is  yourself,
 because  that  is all you have to give.  Every  ritual  intention
 requires  that you sacrifice some part of yourself,  and  if  you
 don't  make the sacrifice willingly then either the  ritual  will
 fail,  or  the  price  will be exacted anyway.  I  don't  have  a
 rational justification for this statement, and it certainly isn't
 based  on  "karma"  or a paranoid feeling  that  accountants  are
 everywhere;  the belief was handed on to me as part of my magical
 training,  and having observed the way in which "magical  energy"
 is utilised to carry out intentions,  it makes sense. Each person
 has  a certain amount of what I will call "life energy" at  their
 disposal  -  some people call it "personal power",  and  you  can
 sacrifice some of that energy to power the ritual. Sacrifice does
 not  mean turning the knife on yourself (and there are plenty  of
 people  who  do that).  What it means in  ordinary  down-to-earth
 terms  is  that you promise to do something in  return  for  your
 intention,  and you link the sacrifice to the intention in such a
 way that the sacrifice focuses energy along the direction of your
 intention. For example, my cat was ill and hadn't eaten for three
 weeks,  so,  as  a last resort,  fearing she was about to die  of
 starvation,  I carried out a ritual to restore her appetite,  and
 as  a  sacrifice I ate nothing for 24 hours.  I  used  my  (real)
 hunger to drive the intention, and she began eating the following
 day.

      Any  personal  sacrifice which hurts enough engages  a  deep
 impulse to make the hurt go away,  and the magician can use  that
 impulse  to bring about magical change by linking the removal  of
 the pain to the accomplishment of the intention. And I don't mean
 magical   masochism.   We   are  (subject  to  all   caveats   on
 generalisations) creatures of habit who find comfort and security
 by  living our lives in a particular way,  and a change  to  that
 habit  and routine causes some discomfort and an opposing  desire
 to return to the original state: that desire can be used. Just as
 a ritual intends to change the world in some way,  so a sacrifice
 forces  us to change ourselves in some way,  and  that  liberates
 magical  energy.  If you want to heal someone,  don't just  do  a
 ritual and leave it at that;  become involved in caring for  them
 in  some way,  and that *active* caring can act as a channel  for
 whatever power you have invoked. If you want to use magic to help
 someone out of a mess, provide them with active, material help as
 well;  conversely,  if you can't be bothered to provide  material
 help,  your  ritual will be infected with that same  inertia  and
 apathy - true will,  will out, and in many cases our true will is
 to  flatter  the ego and do nothing  substantive.  I  speak  from
 experience.

      From a magical perspective each one of us is a magical being
 with  a vast potential of power,  but that is denied to us by  an
 innate,  fanatical,  and unbelievably deep-rooted desire to  keep
 the  world  in  a regular orbit  serving  our  own  needs.  Self-
 sacrifice  disturbs  this equilibrium and lets out some  of  that
 energy, and that is why egoless devotion and self-sacrifice has a
 reputation for working miracles.
 
 4.5 The Main Ritual
 
      After  invoking the Powers and having stated  the  intention
 and  sacrifice,  there would seem to be nothing more to  do,  but
 most people like to prolong the contact with the Powers and carry
 out  some  kind of symbolic ritual for a period of  time  varying
 from  minutes to days.  Ritual as I have described it so far  may
 seem like a cut-and-dried exercise,  but it isn't;  it is more of
 an art than a science,  and once the Circle and Gates are opened,
 and the Powers are "in attendance",  whatever science there is in
 ritual  gives  way to art.  Magicians operate in  a  world  where
 ordinary    things    have   complex   symbolic    meanings    or
 correspondences,   and  they  use  a  selection  of   consecrated
 implements or "power objects" in their work. The magician can use
 this palette of symbols within a ritual to paint of picture which
 signifies an intention in a non-verbal,  non-rational way, and it
 is  this ability to communicate an intention through every  sense
 of the body,  through every level of the mind, which gives ritual
 its power. I can't say any more about this because it is personal
 and unique to every magician, and each one develops a style which
 works best for them.
 
 4.6 Dismissal of Powers
 
      Once  the  ritual  is complete the Powers  are  thanked  and
 dismissed.  This  begins the withdrawal of consciousness back  to
 its pre-ritual state.
 
 4.7 Close Gates/Close Circle
 
      The final steps are closing the Gates (thus sealing off  the
 altered  state  of consciousness) and closing  the  Circle  (thus
 returning to the everyday world). The Circle should not be closed
 if  there is any suspicion that the withdrawal from  the  altered
 state has not been completed fully.  I like to carry out a sanity
 check  between  closing  the Gates and  closing  the  Circle.  It
 sometimes  happens  that although the magician goes  through  the
 steps  of closing down,  the attention is not  engaged,  and  the
 magician remains in the altered state.  This is not a good  idea.
 The  energy  of  that state will continue to  manifest  in  every
 intention  in everyday life,  and all sorts of  unplanned  things
 will  start to happen.  A related problem is that every  magician
 will find sooner or later an altered state which compensates  for
 some of their perceived inadequacies (in the way that many people
 like to get drunk at parties),  and they will not want to let  go
 of  it because it makes them feel good,  so they come out of  the
 ritual in an altered state without realising they have failed  to
 close down correctly.  This is called obsession, and it is one of
 the interesting difficulties of magical work.

      Closing down correctly is important if you don't want to end
 up  like a badly cracked pot.  If you don't feel happy  that  the
 Powers  have  been  completely dismissed  and  the  Gates  closed
 correctly, go back and repeat the steps again.
 
 5. Maps & Correspondences
 
 If  consciousness is imagined as a space we can move  around  in,
 then it is a space of several dimensions.  An indespensible  tool
 for  any magician is a method for describing this space  and  its
 dimensions,   a  method  to  specify  the  "the  coordinates   of
 consciousness",  like giving a map reference.  The magician  uses
 such  a  descriptive method to say "this is where I want  to  get
 to",  and you can imagine a ritual as a vehicle which  transports
 him or her to the destination and back again.

      A descriptive method of this type is one of the most obvious
 and  characteristic features of a particular  magical  technique,
 because  states  of consciousness are usually described  using  a
 dense mesh of symbolism and metaphor,  and if a magical tradition
 has  been around for any length of time it becomes identified  by
 the details of this symbolism.  Given the tendency for maps to be
 confused  with territory,  there is a tendency for  symbolism  to
 take  on  a life of its own and become completely  detached  from
 authentic  magical technique.  People confuse  magical  symbolism
 with magic; its use as a coordinate system is lost, vast tomes of
 drivel are written, and every manner of absurdity follows.

      I am a Kabbalist by training and use a map of  consciousness
 called "The Tree of Life".  This map has been coloured in using a
 thousand  years  of  symbolism,  and the result  is  called  "the
 Correspondences",  and it is a system which allows me to navigate
 around the dimensions of consciousness with some precision. There
 are many other maps,  some well worn by history, some not, and my
 choice  is  a  matter of personal preference.  It  works  for  me
 because  of the kind of person I am,  but it is only a map and  I
 wouldn't  pretend that there was anything  intrinsically  special
 about it.

      Many  magicians operate within a  religious  framework.  The
 Christian Mass is a magical ritual par excellence,  and there are
 several other magical rituals associated with Christianity.  Some
 magicians  work  within  a  pantheon  -  Graeco-Roman,  Egyptian,
 Scandinavian, Aztec or whatever. Some (e.g. Crowley) invent their
 own religion.  A characteristic of all these systems is that they
 provide  a  complex mesh of symbol and metaphor,  a map  for  the
 magician  to  work  within.   For  any  pantheon  it  is  usually
 straightforward (with some bending,  stretching and hitting  with
 a hammer) to identify a personification for the following aspects
 of consciousness:
 
      heaviness, old-age, stagnation, limitation, inertia
 
      creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership
 
      violence, force, destructiveness
 
      harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness
 
      love,  hate,  passion, sensual beauty, aesthetics, emotional
      power, nurture
 
      reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualisation, logic
 
      imagination, instinct, the unconscious
 
      practicality, pragmatism, stolidity, materialism
 
 And  once  we have gods and goddesses (or  saints)  to  personify
 these qualities, a weave of metaphors and associations elaborates
 the picture;  the Moon is instinct,  fire is both destructive and
 energetic,  death is a sythe, air and mercury are "the same", and
 so on.  The meaning of a symbol is personal - white means "death"
 to some and "purity" to others. What matters is that the magician
 should  have  a  clear map,  and with it the  ability  to  invoke
 different  aspects  of consciousness by using  the  symbolism  of
 gods,  goddesses,  archangels,  demons or whatever.  It does  not
 matter  whether the magician believes in the literal  reality  of
 the  territory or not,  as long as he or she treats the map  with
 respect  and does not muddy the water by dabbling with  too  many
 different maps. There are two principal ways in which maps become
 muddled,  and as the main theme of these notes is the precise use
 of limitation in conjuction with magical consciousness,  I  think
 it  is  worth mentioning what I see as  potential  pitfalls.  The
 first pitfall is mixing systems; the second is working with other
 people.

      There is a tendency nowadays to muddle different systems  of
 correspondences together,  to add Egyptian gods to a  Kabbalistic
 ritual, to say that Tanith is really the same as Artemis, or that
 Cybele and Astarte and Demeter are "just" different names for the
 Mother Goddess,  to find parallels between Thor and Mars, between
 Kali and Hecate,  between the Virgin Mary and Isis,  until,  like
 different colours of paint mixed together,  everything ends up in
 shades  of  muddy brown.  This unifying force  is  everywhere  as
 people find universal themes and try to make links between groups
 and systems.

      It is (in my opinion) a bad idea to mix systems together  in
 a  spirit  of  ecumenical  fervour.   Correspondences  are   like
 intentions:  the sharper and more clearly defined they  are,  the
 better they work.  Despite a few similarities, the Virgin Mary is
 nothing  like Isis,  and Demeter has very little in  common  with
 Astarte.   Syncretism   usually  takes  place  slowly  over   the
 centuries,  so  that  for  most people there  is  no  distinction
 between the classical Greek and Roman pantheons and Mercury is  a
 synonym for Hermes, but to do it in real-time in your own head is
 a recipe for muddle-headedness.

      Symbols  can  be  diffused when people work  together  in  a
 group.  It  is  a mistake to believe that "power"  is  raised  in
 direct  proportion  to  the number of people  taking  part  in  a
 ritual. Unless people have been trained together and have similar
 "maps",  then  the  ritual will have a different effect  on  each
 person,  and  although  more  power may be  raised,  it  will  be
 unfocussed  and  will probably earth  itself  through  unexpected
 channels.  When  people  begin working together there will  be  a
 period  of  time when their work together will probably  be  less
 effective  than any one of them working alone,  but after a  time
 their  "maps"  begin  to converge and  things  start  to  improve
 dramatically.  There  is  nothing magical about this -  it  is  a
 phenomenon of teams of people in general. I don't like "spectator
 rituals" for this reason;  you are either in it or your are  out,
 and if you are out, you are out the door.

      Does  it matter what map,  what system of correspendences  a
 person  uses?  Is  there  a "best" set?  This  is  an  impossible
 question to answer.  What can be said is that working within  any
 magical  framework incurs a cost.  The more effective  a  magical
 system is at limiting, engaging and mobilising the creative power
 of  consciousness,   the  more  effective  it  is  at   ensnaring
 consciousness  within its own assumptions and limitations.  If  a
 person works within a belief system where the ultimate nature  of
 God is pure,  unbounded love, joy and bliss, then that closes off
 other possibilities.

      Without sitting in judgement of any set of beliefs,  I would
 say  that  the  best  belief  system  and  the  best  system   of
 correspondences  is one which allows consciousness to  roam  over
 the greatest range of possibilities, and permits it the free-will
 to choose its own limitations. And that is a belief in itself.
 
 6. Conclusion
 
      The  gist of these notes is that ritual is a  technique  for
 focussing magical power through the deliberate use of limitation.
 Limitation comes from the belief system of the magician,  and the
 set  of  correspondences  used to  create  symbolism  within  the
 ritual. Further limitation comes from the structure of the ritual
 itself,  and  ultimately from the statement  of  intention.  With
 practise  these elements add up to a single-mindedness which  can
 shift  consciousness  out  of its normal orbit.
 
 Shamanism (Internet) 

Overview-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Summary: This FAQ contains a general overview on shamanism.
  It should be read by anyone interested in understanding the what
  is meant by shamanism and what differentiates shamanism form
  other forms of ecstatic experience
Keywords:  shaman, anthropology, ethnography, consciousness, spirit, oobe
Organization: La Casa del Paese Lontano
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 02:37:55 GMT
Lines: 227

Archive-name: shamanism/overview
Last-modified: 8 March 1994
Version: 1.1

NOTE: The following general overview of shamanism is not intended to
be the last word or the definitive work on this subject. Rather it is, as 
its title implies, intended to provide the participant or reader with a 
set of guidelines that will familiarize them with the general use of the 
terms shamanism, shaman and shamanic in the trends, study and practice of 
historic, traditional and contemporary shamanic experience.
The word 'shaman comes to English from the Tungus language via Russian. 
Among the Tungus of Siberia it is both a noun and a verb. While the Tungus 
have no word for shamanism, it has come into usage by anthropologists, 
historians of religion and others in contemporary society to designate the 
experience and the practices of the shaman. Its usage has grown to include 
similar experiences and practices in cultures outside of the original 
Siberian cultures from which the term shaman originated. Thus shamanism is 
not the name of a religion or group of religions.
Particular attention should be paid to the use of qualifying words
such as "may" or "usually". They indicate examples or tendencies and
are not, in any way, intended to represent rigid standards
Please send comments to deane@netcom.com (Dean Edwards).

Shamanism-General Overview-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
(c  November, 1993 by Dean Edwards)
This FAQ shall be posted monthly and is maintained by Dean Edwards
(deane@netcom.com). It is intended for the private non-commercial use
of Usenet users. It may not be sold without the permission of the author.

Table of Contents:

 1. Terms used in this FAQ
 2. What is shamanism?
 3. What is Shamanic Ecstasy?
 4. Becoming a shaman
 5. The role of trauma in the development of a shaman
 6. The relationship between shamanic traditions and culture
 7. The role of Shamanic Ecstasy
 8. The origin of the term "shamanism"
 9. Roles of the shaman
10. Reasons for this FAQ

1. Why were the terms used in this FAQ selected and do they have special
meanings. There is an extensive literature about shamanism that has been
compiled since the late Eighteenth Century. Like any field of study and
religious practice, shamanism has developed a specialized vocabulary.
Please note that some of the words used in the material that follows are
drawn from scholars who have a solid background in shamanic studies and
may have meanings that are specific and less general than is often the
case in popular usage. Consulting a good dictionary should clear up any
points of confusion.

2. What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is classified by anthropologists as an archaic
magico-religious phenomenon in which the shaman is the great master
of ecstasy. Shamanism itself, was defined by the late Mircea Eliade
as a technique of ecstasy. A shaman may exhibit a particular magical
specialty (such as control over fire, wind or magical flight). When a
specialization is present the most common is as a healer. The
distinguishing characteristic of  shamanism is its focus on an
ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to
leave the body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the
earth (underworld). The shaman makes use of spirit helpers, which
he or she communicates with, all the while retaining control over
his or her own consciousness. (Examples of possession occur, but
are the exception, rather than the rule.) It is also important to
note that while most shamans in traditional societies are men,
either women or men may and have become shamans.

3. What is Shamanic Ecstasy and how does it compare with other
forms of ecstasy?

 From the Greek 'ekstasis', ecstasy literally means to be placed
outside, or to be placed.This is a state of exaltation in which a
person stands outside of or transcends his or herself. Ecstasy may
range from the seizure of the body by a spirit or the seizure of a
person by the divine, from the magical transformation or flight of
consciousness to psychiatric remedies of distress.

Three types of Ecstasy are specified in the literature on the subject:
1. Shamanic Ecstasy
2. Prophetic Ecstasy
3. Mystical Ecstasy

Shamanic ecstasy is provoked by the ascension of the soul of the
shaman into the heavens or its descent into the underworld. These
states of ecstatic exaltation are usually achieved after great and
strenuous training and initiation, often under distressing
circumstances. The resulting contact by the shaman with the
higher or lower regions and their inhabitants, and also with
nature spirits enables him or her to accomplish such tasks as
accompanying the soul of a deceased into its proper place in the
next world, affect the well-being of the sick and to convey the
story of their inner travels upon their return to the mundane
awareness.

The utterances of the shaman are in contrast with those of prophetic
and mystical ecstasy. The prophet literally speaks for God, while the
mystic reports an overwhelming divine presence. In mysticism, the
direct knowledge or experience of the divine ultimate reality, which is
perceptible in two ways, emotional and intuitive. While these three
varieties of ecstatic experience are useful for the purposes of
analysis and discussion, it is not unusual for more than one form of
ecstasy to be present in an individual's experience.

However, it can be argued that, generally speaking, there are three
perceptive levels of ecstasy.
1) The physiological response, in which the mind becomes absorbed in
and focused on a dominant idea, the attention is withdrawn and the
nervous system itself is in part cut off from physical sensory input. The 
body exhibits reflex inertia, involuntary nervous responses, frenzy.
2) Emotional perception of ecstasy refers to overwhelming feelings of awe, 
anxiety, joy, sadness, fear, astonishment, passion, etc.
3) Intuitive perception communicates a direct experience and
understanding of the transpersonal experience of expanded states of
awareness or consciousness.

While the physiological response is always present, the emotional response 
may or may not be significant when intuition is the principal means of 
ecstatic perception. Some have argued that beyond the intuitive state 
there is a fourth condition in which the holistic perception exceeds 
mental and emotional limitations and understanding.

The ecstatic experience of the shaman goes beyond a feeling or perception 
of the sacred, the demonic or of natural spirits. It involves the
shaman directly and actively in transcendent realities or lower realms of 
being.

4. How does one become a shaman?

Some have wondered if the experience of shamanic ecstasy or flight
makes a person a shaman. Generally speaking, most would say no.
A shaman is more than someone with an experience. First, he or she
is a trained initiate. Usually years of trenculturalization and
under a mentor precede becoming a functioning shaman. Second, a
shaman is not just an initiate who has received inner and outer
training, but is a master of shamanic journeying and techniques
(shamanic ecstasy). This is not a casual acquaintance with such
abilities, there is some degree of mastery of them. Finally, a
shaman is a link or bridge between this world and the next. This
is a sacred trust and a service to the community. Sometimes a
community that a shaman serves in is rather small. In other
instances it may be an entire nation. A lot of that depends on
social and cultural factors.

One becomes a shaman by one of three methods:
a) Hereditary transmission;
b) Spontaneous selection or "call" or "election";
c) personal choice and quest. (This latter method is less frequent
and traditionally such a shaman is considered less powerful than one
selected by one of the two preceding methods.) The shaman is not
recognized as legitimate without having undergone two types of
training:
1) Ecstatic (dreams, trances, etc.)
2) Traditional ("shamanic techniques, names and functions of
spirits,mythology and genealogy of the clan, secret language, etc.) The
two-fold course of instruction, given by the spirits and the old master
shamans is equivalent to an initiation." (Mircea Eliade, The Encyclopedia 
of Religion, v. 13 , p. 202; Mcmillian, N.Y., 1987.) It is also possible 
for the entire process to take place in the dream state or in 
ecstaticexperience.  Thus, there is more to becoming a shaman than a 
single experience.  It requires training, perseverance and service.

5. What is the role of personal trauma or crisis in the selection or
development of a shaman?
A common experience of the call to shamanism is a psychic or spiritual
crisis, which often accompanies a physical or even a medical crisis, and
is cured by the shaman him or herself. This is a common occurrence for
all three types of shamanic candidates described above. The shaman is
often marked by eccentric behavior such as periods of melancholy,
solitude, visions, singing in his or her sleep, etc. The inability of the 
traditional remedies to cure the condition of the shamanic candidate and 
the eventual self cure by the new shaman is a significant episode in 
development of the shaman. The underlying significant aspect of this
experience, when it is present,is the ability of the shaman to manage
and resolve periods of distress.

6. Does the presence of an active shamanic tradition necessarily mean that 
the society itself should be deemed "shamanic"?
No, not at all. The presence of shamanism in a nation or a community does 
not mean that shamanism is central to the spiritual or religious life of 
the community or region. Shamanism often exists alongside and even in 
cooperation with the religious or healing practices of the community.

7. What is meant by shamanic ecstasy and what role does it actually play
in shamanism?
The ecstatic technique of shamanism does not involve itself in the broad
range of ecstasy reported in the history of religion. It is specifically
focused on the transpersonal movement of the consciousness of the
shaman into higher or lower realms of consciousness and existence.
Another aspect of shamanism is that compared to other spiritual
traditions, it is a path that the individual walks alone. While much of
the focus of shamanic studies has been on the shamanic complexes of north 
and central Asia, shamanism is a universal phenomenon, not confined to any 
particular region or culture.

8. What is the origin of the word "shaman"?
Shaman comes from the language of the Tungus of North-Central Asia. It
came into use in English via Russian.

9. What are the usual roles of a shaman?
In contemporary, historical or traditional shamanic practice the shaman
may at times fill the role of priest, magician, metaphysician or healer.
Personal experience is the prime determinant of the status of a shaman.
Knowledge of other realms of being and consciousness and the cosmology of 
those regions is the basis of the shamanic perspective and power. With 
this knowledge, the shaman is able to serve as a bridge between the 
mundane and the higher and lower states The shaman lives at the edge of 
reality as most people would recognize it and most commonly at the edge of 
society itself.  Few indeed have the stamina to adventure into these 
realms and endure the outer hardships and personal crises that have been 
reported by or observed of many shamans.

10. Why was this FAQ written?
This FAQ was originally written to support a new Usenet
newsgroup, 'soc.religion.shamanism'. The purpose of this
newsgroup is to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas,
views and information about historic,traditional, tribal and
contemporary shamanism. This FAQ is intended to provide a useful general
overview of what 'shamanism' actually means and what it is in practice.

 SPRING EQUINOX RITUAL 
By Marian Starwatcher

Clothing : The priestess who will invoke Athena (1) can wear any robe that 
feels right to her, but she will carry the sword.  The priestess invoking 
Demeter (2)  should wear a green robe, but cover it with her cloak to 
begin with.  The priestess invoking Kore (3) should wear a spring robe, 
covered with a dark cloak.

Before the ritual, place a large number of candles about the temple.  
Leave them unlit.  One tiny candle should be placed on the altar.  The 
matches should be put where they can be got at easily!

Burn Black Forest Incense ... a fair amount of it.  Keep the door of your 
temple CLOSED.

Have ready some lavender oil to burn later in the ritual.

Have the participants each bring a candle.

When the participants enter, have them stand in the centre of the temple. 
It will be dark.  Shut the door.

Priestess 1 goes to the east quarter, 2 to the south, 3 to the west.

Call the quarters theatrically.

All :  Kore is in the underworld.

Priestess 1 :  Blow, gentle breezes from the depths of the earth,
   Bring us to her in safety.

All :  Kore is in the underworld.

Priestess 2 :  Come, tiny flame, shine in the depths of the earth,
   Guide us to her in safety.

All :  Kore is in the underworld.

Priestess 3 :  Come, still dark waters in the depths of the earth,
   Bring us to her in safety.

All :  Kore is in the underworld.
   Cold stone under our feet in the depths of the earth,
   Bring us to her in safety.

P2 silently raises the circle.  The participants seat themselves.

P3 :  It is dark.  So dark.

P2 :  It is cold.  So cold.

P1 :  Where is the Grain Mother?

P3 :  Where is Demeter?

P2 :  She has turned her face from the earth.

P1 :  How can this be?

All :   Mother Demeter, speak to us!
        Mother Demeter, speak to us!
        Mother Demeter, speak to us!

P2 :  invokes Demeter.

Demeter :  My daughter, where is my daughter?
   Where is she for whom I made the sun shine?
   Where is she for whom I made the grain grow?

   Kore, Kore, Kore!

P1 invokes Athena.

Athena :  She has gone below, Mother Demeter.

All :  Kore is in the underworld.
   Kore is in the underworld.
   Kore is in the underworld.

Demeter :  Then I will cover my face
   And let the earth die.

   Kore, Kore, Kore!

Athena :  Mother, the people of the earth need you.
   We are cold.
   We are hungry.
   We must have light.

Demeter :  Kore, Kore, Kore!

Demeter turns her back.

Athena turns to the participants.

Athena :  Then we must go below to her
   And beseech her to return.
   The earth must not die.

Athena moves to the altar and lights the tiny candle.

P3 :  Our steps falter.

All :  It is dark, dark.

P3 :  Our sight falters.

All :  It is dark, dark.

P3 :  Our hearts falter.

All :  It is dark, dark.

Athena :  Courage, for I am with you.
   Even in the darkness I am with you.
   Even in the coldness I am with you.
   And see - we approach Kore on her throne!


Athena directs the participants' attention to the west.

All :  Kore, speak to us!
   Kore, speak to us!
   Kore, speak to us!

P3 invokes Kore/Persephone.

Kore :  I have gone below.
   Why do you now come to me?

Athena :  Kore, why are you here
   In the dark and the cold?

Kore :  Don't you know that all people
   Even gods
   Must go into the dark
   And look within?

Athena :  Kore, your Mother weeps for you.
   Will you come home to us?

Kore :  Don't you know that all children
   Even gods
   Must leave their Mothers
   And grow into adulthood?

Athena :  Kore, the earth is dying.
   Will you come home to us?

Kore :  The earth must not die.
   I will beseech my mother
   To bring life to the earth again.

Kore picks up the tiny candle and 'leads' the participants out.

Kore :  We walk through the darkness of the underworld.
   Our steps are sure.
   We do not fear the darkness of the underworld,
   For it is also the darkness within ourselves.
   We wind our way through the caverns.
   And now we feel the breath of the wind on our faces.
   We emerge from the underworld to the earth.
   The wind is cold.
   The earth is dark.

Athena :  Mother Demeter, we have returned.

Demeter :  Kore, Kore, Kore!

Kore :  Mother, I am here.

Demeter :  Kore, you have returned!
   Stay with me and run in the fields as you did before.
   Play in the gardens of the earth as you did before.

Kore :  Mother, I cannot stay.

Demeter :  Then I will cover my face and grieve,
   And the earth will die.

Athena :  The earth must not die.

Kore :  I will stay with you
   For half of the year.
   But I must go below
   For the other half.

   Mother, look at me.

Demeter turns.

Demeter :  But what is this?
   Kore, you have changed.

Kore :  I went below to change, Mother.
   To grow.
   Call me now Persephone,
   For I have been to the underworld.
   I have been within.
   I must return to grow
   And to help others grow.
   Your world is the grain, Mother.
   My world is the hearts of all people
   Even gods.

Athena :  It is just, Mother Demeter.
   She must return below,
   But for now she will stay with you.

Demeter :  My daughter, you have grown wise.
   I accept what you must do.
   I will grieve when you go from me,
   And the earth will become cold and dark.
   But when you return,
   The earth will live again.

   See!

Athena, Demeter and Kore light all the candles.  Persephone throws off her 
cloak to reveal a spring robe.  Demeter throws off her cloak to reveal a 
green robe.

Athena :  Persephone has returned!
   The light has returned!
   The warmth has returned!

   Let us praise Mother Demeter
   For she has brought the earth to life again.
   Let us praise Persephone
   For she has returned from the underworld
   And will be there to guide us
   When we must go within.

All Chant :  She has returned
   The earth lives again!
   We feel the warmth returning
   The sun shines again!
   We see the grain growing
   The garden grows again!
   Persephone, Demeter
   Persephone, Demeter
   Persephone, Demeter
   The earth lives again!

Repeat, then repeat last line to build cone of power until Demeter judges 
the cone ready.  Send out the power to bring life to the earth again.

Farewell the Goddesses.

All sit down, forming a sitting circle.

P1 :  Long, long ago, there was no winter.
   Summer ruled the Earth as Mother Demeter
   Watched lovingly over her daughter Kore.

P2 :  All people knew her and loved her
   As the Grain Mother.
   There was no hunger
   And no one was ever cold.

P1 :  Kore ran in the fields of the earth
   Safe under her mother's loving eye.
   And for a long, long time
   She knew no other world.

P3 :  But all things change, and so did Kore.
   She felt something within her,
   An urge to know more,
   To grow.

P2 :  And so she approached the cave
   That led to the Underworld.
   She descended into the darkness.
   Her steps were faltering,
   For she could not see,
   And she was afraid.
   Yet she knew she must go on.

P1 :  When she came to the Underworld,
   Kore found a mirror.
   She looked within, and saw herself.
   Yet not the child she knew,
   She saw a young woman
   Who looked at her with knowledge in her eyes.

P3 :  Then she looked again,
   And saw an old woman,
   With a lined face and silver hair,
   Who looked at her with knowledge in her eyes.

P1 :  And the old woman said,
   "Kore, you must change.
   All things must change.
   You must look within
   And know yourself truly,
   And grow."


P2 :  So Kore looked within,
   And embraced the old woman
   And the young woman.
   And she was filled with knowledge.
   And the knowledge changed her.

P1 :  On the earth, Demeter searched for Kore.
   She looked under every rock,
   She dived into every sea,
   She spoke to the flame,
   She rode on the winds.
   At last Athena came to her and said,
   "Your daughter has gone into the Underworld."

P3 :  Demeter wailed, and wept for Kore.
   She put aside her green robes
   And veiled herself in mourning.
   And the earth grew dark with her grief,
   And the earth grew barren with her grief,
   And the people cried out in fear.
   All the gods and people begged Demeter
   But she would not cease her weeping.

P2 :  At last Athena went to the cave,
   And descended to the Underworld.
   And there she spoke with Kore,
   And begged her to return.

P1 :  Kore was reluctant to go,
   But love of her mother
   And love of the earth
   Persuaded her to return.
   And so she went with Athena
   Back to the earth.

P2 :  Demeter was overjoyed to see her daughter.
   They embraced, and kissed.

P3 :  But then Kore told her mother
   How she had changed.
   And she said,
   "I must return,
   For I have been within.
   I am Queen of the Underworld."

P1 :  Demeter begged her daughter to stay.
   Kore, relenting, agreed;

P2 :  That six months of every year
   She would stay with her mother.
   And the earth would be fruitful.
   And six months of every year
   She would return to the Underworld,
   And the earth would be barren
   Until she returned.

P1 :  And this is why we have winter.
   For Demeter veils her face
   When Kore, called Persephone,
   Returns to the Underworld each year.

P3 :  And the mystery is this :

   That the Underworld is within you,
   And you must descend to it
   If you are to grow.
   You must look into the mirror
   And see yourself as you truly are.

P1 :  But now is the time to rejoice!
   Persephone is returned,
   The earth is becoming warm again,
   And the grain is growing again.

P2 :  Let us share Demeter's joy
   In her daughter's return.
   Let us feast on her bounty.

Share cakes and water/cider.  Those who feel moved to may speak of their
feelings in the darkness, and experiences of their own in the Underworld.

P3 opens the circle.


All :  Persephone has returned!

P3 :  Blow, winds of the East,
   Bring warmth to our bodies again.

All :  Persephone has returned!

P3 :  Shine, sun in the North,
   Bring warmth to our hearts again.

All :  Persephone has returned!

P3 :  Come, waters of the Western sea,
   Bring warmth to our souls again.

All :  Persephone has returned!

P3 :  Grow, all plants of the Earth,
   Bring warmth to our spirits again.

   The circle is open, but ever unbroken.

   Merry meet,
   And merry part,
   And merry meet again.

   Blessed be.

All :  Blessed be.

P3 :  This rite is ended.

Note: The directions are all Southrn Hemisphere ... heh.

B*B* Marian*
 Modern Female Rite Of Passage 
Lady Shyra, 1994

Note:  East - Air; South - Fire, West - Water, North - Earth

EARLY PREPERATIONS

Candles for the ritual will be made that day.  Celebrant will make two
white candles.   Candles will be herbal and scented, and enscribed
appropriately. Celebrant and mother will also bring something that
symbolically (to them) symbolizes the rite of passage.

Ritual baths will be taken prior to ceremony, with Celebrant's bath
being drawn for her.  Salt, herbs and scents appropriate to the occasion
will be added to the bath, and it will be blessed prior to use.  Mother
will help Celebrant to the bath, where she will light a candle and 
incense, give words of love and comfort and instruction to the Celebrant, 
and then withdraw to assist in Circle Preparation.

CIRCLE PREPARATION

Circle area will be cleansed and Circle constructed and consecrated in the 
usual manner.  Altar will sit just West of Center of Circle to symbolize 
both the emotional aspects of the ritual, as well as the death/ rebirth 
aspects.

Added to altar arrangement will be the Celebrant's two white candles.
Also on the altar will be a mirror sitting behind and between the two
white candles.  Symbolic gifts will be placed beside the altar -- the
mother's to the North symbolizing steadfastness, grounding, caution,
and wisdom of the elder.  The Celebrant's will be to the South of the
altar, symboling the fire, passion and impetuosity of youth.

INVOCATIONS

Guardian of the East
    Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Air!
    Blow soft around us this night
    That the restrictions and pains of childhood
    Will be but memories in the mind of the adult.

Guardian of the South
    Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Fire!
    Lend to us this night your passion and strength
    Envelope us in your warmth,
    That the fires of youth may be tempered within thee.

Guardian of the West
    Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Water!
    Wash over us with thy loving embrace
    That the sorrows of days long past
    Can give way to new understanding.

Guardians of the North
    Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Earth!
    Stand firm with us in our purpose this night,
    That from the youth shall grow the adult
    Full of purpose and wisdom.


Invocation to the Lady
    Blessed Lady of a Thousand Names,
    You who art Maiden, Mother and Crone.
    Grant that this night the bindings of childhood will be broken
    And the bond  between mother and daughter be strengthened.
    For  the two, as so reflected throughout all creation,
    Are but images of thee in thy divine Trinity.
    Blessed Be.

    In honor of thee do I pour this toast, and drink this wine.

Invocation to the Lord
    Great Lord, Ancient one of the fields and Consort to our Lady,
    We ask that thou wouldst give
    a measure of your love and protection
    to she who will soon join the battles of this life.
    Fill her with the knowledge of thee as sancutary
    And grant that peace may follow her always.

    In honor of thee do I pour this toast, and drink this wine.

Chalice is then passed to each of the coveners to share in the toast.


Drawing Down the Moon

Priestess/Mother stands facing the moon with hands upraised and palms
turned upwards, cupwise.  Drinking in the Lady's essence, she says,

    Come to me and fill me with thy light
    Enter me, shine in me your fullness
    That I may use your power for my good,
    And for the good of All.

When appropriate, she blesses all within the Circle, and the rite that
is about to be performed.  Then, nodding to the Father of the Celebrant,
says:

    Bring forth your daughter,
    that she might, this night,
    cross the threshold of adulthood.

Father brings the Celebrant to the Eastern Gate.

Mthr: Is this the daughter I bore so many years before?
      Nay, it cannot be, for she was but a child when last I held her.

Dtr:  Mother, I am your child.  Now grown and ready to throw away
      the things of childhood.  Years it has been since my moonflow
      began and I became a woman.  Now it is time that this is recog         
nized.

Mthr: Very well, lead the child into the center of the Circle.  There to 
have her sit in silence.

Father leads Celebrant to the center of the Circle, while mother
re-closes the Circle.  She then joins her daughter in the Circle's
center, saying:


Mthr: You sit now in the Center of the Circle; that which is known
      as the Cauldron of Hecate; the point of transformation; the
      mother's womb, where beginnings end and endings re-begin.

      I have heard your words, and weep for them; Tears of both joy
      and sorrow.
      It was my body that cried out in pain and joy as you were born.
      It was my mind that went in circles to provide for us.
      It was my heart that broke when that which you wanted I could
      not give you.
      But always did you have my love... and always shall you carry
      that love with you.

      Behold in me the Three-Fold Goddess
      She who is One in Three - Maid, Mother, and Crone
      One in Three, as she is in you and all women,
      And as you and they are in her.
      Look upon her and know her,
      That you, too, may be whole.

      So I ask thee truly, art thou ready to face the woman within thee?
      To see within thee the light and dark, and fear no more the dark?
      To accept that which you are, and strive for that which you can
      become?
      To leave behind the things of childhood,
      But to continue to love and nurture the child which lives in
      all adults?

{Celebrant has answered accordingly to each of the questions, at which
time the Mother now exhorts the Celebrant to stand and face the altar.}

Mthr: Daughter, I ask you now to look deep within the mirror. See
      yourself reflected there.  Look into your eyes and know
      yourself. Repeat after me:"I come to commune with my Soul."

Dtr:  I come to commune with my Soul.

Mthr: Look into the reflection of your eyes, and name one thing about
      yourself that you love.

{Celebrant and Mother will continue this, alternating between what
the Celebrant thinks is both good and bad within her... }

After the last question, the Mother then says:

Mthr: Daughter, within thee is both light and dark. Know always your
      shadow side. If something is there which offends thee horrible,
      give it up.  For others to love you as an adult, you must love
      yourself first.  And loving yourself means giving up any self-
      hatred you've carried over from young years.  Now is the time
      to cut these things from thy life.  They are the bonds of
      childhood which have held you limited. Free yourself from them,
      and know that thy spirit flies free.

      Now look again into the mirror. Look at yourself with love.
      See the Goddess shining within thee. She is strong; no man
      has dominion over her.  She knows herself and loves herself.
      She will give herself to those who are worthy of her affections,
      and turn from those who try to debase her.  Let the Goddess
      within thee shine through thee, that the nobility and strength
      of woman is clear for all to see.

      Now, come with me.


Mother embraces daughter and leads her to each of the four quarters.
After each challenge, the Celebrant must answer as she sees fit, and
asks the Guardian's Blessing.  The Covener at each gate will then bless
the Celebrant, and offer a gift for adulthood, such as strength,
courage, etc... or a physical gift pertinent to the rite and Gate.

Covener at Eastern Gate:
    Hold!  I am the wild wind and fury of the storm!
    That which buffets thee without shelter.
    How will you survive?

Covener at Southern Gate
    Hold!  I am fire and passion
    That which will consume thee with lust.
    How will you survive?

Covener at Western Gate
    Hold!  I am floods and weeping and gnashing of teeth.
    I am lonliness and frustration.
    How will thee survive?

Covener at Northern Gate
    Hold!  I am chaos and turmoil
    Plans gone wrong and dreams that die.
    How will thee survive?

Mother faces daughter (Priestess mode ON here)...
    I am the Lady, thy Mother...
    I shall be with thee no matter how far thou shalt roam.
    And when lonliness besets thee,
    Thou needs only gaze upon the moon,
    To see my face and my love reflected there to you.

Father approaches daugher and turns her to face him...
    I am he who is father to thee now.
    I shall stand behind and beside thee always.
    And when lonliness besets thee,
    Thou needs only to step out into sunlight
    To feel my warmth and love within thee.

Mother takes daughter by hand and returns to the altar. Daughter picks
up her gift of childhood and presents it to the mother, saying ...

    This I do give you as a symbol of childhood now behind me.
    Hold it and cherish it as you remember me.


Mother picks up her gift of adulthood and presents it the Celebrant,
saying...

    This I do give you as a symbol of your adulthood,
    and my recognition of it.
    Hold it and cherish it as you remember me.


Draw a pentegram above the celebrant, with an affirmation at each of the
five points:

Point one:   In the name of Inanna, Queen of Heaven

Point two:   In the name of Athena, warrior Goddess, but also of Peace

Point three: In the name of Astarte, warrior Goddess, and protector of
        young females
Point four:  In the name of Diana, she of the bow and arrow, Goddess
        of Light
Point five:  Do I bless thee, and call thee "Woman".

May their strenth and independence, their love and virtue, be thine all
the days of thy life.

I recognize the child no more, but she the child who lives in all of us.

Mother stands with a space between her and her daughter and presents
the new adult to the coven.

Feasting (and in our case, a birthday celebration) follow.

Quarter Guardians are thanked, and blessings are asked of the
Lord and Lady upon the group, as well as the Celebrant.


Blessed Be * Lady Shyra *



                            MUHAMMAD

From a Baha'i book by 'Abdu'l-Baha:

     Americans and Europeans have heard a number of stories about
the Prophet which they have thought to be true, although the
narrators were either ignorant or antagonistic: most of them were
clergy; others were ignorant Muslims who repeated unfounded
traditions about Muhammad which they ignorantly believed to be
to His praise.

     Thus some benighted Muslims made His polygamy the pivot of
their praises and held it to be a wonder, regarding it as a
miracle; and European historians, for the most part, rely on the
tales of these ignorant people.

     For example, a foolish man said to a clergyman that the true
proof of greatness is bravery and the shedding of blood, and that
in one day on the field of battle a follower of Muhammad had cut
off the heads of one hundred men!  This misled the clergyman to
infer that killing is considered the way to prove one's faith to
Muhammad, while this is merely imaginary.  The military expeditions
of Muhammad, on the contrary, were always defensive actions: a
proof of this is that during thirteen years, in Mecca, He and His
followers endured the most violent persecutions.  At this period
they were the target for the arrows of hatred: some of His
companions were killed and their property confiscated; others fled
to foreign lands.  Muhammad Himself, after the most extreme
persecutions by the Qurayshites, who finally resolved to kill Him,
fled to Medina in the middle of the night.  Yet even then His
enemies did not cease their persecutions, but pursued Him to
Medina, and His disciples even to Abyssinia.

     These Arab tribes were in the lowest depths of savagery and
barbarism, and in comparison with them the savages of Africa and
wild Indians of America were as advanced as a Plato.  The savages
of America do not bury their children alive as these Arabs did
their daughters, glorying in it as being an honorable thing to do.
[The Banu-Tamim, one of the most barbarous Arab tribes, practiced
this odious custom.]  Thus many of the men would threaten their
wives, saying, "If a daughter is born to you, I will kill you."
Even down to the present time the Arabs dread having daughters.
Further, a man was permitted to take a thousand women, and most
husbands had more than ten wives in their household.  When these
tribes made war, the one which was victorious would take the women
and children of the vanquished tribe captive and treat them as
slaves.

     When a man who had ten wives died, the sons of these women
rushed at each other's mothers; and if one of the sons threw his
mantle over the head of his father's wife and cried out, "This
woman is my lawful property," at once the unfortunate woman became
his prisoner and slave.  he could do whatever he wished with her.
He could kill her, imprison her in a well, or beat, curse and
torture her until death released her.  According to the Arab habits
and customs, he was her master.  It is evident that malignity,
jealousy, hatred and enmity must have existed between the wives and
children of a household, and it is, therefore, needless to enlarge
upon the subject.  Again, consider what was the condition and life
of these oppressed women!  Moreover, the means by which these Arab
tribes lived consisted in pillage and robbery, so that they were
perpetually engaged in fighting and war, killing one another,
plundering and devastating each other's property, and capturing
women and children, whom they would sell to strangers.  How often
it happened that the daughters and sons of a prince, who spent
their day in comfort and luxury, found themselves, when night fell,
reduced to shame, poverty and captivity.  Yesterday they were
princes, today they are captives; yesterday they were great ladies,
today they are slaves.

     Muhammad received the Divine Revelation among these tribes,
and after enduring thirteen years of persecution from them, He
fled.  [To Medina.]  But this people did not cease to oppress; they
united to exterminate Him and all His followers.  It was under such
circumstances that Muhammad was forced to take up arms.  This is
the truth: we are not bigoted and do not wish to defend Him, but
we are just, and we say what is just.  Look at it with justice.
If Christ Himself had been placed in such circumstances among such
tyrannical and barbarous tribes, and if for thirteen years He with
His disciples had endured all these trials with patience,
culminating in flight from His native land -- if in spite of this
these lawless tribes continued to pursue Him, to slaughter the men,
to pillage their property, and to capture their women and children
-- what would have been Christ's conduct with regard to them?  If
this oppression had fallen only upon Himself, He would have
forgiven them, and such an act of forgiveness would have been most
praiseworthy; but if He had seen that these cruel and bloodthirsty
murderers wished to kill, to pillage and to injure all these
oppressed ones, and to take captive the women and children, it is
certain that He would have protected them and would have resisted
the tyrants.  What objection, then, can be taken to Muhammad's
action?  Is it this, that He did not, with His followers, and their
women and children, submit to these savage tribes?  To free these
tribes from their bloodthirstiness was the greatest kindness, and
to coerce and restrain them was a true mercy.  They were like a man
holding in his hand a cup of poison, which, when about to drink,
a friend breaks and thus saves him.  If Christ had been placed in
similar circumstances, it is certain that with a conquering power
He would have delivered the men, women and children from the claws
of these bloodthirsty wolves.

     Muhammad never fought against the Christians; on the contrary,
He treated them kindly and gave them perfect freedom.  A community
of Christian people lived at Najran and were under His care and
protection.  Muhammad said, "if anyone infringes their rights, I
Myself will be his enemy, and in the presence of God I will bring
a charge against him."  In the edicts which He promulgated it is
clearly stated that the lives, properties and honor of the
Christians and Jews are under the protection of God; and that if
a Muhammadan married a Christian woman, the husband must not
prevent her from going to church, nor oblige her to veil herself;
and that if she died, he must place her remains in the care of the
Christian clergy.  Should the Christians desire to build a church,
Islam ought to help them.  In case of war between Islam and her
enemies, the Christians should be exempted from the obligation of
fighting, unless they desired of their own free will to do so in
defense of Islam, because they were under its protection.  But as
a compensation for this immunity, they should pay yearly a small
sum of money.  In short, there are seven detailed edicts on these
subjects, some copies of which are still extant at Jerusalem.  This
is an established fact and not dependent on my affirmation.  The
edict of the second Caliph [Of 'Umar] still exists in the custody
of the orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and of this there is no
doubt. [Cf. Jurji Zaydan's _Umayyads and Abbasids_, trans. D. S.
Margoliouth.]

     Nevertheless, after a certain time, and through the
transgression of both the Muhammadans and the Christians, hatred
and enmity arose between them.  Beyond this fact, all the
narrations of the Muslims, Christians and others are simply
fabrications, which have their origin in fanaticism, or ignorance,
or emanate from intense hostility.

     For example, the Muslims say that Muhammad cleft the moon, and
that it fell on the mountain of Mecca: they think that the moon is
a small body which Muhammad divided into two parts and threw one
part on this mountain, and the other part on another mountain.

     Such stories are pure fanaticism.  Also the traditions which
the clergy quote, and the incidents with which they find fault, are
all exaggerated, if not entirely without foundation.

     Briefly, Muhammad appeared in the desert of Hijaz in the
Arabian Peninsula, which was a desolate, sterile wilderness, sandy
and uninhabited.  Some parts, like Mecca and Medina, are extremely
hot; the people are nomads with the manners and customs of the
dwellers in the desert, and are entirely destitute of education and
science.  Muhammad Himself was illiterate, and the Qur'an was
originally written upon the bladebones of sheep, or on palm leaves.
These details indicate the condition of the people to whom Muhammad
was sent.  The first question which He put to them was, "Why do you
not accept the Pentateuch and the Gospel, and why do you not
believe in Christ and in Moses?"  This saying presented
difficulties to them and they argued, "Our forefathers did not
believe in the Pentateuch and the Gospel; tell us, why was this?"
He answered, "They were misled; you ought to reject those who do
not believe in the Pentateuch and the Gospel, even though they are
your fathers and your ancestors."
     In such a country, and amidst such barbarous tribes, an
illiterate Man produced a book in which, in a perfect and eloquent
style, He explained the divine attributes and perfections, the
prophethood of the Messengers of God, the divine laws, and some
scientific facts.

     Thus, you know that before the observations of modern times -
- that is to say, during the first centuries and down to the
fifteenth century of the Christian era -- all the mathematicians
of the world agreed that the earth was the center of the universe,
and that the sun moved.  The famous astronomer who was the
protagonist of the new theory discovered the movement of the earth
and the immobility of the sun. [Copernicus.]  Until his time all
the astronomers and philosophers of the world followed the
Ptolemaic system, and whoever said anything against it was
considered ignorant.  Though Pythagoras, and Plato during the
latter part of his life, adopted the theory that the annual
movement of the sun around the zodiac does not proceed from the
sun, but rather from the movement of the earth around the sun, this
theory had been entirely forgotten, and the Ptolemaic system was
accepted by all the mathematicians.  But there are some verses
revealed in the Qur'an contrary to the theory of the Ptolemaic
system.  One of them is "The sun moves in a fixed place," which
shows the fixity of the sun, and its movement around an axis.
[Qur'an 36:37]  Again, in another verse, "and each star moves in
its own heaven." [Qur'an 36:38]  Thus is explained the movement of
the sun, of the moon, of the earth, and of other bodies.  When the
Qur'an appeared, all the mathematicians ridiculed these statements
and attributed the theory to ignorance.  Even the doctors of Islam,
when they saw that these verses were contrary to the accepted
Ptolemaic system, were obliged to explain them away.

     It was not until after the fifteenth century of the Christian
era, nearly nine hundred years after Muhammad, that a famous
astronomer made new observations and important discoveries by the
aid of the telescope, which he had invented. [Galileo]  The
rotation of the earth, the fixity of the sun, and also its movement
around an axis, were discovered.  It became evident that the verses
of the Qur'an agreed with existing facts, and that the Ptolemaic
system was imaginary.

     In short, many Oriental peoples have been reared for thirteen
centuries under the shadow of the religion of Muhammad.  During the
Middle Ages, while Europe was in the lowest depths of barbarism,
the Arab peoples were superior to the other nations of the earth
in learning, in the arts, mathematics, civilization, government and
other sciences.  The Enlightener and Educator of these Arab tribes,
and the Founder of the civilization and perfections of humanity
among these different races, was an illiterate Man, Muhammad.  Was
this illustrious Man a thorough Educator or not?  A just judgment
is necessary.


                          'Abdu'l-Baha
             _Some Answered Questions_, pages 18-24
                   (c) 1930, 1954, 1964, 1981
               by the National Spiritual Assembly
               of the Baha'is of the United States
                       All Rights Reserved

For electronic reproduction only!  Do not reproduce in any other
way without permission from the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of the United States.  Copies intended for electronic
reproduction such as within files available for download on
Bulletin Board Systems must contain the copyright information and
this paragraph and must not be altered in any way.

File name:  SAQ-018.TXT


 * Origin: Camphor Fountain*(510)547-5741*Oakland,California (93:5050/9)

On the Sovereignty of Muhammad,
from the Writings of Baha'u'llah


  Behold how the sovereignty of Muhammad, the
Messenger of God, is today apparent and manifest
amongst the people.  You are well aware of what befell
His Faith in the early days of His Dispensation.
What woeful sufferings did the hand of the infidel
and erring, the divines of that age and their associates,
inflict upon that spiritual Essence, that most pure
and holy Being!  How abundant the thorns and briars
which they have strewn over His path!  It is evident
that that wretched generation, in their wicked and
satanic fancy, regarded every injury to that immortal
Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding
felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that
age, such as Abdu'llah-i-Ubayy, Abu'Amir, the hermit,
Ka'b-ibn-i-Ashraf, and Nadr-ibn-i-Harith, all
treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a
lunatic and a calumniator.  Such sore accusations they
brought against Him that in recounting them God
forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move, or the
page to bear them.  These malicious imputations provoked
the people to arise and torment Him.  And how
fierce that torment, if the divines of the age be its
chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers,
cast Him out from their midst, and declare
Him a miscreant!  Hath not the same befallen this
Servant, and been witnessed by all?

     For this reason did Muhammad cry out:  "No
Prophet of God hath suffered such harm as I have
suffered."  And in the Qur'an are recorded all the
calumnies and reproaches uttered against Him, as
well as all the afflictions which He suffered.  Refer ye
thereunto, that haply ye may be informed of that
which hath befallen His Revelation.  So grievous was
His plight, that for a time all ceased to hold intercourse
with Him and His companions.  Whoever associated
with Him fell a victim to the relentless
cruelty of His enemies....

     Consider, how great is the change today!  Behold,
how many are the Sovereigns who bow the knee before
His name!  How numerous the nations and kingdoms
who have sought the shelter of His shadow,
who bear allegiance to His Faith, and pride themselves
therein!  From the pulpit-top there ascendeth
today the words of praise which, in utter lowliness,
glorify His blessed name; and from the heights of
minarets there resoundeth the call that summoneth
the concourse of His people to adore Him.  Even those
Kings of the earth who have refused to embrace His
Faith and to put off the garment of unbelief, none-the-less
confess and acknowledge the greatness and
overpowering majesty of that Day Star of loving-kindness.
Such is His earthly sovereignty, the evidences
of which thou dost on every side behold.  This
sovereignty must needs be revealed and established
either in the lifetime of every Manifestation of God
or after His ascension unto His true habitation in the
realms above....

     It is evident that the changes brought about in
every Dispensation constitute the dark clouds
that intervene between the eye of man's understanding
and the Divine Luminary which shineth
forth from the day spring of the Divine Essence.
Consider how men for generations have
been blindly imitating their fathers, and have
been trained according to such ways and manners
as have been laid down by the dictates of
their Faith.  Were these men, therefore, to discover
suddenly that a Man, Who hath been living in their
midst, Who, with respect to every human limitation
hath been their equal, had risen to abolish every established
principle imposed by their Faith--principles by
which for centuries they have been disciplined, and
every opposer and denier of which they have come to
regard as infidel, profligate and wicked,--they would
of a certainty be veiled and hindered from acknowledging
His truth.  Such things are as "clouds" that
veil the eyes of those whose inner being hath not
tasted the Salsabil of detachment, nor drunk from
the Kawthar of the knowledge of God.  Such men,
when acquainted with those circumstances, become
so veiled that, without the least question, they pronounce
the Manifestation of God as infidel, and sentence
Him to death.  You must have heard of such
things taking place all down the ages, and are now
observing them in these days.

     It behoveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor,
that, by God's invisible assistance, these dark
veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder
us from beholding the beauty of His shining
Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only
by His own Self.


_Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah_, pages 24-27

--- Renegade v12-25 Exp
 * Origin: Camphor Fountain*(510)547-5741*Oakland,California (93:5050/9)
 New Age Ministry 
By: Steve Kalinowski

The New Age concept, in an overview, is basically a shifting of
perspectives, or a changing paradigm, with focus and emphasis on
individual personal spirituality and its effect/consequences on
society. Since that in itself is such an individually eclectic
approach to philosophy, it is difficult to pin down a definition
that will be accepted by a concensus. Thus, there are many
different working definitions of New Age, I'm sure you've heard a
few different ones yourself. Some are valid to a certain extent;
while others are truly misguided.. it depends on the depth of
understanding and credibility of who you ask..

The mechanism that determines the New Age, in a strictly
time-line oriented sense..<not philosophy>, comes from Astrology.
Astrologers have long tracked a cycle called "The Procession of
the Equinoxes."  Each year the beginning of Spring is noted as
the `point of Equinox,' the moment that the azimuth of the Sun
goes from south to north declination-- or is crossing at zero
degrees declination, when the day and night are equal in length.
(aequinoctium =<= ~aequus,~ equal + ~nox,~ night)

If the measurement of celestial longitude of the Equinox is
marked against the backdrop of the zodiac; it will be noticed
that the markings creep slowly backwards from year to year at a
random rate, (the present rate is at about 6 seconds of celestial
arc per year, or one full degree in seventy-five years...)  not
very fast, but enough so that in every 2,250 years or so (approx)
depending of the average rate, the marking of the Equinox point
actually changes zodiac signs. Astrologers call the duration
within one particular zodiac sign an `Age.' We have been in the Age
of Pisces for a little over 2,000 years; and the transition into
the Age of Aquarius is starting, hence expressions like `the Dawn
of Aquarius.'

A noteworthy historical point about the changing of Ages;
although there are always periods of overlap, with no real line
of demarcation, each Age has a distinctive flavor or tone of
philosophy, and images of common useage that mirror the images
connected to the sign naming the Age. From a religious
perspective, Christianity has come to be the flag-bearer of the
Piscean Age, complete with all Piscean attitudes and
characteristics... Judiasm was the flag-bearer of the Aries Age,
as was Hinduism the flag-bearer of the Taurus Age.

Interestingly, the Bhraman's Sacred Cow (Taurus image) became the
Golden Calf that was cast down by the Judiac nomads and shepherds
(Aries image) to promote the One-God concept (also an Aries
image). Likewise, the Sacrificial Lamb (Aries image) was offered
and became the Kyrstos/Christ/Savior (Piscean image) to promote
the Universal-God concept.. the imagery of the `Fisherman of Men'
is also strongly Piscean.

So, it is expected that the Aquarian Age will also have its own
tone and flavor in this regard... perhaps the image of the
Aquarian Water-bearer will empty his Urn that contains all the
fish that were caught by the Fisherman of Pisces.


The attitude of Aquarius is `individuality in a harmonious
society of like-minded individuals.... or else, anarchy,
rebellion and revolution to obtain acceptance of individuality'
...ie., Ecumenism and apostacy gives way to tolerance, respect,
even protection of spiritual diversity. A motto might be:
`Spiritual Brotherhood; by Concensus of Conscious Awareness, or
Enlightened Anarchy, take your pick.' <G> A view of Diety in the
Aquarian Age might be `A Multifarious Multi-dimensional
Manifestation of the One' -- no longer cultural, no longer
personified, but integrated into all of humanity at once... ie.,
finally taking the Christ off of the Cross (the image of actually
sacrificing the sacrifice) and placing him in the very essence of
all beings.

For the record, I am an ordained minister of the International
Metaphysical Ministry... which is to say-- a New Age Minister!
As is the case of any ministry, my prime focus is to increase the
awareness of the Diety's [whatever name you may choose] Presence
in mankind. The metaphysical approach in this quest actually
compliments other religious teaching systems by supplementing
them with the premise that each of us is directly connected to
the God/dess-Source <ie., my preferred nomenclature>, and can
become consciously aware of that connection through meditation.
This approach encourages one to personally experience
God/dess-Source, rather than merely accept God/dess-Source on the
testimony of someone else.

In the course of my studies, I have traveled on many roads. Along
the way, I considered well that each one was to be but a link in
the chain, never placed total commitment to any one link, but
only in the strength of the full length of chain. As the chain
grows longer with each new link acquired, it approaches a binding
of the Universe. Religion... in a prayer, a spell, a divination,
or invocation... regardless of the name used, religion defined is
to bind oneself, or to be bound, to a way of life.

First, to define metaphysical science. We have incorporated many
varied topics into this general heading, including, but not
limited to meditation, yoga, esp, astral projection, psychic
perception, runes, channeling, astrology, tarot, I-ching, Jungian
psychology, aura-psionic manipulation, alchemy, feng shui,
creative visualization, high magick, and comparative religions.
The metaphysical practitioner uses at least one of these art
forms, most likely many more than one, in their work. A minister
in metaphysical science is studied in _most_ of these art forms,
not to any expertise level, but to a qualifying level to be more
than just conversant -- informed and able to understand each form
and teach the general concepts and principles to others.

The minister, once qualified, then, is able to pursue their own
particular study in whatever field they choose for a speciality
--  my speciality is astrology and psionics <and LightWorking,
see below>. This is not unlike the medical profession, in that
all of the basic skills are learned during the general degree;
and then a speciality skill is pursued for the final practice.
The common thread in all metaphysical science practices is that
we value every human being as being fully connected to, or a
manifestation of the Universal/Divine/God/dess-Source; that each
practitioner is experiencing that connection in their life-work,
and is encouraging others to experience their own connection in
their life, thus leading to developing their own life-work goals..

The organization of the International Metaphysical Ministry is an
academic organization, not designed to create a new religion, but
to provide an acedemic `clearing house' for information and
professional contacts for all those in the diverse fields of
study under the metaphysical umbrella.  The organization provides
accrediting credentials for academic work, and continuing
education in yearly convention seminars.

In personal practice, the ordained minister is charged to provide
_only_one_precept/tenet_ to the client/student -- ie., the
connection to the God/dess-Source is found within each living
entity, therefore each person is capable of becoming conscious of
that connection, and living in accordance with that connection.
The implication is that each person has a Divine purpose, as well
as an individual purpose. Most times these two purposes seem to
be in conflict. Metaphysical ministry contends that they are
meant to coincide, to exist together in harmony, to complement
each other; and from that view attempts to resolve any apparent
conflict of dualistic purpose through education, meditation, and
prayer treatments.

Education is as straight forward as it sounds. The practitioner
has their personal area of expertise, as well as the general
working knowledge of most `spiritual paths,' and teaches that to
all those who seek. The more studied the practitioner, the more
areas of `spiritual path' they are able to work with to educate
their students. Here, the minister acts as a spiritual guide
until the client/student is able to access the `inner guidance'
that enables them to take over for themselves.

Meditation is the backbone of the philosophy, all other
metaphysical art forms are in some way connected to this. The
practitioner personally meditates to daily renew, validate and
experience their own connection to the God/dess-Source; and
teaches client/students to do the same through a series of
methods for exercising meditation skills. This is the ritual
level of the ministry.

Prayer treatment is the basic healing tool of the ministry of
metaphysical science. A prayer treatment is a conscious focus and
release of psychic energy (psionics) from the minister to the
client/student for the purpose of healing the spiritual self.
Once healing begins on the psychic level, healing on all other
levels soon follows. This is the conjure/magick level of the
ministry.

In my personal practice, the use of astrology to create
personalized prayer treatments combined with psionics (aura
visualization and field energy administration) is my specialty
and the subject of my masters thesis. This technique is now being
studied by all other ministers in the organization who are
interested in astrology and psionics. I intend to further develop
the technique in the doctorate work.

LightWorking:

The term ~LightWork~ is meant to imply the `Nurturing and
mid-Wifery of the dawning Aquarius Age' -- working to bring it to
full Light. I use the term LightWorking to describe the personal
commitment of an individual to the opening of the world to the
concepts of the New Age... not all LightWorkers are metaphysical
ministers, on the contrary. There are LightWorker representatives
in all walks of life, all areas of human endeavor, and they focus
the concepts of the New Age through their own particular
perspective.

Notice that so many novel, movie and television writers, even the
commercial ads, are working with New Age themes, as are musicians
and artists of all kinds. Science scholars and philosophers, too,
have their representatives. Much of the work on `Quantum Physics'
is developed through the New Age perspectives, as is the growing
acceptance of alternative health care methods in the general
community. The underlying essence of such concepts as `Political
Correctness,' of the environmental `Green,' `EcoSafe,' and
`EarthWatch' movements, are all still other examples of New Age
focus areas. In fact, the mass networking of human thought (this
electronic media) is a very fine example of the Aquarian New Age.

New understandings in psychology and sociology, concepts of ESP
and intuitive creativity, of channeling and automatic writing, of
spirit guides, all have taken old existing concepts and
restructured them within the framework of the New Age views.  All
these areas of new thought have LightWorker representatives
working right along side of traditionalists, and diligently
participating in guiding the progress and development of their
fields toward the New Age view..

Well Neal, guess that should be a short summary <G>... aren't
you glad you asked?

Be Well... And so it is!            Rev Steve @)>--`-,--`---


 The Temple of Set, Is it Satanic? 
By: Lilith Aquino

I can't answer this in 25 words or less, so bear with me! If you consider 
Satanism to be anti-Christian Devil worship, the answer is no. The Temple 
of Set practices a completely non-Christianized, positive "high Satanism". 
To understand what we mean by this, a bit of history of the Temple is 
needed:
While the TOS as an organization was formally incorporated and recognized 
by both state and federal governments in 1975 CE, its magical and 
philosophical roots are prehistoric, originating in mankind's first 
apprehension that there is "something different" about the human race - a 
sense of SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS - that places humanity apart from all other 
known forms of life. Ancient religions - of which those of Egypt are 
generally acknowledged the eldest - either exalted or feared this 
self-consciousness. Those which exalted it took the position that the 
human psyche is capable of opposition to and domination
of the forces of nature.

The psyche-worshipping, reasoning religions - or schools of initiatory
philosophy - attained levels of abstract knowledge that made them 
mysterious to the masses. In a few socities, such as Egypt and Greece, 
such groups were respected and admired. More often, however, their 
exclusive elitism and "supernatural" activities made them objects of 
resentment and persecution.

While all philosophical schools embraced the psychecentric consciousness 
to some degree, there were a very few which made it avowedly and 
explicitly the focus of their attention. The divine personifications 
("gods") of such schools have come down to us as symbols of what most 
Western religions, worshippers of non-consciousness, consider the supreme 
"evil": the Prince of Darkness in his many forms. Of these the most 
ancient is Set, whose Priesthood can be traced to predynastic times.

Originally a circumpolar/stellar deity portrayed as a cyclical counterpart 
to the Solar Horus, Set was later recast as an evil principle by the cults 
of Osiris and Isis. When the Hebrews emigrated from Egypt during the XIX 
Dynasty, they took with them a caricature of Set: "Satan" (from the 
hieroglyphic _Set-Hen_, one of the god's formal titles). Originally a sort 
of "prosecuting angel for YHVH", the Hebrew Satan was changed by 
Christianity into a personification of everything God was not - and since 
God was "good", Satan was necessarily "bad". Alluring or mysterious 
deities from religions competing with early Christianity - such as the 
hellenic/Roman Mysteries and Persian Mithraic faith - were also "bad". 
Non-Christian gods generally were redefined as Christian "demons" and 
given a place in the Christian Hell (another name stolen and perverted 
from Norse mythology). Christian propaganda nonwithstanding, the present 
day "Satan" is wholly their invention.

Which brings us to the present time: The Satanic religion proposes to 
raise the individual to personal godhood, free from enslavement to any 
other "God" (or gods). However this is a question not just of power, but 
also of ethics, morality, and psychological maturity. The parameters of 
philosophy and metaphysics extend far beyond the conceptual and symbolic 
limits of the Judaic/Chrisitian tradition. The Temple of Set explores the 
"human equation" and the metaphysical and psychological roots of the great 
Satanic/psyche-centered philosophies of history. The appeal of occultism 
is much the same as that of conventional religion: Logical positivism and 
scientific materialism, though they have made great strides towards 
explaining the "how" of existence, have failed entirely to explain the 
why.

Conventional religions, with their colorful mythologies analyzed in terms 
of
the underlying philosophical principles, represent simply the primitive
longing of man to feel "at one" with the Universal harmony he perceives 
about him. The Black Magician rejects both the desirability of union with 
the Universe and any self-deceptive actions designed to create such an 
illusion.  He/she has considered the existence of the individual psyche - 
the "core you" of your conscious intelligence - and has taken satisfaction 
from its existence as something unlike anything else. The Black Magician 
desires this psyche to live, to experience, to continue. He/she does not 
wish to die - or to lose consciousness and identity in a larger, Universal 
consciousness (assuming that such exists). He/she wants to BE. This 
decision in favor of individual existence is the first premise of the 
Temple of Set.

The second premise of the Temple is that the psychecentric consciousness 
can evolve towards its own divinity through deliberate exercise of the
intelligence and Will, a process of BECOMING or COMING INTO BEING (XEPER), 
whose roots may be found in the dialectic method expounded by Plato and 
the conscious exaltation of the Will proposed by Nietzsche.

The "worship" of Set is thus the "worship" of individualism. In the Church 
of Satan this was taken to mean indulgence in all (legal) desires of the 
body and ego. Since many such desires are impulsive and destructive, the 
COS found itself in an awkward position, which accelerated its eventual 
crisis and demise in 1975. The Temple of Set determined to preserve the 
principle of individualism, but to add to it the evolutionary "higher 
self" aspirations of Aleister Crowley's pre-OTO philosophy of Thelema. 
Glorification of the ego is not enough; it is the COMPLETE psyche, the 
entire Self or soul, which must be recognized, appreciated, and 
actualized. Dogma, - to include fixed ideology in any form - is repugnant 
to Setians. We strive rather towards an atmosphere of "best possible 
premises", which are always subject to constructive, intelligent 
examination and criticism. Foolish, pretentious, or destructive
egotism under the guise of exploration is neither respected nor endured.

Regretfully there still exist some individuals whose idea of "Satanism" is 
largely a simple-minded synthesis of Christian propaganda and Hollywood 
horror movies. The Temple of Set enjoys the colorful legacy of the Black 
Arts, and we use many forms of historical Satanic imagery for our artistic 
stimulation and pleasure. But we have not found that any interest or 
activity which an enlightened, mature intellect would regard as 
undignified, sadistic, criminal, or depraved is desirable, much less 
essential to our work. The Temple of Set is an evolutinary product of 
human experience. Such experience includes the magical and philosophical 
work of many occult individuals which have preceded us. In examining the 
secret and suppressed corners of history for valuable and useful material, 
the Temple insists upon ehtical presentation and use of such discoveries. 
All Setians are expected to display a high measure of maturity and common 
sense in this area. We reject absolutely wanton cruelty and harm to 
others, and are particularly adamant about this with regard to animals.

The Temple of Set evaluates conventional religions as erroneous in 
principle, and feels no need to concern itself with their activities 
unless they intrude upon our affairs.
Any further questions or comments are welcome.
 Descent Into Confusion 
by Robert Hughes

One of the celebrated "mysteries" of revivalist Wicca is the
'ritual play' known as the Legend of the Descent of the
Goddess. In my Gardnerian Book of Shadows, dating from the
sixties, the Legend is to be enacted separately at "a meeting
for preparation for Third Degree". Only third degree witches
may attend this meeting with the initiate who is to take
second degree.

The Legend is enacted in front of the initiate by four of the
third degree witches. Two take the role of Narrator and
Guardian of the Portal (of the underworld), while the High
Priest and High Priestess or Maiden take the roles of God and
Goddess. The term Guardian of the Portal may have been
borrowed from the rituals of the Golden Dawn.

In this enactment, the ruler of the underworld and Lord of
Death is the Horned One. The Legend begins with the statement:
'...Our Lady, the Goddess, would solve all mysteries - even
the mystery of death. And so she journeyed to the Netherworld
where the Guardian of the Portal challenged her.' The Guardian
orders her to strip off her garments and jewels and she is
bound with cords and brought into the presence of the Lord of
Death.

The God is so overcome by her beauty that he falls and kisses
her feet and begs her to stay with him in the underworld. The
Goddess replies that she does not love him, and she asks why
he causes all the things she loves and delights in to fade and
die.

The God replies that the cause is 'age and fate' and he says
he is helpless to stop it, although he can give the dead 'rest
and peace and strength, so that they may return.' A second
time he asks the Goddess to stay with him. When she again says
she does not love him, Death replies she must suffer a
scourging at his hands.

Following this scourging, and the five fold kiss, the Goddess
says: 'I know the pain of love'. It is then that the God
'taught her all the mysteries'. He also gives her a special
necklace which is 'a symbol of the Circle of Rebirth'. In
return, our Lady teaches him the 'sacred mystery of the
cauldron'. The Legend ends with an affirmation of the reality
of reincarnation among the Hidden Children of the Goddess and
'the mystery of magick which is placed between the worlds'.
The initiate is then invited to ask questions about the
meaning of the Legend.

Even anyone with only a slight knowledge of understanding of
mythology will recognise the contradictions and confusions
which exist within the structure and symbolism of the Legend.
The first point of controversy is when, where, and by whom,
this ritual originated. Some (unconfirmed) sources claim it is
of 19th century origin. It is said to be a product of the
famous "Cambridge" coven of academics who revived the
classical Mysteries in the early 1800s. More reliable evidence
exists to prove that Gerald Gardner sent a draft of the Legend
to Aleister Crowley for correction in the 1940s.

Kelly (Crafting the Art of Magic, Llewellyn, 1991) claims that
the Legend does not appear in the pre-1949 second degree
initiation in the famous (infamous?) Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical
and says: "The content of this document probably dates to 1953
or earlier..." (p.128). Gardner quotes from the Legend in his
book, Witchcraft Today as if he had received it from the New
Forest coven. In fact he describes it as 'the central part of
one of their rituals. It is a sort of primitive
spiritualism.'. He goes on to compare its importance in the
Craft to the Christian myth of the crucifixion and
resurrection. (1970, pp 44-46). Gardner goes on to say the
Legend 'upon which its members base their action is the
central idea of the cult.' He compares it with the story of
Istar (sic) descending into hell and the myth of the Hindu god
Siva (Shiva) as Lord of Death and destruction. Gardner then
says he believes the Legend may be of Celtic  origin. To
support this fanciful statement, he says that: 'In Celtic
legends the Lords of the Underworld did prepare you for death
and many living people are said to have entered their regions,
formed alliances with them, and returned safely, but it needed
great courage; only a hero or a demi-god dared to risk it.'
(p.46). One presumes that here Gardner is making an allusion
to the realm of Faerie and the widespread folk belief that
faeries were the spirits of the dead.

This is classic Gardner at his most confusing and, perhaps,
deliberately misleading and mischievous. The version of the
Legend as presented by Gardner is both patriarchal and
mythologically inaccurate. It seems to be based on a hybrid
combination of the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone, and
the Middle Eastern myth of Inanna-Ishtar. Gardner does not
mention the Demeter-Persephone myth in his speculations,
instead sidetracking the reader into the realms of Celtic
myth, although he does devote a chapter of his book to the
Greek Mysteries - basically as a means of justifying the
practice of scourging.

In the Middle Eastern myth, Inanna is the Goddess of the Moon
and Venus. She was probably, 'one of the three great goddesses
of the Bronze Age' (Baring & Cashford, 1991). Inanna was known
by the title Queen of Heaven and Earth and her myth is an
archetypal form of the eternal story of the mourning
widow/mother goddess and the saviour god, who is her
son/lover, dies, descends to the underworld and is reborn.
This myth is found in most Mediterranean cultures and in
northern Europe, and it formed the 'pagan' basis for the new
religion of Christianity.

The Demeter-Persephone myth is a post-patriarchal variant on
this ancient legend with the daughter (Persephone) being
kidnapped and held prisoner by Pluto, the Lord of Death and
the ruler of Hades. In recent years some feminist
mythographers have re-written this classic story and produced
alternative versions without any patriarchal overtones (see
Spretnak, 1978).

Gardner was correct to refer to visits to the underworld by
heroes and demi-gods (sic). However, in the majority of the
extant legends and myths, such as the descent of Arthur to
Annwn to capture the Cauldron of the Goddess, and Baldur's
ritual death and descent into the realm of Hel, it is a male
mortal or god who is involved in the descent and is "reborn".
It is the Goddess, in her 'dark aspect, who rules over the
realm of the dead, controls the power of fate and grants the
hero/god the supreme initiation of transformation and rebirth.
In the Gardnerian Legend of the Descent we are led to believe
that the Goddess, who is represented in The Charge as an
all-powerful deity offering her worshippers 'upon death, peace
unutterable, rest and the ecstasy of the Goddess', and is
described by Gardner himself as 'the Great Mother, the giver
of life' (1970, p.45), visits the underworld knowing nothing
about the mysteries of life and death. She allegedly knows
nothing about the natural process that makes 'all the things
that I love, and take delight in, fade and die' until she is
taught these mysteries by the God. In fact in response to her
question the God replies 'tis age and fate'. Significantly
these are both concepts associated with the Dark Goddess of
the Underworld, who has no role in Gardner's version of the
Craft.

It is not difficult to see the Legend of the Descent of the
Goddess in terms of 'a theologising of the scourging' (Kelly,
1991), which was such an important aspect of the rituals in
Gardner's time. Taking this argument a step forward, as Kelly
does (1991, pp 28-29), it could appear that the content of the
Legend was based on Gardner's sexual fantasies and his
personal concept of the Goddess. He imagined the Goddess as 'a
sweet, lovely woman', while in the more traditional branches
of the Craft she is a darker deity ruling fate, death and the
underworld as well as sexuality. This alternative archetypal
image of the witch goddess has largely been ignored by
revivalist Wicca. It will continue to do so while Gardner's
confused and mythologically incorrect Legend of the Descent of
the Goddess remains the 'central idea' of the modern Craft.

References and further reading:

Witchcraft Today    G B Gardner (Arrow paperback edition 1970)
The Witches' Way    J & S Farrar (Robert Hale 1984)
Crafting the Art of Magic: Book I
A Kelly (Llewellyn 1991)
Lost Goddesses of Early Greece
C Spretnak (Moon Books 1978)
The Myth of the Goddess
Baring & Cashford (Penguin 1991)
The Mysteries of Eleusis
G D'Alviella (Aquarian Press 1981) The Derivation of the word Witch 
by Doreen Valiente

Strangely enough, the derivation of the word witch is a subject on which
scarcely any two authorities can be found to agree. The most frequent
explanation is that it is akin to the word wise, and that witchcraft
therefore means The Craft of the Wise.

It is widely believed that Gerald Gardner originated this derivation.
However, this is incorrect, as it appears in Hugh Ross Williamson's
book, The Arrow and the Sword, first published in 1947, before any of
Gerald Gardner's books on witchcraft. But is this the right derivation?

Not according to Professor Jeffrey Russell, who gives an appendix on
this subject in his book A History of Witchcraft (Thames & Hudson,
London, 1980). Professor Russell rejects any connection with the Old
English word witan, meaning to know, as he also does with the Old
English wican, to bend. In his opinion, the real origin comes from the
Indo-European word weik, which has a general connection with religion
and magic. From this very ancient root-word came in turn, among other
things, a word wikk, meaning magic and sorcery, and this eventually
produced the Old English wicca, a male witch, wicce, a female witch,
and the verb wiccian, to bewitch or work witchcraft.

It will be seen from the above that "Wicca" does not mean "witchcraft"
and never did, in spite of its widespread modern use. So how did this
usage originate? In his biography, Gerald Gardner: Witch, it describes
his initiation in "Old Dorothy's" house, and says, 'It was half way
through when the word Wica was first mentioned: "and I then knew that
that which I had thought burnt out hundreds of years ago still survived."' 
It will be seen that at this time Gerald didn't even know how to spell the 
word. Its correct spelling is as above. Nor, unfortunately, does this 
account state in what context the word was used. It might have
been that Old Dorothy's coven was simply proclaiming Gerald a male
witch, in which case this would have been an accurate use of the word.

So where did Gerald get the idea that "Wicca" meant witchcraft? I would
like to advance a theory of my own. I must emphasise that this is just
a theory, and I may be wrong. But I believe that this idea originated
from his reading of a book which I know that he possessed, namely
An Encyclopaedia of Occultism by Lewis Spence. This very valuable work
of reference first appeared in 1920, according to the mention of it
in the bibliography at the end of Gerald's book, Witchcraft Today.
It has recently been re-issued by Bracken Books under the title of
The Encyclopaedia of the Occult. The entry referring to witchcraft
begins: "Witchcraft: (from Saxon Wicca, a contraction of witega, a
prophet or sorcerer)." This could have been read and misunderstood
to mean that "Wicca" meant witchcraft, and this misconception has
been carried on through the ranks of modern witches ever since.

It has to be said, of course, that the word Wicca has its uses to
define the present-day revival, especially in the USA, where a number
of associations using this word have gained legal recognition as
religious bodies. Personally, however, I prefer the term The
Old Religion, which is the English equivalent of the Italian term
used by the followers of Aradia, namely La Vecchia Religione.
(See Charles Godfrey Leland's book, Aradia: or the Gospel of the
Witches, first published in 1899.)

(Incidentally, there is a legend in witchcraft circles to the effect
that the reason why the original edition of this book is so rare is
that old Gerald bought up all the copies he could find and destroyed
them. Whether there is any truth in this or not, I cannot say.)

In spite of Professor Russell's opinion, as quoted above, there is an
older derivation of the word witch that may perhaps be worthy of
consideration. This may be found in A Concise Etymological Dictionary
of the English Language by the Rev. Walter W Skeat (Clarendon Press,
Oxford, 1901). This book discusses the above-mentioned derivations
from wicca, wicce, etc., and then in turn connects these old words
with the Norwegian vikja, which means firstly 'to turn aside' and
secondly 'to conjure away'. Thus, speculates the Rev. Skeat, the word
witch possibly meant 'averter'.

He also mentions that the Anglo-Saxon word witega, a prophet or seer,
comes from the Anglo-Saxon witan, to observe, which he says is 'cognate
with witan, to know.'. We have seen that Lewis Spence regarded witega as 
the origin of wicca. So who is right? In spite of all claims, it seems to 
me that it remains a matter of opinion. One thing we do know is that the 
word came to Britain with the Saxons, who at the time of their arrival on 
these shores were pagans. I believe that to them, the word witch (or 
whichever of its forerunners they used), did not necessarily have any 
derogatory meaning. A witch was a seer, a knower, an averter of evil.  The 
word only took on a negative meaning with the coming of Christianity, 
which taught that all the gods of the heathen were devils. So anyone who 
clung o the old ways and the Old Religion was a devil worshipper.  And 
annually, around Halloween, we still see the same old charges being made 
in the same old spirit of bigotry. Isn't it sad that these good folk 
haven't learnt anything since the Dark Ages?
 Wicca vs. Paganism? 
By: David Piper

Firstly, Paganism is a collective term for many different faiths and
Wicca is one specific Pagan faith; however, specifics of Wicca IMHO:

Duotheistic monism *or* duotheistic monotheism (the One transcending
 the Two while the Two still have independent self-existence)

The Lady is the Mother of all Life and Giver of Rebirth: Her Womb is
 also the Tomb - "that which enters the Cauldron living, dies
 but that which is placed in it dead, comes forth living"

The Lord is the Father of all life, Son and Lover of the Goddess: He
 is born of Her, returns His Seed unto Her, returns to Her in
 death, and is reborn of Her

All initiated members are of the Priesthood: as Priest(ess) unto the
 self, if not to a group

The essential equality of all members, together with the respect for
 those of more experience and learning: Elders, HP, and HPS

Wiccans practice a somewhat "formal" liturgy - if only in terms of a
 regular "opening" and "closing" ritual, within which freedom
 and spontaneity can be expressed as the Spirit moves them

A common resemblance of working methods and practice, within a broad
 but nevertheless limited range of acceptable variation

The concept of "Drawing Down" - that the Deities can and do manifest
 Themselves "unto visible appearance" to Their worshippers

A reverence for sexuality as both natural and good, and as sacrament
 of the creative Union of the Lady and the Lord

The Great Rite - as the "Sacred Marriage," in which Goddess and God,
 human and Divine, are brought to Unity, or Unity perceived

Respect for the "Gifts of the Goddess" (to borrow a Farrarian term),
 as the true means by which humans can come to directly know,
 and experience, the Divine - reason and logic fail; emotions
 and intuition and the "psychic" are the channels of contact,
 and experiential "Knowledge"

The concept of "Naked in Her Sight" as expressive of freedom, and of
 obedience to Her, and of equality with Brothers and Sisters;
 whether by literal, "skyclad" ritual nudity, or by symbolic,
 "Naught is hidden from Your Sight" ritual robes

********************************************************************

Now, some of the ideas mentioned beg for more definition and further
discussion, but there's my offering for now...

B*B
David

                                    2401 BC                                 
                                                                            
                               THE PAPYRUS OF ANI                           
                        (THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD)                     
                                                                            
                        Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge                     
                                                                       
HYMN TO OSIRIS                                                             
     
  "Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of eternity, King of the Gods, whose   
names are manifold, whose forms are holy, thou being of hidden form in  
the temples, whose Ka is holy. Thou art the governor of Tattu          
(Busiris), and also the mighty one in Sekhem (Letopolis). Thou art the  
Lord to whom praises are ascribed in the nome of Ati, thou art the     
Prince of divine food in Anu. Thou art the Lord who is commemorated in  
Maati, the Hidden Soul, the Lord of Qerrt (Elephantine), the Ruler     
supreme in White Wall (Memphis). Thou art the Soul of Ra, his own     
body, and hast thy place of rest in Henensu (Herakleopolis). Thou      art 
the beneficent one, and art praised in Nart. Thou makest thy       soul to 
be raised up. Thou art the Lord of the Great House in          Khemenu 
(Hermopolis). Thou art the mighty one of victories in         Shas-hetep, 
the Lord of eternity, the Governor of Abydos. The path     of his throne 
is in Ta-tcheser (a part of Abydos). Thy name is         established in 
the mouths of men. Thou art the substance of Two        Lands (Egypt). 
Thou art Tem, the feeder of Kau (Doubles), the Governor  of the Companies 
of the gods. Thou art the beneficent Spirit among the  spirits. The god of 
the Celestial Ocean (Nu) draweth from thee his     waters. Thou sendest 
forth the north wind at eventide, and breath from  thy nostrils to the 
satisfaction of thy heart. Thy heart reneweth      its youth, thou 
producest the.... The stars in the celestial heights   are obedient unto 
thee, and the great doors of the sky open themselves  before thee. Thou 
art he to whom praises are ascribed in the           southern heaven, and 
thanks are given for thee in the northern heaven.      
The imperishable stars are under thy supervision, and the stars        
which never set are thy thrones. Offerings appear before thee at the   
decree of Keb. The Companies of the Gods praise thee, and the gods     of 
the Tuat (Other World) smell the earth in paying homage to thee.   The 
uttermost parts of the earth bow before thee, and the limits of    the 
skies entreat thee with supplications when they see thee. The holy  ones 
are overcome before thee, and all Egypt offereth thanksgiving     unto 
thee when it meeteth Thy Majesty. Thou art a shining Spirit-Body, the 
governor of Spirit-Bodies; permanent is thy rank, established is   thy 
rule. Thou art the well-doing Sekhem (Power) of the Company of the  Gods, 
gracious is thy face, and beloved by him that seeth it. Thy fear  is set 
in all the lands by reason of thy perfect love, and they cry   out to thy 
name making it the first of names, and all people make      offerings to 
thee. Thou art the lord who art commemorated in heaven    and upon earth. 
Many are the cries which are made to thee at the Uak   festival, and with 
one heart and voice Egypt raiseth cries of joy to  thee.                                                                       
  "Thou art the Great Chief, the first among thy brethren, the         
Prince of the Company of the Gods, the stablisher of Right and Truth   
throughout the World, the Son who was set on the great throne of his   
father Keb. Thou art the beloved of thy mother Nut, the mighty one     of 
valour, who overthrew the Sebau-fiend. Thou didst stand up and      smite 
thine enemy, and set thy fear in thine adversary. Thou dost      bring the 
boundaries of the mountains. Thy heart is fixed, thy legs    are set firm. 
Thou art the heir of Keb and of the sovereignty of the   Two Lands 
(Egypt). He (Keb) hath seen his splendours, he hath          decreed for 
him the guidance of the world by thy hand as long as times  endure. Thou 
hast made this earth with thy hand, and the waters, and   the winds, and 
the vegetation, and all the cattle, and all the        feathered fowl, and 
all the fish, and all the creeping things, and all  the wild animals 
therof. The desert is the lawful possession of the    son of Nut. The Two 
Lands (Egypt) are content to crown thee upon the   throne of thy father, 
like Ra.                                             
  "Thou rollest up into the horizon, thou hast set light over the      
darkness, thou sendest forth air from thy plumes, and thou floodest    the 
Two Lands like the Disk at daybreak. Thy crown penetrateth the     height 
of heaven, thou art the companion of the stars, and the guide  of every 
god. Thou art beneficent in decree and speech, the favoured   one of the 
Great Company of the Gods, and the beloved of the Little    Company of the 
Gods.                                                       
  His sister [Isis] hath protected him, and hath repulsed the          
fiends, and turned aside calamities (of evil). She uttered the spell   
with the magical power of her mouth. Her tongue was perfect, and it    
never halted at a word. Beneficent in command and word was Isis, the  
woman of magical spells, the advocate of her brother. She sought him   
untiringly, she wandered round and round about this earth in sorrow,   and 
she alighted not without finding him. She made light with her      
feathers, she created air with her wings, and she uttered the death    
wail for her brother. She raised up the inactive members of whose      
heart was still, she drew from him his essence, she made an heir,      she 
reared the child in loneliness, and the place where he was not     known, 
and he grew in strength and stature, and his hand was mighty in  the House 
of Keb. The Company of the Gods rejoiced, rejoiced, at the   coming of 
Horus, the son of Osiris, whose heart was firm, the          triumphant, 
the son of Isis, the heir of Osiris."                     REFERENCES                                                                  
  Following is a list of frequently-mentioned geographical locations, and 
their commonly-known names:                                  
     Abtu                   Abydos                                          
     Abu                    Elephantine                                     
     Anu                    Heliopolis                                      
     Bast                   Bubastis                                        
     Hensu                  Herakleopolis                                   
     Het-ka-Ptah            Memphis                                         
     Khemenu                Hermopolis                                      
     Per-Menu               Panopolis                                       
     Qerrt                  Elephantine                                
     Sau                    Sais                                            
     Sekhem                 Letopolis                                       
     Suat                   Asyut                                           
     Tetu                   Busiris                                         
     Two Lands              Upper and Lower Egypt                           
     Unu                    Hermopolis                                      
                                                                            
 HYMN TO RA THE SUN GOD 
      
  A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF HEAVEN:      
Behold, the Osiris Ani, the scribe of the holy offerings of all the    
gods, saith: Homage to thee, O thou who hast come as Khepera,          
Khepera the creator of the gods, Thou art seated on thy throne, thou   
risest up in the sky, illumining thy mother [Nut], thou art seated     on 
thy throne as the king of the gods. [Thy] mother Nut stretcheth out  her 
hands, and performeth an act of homage to thee. The domain of Manu  
receiveth thee with satisfaction. The goddess Maat embraceth thee at   the 
two seasons of the day. May Ra give glory, and power, and         
thruth-speaking, and the appearance as a living soul so that he may    
gaze upon Heru-khuti, to the KA of the Osiris the Scribe Ani, who      
speaketh truth before Osiris, and who saith: Hail, O all ye gods of    the 
House of the Soul, who weigh heaven and earth in a balance, and    who 
give celestial food [to the dead]. Hail, Tatun, [who art] One,     thou 
creator of mortals [and] of the Companies of the Gods of the      South 
and of the North, of the West and of the East, ascribe ye praise  to Ra, 
the lord of heaven, the KING, Life, Strength, and Health, the   maker of 
the gods. Give ye thanks unto him in his beneficent form      which is 
enthroned in the Atett Boat; beings celestial praise thee,    beings 
terrestial praise thee. Thoth and the goddess Maat mark out thy  course 
for thee day by day and every day. Thine enemy the Serpent hath  been 
given over to the fire. The Serpent-fiend Sebau hath fallen       
headlong, his forelegs are bound in chains, and his hind legs hath     Ra 
carried away from him. The Sons of Revolt shall never more rise up.  The 
House of the Aged One keepeth festival, and the voices of those    who 
make merry are in the Great Place. The gods rejoice when they      see Ra 
crowned upon his throne, and when his beams flood the world     with 
light. The majesty of this holy god setteth out on his journey,   and he 
goeth onwards until he reacheth the land of Manu; the earth     becometh 
light at his birth each day; he proceedeth until he           reacheth the 
place where he was yesterday. O be thou at peace with me.  Let me gaze 
upon thy beauties. Let me journey above the earth. Let     me smite the 
Ass. Let me slit asunder the Serpent-fiend Sebau. Let     me destroy Aepep 
at the moment of his greatest power. Let me behold    the Abtu Fish at his 
season, and the Ant Fish with the Ant Boat as     it piloteth it in its 
lake. Let me behold Horus when he is in charge   of the rudder [of the 
Boat of Ra], with Thoth and the goddess Maat     on each side of him. Let 
me lay hold of the tow-rope of the Sektet     Boat, and the rope at the 
stern of the Matett Boat. Let Ra grant to me  a view of the Disk (the 
Sun), and a sight of Ah (the Moon) unfailingly  each day. Let my Ba-soul 
come forth to walk about hither and thither   and whithersoever it 
pleaseth. Let my name be called out, let it be    found inscribed on the 
tablet which recordeth the names of those who   are to receive offerings. 
Let meals from the sepulchral offerings be   given to me in the presence 
[of Osiris], as to those who are in the    following of Horus. Let there 
be prepared for me a seat in the Boat of  the Sun on the day wheron the 
god saileth. Let me be received in the   presence of Osiris in the Land of 
Truth-speaking- the Ka of Osiris     Ani.                                                                        
                                                                            
 APPENDIX 
      
  (From the Papyrus of Nekht, Brit. Mus. No. 10471, Sheet 21)                
  NEKHT, THE CAPTAIN OF SOLDIERS, THE ROYAL SCRIBE, SINGETH A HYMN     OF 
PRAISE TO RA, and saith:- Homage to thee, O thou glorious Being,    thou 
who art dowered [with all sovereignty]. O Tem-Heru-Khuti          
(Tem-Harmakhis), when thou risest in the horizon of heaven a cry of   joy 
goeth forth to thee from all people. O thou beautiful Being,       thou 
dost renew thyself in thy season in the form of the Disk,         within 
thy mother Hathor. Therefore in every place every heart         swelleth 
with joy at thy rising for ever. The regions of the South and the North 
come to thee with homage, and send forth acclamations at thy  rising on 
the horizon of heaven, and thou illuminest the Two Lands     with rays of 
turquoise-[coloured] light. O Ra, who art Heru-Khuti, the  divine 
man-child, the heir of eternity, self-begotten and self-born,  king of the 
earth, prince of the Tuat (the Other World), governor of   Aukert, thou 
didst come from the Water-god, thou didst spring from the  Sky-god Nu, who 
doth cherish thee and order thy members. O thou god of  life, thou lord of 
love, all men live when thou shinest; thou art     crowned king of the 
gods. The goddess Nut embraceth thee, and the      goddess Mut enfoldeth 
thee at all seasons. Those who are in thy        following sing unto thee 
with joy, and they bow down their foreheads   to the earth when they meet 
thee, the lord of heaven, the lord of     the earth, the King of Truth, 
the lord of eternity, the prince of      everlastingness, thou sovereign 
of all the gods, thou god of life,     thou creator of eternity, thou 
maker of heaven wherin thou art         firmly stablished.                                                         
  The Company of the Gods rejoice at thy rising, the earth is glad     
when it beholdeth thy rays; the people who have been long dead come    
forth with cries of joy to behold thy beauties every day. Thou goest   
forth each day over heaven and earth, and thou art made strong each   day 
be thy mother Nut. Thou passest over the heights of heaven, thy    heart 
swelleth with joy; and the Lake of Testes (the Great Oasis) is   content 
thereat. The Serpent-fiend hath fallen, his arms are hewn off,  the Knife 
hath severed his joints. Ra liveth by Maat (Law), the       beautiful! The 
Sektet Boat advanceth and cometh into port. The South   and the North, and 
the West and East, turn to praise thee. O thou      First, Great God 
(PAUTA), who didst come into being of thine own       accord, Isis and 
Nephthys salute thee, they sing unto thee songs of   joy at thy rising in 
the boat, they stretch out their hands unto thee.  The Souls of the East 
follow thee, and the Souls of the West praise    thee. Thou art the Ruler 
of all the gods. Thou in thy shrine hast joy,  for the Serpent-fiend Nak 
hath been judged by the fire, and thy       heart shall rejoice for ever. 
Thy mother Nut is esteemed by thy father  Nu.                                                                        

 HYMN TO OSIRIS UN-NEFER 
      
  A Hymn of Praise to Osiris Un-Nefer, the great god who dwelleth in   
Abtu, the king of eternity, the lord of everlastingness, who           
traverseth millions of years in his existence. Thou art the eldest son  of 
the womb of Nut. Thou was begotten by Keb, the Erpat. Thou art      the 
lord of the Urrt Crown. Thou art he whose White Crown is lofty.    Thou 
art the King (Ati) of gods [and] men. Thou hast gained possession  of the 
sceptre of rule, and the whip, and the rank and dignity of      thy divine 
fathers. Thy heart is expanded with joy, O thou who art     in the kingdom 
of the dead. Thy son Horus is firmly placed on thy      throne. Thou hast 
ascended thy throne as the Lord of Tetu, and as      the Heq who dwelleth 
in Abydos. Thou makest the Two Lands to           flourish through 
Truth-speaking, in the presence of him who is the     Lord to the 
Uttermost Limit. Thou drawest on that which hath not yet   come into being 
in thy name of "Ta-her-sta-nef." Thou governest the    Two Lands by Maat 
in thy name of "Seker." Thy power is wide-spread,    thou art he of whom 
the fear is great in thy name of "Usar" (or        "Asar"). Thy existence 
endureth for an infinite number of double henti periods in thy name of 
"Un-Nefer."                                          
  Homage to thee, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and Prince of      
Princes. Thou hast ruled the Two Lands from the womb of the goddess    
Nut. Thou hast governed the Lands of Akert. Thy members are of         
silver-gold, thy head is of lapis-lazuli, and the crown of thy head is of 
turquoise. Thou art An of millions of years. Thy body is all        
pervading, O Beautiful Face in Ta-tchesert. Grant thou to me glory     in 
heaven, and power upon earth, and truth-speaking in the Divine      
Underworld, and [the power to] sail down the river to Tetu in the form  of 
a living Ba-soul, and [the power to] sail up the river to Abydos in  the 
form of a Benu bird, and [the power to] pass in through and to     pass 
out from, without obstruction, the doors of the lords of the      Tuat. 
Let there be given unto me bread-cakes in the House of          
Refreshing, and sepulchral offerings of cakes and ale, and             
propitiatory offerings in Anu, and a permanent homestead in            
Sekhet-Aaru, with wheat and barley therein- to the Double of the       
Osiris, the scribe Ani.                                               THE 
CHAPTERS OF COMING FORTH BY DAY 
      
  HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND THE SONGS OF     
PRAISING AND GLORIFYING WHICH ARE TO BE RECITED FOR "COMING FORTH" AND  
FOR ENTERING INTO KHERT-NETER, AND THE SPELLS WHICH ARE TO BE SAID     IN 
BEAUTIFUL AMENTET. THEY SHALL BE RECITED ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL, 
ENTERING IN AFTER COMING FORTH.                                             

  The Osiris Ani, the Osiris the scribe Ani saith:- Homage to thee,    O 
Bull of Amentet, Thoth the king of eternity is with me. I am the     great 
god by the side of the divine boat, I have fought for thee, I am  one of 
those gods, those divine chiefs, who proved the                
truth-speaking of Osiris before his enemies on the day of the weighing  of 
words. I am thy kinsman Osiris. I am [one of] those gods who were   the 
children of the goddess Nut, who hacked in pieces the enemies of   Osiris, 
and who bound in fetters the legion of Sebau devils on his    behalf. I am 
thy kinsman Horus, I have fought on thy behalf, I have    come to thee for 
thy name's sake. I am Thoth who proved the truth of   the words of Osiris 
before his enemies on the day of the weighing of   words in the great 
House of the Prince, who dwelleth in Anu. I am     Teti, the son of Teti. 
My mother conceived me in Tetu, and gave        birth to me in Tetu. I am 
with the mourners [and with] the women who   tear out their hair and make 
lament for Osiris in Taui-Rekhti, proving  true the words of Osiris before 
his enemies. Ra commanded Thoth to    prove true the words of Osiris 
before his enemies; what was            commanded [for Osiris], let that 
be done for me by Thoth. I am with    Horus on the day of dressing 
Teshtesh. I open the hidden water-springs  for the ablutions of Urt-ab. I 
unbolt the door of the Shetait Shrine   in Ra-stau. I am with Horus as the 
protector of the left shoulder of   Osiris, the dweller in Sekhem. I enter 
in among and I come forth       from the Flame-gods on the day of the 
destruction of the Sebau         fiends in Sekhem. I am with Horus on the 
day[s] of the festivals of    Osiris, at the making of offerings and 
oblations, namely, on the       festival which is celebrated on the sixth 
day of the month, and on the  day of the Tenat festival in Anu. I am the 
UAB priest (libationer)     in Tetu, Rera, the dweller in Per-Asar. I 
exalt him that is upon the   high place of the country. I look upon the 
hidden things (the          mysteries) in Ra-stau. I recite the words of 
the liturgy of the        festival of the Soul-god in Tetu. I am the SEM 
priest, and [perform]   his duties. I am the UR-KHERP-HEM priest on the 
day of placing the     Henu Boat of Seker upon its divine sledge. I have 
taken in my hand the  digging tool on the day of digging up the earth in 
Hensu.                   
  Hail, O ye who make perfect souls to enter into the House of Osiris,  
make ye the well-instructed soul of the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose   
word is true, to enter in and to be with you in the House of Osiris.   Let 
him hear even as ye hear; let him have sight even as ye have       sight; 
let him stand up even as ye stand up; let him take his seat     even as ye 
take your seats.                                                 
  Hail, O ye who give cakes and ale to perfect souls in the House of   
Osiris, give ye cakes and ale twice each day (in the morning and in    the 
evening) to the soul of the Osiris Ani, whose word is true         before 
the gods, the Lords of Abydos, and whose word is true with you.  
  Hail, O ye who open up the way, who act as guides to the roads [in   the 
Other World] to perfect souls in the House of Osiris, open ye up   for him 
the way, and act ye as guides to the roads to the soul of      the Osiris, 
the scribe, the registrary of all the offerings made to   the gods, Ani, 
[whose word is true] with you. May he enter the House   of Osiris with 
boldness, and may he come forth therefrom in peace. May  there be no 
opposition made to him, and may he not be sent back        [therefrom]. 
May he enter in under favour [of Osiris], and may he come  forth gratified 
[at the acceptance of] his true words. May his         commands be 
performed in the House of Osiris, may his words travel     with you, may 
he be glorious as ye are. May he be not found to be      light in the 
Balance, may the Balance dispose of his case.                 
   
  (In the Turin Papyrus, ed. Lepsius, this Chapter ends with the       
following.)                                                                
      
  Permit thou not me to be judged according to the mouths of the       
multitude. May my soul lift itself up before [Osiris], having been     
found to have been pure when on earth. May I come into thy presence, O  
Lord of the gods; may I arrive at the Nome of Maati (Truth); may I    rise 
up on my seat like a god endowed with life; may I give forth      light 
like the Company of the Gods who dwell in heaven; may I become   like one 
of you; may I lift up my footsteps in the town of Kher-Aha;   may I look 
upon the Sektet Boat of the god, Saah, the holy one, as    it passeth 
across the sky; may I not be repulsed; may I look upon      the Lords of 
the Tuat, or, according to another reading, the Company   of the Gods; may 
I smell the savour of the divine food of the          Company of the Gods; 
may I sit down with them; may my name be         proclaimed for offerings 
by the KHER-HEB priest at the sacrificial     table; may I hear the 
petitions which are made when offerings are      presented; may I draw 
nigh unto the Neshem Boat; and may neither my    Heart-soul nor its lord 
be repulsed.                                       
  Homage to thee, O Chief of Amentet, thou god Osiris, who dwellest in  
the town of Nifu-ur. Grant thou that I may arrive in peace in Amentet.  
May the Lords of Ta-Tchesert receive me, and may they say unto me:     
"Hail, hail; welcome, welcome!" May they make ready for me a seat by  the 
side of the President of the Chiefs; may the Nursing-goddesses     receive 
me at the seasons, and may I come forth into the presence of   Un-Nefer 
true of word. May I be a Follower of Horus in Ra-stau, and of  Osiris in 
Tetu; and may I perform all the transformations which my    heart may 
desire to make in every place wherein my Double (KA) wisheth  to be.                                                                     
-                                                                           
  RUBRIC: If this text be known [by the deceased] upon earth or if     he 
causeth it to be done in writing upon [his] coffin, then will he be  able 
to come forth on any day he pleaseth, and to enter into his       
habitation unrepulsed. Cakes and ale and joints of meat from those    
which are on the altar of Ra shall be given unto him, and his          
homestead shall be among the fields of the Field of Reeds(Sekhet-Aaru), 
and wheat and barley shall be given unto him therein, and he shall 
flourish there even as he flourished upon earth.               
                                                                            
 APPENDIX 
  (From the Papyrus of Nekhtu-Amen, ed. Naville, I, 5)                       
  THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE SAHU TO ENTER THE TUAT ON THE DAY OF THE   
FUNERAL, WHEN THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE TO BE SAID: Homage to thee, O    
thou who dwellest in the Holy Hill (Set-Tchesert) of Amentet! the      
Osiris, the royal scribe, Nekhtu-Amen, whose word is true, knoweth     
thee, he knoweth thy name. Deliver thou him from the worms which are   in 
Ra-stau, which live upon the bodies of men and women, and feed upon  their 
blood, for Osiris, the favoured servant of the god of his        city, the 
royal scribe Nekhtu-Amen, knoweth you, and he knoweth your   names. Let 
the order for his protection be the first command of        Osiris, the 
Lord to the Uttermost Limit, who keepeth his body          hidden. May he 
give him release from the Terrible One who dwelleth     at the bend of the 
River of Amentet, and may he decree the acts that   will make him to rise 
up. Let him pass on to him whose throne is       placed within the 
darkness, who giveth light in Ra-stau. O thou Lord   of Light, come thou 
and swallow up the worms which are in Amentet. Let  the Great God who 
dwelleth in Tetu, and who is himself unseen, hear    his prayers, and let 
those who cause afflictions hold him in fear as   he cometh forth with the 
sentence of their doom to the Divine Block. I  the Osiris, the royal 
scribe, Nekhtu-Amen, come, bearing the decree of  Neb-er-tcher, and I am 
the Horus who taketh possession of his throne   for him. His father, the 
lord of all those who are in the Boat of      his Father Horus, hath 
ascribed praise unto him. He cometh bearing     tidings....... let him see 
the town of Anu. Their chief shall stand on  the earth before him, the 
scribes shall magnify him at the doors of    their assemblies, and thy 
shall swathe im with swathings in Anu. He    hath led heaven captive, and 
he hath seized the earth in his grasp.    Neither the heavens nor the 
earth can be taken away from him, for,     behold, he is Ra, the firstborn 
of the gods. His mother shall nurse    him, and shall give him her breast 
on the horizon.                         
-                                                                           
  RUBRIC: The words of this Chapter shall be said after [the deceased]  is 
laid to rest in Amentet; by means of them the region Tenn-t shall   be 
contented with her lord. And the Osiris, the royal scribe,          
Nekhtu-Amen, whose word is truth, shall come forth, and he shall      
embark in the Boat of Ra, and [his] body upon its bier shall be        
counted up, and he shall be established in the Tuat.                        
 GIVING A MOUTH TO ANI 

  THE CHAPTER OF GIVING A MOUTH TO THE OSIRIS ANI, THE SCRIBE, AND     
TELLER OF THE OFFERINGS WHICH ARE MADE TO ALL THE GODS, WHOSE WORD     IS 
TRUE, WHO SAITH:- I rise up out of the Egg in the Hidden Land.      May my 
mouth be given unto me that I may speak therewith in the       presence of 
the Great God, the Lord of the Tuat. Let not my hand and   my arm be 
repulsed in the presence of the Chiefs (Tchatchau) of any    god. I am 
Osiris, the Lord of Ra-stau. May I, the Osiris, the scribe   Ani, whose 
word is true, have my portion with him who is on the top of  the Steps 
(Osiris). According to the desire of my heart I have come    forth from 
the Island of Nesersert, and I have extinguished the fire.       
                                                                            

 APPENDIX 
  [The following passage is taken from the Saite Recension]                 
-                                                                           
  [THE CHAPTER OF GIVING A MOUTH TO THE OSIRIS, THE SCRIBE ANI, WHO    
SAITH]:- Homage to thee, O thou lord of brightness, Governor of the    
Temple, Prince of the night and of the thick darkness. I have come     
unto thee. I am shining, I am pure. My hands are about thee, thou hast thy 
lot with thy ancestors. Give thou unto me my mouth that I may      speak 
with it. I guide my heart at its season of flame and of night.        
-                                                                           
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known by the Osiris the scribe Ani,       
upon earth, [or if it be done] in writing upon [his] coffin, he        
shall come forth by day in every form which he pleaseth, and he        
shall enter into [his] abode, and shall not be repulsed. And cakes,   and 
ale, and joints of meat [from those which are on] the altar of     Osiris 
shall be given unto him; and he shall enter in peace into       
Sekhet-Aaru, conformably to the decree of the Dweller in Busiris.      
Wheat and barley (dhura) shall be given unto him therein, and he shall 
flourish there just as he did upon earth; and he shall do whatsoever   it 
pleaseth him to do, even as do the Company of the Gods who are in   the 
Tuat, regularly and continually, for millions of times.                 
                                                     
{GIVING A MOUTH TO ANI|APPENDIX 

(From the Paprys of Nebseni, Sheet 3)

  THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF OPENING UP A WAY THROUGH   THE 
AMEHET: Behold, the scribe Nebseni, whose word is truth, saith:-   Homage 
to you, O ye Lords of Kau, ye who are without sin, and who live  for the 
endless and infinite aeons of time which make up eternity. I   have opened 
up a way for myself to you. I have become a spirit in my   forms, I have 
gotten the mastery over my words of magical power, and I  am adjudged a 
spirit; therefore deliver ye me from the Crocodile       [which liveth in] 
this Country of Truth. Grant ye to me my mouth      that I may speak 
therewith, and cause ye that sepulchral offerings     shall be made unto 
me in your presence, for I know you, and I know     your names, and I know 
also the name of the mighty god before whose    face ye set your celestial 
food. His name is "Tekem." [When] he       openeth up his path on the 
eastern horizon of heaven, [when] he        alighteth towards the western 
horizon of heaven, may he carry me along  with him, and may I be safe and 
sound. Let not the Mesqet make an      end of me, let not the Fiend 
(Sebau) gain the mastery over me, let    me not be driven away from the 
doors of the Other World, let not you   doors be shut in my face, for my 
cakes are in the city of Pe, and my   ale is in the city of Tep. And 
there, in the celestial mansions of     heaven which my divine father Tem 
hath stablished, let my hands lay   hold upon the wheat and the barley, 
which shall be given unto me       therein in abundant measure, and may 
the son of my own body make ready  for me my food therein. And grant ye 
unto me when I am there           sepulchral meals, and incense, and 
unguents, and all the pure and     beautiful things whereon the god 
liveth, in every deed for ever, in    all the transformations which it 
pleaseth me [to perform], and grant   unto me the power to float down and 
to sail up the stream in the Field  of Reeds (Sekhet-Aaru), [and may I 
reach Sekhet-hetepet (the Field     of Offerings)]. I am the twin 
Lion-gods (Shu and Tefnut).                   
 WEIGHING OF THE HEART OF ANI 
TEXTS RELATING TO THE WEIGHING OF THE HEART OF ANI
-                                                                           
  THE NAMES OF THE GODS OF THE GREAT COMPANY:- 1. Ra Harmakhis, the    
Great God in his boat. 2. Temu. 3. Shu. 4. Tefnut. 5. Keb. 6. Nut, the  
Lady of Heaven. 7. Isis. 8. Nephthys. 9. Horus, the Great God. 10.     
Hathor, Lady of Amentet. 11. Hu. 12. Sa.                                   
      
  THE PRAYER OF ANI:- My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother! My     
heart whereby I came into being! May nought stand up to oppose me at   
[my] judgment, may there be no opposition to me in the presence of the  
Chiefs (Tchatchau); may there be no parting of thee from me in the    
presence of him that keepeth the Balance! Thou art my KA, which        
dwelleth in my body; the god Khnemu who knitteth together and          
happiness whither we go. May the Sheniu officials, who make the        
conditions of the lives of men, not cause my name to stink, and may no  
lies be spoken against me in the presence of the God. [Let it be       
satisfactory unto us, and let the Listener god be favourable unto      us, 
and let there be joy of heart (to us) at the weighing of words.    Let not 
that which is false be uttered against me before the Great    God, the 
Lord of Amentet. Verily, how great shalt thou be when thou    risest in 
triumph.]                                                        
  THE SPEECH OF THOTH:- Thoth, the judge of right and truth of the     
Great Company of the Gods who are in the presence of Osiris, saith:    
Hear ye this judgment. The heart of Osiris hath in very truth been     
weighed, and his Heart-soul hath borne testimony on his behalf; his    
heart hath been found right by the trial in the Great Balance. There   
hath not been found any wickedness in him; he hath not wasted the      
offerings which have been made in the temples; he hath not committed   any 
evil act; and he hath not set his mouth in motion with words of   evil 
whilst he was upon earth.                                              
  SPEECH OF THE DWELLER IN THE EMBALMMENT CHAMBER (ANUBIS):- Pay       
good heed, O righteous Judge to the Balance to support [the testimony]  
thereof. Variant: Pay good heed to the weighing in the Balance of      the 
heart of the Osiris, the singing-woman of Amen, Anhai, whose      word is 
truth, and place thou her heart in the seat of truth in the    presence of 
the Great God.                                                  
  THE SPEECH OF THE GODS:- The Great Company of the Gods say to        
Thoth who dwelleth in Khemenu: That which cometh forth from thy        
mouth shall be declared true. The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is  
true, is holy and righteous. He hath not committed any sin, and he    hath 
done no evil against us. The devourer Am-mit shall not be         
permitted to prevail over him. Meat offerings and admittance into      the 
presence of the god Osiris shall be granted unto him, together     with an 
abiding habitation in the Field of Offerings (Sekhet-hetepet),  as unto 
the Followers of Horus.                                        
  THE SPEECH OF HORUS TO OSIRIS IN INTRODUCING ANI TO HIM:- Horus, the  
son of Isis, saith: I have come to thee, O Un-Nefer, and I have        
brought unto thee the Osiris Ani. His heart is righteous, and it       
hath come forth from the Balance; it hath not sinned against any god  or 
any goddess. Thoth hath weighed it according to the decree          
pronounced unto him by the Company of the Gods, and it is most true    and 
righteous. Grant thou that cakes and ale may be given unto him,    and let 
him appear in the presence of the god Osiris, and let him be  like unto 
the Followers of Horus for ever and ever.                         
  THE SPEECH OF ANI:- And the Osiris Ani saith: Behold, I am in thy    
presence, O Lord of Amentet. There is no sin in my body. I have not    
spoken that which is not true knowingly, nor have I done anything with  a 
false heart. Grant thou that I may be like unto those favoured      ones 
who are in thy following, and that I may be an Osiris greatly     favoured 
of the beautiful god, and beloved of the Lord of the Two      Lands, I who 
am a veritable royal scribe who loveth thee, Ani, whose   word is true 
before the god Osiris.                                        
  DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAST AM-MIT:- Her forepart is like that of a     
crocodile, the middle of her body is like that of a lion, her hind     
quarters are like those of a hippopotamus.                                 
 PRAISES AND GLORIFYINGS 

HERE BEGIN THE PRAISES AND GLORIFYINGS OF COMING OUT FROM AND OF       
GOING INTO THE GLORIOUS KHERT-NETER, WHICH IS IN THE BEAUTIFUL         
AMENTET, OF COMING FORTH BY DAY IN ALL THE FORMS OF EXISTENCE WHICH IT  
MAY PLEASE THE DECEASED TO TAKE, OF PLAYING AT DRAUGHTS, OF SITTING IN THE 
SEH HALL, AND OF APPEARING AS A LIVING SOUL:                            
  The Osiris the scribe Ani saith after he hath arrived in his haven   of 
rest- now it is good for [a man] to recite [this work whilst he is]  upon 
earth, for then all the words of Tem come to pass-                     
  "I am the god Tem in rising. I am the Only One. I came into          
existence in Nu. I am Ra who rose in the beginning, the ruler of       
this [creation]."                                                       
Who is this?                                                             
  "It is Ra, when at the beginning he rose in the city of Hensu,       
crowned like a king for his coronation. The Pillars of the god Shu     
were not as yet created, when he was upon the steps of him that        
dwelleth in Khemenu.                                                       
  "I am the Great God who created himself, even Nu, who made his names  to 
become the Company of the Gods as gods."                                 
  Who is this?                                                               
  "It is Ra, the creator of the names of his limbs, which came into    
being in the form of the gods who are in the train of Ra.                   
  "I am he who cannot be repulsed among the gods."                           
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Temu, the dweller in his disk, but others say that it is Ra   
when he riseth in the eastern horizon of the sky.                           
  "I am Yesterday, I know To-day."                                          
  Who is this?                                                              
  "Yesterday is Osiris, and To-day is Ra, when he shall destroy the    
enemies of Neb-er-tcher (the lord to the uttermost limit), and when he  
shall establish as prince and ruler his son Horus.                          
  "Others, however, say that To-day is Ra, on the day when we          
commemorate the festival of the meeting of the dead Osiris with his    
father Ra, and when the battle of the gods was fought, in which        
Osiris, the Lord of Amentet, was the leader."                           
What is this?                                                             
  "It is Amentet, [that is to say] the creation ofthe souls of the     
gods when Osiris was leader in Set-Amentet.                                 
  "Others, however, say that it is the Amentet which Ra hath given     
unto me; when any god cometh he must rise up and fight for it.              
  "I know the god who dwelleth therein."                               
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Osiris. Others, however, say that his name is Ra, and that    the 
god who dwelleth in Amentet is the phallus of Ra, wherewith he had  union 
with himself.                                                        
  "I am the Benu bird which is in Anu. I am the keeper of the volume   of 
the book (the Tablet of Destiny) of the things which have been      made, 
and of the things which shall be made."                              
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Osiris.                                                            
  "Others, however, say that it is the dead body of Osiris, and yet    
others say that it is the excrement of Osiris. The things which have   
been made, and the things which shall be made [refer to] the dead body  of 
Osiris. Others again say that the things which have been made are  
Eternity, and the things which shall be made are Everlastingness,      and 
that Eternity is the Day, and Everlastingness the Night.                
  "I am the god Menu in his coming forth; may his two plumes be set on  my 
head for me."                                                           
  Who is this?                                                              
  "Menu is Horis, the Advocate of his father [Osiris], and his         
coming forth means his birth. The two plumes on his head are Isis      and 
Nephthys, when these goddesses go forth and set themselves         
thereon, and when they act as his protectors, and when they provide   that 
which his head lacketh.                                                
  "Others, however, say that the two plumes are the two exceedingly    
large uraei which are upon the head of their father Tem, and there are  
yet others who say that the two plumes which are upon the head of Menu  
are his two eyes.                                                          
  "The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is true, the registrar of all  
the offerings which are made to the gods, riseth up and cometh into    his 
city."                                                                 
  What is this [city]?                                                      
  "It is the horizon of his father Tem.                                     
  "I have made an end of my shortcomings, and I have put away my       
faults."                                                                   
  What is this?                                                             
  "It is the cutting of the navel string of the body of the Osiris the  
scribe Ani, whose word is true before all the gods, and all his faults  
are driven out.                                                            
  What is this ?                                                            
  "It is the purification [of Osiris] on the day of his birth.              
  "I am purified in my great double nest which is in Hensu on the      day 
of the offerings of the followers of the Great God who dwelleth    
therein."                                                                  
  What is the "great double nest"?                                          
  "The name of one nest is 'Millions of years,' and 'Great Green       
[Sea]' is the name of the other, that is to say 'Lake of Natron' and   
'Lake of Salt.'                                                            
  "Others, however, say the name of the one is 'Guide of Millions of   
Years,' and that 'Great Green Lake' is name of the other. Yet others   say 
that 'Begetter of Millions of Years' is the name of one, and       'Great 
Green Lake' is the name of the other. Now, as concerning the   Great God 
who dwelleth therein, it is Ra himself.                           
  "I pass over the way, I know the head of the Island of Maati."             
  What is this?                                                             
  "It is Ra-stau, that is to say, it is the gate to the South of       
Nerutef, and it is the Northern Gate of the Domain (Tomb of the god).       
  "Now, as concerning the Island of Maati, it is Abtu.                      
  "Others, however, say that it is the way by which Father Tem         
travelleth when he goeth forth to Sekhet-Aaru, [the place] which       
produceth the food and sustenance of the gods who are [in] their       
shrines.                                                                   
  "Now the Gate Tchesert is the Gate of the Pillars of Shu, that is to  
say, the Northern Gate of the Tuat.                                      
"Others, however, say that the Gate of Tchesert is the two leaves of  the 
door through which the god Tem passeth when he goeth forth to      the 
eastern horizon of the sky.                                             
  "O ye gods who are in the presence [of Osiris], grant to me your     
arms, for I am the god who shall come into being among you."                
  Who are these gods?                                                       
  "They are the drops of blood which came forth from the phallus of Ra  
when he went forth to perform his own mutilitation. These drops of     
blood sprang into being under the forms of the gods Hu and Sa, who are  in 
the bodyguard of Ra, and who accompany the god Tem daily and       every 
day.                                                                  
  "I, Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, have filled for thee  
the utchat (the Eye of Ra, or of Horus), when it had suffered          
extinction on the day of the combat of the Two Fighters (Horus and     
Set)."                                                                     
  What was this combat?                                                     
  It was the combat which took place on the day when Horus fought with  
Set, during which Set threw filth in the face of Horus, and Horus      
crushed the genitals of Set. The filling of the utchat Thoth performed  
with his own fingers.                                                      
  "I remove the thunder-cloud from the sky when there is a storm       
with thunder and lightning therein."                                        
  What is this?                                                             
  "This storm was the raging of Ra at the thunder-cloud which [Set]    
sent forth against the Right Eye of Ra (the Sun). Thoth removed the    
thunder-cloud from the Eye of Ra, and brought back the Eye living,     
healthy, sound, and with no defect in it to its owner.                     
  "Others, however, say that the thunder-cloud is caused by sickness   in 
the Eye of Ra, which weepeth for its companion Eye (the Moon); at   this 
time Thoth cleanseth the Right Eye of Ra.                             
  "I behold Ra who was born yesterday from the thighs of the goddess   
Mehurt; his strength is my strength, and my strength is his strength."      
  Who is this?                                                              
  "Mehurt is the great Celestial Water, but others say that Mehurt     is 
the image of the Eye of Ra at dawn at his birth daily.                   
  "[Others, however, say that] Mehurt is the utchat of Ra.                  
  "Now Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, is a very great one  
among the gods who are in the following of Horus; they say that he     is 
the prince who loveth his lord."                                        
  Who are the gods who are in the train of Horus?                           
  "[They are] Kesta, Hapi, Taumutef, and Qebhsenuf.                         
  "Homage to you, O ye lords of right and truth, ye sovereign          
princes (Tchatcha) who [stand] round about Osiris, who do away utterly  
sins and offences, and who are in the following of the goddess         
Hetepsekhus, grant ye that I may come unto you. Destroy ye all the    
faults which are within me, even as ye did for the Seven Spirits who   are 
among the followers of their lord Sepa. Anpu (Anubis) appointed to  them 
their places on the day [when he said unto them], "Come ye        hither."                                                                   
  Who are the "lords of right and truth"?                                   
  "The lords of right and truth are Thoth and Astes, the Lord of       
Amentet.                                                                   
  "The Tchatcha round about Osiris are Kesta, Hapi, Tuamutef, and      
Qebhsenuf, and they are also round about the Constellation of the      
Thigh (the Great Bear), in the northern sky.                               
  "Those who do away utterly sins and offences, and who are in the     
following of the goddess Hetepsekhus, are the god Sebek and his        
associates who dwell in the water.                                         
  "The goddess Hetepsekhus is the Eye of Ra.                                
  "Others, however, say that it is the flame which accompanieth Osiris  to 
burn up the souls of his enemies.                                        
  "As concerning all the faults which are in Osiris, the registrar     of 
the offerings which are made unto all the gods, Ani, whose word     is 
truth, [these are all the offences which he hath committed          
against the Lords of Eternity] since he came forth from his mother's  
womb.                                                                       
  "As concerning the Seven Spirits who are Kesta, Hapi, Tuamutef,      
Qebhsenuf, Maa-atef, Kheribeqef and Heru-khenti-en-ariti, these did    
Anubis appoint to be protectors of the dead body of Osiris.                 
  "Others, however, say that he set them round about the holy place of  
Osiris.                                                                    
  "Others say that the Seven Spirits [which were appointed by          
Anubis] were Netcheh-netcheh, Aatqetqet, Nertanef-besef-khenti-hehf,   
Aq-her-ami-unnut-f, Tesher-ariti-ami-Het-anes,                         
Ubes-her-per-em-khetkhet, and Maaem-kerh-annef-em-hru.                      
  "The chief of the Tchatcha (sovereign princes) who is in Naarutef is  
Horus, the Advocate of his father.                                          
  "As concerning the day wherein [Anubis said to the Seven Spirits],   
'Come ye hither,' [the allusion here] is to the words 'Come ye         
hither,' which Ra spake unto Osiris."                                      
  Verily may these same words be said unto me in Amentet.                   
  "I am the Divine Soul which dwelleth in the Divine Twin-gods."            
  Who is this Divine Soul?                                                  
  "It is Osiris. [When] he goeth into Tetu, and findeth there the Soul  of 
Ra, the one god embraceth the other, and two Divine Souls spring    into 
being within the Divine Twin-gods."                                   
                                                                            
 APPENDIX 
(From the Papyrus of Nebseni, Brit. Mus. No. 9900, Sheet 14, ll.       
16ff.)                                                                     
  "As concerning the Divine Twin-gods they are Heru-netch-her-tefef    and 
Heru-khent-en-Ariti (Horus the Advocate of his father [Osiris],    and 
Horus the sightless).                                                  
  "Others say that the double Divine Soul which dwelleth in the Divine  
Twin-gods is the Soul of Ra and the Soul of Osiris, and yet others say  
that it is the Soul which dwelleth in Shu, and the Sould which         
dwelleth in Tefnut, and that these two Souls form the double Divine   Soul 
which dwelleth in Tetu.                                                
  "I am the Cat which fought near the Persea Tree in Anu on the        
night when the foes of Neb-er-tcher were destroyed."                     
Who is this Cat?                                                          
  "This male Cat is Ra himself, and he was called 'Mau' because of the  
speech of the god Sa, who said concerning him: 'He is like (mau)       
unto that which he hath made'; therefore, did the name of Ra become    
'Mau.'                                                                     
  "Others, however, say that the male Cat is the god Shu, who made     
over the possessions of Keb to Osiris.                                      
  "As concerning the fight which took place near the Persea Tree in    Anu 
[these words have reference to the slaughter] of the children of   
rebellion, when righteous retribution was meted out to them for [the   
evil] which they had done.                                                 
  "As concerning the 'night of the battle,' [these words refer to] the  
invasion of the eastern portion of the heaven by the children of       
rebellion, whereupon a great battle arose in heaven and in all the     
earth.                                                                     
  "O thou who art in thine egg (Ra,) who showest from thy Disk, who    
risest on thy horizon, and dost shine with golden beams in the         
height of heaven, like unto whom there is none among the gods, who     
sailest above the Pillars of Shu, who sendest forth blasts of fire    from 
thy mouth, [who illuminest the Two Lands with thy splendour,      deliver] 
thou Nebseni, the lord of fealty [to Osiris], from the god    whose form 
is hidden, and whose eyebrows are like unto the two arms of  the Balance 
on the night when the sentences of doom are promulgated."      
  Who is this invisible god?                                                
  "It is An-a-f (he who bringeth his arm.).                                 
  "As concerning 'the night when the sentences of doom are             
promulgated,' it is the night of the burning of the damned, and of the  
overthrow of the wicked at the Block, and of the slaughter of souls."  
  Who is this [slaughterer of souls]?                                       
  "It is Shesmu, the headsman of Osiris.                                    
  "[Concerning the invisible god] some say that he is Aapep when he    
riseth up with a head bearing upon it [the feather of] Maat (Truth).   But 
others say that he is Horus when he riseth up with two heads,      whereon 
one beareth [the feather of] Maat, and the other [the symbol  of] 
wickedness. He bestoweth wickedness on him that worketh            
wickedness, and right and truth upon him that followeth                
righteousness and truth.                                                   
  "Others say that he is Heru-ur (the Old Horus), who dwelleth in      
Sekhem; others say that he is Thoth; others say that he is             
Nefer-Tem; and others say that he is Sept who doth bring to nought the  
acts of the foes of Nebertcher.                                            
  "Deliver thou the scribe Nebseni, whose word is truth, from the      
Watchers, who carry murderous knives, who possess cruel fingers, and   who 
would slay those who are in the following of Osiris."                   
  May these Watchers never gain the mastery over me, and may I never   
fall under their knives!                                                   

  Who are these Watchers?                                                   
  "They are Anubis and Horus, [the latter being] in the form of        
Horus the sightless. Others, however, say that they are the Tchatcha   
(sovereign princes of Osiris), who bring to nought the operations of   
their knives; and others say that they are the chiefs of the Sheniu   
chamber.                                                                    
  "May their knives never gain the mastery over me. May I never fall   
under the knives wherewith they inflict cruel tortures. For I know     
their names, and I know the being, Matchet, who is among them in the   
House of Osiris. He shooteth forth rays of light from his eye, being   
himself invisible, and he goeth round about heaven robed in the flames  
which come from his mouth, commanding Hapi, but remaining invisible    
himself. May I be strong on earth before Ra, may I arrive safely in    the 
presence of Osiris. O ye who preside over your altars, let not     your 
offerings to me be wanting, for I am one of those who follow      after 
Nebertcher, according to the writings of Khepera. Let me fly     like a 
hawk, let me cackle like a goose, let me lay always like the    
serpent-goddess Neheb-ka."                                                 
  Who are those who preside over their altars?                              
  "Those who preside over their altars are the similitude of the Eye   of 
Ra, and the similitude of the Eye of Horus.                              
  "O Ra-Tem, thou Lord of the Great House [in Anu], thou Sovereign     
(life, strentgh, health [be to thee]) of all the gods, deliver thou    the 
scribe Nebseni, whose word is truth, from the god whose face is    like 
unto that of a greyhound, whose brows are like those of a man,    who 
feedeth upon the dead, who watcheth at the Bend of the Lake of     Fire, 
who devoureth the bodies of the dead, and swalloweth hearts, and  who 
voideth filth, but who himself remaineth unseen."                       
  Who is this greyhound-faced god?                                          
  "His name is 'Everlasting Devourer,' and he liveth in the Domain [of  
Fire] (the Lake of Unt).                                                   
  "As concerning the Domain of Fire, it is that Aat which is in        
Naarutef, and is near the Sheniu chamber. The sinner who walketh       
over this place falleth down among the knives [of the Watchers].            
  "Others, however, say that the name of this god is 'Mates,' and that  he 
keepeth watch over the door of Amentet; others say that his name is  
'Beba,' and that he keepeth watch over the Bend [of the stream] of     
Amentet, and yet others say that his name is 'Herisepef.'                  
  "Hail, Lord of Terror, Chief of the Lands of the South and North,    
thou Lord of the Desert, who dost keep prepared the block of           
slaughter, and who dost feed on the intestines [of men]!"                   
  Who is this Lord of Terror?                                               
  "It is the Keeper of the Bend [of the stream] of Amentet."                

  Who is this Keeper?                                                       
  "It is the Heart of Osiris, which is the devourer of all slaughtered  
things.                                                                    
  "The Urrt Crown hath been given unto him, with gladness of heart, as  
Lord of Hensu."                                                            
  Who is this?                                                              
  "He to whom the Urrt Crown hath been given with gladness of heart as  
Lord of Hensu is Osiris. He was bidden to rule among the gods on the   day 
of the union of earth [with earth] in the presence of Nebertcher."      
  Who is this?                                                              
  "He who was bidden to rule among the gods is the son of Isis         
(Horus), who was appointed to rule in the room of his father Osiris.        
  "As concerning [the words] 'day of the union of earth with earth,'   
they have reference to the union of earth with earth in the coffin     of 
Osiris, the Soul that liveth in Hensu, the giver of meat and drink,  the 
destroyer of wrong, and the guide to the everlasting paths."           
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Ra himself."                                                       
  "[Deliver thou the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth]       
from the great god who carrrieth away souls, who eateth hearts, who    
feedeth upon offal, who keepeth watch in the darkness, who dwelleth in  
the Seker Boat; those who live in sin fear him."                           
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Suti, but others say that it is Smamur, the soul of Keb.           
  "Hail, Khepera in thy boat, the two Companies of the Gods are in thy  
body. Deliver thou the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth,     
from the Watchers who pass sentences of doom, who have been            
appointed by the god Nebertcher to protect him, and to fasten the     
fetters on his foes, and who slaughter in the torture chambers;        
there is no escape from their fingers. May they never stab me with     
their knives, may I never fall helpless into their chambers of         
torture. I have never done the things which the gods hate. I am he who is 
pure in the Mesqet chamber. And saffron cakes have been brought     unto 
him in Tannt."                                                        
  Who is this?                                                              
  "It is Khepera in his boat; it is Ra himself.                             
  "As concerning the Watchers who pass sentences of doom, they are the  
Apes Isis and Nephthys.                                                    
  "As concerning the things which the gods hate, they are acts of      
deceit and lying. He who passeth through the place of purification     
within the Mesqet chamber is Anpu (Anubis), who is hard by the         
coffer which containeth the inward parts of Osiris. He to whom saffron 
cakes have been brought in Tannt is Osiris.                                 
  "Others, however, say that the saffron cakes in Tannt represent      
heaven and earth, and others say that they represent Shu, the          
strengthener of the Two Lands in Hensu; and others say that they       
represent the Eye of Horus, and that Tannt is the burial-place of     
Osiris.                                                                     
  "Tem hath builded thy house, and the double Lion-god hath laid the   
foundations of thy habitation. Lo! medicaments have been brought.      
Horus purifieth Set and Set strengtheneth, and Set purifieth and Horus  
strengtheneth.                                                             
  "The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth before Osiris,       
hath come into this land, and he hath taken possession thereof with    his 
two feet. He is Tem, and he is in the city.                            
  "Turn thou back, O Rehu, whose mouth shineth, whose head moveth,     
turn thou back before his strength." Another reading is, 'Turn thou    
back from him who keepeth watch, and is himself unseen.' Let the       
Osiris Ani be safely guarded. He is Isis, and he is found with her    hair 
spread over him; it is shaken out over his brow. He was conceived  by 
Isis, and engendered by Nephthys, and they have cut away from him   the 
things which should be cut from him.                                   
  "Fear followeth after thee, terror is about thine arms. Thou hast    
been embraced for millions of years by arms; mortals go round about    
thee. Thou smitest down the mediators of thy foes, and thou seizest    the 
arms of the power of darkness. Thy two sisters (Isis and Nephthys)  are 
given to thee for thy delight. Thou hast created that which is     in 
Kher-aha, and that which is Anu. Every god feareth thee, for thou   art 
exceedingly great and terrible; thou [avengest] every god on the   man who 
curseth him, and thou shootest arrows at him. Thou livest      according 
to thy will. Thou art Uatchet, the Lady of Flame, evil       befalleth 
those who set themselves up against thee."                        
  What is this?                                                        
  "'Hidden in form, given of Menhu,' is the name of the "tomb. 'He who  
seeth what is on his hand' is the name of Qerau, or, as others say, it  is 
the name of the Block.                                                  
  "Now, he whose mouth shineth and whose head moveth is the phallus of  
Osiris, but others say it is [the phallus] of Ra. 'Thou spreadest      thy 
hair, and I shake it out over his brow" is said concerning Isis,   who 
hideth in her hair, and draweth it round about her.                    
  "Uatchet, the Lady of Flames, is the Eye of Ra."                          
 THE SEVEN ARITS 
  The First Arit.                                                           
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Sekhet-her-asht-aru. The name of the   
Watcher is Smetti. The name of the Herald is Hakheru.                       
  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, shall say when he cometh unto   the 
First Arit: "I am the mighty one who createth his own light. I     have 
come unto thee, O Osiris, and, purified from that which           defileth 
thee, I adore thee. Lead on. Name not the name of Ra-stau     to me. 
Homage to thee, O Osiris, in thy might and in thy strength in   Ra-stau. 
Rise up and conquer, O Osiris, in Abtu. Thou goest round      about 
heaven, thou sailest in the presence of Ra, thou lookest upon    all the 
beings who have knowledge. Hail, Ra, thou who goest round     about in the 
sky, I say, O Osiris in truth, that I am the Sahu              
(Spirit-body) of the god, and I beseech thee not to let me be driven   
away, nor to be cast upon the wall of blazing fire. Let the way be     
opened in Ra-stau, let the pain of the Osiris be relieved, embrace     
that which the Balance hath weighed, let a path be made for the Osiris in 
the Great Valley, and let the Osiris have light to guide him on his  way."                                                                      
  The Second Arit.                                                     
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Unhat. The name of the Watcher is      
Seqt-her. The name of the Herald is Ust.                                    
  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he cometh to    
this Arit]: "He sitteth to carry out his heart's desire, and he        
weigheth words as the Second of Thoth. The strength which protecteth   
Thoth humbleth the hidden Maati gods, who feed upon Maat during the   
years of their lives. I offer up my offerings [to him] at the moment   
when he maketh his way. I advance, and I enter on the path. O grant    
thou that I may continue to advance, and that I may attain to the      
sight of Ra, and of those who offer up [their] offerings."                 
  The Third Arit.                                                           
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Unem-hauatu-ent-pehui. The name of the  
Watcher is Seres-her. The name of the Herald is Aa.                         
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he   
cometh to this Arit]: "I am he who is hidden in the great deep. I am   the 
Judge of the Rehui, I have come and I have done away the offensive  thing 
which was upon Osiris. I tie firmly the place on which he       standeth, 
coming forth from the Urt. I have stablished things in Abtu,  I have 
opened up a way through Ra-stau, and I have relieved the pain   which was 
in Osiris. I have balanced the place whereon he standeth,    and I have 
made a path for him; he shineth brilliantly in Ra-stau."        
  The Fourth Arit.                                                          
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Khesef-her-asht-kheru. The name of the  
Watcher is Seres-tepu. The name of the Herald is Khesef-at.                 
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he   
cometh to this Arit]: "I am the Bull, the son of the ancestress of     
Osiris. O grant ye that his father, the Lord of his god-like           
companions, may bear witness on his behalf. I have weighed the        
guilty in judgment. I have brought unto his nostrils the life which is  
ever lasting. I am the son of Osiris, I have accomplished the journey,  I 
have advanced in Khert-Neter."                                           
  The Fifth Arit.                                                           
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Ankhf-em-fent. The name of the Watcher  is 
Shabu. The name of the Herald is Teb-her-kha-kheft.                 
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he   
cometh to this Arit]: "I have brought unto thee the jawbone in         
Ra-stau. I have brought unto thee thy backbone in Anu. I have gathered  
together his manifold members therein. I have driven back Aapep for   
thee. I have spit upon the wounds [in his body]. I have made myself    a 
path among you. I am the Aged One among the gods. I have made        
offerings to Osiris. I have defended him with the word of truth. I     
have gathered together his bones, and have collected all his members."   
The Sixth Arit.                                                           
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Atek-tau-kehaq-kheru. The name of      the 
Watcher is An-her. The name of the Herald is Ates-her-[ari]-she.   
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he   
cometh to this Arit]: "I have come daily, I have come daily. I have    
made myself a way. I have advanced over that which was created by Anpu  
(Anubis). I am the Lord of the Urrt Crown. I am the possessor [of      the 
knowledge of] the words of magical power, I am the Avenger         
according to law, I have avenged [the injury to] his Eye. I have       
defended Osiris. I have accomplished my journey. The Osiris Ani        
advanceth with you with the word which is truth."                          
  The Seventh Arit:                                                         
  The name of the Doorkeeper is Sekhmet-em-tsu-sen. The name of the    
Watcher is Aa-maa-kheru. The name of the Herald is Khesef-khemi.            
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, shall say [when he   
cometh to this Arit]: "I have come unto thee, O Osiris, being purified  
from foul emissions. Thou goest round about heaven, thou seest Ra,     
thou seest the beings who have knowledge. [Hail], thou, ONE! Behold,  thou 
art in the Sektet Boat which traverseth the heavens. I speak what  I will 
to his Sahu (Spirit-body). He is strong, and cometh into        being even 
[as] he spake. Thou meetest him face to face. Prepare       thou for me 
all the ways which are good [and which lead] to thee."         
  RUBRIC: If [these] words be recited by the spirit when he shall come  to 
the Seven Arits, and as he entereth the doors, he shall neither     be 
turned back nor repulsed before Osiris, and he shall be made to     have 
his being among the blessed spirits, and to have dominion among  the 
ancestral followers of Osiris. If these things be done for any     spirit 
he shall have his being in that place like a lord of eternity   in one 
body with Osiris, and at no place shall any being contend       against 
him.                                                               
 THE PYLONS OF THE HOUSE OF OSIRIS 

  The following shall be said when one cometh to the FIRST PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Lady of        
tremblings, high-walled, the sovereign lady, the lady of               
destruction, who uttereth the words which drive back the destroyers,  who 
delivereth from destruction him that cometh." The name of her      
Doorkeeper is Neruit.                                                      
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the SECOND PYLON. The  
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Lady of heaven,    
Mistress of the Two Lands, devourer by fire, Lady of mortals, who      art 
infinitely greater than any human being." The name of her         
Doorkeeper is Mes-Ptah.                                                     
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the THIRD PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Lady of the    Altar, 
the mighty lady to whom offerings are made, greatly beloved one  of every 
god sailing up the river to Abydos." The name of her         Doorkeeper is 
Sebqa.                                                        
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the FOURTH PYLON. The  
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Prevailer with     
knives, Mistress of the Two Lands, destroyer of the enemies of the     
Still-Heart (Osiris), who decreeth the release of those who suffer    
through evil hap." The name of her Doorkeeper is Nekau.                     
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the FIFTH PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Flame, Lady of  fire, 
absorbing the entreaties which are made to her, who permitteth   not to 
approach her the rebel." The name of her Doorkeeper is         
Henti-Reqiu.                                                                
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the SIXTH PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Lady of light,  who 
roareth mightily, whose breadth cannot be comprehended. Her like   hath 
not been found since the beginning. There are serpents over which are 
unknown. They were brought forth before the Still-Heart." The name  of her 
Doorkeeper is Semati.                                                
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the SEVENTH PYLON.    The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Garment        which 
envelopeth the helpless one, which weepeth for and loveth that   which it 
covereth." The name of her Doorkeeper is Saktif.                  
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the EIGHTH PYLON. The  
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Blazing fire,      
unquenchable, with far-reaching tongues of flame, irresistible         
slaughterer, which one may not pass through fear of its deadly        
attack." The name of her Doorkeeper is Khutchetef.                          
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the NINTH PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:                 
"Chieftainess, lady of strength, who giveth quiet of heart to the      
offspring of her lord. Her girth is three hundred and fifty khet,     and 
she is clothed with green feldspar of the South. She bindeth up    the 
divine form and clotheth the helpless one. Devourer, lady of all   men." 
The name of her Doorkeeper is Arisutchesef.                           
  The following shall be said when one cometh to the TENTH PYLON.      The 
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith: "Goddess of the  loud 
voice, who maketh her suppliants to mourn, the awful one who      
terrifieth, who herself remaineth unterrified within." The name of her  
Doorkeeper is Sekhenur.                                                     
  Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, saith when he cometh to   the 
ELEVENTH PYLON of Osiris: "I have made my way, I know you, and I   know 
thy name, and I know the name of her who is within thee: She      who 
slayeth always, consumer of the fiends by fire, mistress of       every 
pylon, the lady who is acclaimed on the day of darkness" is      thy name. 
She inspecteth the swathing of the helpless one.                  
  The Osiris Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, saith when     he 
cometh to the TWELFTH PYLON of Osiris: "I have made my way, I       know 
you, and I know thy name, and I know the name of her who is       within 
thee: Invoker of thy Two Lands, destroyer of those who come     to thee by 
fire, lady of spirits, obeyer of the word of thy Lord" is   thy name. She 
inspecteth the swathing of the helpless one.                  
  The Osiris Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, saith when     he 
cometh to the THIRTEENTH PYLON of Osiris: "I have made my way, I    know 
you and I know thy name, and I know the name of her who is within  thee: 
Osiris foldeth his arms about her, and maketh Hapi (the         Nile-god), 
to emit splendour out of his hidden places" is thy name.    She inspecteth 
the swathing of the helpless one.                            
  The Osiris Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, saith when     he 
cometh to the FOURTEENTH PYLON of Osiris: "I have made my way, I    know 
thee, and I know thy name, and I know the name of her who is      within 
thee. Lady of might, who trampleth on the Red Demons, who      keepeth the 
festival of Haaker on the day of the hearing of faults" is  thy name. She 
inspecteth the swathing of the helpless one.                  
  THE FIFTEENTH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is truth,  
shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Fiend, red of hair and        
eyes, who appeareth by night, and doth fetter the fiend in his lair.   Let 
her hands be given to the Still-Heart in his hour, let her advance  and go 
forward" is thy name. She inspecteth the swathing of the        helpless 
one.                                                              
  THE SIXTEENTH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is truth,  
shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Terrible one, lady of the     
rain-storm, destroyer of the souls of men, devourer of the bodies of   
men, orderer, producer, and maker of slaughter" is thy name. She      
inspecteth the swathing of the helpless one.                                
  THE SEVENTEENTH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is      
truth, shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Hewer-in-pieces in     
blood, Ahibit, lady of hair" is thy name. She inspecteth the           
swathing of the helpless one.                                              
  THE EIGHTEENTH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is       
truth, shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Fire-lover, pure       
one, lover of slaughterings, cutter off of heads, devoted one, lady of  
the Great House, slaughterer of fiends at eventide" is thy name. She  
inspecteth the swathing of the helpless one.                                
  THE NINETEENTH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is       
truth, shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Light-giver for        
life, blazing all the day, lady of strength [and of] the writings of   the 
god Thoth himself" is thy name. She inspecteth the swathings of    the 
White House.                                                            
  THE TWENTIETH PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is truth,  
shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Dweller in the cavern of      her 
lord, her name is Clother, hider of her creations, conqueror of    hearts, 
swallower [of them]" is thy name. She inspecteth the swathings  of the 
White House.                                                         
  THE TWENTY-FIRST PYLON. The Osiris Heru-em-khebit, whose word is     
truth, shall say when he cometh to this pylon: "Knife which cutteth    
when [its name] is uttered, slayer of those who approach thy flame" is  
thy name. She possesseth hidden plans.                                
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Turin Papryus, ed. Lepsius, Bl. 64, the text referring     to 
the twenty-first Pylon.)                                                 
  THE OSIRIS AUFANKH, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, SAITH: Hail, saith Horus, O  
Twenty-first pylon of the Still-Heart! I have made the way. I know     
thee. I know thy name. I know the name of the goddess who guardeth     
thee. "Sword that smiteth at the utterance of its own name, stinking  
face, overthrower of him that approacheth her flame" is thy name. Thou  
keepest the hidden things of the avenger of the god, thou guardest     
them. Amam is his name. He maketh the ash trees (cedars) not to        
grow, and the shenu trees (acacias) not to blossom, and preventeth    
copper from being found in the mountain. The Tchatcha (Chiefs) of this  
Pylon are Seven Gods. Tchen, or Anthch (At), is the name of the one at  
the door. Hetepmes is the name of another there. Messep is the name of  
another there. Utchara is the name of another there. Beq is the name   of 
another there. Anp (Anubis) is the name of another there.                
  I have made the way. I am Menu-Heru, the avenger of his father,      the 
heir of his father Un-Nefer. I have come. I have given [offerings]  to my 
father Osiris. I have overthrown all his enemies. I have come    daily 
with the word of truth, the lord of fealty, in the house of my  father 
Tem, the Lord of Anu, I, the Osiris Auf-ankh, whose word is     truth in 
the southern heaven. I have done what is right for him that   made the 
right, I have celebrated the Haker festival to the lord       thereof. I 
have acted as the leader of the festivals. I have given    cakes to the 
Lords of the Altar. I have been the leader of the         propitiatory 
offerings, cakes, ale, oxen, geese, to my father Osiris   Un-Nefer. I am 
the protector of the Ba-soul, I have made the Benu bird  to appear [by my] 
words. I have come daily into the house of the god   to make offerings of 
incense. I have come with the shenti tunic. I     have set the Neshem Boat 
afloat on the water. I have made the word     of Osiris Khenti Amenti to 
be truth before his enemies. I have carried  away in a boat all his 
enemies to the slaughter-house of the East, and  they shall never escape 
from the wardship of the god Keb who           dwelleth therein. I have 
made the Kefaiu gods of Ra to stand up, I     have made his word to be 
truth. I have come as a scribe. I have        explained [the writings]. I 
have made the god to have power over his   legs. I have come into the 
house of him that is upon his mountain     (Anubis). I have seen the Chief 
of the Seh hall. I have entered into   Ra-stau. I have made myself 
invisible. I have found for myself the     boundary. I have approached 
Nerutef. I have clothed the naked. I       have sailed up the river to 
Abydos. I have performed the ceremonies of  Hu and Sa. I have entered the 
house of Astes. I have made supplication  to the Khati gods and to Sekhmet 
in the temple of Net (Neith), or      the Aged Ones. I have entered 
Ra-stau. I have made myself invisible. I  have found the frontier. I have 
approached Nerutef. I have clothed the  naked. I have sailed up the river 
to Abydos. I have performed the      ceremonies of Hu and Sa. I have 
received. I have risen like a king     crowned. I fill my seat on the 
throne in the place of my father, the   God Who was at the beginning. I 
have praised the Meskhen of            Ta-tchesert. My mouth is full of 
Maat (Truth). I have overwhelmed      the Akhekhau serpents. I have come 
into the Great House with [my] body  in a flourishing condition. I have 
caused myself to travel in the Boat  of Hai. The myrrh unguent of..... is 
in the hair of men (Rekhit). I    have entered into the House of Astes. I 
have approached with worship   the two Khati gods and Sekhmet, who are in 
the temple of the Aged      One [in Anu].                                                              
  [And the god Osiris saith:] "Thou hast come, thou shalt be a         
favoured one in Tetu, O Osiris Auf-ankh, whose word is truth, the      son 
of the lady Shert-en-Menu, whose word is truth."                        
 THE PRIESTS ANMUTEF AND SAMEREF 
                                         
  THE SPEECH OF THE PRIEST ANMUTEF.                                         
  I have come unto you, O ye great Tchatcha Chiefs who dwell in        
heaven, and upon earth, and in Khert-Neter, and I have brought unto    you 
the Osiris Ani. He hath not committed any act which is an          
abomination before all the gods. Grant ye that he may live with you   
every day.                                                                  
  The Osiris the scribe Ani adoreth Osiris, Lord of Rasta, and the     
Great Company of the Gods who live in Khert-Neter. He saith: "Homage   to 
thee, Khenti Amenti, Un-Nefer, who dwellest in Abtu. I come to      thee. 
My heart holdeth Truth. There is no sin in my body. I have not   told a 
lie wittingly, I have not acted in a double manner. Grant       thou to me 
cakes, let me appear in the presence, at the altar of the   Lords of 
Truth, let me go in and come forth from Khert-Neter [at       will], let 
not my Heart-soul be driven away [from me]; and grant me   
a sight of the Disk and the beholding of the Moon for ever and ever.        
  THE SPEECH OF THE PRIEST SAMEREF.                                         
  I have come unto you, O ye Tchatcha Chiefs who dwell in Rasta, and I  
have brought unto you the Osiris Ani, grant ye unto him cakes, and     
water, and air, and a homestead in Sekhet-hetep as to the followers of  
Horus.                                                                     
  The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, adoreth Osiris,      the 
Lord of everlastingness, and the Tchatcha Chiefs, the Lords of     Rasta. 
He saith: "Homage to thee, O King of Khert-Neter, thou Governor  of Akert! 
I have come unto thee. I know thy plans, I am equipped       with the 
forms which thou takest in the Tuat. Give thou to me a        place in 
Khert-Neter, near the Lords of Truth. May my homestead be     lasting in 
Sekhet-hetep, may I receive cakes in thy presence."              
 THE JUDGES IN ANU 
                         
  Hail, Thoth, who madest to be true the word of Osiris against his    
enemies, make thou the word of the scribe Nebseni to be true against   his 
enemies, even as thou didst make the word of Osiris to be true     against 
his enemies, in the presence of the Tchatcha Chiefs who are   with Ra and 
Osiris in Anu, on the night of the "things of the          night," and the 
night of battle, and of the fettering of the Sebau     fiends, and the day 
of the destruction of the enemies of Neb-er-tcher.      
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs in Anu are Tem, Shu, Tefnut, [Osiris   and 
Thoth]. Now the "fettering of the Sebau fiends" signifieth the     
destruction of the Smaiu fiends of Set, when he wrought iniquity a     
second time.                                                               
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris Ani to be true against   his 
enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Tetu, on the    night 
of setting up the Tet in Tetu.                                     Now the 
great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Tetu are Osiris, Isis,      Nephthys, and 
Horus the avenger of his father. Now the "setting up     of the Tet in 
Tetu" signifieth [the raising up of] the shoulder of     Horus, the 
Governor of Sekhem. They are round about Osiris in the band [and] the 
bandages.                                                         
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris Ani to be true against   his 
enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Sekhem, on      the 
night of the "things of the night" in Sekhem.                          
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Sekhem are                  
Heru-khenti-en-ariti and Thoth who is with the Tchatcha Chiefs of      
Nerutef. Now the night of the "things of the night festival"           
signifieth the dawn on the sarcophagus of Osiris.                          
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris the scribe Ani to be     true 
against his enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in    the 
double town Pe-Tep, on the night of setting up the "Senti" of     Horus, 
and of establishing him in the inheritance of the possessions   of his 
father Osiris.                                                      
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Pe-Tep are Horus, Isis,     
Kesta (Mesta) and Hapi. Now the "setting up of the 'Senti' of Horus"   
hath reference to the words which Set spake to his followers, saying   
"Set up the Senti."                                                        
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris the scribe Ani to be     true, 
in peace, against his enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs    who are 
in the Lands of the Rekhti (Taiu-Rekhti), in the night when   Isis lay 
down, and kept watch to make lamentation for her brother      Osiris.                                                                    
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Taiu-Rekhti are Isis,       
Horus, Kesta (Mesta) [Anpu and Thoth].                                      
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris true against his      
enemies, make thou the word of Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is    
truth, in peace, to be true against his enemies, with the great        
Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Abtu, on the night of the god Haker, when   the 
dead are separated, and the spirits are judged, and when the       
procession taketh place in Teni.                                            
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Abtu are Osiris, Isis,      and 
Up-uat.                                                                
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris, the scribe and assessor  of the 
sacred offerings which are made to all the gods, Ani, to be     true 
against his enemies, with the Tchatcha Chiefs who examine the    dead on 
the night of making the inspection of those who are to be      
annihilated.                                                               
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are present at the examination     of 
the dead are Thoth, Osiris, Anpu and Asten (read Astes). Now the    
inspection (or, counting) of those who are to be annihilated           
signifieth the shutting up of things from the souls of the sons of    
revolt.                                                                     
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris true against his      
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris the scribe Ani to be true    
against his enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are present at  
the digging up of the earth [and mixing it] with their blood, and of  
making the word of Osiris to be true against his enemies.                   
  As concerning the Tchatcha Chiefs who are present at the digging     up 
of the earth in Tetu: When the Smaiu fiends of Set came [there],    having 
transformed themselves into animals, these Tchatcha Chiefs slew  them in 
the presence of the gods who were there, and they took their  blood, and 
carried it to them. These things were permitted at the      examination 
[of the wicked] by those [gods] who dwelt in Tetu.              
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris to be true against    his 
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris [the scribe] Ani to be   true 
against his enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in    Nerutef 
on the night of the "Hidden of Forms."                             
  Now the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Nerutef are Ra, Osiris, Shu  
and Bebi.                                                                  
  Now, the night of the "Hidden of Forms" referreth to the placing     on 
the sarcophagus [of Osiris] the arm, the heel, and the thigh of     Osiris 
Un-Nefer.                                                           
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris true against his      
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris, whose word is truth, to     be 
true against his enemies, with the great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in  
Rasta, on the night when Anpu lay with his arms on the things by      
Osiris, and when the word of Horus was make to be true against his     
enemies.                                                                   
  The great Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Rasta are Horus, Osiris, and    
Isis. The heart of Osiris is happy, the heart of Horus is glad, and    the 
two halves of Egypt (Aterti) are well satisfied thereat.                
  Hail, Thoth, who didst make the word of Osiris true against his      
enemies, make thou the word of the Osiris the scribe Ani, the assessor  of 
the holy offerings made to all the gods, to be true against his     
enemies, with the Ten great Tchatcha Chiefs who are with Ra, and      with 
Osiris, and with every god, and with every goddess, in the        presence 
of the god Nebertcher. He hath destroyed his enemies, and     he hath 
destroyed every evil thing which appertained to him.                
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be recited for, or over, the deceased, he    
shall come forth by day, purified after death, according to the desire  of 
his heart. Now if this Chapter be recited over him, he shall        
progress over the earth, and he shall escape from every fire, and none  of 
the evil things which appertain to him shall ever be round about    him; 
never, a million times over, shall this be.                            
 OPENING THE MOUTH 
     
  THE CHAPTER OF OPENING THE MOUTH OF THE OSIRIS ANI. To be said:- The  
god Ptah shall open my mouth, and the god of my town shall unfasten    the 
swathings, the swathings which are over my mouth. Thereupon        shall 
come Thoth, who is equipped with words of power in great        abundance, 
and shall untie the fetters, even the fetters of the god    Set which are 
over my mouth. And the god Tem shall cast them back at   those who would 
fetter me with them, and cast them at him. Then        shall the god Shu 
open my mouth, and make an opening into my mouth    with the same iron 
implement wherewith he opened the mouth of the      gods. I am the goddess 
Sekhmet, and I take my seat upon the place by   the side of Amt-ur the 
great wind of heaven. I am the great            Star-goddess Saah, who 
dwelleth among the Souls of Anu. Now as        concerning every spell, and 
every word which shall be spoken against   me, every god of the Divine 
Company shall set himself in opposition    thereto.                                                                   
                                                                            
 BRINGING_SPELLS_TO_ANI 

THE CHAPTER OF BRINGING WORDS OF POWER TO THE OSIRIS ANI, who          
saith:- I am Tem-Khepera who produced himself on the thighs of his     
divine mother. Those who dwell in Nu have been made wolves, and those  who 
are among the Tchatcha Chiefs have become hyenas. Behold, I will  gather 
together to myself this charm from the person with whom it is   [and from 
the place] wherein it is [and it shall come to me] quicker   than a 
greyhound, and swifter that light. Hail, thou who bringest the  Ferry-Boat 
of Ra, thou holdest thy course firmly and directly in the   north wind as 
thou sailest up the river towards the Island of Fire     which is in 
Khert-Neter. Behold, thou shalt gather together to thee    this charm from 
wheresoever it may be, and from whomsoever it may be   with [and it shall 
come to me] quicker than a greyhound, and swifter   than light. It (the 
charm) made the transformations of Mut; it         fashioned the gods [or] 
kept them silent; by it Mut gave the warmth    [of life] to the gods. 
Behold, these words of power are mine, and      they shall come unto me 
from wheresoever they may be, or with         whomsoever they may be, 
quicker than greyhounds and swifter than       light, or, according to 
another reading, "swifter than shadows."            
 APPENDIX 

THE CHAPTER WHICH MAKETH A MAN TO REMEMBER HIS NAME IN                 
KHERT-NETER. [The deceased] saith:- Let my name be given to me in      the 
Great House (Per-ur), and let me remember my name in the House     of Fire 
(Per Neser), on the night wherein the years are counted up,    and the 
number of the months is told. I am dwelling with the Divine    One, I take 
my seat on the eastern side of the sky. If any god         cometh after 
me, I shall be able to declare his name forthwith.             
 GIVING A HEART 

THE CHAPTER OF GIVING A HEART TO THE OSIRIS ANI IN KHERT-NETER. He     
saith:- Let my heart be with me in the House of Hearts. Let my         
heart-case be with me in the House of heart-cases. Let my heart be     
with me, and let it rest in [me or] I shall not eat the cakes of       
Osiris in the eastern side of the Lake of Flowers, nor have a boat     
wherein to float down the river, nor a boat to sail up the river to    
thee, nor be able to embark in a boat with thee. Let my mouth be to me  
that I may speak therewith. Let my legs be to me that I may walk      
therewith. Let my arms be to me that I may overthrow the foe           
therewith. Let the two doors of the sky be opened to me. May Keb,      the 
Erpat of the gods, open his jaws to me. May he open my two eyes    which 
are blinded by swathings. May he make me to lift up my legs in  walking 
which are tied together. May Anpu make my thighs to become     vigorous. 
May the goddess Sekhmet raise me, and lift me up. Let me     ascend into 
heaven, let that which I command be performed in           Het-ka-Ptah. I 
know how to use my heart. I am master of my heart-case.  I am master of my 
hands and arms. I am master of my legs. I have the   power to do that 
which my KA desireth to do. My Heart-soul shall not   be kept a prisoner 
in my body at the gates of Amentet when I would     go in in peace and 
come forth in peace.                                NOT LETTING THE HEART 
ANI BE TAKEN 

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF THE OSIRIS, THE ASSESSOR       OF 
THE DIVINE OFFERINGS OF ALL THE GODS, ANI, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH      BEFORE 
OSIRIS, BE DRIVEN BACK FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. He saith:- My   heart of 
my mother. My heart of my mother. My heart-case of my        
transformations. Let not any one stand up to bear testimony against    me. 
Let no one drive me away from the Tchatcha Chiefs. Let no one make  thee 
to fall away from me in the presence of the Keeper of the         Balance. 
Thou art my KA, the dweller in my body, the god Khnemu who   makest sound 
my members. Mayest thou appear in the place of            happiness 
whither we go. Let not make my name to stink Shenit          Chiefs, who 
make men to be stable. [Let it be satisfactory unto us,    and let the 
listening be satisfactory unto us, and let there be joy of heart to us at 
the weighing of words. Let not lies be told against     me before the 
Great God, the Lord of Amentet. Verily, how great        shalt thou be 
when thou risest up in triumph!]                             
  RUBRIC I: These words are to be said over a scarab of green stone    
encircled with a band of refined copper, and [having] a ring of        
silver; which shall be placed on the neck of the Khu (the deceased),   
etc.                                                                       
  RUBRIC II (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 21): If this Chapter be     
known [by the deceased] he shall be declared a speaker of the truth    
both upon earth and in Khert-Neter, and he shall be able to perform    
every act which a living human being can perform. Now it is a great   
protection which hath been given by the god. This Chapter was found in  
the city of Khemenu upon the slab of ba, which was inlaid with         
[letters of] genuine lapis-lazuli, and was under the feet of [the      
statue] of the god, during the reign of His Majesty, the King of the  
South and North, Menkaura (Mycerinus), true of word, by Prince         
Herutataf, who found it during a journey which he made to inspect      the 
temples. One Nekht was with him who was diligent in making him     to 
understand it, and he brought it to the king as a wonderful        object 
when he perceived that it was a thing of great mystery, [the    like of] 
which had never [before] been seen or looked upon. This       Chapter 
shall be recited by a man who is ceremonially clean and        pure, who 
hath not eaten the flesh of animals, or fish, and who hath   not had 
intercourse with women. And behold, thou shalt make a scarab   of green 
stone, with a rim [plated] with gold, which shall be placed   above the 
heart of a man, and it shall perform for him the "opening of  the mouth." 
And thou shalt anoint it with myrrh unguent, and thou      shalt recite 
over it the following words of magical power. [Here       follows the text 
of the Chapter of Not Letting the Heart of Ani Be     Taken from Him.]                                                           
 NOT LETTING THE HEART SOUL BE CARRIED AWAY 

THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART-SOUL OF A MAN BE SNATCHED         
AWAY FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris the scribe Ani saith:--I,     
even I, am he who cometh forth from the Celestial Water (Akeb). He     
(Akeb) produced abundance for me, and hath the mastery there in the    
form of the River.                                                          
(This is a portion of a longer Chapter which is included in the Appendix.) 
APPENDIX 

(The following is from the Papyrus of Nefer-uben-f, Naville, op.       
cit., I, Bl. 72.)                                                          
  THE CHAPTER OF DRINKING WATER IN KHERT-NETER. The am khent priest,   
Nefer-uben-f, whose word is truth, saith:- I, even I, am he who cometh  
forth from the god Keb. The water-flood is given to him, he hath       
become the master thereof in the form of Hapi. I, the am khent        
Nefer-uben-f, open the doors of heaven. Thoth hath opened to me the    
doors of Qebh (the Celestial Waters). Lo, Hepi Hepi, the two sons of   the 
Sky, mighty in splendour, grant ye that I may be master over the   water, 
even as Set had dominion over his evil power on the day of     the 
storming of the Two Lands. I pass by the Great Ones, arm to        
shoulder, even as they pass that Great God, the Spirit who is          
equipped, whose name is unknown. I have passed by the Aged One of      the 
shoulder. I am Nefer-uben-f, whose word is truth. Hath opened to  me the 
Celestial Water Osiris. Hath opened to me the Celestial Water   
Thoth-Hapi, the Lord of the horizon, in his name of "Thoth, cleaver of  
the earth." I am master of the water, as Set is master of his          
weapon. I sail over the sky, I am Ra, I am Ru. I am Sma. I have       
eaten the Thigh, I have seized the bone and flesh. I go round about    the 
Lake of Sekhet-Ar. Hath been given to me eternity without limit.   Behold, 
I am the heir of eternity, to whom hath been given             
everlastingness.                                                           
(The following two Chapters are from the Papyrus of Nu, Sheets 7 and 12)                                                                          
THE CHAPTER OF DRINKING WATER AND OF NOT BEING BURNT UP BY FIRE      [IN 
KHERT-NETER]. Nu saith:- Hail, Bull of Amentet! I am brought      unto 
thee. I am the paddle of Ra wherewith he transported the Aged     Gods. 
Let me neither be burnt up nor destroyed by fire. I am Beb,      the 
firstborn son of Osiris, to whom every god maketh an offering in   the 
temple of his Eye in Anu. I am the divine Heir, the Mighty One,   the 
Great One, the Resting One. I have made my name to flourish.       
Deliverer, thou livest in me [every day].                                   
  THE CHAPTER OF NOT BEING BOILED IN FIRE. Nu saith:- I am the         
paddle which is equipped, wherewith Ra transported the Aged Gods,      
which raised up the emissions of Osiris from the Lake of blazing fire,  
and he was not burned. I sit down like the Light-god, and like Khnemu, the 
Governor of lions. Come, cut away the fetters from him that        passeth 
by the side of this path, and let me come forth therefrom.                                                                           
 GIVING AIR 

  THE CHAPTER OF GIVING AIR IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- I   am 
the Egg which dwelt in the Great Cackler. I keep ward over that     great 
place which Keb hath proclaimed upon earth. I live; it liveth. I  grow up, 
I live, I snuff the air. I am Utcha-aab. I go round about his  egg [to 
protect it]. I have thwarted the moment of Set. Hail, Sweet    one of the 
Two Lands! Hail, dweller in the tchefa food! Hail,          dweller in the 
lapis-lazuli! Watch ye over him that is in his          cradle, the Babe 
when he cometh forth to you.                         APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 12)                                        
  THE CHAPTER OF GIVING AIR TO NU IN KHERT-NETER. He saith:- Hail,     
thou God Temu, grant thou unto me the sweet breath which dwelleth in   thy 
nostrils! I am the Egg which is in Kenken-ur (the Great            
Cackler), and I watch and guard that mighty thing which hath come into 
being, wherewith the god Keb hath opened the earth. I live; it liveth;  I 
grow, I live, I snuff the air. I am the god Utcha-aabet, and I go    about 
his egg. I shine at the moment of the mighty of strength,        Suti. 
Hail, thou who makest sweet the time of the Two Lands! Hail,    dweller 
among the celestial food. Hail, dweller among the beings of    blue 
(lapis-lazuli), watch ye to protect him that is in his nest,      the 
Child who cometh forth to you.                                         
  THE CHAPTER OF GIVING AIR IN KHERT-NETER. Nu saith:- I am the jackal  of 
jackals. I am Shu. I draw air from the presence of the Light-god,   from 
the uttermost limits of heaven, from the uttermost limits of      earth, 
from the uttermost limits of the pinion of Nebeh bird. May     air be 
given unto this young divine Babe. [My mouth is open, I see     with my 
eyes.]                                                             
  THE CHAPTER OF SNUFFING THE AIR WITH WATER IN KHERT-NETER. Hail,     
Tem. Grant thou unto me the sweet breath which dwelleth in thy         
nostrils. I am he who embraceth that great throne which is in the city  of 
Unu. I keep watch over the Egg of Kenken-ur (the Great Cackler).    I grow 
and flourish as it groweth and flourisheth. I live as it        liveth. I 
snuff the air as it snuffeth the air.                             
 NOT LETTING THE HEART BE SNATCHED AWAY 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF A MAN BE SNATCHED AWAY       
FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,          
saith:- Get thee back, O messenger of every god! Art thou come to      
[snatch away] my heart-case which liveth? My heart-case which liveth  
shall not be given unto thee. [As] I advance, the gods hearken unto my  
propitiation [prayer] and they fall down on their faces [whilst]       
they are on their own land.                                                
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu)                                                                                                                     
THE CHAPTER OF NOT ALLOWING THE HEART.... TO BE CARRIED AWAY DEAD IN  
KHERT-NETER. [Nu, whose word is truth, saith]:- My heart is with me,  and 
it shall never come to pass that it be carried away. I am the Lord  of 
Hearts, the slayer of the heart-case. I live in truth, I have my    being 
therein. I am Horus, the Dweller in Hearts, [I am] in the        Dweller 
in the body. I have life by my word, my heart hath being. My   heart-case 
shall not be snatched away from me, it shall not be         wounded, it 
shall not be put in restraint if wounds are inflicted upon  me. [If] one 
take possession of it I shall have my being in the body   of my father Keb 
and in the body of my mother Nut. I have not done    that which is held in 
abomination by the gods. I shall not suffer      defeat [for] my word is 
truth.                                              
 NOT LETTING THE HEART CASE BE TAKEN 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART-CASE OF A MAN BE TAKEN AWAY     
FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, ye who steal and  
crush heart-cases [and who make the heart of a man to go through its   
transformations according to his deeds: let not what he hath done harm him 
before you]. Homage to you, O ye Lords of Eternity, ye masters     of 
everlastingness, take ye not this heart of Osiris Ani into your     
fingers, and this heart-case, and cause ye not things of evil to       
spring up against it, because this heart belongeth to the Osiris      Ani, 
and this heart-case belongeth to him of the great names           (Thoth), 
the mighty one, whose words are his members. He sendeth his   heart to 
rule his body, and his heart is renewed before the gods.      The heart of 
the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is to him; he hath  gained the 
mastery over it. He hath not said what he hath done. He     hath obtained 
power over his own members. His heart obeyeth him, he is  the lord 
thereof, it is in his body, and it shall never fall away      therefrom. I 
command thee to be obedient unto me in Khert-Neter. I,    the Osiris Ani, 
whose word is truth, in peace; whose word is truth     in the Beautiful 
Amentet, by the Domain of Eternity.                        
 APPENDIX 

 (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 5)                                     
  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF NU, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH,     BE 
CARRIED AWAY FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. He saith:- Hail, thou         
Lion-god! I am Unb (the Blossom). That which is held in abomination to  me 
is the block of slaughter of the god. Let not this my heart-case be 
carried away from me by the Fighting Gods in Anu. Hail, thou who       
dost wind bandages round Osiris, and who hast seen Set. Hail, thou who  
returnest after smiting and destroying him before the mighty ones!     
This my heart weepeth over itself before Osiris; it hath made         
supplication for me. I have given unto him and I have dedicated unto   him 
the thoughts of the heart in the House of the god (Usekh-her),     have 
brought unto him sand at the entry to Khemenu. Let not this my    
heart-case be carried away from me. I make you to ascend his throne,  to 
fetter heart-cases for him in Sekhet-hetep, [to live] years of      
strength away from things of all kinds which are abominations to       
him, to carry off food from among the things which are thine, and      
which are in thy grasp through thy strength. And this my heart-case is  
devoted to the decrees of the god Tem, who guideth me through the      
caverns of Suti, but let not this my heart, which hath performed its   
desire before the Tchatcha Chiefs who are in Khert-Neter, be given     to 
him. When they find the leg and the swathings they bury them.           
  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEART OF NU, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH,     BE 
DRIVEN AWAY FROM HIM IN KHERT-NETER. He saith:- My heart of my      
mother. My heart of my mother. My heart-case of my existence upon      the 
earth. Let no one stand up against me when I bear testimony in the 
presence of the Lords of Things. Let it not be said against me and     of 
that which I have done "He hath committed acts which are opposed to  what 
is right and true," and let not charges be brought up against     me in 
the presence of the Great God, the Lord of Amentet. Homage to   thee, O my 
heart (ab). Homage to thee, O my heart-case. Homage to you,  O my reins. 
Homage to you, O ye gods, who are masters of [your]        beards, and who 
are holy by reason of your sceptres. Speak ye for me   words of good 
import to Ra, and make ye me to have favour in the sight  of Nehebkau.                                                                
                                                                            
 BREATHING THE AIR 

  THE CHAPTER OF BREATHING THE AIR AND OF HAVING POWER OVER WATER IN   
KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- Open to me! Who art thou?          
Whither goest thou? What is thy name? I am one of you. Who are these   
with you? The two Merti goddesses (Isis and Nephthys). Thou separatest 
head from head when [he] entereth the divine Mesqen chamber. He        
causeth me to set out for the temple of the gods Kem-heru.             
"Assembler of souls" is the name of my ferry-boat. "Those who make the  
hair to bristle" is the name of the oars. "Sert" ("Goad") is the       
name of the hold. "Steering straight in the middle" is the name of the  
rudder; likewise, [the boat] is a type of my being borne onward in the  
lake. Let there be given unto me vessels of milk, and cakes, and       
loaves of bread, and cups of drink, and flesh, in the Temple of Anpu.        
  RUBRIC: If the deceased knoweth this Chapter, he shall go into,      
after coming forth from Khert-Neter of [the Beautiful Amentet].                                                                              
 SNUFFING THE AIR IN KHERT NETER 

  THE CHAPTER OF SNUFFING THE AIR, AND OF HAVING POWER OVER THE        
WATER IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou Sycamore       
tree of the goddess Nut! Give me of the [water and of the] air which   is 
in thee. I embrace that throne which is in Unu, and I keep guard    over 
the Egg of Nekek-ur. It flourisheth, and I flourish; it liveth,   and I 
live; it snuffeth the air, and I snuff the air, I the Osiris     Ani, 
whose word is truth, in [peace].                                      
                                                                        
NOT DYING A SECOND TIME 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT DYING A SECOND TIME IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris    Ani 
saith:- My hiding place is opened, my hiding place is opened.      The 
Spirits fall headlong in the darkness, but the Eye of Horus hath   made me 
holy, and Upuati hath nursed me. I will hide myself among you, O ye stars 
which are imperishable. My brow is like the brow of Ra.     My face is 
open. My heart-case is upon its throne, I know how to utter  words. In 
very truth I am Ra himself. I am not a man of no account.    I am not a 
man to whom violence can be done. Thy father liveth for    thee, O son of 
Nut. I am thy son, O great one, I have seen the         hidden things 
which are thine. I am crowned upon my throne like the    king of the gods. 
I shall not die a second time in Khert-Neter.             
 NOT ROTTING IN KHERT NETER 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT ROTTING IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:-    O 
thou who art motionless, O thou who art motionless, O thou whose     
members are motionless, like unto those of Osiris. Thy members shall   not 
be motionless, they shall not rot, they shall not crumble away,    they 
shall not fall into decay. My members shall be made [permanent]   for me 
as if I were Osiris.                                                 
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall never      see 
corruption in Khert-Neter.                                          
APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 18)                                        
  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE BODY PERISH. The Osiris Nu saith:-    
Homage to thee, O my divine father Osiris! I come to embalm thee. Do   
thou embalm these my members, for I would not perish and come to an    end 
[but would be] even like unto my divine father Khepera, the divine type of 
him that never saw corruption. Come then, strengthen my        breath, O 
Lord of the winds, who dost magnify these divine beings      who are like 
unto thyself. Stablish me, stablish me, and fashion me    strongly, O Lord 
of the funeral chest. Grant thou that I may enter     into the land of 
everlastingness, according to that which was done for  thee, along with 
thy father Tem, whose body never saw corruption,      and who himself 
never saw corruption. I have never done that which     thou hatest, nay, I 
have acclaimed thee among those who love thy KA.   Let not my body become 
worms, but deliver thou me as thou didst        deliver thyself. I pray 
thee, let me not fall into rottenness, as thou  lettest every god, and 
every goddess, and every animal, and every      reptile, see corruption, 
when the soul hath gone out of them, after    their death.                                                                
  And when the soul hath departed, a man seeth corruption, and the     
bones of his body crumble away and become stinking things, and the     
members decay one after the other, the bones crumble into a helpless   
mass, and the flesh turneth into foetid liquid. Thus man becometh a   
brother unto the decay which cometh upon him, and he turneth into a    
myriad of worms, and he becometh nothing but worms, and an end is made  of 
him, and perisheth in the sight of the god of day (Shu), even as do  every 
god, and every goddess, and every bird, and every fish, and     every 
creeping worm, and every reptile, and every beast, and every     thing 
whatsoever. Let [all the Spirits fall] on their bellies [when]   they 
recognize me, and behold, the fear of me shall terrify them;      and thus 
also let it be with every being that hath died, whether it be animal, or 
bird, or fish, or worm, or reptile. Let life [rise out      of] death. Let 
not the decay caused by any reptile make an end [of     me], and let not 
[enemies] come against me in their various forms.     Give thou me not 
over to the Slaughterer in this execution-chamber,   who killeth the 
members, and maketh them rot, being [himself]          invisible, and who 
destroyeth the bodies of the dead, and liveth by    carnage. Let me live, 
and perform his order; I will do what is         commanded by him. Give me 
not over to his fingers, let him not        overcome me, for I am under 
thy command, O Lord of the Gods.                
  Homage to thee, O my divine father Osiris, thou livest with thy      
members. Thou didst not decay, thou didst not become worms, thou didst  
not wither, thou didst not rot, thou didst not putrefy, thou didst not  
turn into worms. I am the god Khepera, and my members shall have being 
everlastingly. I shall not decay, I shall not rot, I shall not         
putrefy, I shall not turn into worms, and I shall not see corruption   
before the eye of the god Shu. I shall have my being, I shall have     by 
being; I shall live, I shall live; I shall flourish, I shall       
flourish, I shall flourish, I shall wake up in peace, I shall not      
putrefy, my intestines shall not perish, I shall not suffer injury. My  
eye shall not decay. The form of my face shall not disappear. My ear   
shall not become deaf. My head shall not be separated from my neck. My 
tongue shall not be removed. My hair shall not be cut off. My eyebrows  
shall not be shaved away, and no evil defect shall assail me. My       
body shall be stablished. It shall neither become a ruin, nor be       
destroyed on this earth.                                                   
                                                                        
NOT_PERISHING 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT PERISHING AND OF BEING ALIVE IN KHERT-NETER.      The 
Osiris Ani saith:- Hail ye children of the god Shu. The Tuat       hath 
gained the mastery over his diadem. Among the Hamemet Spirits may  I 
arise, even as did arise Osiris.                                         
 NOT GOING TO THE BLOCK OF THE GOD 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT GOING IN TO THE BLOCK OF THE GOD. The Osiris      Ani 
saith:- My head was fastened on my body in heaven, O Guardian of   the 
Earth, by Ra. [This] was granted [to me] on the day of my being    
stablished, when I rose up out of a state of weakness upon [my] two   
feet. On the day of cutting off the hair Set and the Company of the    
Gods fastened my head to my neck, and it became as firm as it was      
originally. Let nothing happen to shake it off again! Make ye me       
safe from the murderer of my father. I have tied together the Two     
Earths. Nut hath fastened together the vertebrae of my neck, and [I]   
behold them as they were originally, and they are seen in the order    
wherein they were when as yet Maat was not seen, and when the gods     
were not born in visible forms. I am Penti. I am the heir of the great 
gods, I the Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth.                     
 NOT BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE EAST 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE EAST IN KHERT-NETER. The  
Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, Phallus of Ra, which advanceth and beateth    
down opposition. Things which have been without motion for millions of  
years have come into life through Baba. I am stronger thereby than the 
strong, and I have more power thereby than the mighty. Now, let me not  be 
carried away in a boat, or be seized violently and taken to the     East, 
to have the festivals of Sebau Devils celebrated on me. Let      not 
deadly wounds be inflicted upon me, and let me not be gored by    horns. 
Thou shalt neither fall [nor] eat fish made by Tebun.                
  Now, no evil thing of any kind whatsoever shall be done unto me by   the 
Sebau Devils. [I shall not be gored by] horns. Therefore the       Phallus 
of Ra, [which is] the head of Osiris, shall not be swallowed   up. Behold, 
I shall come into me fields and I shall cut the grain. The gods shall 
provide me with food. Thou shalt not then be gored,         Ra-Khepera. 
There shall not be then pus in the Eye of Tem, and it      shall not be 
destroyed. Violence shall not be done unto me, and I      shall not be 
carried away in [my] boat to the East to have the        festivals of the 
Sebau Devils celebrated on me in evil fashion.        Cruel gashes with 
knives shall not be inflicted upon me, and I shall   not be carried away 
in [my] boat to the East. I the Osiris, the        assessor of the holy 
offerings of all the gods, Ani, whose word is    truth, happily, the lord 
of fealty [to Osiris].                                                                                              
 NOT LETTING THE HEAD BE CUT OFF 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE HEAD OF A MAN BE CUT OFF FROM HIS     
BODY IN KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- I am a Great One, the      son 
of a Great One. [I am] Fire, the son of Fire, to whom was given    his 
head after it had been cut off. The head of Osiris was not removed from 
his body, and the head of Osiris Ani shall not be removed from    his 
body. I have knitted myself together, I have made myself whole and  
complete. I shall renew my youth. I am Osiris Himself, the Lord of     
Eternity.                                                                  
                                                                            
 UNITING THE SOUL TO ITS BODY 

  THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE SOUL TO BE JOINED TO ITS BODY IN           
KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou god Aniu! Hail, thou    god 
Pehreri, who dwellest in thy hall, the Great God. Grant thou       that my 
soul may come to me from any place wherein it may be. Even     if it would 
tarry, let my soul be brought unto me from any place       wherein it may 
be. Thou findest the Eye of Horus standing by thee like  unto those beings 
who resemble Osiris, who never lie down in death.    Let not the Osiris 
Ani, whose word is truth, lie down dead among those who lie in Anu, the 
land wherein [souls] are joined to their bodies in  thousands. Let me have 
possession of my Ba-soul and of my Spirit-soul,  and let my word be truth 
with it (the Ba-soul) in every place          wherein it may be. Observe 
then, O ye guardians of Heaven, my soul    [wherever it may be]. Even if 
it would tarry, cause thou my Ba-soul to  see my body. Thou shalt find the 
Eye of Horus standing by thee like    [the Watchers].                                                            
  Hail, ye gods who tow along the boat of the Lord of Millions of      
Years, who bring it over the sky of the Tuat, who make it to journey   
over Nent, who make Ba-souls to enter into their Spirit-bodies,        
whose hands hold the steering poles and guide it straight, who grasp  
tightly your paddles, destroy ye the Enemy; thus shall the Boat        
rejoice, and the Great God shall travel on his way in peace. Moreover,  
grant ye that the Ba-soul of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth       
before the gods, may come forth with your navel cords in the eastern  part 
of the sky, and that it may follow Ra to the place where he was   
yesterday, and may set in peace, in peace in Amentet. May it gaze upon  
its earthly body, may it take up its abode and its Spirit-body, may it  
neither perish nor be destroyed for ever and for ever.                     
  RUBRIC: These words shall be said over a model of the Ba-soul made   of 
gold, and inlaid with precious stones, which shall be placed on the  
breast of the Osiris.                                                      
 NOT LETTING THE SOUL BE HELD CAPTIVE 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT LETTING THE SOUL OF A MAN BE HELD CAPTIVE IN      
KHERT-NETER. The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou who art exalted!        
Hail, thou who art adored! Hail, Mighty One of Souls, thou divine Soul  
who inspirest great dread, who dost set the fear of thyself in the    
gods, who are enthroned upon thy mighty seat. Make thou a path for the  
Spirit-soul and the Ba-soul of the Osiris Ani. I am equipped with      
[words of power]. I am a Spirit-soul equipped with [words of power]. I  
have made my way to the place where are Ra and Hathor.                     
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall be able to  
transform himself into a Spirit-soul who shall be equipped with [his   
soul and his shadow] in Khert-Neter, and he shall not be shut up       
inside any door in Amentet, when he is coming forth upon the Earth, or  
when he is going back into [Khert-Neter.]                                   
 OPENING THE TOMB TO THE BA SOUL 

  THE CHAPTER OF OPENING THE TOMB TO THE BA-SOUL AND THE SHADOW, AND   OF 
COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND OF HAVING MASTERY OVER THE TWO LEGS. The   Osiris 
the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- The place which is  closed is 
opened, the place which is shut (or sealed) is sealed.      That which 
lieth down in the closed place is opened by the Ba-soul     which is in 
it. By the Eye of Horus I am delivered. Ornaments are      stablished on 
the brow of Ra. My stride is made long. I lift up my two  thighs [in 
walking]. I have journeyed over a long road. My limbs are        
in a flourishing condition. I am Horus, the Avenger of his Father, and  I 
bring the Urrt Crown [and set it on] its standard. The road of souls  is 
opened. My twin soul seeth the Great God in the Boat of Ra, on      the 
day of souls. My soul is in the front thereof with the counter    of the 
years. Come, the Eye of Horus hath delivered for me my soul, my  ornaments 
are stablished on the brow of Ra. Light is on the faces of   those who are 
in the members of Osiris. Ye shall not hold captive my   soul. Ye shall 
not keep in durance my shadow. The way is open to my   soul and to my 
shadow. It seeth the Great God in the shrine on the day  of counting 
souls. It repeateth the words of Osiris. Those whose seats  are invisible, 
who fetter the members of Osiris, who fetter            Heart-souls and 
Spirit-souls, who set a seal upon the dead, and who    would do evil to 
me, shall do no evil to me. Haste on the way to me.   Thy heart is with 
thee. My Heart-soul and my Spirit-soul are equipped;  they guide thee. I 
sit down at the head of the great ones who are      chiefs of their 
abodes. The wardens of the members of Osiris shall not  hold thee captive, 
though they keep ward over souls, and set a seal on  the shadow which is 
dead. Heaven shall not shut thee in.                    
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall come forth  by 
day, and his soul shall not be kept captive.                             
 APPENDIX 
                                                                  
  (From the Papryus of Nebseni, Sheet 6)                                    
  That which was shut hath been opened [that is] the dead. That        
which was shut fast hath been opened by the command of the Eye of      
Horus, which hath delivered me. Established are the beauties on the    
forehead of Ra. My steps are long. My legs are lifted up. I have      
performed the journey, my members are mighty and are sound. I am       
Horus, the Avenger of his Father. I am he who bringeth along his       
father, and his mother, by means of his staff. The way shall be opened  to 
him that hath power over his feet, and he shall see the Great God   in the 
Boat of Ra, when souls are counted therein at the bows, and     when the 
years also are counted up. Grant that the Eye of Horus, which  maketh the 
adornments of splendour to be firm on the forehead of Ra,   may deliver my 
soul for me, and let darkness cover your faces, O ye   who would imprison 
Osiris. O keep not captive my soul. O keep not ward  over my shadow, but 
let a way be opened for my soul and my shadow, and  let them see the Great 
God in the shrine on the day of the counting of  souls, and let them hold 
converse with Osiris, whose habitations are  hidden, and those who guard 
the members of Osiris, and who keep ward   over the Spirit-souls, and who 
hold captive the shadows of the dead,   and who would work evil against 
me, so that they shall [not] work evil  against me. A way shall be for KA 
with thee, and thy soul shall be    prepared by those who keep ward over 
the members of Osiris, and who    hold captive the shadows of the dead. 
Heaven shall not keep thee fast,  the earth shall not hold thee captive. 
Thou shalt not live with the    beings who slay, but thou shalt be master 
of thy legs, and thou       shalt advance to thy body straightway in the 
earth, [and to] those who  belong to the shrine of Osiris and guard his 
members.                       
 LIFTING UP THE FEET AND APPEARING ON THE EARTH 

  THE CHAPTER OF LIFTING UP THE FEET, AND OF COMING FORTH ON THE       
EARTH. The Osiris Ani saith:- Perform thy work, O Seker, perform thy   
work, O Seker, O thou who dwellest in thy circle, and who dwellest     in 
my feet in Khert-Neter. I am he who sendeth forth light over the   Thigh 
of heaven. I come forth in heaven. I sit down by the Light-god   (Khu). O 
I am helpless. O I am helpless. I would walk. I am                 
helpless. I am helpless in the regions of those who plunder in         
Khert-Neter, I the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace.                                                                                
 MAKING A WAY THROUGH AMENTET BY DAY 

  THE CHAPTER OF FORCING A WAY INTO AMENTET [AND OF COMING FORTH] BY   
DAY. The Osiris Ani saith:- The town of Unu is opened. My head is      
sealed up, Thoth. Perfect is the Eye of Horus. I have delivered the    Eye 
of Horus which shineth with splendours on the brow of Ra, the     Father 
of the gods, [I am] that self-same Osiris, [the dweller in]     Amentet. 
Osiris knoweth his day, and he knoweth that he shall live     through his 
period of life; I shall have by being with him. I am the   Moon-god Aah, 
the dweller among the gods. I shall not come to an      end. Stand up 
therefore, O Horus, for thou art counted among the gods.      
 APPENDIX 

  (Naville, op. cit., I, Bl. X)                                             
  THE CHAPTER OF FORCING A WAY INTO THE TUAT. The Am Khent priest      
Nefer-uben-f, whose word is truth, saith:- Hail, Soul, thou mighty one  of 
terror. Behold, I have come unto thee. I see thee. I have forced    a way 
through the Tuat. I see my father Osiris. I drive away the      darkness. 
I love him. I have come. I see my father Osiris. He hath     counted the 
heart of Set. I have made offerings for my father          Osiris. I have 
opened all the ways in heaven and on earth. I love him.  I have come. I 
have become a Spirit-body and a Spirit-soul, who is    equipped. Hail, 
every god and every Spirit-soul, I have made the ways.  I am Thoth....                                                             
 ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE TUAT AND OF COMING FORTH BY DAY. 

  Open is the land of Unu. Shut is the head of Thoth. Perfect is the   Eye 
of Horus. I have delivered the Eye of Horus, the shining one,      the 
ornament of the Eye of Ra, the Father of the Gods. I am that       same 
Osiris who dwelleth in Amentet. Osiris knoweth his day, which    cometh to 
an end. I am Set, the Father of the Gods. I shall never come  to an end.                                                                 
 COMING_FORTH_BY_DAY_&_LIVING_AFTER_DEATH 

  THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AND OF LIVING AFTER DEATH. The    
Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou One, who shinest from the moon. Hail,    
thou One, who shinest from the moon. Grant that this Osiris Ani may    
come forth among thy multitudes who are at the portal. Let him be with the 
Light-God. Let the Tuat be opened to him. Behold, the Osiris Ani   shall 
come forth by day to perform everything which he wisheth upon    the earth 
among those who are living [thereon].                            
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 13)                                        
  Hail, thou god Tem, who comest forth from the Great Deep, who        
shinest gloriously under the form of the twin Lion-gods, send forth    
with might thy words unto those who are in thy presence, and let the   
Osiris Nu enter into their assembly. He hath performed the decree     
which hath been spoken to the mariners at eventide, and the Osiris Nu,  
whose word is truth, shall live after his death, even as doth Ra every  
day. Behold, most certainly Ra was born yesterday, and the Osiris Nu   was 
born yesterday. And every god shall rejoice in the life of the     Osiris 
Nu, even as they rejoice in the life of Ptah, when he appeareth  from the 
Great House of the Aged One which is in Anu.                       
 COMING FORTH AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE AAMHET 

  THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH BY DAY AFTER FORCING AN ENTRANCE THROUGH  
THE AAMHET. The Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, Soul, thou mighty one of      
terror! Verily, I am here. I have come. I behold thee. I have passed   
through the Tuat. I have seen Father Osiris. I have scattered the     
gloom of night. I am his beloved one. I have come, I have seen my      
Father Osiris. I have stabbed the heart of Suti. I have made offerings  to 
my Father Osiris. I have opened every way in heaven and on the      earth. 
I am the son who loveth his Fathers (sic) Osiris. I am a       
Spirit-body. I am a Spirit-soul. I am equipped. Hail, every god and    
every Spirit-soul. I have made the way [to Osiris]. I the Osiris the   
scribe Ani, whose word is truth.                                           
 MAKING MAN TO RETURN TO LOOK UPON HIS HOUSE 

  THE CHAPTER OF MAKING A MAN TO RETURN TO LOOK UPON HIS HOUSE ON      
EARTH. The Osiris Ani saith:- I am the Lion-god who cometh forth       
with long strides. I have shot arrows, and I have wounded my prey. I   
have shot arrows, and I have wounded my prey. I am the Eye of Horus, I  
traverse the Eye of Horus at this season. I have arrived at the        
domains. Grant that the Osiris Ani may come in peace.                       
 MAN COMING FORTH BY DAY AGAINST HIS ENEMIES 

  ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE COMING FORTH OF A MAN BY DAY AGAINST HIS      
ENEMIES IN KHERT-NETER. [The Osiris Ani saith:-] I have divided the    
heavens. I have cleft the horizon. I have traversed the earth          
[following in] his footsteps. I have conquered the mighty Spirit-souls  
because I am equipped for millions of years with words of power. I eat  
with my mouth. I evacuate with my body. Behold, I am the God of the    
Tuat! Let these things be given unto me, the Osiris Ani, in perpetuity  
withou fail or diminution.                                            
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 21)                                        
  THE CHAPTER OF COMING FORTH AGAINST ENEMIES IN KHERT-NETER. The      
Osiris Nu saith:- Hail, Am-a-f (Eater of his arm), I have passed       
over the road. I am Ra. I have come forth from the horizon against     my 
enemies. I have not permitted him to escape from me. I have        
stretched out my hand like that of the Lord of the Urrt Crown. I       
have lifted up my feet even as the Uraei-goddesses lift themselves up.  I 
have not permitted the enemy [to be saved] from me. As for mine      
enemy, he hath been given to me, and he shall not be delivered from   me. 
I stand up like Horus. I sit down like Ptah. I am strong like      Thoth. 
I am mighty like Tem. I walk with my legs. I speak with my      mouth. I 
chase my enemy. He hath been given unto me, and he shall      not be 
delivered from me.                                                  
                                                                            
 HYMN TO RA WHEN HE RISETH AND SETTETH 

  A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH UPON THE HORIZON, AND WHEN     HE 
SETTETH IN THE LAND OF LIFE. Osiris the scribe Ani saith:- Homage   to 
thee, O Ra, when thou risest as Tem-Heru-Khuti. Thou art to be      
adored. Thy beauties are before mine eyes, [thy] radiance is upon my   
body. Thou goest forth to thy setting in the Sektet Boat with [fair]   
winds, and thy heart is glad; the heart of the Matet Boat rejoiceth.   
Thou stridest over the heavens in peace, and all thy foes are cast     
down; the stars which never rest sing hymns of praise unto thee, and   the 
stars which are imperishable glorify thee as thou sinkest to       rest in 
the horizon of Manu, O thou who art beautiful at morn and at   eve, O thou 
lord who livest, and art established, O my Lord!                
  Homage to thee, O thou who art Ra when thou risest, and who art      Tem 
when thou settest in beauty. Thou risest and thou shinest on the   back of 
thy mother [Nut], O thou who art crowned the king of the gods!  Nut 
welcometh thee, and payeth homage unto thee, and Maat, the        
everlasting and never-changing goddess, embraceth thee at noon and     at 
eve. Thou stridest over the heavens, being glad at heart, and the   Lake 
of Testes is content. The Sebau-fiend hath fallen to the          ground, 
his fore-legs and his hind-legs have been hacked off him,     and the 
knife hath severed the joints of his back. Ra hath a fair      wind, and 
the Sektet Boat setteth out on its journey, and saileth on   until it 
cometh into port. The gods of the South, the gods of the      North, the 
gods of the West, and the gods of the East praise thee, O   thou Divine 
Substance, from whom all living things came into being.    Thou didst send 
forth the word when the earth was submerged with       silence, O thou 
Only One, who didst dwell in heaven before ever the    earth and the 
mountains came into being. Hail, thou Runner, Lord, Only  One, thou maker 
of the things that are, thou hast fashioned the tongue  of the Company of 
the Gods, thou hast produced whatsoever cometh forth  from the waters, 
thou springest up out of them above the submerged     land of the Lake of 
Horus. Let me breathe the air which cometh forth   from thy nostrils, and 
the north wind which cometh forth from thy      mother Nut. Make thou my 
Spirit-soul to be glorious, O Osiris, make    thou my Heart-soul to be 
divine. Thou art worshipped as thou           settest, O Lord of the gods, 
thou art exalted by reason of thy        wondrous works. Shine thou with 
the rays of light upon my body day     by day, upon me, Osiris the scribe, 
the assessor of the divine         offerings of all the gods, the overseer 
of the granary of the Lords of  Abydos, the real royal scribe who loveth 
thee, Ani, whose word is      truth, in peace.                                                            
  Praise be unto thee, O Osiris, the Lord of Eternity, Un-Nefer,       
Heru-Khuti (Harmakhis), whose forms are manifold, whose attributes are  
majestic [Praise be unto thee], O thou who art Ptah-Seker-Tem in       
Anu, thou Lord of the hidden shrine, thou Creator of the House of     the 
KA of Ptah (Het-ka-Ptah) and of the gods [therein], thou Guide     of the 
Tuat, who art glorified when thou settest in Nu (the Sky). Isis  embraceth 
thee in peace, and she driveth away the fiends from the      entrances of 
thy paths. Thou turnest thy face towards Amentet, and    thou makest the 
earth to shine as with refined copper. Those who       have lain down in 
death rise up to see thee, they breathe the air, and  they look upon thy 
face when the disk riseth on the horizon. Their     hearts are at peace 
since they behold thee, o thou who art Eternity   and Everlastingness.                                                        
 THE SOLAR LITANY 

  Homage to you, O ye gods of the Dekans in Anu, and to you, O ye      
Hememet-spirits in Kher Aha, and to thee, O Unti, who art the most     
glorious of all the gods who are hidden in Anu,                            
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O An in Antes, Heru-khuti, who dost with long        
strides march across the heavens,                                           
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O Everlasting Soul, thou Soul who dwellest in        
Tetu, Un-Nefer, the son of Nut, who art the Lord of Akert,                  
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have done  aught 
with deceit.                                                         
  Homage to thee in thy dominion over Tetu, upon whose brow the Urrt   
Crown is established, thou One who createst the strength to protect    
thyself, and who dwellest in peace,                                        
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O Lord of the Acacia Tree, whose Seker Boat is set   
upon its sledge, who turnest back the Fiend, the Evildoer, and dost    
cause the Eye of Ra (utchat) to rest upon its seat,                         
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O thou who art mighty in thine hour, thou great      and 
mighty Prince who dost dwell in Anrutef, thou Lord of Eternity and  
Creator of the Everlastingness, thou Lord of Hensu,                         
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O thou who restest upon Truth, thou Lord of Abtu,    
whose limbs form the substance of Ta-tchesert, unto whom fraud and     
deceit are abominations,                                                   
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.
  Homage to thee, O thou who dwellest in thy boat, who dost bring Hapi  
(the Nile) forth from his cavern, whose body is the light, and who     
dwellest in Nekhen,                                                        
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
  Homage to thee, O thou Creator of the gods, thou King of the South   and 
North, Osiris, whose word is truth, who rulest the world by thy    
gracious goodness, thou Lord of the Atebui,                                
  O grant thou unto me a path whereover I may pass in peace, for I     am 
just and true; I have not spoken falsehood wittingly, nor have I    done 
aught with deceit.                                                    
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Saite Recension, ed. Lepsius, Bl. V)                            
  Homage to thee, O thou who comest as Tem, who didst come into        
being to create the Company of the Gods.                               
  Homage to thee, O thou who comest as the Soul of Souls, the Holy One  in 
Amentet.                                                                
  Homage to thee, O President of the Gods, who illuminest the Tuat     
with thy beauties.                                                         
  Homage to thee, O thou who comest as the Light-god, who travellest   in 
thy Disk.                                                               
  Homage to thee, O thou greatest of all gods, who are crowned King in  
heaven, Governor in the Tuat.                                               
  Homage to thee, O thou who makest a way through the Tuat, who dost   
lead the way through all doors.                                             
  Homage to thee, O thou who art among the gods, who dost weigh        
words in Khert-Neter.                                                      
  Homage to thee, O thou who dwellest in thy secret places, who dost   
fashion the Tuat with thy might.                                            
  Homage to thee, O great one, O mighty one, thine enemies have fallen  in 
places where they were smitten.                                          
  Homage to thee, O thou who hast hacked the Sebau-fiends in pieces,   and 
hast annihilated Aapep.                                                 
  Grant thou the sweet breeze of the north wind to the Osiris          
Auf-ankh, whose word is truth.                                              
 HYMN TO RA WHEN HE RISETH AND TO THOSE IN HIS TRAIN 

  A HYMN OF PRAISE TO RA WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF HEAVEN.  
Those who are in his following rejoice, and the Osiris, the scribe     
Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Hail, thou Disk, thou lord of        
rays, who risest on the horizon day by day. Shine thou with thy       
beams of light upon the face of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,   for 
he singeth hymns of praise to thee at dawn, and he maketh thee     to sit 
at eventide [with words of adoration]. May the soul of the      Osiris 
Ani, whose word is truth, come forth with thee into heaven! May he set out 
with thee in the Matet Boat [in the morning], may he come   into port in 
the Sektet Boat [in the evening], and may he cleave his   path among the 
stars of heaven which never rest.                           
  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, being at peace [with his        
god], maketh adoration to his Lord, the Lord of Eternity, and          
saith:- Homage to thee, O Heru-khuti, who art the god Khepera, the     
self-created. When thou risest on the horizon and sheddest thy beams  of 
light upon the Lands of the South and of the North, thou art        
beautiful, yea beautiful, and all the gods rejoice when they behold    
thee, the king of heaven. The goddess, the Lady of the Hour, is        
stablished upon thy head, her Uraei of the South and of the North      are 
upon thy brow, and she taketh up her place before thee. The god    Thoth 
is stablished in the bows of thy boat to destroy utterly all thy  foes. 
Those who dwell in the Tuat come forth to meet thee, and they    bow to 
the earth in homage as they come towards thee, to look upon thy  beautiful 
Form. And I, Ani, have come into thy presence, so that I may  be with 
thee, and may behold thy Disk every day. Let me not be kept    captive [by 
the tomb], and let me not be turned back [on my way].      Let the members 
of my body be made new again when I contemplate thy    beauties, even as 
are the members of all thy favoured ones, because    I am one of those who 
worshipped thee upon earth. Let me arrive in the  Land of Eternity, let me 
enter into the Land of Everlastingness. This,  O my Lord, behold thou 
shalt ordain for me.                                
  AND MOREOVER, THE OSIRIS ANI, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, IN PEACE, THE     
TRUTH-SPEAKER, SAITH:- Homage to thee, O thou who risest on thy        
horizon in the form of Ra, who restest upon Law, [which can neither be  
changed nor altered]. Thou passest over the sky, and every face,      
watcheth thee and thy course, for thou thyself art hidden from their   
gaze. Thou dost show thyself [to them] at dawn and at eventide each    
day. The Sektet Boat, wherein Thy Majesty dwelleth, setteth forth on   its 
journey with vigour. Thy beams [fall] upon all faces, thy light   with its 
manifold colours is incomprehensible [to man], and thy        brilliant 
rays cannot be reported. The Lands of the Gods see thee,     they could 
write [concerning thee]; the Deserts of Punt could count    thee. Thy 
creation is hidden. It is one by the opening of thy mouth.  Thy form is 
the head of Nu. May he (Ani) advance, even as thou dost    advance, 
without cessation, even as Thy Majesty [ceaseth not to        advance] 
even for a moment. With great strides thou dost in one little  moment pass 
over limitless distances which would need millions and     hundreds of 
thousands of years [for a man to pass over; this] thou     doest, and then 
thou sinkest to rest. Thou bringest to an end the      hours of the night, 
even as thou stridest over them. Thou bringest     them to an end by thine 
own ordinance, and dawn cometh on the earth.   Thou settest thyself before 
thy handiwork in the form of Ra, and       thou rollest up on the 
horizon....... Thou sendest forth light when    thy form raiseth itself 
up, thou ordainest the increase of thy         splendours. Thou mouldest 
thy limbs as thou advancest, thou bringest   them forth, thou who wast 
never brought forth, in the form of Ra,      who rolleth up into the 
height of heaven. Grant thou that I may        reach the heaven of 
eternity, and the region where thy favoured ones   dwell. May I unite with 
those holy and perfect Spirit-souls of         Khert-Neter. May I come 
forth with them to behold thy beauties as thou rollest on at eventide, as 
thou journeyest to thy mother Nut (the      Night-sky), and dost place 
thyself at the right hand (in the West). My  two hands are raised to thee 
in praise and thanksgiving when thou      settest in life. Behold, thou 
art the Creator of Eternity, who art    adored when thou settest in Nu. I 
have set thee in my heart, without   wavering, O thou who art more divine 
than the gods.                         
  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Praise and thanksgiving  be 
unto thee, O thou who rollest on like unto gold, thou Illuminer     of the 
Two Lands on the day of thy birth. Thy mother brought thee      forth on 
her hand, and thou didst light up with splendour the circle  which is 
travelled over by the Disk. O Great Light who rollest         across Nu, 
thou dost raise up the generations of men from the deep     source of thy 
waters, and dost make to keep festivals all districts    and cities, and 
all habitations. Thou protectest [them] with thy      beauties. Thy KA 
riseth up with the celestial food hu and tchefau. O   thou mightily 
victorious one, thou Power of Powers, who makest         strong thy throne 
against the sinful ones, whose risings on thy throne  in the Sektet Boat 
are mighty, whose strength is widespread in the     Atett Boat, make thou 
the Osiris Ani to be glorious by virtue of his   word, which is truth, in 
Khert-Neter. Grant thou that he may be in     Amentet free from evil, and 
let [his] offences be [set] behind thee.   Grant thou that he may [live 
there] a devoted slave of the            Spirit-souls. Let him mingle 
among the Heart-souls who live in         Ta-tchesert (the Holy Land). Let 
him travel about in the Sekhet-Aaru   (the Elysian Fields), conformably to 
[thy] decree with joy of heart-   him the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth.                                   
  [And the god maketh answer]:--Thou shalt come forth into heaven,     
thou shalt sail over the sky, and thou shalt hold loving intercourse   
with the Star-gods. Praises shall be made to thee in the Boat. Thy     
name shall be proclaimed in the Atett Boat. Thou shalt look upon Ra   
within his shrine. Thou shalt make the Disk to set [with prayer] every  
day. Thou shalt see the Ant Fish in his transformations in the         
depths of the waters of turquoise. Thou shalt see the Abtu Fish in his  
time. It shall be that the Evil One shall fall when he deviseth a plan to 
destroy thee, and the joints of his neck and back shall be hacked   
asunder. Ra saileth with a fair wind, and the Sektet Boat              
progresseth and cometh into port. The mariners of Ra rejoice, and      the 
heart of the Lady of the Hour is glad, for the enemy of her Lord   hath 
been cast to the ground. Thou shalt behold Horus standing on      the 
pilot's place in the Boat, and Thoth and Maat shall stand one on   each 
side of him. All the gods shall rejoice when they behold Ra       coming 
in peace to make the hearts of the Spirit-souls to live, and    the Osiris 
Ani, whose word is truth, the assessor of the holy          offerings of 
the Lords of Thebes, shall be with them!                       
 THE CHAPTER OF THE NEW MOON 

  THE FOLLOWING IS TO BE RECITED ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH (NEW MOON     
DAY). The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, in peace,        
whose word is truth, saith:- Ra ascendeth his throne on his horizon,   and 
the Company of his Gods follow in his train. The God cometh       forth 
from his hidden place, [and] tchefau food falleth from the       eastern 
horizon of heaven at the word of Nut. They (the gods)          rejoice 
over the paths of Ra, the Great Ancestor [as] he journeyeth    round 
about. Therefore art thou exalted, O Ra, the dweller in thy     Shrine. 
Thou swallowest the winds, thou drawest into thyself the north  wind, thou 
eatest up the flesh of thy seat on the day when thou        breathest 
truth. Thou dividest [it among] the gods who are [thy]       followers. 
[Thy] Boat saileth on travelling among the Great Gods at    thy word. Thou 
countest thy bones, thou gatherest together thy         members, thou 
settest thy face towards Beautiful Amentet, and thou     comest there, 
being made new every day. Behold, thou art that Image of  Gold, thou hast 
the unitings of the disks of the sky, thou hast       quakings, thou goest 
round about, and art made new each day. Hail!     There is rejoicing in 
the horizon! The gods who dwell in the sky       descend the ropes [of thy 
Boat] when they see the Osiris Ani, whose    word is truth, they ascribe 
praise unto him as unto Ra. The Osiris Ani  is a Great Chief. [He] seeketh 
the Urrt Crown. His provisions are      apportioned to him- the Osiris 
Ani, whose word is truth. [His] fate is  strong from the exalted body of 
the Aamu gods, who are in the presence  of Ra. The Osiris Ani, whose word 
is truth, is strong on the earth and  in Khert-Neter. O Osiris Ani, whose 
word is truth, wake up, and be     strong like unto Ra every day. The 
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,    shall not tarry, he shall not remain 
motionless in this land for ever.  Right well shall he see with his two 
eyes, right well shall he hear    with his two ears, the things which are 
true, the things which are     true. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, 
is in Anu, the Osiris       Ani, whose word is truth, is as Ra, and he is 
exalted by reason of     [his] oars among the Followers of Nu. The Osiris 
Ani, whose word is    truth, cannot tell what he hath seen [or] narrate 
[what he hath heard]  in the House of the God of Mysteries. Hail! Let 
there be shouts of     acclamation of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, 
the divine body of  Ra in the Boat of Nu, who beareth propitiatory 
offerings for the KA of  the god of that which he loveth. The Osiris Ani, 
whose word is         truth, in peace, whose word is truth, is like Horus, 
the mighty one of  transformations.                                                           
  RUBRIC: This Chapter is to be recited over a boat seven cubits long,  
made of green stone of the Tchatchau. Make a heaven of stars, and      
purify it and cleanse it with natron and incense. Make then a figure   of 
Ra upon a tablet of new stone in paint, and set it in the bows of   the 
boat. Then make a figure of the deceased whom thou wilt make       
perfect, [and place it] in the boat. Make it to sail in the Boat of    Ra, 
and Ra himself shall look upon it. Do not these things in the      
presence of any one except thyself, or thy father, or thy son. Then   let 
them keep guard over their faces, and they shall see the           
deceased in Khert-Neter in the form of a messenger of Ra.                   
 HYMN TO RA FOR THE DAY OF THE NEW MOON 

  A HYMN TO RA [WHICH IS TO BE SUNG] ON THE DAY OF THE MONTH (THE      DAY 
OF THE NEW MOON) [WHEN] THE BOAT OF RA SAILETH. [The Osiris the    scribe 
Ani, whose word is truth, saith:-] Homage to thee, O thou who   dwellest 
in thy Boat. Thou rollest on, thou rollest on, thou sendest   forth light, 
thou sendest forth light. Thou decreest rejoicing for     [every] man for 
millions of years unto those who love him. Thou givest  [thy] face to the 
Hememet spirits, thou god Khepera who dwellest in    thy Boat. Thou hast 
overthrown the Fiend Aapep. O ye Sons of Keb,     overthrow ye the enemies 
of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, and   the fiends of destruction 
who would destroy the Boat of Ra. Horus hath  cut off your heads in 
heaven. Ye who were in the forms of geese,       your navel strings are on 
the earth. The animals are set upon the      earth..... in the form of 
fish. Every male fiend and every female      fiend shall be destroyed by 
the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth.       Whether the fiends descend from 
out of heaven, or whether they come    forth from the earth, or whether 
they advance on the waters, or       whether they come from among the 
Star-gods, Thoth, [the son of         Aner], coming forth from Anerti 
shall hack them to pieces. And the     Osiris Ani shall make them silent 
and dumb. And behold ye, this god,   the mighty one of slaughters, the 
terror of whom is most great,       shall wash himself clean in your 
blood, and he shall bathe in your     gore, and ye shall be destroyed by 
the Osiris Ani in the Boat of his   Lord Ra-Horus. The heart of the Osiris 
Ani, whose word is truth, shall  live. His mother Isis giveth birth to 
him, and Nephthys nurseth him,  just as Isis gave birth to Horus, and 
Nephthys nursed him. [He]        shall repulse the Smait fiends of Suti. 
They shall see the Urrt        Crown stablished upon his head, and they 
shall fall down upon their    faces [and worship him]. Behold, O ye 
Spirit-souls, and men, and gods, and ye dead, when ye see the Osiris Ani, 
whose word is truth, in the   form of Horus, and the favoured one of the 
Urrt Crown, fall ye down    upon your faces. The word of the Osiris Ani is 
truth before his        enemies in heaven above, and on earth beneath, and 
before the         Tchatchau Chiefs of every god and of every goddess.                         
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a large hawk standing     
upright with the White Crown upon his head, [and over figures of] Tem,  
Shu, Tefnut, Keb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, [Suti] and Nephthys. And they     
shall be painted in colour upon a new tablet, which shall be placed in a 
boat, together with a figure of the deceased. Anoint them with heken  oil, 
and offer unto them burning incense, and geese, and joints of     meat 
roasted. It is an act of praise to Ra as he journeyeth in his     boat, 
and it will make a man to have his being with Ra, and to        travel 
with him wheresoever he goeth, and it will most certainly cause  the 
enemies of Ra to be slain. And the Chapter of travelling shall     be 
recited on the sixth day of the festival.                               
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Turin Papyrus)                                                  
  ANOTHER CHAPTER WHICH IS TO BE RECITED WHEN THE MOON RENEWETH ITSELF  ON 
THE DAY OF THE MONTH [WHEREON IT DOETH THIS]. Osiris unfettereth    the 
storm-cloud in the body of heaven, and is unfettered himself;      Horus 
is made strong happily each day. He whose transformations are   many hath 
had offerings made unto him at the moment, and he hath       made an end 
of the storm which is in the face of the Osiris, Auf-ankh,  whose word is 
truth. Verily, he cometh, and he is Ra in journeying,    and he is the 
four celestial gods in the heavens above. The Osiris    Auf-ankh, whose 
word is truth, cometh forth in his day, and he         embarketh among the 
tackle of the boat.                                     
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall become a   
perfect Spirit-soul in Khert-Neter, and he shall not die a second      
time, and he shall eat his food side by side with Osiris. If this      
Chapter be known by the deceased upon earth, he shall become like unto 
Thoth, and he shall be adored by those who live. He shall not fall     
headlong at the moment of the intensity of the royal flame of the      
goddess Bast, and the Great Prince shall make him to advance happily.       
 ADVANCING TO THE TCJATCHAU CHIEFS OF OSIRIS 

  THE CHAPTER OF ADVANCING TO THE TCHATCHAU CHIEFS OF OSIRIS. The      
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I have built a house for my   
Ba-soul in the sanctuary in Tetu. I sow seed in the town of Pe (Buto).  I 
have ploughed the fields with my labourers. My palm tree [standeth  
upright and is] like Menu upon it. I abominate abominable things. I    
will not eat the things which are abominations unto me. What I         
abominate is filth: I will not eat it. I shall not be destroyed by the  
offerings of propitiation and the sepulchral meals. I will not        
approach filth [to touch it] with my hands, I will not tread upon it   
with my sandals. For my bread shall be made of the white barley, and   my 
ale shall be made from the red grain of the god Hapi (the           
Nile-god), which the Sektet Boat and the Atett Boat shall bring       
[unto me], and I will eat my food under the leaves of the trees        
whose beautiful arms I myself do know. O what splendour shall the      
White Crown make for me which shall be lifted up on me by the          
Uraei-goddesses! O Doorkeeper of Sehetep-taui, bring thou to me that  
wherewith the cakes of propitiation are made. Grant thou to me that    I 
may lift up the earth. May the Spirit-souls open to me [their] arms,  and 
let the Company of the Gods hold their peace whilst the Hememet    spirits 
hold converse with the Osiris Ani. May the hearts of the      gods lead 
him in his exalted state into heaven among the gods who      appear in 
visible forms. If any god, or any goddess, attack the Osiris  Ani, whose 
word is truth, when he setteth out, the Ancestor of the     year who 
liveth upon hearts [Osiris] shall eat him when he cometh     forth from 
Abydos, and the Ancestors of Ra shall reckon with him,      and the 
Ancestors of Light shall reckon with him. [He is] a god of     splendour 
[arrayed in] the apparel of heaven, and he is among the      Great Gods. 
Now the subsistence of the Osiris Ani, whose word is      truth, is among 
the cakes and the ale which are made for your          mouths. I enter in 
by the Disk, I come forth by the god Ahui. I        shall hold converse 
with the Followers of the Gods. I shall hold       converse with the Disk. 
I shall hold converse with the                Hememet-spirits. He shall 
set the terror of me in the thick            darkness, in the inside of 
the goddess Mehurt, by the side of his      forehead. Behold, I shall be 
with Osiris, and my perfection shall be   his perfection among the Great 
Gods. I shall speak unto him with the  words of men, I shall listen, and 
he shall repeat to me the words of   the gods. I, the Osiris Ani, whose 
word is truth, in peace, have       come equipped. Thou makest to approach 
[thee] those who love thee. I   am a Spirit-soul who is better equipped 
than any [other] Spirit-soul.      
 CHANGING INTO A SWALLOW 

  THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A SWALLOW. The         
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am a swallow, [I am] a      
swallow. [I am] that Scorpion, the daughter of Ra. Hail, O ye gods     
whose odour is sweet. Hail, O ye gods whose odour is sweet. Hail,     
Flame, who comest forth from the horizon. Hail, thou who art in the    
city. I have brought the Warder of his corner there. Give me thy two   
hands, and let me pass my time in the Island of Flame. I have advanced  
with a message, I have come having the report thereof [to make].      Open 
to me. How shall I tell that which I have seen there? I am like   Horus, 
the governor of the Boat, when the throne of his father was     given unto 
him, and when Set, that son of Nut, was [lying] under the   fetters which 
he had made for Osiris. He who is in Sekhem hath        inspected me. I 
stretch out my arms over Osiris. I have advanced for   the examination, I 
have come to speak there. Let me pass on and        deliver my message. I 
am he who goeth in, [I am] judged, [I] come      forth magnified at the 
Gate of Nebertcher. I am purified at the       Great Uart. I have done 
away my wickednesses. I have put away          utterly my offences. I have 
put away utterly all the taints of evil    which appertained to me [upon 
the earth]. I have purified myself, I    have made myself to be like a 
god. Hail, O ye Doorkeepers, I have     completed my journey. I am like 
unto you. I have come forth by day.    I have advanced on my legs. I have 
gained the master over [my]         footsteps. [Hail, ye] Spirit-souls! I, 
even I, do know the hidden      roads and the Gates of Sekhet Aaru. I live 
there. Verily, I, even I,  have come, I have overthrown my enemies upon 
the earth, although my    body lieth a mummy in the tomb.                                       
 APPENDIX 

  RUBRIC: (Naville, op. cit., II, Bl. 202)                                  
  If this Chapter be known by the deceased, he shall enter in after he  
hath come forth by day.                                                    
  RUBRIC: (Saite Recension)                                                 
  If this Chapter be known by the deceased, he shall come forth by day  
from Khert-Neter, and he shall go [again] after he hath come forth. If  
this Chapter be not known [by the deceased], he shall not go in        
again after he hath come forth [and he] shall not know [how] to come  
forth by day.                                                               
 CHANGING INTO A HAWK OF GOLD 

  [THE CHAPTER] OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A HAWK OF GOLD.      The 
Osiris Ani saith:- I have risen up out of the seshett chamber,     like 
the golden hawk which cometh forth from his egg. I fly, I         alight 
like a hawk with a back of seven cubits, and the wings of which are like 
unto the mother-of-emerald of the South. I have come forth    from the 
Sektet Boat, and my heart hath been brought unto me from      the mountain 
of the East. I have alighted on the Atet Boat, and        there have been 
brought unto me those who dwelt in their substance,    and they bowed in 
homage before me. I have risen, I have gathered      myself together like 
a beautiful golden hawk, with the head of the     Benu, and Ra hath 
entered in [to hear my speech]. I have taken my seat  among the great 
gods, [the children of] Nut. I have settled myself,    the Sekhet-hetepet 
(the Field of Offerings) is before me. I eat        therein, I become a 
Spirit-soul therein, I am supplied with food in    abundance therein, as 
much as I desire. The Grain-god (Nepra) hath     given unto me food for my 
throat, and I am master over myself and over  the attributes of my head.                                                  
 CHANGING INTO A DIVINE HAWK 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A DIVINE HAWK.
Osiris Ani saith:- Hail, thou Great God, come thou to Tetu. Make       
thou ready for me the ways, and let me go round [to visit] my thrones.  I 
have laboured. I have made myself perfect. O grant thou that I may   be 
held in fear. Create thou awe of me. Let the gods of the Tuat be   afraid 
of me, and let them fight for me in their halls. Permit not     thou to 
come nigh unto me him that would attack me, or would injure me  in the 
House of Darkness. Cover over the helpless one, hide him. Let   do 
likewise the gods who hearken unto the word [of truth], the Khepriu  gods 
who are in the following of Osiris. Hold ye your peace then, O ye  gods, 
whilst the God holdeth speech with me, he who listeneth to the   truth. I 
speak unto him my words. Osiris, grant thou that that which   cometh forth 
from thy mouth may circulate to me. Let me see thine      own Form. Let 
thy Souls envelop me. Grant thou that I may come         forth, and that I 
may be master of my legs, and let me live there like  Nebertcher upon his 
throne. Let the gods of the Tuat hold me in        fear, and let them 
fight for me in their halls. Grant thou that I      may move forward with 
him and with the Ariu gods, and let me be firmly  stablished on my 
pedestal like the Lord of Life. Let me be in the      company of Isis, the 
goddess, and let [the gods] keep me safe from him  that would do an injury 
unto me. Let none come to see the helpless     one. May I advance, and may 
I come to the Henti boundaries of the sky.  Let me address words to Keb, 
and let me make supplicaion to the god Hu  with Nebertcher. Let the gods 
of the Tuat be afraid of me, and let     them fight for me in their halls. 
Let them see that thou hast provided  me with food for the festival. I am 
one of those Spirit-souls who      dwell in the Light-god. I have made my 
form in his Form, when he       cometh to Tetu. I am a Spirit-body among 
his Spirit-bodies; he shall   speak unto thee the things [which concern] 
me. Would that he would     cause me to be held in fear! Would that he 
would create [in them]     awe of me! Let the gods of the Tuat be afraid 
of me, and let them      fight for me [in their halls]. I, even I, am a 
Spirit-soul, a          dweller in the Light-god, whose form hath been 
created in divine       flesh. I am one of those Spirit-souls who dwell in 
the Light-god,     who were created by Tem himself, and who exist in the 
blossoms of      his Eye. He hath made to exist, he hath made glorious, 
and he hath     magnified their faces during their existence with him. 
Behold, he is   Alone in Nu. They acclaim him when he cometh forth from 
the horizon,   and the gods and the Spirit-souls who have come into being 
with him    ascribe fear unto him.                                                     
  I am one of the worms which have been created by the Eye of the Lord  
One. And behold, when as yet Isis had not given birth to Horus, I      was 
flourishing, and I had waxed old, and had become pre-eminent among  the 
Spirit-souls who had come into being with him. I rose up like a   divine 
hawk, and Horus endowed me with a Spirit-body with his soul, so  that [I] 
might take possession of the property of Osiris in the        Tuat. He 
shall say to the twin Lion-gods for me, the Chief of the      House of the 
Nemes Crown, the Dweller in his cavern: Get thee back    to the heights of 
heaven, for behold, inasmuch as thou art a           Spirit-body with the 
creations of Horus, the Nemes Crown shall not     be to thee: [but] thou 
shalt have speech even to the uttermost         limits of the heavens. I, 
the warder, took possession of the          property of Horus [which 
belonged] to Osiris in the Tuat, and Horus    repeated to me what his 
father Osiris had said unto him in the years   [past], on the days of his 
burial. Give thou to me the Nemes Crown,    say the twin Lion-gods for me. 
Advance thou, come along the road of   heaven, and look upon those who 
dwell in the uttermost limits of the   horizon. The gods of the Tuat shall 
hold thee in fear, and they        shall fight for thee in their halls. 
The god Auhet belongeth to        them. All the gods who guard the shrine 
of the Lord One are smitten    with terror at [my] words.                                                  
  Hail, saith the god who is exalted upon his coffer to me! He hath    
bound on the Nemes Crown, [by] the decree of the twin Lion-gods. The   god 
Aahet hath made a way for me. I am exalted [on the coffer], the    twin 
Lion-gods have bound the Nemes Crown on me and my two locks of    hair are 
given unto me. He hath stablished for me my heart by his      own flesh, 
and by his great, two-fold strength, and I shall not fall   headlong 
before Shu. I am Hetep, the Lord of the two Uraei-goddesses   who are to 
be adored. I know the Light-god, his winds are in my        body. The Bull 
which striketh terror [into souls] shall not repulse    me. I come daily 
into the House of the twin Lion-gods. I come forth    therefrom into the 
House of Isis. I look upon the holy things which    are hidden. I see the 
being who is therein. I speak to the great       ones of Shu, they repulse 
him that is wrathful in his hour. I am Horus  who dwelleth in his divine 
Light. I am master of his crown. I am       master of his radiance. I 
advance towards the Henti boundaries of      heaven. Horus is upon his 
seat. Horus is upon his thrones. My face     is like that of a divine 
hawk. I am one who is equipped [like] his     lord. I shall come forth to 
Tetu. I shall see Osiris. I shall live     in his actual presence.... Nut. 
They shall see me. I shall see the     gods [and] the Eye of Horus burning 
with fire before my eyes. They     shall reach out their hands to me. I 
shall stand up. I shall be master  of him that would subject me to 
restraint. They shall open the holy    paths to me, they shall see my 
form, they shall listen to my words.         
  [Homage] to you, O ye gods of the Tuat, whose faces are turned back,  
whose powers advance, conduct ye me to the Star-gods which never rest.  
Prepare ye for me the holy ways to the Hemat house, and to your god,   the 
Soul, who is the mighty one of terror. Horus hath commanded me    to lift 
up your faces; do ye look upon me. I have risen up like a      divine 
hawk. Horus hath made me to be a Spirit-body by means of his    Soul, and 
to take possession of the things of Osiris in the Tuat. Make  ye for me a 
path. I have travelled and I have arrived at those who are chiefs of their 
caverns, and who are guardians of the House of Osiris.  I speak unto them 
his mighty deeds. I made them to know concerning his  victories. He is 
ready [to butt with his] two horns at Set. They       know him who hath 
taken possession of the god Hu, and who hath taken  possession of the 
Powers of Tem.                                            
  Travel thou on thy way safely, cry out the gods of the Tuat to me. O  ye 
who make your names pre-eminent, who are chiefs in your shrines,    and 
who are guardians of the House of Osiris, grant, I pray you,       that I 
may come to you. I have bound up and I have gathered together  your 
Powers. I have directed the Powers of the ways, the wardens of    the 
horizon, and of the Hemat House of heaven. I have stablished their  
fortresses for Osiris. I have prepared the ways for him. I have        
performed the things which [he] hath commanded. I come forth to       
Tetu. I see Osiris. I speak to him concerning the matter of his        
Great Son, whom he loveth, and concerning [the smiting of] the heart   of 
Set. I look upon the lord who was helpless. How shall I make them   to 
know the plans of the gods, and that which Horus did without the    
knowledge of his father Osiris?                                             
  Hail, Lord, thou Soul, most awful and terrible, behold me. I have    
come, I make thee to be exalted! I have forced a way though the        
Tuat. I have opened the roads which appertain to heaven, and those     
which appertain to the earth, and no one hath opposed me therein. I   have 
exalted thy face, O Lord of Eternity.                                  
 APPENDIX 

  (In the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 14, the Chapter ends with the           
following.)                                                                
  Exalted art thou on thy throne, O Osiris! Thou hast heard fair       
things, O Osiris! Thy strength is vigorous, O Osiris! Thy head is      
fastened on thy body, O Osiris! Thy neck is made firm, O Osiris! Thy   
heart is glad, [O Osiris!]. Thy speech is made effective, O Osiris!   Thy 
princes rejoice Thou art established the Bull in Amentet. Thy      son 
Horus hath ascended thy trrone, and all life is with him. Millions  of 
years minister unto him, and millions of years hold him in fear.    The 
Company of the Gods are his servants, and they fold him in fear.  The god 
Tem, the Governor, the only One among the gods, hath spoken,   and his 
word passeth not away. Horus is both the divine food and the   sacrifice. 
He made haste to gather together [the members of] of his    father. Horus 
is his deliverer. Horus is his deliverer. Horus hath    sprung from the 
essence of his divine father and from his decay. He    hath become the 
Governor of Egypt. The gods shall work for him, and    they shall toil for 
him for million of years. He shall make millions   of years to live 
through his Eye, the only one of its lord,           Nebertcher.]                                                                
  (From the Turin Papyrus, Bl. XXX)                                         
  Exalted is thy throne, O Osiris. Thou hearest well, O Osiris. Thy    
strength flourisheth, O Osiris. I have fastened thy head [on thy] body  
for thee. I have stablished thy throat, the throne of the joy of thy   
heart. Thy words are stable. Thy shenit princes are glad. Thou art    
stablished as the Bull of Amentet. Thy son Horus hath ascended thy     
throne. All life is with him. Millions of years work for him. The      
Company of the Gods fear him. Tem, the One Power of the Gods, hath     
spoken, and what he hath said is not changed, Hetu Aabi. Horus hath   
stood up. I have gone about collecting his father. Horus hath          
delivered his father. Horus hath delivered [his mother]. My mother     is 
Horus. My brother is Horus. My uncle is Horus. I have come. Horus   
followeth his father.... there the dirt of his head. The gods shall   
serve him. Millions of years...... in his Eye, the Only One of its     
Lord, Neb-er-tcher.                                                        
 CHANGING INTO THE PRINCE OF TCHATCHAU CHIEFS 

  THE CHAPTER OF BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE PRINCE OF THE TCHATCHAU    
CHIEFS. The Osiris Nu, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the god       
Tem, the maker of the sky, the creator of the things which are, who    
cometh forth from the earth, who made the seed of man to come into    
being, the Lord of things, who fashioned the gods, the Great God,      who 
created himself, the Lord of Life, who made to flourish the Two    
Companies of the Gods. Homage to you, O ye divine Lords of things,     ye 
holy beings, whose seats are veiled! Homage to you, O ye Lords of  
Eternity, whose forms are concealed, whose sanctuaries are             
mysteries, whose places of abode are not known! Homage to you, O ye    
gods, who dwell in the Tenait (Circle of Light)! Homage to you, O ye   
gods of the Circle of the country of the Cataracts! Homage to you, O   ye 
gods who dwell in Amentet! Homage to you, O ye gods who dwell       within 
Nut! Grant ye to me that I may come before you, I am pure, I am  like a 
god. I am endowed with a Spirit-soul. I am strong. I am endowed  with a 
Heart-soul. I bring unto you incense, and spice, and natron.    I have 
done away with the chidings of your mouths. I have come, I have  done away 
the evil which was in your hearts, and I have removed the    offences 
which appertained to you [against me]. I bring to you deeds   of 
well-doing, and I present before you truth. I know you. I know your names. 
I know your forms which are not known. I come into being        among you. 
My coming is like unto that god who eateth men, and who     feedeth upon 
the gods. I am strong before you even like that god who   is exalted upon 
his pedestal, unto whom the gods come with            rejoicing, and the 
goddesses make supplication when they see me. I     have come unto you. I 
have ascended my throne like your Two Daughters.  I have taken my seat in 
the horizon. I receive my offerings of         propitiation upon my 
altars. I drink my fill of seth wine every       evening. I come to those 
who are making rejoicings, and the gods who   live in the horizon ascribe 
unto me praises, as the divine             Spirit-body, the Lord of 
mortals. I am exalted like that holy god      who dwelleth in the Great 
House. The gods rejoice greatly when they    see my beautiful appearances 
from the body of the goddess Nut, and     when the goddess Nut bringeth me 
forth.                                     
 CHANGING INTO THE SERPENT SATA 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE SERPENT SATA.    The 
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the serpent Sata     whose 
years are infinite. I lie down dead. I am born daily. I am the   serpent 
Sa-en-ta, the dweller in the uttermost parts of the earth. I  lie down in 
death. I am born, I become new, I renew my youth every     day.                                                                       
                                                                            
 CHANGING INTO THE CROCODILE GOD 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE CROCODILE-GOD.   The 
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the Crocodile-god    (Sebak) 
who dwelleth amid his terrors. I am the Crocodile-god and I    seize [my 
prey] like a ravening beast. I am the great Fish which is in Kamui. I am 
the Lord to whom bowings and prostrations are made in      Sekhem. And the 
Osiris Ani is the lord to whom bowings and             prostrations are 
made in Sekhem.                                           
  (From the Papyrus of Nebseni)                                             
  Behold, I am the dweller in his terrors, I am the crocodile, his     
firstborn. I bring (prey) from a distance. I am the Fish of Horus, the  
Great One in Kamui. I am the lord of bowings in Sekhem.                     
 CHANGING INTO PTAH 

  THE CHAPTER OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO PTAH. The Osiris Ani   
[whose word is truth, saith]:- I eat bread. I drink ale. I gird up     my 
garments. I fly like a hawk. I cackle like the Smen goose. I alight  upon 
that place hard by the Sepulchre on the festival of the Great    God. That 
which is abominable, that which is abominable I will not     eat. [An 
abominable thing] is filth, I will not eat thereof. That      which is an 
abomination unto my KA shall not enter my body. I will     live upon that 
whereon live the gods and the Spirit-souls. I shall    live, and I shall 
be master of their cakes. I am master of them, and I  shall eat them under 
the trees of the dweller in the House of          Hathor, my Lady. I will 
make an offering. My cakes are in Tetu, my     offerings are in Anu. I 
gird about myself the robe which is woven     for me by the goddess Tait. 
I shall stand up and sit down in           whatsoever place it pleaseth me 
to do so. My head is like unto that of  Ra. I am gathered together like 
Tem.                                       
  Here offer the four cakes of Ra, and the offerings of the earth.          
  I shall come forth. My tongue is like that of Ptah, and my throat is  
like unto that of Hathor, and I remember the words of Tem, of my       
father, with my mouth. He forced the woman, the wife of Keb,           
breaking the heads near him; therefore was the fear of him there.     
[His] praises are repeated with vigour. I am decreed to be the Heir,   the 
lord of the earth of Keb. I have union with women. Keb hath        
refreshed me, and he hath caused me to ascend his throne. Those who    
dwell in Anu bow their heads to me. I am [their] Bull, I am stronger  than 
[the Lord] of the hour. I unite with women. I am master for       millions 
of years.                                                         
 TURNING INTO THE SOUL OF TEM 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE SOUL OF TEM. The  
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I shall not enter into the    
place of destruction, I shall not perish, I shall not know [decay].    I 
am Ra, who came forth from Nu, the Soul of the God who created his  own 
members. What I abominate is sin; I will not look thereon. I cry   not out 
against truth, nay, I live therein. I am the god Hu, the       
imperishable god, in my name of "Soul." I have created myself with Nu,  in 
the name of "Khepera." I exist in them like Ra. I am the Lord of   Light.                                                                      
                                                                            

 APPENDIX 
  (From the Papyrus of Nu)                                                  
  That which is an abomination unto me is death; let me not go into    the 
chamber of torture which is in the Tuat. I am the delight of the   Khu of 
Osiris. I make to be content the heart[s] of those who dwell    among the 
divine things which are beloved [by me]. They cause the fear of me [to 
abound], they create the awe of me to be in those divine     beings who 
dwell in their own circles. Behold, I am exalted on my      own standard, 
and upon my throne, and upon my seat which is assigned   [to me]. I am the 
god Nu, and those who commit sin shall not destroy   me. I am the 
firstborn of the primeval god, and my soul is the Souls   of the Eternal 
Gods, and my body is Everlastingness. My created form   is [that of] the 
god Eternity, the Lord of Years, and the Prince of    Everlastingness. I 
am the Creator of the Darkness, who maketh his seat  in the uttermost 
limits of the heavens, [which] I love. I arrive at    their boundaries. I 
advance upon my two legs. I direct my resting      place. I sail over the 
sky. I fetter and destroy the hidden serpents   which are about my 
footsteps [in going to] the Lord of the Two Arms.   My soul is the Souls 
of the Eternal Gods, and my body is               Everlastingness. I am 
the exalted one, the Lord of the Land of Tebu. I  am the Child in the 
city: "Young man in the country" is my name.       "Imperishable one" is 
my name. I am the Soul Creator of Nu. I make     my habitation in 
Khert-Neter. My nest is invisible, my egg is not      broken. I have done 
away the evil which is in me. I shall see my       Father, the Lord of the 
Evening. His body dwelleth in Anu. I am made   to be the Light-god, a 
dweller in the Light-god, over the Western      Domain of the Hebt bird.                                                    
 CHANGING INTO THE BENU BIRD 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE BENU BIRD. The   
Osiris, the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I flew up out     of 
primeval matter. I came into being like the god Khepera. I          
germinated like the plants. I am concealed like the tortoise [in his  
shell]. I am the seed of every god. I am Yesterday of the Four         
[Quarters of the Earth, and] the Seven Uraei, who came into being in   the 
Eastern land. [I am] the Great One (Horus) who illumineth the      Hememet 
spirits with the light of his body. [I am] that god in respect of Set. [I 
am] Thoth who [stood] between them (Horus and Set) as the   judge on 
behalf of the Governor of Sekhem and the Souls of Anu. [He    was like] a 
stream between them. I have come. I rise up on my          throne. I am 
endowed with Khu. I am mighty. I am endowed with         godhood among the 
gods. I am Khensu, [the lord] of every kind of       strength.                                                                  
  RUBRIC: [If] this Chapter [be known by the deceased], he shall       
come forth pure by day after his death, and he shall perform every     
transformation which his soul desireth to make. He shall be among the  
Followers of Un-Nefer, and he shall satisfy himself with the food of  
Osiris, and with sepulchral meals. He shall see the Disk [of the Sun],  he 
shall be in good case upon earth before Ra, and his word shall be   truth 
in the sight of Osiris, and no evil thing whatsoever shall       have 
dominion over him for ever and ever.                                  
 CHANGING INTO A HERON 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A HERON. The         
Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the master of  
beasts brought for sacrifice, [and] of the knives which are [held]     at 
their heads [and] their beards; those who dwell in their emerald   
[fields], the Aged Gods, and the Spirit-souls, are ready at the moment  
for the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace. He maketh slaughter  on 
the earth, and I make slaughter on the earth. I am strong. I follow  the 
heights unto heaven. I have made myself pure. I walk with long    strides 
to my city. I have become an owner of land there. I advance to  Sepu...... 
is given to me in Unu. I have set the gods upon their       roads. I have 
made splendid the houses and towns of those who are in   their shrines. I 
know the stream of Nut. I know Tatun. I know Teshert.  I have brought 
along their horns. I know Heka. I have hearkened to     this words. I am 
the Red Bull-calf which is marked with markings.      The gods shall say 
when they hear [of me]: Uncover your faces. His     coming is to me. There 
is light which ye know not. Times and seasons   are in my body. I do not 
speak [lies] in the place of truth, daily.    The truth is hidden on the 
eyebrows. [By] night [I] sail up the        river to keep the feast of him 
that is dead, to embrace the Aged       God, and to guard the earth, I the 
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth.         
 APPENDIX 
  (From the Saite Recension)                                                
  RUBRIC: If this Chapter be known [by the deceased], he will live     
like a perfect Spirit-soul in Khert-Neter; no evil thing whatsoever    
shall overthrow him.                                                       
 CHANGING INTO A LOTUS 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE LOTUS. The       
Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the holy lotus that      
cometh forth from the light which belongeth to the nostrils of Ra, and  
which belongeth to the head of Hathor. I have made my way, and I      seek 
after him, that is to say, Horus. I am the pure lotus that cometh  forth 
from the field [of Ra].                                               
 APPENDIX 

  (Naville, op. cit., I, Bl. XCIII)                                         
  Chapter of making the transformation into a lotus. The Osiris, the   
lady of of the house, Aui, whose word is truth, in peace, saith:-      
Hail, thou Lotus, thou type of the god Nefer-Temu! I am the man who    
knoweth your names. I know your names among the gods, the lords of     
Khert-Neter. I am one among you. Grant ye that I may see the gods      who 
are the Guides of the Tuat. Grant ye to me a seat in               
Khert-Neter, near the Lords of Amentet. Assign to me a habitation in   the 
land of Tchesert. Receive ye me in the presence of the Lords of    
Eternity. Let my soul come forth in whatsoever place it pleaseth.      Let 
it not be rejected in the presence of the Great Company of the     Gods.                                                                      
 TURNING INTO THE GOD WHO LIGHTENETH DARKNESS 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE GOD WHO          
LIGHTENETH THE DARKNESS. The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is      
truth, saith:- I am the girdle of the garment of the god Nu, which     
giveth light, and shineth, and belongeth to his breast, the           
illuminer of the darkness, the uniter of the two Rehti deities, the    
dweller in my body, through the great spell of the words of my         
mouth. I rise up, but he who was coming after me hath fallen. He who   was 
with him in the Valley of Abtu hath fallen. I rest. I remember    him. The 
god Hu hath taken possession of me in my town. I found him    there. I 
have carried away the darkness by my strength, I have         filled the 
Eye [of Ra] when it was helpless, and when it came not on   the festival 
of the fifteenth day. I have weighed Sut in the celestial houses against 
the Aged One who was with him. I have equipped Thoth in  the House of the 
Moon-god, when the fifteenth day of the festival come  not. I have taken 
possession of the Urrt Crown. Truth is in my body;   turquoise and crystal 
are its months. My homestead is there among     the lapis-lazuli, among 
the furrows thereof. I am Hem-Nu, the          lightener of the darkness. 
I have come to lighten the darkness; it     is light. I have lightened the 
darkness. I have overthrown the         ashmiu-fiends. I have sung hymns 
to those who dwell in the darkness. I  have made to stand up the weeping 
ones, whose faces were covered over;  they were in a helpless state of 
misery. Look ye then upon me. I am    Hem-Nu. I will not let you hear 
concerning it. [I have fought. I am    Hem-Nu. I have lightened the 
darkness. I have come. I have made an end  to the darkness which hath 
become light indeed.]                            
 NOT DYING A SECOND TIME 

  THE CHAPTER OF NOT DYING A SECOND TIME. The Osiris Ani, whose word   is 
truth, saith:- Hail, Thoth! What is it that hath happened to the    
children of Nut? They have waged war, they have upheld strife, they    
have done evil, they have created the fiends, they have made          
slaughter, they have caused trouble; in truth, in all their doings the  
strong have worked against the weak. Grant, O might of Thoth, that     
that which the god Tem hath decreed [may be done!] And thou            
regardest not evil, nor art thou provoked to anger when they bring    
their years to confusion, and throng in and push in to disturb their   
months. For in all that they have done unto thee they have worked      
iniquity in secret. I am they writing-palette, O Thoth, and I have     
brought unto thee thine ink-jar. I am not of those who work iniquity   in 
their secret places; let not evil happen unto me.                        
  The Osiris, the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Hail, Temu!  
What manner of land is this unto which I have come? It hath not water,  it 
hath not air; it is depth unfathomable, it is black as the blackest  
night, and men wander helplessly therein. In it a man cannot live in  
quietness of heart; nor may the longings of love be satisfied therein.  
But let the state of the Spirit-souls be given unto me instead of      
water and air, and the satisfying of the longings of love, and let     
quietness of heart be given unto me instead of cakes and ale. The     god 
Tem hath decreed that I shall see thy face, and that I shall not   suffer 
from the things which pain thee. May every god transmit unto    thee his 
throne for millions of years. Thy throne hath descended       unto thy son 
Horus, and the god Tem hath decreed that thy course shall  be among the 
holy princes. In truth he shall rule from thy throne, and  he shall be 
heir to the throne of the Dweller in the fiery Lake        [Neserser]. In 
truth it hath been decreed that in me he shall see      his likeness, and 
that my face shall look upon the face of the Lord   Tem. How long then 
have I to live? It is decreed that thou shalt       live for millions of 
years, a life of millions of years. Let it be     granted to me to pass on 
to the holy princes, for indeed, I have       done away all the evil which 
I committed, from the time when this     earth came into being from Nu, 
when it sprang from the watery abyss    even as it was in the days of old. 
I am Fate and Osiris, I have made   my transformations into the likeness 
of divers serpents. Man knoweth   not, and the gods cannot behold the 
two-fold beauty which I have      made for Osiris, the greatest of the 
gods. I have given unto him the   region of the dead. And, verily, his son 
Horus is seated upon the      throne of the Dweller in the fiery Lake [of 
Neserser], as his heir.    I have made him to have his throne in the Boat 
of Millions of Years.  Horus is stablished upon his throne [among his] 
kinsmen, and he hath   all that is with him. Verily, the Soul of Set, 
which is greater than   all the gods, hath departed. Let it be granted to 
me to bind his       soul in fetter in the Boat of the God, when I please, 
and let him hold the Body of the God in fear. O my father Osiris, thou 
hast done for me  that which thy father Ra did for thee. Let me abide upon 
the earth     permanently. Let me keep possession of my throne. Let my 
heir be       strong. Let my tomb, and my friends who are upon the earth,           
flourish. Let my enemies be given over to destruction, and to the      
shackles of the goddess Serq. I am thy son. Ra is my father. On me     
likewise thou hast conferred life, strength, and health. Horus is      
established upon his tomb. Grant thou that the days of my life may     
come unto worship and honour.                                               
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Leyden Papyrus of Ra)                                           
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a figure of Horus, made   of 
lapis-lazuli, which shall be placed on the neck of the deceased. It  is a 
protection upon earth, and it will secure for the deceased the    
affection of men, gods, and the Spirit-souls which are perfect.       
Moreover it acteth as a spell in Khert-Neter, but it must be recited   by 
thee on behalf of the Osiris Ra, regularly and continually millions  of 
times.                                                                  
 ENTERING THE HALL OF MAAT 

  [THE CHAPTER OF] ENTERING INTO THE HALL OF MAATI TO PRAISE OSIRIS    
KHENTI-AMENTI. The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose word is truth, saith:-  I 
have come unto thee. I have drawn nigh to behold thy beauties (thy   
beneficient goodness). My hands are [extended] in adoration of thy     
name of "Maat." I have come. I have drawn nigh unto [the place         
where] the cedar-tree existeth not, where the acacia tree doth not put  
forth shoots, and where the ground produceth neither grass nor         
herbs. Now I have entered into the habitation which is hidden, and I   
hold converse with Set. My protector advanced to me, covered was his   
face.... on the hidden things. He entered into the house of Osiris, he  
saw the hidden things which were therein. The Tchatchau Chiefs of      the 
Pylons were in the form of Spirits. The god Anpu spake unto        those 
about him with the words of a man who cometh from Ta-mera,       saying, 
"He knoweth our roads and our towns. I am reconciled unto him.  When I 
smell his odour it is even as the odour of one of you." And I   say unto 
him: I the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace, whose   word is 
truth, have come. I have drawn nigh to behold the Great        Gods. I 
would live upon the propitiatory offerings [made] to their     Doubles. I 
would live on the borders [of the territory of] the Soul,   the Lord of 
Tetu. He shall make me to come forth in the form of a Benu bird, and to 
hold converse [with him.] I have been in the stream [to   purify myself]. 
I have made offerings of incense. I betook myself to   the Acacia Tree of 
the [divine] Children. I lived in Abu in the        House of the goddess 
Satet. I made to sink in the water the boat of   the enemies. I sailed 
over the lake [in the temple] in the Neshmet     Boat. I have looked upon 
the Sahu of Kamur. I have been in Tetu. I     have held my peace. I have 
made the god to be master of his legs. I    have been in the House of 
Teptuf. I have seen him, that is the        Governor of the Hall of the 
God. I have entered into the House of      Osiris and I have removed the 
head-coverings of him that is therein. I  have entered into Rasta, and I 
have seen the Hidden One who is         therein. I was hidden, but I found 
the boundary. I journeyed to       Nerutef, and he who was therein covered 
me with a garment. I have      myrrh of women, together with the shenu 
powder of living folk.         Verily he (Osiris) told me the things which 
concerned himself. I said:  Let thy weighing of me be even as we desire.                               

  And the Majesty of Anpu shall say unto me, "Knowest thou the name of  
this door, and canst thou tell it?" And the Osiris the scribe Ani,     
whose word is truth, in peace, whose word is truth, shall say,         
"Khersek-Shu" is the name of this door. And the Majesty of the god    Anpu 
shall say unto me, "Knowest thou the name of the upper leaf,      and the 
name of the lower leaf?" [And the Osiris the scribe Ani] shall  say: 
"Neb-Maat-heri-retiu-f" is the name of the upper leaf and         
"Neb-pehti-thesu-menment" [is the name of the lower leaf. And the     
Majesty of the god Anpu shall say], "Pass on, for thou hast knowledge,  O 
Osiris the scribe, the assessor of the holy offerings of all the     gods 
of Thebes Ani, whose word is truth, the lord of loyal service [to  
Osiris]."                                                                  
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 22)                  
  [THE FOLLOWING] WORDS SHALL BE SAID BY THE STEWARD OF THE KEEPER     OF 
THE SEAL, NU, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, WHEN HE COMETH FORTH TO THE HALL  OF 
MAATI, SO THAT HE MAY BE SEPARATED FROM EVERY SIN WHICH HE HATH     
COMMITTED, AND MAY BEHOLD THE FACES OF THE GODS. The Osiris Nu,       
whose word is truth, saith: Homage to thee, O great God, Lord of       
Maati! I have come unto thee, O my Lord, and I have brought myself     
hither that I may behold thy beauties. I know thee, I know thy name, I  
know the names of the Forty-two Gods who live with thee in this Hall   of 
Maati, who live by keeping ward over sinners, and who feed upon     their 
blood on the day when the consciences of men are reckoned up     in the 
presence of the god Un-Nefer. In truth thy name is              
"Rehti-Merti-Nebti-Maati." In truth I have come unto thee, I have     
brought Maati (Truth) to thee. I have done away sin for thee. I have   not 
committed sins against men. I have not opposed my family and       
kinsfolk. I have not acted fraudulently in the Seat of Truth. I have   not 
known men who were of no account. I have not wrought evil. I      have not 
made it to be the first [consideration daily that             unnecessary] 
work should be done for me. I have not brought forward my  name for 
dignities. I have not [attempted] to direct servants [I       have not 
belittled God]. I have not defrauded the humble man of his   property. I 
have not done what the gods abominate. I have not vilified  a slave to his 
master. I have not inflicted pain. I have not caused    anyone to go 
hungry. I have not made any man to weep. I have not       committed 
murder. I have not given the order for murder to be         committed. I 
have not caused calamities to befall men and women. I     have not 
plundered the offerings in the temples. I have not            defrauded 
the gods of their cake-offerings. I have not carried off the  fenkhu cakes 
[offered to] the Spirits. I have not committed           fornication. I 
have not masturbated [in the sanctuaries of the god     of my city]. I 
have not diminished from the bushel. I have not filched  [land from my 
neighbour's estate and] added it to my own acre. I       have not 
encroached upon the fields [of others]. I have not added to  the weights 
of the scales. I have not depressed the pointer of the     balance. I have 
not carried away the milk from the mouths of children.  I have not driven 
the cattle away from their pastures. I have not      snared the geese in 
the goose-pens of the gods. I have not caught fish with bait made of the 
bodies of the same kind of fish. I have not      stopped water when it 
should flow. I have not made a cutting in a      canal of running water. I 
have not extinguished a fire when it         should burn. I have not 
violated the times [of offering] the chosen   meat offerings. I have not 
driven away the cattle on the estates of    the gods. I have not turned 
back the god at his appearances. I am      pure. I am pure. I am pure. My 
pure offerings are the pure offerings   of that great Benu which dwelleth 
in Hensu. For behold, I am the      nose of Neb-nefu (the lord of the 
air), who giveth sustenance unto all  mankind, on the day of the filling 
of the Utchat in Anu, in the second  month of the season Pert, on the last 
of the month, [in the presence   of the Lord of this earth]. I have seen 
the filling of the Utchat in  Anu, therefore let not calamity befall me in 
this land, or in this     Hall of Maati, because I know the names of the 
gods who are therein,   [and who are the followers of the Great God].                              
 THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION 

  Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed   
sin.                                                                       
  Hail, Hept-khet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not          
committed robbery with violence.                                            
  Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have not stolen.            
  Hail, Am-khaibit, who comest forth from Qernet, I have not slain men  
and women.                                                                 
  Hail, Neha-her, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not stolen       
grain.                                                                     
  Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from heaven, I have not purloined     
offerings.                                                                 
  Hail, Arfi-em-khet, who comest forth from Suat, I have not stolen    the 
property of God.                                                       
  Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not uttered lies.                
  Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not carried away  
food.                                                                      
  Hail, Utu-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not      
uttered curses.                                                            
  Hail, Qerrti, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed    
adultery, I have not lain with men.                                         
  Hail, Her-f-ha-f, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have made none  to 
weep.                                                                   
  Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Bast, I have not eaten the heart.      
  Hail, Ta-retiu, who comest forth from the night, I have not attacked  
any man.                                                                   
  Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I am   not 
a man of deceit.                                                       
  Hail, Unem-besek, who comest forth from Mabit, I have not stolen     
cultivated land.                                                           
  Hail, Neb-Maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not been an      
eavesdropper.                                                              
  Hail, Tenemiu, who comest forth from Bast, I have not slandered      [no 
man].                                                                  
  Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Anu, I have not been angry       
without just cause.                                                        
  Hail, Tutu, who comest forth from Ati (the Busirite Nome), I have    not 
debauched the wife of any man.                                          
  Hail, Uamenti, who comest forth from the Khebt chamber, I have not   
debauched the wife of [any] man.                                            
  Hail, Maa-antuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I have not polluted  
myself.                                                                    
  Hail, Her-uru, who comest forth from Nehatu, I have terrorized none.  
  Hail, Khemiu, who comest forth from Kaui, I have not transgressed    
[the law].                                                                 
  Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Urit, I have not been wroth.      
  Hail, Nekhenu, who comest forth from Heqat, I have not shut my       
ears to the words of truth.                                                 
  Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have not blasphemed.       
  Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I am not a man of       
violence.                                                                  
  Hail, Sera-kheru, who comest forth from Unaset, I have not been a    
stirrer up of strife.                                                      
  Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not acted     
with undue haste.                                                          
  Hail, Sekhriu, who comest forth from Uten, I have not pried into     
matters.                                                                   
  Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied   my 
words in speaking.                                                      
  Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have wronged   
none, I have done no evil.                                                  
  Hail, Tem-Sepu, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not worked        
witchcraft against the king.                                                
  Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebu, I have never          
stopped [the flow of] water.                                                
  Hail, Ahi, who comest forth from Nu, I have never raised my voice.        
  Hail, Uatch-rekhit, who comest forth from Sau, I have not cursed     
God.                                                                       
  Hail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not acted   
with arrogance.                                                            
  Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not     
stolen the bread of the gods.                                               
  Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from the shrine, I have not      
carried away the khenfu cakes from the Spirits of the dead.                 
  Hail, An-af, who comest forth from Maati, I have not snatched away   the 
bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.       
  Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest forth from Ta-she (the Fayyum), I       
have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.                             
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nebseni)                                             
  Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed   
sin.                                                                       
  Hail, Hept-Shet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not robbed   
with violence.                                                             
  Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have done no violence.  
  Hail, Am-khaibitu, who comest forth from Qerrt, I have not stolen.        
  Hail, Neha-hau, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not slain men.        
  Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from heaven, I have not made light    the 
bushel.                                                                
  Hail, Arti-f-em-tes, who comest forth from Sekhem, I have not        
acted deceitfully.                                                         
  Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not stolen the property     of 
the god.                                                                
  Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not told lies.        
  Hail, Uatch-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not    
carried away food.                                                         
  Hail, Qerti, who comest forth from Amenti, I have not uttered evil   
words.                                                                     
  Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest from Ta-she, I have attacked no man.         
  Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I have  
not salin a bull which was the property of the god.                         
  Hail, Unem-besku, who comest [forth from the Mabet chamber], I       
have not acted deceitfully.                                                 
  Hail, Neb-maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not pillaged the  
lands which have been ploughed.                                             
  Hail, Thenemi, who comest forth from Bast, I have never pried into   
matters [to make mischief].                                                 
  Hail, Aati, who comest forth from Anu, I have not set my mouth in    
motion.                                                                    
  Hail, Tutuf, who comest from from A, I have not been wroth except    
with reason.                                                               
  Hail, Uamemti, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I have   not 
debauched the wife of a man.                                            
  Hail, Maa-anuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I ahve not           
polluted myself.                                                           
  Hail, Heri-uru, who comest forth from [Nehatu], I have terrorized no  
man.                                                                       
  Hail, Khemi, who comest forth from Ahaui, I have not made attacks.        
  Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Uri, I have not been a man   of 
anger.                                                                  
  Hail, Nekhem, who comest forth from Heq-at, I have not turned a deaf  
ear to the words of truth.                                                  
  Hail, Ser-Kheru, who comest forth from Unes, I have not stirred up   
strife.                                                                    
  Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Shetait, I have made none to      
weep.                                                                      
  Hail, Her-f-ha-f, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not       
committed acts of sexual impurity, or lain with men.                        
  Hail, Ta-ret, who comest forth from Akhkhu, I have not eaten my      
heart.                                                                     
  Hail, Kenmti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have cursed no man.         
  Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I have not acted in a   
violent or oppressive manner.                                               
  Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Tchefet, I have not acted      [or 
judged] hastily.                                                       
  Hail, Serekhi, who comest forth from Unth, I have not.... my hair, I  
have not harmed the god.                                                   
  Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied   my 
speech overmuch.                                                        
  Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not acted  
with deciet, I have not worked wickedness.                                  
  Hail, Tem-Sep, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not done things to  
effect the cursing of [the king].                                           
  Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebti, I have not stopped   the 
flow of water.                                                         
  Hail, Ahi-mu, who comest forth from Nu, I have not raised my voice.  
  Hail, Utu-rekhit, who comest forth from thy house, I have not        
curse God.                                                                 
  Hail, Neheb-Nefert, who comest forth from the Lake of Nefer, I       
have not acted with insufferable insolence.                                 
  Hail, Neheb-kau, who comest forth from [thy] city, I have not sought  to 
make myself unduly distinguished.                                        
  Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not      
increased my wealth except through such things are [justly] my own     
possessions.                                                               
  Hail, An-a-f, who comest forth from Auker, I have not scorned [or    
treated with contempt] the god of my town.                                   
 ADDRESS TO THE GODS OF THE TUAT 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Brit. Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 24)                  
  THE FOLLOWING ARE THE WORDS WHICH THE HEART OF TRUTH THAT IS SINLESS  
SHALL SAY WHEN HE COMETH WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH INTO THE HALL OF       
MAATI; THEY SHALL BE SAID WHEN HE COMETH TO THE GODS WHO DWELL IN      THE 
TUAT; AND THEY ARE THE WORDS WHICH ARE [TO BE SAID] AFTER [HE     COMETH 
FORTH FROM] THE HALL OF MAATI.                                       
  Nu, the steward of the keeper of the seal, whose word is truth,      
saith:- Homage to you, O ye gods who dwell in your Hall of Maati! I    
know you, I know your names. Let me not fall under your knives of      
slaughter, and bring ye not forward my wickedness to this god in whose 
following ye are. Let not evil hap come upon me through you. Speak     ye 
the truth concerning me in the presence of Neb-er-tcher, for I have  done 
what is right and just in Ta-Mera. I have not cursed the god, and  my evil 
hap did not come upon him that was king in his day.                
  Homage to you, O ye who dwell in your Hall of Maati, who have        
nothing false in your bodies, who live upon Truth, who feed yourselves  
upon Truth in the presence of Horus who dwelleth in his Disk,          
deliver ye me from Beba, who feedeth upon the livers of the great ones  on 
the day of the Great Judgment. Grant ye that I may come before you,  for I 
have not committed sin, I have done no act of deceit, I have     done no 
evil thing, and I have not borne [false] witness; therefore    let nothing 
[evil] be done to me. I have lived upon truth, I have     fed upon truth, 
I have performed the ordinances of men, and the things  which gratify the 
gods. I have propitiated the god by doing his        will, I have given 
bread to the hungry man, and water to him that      was athirst, and 
apparel to the naked man, and a ferry-boat to him    that had no boat. I 
have made propitiatory offerings and given cakes   to the gods, and the 
"things which appear at the word" to the Spirits.  Deliver then ye me, 
protect then ye me, and make ye no report          against me in the 
presence [of the Great God]. I am pure in respect of  my mouth, and I am 
clean in respect of my hands, therefore let it be   said unto me by those 
who shall behold me: "Come in peace, Come in     peace." For I have heard 
that great word which the Sahu spake to the   CAT, in the House of 
Hapt-ra. I have borne witness to Her-f-ha-f,     and he hath given a 
decision [concerning me]. I have seen the things   over which the Persea 
tree which is in Rasta, spreadeth its            branches. I have made 
petitions to the gods, [and I] know the things   [which appertain to] 
their bodies. I have come, travelling a long     road, to bear righteous 
testimony, and to set the Balance upon its     supports within Aukert.                                                    
  Hail, thou who art exalted high upon thy standard, thou Lord of      the 
Atef Crown, who dost make thy name to be "Lord of the Winds,"      deliver 
thou me from thy divine Envoys who punish and afflict          according 
to [thy] decrees, and who make calamities to arise, and     whose faces 
are without coverings, for I have done what is right and   true for the 
Lord of Truth. I am pure. My breast is purified by        libations, and 
my hinder parts are made clean with the things which    make clean, and my 
inner parts have been dipped in the Lake of        Truth. There is no 
single member of mine which lacketh truth. I have   washed myself clean in 
the Lake of the South. I have rested myself     in the City of the North, 
which is in Sekhet Sanhemu (the Field of the  Grasshoppers), where the 
mariners of Ra wash themselves clean at the  second hour of the night, and 
at the third hour of the day. The hearts      
of the gods are gratified when they have passed over it, whether it be  by 
night or whether it be by day, and they say unto me, "Let thyself   
advance." They say unto me, "Who art thou?" And they say unto me,      
"What is thy name?" [And I reply], "Sept-kheri-nehait-ammi-beq-f" is  my 
name. Then they say unto me, "Advance straightway on the city which  is to 
the North of the Olive Tree. What dost thou see there?" The      Leg and 
the Thigh. What dost thou say unto them? Let me see rejoicings  in these 
lands of the Fenkhu. What do they give unto thee? A flame    of fire and a 
sceptre-amulet [made] of crystal. What dost thou do with  them? I bury 
them on the furrow of M'naat, as things for the night.    What dost thou 
find on the furrow of Maat? A sceptre of flint, the     name of which is 
"Giver of winds." What now didst thou do with the    flame of fire and the 
sceptre-amulet [made] of crystal, after thou     didst bury them? I said a 
spell over them, and I dug them up. I        quenched the flame of fire 
and I broke the sceptre-amulet, and I       made a lake of water. [Then 
shall the Two and forty gods say unto me]:  "Come now, pass in over the 
threshold of this door of the Hall of      Maati, for thou hast knowledge 
of us." "We will not allow thee to      enter in over us," say the bars of 
this door, "unless thou tellest     us our names." [And I reply], 
"Tekh-bu-maa" is your name. The right    lintel of this door saith: "I 
will not allow thee to pass over me      unless thou tellest me my name." 
[And I reply], "Henku-en-fat-maat" is  thy name.  The left lintel of this 
door saith: "I will not allow       thee to pass over me unless thou 
tellest me my name." [And I reply],   "Henku-en-arp" is thy name. The 
ground of this door saith: "I will not  allow thee to pass over me unless 
thou tellest me my name." [And I     reply], "Aua-en-Keb" is thy name. And 
the bolt of this door saith:     "I will not open the door to thee unless 
thou tellest me my name."     [And I reply], "Saah-en-mut-f" is thy name. 
The socket of the          fastening of this door saith: "I will not open 
unto thee unless thou   tellest my name." [And I reply], "The Living Eye 
of Sebek, the Lord of  Bakhau," is thy name. The Doorkeeper of this door 
saith: "I will not   open to thee, and I will not let thee enter by me 
unless thou          tellest my name." [And I reply], "Elbow of the god 
Shu who placeth     himself to protect Osiris" is thy name. The posts of 
this door say:    "We will not let thee pass in by us unless thou tellest 
our name."     [And I reply], "Children of the uraei-goddesses" is your 
name. The     Doorkeeper of this door saith: "I will not open to thee, and 
I will    not let thee enter in by me unless thou tellest my name. [And I        
reply], "Ox of Keb" is thy name. [And they reply], "Thou knowest us,   
pass in therefore by us." The ground of this Hall of Maati saith: "I   
will not let thee tread upon me [unless thou tellest me my name],      for 
I am silent. I am holy because I know the names of two feet        
wherewith thou wouldst walk upon me. Declare, then, them to me."      [And 
I reply], "Besu-Ahu" is the name of my right foot, and            
"Unpet-ent-Het-Heru" is the name of my left foot. [The ground          
replieth]: "Thou knowest us, enter in therefore over us." The          
Doorkeeper of this Hall of Maati saith: "I will not announce thee      
unless thou tellest my name." [And I reply], "Discerner of hearts,     
searcher of bellies" is thy name. [The Doorkeeper saith]: "Thou        
shalt be announced." [He saith]: "Who is the god who dwelleth in his   
hour? Speak it" [And I reply], "Au-taui." [He saith]: "Explain who     he 
is." [And I reply], "Au-taui" is Thoth. "Come now," saith Thoth,    "for 
what purpose hast thou come?" [And I reply]: "I have come, and    have 
journeyed hither that my name may be announced [to the god]."     [Thoth 
saith]: "In what condition art thou?" [And I reply], "I, even   I, am 
purified from evil defects, and I am wholly free from the curses  of those 
who live in their days, and I am not one of their number."    [Thoth 
saith]: "Therefore shall [thy name] be announced to the god."        

[Thoth saith]: "Tell me, who is he whose heaven is of fire, whose      
walls are living serpents, and whose ground is a stream of water?      Who 
is he?" [And I reply], "He is Osiris." [Thoth saith]: "Advance     now, 
[thy name] shall be announced to him. Thy cakes shall come from  the 
Utchat (Eye of Horus or Ra), thy ale shall come from the Utchat,   and the 
offerings which shall appear to thee at the word upon earth    [shall 
proceed] from the Utchat." This is what Osiris hath decreed for  the 
steward of the overseer of the seal, Nu, whose word is truth.          
  RUBRIC: THE MAKING OF THE REPRESENTATION OF WHAT SHALL HAPPEN IN     
THIS HALL OF MAATI. This Chapter shall be said by the deceased when he  is 
cleansed and purified, and is arrayed in linen apparel, and is shod  with 
sandals of white leather, and his eyes are painted with antimony, and his 
body is anointed with unguent made of myrrh. And he shall      present as 
offerings oxen, and feathered fowl, and incense, and        cakes and ale, 
and garden herbs. And behold, thou shalt draw a         representation of 
this in colour upon a new tile moulded from earth   upon which neither a 
pig nor any other animal hath trodden. And if     this book be done [in 
writing, the deceased] shall flourish, and his   children shall flourish, 
and [his name] shall never fall into          oblivion, and he shall be as 
one who filleth the heart of the king and of his princes. And bread, and 
cakes, and sweetmeats, and wine, and    pieces of flesh shall be given 
unto him [from among those which are]   upon the altar of the Great God. 
And he shall not be driven back       from any door in Amentet, and he 
shall be led along with the kings     of the South and the kings of the 
North, and he shall be among the     bodyguard of Osiris, continually and 
regularly for ever. [And he shall  come forth in every form he pleaseth as 
a living soul for ever, and    ever, and ever.]                                                           
 DEIFICATION OF THE MEMBERS 

 THE CHAPTER OF THE DEIFICATION OF THE MEMBERS 
  The hair of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the hair of Nu.       
  The face of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the face of Ra.       
  The eyes of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the eyes of     
Hathor.                                                                    
  The ears of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the ears of     
Up-uatu.                                                                   
  The lips of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the lips of     
Anpu.                                                                      
  The teeth of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the teeth of   
Serqet.                                                                    
  The cheeks of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the cheeks of  
Isis.                                                                      
  The arms of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the arms of     
Ba-neb-Tetu.                                                               
  The neck of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the neck of      
Uatchit.                                                                   
  The throat of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the throat     of 
Mert.                                                                   

  The breast of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the breast     of 
the Lady of Sais.                                                       
  The backbone of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the backbone  of 
Set.                                                                    
  The trunk of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the trunk of    the 
Lords of Kher-aha.                                                     
  The flesh of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the flesh of    
Aa-shefit.                                                                 
  The belly of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the belly of    
Sekhmet.                                                                   
  The buttocks of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the         
buttocks of the Eye of Horus.                                               
  The phallus of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, is the phallus   of 
Osiris.                                                                 
  The thighs of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the thighs of  
Nut.                                                                       
  The feet of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the feet of     
Ptah.                                                                      
  The fingers of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the          
fingers of Saah.                                                           
  The toes of the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, are the toes of the  
Living Uraei.                                                              
                                                                            
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Pyramid of Pepi I, ll. 565ff.)                                  
  The head of this Meri-Ra is the head of Horus; he cometh forth       
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The skull of this Pepi is the Dekan star of the god; he cometh forth  
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The brow of this Meri-Ra is the brow of..... and Nu; he cometh forth  
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The face of this Pepi is the face of Up-uatu; he cometh forth        
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The eyes of this Meri-Ra are the eyes of the Great Lady, the first   of 
the Souls of Anu; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into      
heaven.                                                                    
  The nose of this Pepi is the nose of Thoth; he cometh forth          
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The mouth of this Meri-Ra is the mouth of Khens-ur; he cometh        
forth therefore, and ascendeth therefore, and ascendeth therefore into  
heaven.                                                                    
  The tongue of this Pepi is the tongue of Maaa (Truth) in the Maat    
Boat; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                  
  The teeth of this Pepi are the teeth of the Souls of [Anu]; he       
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                           
  The lips of this Meri-Ra are the lips of........; he cometh forth    
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The chin of this Pepi is the chin of Nest-khent-Sekhem (the throne   of 
the First Lady of Sekhem); he cometh forth therefore and            
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  The thes bone of this Pepi is the thes bone of the Bull Sma; he      
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                           
  The soulders of this Pepi are the shoulders of Set; he cometh        
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                  
  [The...... of this Pepi].........; he cometh forth therefore and     
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  [The......of this Pepi] ........of Baabu; he cometh forth            
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The breast of this Meri-Ra is the breast of Bast; he cometh forth    
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The belly of this Meri-Ra is the belly of Nut; he cometh forth       
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  [The........of this Pepi] ........; he cometh forth therefore and    
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  [The........of this Pepi] .......of the two Companies of the gods;   he 
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                        
  The two thighs of this Pepi are the two thighs of Heqet; he cometh   
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                  
  The buttocks of this Meri-Ra are like the Semktet Boat and the       
Mantchet Boat; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.         
  The phallus of this Pepi is the phallus of the Hep Bull; he cometh   
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                  
  The legs of this Meri-Ra are the legs of Net (Neith) and Serqet;     he 
cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                        
  The knees of this Meri-Ra are the knees of the twin Souls who are at  
the head of the Sekhet-Tcher; he cometh forth therefore and            
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  The soles of this Meri-Ra are like the Maati Boat; he cometh forth   
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  The toes of this Pepi are the toes of the Souls of Anu; he cometh    
forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                  
  Now this Pepi is a god, the son of a god; he cometh forth            
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  This Pepi is the son of Ra, who loveth him; he cometh forth          
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  Ra hath sent forth Meri-Ra; he cometh forth therefore and            
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  Ra hath begotten [this] Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and          
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  Ra hath given birth to Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth  
into heaven.                                                               
  This spell therefore is in the body of Meri-Ra; he cometh forth      
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  This Meri-Ra is the Power, the Great Power, among the Great          
Council of Chiefs in Anu; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into  
heaven.                                                                    
  He worketh the boat; Pepi cometh forth therefore and ascendeth       
into heaven.                                                               
  [Pepi is] Horus, the nursling, the child; Meri-Ra cometh forth       
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                   
  Pepi hath not had union with Nut, she hath not given her hands to    
him; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                   
  Keb hath not removed the obstacles in his path; he cometh forth      
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  No god hath smitten the steps of this Meri-Ra; he come forth         
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                        
  [Though] Pepi is not censed is not mourned, hath not washed          
himself in the vessel, hath not smelt the haunch, hath not carried the  
meat-offering, hath not ploughed the earth, hath not dedicated an      
offering, he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.             
  Behold, it is not this Pepi who hath said these things to you, O     ye 
gods, it is Heka who hath said these things to you, O ye gods,      and 
this Meri-Ra is the support which is under Heka; he cometh forth   
therefore and ascendeth into heaven.                                       
  Every god smiteth the feet of Pepi; he cometh forth therefore and    
ascendeth into heaven.                                                     
  He plougheth the earth, he dedicateth an offering, he bringeth the   
vessel of [blood], he smelleth the haunch, and he bringeth the meat    
offering; he cometh forth therefore and ascendeth into heaven.              
  Every god graspeth the hand of Meri-Ra in heaven,                         
      He conducteth him to the House of Horus in the sky.                    
The word of his Double is truth before Keb.                           
 THE CHAPTER OF REPULSING SLAUGHTER IN HENSU 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 6)                                         
  THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING BACK THE SLAUGHTERS WHICH ARE PERFORMED IN    
HENSU. The Osiris Nu, whose word is truth, saith:- O thou land of      the 
Sceptre! O thou White Crown of the divine form! O thou rest of the  
ferry-boat! I am the Child. (Repeat four times). Hail, Abu-ur! Thou   
sayest daily: "The slaughter-block is made ready as thou knowest,      and 
thou hast come to destruction." I am Ra, who stablisheth those who  praise 
him. I am the Knot of the god in the Aser tree, the twice       beautiful 
one, who is more splendid to-day than yesterday. (Repeat    four times). I 
am Ra, who stablisheth those who praise him. I am the   Knot of the god 
within the Aser tree, and my appearance is the         appearance [of Ra] 
on this day.                                            
  My hair is the hair of Nu. My face is the face of the Disk. My       
eyes are the eyes of Hathor. My ears are the ears of Up-uat. My nose   is 
the nose of Khenti-Khabas. My lips are the lips of Anpu. My teeth   are 
the teeth of Serqet. My cheeks are the cheeks of the goddess Isis. My 
hands are the hands of Ba-neb-Tet. My forearms are the forearms     of 
Neith, the Lady of Sais. My backbone is the backbone of Suti. My    
phallus is the phallus of Beba. My reins are the reins of the Lords of  
Kher-aha. My chest is the chest of Aa-shefit. My belly and back are   the 
belly and back of Sekhmet. My buttocks are the buttocks of the Eye  of 
Horus. My hips and legs are the hips and legs of Nut. My feet are   the 
feet of Ptah. [My fingers] and my toes are the [fingers and]       toes of 
the Living gods. There is no member of my body which is not   the member 
of a god. Thoth protecteth my body altogether, and I am     Ra day by day. 
I shall not be dragged back by my arms, and none        shall lay violent 
hold upon my hands. And shall do me hurt neither     men, nor gods, nor 
the Spirit-souls, nor the dead, nor any man, nor   any pat-spirit, nor any 
rekhit-spirit, nor any hememet-spirit.              
  I am he who cometh forth advancing, whose name is unknown. I am      
Yesterday. "Seer of Millions of Years" is my name. I pass along, I     
pass along the paths of the divine celestial judges. I am the Lord     of 
Eternity: I decree and I judge like Khepera. I am the Lord of the  Urrt 
Crown. I am he who dwelleth in the Utchat and in the Egg, and     it is 
granted unto me to live therein. I am he who dwelleth in the     Utchat 
when it closeth, and I exist by the strength thereof. I come    forth and 
I shine; I enter in and I come to life. I am in the         Utchat, my 
seat is upon my throne, and I sit in the tent chamber       before it. I 
am Horus. [I] traverse millions of years. I have          decreed [the 
stablishing] of my throne, and I am the ruler thereof;    and in very 
truth my mouth keepeth an even balance both in speech     and in silence. 
In very truth my forms are inverted. I am Un-Nefer,    from one period 
even unto another, and what I have is within me. I     am the only One, 
who proceedeth from an only One, who goeth round      about in his course. 
I am he who dwelleth in the Utchat. No evil thing of any shape or kind 
shall spring up against me, and no baleful        object, and no harmful 
thing, and no disastrous thing shall happen     unto me. I open the door 
in heaven. I rule my throne. I open the way   for the births which take 
place on this day. I am the child who       traverseth the road of 
Yesterday. I am To-day for untold nations and   peoples. I am he who 
protecteth you for millions of years. Whether     ye be denizens of 
heaven, or of the earth, or of the South, or of      the North, or of the 
East, or of the West, the fear of me is in your  bodies. I am he whose 
being hath been wrought in his eye. I shall      not die again. My moment 
is in your bodies, but my forms are in my     place of habitation. I am 
"He who cannot be known." The Red Fiends     have their faces directed 
against me. I am the unveiled one. The           
period when the heavens were created for me and were enlarged the      
bounds of earth, and multiplied the progeny thereof, cannot be found   
out. They shall fail and not be united again. By reason of the         
speech which I address to you, my name setteth itself apart from all  
things evil which are in the mouths of men. I am he who riseth and     
shineth, a wall which cometh out of a wall, an only One who proceedeth  
from an only One. There is never a day that passeth without the things  
which appertain unto him being therein; passing, passing, passing,    
passing. Verily I say unto thee, I am the Plant which cometh forth     
from Nu, and my mother is Nut. Hail, my creator, I am he who hath no   
power to walk, the Great Knot who dwelleth in Yesterday. The might     of 
my strength is within my hand, I am not known [by thee], but I am  he who 
knoweth thee. I cannot be held in the hand, but I am he who can  hold thee 
in his hand. Hail, O Egg! Hail, O Egg! I am Horus who liveth  for millions 
of years, whose flame shineth upon you, and bringeth your  hearts unto me. 
I am master of my throne. I advance at this season.   I have opened a 
path. I have delivered myself from all evil things.    I am the golden 
dog-headed ape, three palms and two fingers [high],    which hath neither 
arms nor legs, and which dwelleth in Het-ka-Ptah. I  go forth as goeth 
forth the dog-headed ape who dwelleth in            Het-ka-Ptah.                                                                
  RUBRIC: Behold the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, arrayed in       
fine linen, and shod with sandals of white [leather], and anointed     
with the very finest myrrh unguent. There are offered unto him a       
fine bull, and incense, and ra geese, and flowers, and ale, and cakes, and 
garden herbs. And behold, thou shalt draw a representation of a    table 
of offerings on a clean tile with pure colours, and thou shalt   bury it 
in a field whereon no swine hath trodden. And if a copy of     this book 
be written upon it, he shall rise [again], and his          children's 
children shall flourish and prosper, like unto Ra,          without 
cessation. He shall be in high favour with the king, and       with the 
shenit nobles of his court, and there shall be given unto him  cakes and 
cups of drink, and portions of flesh, upon the altar-table  of the Great 
God. He shall not thrust aside at any door in Amentet; he  shall travel in 
the train of the Kings of the South and the Kings of   the North, and he 
shall abide with the followers of Osiris near        Un-Nefer, for ever, 
and for ever, and for ever.                            
 Vignette 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheet 24)                                        
  The steward of the overseer of the seal, Nu, whose word is truth,    
begotten of the steward of the overseer of the seal, Amen-hetep, whose  
word is truth, saith:- Hail, ye Four Apes who sit in the bows of the   
Boat of Ra, who convey truth to Nebertcher, who sit in judgment on the 
oppressed man and on [his] oppressor, who make the gods to be          
contented by means of the flame of your mouths, who offer holy         
offerings to the gods, and sepulchral meals to the Spirit-souls, who   
live upon truth, and who feed upon truth of heart, who are without    
deceit and fraud, and to whom wickedness is an abomination, do ye away  
with my evil deeds, and put ye away my sins [which deserved stripes    
upon earth, and destroy ye every evil thing which appertaineth to me],  
and let there be no obstacle whatsoever on my part towards you. O     
grant ye that I may make my way through the Amehet, let me enter       
into Rasta, let me pass through the hidden pylons of Ament. O grant    
that there may be given unto me shens cakes, and ale, and persen       
cakes, even as to the living Spirit-souls, and grant that I may       
enter into and come forth from Rasta.                                       
  [The Four Apes make answer, saying]: Come thou, for we have done     
away with thy wickedness, and we have put away thy sin, along with thy  
sins upon earth which deserved stripes, and we have destroyed every    
evil thing which appertained to thee upon earth. Enter, therefore,    unto 
Rasta, and pass through the hidden pylons of Amentet, and there   shall be 
given unto thee shens cakes, and ale, and persen cakes, and   thou shalt 
come forth and shalt enter in at thy desire, even as do     those who are 
favoured [of the God], and thou shalt be called [to     partake of 
offerings] each day in the horizon.                              
 THE TET OF GOLD 

  THE CHAPTER OF A TET OF GOLD. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth,   
saith:- Thou risest up for thyself, O Still-heart! Thou shinest for    
thyself, O Still-heart! Place thou thyself on thy base, I come, I      
bring unto thee a Tet of gold, thou shalt rejoice therein.                                                                                   
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nebseni and the Papyrus of Nu)                       
  Rise up thou, O Osiris, thou hast thy backbaone, O Still-heart, thou  
hast thy neck vertebrae and thy back, O Still-heart! Place thou        
thyself on thy base. I put water beneath thee, and I bring unto thee a  
Tet of god that thou mayest rejoice therein.                               
  RUBRIC (From the Papyrus of Nu): [This Chapter] shall be recited     
over a Tet of gold set in a stand made of sycamore wood which hath     
been steeped in a tincture of ankhamu flowers, and it shall be         
placed on the neck of the deceased on the day of the funeral. If      this 
amulet be placed on his neck he shall become a perfect Khu in     
Khert-Neter, and at the festivals of the New Year he shall be like     
unto the Followers of Osiris continually and for ever.                      
  RUBRIC (From the Turin Papyrus): [This Chapter] shall be said over a  
Tet of gold fashioned out of the trunk of a sycamore tree, and it      
shall be placed on the neck of the deceased. Then shall he enter in    
through the doors of the Tuat. His words whall be silenced. He shall  
place himself on the ground on New Year's Day among the Followers of   
Osiris.                                                                    
  If this Chapter be known by the deceased he shall live like a        
perfect Khu in Khert-Neter. He shall not be sent back from the doors   of 
Amentet. There shall be given to him the shens cake, and a cup of   wine, 
and the persen cake, and slices of meat on the altars of Ra,     or as 
some read, Osiris Un-Nefer. And his word shall be truth before   his 
enemies in Khert-Neter continually, and for ever and for ever.          
 THE TET OF RED STONE 

  THE CHAPTER OF A TET OF CARNELIAN. The Osiris Ani, whose word is     
truth, saith:- The blood of Isis, the spells of Isis, the magical      
powers of Isis, shall make this great one strong, and shall be an      
amulet of protection [against him] that would do to him the things    
which he abominateth.                                                       
 APPENDIX 

  RUBRIC (From the Papyrus of Nu): [This Chapter] shall be said over a  
Tet of carnelian, which hath been washed in a tincture of ankhamu      
flowers, and is fashioned out of the trunk of a sycamore tree. It      
shall be placed on the neck of the deceased on the day of the funeral. If 
this be done for him the magical powers of Isis will protect his    
members. Horus, the son of Isis, shall rejoice when he seeth him. [No]  
road shall be blocked to him. His hand shall be to heaven, his hand    
shall be to earth, for ever. Do not let anyone see him. Verily....         
  RUBRIC (From the Saite Recension): [This Chapter] shall be said over  a 
Tet of carnelian, anointed with a tincture of ankhamu flowers,       made 
from the trunk of a sycamore tree. It shall be placed on the neck  of the 
Khu. If this book be done for him, the magical spells of Isis   shall 
protect him, and Horus the son of Isis shall rejoice [when] he   seeth 
him. No road shall be blocked to him. His hand shall be to       heaven, 
his hand shall be to earth....... If this book be known by him  he shall 
be in the following of Osiris Un-Nefer, and his word shall be  truth in 
Khert-Neter. The doors in Khert-Neter shall be opened to him.  Wheat and 
barley shall be given to him in Sekhet-Aanru. His name shall  be like [the 
names of] the gods who are there, the Followers of        Horus who reap.                                                       
 HEART OF SEHERT STONE 

  THE CHAPTER OF A HEART OF SEHERT STONE. The Osiris Ani, whose word   is 
truth, saith:- I am the Benu bird, the Heart-soul of Ra, the        guide 
of the gods to the Tuat. Their Heart-souls come forth upon earth  to do 
what their KAU wish to do, and the Heart-soul of the Osiris     Ani shall 
come forth to do what his Ka wisheth to do.                       
 THE HEAD REST 

  THE CHAPTER OF THE HEAD-REST, which is to be placed under the head   of 
the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth. Awake out of thy sufferings, O  thou 
who liest prostrate! Awake thou! Thy head is in the horizon. I    lift 
thee up, O thou whose word is truth. Ptah hath overthrown thine  enemies 
for thee. Thine enemies have fallen, and they shall never more  exist, O 
Osiris.                                                           
  APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nebseni, Sheet 21)                                   
  THE CHAPTER OF THE HEAD-REST [OR PILLOW]. Awake out of thy           
sufferings, O thou who liest prostrate. They (the gods) keep watch     
over thy head in the horizon. Thou art lifted up, thy word is truth in  
respect of the things which have been done by thee. Ptah hath cast    down 
headlong thine enemies. This work was ordered to be done for      thee. 
Thou art Horus, the son of Hathor, Nesert, Nesertet, who         giveth 
back the head after it hath been cut off. Thy head shall not be  carried 
away from thee, after [it hath been cut off]; thy head shall  be carried 
away from thee, never, never!                                    
 THE TEXTS IN THE FUNERAL CHAMBER 

  SPEECH OF ISIS. Isis saith:- I have come to be a protector unto      
thee. I waft unto thee air for thy nostrils, and the north wind        
which cometh forth from the god Tem unto thy nose. I have made whole   for 
thee thy windpipe. I make thee to live like a god. Thine enemies  have 
fallen under thy feet. I have made thy word to be true before     Nut, and 
thou art mighty before the gods.                                   
  SPEECH OF NEPHTHYS. Nephthys saith unto the Osiris Ani, whose word   is 
truth:- I go round about thee to protect thee, O brother Osiris.    I have 
come to be a protector unto thee. [My strength shall be near    thee, my 
strength shall be near thee, for ever. Ra hath heard thy cry, and the gods 
have made thy word to be truth. Thou art raised up. Thy   word is truth in 
respect of what hath been done unto thee. Ptah hath   overthrown thy foes, 
and thou art Horus, the son of Hathor.]                
  SPEECH OF THE TET. I have come quickly, and I have driven back the   
footsteps of th god whose face is hidden. I have illumined his         
sanctuary. I stand near the god Tet on the day of repelling            
disaster. I watch to protect thee, O Osiris.                               
  SPEECH OF KESTA (Mesta). I am Kesta, thy son, O Osiris Ani, whose    
word is truth. I come to protect thee. I will make thy house to        
flourish, permanently, even as Ptah hath commanded me, and as Ra       
himself hath commanded.                                                    
  SPEECH OF HAPI. I am Hapi, thy son, O Osiris Ani, whose word is      
truth. I come to protect thee. I bind together thy head and the        
members of thy body. I smite down for thee thine enemies under thee. I  
give unto thee thy head for ever and for ever, O Osiris Ani, whose    word 
is truth, whose word is truth in peace.                                
  SPEECH OF TUAMUTEF. Tuamutef saith:- I am thy son Horus, who         
loveth thee. I come to avenge thee, O my father Osiris, upon him       
that did evil unto thee. I have set him under thy feet for ever and    for 
ever, permanently, permanently, O Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, whose 
word is truth.                                                        
  SPEECH OF QEBHSENUF. Qebsenuf saith:- I am thy son, O Osiris Ani,    
whose word is truth. I come to protect thee. I have collected thy      
bones and I have gathered together thy members. [I have brought thy    
heart, and I have placed it upon its throne within thy body. I make   thy 
house to flourish after thee, O thou who livest for ever.]              
  SPEECH OF THE FLAME. I protect thee with this flame. I drive him     
[the foe] away from the valley of the tomb. I cast the sand about [thy  
feet]. I embrace the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace.             
  SPEECH OF THE FLAME. I come to hew in pieces. I have not been hewn   in 
pieces, and I will not permit thee to be hewn in pieces. I come     to do 
violence [to thy foe], but I will not permit violence to be done  unto 
thee. I protect thee.                                                 
  A SOUL SAITH:- The Osiris Ani, whose is truth, praiseth Ra when he   
rolleth up into the sky in the eastern horizon of heaven.                   
  A SOUL SAITH:- The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, in peace in      
Khert-Neter, praiseth Ra when he setteth in the western horizon of     
heaven, [and saith], "I am a perfect soul."                                
  SPEECH OF ANI. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am a   
perfect soul dwelling in the divine egg of the Abtu Fish. I am the     
Great Cat which dwelleth in the Seat of Truth, wherein the god Shu     
riseth.                                                                    
  SPEECH OF THE USHABTI FIGURE [THE CHAPTER OF NOT DOING WORK IN       
KHERT-NETER]. Illumine the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth. Hail,      
Shabti Figure! If the Osiris Ani be decreed to do any of the work      
which is to be done in Khert-Neter, let everything which standeth in  the 
way be removed from him- whether it be to plough the fields, or to  fill 
the channels with water, or to carry sand from [the East to the   West]. 
The Shabti Figure replieth: I will do it, verily I am here      [when] 
thou callest.                                                       
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu and the Papyrus of Nebseni)                       
  The Speech of Anpu:  Anubis the dweller in the mummy chamber,        
Governor of the Divine House, layeth his hands upon the lord of        
life, the scribe, the draughtsman of Ptah, Nebseni, the lord of        
fealty, begotten of the scribe and mason Thena, born of the lady of   the 
house Mut-rest, whose word is truth, and devoting himself to him   as his 
guardian, saith:- Homage to thee, thou happy one, lord! Thou    seest the 
Utchat. Ptah-Seker hath bound thee up. Anpu hath exalted     thee. Shu 
hath raised thee up, O Beautiful Face, thou governor of      eternity. 
Thou hast thine eye, O scribe Nebseni, lord of fealty, and   it is 
beautiful. Thy right eye is like the Sektet Boat, thy left eye   is like 
the Atet Boat. Thine eyebrows are fair to see in the           presence of 
the Company of the Gods. Thy brow is under the            protection of 
Anpu, and thy head and face, O beautiful one, are before  the holy Hawk. 
Thy fingers have been stablished by thy scribe's        craft in the 
presence of the Lord of Khemenu, Thoth, who hath bestowed  upon thee the 
knowledge of the speech of the holy books. Thy beard     is beautiful in 
the sight of Ptah-Seker, and thou, O scribe Nebseni,   thou lord of 
fealty, art beautiful before the Great Company of the     Gods. The Great 
God looketh upon thee, and he leadeth thee along the   path of happiness. 
Sepulchral meals are bestowed upon thee, and he     overthroweth for thee 
thine enemies, setting them under thy feet in    the presence of the Great 
Company of the Gods who dwell in the House   of the Great Aged One which 
is in Anu.                                     
 SEKHET HETEPET 

  [HERE] BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF SEKHET-HETEPET, AND THE CHAPTERS OF     
COMING FORTH BY DAY, OF ENTERING INTO AND COMING FORTH FROM            
KHERT-NETER, OF ARRIVING IN SEKHET-AANRU, AND OF LIVING IN PEACE IN    THE 
GREAT CITY, THE LADY OF WINDS. [The Osiris the scribe Ani, whose  word is 
truth, saith:-] Let me be master there. Let me be a khu there.  Let me 
plough there. Let me reap there. Let me eat there. Let me drink  there. 
[Let me beget there]. Let me do there all the things which      one doeth 
upon earth. The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:-    Horus 
vanquished Set when [he] looked at the building of               
Sekhet-Hetepet. [He] spread air over the Divine Soul in its Egg, in    its 
day. He delivered the interior of the body of Horus [from the      Akeru 
Gods]. I have crowned him in the House of Shu. His house is     the stars. 
Behold, I take up my place in its nomes. He hath guided the  hearts of the 
Company of the Firstborn Gods. He hath reconciled the    Two Fighters 
(Horus and Set), the guardians of life. He hath done what  is fair, 
bringing an offering. He hath reconciled the Two Fighters    with him that 
belongeth to them. He hath cut off the hairy scalp of    the Two Fighters. 
He hath destroyed the revolts of [their] children. I      
have done away all the evil which attacked their souls. I am master in  
[Sekhet-Hetepet]. I know it. I have sailed over its lakes that I might  
arrive at the cities thereof. I have made strong my mouth. The         
Spirit-souls are ready [to fight], but they shall not gain the mastery 
over me. I am equipped in thy Fields, O god Hetep. What thou wishest   
thou shalt do, [saith this god].                                            
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nebseni, Sheet 17)                                   
  HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF SEKHET-HETEPET, AND THE CHAPTERS OF       
COMING FORTH BY DAY; OF GOING INTO AND OF COMING FORTH FROM            
KHERT-NETER; OF ARRIVAL IN SEKHET-AARU; OF LIVING IN SEKHET-HETEPET,   THE 
MIGHTY CITY, THE LADY OF WINDS; OF HAVING POWER THEREIN; OF       BECOMING 
A SPIRIT-SOUL THERE; OF PLOUGHING THERE; OF REAPING THERE; OF  EATING 
THERE; OF DRINKING THERE; OF MAKING LOVE THERE; AND OF DOING    EVERYTHING 
THERE EVEN AS A MAN DOETH UPON EARTH. NEBSENI, THE SCRIBE   AND 
DRAUGHTSMAN OF PTAH, SAITH:- Set vanguished Horus, who was looking  at the 
building in Sekhet-Hetepet. I set free Horus from Set. Set      opened the 
paths of the Two Eyes (the Sun and Moon) in the sky. Set    ejected water 
with air upon the soul of his Eye, which dwelt in the    town of Mert; he 
delivered the interior of the body of Horus from     the hands of the 
Akeru Gods. Behold me! I paddle this great boat       over the Lake of the 
god Hetep; I seized upon it in the mansion of     Shu. The mansion of his 
stars reneweth youth, reneweth youth. I paddle  over the Lakes thereof so 
that I may arrive at the towns thereof. I   sail up to the town of the god 
Hetep.... Behold, I am at peace with    his times, and with his guidance, 
and with his will, and with the      Company of the Gods, who are his 
firstborn. He maketh the Two Fighters  (Horus and Set) to be at peace 
[with each other], and to keep ward    over the living whom he hath 
created in fair form, and he bringeth     peace; he maketh the Two 
Fighters to be at peace with those who        watch over them. He cutteth 
off the hair from their divine fighters,   he driveth away storm from the 
children. He guardeth from attack the  Spirits. I have gained power 
therein. I know it. I have sailed over    its Lakes so that I might arrive 
at its towns. My mouth is strong. I   am equipped against the Spirits. 
They shall not gain the mastery       over me. I am rewarded [with] these 
thy Fields, O god Hetep. What thou  wishest that do thou, O lord of the 
winds. I shall be a spirit         therein. I shall eat therein. I shall 
drink therein. I shall plough    therein. I shall reap the grain therein. 
I shall be strong therein.    I shall make love therein. My words shall be 
strong therein. I shall   not be in subjection therein. I shall be a man 
of might therein.       Thou hast made strong the mouth and throat. Hetep 
Qettbu is its        name. [It is] stablished upon the pillars of Shu, and 
is linked with   the pleasant things of Ra. He is the divider of years, 
the hidden of   mouth; silent is his mouth, hidden is what he uttereth, he             
fulfilleth eternity, he taketh possession of everlastingness of        
existence as Hetep, Neb-Hetep. Horus maketh himself strong like unto a  
hawk which is one thousand cubits in length, and two thousand cubits   in 
life. He that equipments with him, he journeyeth on, he cometh to   the 
place where his heart would be, among the Lakes which are in its   towns. 
He begetteth in the birth-chamber of the god of the town, he is  satisfied 
with the food of the god of the town; he doeth what ought to  be done 
there, in the Field of Smas-er-Khet..... everything of the     
birth-chamber of the god of the town. Now [when he] setteth in the     
[land of] life like crystal he performeth everything therein, [which   
things are] like unto the things done in the Lake Neserser, wherein    
there is none that rejoiceth, and wherein are evil things of all      
kinds. The god Hetep goeth in and cometh out, and marcheth hither           
and thither in the Field of Smas-er-Khet, the Lady of the              
birth-chamber of the god of the town. [Let me] live with the god       
Hetep, clothed, and not despoiled by the Lords of the North, and may   the 
Lord of things bring food unto me. May he make me to go forward.   May I 
come forth. May he bring to me my Power there, may I receive it,  and may 
I be rewarded by the god Hetep. May I be master of the great   and mighty 
word in my body in this my place. Make me to remember it.   Let me [not] 
forget it. Let me go forward, let me plough. I am at      peace with the 
god of the town. I know the water, the towns, the       nomes, and the 
lakes which are in Sekhet-Hetepet. I live therein. I am  strong therein. I 
shine therein. I eat therein. I..... therein. I reap  the harvest therein. 
I plough therein. I beget children therein. I     am at peace therein with 
the god Hetep. Behold I sow seed therein. I   sail about on the lakes 
thereof, and I arrive at its towns, O god      Hetep. Behold my mouth is 
equipped, it possesseth horns . Give unto me  the abundance of the KAU 
(Doubles) and Spirit-souls. He who counteth   me is Shu. I know him not. I 
come to its towns. I sail over its lakes.  I walk about in Sekhet-Hetepet. 
Behold, it is Ra who is in heaven.     Behold, it is Hetep [who is] its 
double offering of peace. I have      advanced to its territory. I have 
put on my apparel. I have come      forth. I have given what it was upon 
me to give. I have made glad in   [my] heart. I have conquered. I am 
strong. I have given directions     to Hetep.                                                                  
  [Hail], Unen-em-hetep, I have come to thee. My soul followeth me.    The 
god Hu is on my hands. [Hail], Nebt-taui, in whom I remember and   forget, 
I have become alive. I have attacked none, let none attack me.  I have 
given, give thou to me gladness. Make thou me to be at peace,  bind thou 
up my veins, let [me] receive air. [Hail], Unen-em-hetep,    the Lord of 
Winds. I have come there. I have opened my head. Ra        sleepeth. I 
watch not, [for] the goddess Hetemet is at the door of     heaven by 
night. Obstacles have been put before, but I have           collected his 
emissions. I am in my city. O Nut-urt (Great City), I    have come into 
thee. I have counted up my abundant stores. I advance   on my way to Uakh. 
I am the Bull which is tied with a rope of          lapis-lazuli, the lord 
of the Field of the Bull, the lord of the words  of the god, the goddess 
Septet (Sothis) at her hours. O Uakh, I have   come into thee. I have 
eaten my food. I am master of choice pieces     of the flesh of oxen and 
of feathered fowl, and the birds of Shu       have been given unto me. I 
follow the gods, and I come [after the      Doubles]. O Tcheft, I have 
come into thee. I array myself in           apparel, and I gird about 
myself the sat garment of Ra. Behold the     Court of the sky, and the 
followers of Ra who dwell in heaven. O       Un-em-hetep, the lord of the 
Two Lands, I have come into thee. I       have plunged into the Lakes of 
Tchesert; behold, impurity of every     kind hath removed from me. The 
divine Great One flourisheth therein.   Behold, I have found [him]. I have 
netted geese, and have fed full     upon the finest of them. O Qenqentet, 
I have come into thee. I have   seen the Osiris [my father]. I have 
saluted my mother. I have begotten  children. I have snared the serpents, 
and I am delivered. I know the   name of the god who is with the goddess 
Tchesert, and who hath         straight hair, and is equipped with horns 
[ready to gore]. He reapeth,  and I both plough and reap. O Hetemet, I 
have entered into thee. I     have approached the lapis-lazuli. I have 
followed the winds of the     Company of the Gods. The Great God hath 
given my head unto me. He      who hath bound my head on my body for me is 
the Mighty One, with      eyes of lapis-lazuli, namely, Ari-en-ab-f ("He 
doeth as he pleaseth").  O Usert, I have come into thee, to the house 
wherein food is brought   unto me. O Smam, I have come into thee. My heart 
watcheth, my head     is equipped with the White Crown. I act as the guide 
of the           celestial beings. I make to flourish terrestrial beings. 
There is           
joy of heart for the Bull, and for the celestial beings, and for the   
Company of the Gods. I am the god, the Bull, the Lord of the gods, who  
maketh his way over the turquoise. O wheat and barley of the nome of   the 
god, I have come into thee. I have come forward. I have lifted    [you] 
up, following the best offerings of the Company of the Gods. I   have 
moored my boat to the tying-up post in the lakes of the celestial  beings. 
I have pulled up the typing-up post. I have recited words, and  I have 
ascribed praises unto the gods who dwell in Sekhet-Hetepet.         
 PROVIDING THE DECEASED WITH MEAT MILK ETC. 

  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- Homage to thee, O Ra,   the 
Lord of Truth, the Only One, the Lord of Eternity and Maker of     
Everlastingness. I have come before thee, O my Lord Ra. I would make   to 
flourish the Seven Cows and their Bull. O ye who give cakes and ale to the 
Spirit-souls, grant ye that my soul may be with you. Let him be  born on 
your thighs. Let him be like unto one of you for ever and      for ever. 
Let the Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, have glorious power  in the 
Beautiful Amentet.                                                  
  The Names of the Seven Holy Cows and their Bull:                          
  1. Het-Kau Nebtertcher.                                                   
  2. Akertkhentetasts.                                                      
  3. Khebitetsahneter.                                                      
  4. Urmertusteshertshenti.                                                 
  5. Khnemtemankhanuit.                                                     
  6. Sekhmetrensemabats.                                                    
  7. Shenatpetuthestneter.                                                  
  Bull:  Kathaihemt.                                                        
 ADDRESSES TO THE FOUR RUDDERS OF HEAVEN 
                                  
  Hail, thou Beautiful Power, thou Beautiful Rudder of the Northern    
Heaven.                                                                    
  Hail, thou who circlest, Guide of the Two Lands, Beautiful Rudder of  
the Western Heaven.                                                        
  Hail, Splendour, Dweller in the temple of the Ashemu gods, Beautiful  
Rudder of the Eastern Heaven.                                               
  Hail, Dweller in the temple of the Red gods, Beautiful Rudder of the  
Southern Heaven.                                                           
 ADDRESSES TO THE FOUR COMAPNIES OF THE GODS 
     
  Hail, ye gods who are above the earth, ye Guides of the Tuat.             
  Hail, ye Mother-goddesses, who are above the earth in Khert-Neter,   in 
the House of Osiris.                                                    
  Hail, ye gods who guide Ta-tchesert, who are above the earth and are  
guides of the Tuat.                                                        
  Hail, ye Followers of Ra, who follow in the train of Osiris.              
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Nu)                                                  
  RUBRIC: [These words] shall be said when Ra appeareth over [figures]  of 
these gods written in colour upon a tablet, and thou shalt place    
offerings of tchefau food before them, cakes, ale, flesh, geese, and   
incense. They shall cause the deceased to enjoy the "offerings which  come 
forth at the word [of command]" before Ra; and they shall give    the 
deceased an abundance of food in Khert-Neter, and shall deliver    him 
from every evil thing whatsoever. And thou shalt not recite this   Book of 
Un-Nefer in the presence of anyone except thine own self. If   this be 
done for the deceased Ra shall be a rudder for him, and        shall be to 
him a strong protecting power, and he shall destroy all    his enemies for 
him in Khert-Neter, and in heaven, and upon earth, and  in every place 
whereinsoever he may enter, and he shall enjoy         celestial food 
regularly and continually for ever.                          
  (From the Saite Recension)                                                
  THE BOOK OF MAKING PERFECT THE KHU in the heart of Ra, of making him  to 
have the mastery before Tem, of magnifying him before Osiris, of    making 
him mighty before Khent-Amentet, and of setting awe of him      before the 
Company of the Gods. It shall be recited on the day of     the New Moon, 
on the sixth day festival, on the fifteenth day          festival, on the 
festival of Uak, on the festival of Thoth, on the     Birthday of Osiris, 
on the festival of Menu, on the night of Heker,    [during] the Mysteries 
of the Tuat, during the celebration of the      Mysteries in Akertet, at 
the smiting of the emissions, at the          passage of the Funerary 
Valley, [and] the Mysteries...... [The recital  thereof] will make the 
heart of the Khu to flourish and will make long  his strides, and will 
make him to advance, and will make his face      bright, and will make it 
to penetrate to the God. Let no man witness   [the recital] except the 
king and the Kherheb priest, but the          servant who cometh to 
minister outside shall not see it. Of the Khu    for whom this Book shall 
be recited, his soul shall come forth by      day with the living, he 
shall have power among the gods, and it will   make him irresisitible for 
ever and ever. These gods shall go round    about him, and shall 
acknowledge him. He shall be one of them. [This   Book] shall make him to 
know how he came into being in the            beginning. This Book is 
indeed a veritable mystery. Let no stranger    anywhere have knowledge of 
it. Do not speak about it to any man. Do    not repeat it. Let no [other] 
eye see it. Let no [other] ear hear      it. Let no one see it except 
[thyself] and him who taught [it to       thee]. Let not the multitude 
[know of it] except thyself and the       beloved friend of thy heart. 
Thou shalt do this book in the seh        chamber on a cloth painted with 
the stars in colour all over it. It is  indeed a mystery. The dwellers in 
the swamps of the Delta nad          everywhere there shall not know it. 
It shall provided the Khu with     celestial food upon in Khert-Neter. It 
shall supply his Heart-soul     with food upon earth. It shall make him to 
live for ever. No [evil]    thing shall have the master over him.                                      
 THE ADDRESSES OF THE FOUR RUDDERS 

  Hail, Power of Heaven, Opener of the Disk, thou Beautiful Rudder     of 
the Northern Heaven.                                                    
  Hail, Ra, Guide of the Two Lands, thou Beautiful Rudder of the       
Western Heaven.                                                            
  Hail, Khu, Dweller in the House of the Akhemu gods, thou Beautiful   
Rudder of the Eastern Heaven.                                               
  Hail, Governor, Dweller in the House of the Tesheru Gods, thou       
Beautiful Rudder of the Southern Heaven.                                    
  Grant ye cakes, and ale and tchefau food to the Osiris Auf-ankh,     
whose word is truth.                                                       
  Hail, Father of the Gods! Hail, Mother of the Gods in Khert-Neter!   
Deliver ye the Osiris from every evil thing, from every evil           
obstruction, from every dire attack of an enemy, and from that         
deadly snarer with knife-like words, and from men, and gods, and      
Spirit-souls, and the damned, on this day, on this night, on this      
present festival of the fifteenth day, and in this year, and from      the 
things of evil thereof.                                                
 HYMN TO OSIRIS KHENTI-AMENTI UN-NEFER 

  The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, praiseth Osiris Khenti-Amenti   
Un-Nefer, and saith:- Hail, my Lord, who dost hasten through eternity,  
whose existence is for ever, Lord of Lords, King of Kings,             
Sovereign, God of the Gods, who live in their shrines,.... gods....   men. 
Make thou for me a seat with those who are in Khert-Neter, who    adore 
the forms of thy KA, and who traverse millions of millions of    
years....... May no delay arise for thee in Ta-mera. Let them come     to 
thee, all of them, great as well as small. May this god give the   power 
to enterin and to come forth from Khert-Neter, without           repulse, 
at any door of the Tuat, to the KA of the Osiris Ani.                                                                                    
 APPENDIX 

  (From the Papyrus of Sutimes)                                             
  SUTIMES, THE LIBATIONER AND PRESIDENT OF THE ALTAR CHAMBER OF THE    
APTS, DIRECTOR OF THE SCRIBES OF AMEN, WHOSE WORD IS TRUTH, PRAISETH   
OSIRIS, AND DOETH HOMAGE TO THE LORD OF ETERNITY, AND SATISFIETH THE   
WILL OF THE GOD, AND SPEAKETH TRUTH, THE LORD OF WHICH IS UNKNOWN, AND  
SAITH:- Homage to thee, O thou Holy God, thou mighty and beneficent    
being, thou Prince of Eternity, who dwellest in thy abode in the       
Sektet Boat, whose risings are manifold in the Atet Boat, unto whom    
praises are rendered in heaven and upon earth. Peoples and nations     
exalt thee, and the awe of thy terror is in the hearts of men, and    
Spirt-souls, and the dead. Thy soul dwelleth in Tetu, and the awe of   
thee is in Hensu. Thou settest the visible emblems of thyself in       
Anu, and the majesty of thy transformations in the holy place. I       
have come unto thee. Truth is in my heart, and in my breast there is  
neither craft nor guile. Grant thou that I may have my being among the  
living, and that I may sail up and down the river among those who      are 
in thy following.                                                      
                                                                            
 PRAISE TO HATHOR LADY OF AMENTET 

  THE CHAPTER OF THE PRAISE OF HATHOR, LADY OF AMENTET                      
  Hathor, Lady of Amentet, the Dweller in the Great Land, the Lady     of 
Ta-Tchesert, the Eye of Ra, the Dweller in his breast, the          
Beautiful Face in the Boat of Millions of Years, the Seat of Peace     of 
the doer of truth, Dweller in the Boat of the favoured ones.....        
 APPENDIX 

  THE CHAPTER OF THE FOUR TORCHES  

  (From the Papyrus of Nu, Sheets 26 and 27)                                
  THE CHAPTER OF THE FOUR LIGHTED LAMPS WHICH ARE MADE FOR THE         
SPIRIT-SOUL. Behold, thou shalt make four rectangular troughs of       
clay wherein thou shalt scatter incense, and thou shalt fill them with  
the milk of a white cow, and by means of these thou shalt extinguish   the 
lamps. The Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer of the seal,     whose 
word is truth, saith:- The fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris       
Khenti-Amenti! The fire cometh to thy KA, O Osiris Nu, whose word is   
truth. The ordering of the night cometh after the day. [The fire       
cometh to thy KA, O Osiris, Governor of those who are in Amenti],      and 
the two sisters of Ra come likewise. Behold it (the fire) riseth   in 
Abtu, and it cometh; I cause it to come, the Eye of Horus. It is    set in 
order upon thy brow, O Osiris Khenti-Amenti; it is set in thy   shrine and 
riseth on thy brow; it is set on thy brow, O Osiris Nu,     it is set on 
thy brow. The Eye of Horus protecteth thee, O Osiris      Khenti-Amenti, 
and it keepeth thee in safety; it casteth down headlong  all thine enemies 
for thee, and all thine enemies have fallen down     headlong before thee. 
O Osiris Nu, the Eye of Horus protecteth thee,   it keepeth thee in 
safety, and it casteth down headlong all thine      enemies. Thine enemies 
have fallen down headlong before thy KA, O      Osiris Khenti-Amenti. The 
Eye of Ra protecteth thee, it keepeth thee   in safety, and it hath cast 
down headlong all thine enemies. Thine     enemies have fallen down 
headlong before thy KA, O Osiris Nu, whose    word is truth. The Eye of 
Horus protecteth thee, it keepeth thee in    safety, it hath cast down 
headlong for thee all thine enemies, and     thine enemies have fallen 
down headlong before thee. The Eye of        Horus cometh. It is sound and 
well, it sendeth forth light even as     doth Ra in the horizon. It 
covereth the powers of Suti with           darkness, it mastereth him, and 
it bringeth its flame against him by   its own command. The Eye of Horus 
is sound and well, thou eatest the   flesh thereof, thy body possesseth 
it. Thou acclaimest it. The Four    Fires enter into thy KA, O Osiris 
Khenti-Amenti, the Four Fires       enter into thy KA, O Osiris Nu, the 
steward of the overseer of the     seal, whose word is truth.                                                  
  Hail, ye sons of Horus, Kesta, Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsenuf, ye     
have given your protection to your divine Father Osiris Khenti-Amenti,  
give ye your protection to the Osiris Nu, whose word is truth. Now     
therefore, inasmuch as ye have destroyed the Opponent of Osiris       
Khenti-Amenti, who liveth with the gods, having smitten Suti with      his 
right hand and arm when dawn came upon the earth, and Horus hath   become 
master [of Suti], and hath avenged his divine Father himself;   and 
inasmuch as your divine Father hath been made to flourish         through 
the union of the KA of Osiris Khenti-Amenti, whch ye effected,  and the 
Eye of Horus hath avenged him, and hath protected him, and     hath cast 
down headlong for him all his enemies, and all his enemies   have fallen 
down before him, even so do ye destroy the Opponent of the  Osiris Nu, the 
steward of the overseer of the seal, whose word is           
truth. Let him live with the gods, let him smite his enemy, let him    
destroy him, when light dawneth on the earth. Let Horus be master      and 
avenge the Osiris Nu, and let the Osiris Nu flourish through his   union 
with his KA which ye have effected. O Osiris Nu, the Eye of     Horus hath 
avenged thee. It hath cast down headlong all thine          enemies for 
thee, and all thine enemies have been cast down headlong   before thee.                                                               
  Hail, Osiris Khenti-Amenti, grant thou light and fire to the perfect  
Heart-soul which is in Hensu. And [O ye Sons of Horus], grant ye power  
unto the living heart-soul of the Osiris Nu by means of his fire.      Let 
him not be repulsed, and let him not be driven back at the doors  of 
Amentet! Let his offerings of bread and of linen garments be        
brought unto him among the lords of funeral oblations. O offer ye      
praises, as unto a god to the Osiris Nu, the destroyer of his Opponent  in 
his form of Truth, and in his attributes of a god of truth.             
  RUBRIC: [This Chapter] shall be recited over four torches of atma    
cloth, which hath been anointed with the finest Thehennu unguent,      and 
the torches shall be placed in the hands of four men who shall     have 
the names of the pillars of Horus written upon their shoulders,  and they 
shall burn the torches in the beautiful light of Ra, and this  shall 
confer power and might upon the Spirit-soul of the deceased      among the 
stars which never set. If this Chapter be recited for him he  shall never, 
never perish, and he shall become a living soul for ever. These torches 
shall make the Spirit-soul to flourish like Osiris       Khenti-Amenti, 
regularly and continually for ever. It is a struggle.   Thou shalt not 
perform this ceremony before any human being except     thine own self, or 
thy father, or thy son, because it is an           exceedingly great 
mystery of the Amentet, and it is a type of the      hidden things of the 
Tuat. When this ceremony hath been performed      for the deceased, the 
gods, and the Spirit-souls, and the dead shall   see him in the form of 
Khenti-Amenti, and he shall have power and      dominion like this god.                                                     
  If thou shalt undertake to perform for the deceased that which is    
ordered in this "Chapter of the four blazing torches," each day,       
thou shalt cause the form of the deceased to come forth from every     
hall [in the Tuat], and from the Seven Halls of Osiris. And he shall   
live in the form of the God. He shall have power and dominion          
corresponding to those of the gods and the Spirit-souls for ever and   
ever. He shall enter in through the secret pylons and shall not be     
turned back in the presence of Osiris. And it shall come to pass,      
provided that the following things be done for him, that he shall      
enter in and come forth. He shall not be turned back. No boundary      
shall be set to his goings, and the sentence of the doom shall not     be 
passed upon him on the Day of the Weighing of Words before          
Osiris- never, never.                                                       
  And thou shalt perform whatsoever [is written in] this book on       
behalf of the deceased, who shall thereby become perfect and pure. And  
thou shalt "open his mouth" with the instrument of iron. And thou      
shalt write down these things in accordance with the instructions     
which are found in the books of Prince Herutataf, who discovered       
them in a secret coffer (now they were in the handwriting of the god   
[Thoth] himself and had been deposited in the Temple of the goddess    
Unnut, the Lady of Unu) during a journey which he was making in       
order to inspect the temples, and the temple-estates, and the          
sanctuaries of the gods. And thou shalt perform these ceremonies       
secretly in the Tuat-chamber of the tomb, for they are mysteries of    the 
Tuat, and they are symbolic of the things which are done in       
Khert-Neter.                                                                
  And thou shalt say: I have come, I have advanced hastily. I cast     
light upon his (the deceased's) footsteps. I am hidden, but I cast     
light upon his hidden place. I stand up close to the Tet. I stand up   
close to the Tet of Ra, I turn back the slaughter. I am protecting    
thee, O Osiris.                                                             
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a Tet of crystal, which   
shall be set upon a brick made of crude mud, whereupon this Chapter    
hath been inscribed. Thou shalt make a cavity in the west wall [of the  
tomb], and having turned the front of the Tet towards the east, thou  
shalt wall up the cavity with mud which hath been mixed with extract   of 
cedar. This Tet shall drive away the enemies of Osiris who would    set 
themselves at the east wall [of the tomb].                             
  And thou shalt say: I have driven back thy foes. I keep watch over   
thee. He that is upon his mountain (Anpu) keepeth watch over thee      
ready for the moment when thy foes shall attack thee, and he shall     
repulse them for thee. I will drive back the Crocodile at the moment  when 
it attacketh thee, and I will protect thee, O Osiris Nu.               
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a figure of Anpu made     of 
crude mud mixed with incense. And the figure shall be set upon a    brick 
made of crude mud, whereupon this Chapter hath been inscribed.   Thou 
shalt make a cavity in the east wall, and having turned the      face of 
the figure of Anpu towards the west wall [therein] thou        shalt wall 
up the cavity. This figure shall repulse the enemies of     Osiris, who 
would set themselves at the south wall.                        
  And thou shalt say; I am the belt of sand round about the hidden     
coffer. I turn back the force of the blazing fire of the funerary      
mountain. I traverse the roads, and I protect the Osiris Nu, the       
steward of the overseer of the seal, whose word is truth.                  
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a brick made of crude mud  
whereon a copy of this Chapter hath been inscribed. And thou shalt     
place a reed in the middle thereof, and thou shalt smear it with       
pitch, and set light thereto. Then thou shalt make a cavity in the    
south wall, and, having turned the front of the brick towards the      
north, thou shalt wall the brick up inside it. [It shall repulse the   
enemies of the Osiris Nu] who would assemble at the north wall.             
  And thou shalt say: O thou who comest to set fire [to the tomb or    
mummy], I will not let thee do it. O thou who comest to cast fire      
[herein], I will not let thee do it. I will burn thee, and I will cast  
fire upon thee. I protect the Osiris Nu, the steward of the overseer  of 
the seal, whose word is truth.                                           
  RUBRIC: This Chapter shall be recited over a brick of crude mud,     
whereon a copy of this Chapter hath been inscribed. [And thou shalt    set 
upon it] a figure of the deceased made of palm wood, seven fingers  in 
height. And thou shalt perform on it the ceremony of "Opening the  Mouth." 
Then thou shalt make a cavity in the north wall, and having    [placed the 
brick and the figure inside it], and turned the face of    the figure 
towards the south, thou shalt wall up the cavity. [It shall  repulse the 
enemies of the Osiris Nu], who would assemble at the south wall.                                                                            
  And behold, these things shall be done by a man who is washed clean,  
and is ceremonially pure, and who hath eaten neither meat nor fish,    and 
who hath not [recently] had intercourse with women. And behold,    thou 
shalt make offerings of cakes and ale to these gods, and shalt   burn 
incense on their fires. Every Spirit-soul for whom these things  shall be 
done shall become like a holy god in Khert-Neter, and he     shall not be 
turned back at any gate in Amentet, and he shall be in   the following of 
Osiris, whithersoever he goeth, regularly and       continually. The Raven 
Kindred Ritual Book By Lewis Stead and The Raven Kindreds,
Northern & Southern Hearths

The Raven Kindred Ritual Book is Copyright(c)1991,1992,1993 by Lewis
Stead, All Rights Reserved.   Copies of this book are available from
the Raven Kindred; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175 at a cost of $5/booklet
or may be downloaded free of charge from the Moonrise BBS at (301)
593-9609 or obtained by sending e-mail to lstead@access.digex.net.
Non-commercial free of charge electronic distribution of this document
is permitted provided that the document remains whole and contains the
above copyright statement.

Introduction

Less than a thousand years ago the elders of Iceland made a fateful
decision.  Under political pressure from Christian Europe and faced
with the need for trade, the Allthing or national assembly declared
Iceland to be an officially Christian country.  Within a few centuries
the last remnants of Nordic Paganism, which once stretched through all
of Northern Europe were thought dead.  However, Iceland was a tolerant
country and the myths, stories, and legends of Pagan times were left
unburnt to kindle the fires of belief in later generations.  In 1972
Iceland once again recognized Nordic Paganism as a legitimate and
legal religion.

Iceland and Sweden were the last two bastions of the Pagan religion
originally practiced by the people of the various Germanic tribes.
Today Nordic Paganism also known as Odinism, Heathenism, Northern
Tradition, or Asatru (an Old-Norse term meaning _loyalty to the Gods_)
is practiced in virtually all the countries where it originally
flourished as well as America and Australia.  It is one of a body of
religions calling themselves Neo-Paganism which include Druidism, the
revival of ancient Celtic Paganism, and Wicca or Witchcraft.  However
Asatru remains largely unknown even within the community of Neo-Pagan
believers.

This book is intended as a basic manual to the beliefs and practices
of the Raven Kindred of Asatru.  We do not pretend to be experts and
won_t act as if we were.  Rather we are simply believers in the Old
Gods seeking to share our practice and research with others who are
true to the Aesir.  Our aim is to present a simple guide which will
allow easy understanding of the principles behind Asatru and to give
hints for further study and exploration.

While we attempt to be historically accurate to our religion's roots,
it_s important to note that there are many things that we simply don_t
know or which aren_t written in stone.  While we occasionally need to
flesh out our systems where we don_t have direct evidence of our
ancestors ways, we are not likely to simply make up things.  It is
very important to us to stay as true to the ways of the old Pagans as
is possible.  In those places where the various myths, legends, and
folklore are not clear we have tried to indicate this.  We do not
present our way as the _true_ Asatru, but we do feel that all Asatru
should be solidly connected to its roots in ancient Norse practice.
Where we do not know the certain answer to a quesation, there is room
for exploration, but not for simply making something up out of whole
cloth.  While inspiration from the Gods is an important part of our
movement, this is not make believe and any additions to the historical
system should be made with respect to our ancient roots.

The most important thing for modern people to remember about Asatru is
that it is a religion.  It is not a system of magick or spirituality
or _New Age Practice_ which can be grafted onto something else or onto
which other _systems_ can be grafted wholesale.  Asatru is a word
derived from _As_ a God of the Aesir family and _tru_ meaning troth.
To be Asatru is to be bound by loyalty and troth to the Old Gods of
the North.  While we may believe in the deities of other religions and
peoples, and even respect them, these are not our Gods.  While we may
take part in rituals dedicated to other Gods at ecumenical Pagan
festivals or gatherings which encompass many other religions, we must
not forget that Asatru is our religion and our primary concern.  One
simply does not collect membership in Asatru (or any other religion)
as if one were collecting stamps.  Our Gods are real and worthy of our
respect.

Today many people _practice_ a number of different religions feeling
that this is the best way to avoid intolerance, we have a completely
different view of the world.  Asatru is not a universal religion.  We
do not see ourselves as a path for everyone.  We are true polytheists
and see the world as encompassing many religions which worship many
Gods.  While we do not deny the beliefs of others, we also do not
confuse them with our own.  The idea that _it is all one_ is anathema
to the true Heathen.  To claim that Odin is the same God as Zeus is
madness.  Would one claim that green and red are the same merely
because they are both colors? If one disagrees with this perspective
or finds it limiting so be it.  Our belief is also that Asatru is not
a path for everyone and it is better to find ones own way rather than
bend the religions of others to fit ourselves.

In accordance with this non-universalist conception, as much as we
have been able to, we have not adopted the practices of other Pagan
religions or magickal systems.  Those familiar with Wicca will note
that most modern Neo-Pagan systems are derived from it.  This is not
the case with Asatru.  Our religion began with reconstruction based on
written sources dating from the Pagan period.  This has been followed
by 20 years of innovation and practice within the Heathen community.
While we make no pretensions that this has resulted in a system that
is identical with that of our spiritual ancestors, it is at least a
system that is our own.

In saying this I would reiterate that we do not put down any religion
for it_s beliefs.  We merely ask for the integrity of our own.  We are
not rejecting other systems because they are wrong or because we think
ill of them, we are rather choosing Asatru because of our love and
devotion to it.

The Rituals of Asatru

The Blot

The Blot is the most common ritual within Asatru.  In its simplest
form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods.  In the old days this
was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then
slaughtered.  As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler
today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic
beverage to the deities.

Many modern folk will be suspicious of a ritual such as this.  Rituals
which are deemed sacrifices, such as the blot, have been falsely
interpreted by post-Pagan sources in order to denigrate the ritual or
trivialize them.  The most common myth about ritual sacrifice is that
one is buying off a deity e.g.  one throws a virgin into the Volcano
so it won_t erupt.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In
Asatru it is believed that we are not only the worshippers of the Gods
but that we are physically related to them.  The Eddas tell of a God,
Rig, who went to various farmsteads and fathered the human race so we
are physically kin to the Gods.  On a more esoteric level, humankind
is gifted with _ond_ or the gift of ecstasy.  Ond is a force that is
of the Gods.  It is everything that makes humans different from the
other creatures of the world.  As creatures with this gift, we are
immediately connected to the Gods, we are part of their tribe, their
kin.  Thus we are not simply buying off the Gods by offering them
something that they want, but we are sharing with the Gods something
that we all take joy in.  Sharing and gift giving was an important
part of most ancient cultures and had magical significance.  Giving a
gift was a sign of friendship, kinship, and connection.  By sharing a
blot with the Gods we reaffirm our connection to them and thus
reawaken their powers within us and their watchfulness over our world.

A blot can be a simple affair where a horn of mead is consecrated to
the Gods and then poured as a libation, or it can be a part of a
larger ritual.  A good comparison is the Catholic Mass which may be
part of a regular service or special event such as a wedding or
funeral, or it may be done as a purely magical-religious practice
without any sermon, hymns, or other trappings.

The blot consists of three parts, the hallowing or consecrating of the
offering, the sharing of the offering, and the libation.  Each of
these is equally important.  The only tools required are mead, beer or
juice, a horn or chalice, a sprig of evergreen used to sprinkle the
mead, and a ceremonial bowl known as a Hlautbowl into which the
initial libation will be made.

The blot begins with the consecration of the offering.  The Gothi
(Priest) or Gythia (Priestess) officiating at the blot invokes the God
or Goddess being honored.  This is usually accomplished by a spoken
declaration with ones arms being held above ones head in a Y shape, in
imitation of the rune elhaz.  This posture is used for most
invocations and prayers throughout Asatru.  After the spoken
invocation an appropriate rune or other symbol of the God or Goddess
may be drawn in the air with the finger or with the staff.  Once the
God is invoked, the Gothi takes up the horn.  His assistant pours mead
from the bottle into the horn.  The Gothi then traces the hammer sign
(an upside down T) over the horn as a blessing and holds it above his
head offering it to the Gods.  He then speaks a request that the God
or Goddess bless the offering and accept it as a sacrifice.  At the
least one will feel the presence of the deity; at best one will be
able to feel in some inner way the God taking of the mead and drinking
it.

The mead is now not only blessed with divine power but has passed the
lips of the God or Goddess.  The Gothi then takes a drink of the horn
and it is passed around the gathered folk.  Although it sounds like a
very simple thing, it can be a very powerful experience.  At this
point the mead is no longer simply a drink but is imbued with the
blessing and power of the God or Goddess being honored.  When one
drinks, one is taking that power into oneself.  This is the essence of
the rune Gebo.  After the horn has made the rounds once, the Gothi
again drinks from the horn and then empties the remainder into the
hlautbowl.  The Gothi then takes up the evergreen sprig and his
assistant the Hlautbowl and the Gothi sprinkles the mead around the
circle or temple or onto the altar.  If there are a great number of
the folk gathered, one may wish to drop the drinking and merely
sprinkle the various folk with the mead as a way of sharing it.  In a
small group one might merely drink as the blessing.

When this is done the Hlautbowl is taken by the Gothi and poured out
onto the ground.  This is done as an offering not only to the God
invoked at the blot, but it is also traditional to remember the Earth
Mother at this time, since it is being poured onto her ground.  Many
invocations mention the God, Goddess, or spirit being sacrificed to,
and then Mother Earth, as in the Sigrdrifa Prayer _Hail to the Gods
and to the Goddesses as well; Hail Earth that gives to all men._
(Sigrdrifumal 3) With this action, the blot is ended.

Obviously this is a very sparse ritual and if performed alone could be
completed in only a few minutes.  This is as it should be, for blots
are often poured not because it is a time of gathering or festivity
for the folk, but because the blot must be poured in honor or petition
of a God or Goddess on their holiday or some other important occasion.
For example, a father tending his sick child might pour a blot to Eir
the Goddess of healing.  Obviously he doesn_t have time to waste on
the _trappings_ of ritual.  The intent is to make an offering to the
Goddess as quickly as possible.  At some times a full celebration
might not be made of a holiday because of a persons hectic schedule,
but at the least a blot should be made to mark the occasion.  However,
in most cases a blot will at least be accompanied by a statement of
intent at the beginning and some sort of conclusion at the end.  It
might also be interspersed with or done at the conclusion of ritual
theater or magic.

The Sumbel

One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is
the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration.  This was a more mundane
and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance.
When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink
at a ritual sumbel.  This was a way of establishing Beowulf_s identity
and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional
manner.  At the sumbel toasts are drunk to the Gods, as well as to a
persons ancestors or personal heroes.  Rather than a toast, a person
might also offer a brag or some story, song, or poem that has
significance.  The importance is that at the end of the toast, story,
or whatever, the person offering it drinks from the horn, and in doing
so _drinks in_ what he spoke.

The sumbel is also an important time for the folk to get to know each
other in a more intimate way than most people are willing to share.
Modern society is at two extremes.  At one end are the emotionless
beings who have been robbed of their soul by modern industrial secular
culture.  On the other side are those pathetic _sensitive New-Age
guys_ who spend their lives consciously attempting to stir their
emotions and who force an unnatural level of intimacy between
themselves and others.  There are some levels of emotional intimacy
which are not meant to be openly shared with strangers.  Doing so
reduces their meaning to the mundane.  At sumbel, barriers can be
lowered in a place which is sacred to the Gods and the Folk.  Thoughts
can be shared among companions and friends without embarrassment or
forced intimacy.

One format for the sumbel with a history in tradition is to drink
three rounds.  The first is dedicated to the Gods, the second to great
heroes of the folk such as historical figures or heroes from the
sagas, and the third to personal ancestors, heroes, or friends which
have passed from this world.

Another theme for a sumbel is past, present, and future.  This type of
sumbel is more of a magical ritual than one of celebration.  The idea
is to make toasts which bring up some aspect of your past, and present
situation, and a third toast or brag which represents your wishes for
the future.  One might make a toast to the first Asatru ritual one
attended as the past, a second to the companions and kindred then
gathered, and for his third toast might state that he intends to be
initiated as a Gothi in the coming year.  The purpose would be to link
the coming event of his initiation with the two already accomplished
events of pledging Asatru and finding a kindred _ two other important
rites of passage.  In this case initiation as a Gothi then becomes
something which is linked to a chain of events that have already
occurred, rather than an isolated action which might occur.  Thus
magically, this moves the person towards his initiation.

A third and everpopular type of sumbel is a free-for-all where stories
are told, toasts are made, and bragging is done until all the gathered
Odinists are under the table.  Perhaps this is not quite so esoteric
or purposeful as the previous ideas, but it_s certainly in keeping
with the examples of our Gods and ancestors! Joy is better than guilt!

These are only ideas.  The sumbel is a very open ended type of thing
and the framework is very simple to adapt.

One thing important to note about any Asatru ritual is that ours is a
holistic religion.  We do not limit our Gods or spirituality to a
certain time and place.  While the sacrament of the blot is usually
poured as part of a ceremony, the feast afterwards, singing of sacred
songs, reciting of poetry, Morris Dancing, etc are all part of our
religion.  A truly traditional celebration might begin with a rather
informal greeting of the dawn, involve May Dancing and _mystery
plays,_ then move on to a more structured Blot, and finally to a feast
capped by a sumbel.  On the other side of things, there_s no reason
why at a family feast one might not simply pour a bottle of beer or
mead as an offering without the other trappings of a blot.

Profession

Profession is one of the most important ceremonies in Asatru.  To
Profess one_s belief in and kinship to the Gods should be an important
turning point in ones life and the beginning of a new understanding of
the self.  Profession is, however, a very simple and rather short
ceremony.  In our kindred we usually profess people after beginning
the ritual, but before we offer the formal blot.

Profession is not an occult or initiatory ceremony.  It is nothing
less than it_s name: one professes (declares, affirms) his wish to
become one of the Asafolk.  This oath is usually taken by the
Kindred-Gothi on the oath ring or some other Holy object as follows:

The Gothi stands in front of the altar and says _Will [insert name
here] please come forward._ After he or she does so _Are you here of
your own free will? Is it your intention to solemnly swear allegiance
and kinship to the Gods of Asgard, the Aesir and Vanir?_ If the answer
to both these questions is in the affirmative the Gothi takes up the
oath ring and holds it out to the person professing and says _Repeat
after me.  I swear to ever uphold the Raven Banner of Asgard, to
follow the way of the North, to always act with honor and bravery, and
to be ever true to the Aesir and Vanir and to Asatru.  By the Gods I
so swear.  By my honor I so swear.  On this Holy Ring I do swear.
Hail the Gods._ The kindred then replies _Hail the Gods!_ and the
Gothi finishes _Then be welcome to the service of Asgard and the Folk
of the Asatru._

There may be other celebrations connected to a Profession, just as
other religions hold Bar Mitzvah or Confirmation parties.  When
someone joins our kindred, we hold a Sumbel of nine rounds, each
dedicated to one of the values of Asatru (see below) and toast those
values to the new kinsman.


The Holidays

The ancient Norse knew four major holidays the Spring and Autumn
Equinoxes which we call Summer and Winter Finding, and the two
solstices which we call Midsummer and Yule.  However, there were many
other minor festivals and modern Asatru have added even more.  A
calendar of our kindred_s rituals is provided in an appendix and I
also encourage anyone to find as many as one is willing to meet for.
We meet monthly, but some groups meet 8 times a year and also
celebrate the cross-quarter days of May Day/Walpurgis,
Halloween/Samhain, February eve or The Charming of the Plow, and
Lammastide or Freyfaxi,

Most of our rituals also honor only one or a few Gods or Goddesses at
any one time.  However, there is no reason why the entire pantheon
should not be offered prayers and thanks at any occasion.  This would
be particularly appropriate at the major holidays.  Unlike most other
groups in the Neo-Pagan movement, we do not necessarily honor Gods in
male/female pairs.  The boy/girl notion is one taken from the Pagan
fertility religion of Wicca and isn_t necessarily appropriate to our
Gods, who often represent things other than fertility.  So while a
Spring ritual held in honor of Freya and Frey as fertility deities
might wish to honor them together, there is no reason to include Frigg
in a ritual dedicated to Odin as the God of War.

Yule

Yule is the most important holiday of the year.  Everyone is familiar
with the shortness of the deep winter days, but in the Scandinavian
countries this is of even greater importance.  At the Yuletide there
is almost no sunlight at all, and the climate would have people bound
in their homes waiting for the return of Spring.

Yule is a long festival, traditionally held to be 12 days or more.
After Yule the days began to get longer and the festival represented
the breaking of the heart of winter and the beginning of the new year.
Yule was the holiday of either Thor or Frey, although there is no
reason not to honor both Gods in modern practice.  Frey is the God of
fertility and farming and was honored at Yule in the hopes that his
time would soon return.  Thor was the sworn enemy of the Frost Giants
and Jotunn who ruled the winter months, and as such was honored as the
God who_s actions fought off these creatures and brought back the
spring.  Sunna, the Goddess of the Sun, should also be honored at
Yule, although she is held at more important during the summer months
when she is at her strongest.

The most important symbols of Yule are still with us today.  Most of
the supposedly secular customs of Christmas are actually Pagan in
origin.  Evergreen trees and holly which remained green throughout the
long nights and cold were a promise that spring would once again
return to the land.  These symbols may also have been a connection to
the nature spirits who have sway over the return of the warm days.
The modern conception of Santa Claus as an elf, for whom offerings of
milk and cookies are left, is probably a modern continuation of
leaving offerings for the Alvar and other nature spirits.  The idea of
children staying up all night in the hopes of catching a glimpse of
Santa Claus may be a remnant of people staying awake to mark the long
night and remind the sun to return.  (In the latter case it_s
considered an adequate substitution to leave a candle going all night
to light the way for the returning sun.)

Yule is a weeks long festival, not just a single holiday.  The Yule
season begins on the solstice, which is the Mother Night of Yule, and
ends with Twelfth Night on January sixth.  As a point of interest,
January seventh is St.  Distaff_s day, which Nigel Pennic has
suggested may have been a day sacred to Frigg, whose symbol is the
distaff.

While one might expect a rather dour theme to a holiday held in the
darkness and cold, Yule is a time of feasting and gladness.

In various places different Gods were held to be the most important at
Yule.  Thor was honored because it is he who fights and kills the
Jotunn, who surely are the ones responsible for the loss of warmth in
the world.  Yule was when Thor broke the back of winter and allowed
the warmth to slowly return to the world.  Frey was also honored
because it was he who married Gerd and warmed her heart, returning
fertility to the world.

There are simply so many different Yule customs, both ancient and
modern, that one has almost limitless possibilities even when staying
within Scandanavian and Germanic customs.  In modern practice one
might honor Sunna on the Mother Night, then hold a blot a few days
later to Thor, a feast for New Years day which is shared with the
house and land spirits, and then finish on Twelfth Night with a ritual
to Frey, whose time is then officially beginning.

Summer Finding

Summer Finding is also known to many groups as Ostara, the holiday
sacred to the Goddess for whom the modern Easter is named.  She is a
fertility Goddess and her symbols are the hare and the egg.  She was
an important Goddess of spring to the ancient Saxons, but we know
little else of her other than this.  Some have suggested that Ostara
is merely an alternate name for Frigg or Freya, but neither of these
Goddesses seem to have quite the same fertility function as Ostara
does.  Frigg seems too high class to be associated with such an earthy
festival and Freya_s form of fertility is more based on eroticism than
reproduction.

The obvious folk tradition at this time of year involves eggs.  These
were colored as they are today, but then they were buried, or more
appropriately, planted in the earth.  Some have suggested that the act
was purely magical, the fertility of the eggs would then be
transferred from the animal realm to the plant realm and would
increase the prosperity of the harvest.  It_s also possible that they
were left as an offering to the alvar and the spirits of the plants.

In any case a blot should be prepared to the Goddess of Spring,
however one wishes to honor her, and also to the spirits of the land.

Midsummer Day

The summer solstice was second only to Yule in importance to the
ancient Northmen.  Some groups mark this day as sacred to Balder, but
we disagree with this.  While Balder can be seen as a dying and
resurrected Sun God, in the mythology we are most familiar with, he
does not return to life until Ragnarok and it seems like _bad karma_
to symbolically kill the sun when you know he doesn_t come back until
the end of the world.  Instead, we mark this day as sacred to the
Goddess Sunna, who is literally the sun.

One idea for midsummer is to remain awake all night and mark the
shortest night of the year, then at sunrise to perform a _Greeting of
Sunna_ and a blot to her.

Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down
a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year.  If fire would
otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles
for similar effect.  It is also a time for general merriment and in
the Scandinavian countries many of what we know as the traditional May
Day rituals such as May Poles and Morris Dances were instead
celebrated at Midsummer.

Winter Finding

I have not come across a great deal of traditional lore about the
Autumn Equinox which we know as Winter Finding.  It seems to have been
overshadowed to some extent by the Winter Nights which we celebrate at
the equinox rather than at the more traditional time of mid-November.

If one wishes not to do this, the Winter Finding would be a festival
of harvest.  One should hold a Blot to whichever Gods of fertility
seem most appropriate and then hold a large feast, concerntrating on
vegetables that are currently in season.

Winter Nights

The Winter Nights are the traditional festival honoring the Disir or
family spirits.  It is a time to remember your family, the dead, and
your ancestors.  (For more information on the Disir see the chapter
_Elves and other Spirits._)

A Freyablot may be performed at this time as Freya is known as the
Vanadis (i.e.  the Dis of the Vanir) or the Great Dis, and she seems
to be the Goddess of the Disir themselves.  This is probably connected
to Freya_s position as recipient of half the battle-slain.  One might
also simply want to honor the Disir as a whole, or attempt to summon
and pour offering to your own family_s Dis.  A sumbel which toasts
ones ancestors and passed on friends would also be in order.  If a
feast is held, it should be quiet and respectful of the character of
the season.  Another idea is a silent _mum feast,_ a custom which is
found the world over.
The various Halloween customs such as dressing in costume or
celebrating this time as a time where the worlds of the living and the
dead connect are more Celtic in origin than Nordic and probably should
not be part of an Asatru celebration.


The Gods of Asgard

The Old Norse reckoned that there were three races of Gods: the Aesir,
the Vanir, and the Jotunn.  The Aesir are those beings most often
referred to in the ancient literature simply as _the Gods._ They are
the Gods of society, representing things such as Kingship, Craft, etc.
The Vanir are more closely connected to the earth and represent the
fecundity of the land and the natural forces which help mankind.  Once
there was a great war between the Aesir and the Vanir, but this was
eventually settled and Frey, Freya, and Njord came to live with the
Aesir to seal the peace.  The Jotunn are a third race of Gods and at
constant war with the Aesir, but there is and never will be peace in
this battle.  The Jotunn are never called Gods, but rather referred to
as giants.  They represent the natural forces of chaos and destruction
as the Aesir represent forces of order and society.  Just as fire and
ice mix to form the world, this creative interaction of chaos and
order maintains the balance of the world.  In the end the two sides
will meet in the great battle of Ragnarok and the world will be
destroyed, only to be reborn.

The Norse Gods were not held to be all powerful or immortal.  Their
youth was maintained very precariously by the magickal apples of the
Goddess Idunna.  More importantly at the end of the world a good
number of the Gods will die in battle.  The Northern view of the world
was a practical one with little assurance for the future and little
perfection and the Gods are no exception.

The Gods in the Temple: Odin, Thor, and Frey

The three most important Gods were held to be Odin, Thor, and Frey.
These were the deities whose statutes stood at the altar of the temple
at Upsalla.  They are considered the most important because of what
they represent.  Mythologer Georges Dumezil has linked these three
deities with the three classes of Indo-European culture: the Kings,
the Warriors, and the Farmers.  Although the fit is not an exact one,
it is probably true that these three deities most concretely
symbolized the various aspects of life and culture and most people
would have found a God who represented their life-experience in one of
these three deities.

Odin is the Allfather, remembered today best as a God of war and of
the berserk rage of the Vikings.  However, he has other aspects which
are just as strong or stronger.  In the Eddas, he is the King of the
Gods, but this is a position which most of the Germanic peoples
attributed to Tyr.  It_s likely that Odin only became King during the
Viking Age.  Being the Allfather, his original position of leadership
was probably familial rather than legislative.  Most importantly he is
a God of transcendent wisdom and in relation to that a God of magick.
He is the God of the Runes, the magical alphabet which holds the
mysteries of the universe within it.  In most of the non-Viking
countries, Odin_s warrior aspect was played down.  In England, where
he is known as Woden, he is a gray cloaked wanderer (the inspiration
for Tolkien_s Gandalf) who travels the country, usually alone,
surveying his land.  Here again we see him in the position of a father
figure, a warder of the land but not necessarily a King.  Odin is also
a God of the dead.  Half of the slain in battles go to him to prepare
for the Ragnarok.  (The remaining half go to Freya.) He also has
associations with the dead as a practitioner of Seidhr, a form of
shamanic magick which he learned from Freya and used on various
occasions to travel to Hel and seek the knowledge of those who have
passed from this world.  It_s difficult to classify Odin simply
because he was such a popular God during the last stages of Norse
Paganism and thus absorbed many traits of other Gods.

Thor is probably the best known of the Norse Gods.  He is a simple
God, the patron of farmers and other folk who are _wise, but not too
wise_ as the Eddas advise us to be.  Thor is best known for wandering
the world in search of adventure; usually found in the form of giants
or other monsters to kill.  He possesses tremendous strength and the
hammer Mjolnir, which was made for him by the Dwarfs.  Mjolnir is
considered to be the Gods greatest treasure because it is sure
protection from the forces of chaos.  Using Mjolnir, Thor is a warrior
figure, but he is less a professional warrior than a common man called
upon to defend his land.  He loves battle not for itself as do the
berserkers of Odin, nor does he have a strong code of honor such as
that of Tyr_in fact he chronically breaks with honor and kills giants
whether they have the protection of _hospitality_ or not.  Thor is
associated with thunder, and is also the God of rain and storms, but
it_s important to note that he is not the God of destructive storms.
Thor is nature as a benefit to man.  The Jotunn are held to be the
source of the destruction found in nature.  Thor was the God of
_everyman._ He was simple in purpose, strong, and free.  He was most
beloved of the freemen farmers who populated the Germanic lands.

Frey is a God of peace and fertility.  If Thor is the God of the
farmer, then Frey is the God of the crops themselves.  His symbol is
the priapus and his blessings were sought at planting and other
important agricultural festivals.  The word _frey_ means _Lord_ and
it_s unsure if this is the Gods name or his title.  He is also known
as Ing.  We do not known a great deal more about Frey as few myths
have survived which give us any insight into his character.  As much
as he is a God of fertility, he is also a God of peace and Ing was
said to have brought a Golden Age of peace and prosperity to old
Denmark.  Horses are held to be sacred to Frey, probably because of
fertility connections.

Goddesses

In general we know much less about how our ancestors worshipped the
Goddesses than the Gods.  Later Norse culture was very bound up with
the vikings and it is likely that the Goddesses were deemphasized at
this point.  More importantly, virtually all the mythology we have
today was recorded during the Christian period and Christian culture
had little respect for women, least of all independent and strong
women like those of Nordic society.

Freya is the most important of the Goddesses or at least that Goddess
about which we known the most.  She was the sister of Frey and along
with him was sent to live with the Aesir in order to seal a peace
agreement.  Freya is a Goddess with two distinct sides to her.  First,
she is the Goddess of love and beauty and second a Goddess of war who
shares the battle-slain with Odin.  Unlike our modern culture, the
ancients saw no contradiction in this.  She was also a sorceress who
practiced the shamanic magick known as Seidhr, which she taught to
Odin.  Freya is the Goddess most often invoked by independent women.
While she is a Goddess of beauty, she is not dependent on men as is
the stereotype of so many love Goddesses, but is strong and fiercely
independent.  She is also known as the Great Dis and probably has
connections to the family spirits known as the Disir.  In many ways
she is like Odin in that she is a Goddess of many functions which are
not always obviously related.  In modern Asatru, many groups have
replaced Frey with Freya to stand with Odin and Thor on the altar.

Frigg is a most misunderstood Goddess.  She is the wife of Odin and
many people are too willing to let her be known simply as that.
However, the old Norse had a much different idea of the place of women
and of marriage in general.  While marriages for love were certainly
known, marriage was also a business and social arrangement and there
were important duties for a wife.  These were symbolized by a set of
keys which hung at the belt of all _goodwives._ This symbolized that
the home was under the control of the woman of the house, who was
equal to her husband.  Today we think these duties as very minor, but
a thousand years ago they were far from trivial.  Up until this
century most of Europe lived in extended families.  A house,
especially a hall of a warrior, was not merely a small building with a
nuclear family, but an entire settlement with outbuildings, servants,
slaves, and an entire clan.  The wife of the house was in charge of
stores and trading with other clans.  It was she that saw to the
upkeep of the farm, the balancing of the books, and even to the
farming itself if her husband was away trading or making war.  It was
as much a job of managing a business as it was being a _wife._ For
these reasons Frigg is still very important and can easily be invoked
beyond the home.  She would, for example, be a natural patron for
someone who owned a business.  Frigg also shares a lot of
characteristics with her husband.  She is the only other God who is
allowed to sit in Odin_s seat from which can be seen all that goes on
in the nine worlds.  It is said that she knows the future, but remains
silent, which is entirely in keeping with the way women of the time
exercised their power: namely indirectly.  While in a better world
this might not be necessary, it is still an important tool for women
who must exist in a world where men are sometimes threatened by them.
While Freya is a Goddess who acts independent of _traditional_ roles,
Frigg is a Goddess who works within those roles, but still maintains
her power and independence.
Other Gods

There are of course many other Gods and Goddesses.  Some of these have
important places in the myths, while some others are mentioned only
once along with their function.

Loki

The most perplexing God of Asgard is Loki.  He was probably originally
a fire God, but he is best known as the troublemaker of Asgard.  In
various minor scrapes Loki arranges to get the Gods into trouble,
usually by giving away their treasures and then arranging to return
them.  This is very much in the traditional role of a trickster, who
keeps things interesting by causing trouble.  However, it_s sometimes
difficult to see Loki merely as a trickster because his actions are
sometimes simply too evil to be ignored.  Balder was the most
beautiful and beloved of the Gods and a pledge was extracted from all
the things in the world that they would not harm him.  The sole
exception to this was the mistletoe which was deemed too tiny to be a
threat.  Amused by his invulnerability, the Gods took turns throwing
objects at Balder, which of course had no effect on him.  Loki took
the blind God Hod and put a spring of mistletoe in his hands and
guided him to throw it.  The dart pierced Balder_s breast and he died.
Later a deal was arranged wherein Balder would be allowed to return to
life if all the creatures of the world would weep for him.  Only one
refused, an ogress who said she cared not a whit for Balder when he
was alive and thought him just as well off dead.  The ogress is
believed to have been Loki in disguise.  For these actions Loki was
chained beneath the earth and it was arranged that venom would drip
upon him in punishment that would last until the end of the world.
With the death of Balder, Loki goes beyond the level of trickster and
becomes a truly evil figure.  It is known that when Ragnarok comes,
Loki will lead the legions of chaos against the Aesir and bring about
the end of the world.

Indeed Loki_s actions certainly do seem harsh, but they are entirely
in keeping with the Norse way of looking at things.  One of the
functions of a trickster God is to keep things going.  The trickster
causes trouble so that people may evolve, for nothing brings about
ingenuity like need.  The Norse did not believe anything was eternal.
The Gods were mortal and only maintained their youth through the
magick of Idunna_s apples.  In the end they would die in the battle of
Ragnarok which would destroy the world.  Balder_s invulnerability was
not natural.  As the Edda says _Cattle die, and men die, and you too
shall die..._ It was deemed much more wise and valiant by the Norse to
live up to one_s fate than to try to avoid it.  Likewise to return
from the dead would be equally wrong.  It_s against nature for
something to be impervious to harm or for the dead to return to life.
Loki was merely acting as the agent of nature to return things to
their normal and correct course.  It was not an act of evil, but an
intervention to stop an evil against the natural order.  Likewise
Ragnarok must come.  It is in the nature of the world to be destroyed
and then be reborn.  Loki is merely acting as an agent of fate:
exactly the function which a trickster is supposed to perform.

On the other hand, as far as we know Loki was not worshipped, at least
not in the same way as the other Gods were.  Recognition of his action
and his place in the universe is essential, but Gods of this type are
seldom welcome.  It is _fashionable_ today to laugh at trickster Gods
and see them as a sort of jester figure, but we must not forget that
their nature is much darker than this even when it does serve a
purpose.  Change is important, but nothing changes the world faster
and more thoroughly than war.

Tyr

While seldom reckoned today among the most popular of the Gods, Tyr is
extremely important.  He is the God of battle, of justice, and
(secondary to Odin) of Kingship.  The most important myth concerning
Tyr shows both his bravery and honor.  He gave his hand as surety to
the Fenris Wolf that no trickery was involved in the Gods binding of
him.  When the fetter in fact did bind the wolf, Tyr lost his hand.
The honor and reliance on ones word is often overlooked in this myth
in favor of an interpretation of self sacrifice.  However, throughout
the myths various deals are made and the Aesir easily get out of them.
It_s likely that Tyr could have escaped his fate as well, but one_s
word is one_s word and thus Tyr lost his hand.  Tyr was held to be the
God of the Thing or assembly.  While the ancient Norse were not truly
democratic and in fact held slaves, within the noble class all were
reckoned to be roughly equal.  The Thing was a place where the
landholders would meet for trade and to iron out disputes among them,
in the hope of avoiding feuds.  Tyr was originally the chieftain of
the Aesir and the God of Kingship, but he has been gradually
supplanted by Odin, especially during the Viking Age.  It is likely
this was because of Tyr_s strong sense of honor and justice.  For
raiding and pillaging, Odin, the God of the berserker rage, was a much
better patron than Tyr, the God of honorable battle.  This is an
important thing to note about Northern religion: it is extremely
adaptable.  There are not hard and fast rules about who is what and
while the nature of the Gods cannot be changed they are more than
happy to have the aspects most important to their worshippers
emphasized.  Just as a person uses different skills and _becomes a
different person_ when they move or change jobs, so the Gods too have
adapted to new climates and needs.

Baldr

While we only know the myth of Balder_s death, it is clear that he was
a God of some importance.  Unfortunately, modern writers, coming from
a Christian background, have tried to turn Balder into a Christ
figure.  Balder was a God of beauty and goodness, but his name also
translates as _warrior._ It is a mistake to turn him into a _Norse
Jesus._ The mere fact that he died and will return after Ragnarok is
not enough for this equation.  Another interpretation of Balder is
that of the dying and resurrected God of the Sun.  This also seems a
mistake, as Balder does not return from the land of death.  It makes a
poor symbol to honor Balder on solar holidays, lest the sun not
return! The remaining major interpretation of Balder is as a God of
mystic initiation.  While this fits to some extent, we unfortunately
no longer know.  The equation with Christ has wiped out a great deal
of lore about Balder and we are left to rediscover his place in our
modern practice.

Minor Gods

Of the other important Gods, Heimdall is the guardian of Asgard.  He,
as Rig, is also one of the Gods who fathered mankind.  Njord is the
God of sailing and sailors.  Unless one travels on the sea, he is
probably of little importance to you, but if one does sail, he is your
natural patron.  If Njord is the God of sailing and of man_s use of
the sea, then Aegir is the God of the sea itself.  He is married to
Ran who takes drowned sailors to her home after their death.  Aegir is
considered to be the greatest of brewers, and our kindred honors him
in a special holiday due to the importance of mead in our modern
religion.  Bragi is a much overlooked God who is the patron of
taletellers and bards.  Other Gods more or less overlooked in the
myths include Forseti, who renders the best judgments, Ull, a God of
hunting who is the male counter to Skadi, Vithar, the son of Thor who
is as strong as his father, Vali, Odin_s son who will avenge his
fathers death at Ragnarok, and Hod, the blind God who was led to slay
Balder.

While we might say that certain Gods are more important than others,
this is in many ways not accurate.  We would be better served to say
that some are more popular.  The Norse concept of the relationship
between men and Gods was one of friendship.  A man would honor all the
Gods as worthy and existent, but would usually find one as his special
patron.  It is not surprising, considering this, that Thor is the most
popular of Gods.  If the average person was searching for a God very
much like himself, Thor would be the obvious choice.  Likewise, a God
such as Njord would have been extremely important to sailors and
fishermen, but would have been almost completely unimportant as a
patron to inlanders.  The less well known Gods are just as powerful as
their more well known contemporaries, they merely have power over a
less well known aspect of life.

There are also many Goddesses other than Frigg and Freya, but we know
very little of them.  Eir was said to be the greatest of healers, and
is for this reason very important.  There is no healer God as the
ancients held that medicine was a craft for women and not for men, but
modern male healers should certainly invoke her.  While Skadi has a
very small part in the myths, many modern Asafolk find her a
compelling figure.  She is the snow-shoe Goddess, who travels in the
isolated mountains hunting with her bow.  She is married to Njord, but
they are separated as Njord can_t abide the mountains, and Skadi can_t
sleep in Njord_s hall where she is kept awake by the pounding of the
sea.  She is an excellent role model for women who work alone and who
are independently minded.  Oaths are sworn to the Goddess Var, but
little else is known of her.  Lofn might some day be of importance to
you, she is known to bring together lovers who are kept apart by
circumstance.

I have merely touched upon the Gods here.  It is important for
everyone who would practice the religion of the North to get to know
the myths and the Gods.  An appendix is included which outlines
various sources for more information.


Elves & Other Spirits

The world of ancient Paganism was hardly limited to the worship of the
Gods.  There are various other beings who were honored, and _Elf
worship_ was often the hardest part of Paganism for Christians to
destroy.  It was easy enough to substitute one God for another, but it
was quite another to tell the common people that the elves which
brought fertility to the land were not real!

In the various folktales and sagas we find very little which would
lead us to a concrete system of what spirit was responsible for
exactly what.  We are sure of the place of the Valkyries, who were
responsible for bringing the slain to Valhalla, and also for choosing
who in battle would die.  They seem, judging by their actions, to be
supernatural beings of some type.  However, Valkyries appear in
various places as very human figures and their exact nature is
difficult to determine.  Sigrdrifa was a Valkyrie who was cursed by
Odin because she refused to bring victory in battle to those whom he
had chosen.  Her punishment was to be married to a mortal, and the
implication is clear that this would end her days as a Valkyrie.  It_s
equally clear that she has great knowledge of the runes as she tutors
Sigurd after he awakens her.  In most respects she seems to be a
normal human woman, although a very wise and independent one with
great powers.  Elsewhere, Voland and his brothers are said to have
found three Valkyries sunning themselves without their swan-coats.
When the brothers steal their feather-coats and hide them, the
Valkyries again appear as otherwise normal women.  This does not seem
entirely in keeping with a supernatural origin, and it_s possible that
some kind of magickal order of Priestesses has become confused over
time with the supernatural beings we know as Valkyries.  The swan-coat
seems very similar in description to Freya_s falcon-coat and the
entire issue may be something related to the practice of seidhr.  As
far as we know, the Valkyrie were not worshipped as such, but were
considered more the messengers of Odin.  They also serve the mead at
Valhalla, and because of this whoever pours the mead into the Horn at
Blot or Sumbel is today known as _the Valkyrie._

The other spirits whose place seems fairly clear are the Disir.  These
are spirits who are intimately linked with a family.  There is also
some indication that they are linked with the land, but this would be
in keeping with the old ways.  We forget sometimes that many
landowners in Europe have been living in the same place since before
this continent was discovered.  The land becomes an intimate part of
the family and its identity, so it is natural that family spirits
would also oversee the family land.  Disir inevitably are seen as
women who appear at times of great trouble or change.  They are
somehow linked to the family bloodline, and seem most closely linked
to the clanchief.  There is one scene in one saga where a spirit,
apparently a Dis, is passed on from one person to another who are not
blood relations.  However, these two friends are closer than brothers,
so while the link is apparently not genetic, it is definitely
familial.  We know the family Disir were honored with blots at the
Winter Nights and that they have great power to aid their family.  As
far as their origin, it_s possible that they are ancestral in origin.
They may be ancestors whose power was so great that they were able to
continue to see to their clan.  Or it_s possible that the Disir are
the collective spirit of the family ancestors.  Freya is called the
great Dis and there may be some linkage here to her position as a
seidhrwoman.  We know from the sagas that Seidhr was involved with
talking to various spirits (including the dead) and its possible that
this is the source of Freya_s name.  It is also possible that she
performed much the same function as a Dis to her tribe the Vanir.

Closely linked to the idea of the Disir is the Fylgia.  These spirits
are attached to an individual person in much the same way that the
Disir are associated with a family.  Fylgia usually appear either as
animals or as beautiful women.  They correspond to the _fetch,_
_totem,_ or _power-animal_ in other cultures.  Most of the time the
fylgia remains hidden and absent, it is only with truly great or
powerful persons that the fylgia becomes known.  They may have
something to do with Seidhr as well, because many sagas offer evidence
of spirit travel in the shape of animals.  This corresponds exactly to
notions of shamanism found in other cultures.

The remaining spirits include Alvar or elves, Dokkalvar or dark elves
or Dwarfs, kobolds, and landvaettir.  While some have defined one
being as doing one thing and another serving a different function, I_m
not inclined to draw very sharp distinctions between these various
creatures.  They all seem _elfish_ in origin, and there seems to me to
be no pattern of associating one name with a specific function.  We
know that various landvaettir or land spirits were honored with blots.
We also know that Frey is the lord of Alfheim, one of the nine worlds
where the alvar are said to live.

Of all the remaining spirits, the dwarfs are the most consistent in
description.  We know that the dwarfs are cunning and misanthropic in
character and incredible smiths, capable of creating magickal objects
so valuable they are considered the greatest treasures of Asgard.
Thor_s hammer Mjolnir, Freya_s necklace Brisingamen, and Sif_s golden
hair are all creations of the dwarfs.  They live beneath the earth and
have little to do with mankind or the Gods unless one seeks them out.
What place they had in the religion we no longer know.  It would seem
wise to invoke them as spirits of the forge, but I can think of little
other reason to disturb them.

Elves are the most difficult magickal race to pin down.  Mythological
sources tell us that the Alvar or light elves live in Alfheim where
Frey is their Lord.  However, we also have the enduring belief in
folklore of the elves as faery-folk: beings associated with the
natural world.  These two conceptions of elves might still be linked,
however, as Alfheim is known to be a place of incredible natural
beauty, and Frey, their leader, is an agricultural deity.  To further
confuse this issue, Norse folklore has a strong belief in the
Landvaettir, or land spirits who may fit into either or both of these
categories.  I_m inclined to lump them all together as similar beings
that we simply don_t know enough about to tell apart.  What is
important is that Asatru, like all Pagan religions, honors the natural
world and the earth very deeply.  Whether one calls the spirits of the
land as the elves, the faeries, or the landvaettir, or uses all of
these terms interchangably, respect is all important.  Asatru is known
for being one of the most politically _conservative_ of the modern
Pagan religions, but you_ll find few of us who aren_t staunch
environmentalists.

One of the most important spirits to honor is the house-spirit.
Folklore is also filled with stories of various spirits variously
called faeries, elves, kobolds, brownies, tom-tin, etc who inhabit a
house and see to its proper conduct.  In the usual form of the tale,
they offer to perform some housekeeping functions, but eventually turn
on the owners of the house when they are insulted by overpayment.  We
don_t have any concrete evidence for how our ancestors honored these
beings, but this is not surprising because such a thing would not be a
public observance and it_s unlikely it would be recorded in the sagas
or Eddas.  Folklore indicates that such beings should be honored with
a simple bowl of milk or perhaps beer, but no more.

In general folklore does not paint the various elves and spirits as
particularly benevolent figures.  With the exception of house spirits,
who as spirits of a manmade object are bound to us on some level, they
seem most interested in staying out of the dealings of mankind.  There
are numerous stories of people who spy upon elf women and force them
to become their brides.  Inevitably the women are unhappy and
eventually escape, leaving their husbands devastated.  There are also
numerous stories of spirits who haunt the woods and who will drag
wayward travelers into rivers to drown or to some other untimely
death.  When people do have dealings with the elves these beings seem
to operate on an entirely different set of expectations than we do.
Most of us would be gratified by the gift of a _bonus_ from our
employer, yet time and time again in folklore this is the easiest way
to anger a house spirit.  We know that elves were honored with blots,
but it_s just as possible that these ceremonies were made in
propitiation to them rather than in kinship as are our blots made with
the Gods.  We suggest caution in dealing with beings with a set of
values so foreign from our own.  They should be approached in the same
way one would approach a person from a country whose ways are very
different.

In general, we_re also very reticent to make decisions about
classifying the various _other peoples._ It would be very easy to draw
lines and place certain spirits into little boxes which label their
function, but that seems overly mechanical and of little utility.
Elves and other _wights_ are not human, and it might be too much to
try to classify them in other than subjective terms.  It_s probably
best to simply make your intent clear, experiment, and use the terms
which work for you, remembering only to be true to the sources.

Demi-Gods

There are a whole classification of Gods which are not truly part of
the Aesir, Vanir, or even the Jotunn.  Wayland the Smith is the best
example of this that we can offer.  Wayland, called Volund in the
Norse version, is the greatest of smiths, but it_s clear in the
mythology that he was more or less a human man.  The myth tells of how
he lost his wife and was enslaved by a human King.  While his powers
allow him to outwit and take vengeance on the king, it_s clear
throughout that he_s not on the level of a Thor or an Odin.  What one
does about these demi-Gods or local Gods is a good question.  I see
nothing wrong with pouring a blot in their honor and dealing with them
as you would any other God or Goddess.  On the other hand, they are
not part of the Aesir and I think it might be disrespectful to honor
them with the Aesir or as part of a ceremony dedicated to the Aesir as
they seem of a different nature.

Ancestor Worship:

Honoring ones ancestors was one of the most sacred duties of the
Norsemen.  One of the most important parts of greeting new people was
the exchanging of personal lineages at sumbel.  The worship of the
Disir is closely linked to ancestor worship.  However, it is difficult
for modern day Pagans to seriously engage in ancestor worship.  We are
for the most part without a strong connection to our heritage, and
even if we feel motivated we would probably need to skip at least a
thousand years back to find ancestors who would not have been appalled
by our Heathen beliefs.  One substitution for ancestor worship in the
modern Asatru movement has been the veneration of heros from the Sagas
and legends of our people.

The manner of how we honor ancestors is also somewhat troubling.  I
reserve the blot ritual to Gods and other powers, and I_m not sure if
it_s appropriate to pour a blot to an ancestor, no matter how
important he was.  It_s touchy when you are honoring someone that you
knew was a mortal.  I think the most important part of ancestor
worship is remembering, and the sumbel seems the most important part
of that.

While we discuss ancestry, I must mention that some modern Asatru
groups, in part because of holdovers from 19th century cultural
movements, have placed a great deal of emphasis on ancestry in terms
of race.  Many have held that Asatru was a religion for whites or
Northern Europeans only.  In my not particularly humble opinion, this
is pure idiocy.  The basic argument for this is that people of other
cultures do not share the same background and values.  This is
certainly true, but the key word in my opinion is culture, and all
Americans by definition share a culture.  Also, while I admit I would
think it doubtful that people from outside of our own cultural
heritage would be attracted greatly to Asatru, if they are it is for a
reason and they should be welcomed and not shunned.  It proves the
worth of our religion and way of life that it is so strong that one
would leave his own cultural path behind to take up ours.

As far as culture is concerned, the ancestry of the ancient North is
alive and well in modern America.  A thousand years ago settlers
sailed to Iceland to avoid the growing influence of powerful kings and
centralized government.  This centralization of power was one of the
things which Roman Christianity brought with it.  Two hundred years
ago we in America rebelled against our king for much the same reasons.
Our culture is much more profoundly influenced by the Vikings than
most would care to admit.  Our law is based on English common law,
which in turn has roots in Norman and Saxon law.  (Both the Saxons and
Normans were descended from Germanic tribes.) Our culture is based on
many of the same ideas which the Northmen held dear: the importance of
the individual and the belief that individual rights outweighed
collective rights.  Thus, it is my assertion that we are all
descended, at least in part, spiritually from the ancient Norse.

The Jotunn

The Jotunn or giants are the sworn enemies of the Gods.  While the
Aesir represent order and the Vanir represent the supportive powers of
nature, the Jotunn represent chaos and the power of nature to destroy
man and act independent of humankind.  In the end, it is the Jotunn
who will fight the Gods at Ragnarok and bring about the destruction of
the world.

In essence despite being called Giants or Ogres, the Jotunn are Gods
just as much as the Aesir or Vanir.  In many cases they correspond
very closely to the Fomoire in Celtic mythology.  Most simply put, the
Jotunn are the Gods of all those things which man has no control over.
The Vanir are the Gods of the growing crops, the Jotunn are the Gods
of the river which floods and washes away those crops or the tornado
which destroys your entire farm.  This is why they are frightening and
this is why we hold them to be evil.

The Jotunn are not worshipped in modern Asatru, but there is some
evidence that sacrifices were made to them in olden times.  In this
case, sacrifices were probably made _to them_ rather than shared _with
them_ as was the case with the Vanir and Aesir.  It would be
inappropriate to embrace them as friends and brothers in the way we
embrace our Gods.  One doesn_t embrace the hurricane or the wildfire;
it is insanity to do so.  However, we must also remember that fact
that we see their actions as bad, they are not inherently evil.  The
storm destroys the crops, but it also brings cleansing and renewal.
We humans are only one species on this planet and in the end we are
both expendable and irrelevant to nature.  This is the manner in which
the Jotunn act, and it is not surprising that we see this as evil.

However, one must also take into account the premonitions of Ragnarok
recorded in the eddas.  If the Jotunn are merely amoral, why are they
the sworn enemy of the Aesir and why will they bring about the end of
the world? It_s possible that Jotunn was more of a catch-all term for
dangerous Gods rather than a reference to a specific family.  (It is
the case in many languages that there is one word for people that
speak the language, usually translating as _people,_ and another term
for those persons of other cultures and tribes.) The dangerous forces
of nature are _Jotunn_ because we cannot control them, but there are
other forces, principally those of chaos, that are considered _Jotunn_
as well.

There is abundant evidence for this in the Eddas.  Various Jotunn are
seen to marry into the Aesir without a great deal of trouble from the
Gods, but at other times the mere sight of one throws Thor into a
rage.  The obvious conclusion is that they are more than one specific
race of deities.  The destructive powers of nature were tolerated to
some extent, and often married into the Aesir bringing them more under
control.  However, other _outlander_ Gods were completely destructive
to the Aesir (and thus mankind) and the Gods only thought for them was
death.


The Religious Structure of Asatru

The ancients, for the most part, did not have an organized system of
Temples or churches in the way that our society does today.  Religion
was a very personal affair, mostly between the Gods and their
worshippers.  If there was a formalized temple or perhaps a grove that
was dedicated to the Gods and tended as a temple it was most likely
built by a wealthy landowner and dedicated to his or her patron God.
Such a person would then, usually, become the Gothi (Priest) or Gythia
(Priestess) of the temple.  Such temples were generally maintained by
the family after the builders death, the title being more or less
inherited by whomever was lord over the land.

Today most Asatru groups are similarly unstructured.  This has been a
problem because there is little in the way of religious education
other than in books such as this one and personal research.  While
this sort of learning is fine, there are always some things left out
and I_m sure that mine will be no exception.  There are a few groups
who are attempting to initiate training programs and present sets of
standards for people who would declare themselves to be Gothi or
Gythia, but these groups have unfortunately been somewhat inflexible
and dogmatic, seeming more interested in creating hierarchies than
with service to the Folk or Gods.

Gothi is a honorary title only.  It does not mark any administrative
power or rank within Asatru.  One would probably not call oneself
Gothi unless one had some experience of deity and had led many
rituals, but as it entails power over no one and it is up to no one to
comment on ones qualifications or abilities.  Similarly there is no
need for someone to be a Gothi or to have access to one in order to
practice our faith.  While the more experienced might get more things
_right_ in the ritual, this is purely subjective and if your heart is
true to the Gods this is enough.
Most persons who were given the title Gothi in the old days were
dedicated to a single God.  The title most often formed their last
name: Thorolf Thorsgothi for example.  This dedication to a God or
Goddess was usually part of one_s family heritage and was passed down
to your children.  While there is no compelling reason why one cannot
act as Priest to the entire community of Gods and Goddesses, it is
most common for one to be dedicated to a single deity.  A kindred may
have persons who are each dedicated to a different deity, or it may
orient itself towards a single deity as did families in the Sagas.

The most basic unit of Asatru religious worship is the hearth or
homestead.  This is nothing more than it sounds like: a household of
Asafolk who worship the old Gods and Goddesses.  Several individuals
or hearths may group themselves into a _kindred,_ which is a term that
has many meanings to many different groups.  Some kindreds have many
members and function like mainstream churches, others are more
familylike and attempt to hold to their privacy.  The place of a
kindred is more or less analogous to a clan or small tribal group.  A
kindred is made up of people you are familiar with and with whom you
meet in person and in it_s best sense it_s an organic grouping,
however it_s not the same sort of bonding that one would find in a
single family or even in an extremely close knit group of friends.  In
a true Pagan society, the kindred would be found on the level of a
farmstead or small village.

The ritual blots are most commonly done on the level of the kindred,
or in meetings where more than one kindred comes together.  The
rituals of a Hearth might be less formalized and more _homey_ in
atmosphere.  The blot ritual is based on a religious observance that
was part of the official public aspect of ancient Asatru, and its
likely that there were many other private rituals that would not
necessarily be appropriate for a kindred to take part in together.
For example, a kindred might not honor the individual family Dis or
the house-spirits unless all members of the kindred lived together or
were tied by blood as well as companionship.

Most persons will want to join or found a kindred in their area,
however, before one runs out and begins to solicit people, you should
think about what you are doing.  The very name of our groupings,
_kindred,_ implies a great deal more than does membership in a church.
Today we are accustomed to religious institutions that are more or
less anonymous and sterile.  A kindred should not be this way.  While
we must be open to all, we need not act as if we were a public
facility with no more intimacy than a department store.  It is best to
start small and gather people as they come to you.  Once you are
established, get involved in the local Pagan community if you are not
already.  Attend a few events of the local Leif Erikson society or the
Sons of Norway.  Open one of your blots to the public and take note of
people who are attracted to Asatru.  A kindred is something which
should form organically and cannot be pushed.  On the other hand,
Asatru is not a secret religion or one open only to _initiates_ as
many Neo-Pagan faiths are.  We must be open to outsiders who are truly
interested.  I am just cautioning against throwing people into a
kindred because they are available or it is the only group around or
they are too polite to say no.  A roommate of mine related to me a
conversation he had with another person at an Asatru gathering.  The
person remarked that _this is all very nice, but when do you think Joe
will get tired of this stuff._ My roommate being a seriously committed
Heathen straightened him out.  The person in question was just a
friend of Joe_s who went to Pagan events because of Joe_s interest.
He assumed that the rest of the group was _humoring Joe_ just as he
was.  The moral of this story is that if people are not interested,
there_s nothing you can do about it.  We_re not the Christians who
want anybody and everybody to join our faith, and we should pay just
as much attention to dissuading the dabblers and the kooks as we do to
attracting those who truly do have the love of the Old Gods in their
hearts.

As to what makes one a Gothi, the requirements would vary from group
to group.  Some might have written criteria, while others might leave
it up to the persons heart.  Certainly a Gothi is one who has a long
term relationship with the Gods and Goddesses.  One does not, for
example, simply read this book and then proclaim oneself Gothi! (I am
writing this book and don_t consider myself to be a Gothi.) A
competent Gothi should have studied the Eddas and Sagas and know the
history of our religion.  He or she should also know a bit about the
runes, and the other mysteries of our tradition.  One should also note
that this is a public office and the Gothi of old had responsibilities
as leaders of the community.  Most importantly one must be sincerely
dedicated.  There_s no push to move to a _higher_ level of the
Priesthood as there are in religions or magickal orders with _degree
systems_ and if you do not feel compelled to take on the
responsibilities of being a Gothi or Gythia, there is no need for you
to and much to say that you should not.


The Values of Asatru

One of the basic functions of a religion is to offer a set of values
on which mankind is to base it's actions.  This, sadly, is one area
where Paganism has often failed.  The cult of anti-values has held
sway, taking moral relativism to extremes perhaps even farther from
common sense than fundamentalist moral legalism, even to the point
where I have heard rape, murder, and genocide defended on the basis of
"cultural differences."

However, values remain important.  All one needs to do is look at the
morning paper to see the results of a society that has in many ways
embraced the cult of anti-values.  Thievery, murder, and plunder exist
in our cities to extents which would have appalled our ancestors_no
matter how many times they went a' Viking.  While this is hardly what
the Pagans who have embraced the cult of anti-values had in mind, it
is to my belief a natural outgrowth of the same basic philosophical
concept.  The chaos in our country is the dark shadow of the modern
rejection of moral legalism.  What should have been an evolution from
a legalistic moral/religious culture to one of flexible honor based
values and self-responsibility has instead become a morass of chaos
and immorality.  The lesson we should all learn is that while there is
no definitive list of sins; right and wrong still exist.

As usual Asatru offers a sensible solution.  Our faith deals not in
legalisms and rules nor in unchecked chaos and relativism.  We instead
acknowledge the existence of right and wrong, good and evil, but we
deal with actions according to basic philosophical concepts that are
applied by the keen intellect of Odin, the simple common sense of
Thor, and the solid honor of Tyr_the gifts of the Gods to us.

Asatru posits that the basic place of moral judgment is within the
human heart and mind.  We as human beings with the gift of
intelligence are sensible and responsible enough to determine right
from wrong and act accordingly.  The Gods teach us through the
examples of their lives, as chronicled in the Eddas, and through
various pieces such as the Havamal which directly offer us advice.  In
the modern history of our faith, various Asatru organizations have
outlined simple sets of values which they hold up as simple guidelines
on how to live ones life.

The Odinic Rite (the major Asatru group in England) has one of the
most cohesive and sensible of all those we've seen and this set has
been adopted by the Raven Kindred as an "official" statement of our
beliefs.  We do this not only as a moral guide for our members, but
also to say to the world what it is that we stand for_our good name in
the community being important to us.  Finally, this list is used when
someone formally joins the Raven Kindred and we hold a sumble and
toast the 9 virtues to the new member in the hope that they will apply
them to their life.

The Odinic Rite lists the 9 Noble Virtues as Courage, Truth, Honor,
Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and
Perseverance.

It would be hard to get much argument on any of these values from
anyone.  They simply and briefly encapsulate the broad wisdom of our
Gods and ancestors.

Courage

In virtually every statement of values applied to Asatru, Courage is
listed first.  As Stephen McNallen has said, courage and bravery are
perhaps the values which the Vikings are best known for.  However,
despite our history, few of us face such turmoil as a literal battle
for ones life.  In fact, I believe it might be easier to manifest
courage in such a situation than to do so in the many smaller day to
day occurrences in which courage is called for.

The most common of these occurrences for modern Pagans, is the courage
to acknowledge and live ones beliefs.  It is also, sadly, the one that
we most often fail at.  While we may often be full of the type of
courage that would lead us to face a shield wall, many of us quake at
the thought of the topic of religion coming up at the office or a
friend asking what church we attend.  We won't offer easy answers, but
we ask this: if you toast the courage of your ancestors to fight and
die for what they believed in, can you trade away your religious
identity for a higher salary or social acceptance?

In an essay on values there is also the question of moral courage.
The way of Tyr is difficult_to lose ones hand for ones beliefs_but,
Tyr thought the price worth paying.  In a million ways modern society
challenges our values, not just as Asatruar who are estranged from
mainstream religious practice, but for religious people in an
increasingly not just secular, but anti-religious culture.  Values are
also not in favor in modern society.  Breaking or getting around the
rules is encouraged to get ahead.  Living honorably is simply too
inconvenient.  I think most people, Asatru or otherwise, find this
repugnant, but the only way to change it is to have the courage to
refuse to take part in it.

Truth

The second virtue, that of Truth, is the one that most led our kindred
to embrace the Odinic Rite's statement of values as our own.  Early in
our discussions, we decided that no matter what values we chose to
hold out as our own, truth must be among them.  It is a word that
holds so much in its definition, and includes such a wide variety of
moral and philosophical beliefs that we were all drawn to it as a
simple statement of what we stood for.

At least one of the reasons we wanted to adopt it was the simple issue
of honesty.  As Bill Dwinnels said at a recent sumbel while toasting
truth and honesty: if you don't want people to know about something,
don't do it.  Truth, in the sense of honesty, is essential to personal
honor and also to any system or morality that is not based on rigid
legalism.  If one is to uphold an honor code, one must be brutally
honest with oneself and with others.

Truth is also the Truth that comes with a capital T_the kind of Truth
that one talks about in terms of religion or morality.  It's common to
talk of different peoples having different "truths," but it's equally
important to remember that while we acknowledge that each person or
people has their own belief as to what Truth is or where to find it,
there finally is a single Truth.  This is not the Truth as we believe
it, but ultimate Truth.  While we may respect other people's _truths_
and seek our own, we must never forget our search for The Truth.  Like
the Holy Grail of Christian legend, it may never be ours to reach, but
when we cease to search we perish.

Honor

Honor is the basis for the entire Asatru moral rationale.  If anything
comes out in the Eddas and Sagas it is that without honor we are
nothing.  We remember two types of peoples from ancient times: those
whose honor was so clean that they shine as examples to us and those
who were so without honor that their names are cursed a thousand years
after they lived.  Good Asatruar should always strive to be among the
former.

However, honor is not mere reputation.  Honor is an internal force
whose outward manifestation is reputation.  Internal honor is the
sacred moral compass that each Asatruar and God should hold dear.  It
is the inner dwelling at peace which comes from living in accordance
with ones beliefs and with ones knowledge of the Truth of what one is
doing.  It is something deeply personal and heartfelt, almost akin to
an emotion.  It's a _knowing_ that what one is doing is right and
decent and correct.

In many ways while the most important of all the virtues it is also
the most ephemeral in terms of description.  It is all the other
virtues rolled together and then still more.  The best way I have
found to describe honor is that if you are truly living with honor,
you will have no regrets about what you have done with your life.

Fidelity

Fidelity is a word that is far too often defined by it's narrow use in
terms of marital fidelity.  By the dictionary it simply means being
faithful to someone or something.  In marriage this means being true
to ones vows and partner, and this has been narrowly defined as
limiting ones sexual experience to ones spouse.  While I have found
this to be great practical advice, many treat fidelity as if there
were no other ways in which one could be faithful or unfaithful.
For we Asatruar fidelity is most important in terms of our faith and
troth to the Gods.  We must remain true to the Aesir and Vanir and to
our kinsmen.  Like marriage, Profession (the rite in which one enters
the Asatru faith, similar to Christian confirmation or Wiccan
initiation) is a sacred bond between two parties; in this case an
Asatruar and the Gods.  In order for such a relationship to work, both
must be honest and faithful to each other.

Asatru, although currently being reborn, is at its roots a folk
religion and we also uphold the value of fidelity to the ways of our
ancestors.  This is why historical research is so important to the
Asatru-folk: it is the rediscovering of our ancient ways and our
readoption of them.

Discipline

In any discussion of the values of Asatru, discipline is best
described as self-discipline.  It is the exercise of personal will
that upholds honor and the other virtues and translates impulse into
action.  If one is to be able to reject moral legalism for a system of
internal honor, one must be willing to exercise the self-discipline
necessary to make it work.  Going back to my earlier criticism of
society, if one rejects legalism, one must be willing to control ones
own actions.  Without self-discipline, we have the mess we currently
see in our culture.

Looking at discipline in terms of fidelity, we see a close connection.
Many Pagans go from faith to faith, system to system, path to path.
Asatruar are much less likely to do this.  The discipline of keeping
faith with our Gods and the ways of our ancestors is part of our
modern practice.  In this way, we limit ourselves in some ways, but we
gain much more in others.

Hospitality

Hospitality is simply one of the strongest core values at the heart of
virtually every ancient human civilization.  In a community/folk
religion such as our own, it is the virtue that upholds our social
fabric.  In ancient times it was essential that when a traveler went
into the world he could find some sort of shelter and welcome for the
night.  In modern times it is just as essential that a traveler find
friendship and safety.

In our modern Asatru community, we need to treat each other with
respect and act together for the good of our community as a whole.
This functions most solidly on the level of the kindred or hearth
where nonfamilial members become extremely close and look out for
each other.  It can mean hospitality in the old sense of taking in
people, which we've done, but in modern times it's more likely to mean
loaning someone a car or a bit of money when they need it (that's
need, not want).

Part of hospitality is treating other people with respect and dignity.
Many of our Gods are known to wander the world and stop in at people's
houses, testing their hospitality and generosity.  The virtue of
hospitality means seeing people as if they were all individuals with
self-respect and importance.  Or perhaps from time to time, they are
literally the Gods in human form.  This has profound implications for
social action in our religion.  Our response to societal problems such
as poverty (that's poverty folks, not laziness) is in many ways our
modern reaction to this ancient virtue.

In terms of our modern community as a whole, I see hospitality in
terms of frontier "barn raisings" where a whole community would come
together and pool their resources.  This doesn't mean we have to
forget differences, but we must put them aside for those who are of
our Folk, and work for our common good.

Industriousness

Modern Asatruar must be industrious in their actions.  We need to work
hard if we are going to achieve our goals.  There is so much for us to
do.  We've set ourselves the task of restoring Asatru to it's former
place as a mainstream faith and by doing so reinvigorating our society
and culture.  We can't do this by sitting on our virtues, we need to
make them an active part of our behavior.  Industry also refers to
simple hard work in our daily vocations, done with care and pride.

Here's a few concrete examples.  If you are reading this and don't
have a kindred, why not?  Stop reading now.  Go and place ads in the
appropriate local stores, get your name on the Ring of Troth, Wyrd
Network, or Asatru Alliance networking lists, and with other Pagan
groups.  Put on a workshop.  Ok, now you're back to reading and you
don't agree with what I'm saying here?  Well, be industrious!  Write
your own articles and arguments.  Write a letter to the editor and
suggest this material be banned_better that than passivity.  Get the
blood moving and go out and do it.  That's how it gets done.  The Gods
do not favor the lazy.

The same holds true for our non-religious lives.  As Asatruar we
should offer a good example as industrious people who add to whatever
we're involved in rather than take from it.  We should be the ones the
business we work in can't do without and the ones who always seem to
be able to get things done.  When people think of Asatru, they should
think of people who are competent and who offer something to the
world.

This doesn_t just apply to vocational work, but to the entire way we
live our lives.  It is just as much a mentality.  The Vikings were
vital people.  They lived each day to its fullest and didn_t wring
their hands in doubt or hesitation.  We should put the same attitude
forward in all that we do whether it is our usual vocation, devotion
to the Gods, or leisure time.

Self Reliance

Industry brings us directly to the virtue of Self-Reliance, which is
important both in practical and traditional terms.  Going back to the
general notion of this article, we are dealing with a form of morality
that is largely self-imposed and thus requires self-reliance.  We rely
on ourselves to administer our own morality.

Traditionally, our folkways have always honored the ability of a man
or woman to make their own way in the world and not to lean on others
for their physical needs.  This is one of the ways in which several
virtues reinforce and support each other.  Hospitality cannot function
if people are not responsible enough to exercise discipline and take
care of themselves.  It's for those that strive and fail or need
assistance that hospitality is intended, not for the idle who simply
won't take care of themselves.

In terms of our relationships with the Gods, self-reliance is also
very important.  If we wish the Gods to offer us their blessings and
gifts, we must make ourselves worthy of them_and the Gods are most
pleased with someone who stands on their own two feet.  This is one of
the reasons for the Asatru _rule_ that we do not kneel to the Gods
during our ceremonies.  By standing we acknowledge our relationship as
striving and fulfilled people looking for comradeship and a
relationship, rather than acting as scraelings looking for a handout
from on high.  It takes very little for a God to attract a follower,
if worship simply means getting on the gravy train.  We, as Asatruar,
are people who can make our own way in the world, but who choose to
seek a relationship with the Gods.

In mundane terms being self-reliant is a simple way to allow ourselves
the ability to live as we wish to.  In simple economic terms, if one
has enough money in the bank one doesn't need to worry as much about
being fired due to religious discrimination.  We can look a bigot in
the face and tell him just where he can put it.  It's also nice to
have something in the bank to lay down as a retainer on a good lawyer
so we can take appropriate action.

On the other side of this is self-reliance in the sense of Henry David
Thoreau, who advocated a simple lifestyle that freed one from the
temptations of materialism.  Again, here we are able to live as we
wish with those things that are truly important.  Religious people
from all faiths have found that adjusting ones material desires to
match one's ability to meet them leaves one open for a closer
relationship with deity and a more fulfilling life.  While our
ancestors were great collectors of gold goodies, they didn_t lust for
possessions in and of themselves, but for what they stood for and
could do for them.  In fact, the greatest thing that could be said of
a Lord was that he was a good _Ring Giver._

Being self-reliant also means taking responsibility for ones life.
It's not just about refusing a welfare check or not lobbying for a tax
exemption, but also refusing to blame ones failures on religious
intolerance, the patriarchy, or an unfair system.  The system may, in
fact, be unfair, but it's our own responsibility to deal with it.

In societal terms, we have become much too dependent on other people
for our own good.  As individuals we look to the government or to
others to solve our problems and as a society we borrow billions from
our descendants to pay for today's excesses.  Most problems in this
world could be solved if people just paid their own way as they went.

Perseverance

The final virtue is Perseverance which I think most appropriate
because it is the one that we most need to keep in mind in our living
of the other values.  Our religion teaches us that the world is an
imperfect place, and nothing comes easy.  We need to continue to seek
after that which we desire.  In this imperfect world there are no free
lunches or easy accomplishments_especially in the subjects we have set
before ourselves.  If we truly wish to build an Asatru community that
people will hold up as an example of what committed people can do,
then we must persevere through the hardships that building our
religion is going to entail.  We must be willing to continue on when
we are pushed back.  If one loses a job for ones religion, the answer
is not to go back and hide, but to continue until one finds a vocation
where one can more forward and live as an Asatruar should.

Finally we must persevere when we simply fail.  If one's kindred falls
apart because of internal strife, one should go back and start over.
Pick up the pieces and continue on.  If nobody had done this after the
disintegration of the Asatru Free Assembly, this would probably never
have been written.  We must be willing to continue in the hard work of
making our religion strong_not just when it is convenient and easy to
do so, but when it gets hard, inconvenient, or just plain boring.  To
accomplish without striving is to do little, but to persevere and
finally accomplish a hard fought goal brings great honor.

Appendices:

Essays, Raven Kindred Information, Sample Rituals & Networking
Information

Hailing the Sun: A Sample Blot to honor Sunna at the Summer Solstice

This ritual would be ideally performed at sunrise on the day of the
summer Solstice.  If possible the folk should gather while it is still
dark or even better, remain awake throughout the night in vigil.  A
secondary time would be at noon on the Solstice.  This ritual should
not be performed at night.

At any point in this ritual, within the realm of logic and dramatic
flow, the parts marked as Gothi and Gythia may be shared among the
folk.  In addition, the parts are not necessarily sex specific, but
the terminology is used as a convenience.

Set Up: An altar should be placed in the center and the folk should
form a circle around it, leaving space in the center for the _action_
to take place.  For this ritual you will need some sort of mead or
beer, a horn or chalice, an offering bowl, a hammer for consecrations,
and a wheel of some sort, preferably a wagon wheel to symbolize the
turning of the wheel of the year.  Any reasonable tools may be
substituted.  The Wheel is placed on the ground near the altar or on
the altar with candles around the rim (unlit).

Consecration of space

The Gothi goes to the center of the folk and forms the invocational
position of the elhaz rune, both hands in the air at a rough 45_
angle.

Gothi: We gather here to honor our sacred lady Sunna, who on this
Solstice Morning, reaches her height of power.  All hail Sunna!

All: Hail Sunna!

The Gythia takes the hammer and walks to each of the four corners and
consecrates the space.

Gythia: Hammer, hallow and hold this holy stead, that it will be a
fitting place for our worship of our sacred lady Sunna! Hammar, Helga
ve thetta ok hindra alla illska!

Gythia returns hammer to altar and faces the altar.

Gythia: I consecrate and hallow this altar to the work of our sacred
lady Sunna! Here on this Solstice morning may the might of the Gods be
brought to our holy stead.  May the warm light of Sunna heat our
hearts and hold our spirits.

Gothi: Our holy lady watches and waits for the blot in her honor.
Hail Sunna!

All: Hail Sunna!

(At this point it would be most appropriate for a song or reading to
be performed.  It should obviously be about Sunna or the sun or
something appropriate to the day.)

Invocation

Gythia: Our lady Sunna is the light of knowledge, the warmth of love,
and the heat of our passion.  Let us spend a moment in silence,
contemplating those things which she brings us.

Leave a few moments for silent prayers and meditation.

Gothi: Holy Sunna.  Lady of the Sun.  Light of the heavens.  Ever
pursued and ever free.  We gather to greet and welcome you and offer
you gifts on this day.  We offer to you our prayers and love, our
devotion and strength, our kinship and honor.

All face the sun and form the elhaz posture.

All: Hail to thee Sunna, light of Har newly risen.  She whose holy
light shone upon our ancestors of old and she who_s light will shine
upon our children.  We give you hail and welcome.  Fill our hearts on
this Solstice morning with your warm rays that your fires may burn in
our hearts throughout the year.  Hail Sunna!

A few moments of silence are appropriate here.

Blot

Gothi: Now it is time to offer sacrifice to our holy lady.

Gythia takes horn and Gothi fills it with mead.  Gythia holds horn
above her head, in the direction of the sun.

Gythia: Here is our sacrifice, the essence of our love and spirit.  We
offer it to you as a token of our kinship and our love.  As you drink
of it, may your power fill this holy hlaut and feed our spirits.

Gythia drinks from the horn and it is then passed around the folk,
each taking a drink, with the horn returning to the Gythia.

Gythia: Hail to thee Sunna!

Gythia pours remainder of horn into the offering bowl.  Gythia and
Gothi take the bowl and evergreen sprig and walk around the folk,
sprinkling the mead to the four corners and on the folk.  Finally they
return to the center and sprinkle the wheel.

Gothi: Hail the sacred wheel of the sun.  Now it is the longest day of
the year and the sun is triumphant, but all changes and the wheel
turns.

Gythia lights candles on the wheel and members of the folk take it up
and parade it around the grounds.  A song or chant would be
appropriate at this time.  _The sun burns, the wheel turns!_ for
example.  Once the procession is done (this decision should be based
on the subjective feelings of those involved and not planned out) the
wheel should be returned to the altar.

Gothi & Gythia assume the invocation position

Gothi: Sacred Lady Sunna, Summer Sun now strongest.  We thank you for
your blessings of warmth and light.  May you reign long.

All: Hail Sunna!  Hail Sunna!  Hail Sunna!

Libation

Gothi takes up the hlaut bowl.

Gothi: Now our rite is ended and the sacrifice is made.  The wheel
turns.  To Sunna, to the Gods, to the Goddesses, and to Earth, mother
of us all, we offer this holy mead, from the Gods to the Earth To us.
From ourselves to the Earth to the Gods.  Hail!

Gothi pours contents of the hlaut bowl on the ground, possibly in the
center of the wheel.  If this ritual is done indoors, the libation
should be poured outside afterwards.  We usually trek outside
immediately even if the ritual is an apartment.  The physical action
of pouring the libation is an important psychological trigger to both
Gods and men that the ritual is over.


What Is The Raven Kindred?

The Raven Kindred is a non-incorporated religious organization
dedicated to the worship and veneration of the ancient Nordic Gods and
Goddesses and to the religion of Asatru.  We are centered around the
Worcester county area of Massachusetts and Southern Maryland/suburban
D.C.  areas, but have members in Western Massachusetts, the Boston
area, and Connecticut.  We welcome members from other areas, including
contacts through correspondence.

The focus of the Raven Kindred is specifically the religion of Asatru.
While we honor our Pagan relations in the Wiccan community, we are
following a much different tradition.  Our rituals are the blot or
offering and the sumble.  Also while we are primarily involved as a
kindred in exoteric forms of worship, we have members who are
interested in seidhr, rune magic, and other esoteric pursuits within
the Nordic Tradition.

We practice a fairly conservative version of Asatru trying to keep
close to our roots in the Asatru Free Assembly and Asatru Alliance
including a tribalist sense of who we are as a Folk.  However, we are
also much more progressive in our social beliefs and politics and we
welcome all persons regardless of ethnic origin, sexual preference, or
political view.  We hope to be a link between the Old and the New,
holding to our dear values of Faith, Folk, and Family while discarding
the prejudices that have held our religion back.

Our goals for the future are quite far-reaching.  We support the
movement to bring Asatru out of the shadows and to spread the Troth of
the Gods to all who are their natural children.  More immediately we
intend to network with existing Asatru organizations, both local and
national, while also setting up other chapters of the Raven Kindred
and doing some networking on our own behalf.

Attendence at Raven Kindred rituals is essentially open, although we
reserve the right to eject anyone who is disruptive as well as the
right to hold observances that are open only to Professed Asatru or to
Kindred Members.  Full membership is available only to those who have
Professed Asatru and place their membership in the Raven Kindred above
other religious commitments.  Decisions about the Raven Kindred are
made by a majority vote by Full Members.

Currently the Raven Kindred holds a Blot on the first Saturday of each
month in Sturbridge Massachusetts and Wheaton Maryland.  We also
gather at other seasonally appropriate times for Blots and other
activities.

For more information on the Raven Kindred, Asatru, or our services
please contact us at the following addresses:

Raven Kindred Maryland/DC; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD
20902 Raven Kindred Massachusetts; P.O.  Box 1137; Sturbridge MA
01566 Electronic mail may be sent via the internet to
lstead@access.digex.net


Raven Kindred Ritual Outline

The Raven Kindred has developed a slightly different form of the Blot
ritual which we use.  This has come to pass because of a desire for
more personal involvement as well as a smaller group of people than
would be appropriate for a major blot.

The major change, outside of a few cosmetic differences, is that we
have added a _mini sumbel_ to the blot ritual in place of the
sprinkling in which we offer three rounds of toasts: the first
dedicated to the God or Goddess being honored and the remaining two to
anything the participants deem appropriate which is not inimical to
the purpose of the blot.  (i.e.  don_t toast the Jotnar during a
ritual to Thor.)

Setting the mood: Chant to Odin, Vili, Ve

To begin each ritual we offer a three round chant of _Odin, Vili, Ve._
This serves two purposes.  First we are linking ourselves to the Gods
of creation and thus to the connections between Midgard and the Gods.
Second and perhaps more appropriately it allows people to get
themselves mentally prepared for the service.

Hammer Rite

We offer an invocation to Fire and Ice which are the central elements
of the creation of the world.  We ask that the place we are meeting be
blessed and Holy for the coming of the Gods.

Statement of purpose

We far too often ignore this, but it_s a good idea to have the Gothi
or Gythia who is presiding greet the participants and state something
general about the purpose of the ritual.  It need not be complicated
_We gather together today to celebrate the Winter Nights as our
ancestors did.  To honor our ancestors, the Disir, and Freya the Great
Dis and to renew our bonds as a family [kindred]._

General Prayer

At this point one of our members usually offers up a prayer to the
Aesir and Vanir collectively to thank them for their bounty since the
last time we met and to ask their blessings upon the kindred and its
members.

Personal invocations

We reserve a time between the opening of the ritual and the blot
ceremony for people to offer any prayers or other invocations they
feel necessary.  This is the time when we Profess new members of
Asatru.  Other activities done at this time have included a kindred
member thanking Saga, the Goddess of wisdom, for her recent graduation
from college.

Invoke deity of occasion

At this point we make a point to specifically invoke and honor the
deity that we are bloting.  We attempt to list as many names and or
functions of the God as possible and this serves a dual purpose in
reminding the attendees of who the God is and why we are honoring Him.
This is, however, separate from the offering.

Meditation

At this point we like to remind ourselves why we are here and what the
Gods mean to us.  We sit and someone either offers a spoken meditation
or more often reads a story from the mythology.  While most of us
enjoy the poetic edda, we usually use a modern prose version of the
myth as it is easier to follow.

Offer/sanctify mead

The Gothi takes up the horn and his assistant (often called _The
Valkyrie_ by Asafolk) fills it with mead.  The Gothi then steps to the
altar and holds the horn aloft and asks the God to partake of it and
charge it with his power.

Toast to the deity of occasion

This is when we begin to deviate substantially from the standard
Asatru blot ritual.  Beginning with the Gothi the horn is raised and a
toast drunk to the God.  The horn is then passed around to the Folk
and a personal toast repeated.  The only rule here is that the round
is dedicated to the God invoked.  Many times the toasts are personal
thanksgiving or requests for aid or wisdom.

At the end of the round the remains of the horn (and there should be
some) are poured into the blotbowl.

Remaining toasts

We then take two more rounds to toast whatever Gods, ancestors, and
beings each person wishes.  There is not necessarily any continuity
from one person to the next.  Brags or oaths are also appropriate at
this time.  Professions, other major oaths, and major works of
thanksgiving or praise are usually done before the blot.  The second
and third toasts are usually reserved for small things.

Thank deity

Finally we always remember to thank the deity and ask for his
continued blessings on the Folk present.

Oath Ring ceremony

Our kindred has a ceremony that affirms our dedication to each other,
to the kindred, and to the Gods.  Each full Professed and accepted
Kindred member comes forward and takes hold of the oath ring.  (We are
blessed in having a 6_ diameter brass oath ring made for us by a
kindred member.) One person then recites a rede concerning itself with
the symbol of a ring and something which connects us to the Gods, the
Earth, and to each other.

I should repeat, only kindred Members participate in this.  If you
haven_t sworn on the oath ring, you don_t take part in the ceremony.
We have enlarged this at public events to all Professed persons, but
change the rede to remove references to the kindred.

Pour libation

Finally we leave the Hof and pour a libation on the physical earth,
adjourning outside to do so if we are indoors.  The blot hitting the
ground signals that the ritual is truly over.  When we are working
indoors in a living room or other non-dedicated space I always make
sure I am the first to return and extinguish candles, turn on electric
lights, etc.  This provides a good hint to people_s minds that the
ritual is, in fact, over.  If we had a dedicated space, the procession
outside to pour the blot would also empty the Hof and we would adjourn
to the feast rather than returning to the temple.


Raven Kindred Calendar

The Raven Kindred meets on the first weekend of each month and for the
four major Norse holidays: Summer and Winter Finding (Spring & Fall
Equinox), Summer Solstice, and Yule.  Traditional festivals which have
been moved to fit our monthly schedule have their traditional date in
parenthesis.  Festivals marked with a _*_ are particular to the Raven
Kindred.  There are other holidays which our kindred does not meet to
celebrate, but which are recognized by Asatru and celebrated on an
individual or family basis.

Snowmoon/January

1st weekend _ Frig_s Distaff _ Celebration of Frigga and the home
(Trad.1/2)

Horning/February

1st weekend _ Disting _ Celebration of Freya and the Disir (Trad.
2/14 )

Lenting/March

1st weekend _ Founding of the World.  Celebration of Odin, Vili, and
Ve*

3/21 _ Summer Finding - Celebration of the Goddess Ostara.  Also a
celebration of the Raven Kindred_s founding, Spring Equinox 1991.

Ostara/April

1st weekend _ Alfarblot.  Sacrifice to the elves and nature spirits
(traditionally celebrated as part of Disting)

Merry-Moon/May

1st weekend _ May Day/Walpurgis.  Celebration of spring which we
dedicate to Njord and Nerthus.  (Trad.  5/1)

Fallow/June

1st weekend _ Festival of Mead dedicated to Aegir and also to Bygvir
and Beyla*

3/21 Summer Solstice _ Dedicated to Sunna, Goddess of the Sun

Haymoon/July

1st weekend _ Blot in honor of Baldr*

Harvest/August

1st weekend _ Freyfaxi, first harvest and celebration of Frey and his
horse (Trad.  8/1)

Shedding/September

1st weekend _ Discovery of the Runes, celebration of Odin as the God
of Wisdom (Odinic Rite holiday celebrated 8/25)

9/21 Winter Finding _ Disirblot (Disirblot traditionally 10/13-10/15)

Hunting/October

1st weekend _ Tyrblot, celebration of Justice and Honor.  (Supreme
Court session begins 1st Monday in October)*

Fogmoon/November

1st weekend _ Einjerhar, celebration of war-dead and Ragnarok
Dedicated to Odin and Freya  (Trad.  11/11 _ Armistice Day)

Wolfmoon/December

1st weekend _ Winterblot, dedicated to Skadi and/or Ullr*

12/21 _ Yule, multiday festival dedicated to Thor et al (Traditionally
a festival lasting from the Mother Night 12/21 to New Years Day)


The Bylaws of The Raven Kindred of Asatru

I.   Purpose

The Raven Kindred of Asatru is an unincorporated non-profit religious
association dedicated to the worship of the Old Norse and Germanic
Gods and the practice of the ancestral religion of Asatru.

II.  Membership

A.   Associate Membership in the Raven Kindred is open to all
practitioners of Asatru.  No benefits are implied or guaranteed by
Associate Membership.

B.   Full Membership (aka Voting Membership) is obtained by a
majority vote of the current full members then present.  Each member
may vote yes, no, or to table the motion for 3 months.  Candidates for
Full Membership shall have fulfilled the following qualifications
before being considered: 1) The candidate must have pledged troth to
the Aesir and Vanir.  2) The candidate must be willing to place
priority on his loyalties to Asatru and the Raven Kindred over other
spiritual commitments.  3) The Candidate must be willing to swear an
oath of membership to the Raven Kindred.

C.   Membership of any type will not be denied on the basis of
race, sex, or sexual preference.

D.   Full or Associate Membership may be revoked by a vote of two
thirds of the Full Members then present.

E.   Membership in the Raven Kindred of Asatru, either Associate or
Full, may be resigned by serving verbal notice at any function of the
Kindred or by written notice.

III  Governance

A.   Governance shall be by majority vote.  Each Full Member shall
have one vote.  Only Full Members shall vote, but any interested
parties shall be given reasonable access to address the Kindred.  Full
Members may hold proxy for other Full Members.

B.   Such officers as needed shall be appointed for whatever terms
and functions the Kindred deems necessary.

C.   Meetings, during which the Kindred may conduct business, may
be scheduled by the Kindred as needed, but the Kindred shall meet not
less than once every six months.  Any time that 50% of the Kindred_s
Full Members are met together, either physically or through other
interactive means, a meeting may be declared for the purpose of
conducting business.

IV   Alliances

Subject to the restrictions in section V, the Raven Kindred of Asatru
shall seek out alliances with other groups of similar nature and
purpose for the betterment of our faith as a whole.

V    Independence

The Raven Kindred of Asatru shall not sign any treaty or affiliate
with any group that would deny its independence as an entity or
control its internal affairs.  In any alliances, affiliations, or
treaties, these By-Laws shall have precedence over any other
instruments signed by the Kindred.

VI.  Amendments

These by-laws may be amended by a vote of 2/3 of all Full Members.
Any proposed amendments must be circulated to all Full Members in
writing 30 days before such amendments may be voted on.

Sources and Resources for Asatru

Please note: This resource list is provided as is and is intended to
be comprehensive. The Raven Kindred doesn_t necessarily endorse any of
the following organizations, publications, etc.

Organizations:

The Ring of Troth P.O. Box 25637; Tempe, AZ 85285-5637 The Ring of
Troth was founded by Edred Thorsson. He resigned in Spring of 2242
(Runic Reckoning _ 1992 C.E.) and has been replaced by Prudence
Priest, most well known as the editor of Yggdrasil.

The Ring is governed by an appointed High Rede of 9 persons who guide
the national affairs of the Ring. They offer a number of programs
include an Elder training program for prospective clergy, The Rune
Ring for study of the magical properties of the Runes from within a
Germanic Pagan context, and recognition for local Kindreds.

The Ring of Troth requires that _its members affiliate for cultural
and religious reasons rather than for racial and political reasons.
The use of the Ring of Troth as a platform for any type of political
or racial propoganda will not be tolerated_

The Troth provides a quarterly magazine and a networking list. There
are also regional gatherings put on by individual Kindreds. Work is
currently underway on a book of rituals.

Dues are $24 and include a subscription to Idunna. If one does not
wish to join, Friends of the Troth may receive Idunna for $24 as well.

The Asatru Alliance of Independent Kindreds P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547

The Alliance is the linear descendent of the Asatru Free Assembly.
They are a democratically run national confederation of independent
kindreds who meet once a year in an Allthing to conduct business. It
is essentially conservative and libertarian. _The Alliance is based
upon the ancient model of tribal democracy known as the Thing, and
member kindreds support a code of laws we feel necessary to preserve
and protect Asatru from those who would dilute, subvert, or in any way
harm our religion. Membership in the Alliance is encouraged for those
who actively promote and believe in the Aesir and Vanir and our
collective Heathen Heritage. Anyone interested in joining the Alliance
should contact the kindred of choice for acceptance. There is no
membership in the Alliance except through a kindred. Applicants must
subscribe to the membership requirements of the kindred of choice and
uphold the bylaws of the Asatru Alliance._ This group has recently
adopted a declaration stating that Asatru is an ethnic religion, so
membership now seems to be limited on the basis of race.
The Odinic Rite BM Edda; London, WCN 3XX

The Odinic Rite BM Runic: London WCN 3XX

These two organizations are each claiming to be the _true_ Odinic
Rite. The BM Runic address is the older one, but the BM Edda address
seems to be producing more publications. I_d suggest writing to both
and figuring it out on your own. The Odinic Rite is an organization
for the revival of Odinism in England. If one sends a few postal reply
coupons I believe each will send you information. Both publish
magazines.

Eagles Reaches P.O. Box 382; Deer Park TX 77536-0382

Eagles Reaches is now doing national organizing and correspondence
connections.


The Raven Kindred 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902

The Raven Kindred offers correspondence connections, regional
coordination, booklets and pamphlets.  They also operate the Wyrd
Network, a correspondence network for Wiccans to discuss the
compability with and conversion to Asatru.

Magazines:

Vor Tru _ $12/year. The Journal of the Asatru Alliance (see above
address). Concentrates on community issues within the Alliance, news
of kindreds, letters, etc. Sometimes contains racist material.

Idunna _ $24/year. The journal of the Ring of Troth. Idunna
concentrates on fairly heavy academic subjects, runelore, translations
etc within a religious framework.

Mountain Thunder _ $18/year, 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301.
Glossy covered and well put together. Usually excellent articles on
relgious issues of Heathenry, scholarly stuff, reviews, and opinion.
Has devoted a lot of commentary to the Asatru community and where it_s
going.

Uncle Thorr_s Newsletter _ $12/year, P.O. Box 080437; Staten Island NY
10308-0005. Simple newsletter with ranting and raving from Uncle Thorr
and company, news from NY, and articles on lifestyle, runes, and other
topics.

Ask & Embla _ $12/year; P.O. Box 271; Carrollton OH 44615. Small
amateur production with commentary on Asatru and nothern lore.

Raven_s Cry _ Write for rates & sample; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175;
Wheaton MD 20902. Small iregular kindred newsletter

Wyrd Network Newsletter _ Write for rates & sample; 11160 Veirs Mill
Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902. Newsletter/letter exchange for Wiccans
interested in Asatru.

The Runestone _ $10/year; P.O. Box 445; Nevada City CA 95959.
Published by Stephen McNallen & Maddy Hutter, this is the
reincarnation of the AFA_s seminal journal on Asatru. Interesting
commentary, interested in heroic viking past.

On Wings of Eagles _$25/year; Eagles Reaches; P.O. Box 382; Deer Park,
TX 77536-0382

Odinism Today _ £8.50 (overseas) BM Edda; London; WC1N 3XX;
England/United Kingdom. A nice little quarterly with articles on
mythology, reviews, etc.

ORBriefing _ $20 (overseas) BM Runic; London; WC1N 3XX; England/UK. A
small newsletter of happenings and opinion.

Kindreds:

American Church of Teutonic Life; 107 Court St, Suite 131; Watertown
NY 13601 Arizona Kindred; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ 85547 (Asatru
Alliance) Asatru Fellowship; P.O. Box 271; Carrollton OH 44615 Asatru
Fellowship; 858 W Armitage Ste. 139; Chicago, IL 60614 Barnstokker
Hearth; P.O. Box 1972; Seattle WA 98111-1972 Bond of the Grae Wolf;
119 Waipapa Rd; Hataitai; Wellington 3, New Zealand Crow_s Nest
Kindred; P.O. Box 3392; Galveston, TX 77552 Eagle Kindred; P.O. Box
1942; McCall, ID 83638 Eagles Reaches; P.O. Box 382; Deer Park TX
77536 (Ring of Troth) Freya_s Folk; 537 Jones St #165; San Francisco,
CA 94102 Gering Hall; 720 Huntington St; Watertown, NY 13601 Hammer
Oak Kindred; 2626 35th Ave; Oakland, CA 94619 Hammerstead Kindred;
P.O. Box 22379; Lexington, KY 40522-2379 Helga Ve Kindred; P.O Box
531; Bouse, AZ 85325 Heritage and Tradition; CP 244, Succ. P.A.T.;
Montreal Quevec, H1B 5K3 Canada Hlidhskjalf Kindred; 1513 Thurlow St;
Orleans, Ontario K4A-1D8; Canada Hrafnaheimr; 7162 Melrose Ave; Los
Angeles, CA 90046 Irmunsul Hearth; P.O. Box 18812; Auston, TX 78760
(Ring of Troth) Midgard Kindred; P.O. Box 4071; Toledo, OH 43609
Mountain Moot; P.O. Box 328; Elizabeth CO 80107 Nerthus Heart; 27 Gap
Rd; Black Hawk CO 80422 Niumd Baqra Kindred; P.O. Box 4371; Sunland,
CA 91041 North Carolina Kindred; Rt 3 Box 113; Laqwndale, NC 28090
Northern California Kindred; P.O. Box 445; Nevada City CA 95959 N.
Ancestral Runic Fellowship; P.O. Box 199045; Indianapolis, IN 46219
Norvegr Kindred; 219 Lewis St; Wash Court House OH 43160 Ocean
Kindred; P.O. Box 09007; Staten Island, NY 10309 Raven Kindred North;
P.O. Box 1137; Sturbridge MA  01566 Raven Kindred South; 11160 Veirs
Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton, MD 20902 Saehrimner Kindred; 1861 County Rd
1114; Cullman, AL 35055 Skelland Kindred; P.O. Box 7608; Clearwater FL
34618 Thorr_s Hammer Kindred; 9461 Bella Vista Rd; Apple Valley CA
92308 Torwald Kindred; 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301 Ullsbekk
Kindred; P.O. Box 1156; Denver, CO 80201 Vinland Kindred; P.O. Box
15431 PSS; Stamford CT 06901 (Asatru Alliance) Vlissinger Hearth; 3016
154th St; Flushing, NY 11354 Wotan Kindred; 8117 NE 32nd St;
Vancouver, WA 948662 Wulfing Kindred; P.O. Box 18237; Chicago IL 60618
(Asatru Alliance) Yggdrasil Kindred; 1709 West Midvale Village Dr;
Tucson AZ 85476

Recommended Books:

The Poetic Edda, Lee Hollander translation (basic mythology in an
excellently translated poetic version.)

The Prose Edda, Jean Young translation (basic mythology)

The Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley Holland (basic mythology in modern
language and retelling, excellent for readings or meditation)

A Book of Troth by Edred Thorsson (Not my favorite author and not a
book without many imperfections, but the only mass market book of the
basic rituals of Asatru)

Teutonic Religion by Kveldulfr Gundarsson (basic text on modern
Germanic Paganism. I also recommend his book on runes Teutonic Magic.)

The Raven Kindred Ritual Book (basic text on Asatru ritual and
beliefs, $5 from the Raven Kindred South, checks made out to Lewis
Stead, available for free download from online services or the
Moonrise BBS at (301)_5939609 or by e-mail from
lstead@access.digex.net

The AFA Rituals, three volumes available from World Tree Books ($18
from World Tree) The original ritual volumes from the Asatru Free
Assembly.

Introduction to Ritual and Invocation Tape ($7 from World Tree Books)
A basic cassette tape that goes through a ritual step by step, the
other side is a variety of invocations and prayers.

The last two are from World Tree Publications; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547 (checks payable to the O.F. of Arizona). World Tree is a service
of the Asatru Alliance and carries a number of tapes and booklets as
well as Thor_s Hammers and statuary.


Computer Network Resources:

There is a Runes & Asatru conference on the Pagan/Occult Distribution
System (PODSnet). This network has nodes around the world and BBSes
drop in and out of the network. The following are long term stable
boards: The Mountain Oracle, Colorado: 719-380-7886, Baphonet, New
York: 718-499-0513, Mysteria, California: 818-353-8891, Sacred Grove,
Washington State: 206-634-1980, Moonrise, Maryland/DC: 301-593-9609,
Pandora_s Box, Ottawa Canada: 613-829-1209, PODS, Sydney Australia:
61-2-833-1848, PODS Melbourne Australia: 61-3-796-2180

The Troth Line is an internet mailing list for Asatru and The Ring of
Troth. For subscription information send an E-Mail message to
mimir@u.washington.edu. The list itself is at
troth-l@seanews.akita.com. The internet is accessable through America
Online, CompuServe, Delphi, and tens of thousands of other locations.

Please send additions and corrections to Lewis Stead; 11160 Veirs Mill
Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902 or through e-mail to
lstead@access.digex.net.

 Bulb Planting Earth Chant 
By: Eileen


 breath of the stone is strange to me
 i know it lives as i can't see
 force of the earth is strong and free
 sustenance and beauty be

 born of the stars and sprang from the ground
 Mother, Goddess all around
 Wheel must turn as the seasons show
 what lies dead shall surely grow
 RITUAL FOR WOMEN RECLAIMING THE GOD 

        The session begins with everyone telling how the figure of the     
God had been "spoiled" for them -- ie, by patriarchal and/or     sexually 
repressive religions, by the destructive aspects of male     energy (war, 
domination), etc.

        The altar is decorated with symbols of the God -- ours had 
antlers, a crystal phallus, grain & grapes, a plastic goat from a 
Celebrato Doppelbock beer bottle, an abstract figure of Baron Samedi (a T 
shape made of dowels and dressed in a black frock coat with a top hat, a 
red scarf, and a cane), a couple of statues of Chinese sages or 
bodhisattvas.

        I. Quarters: E - Myrddin, S - Weyland, W - Taliesin, N - Freyr
    (sorry this is so sketchy; I just improvised them on the spot.  Check 
out their respective mythologies for ideas on how to invoke them)

II. Guided Meditation

        GROUND AND CENTER.  SINK INTO THE EARTH.  ALL AROUND YOU, THE
BREATHING OF SISTERS BECOMES THE BREATHING OF THE WORLDS' WINDS.  THE
HEAT OF OTHER BODIES BECOMES THE FIRE OF ALL LIFE.  THE RUSH OF BLOOD
IN YOUR EARS BECOMES THE MURMURING OF THE SEA.  THE FLOOR BECOMES A
RICH, LOAMY FIELD, FRESH PLOUGHED.

        FEEL THE SOIL.  RUB IT BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS.  SEE IT AND SMELL IT.  
IT IS DARK, ALMOST BLACK.  IT SMELLS OF COMPOST,SOMEHOW SMOKY.  IT IS 
SMOOTH, CRUMBLY, FREE OF ROCKS, FIRM TO SUPPORT ROOTS BUT LOOSE TO LET 
THEM SPREAD.  THIS IS MOTHER.  LIE DOWN UPON HER BODY AND EMBRACE HER; 
FEEL HER WARMTH, WARMTH FROM THE SUN, SEEPING INTO YOU, COMFORTING YOU.

        RISE UP.  AT YOUR SIDE, HANGING FROM YOUR SHOULDER, IS A BAG.  
WHEN YOU REACH INTO IT, YOUR HAND COMES OUT FULL OF SEEDS.  WALK BACK AND 
FORTH IN THE FIELD, SCATTERING THE SEEDS. FEEL THE SOIL GIVE UNDER
YOUR FEET.  FEEL THE SUN OVERHEAD; IT IS HOT, AND YOU ARE GETTING
TIRED.  KEEP ON, RHYTHMICALLY REACHING INTO THE BAG AND CASTING THE
SEEDS ABROAD.  YOUR SWEAT RUNS OFF YOU INTO THE FURROWS, SOAKING INTO
THE SOIL.  NOW THE WHOLE FIELD IS PLANTED.  NOW YOU CAN SIT AT THE
FIELD'S EDGE AND REST.

        YOU ARE TIRED.  YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU COULD REST FOR DAYS.  YOU
SIT EASY, BALANCED, ROOTED LIKE A STONE.  YOU ARE A STONE.  YOU ARE THE
GUARDIAN STONE OF THIS FIELD.  YOU WATCH, AS DAYS PASS.  SLOWLY,
SLOWLY, THE SUN ROLLS OVERHEAD, CLOUDS FILL THE SKY AND EMPTY OVER THE
FIELD WITH THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.  SLOWLY, SLOWLY, THE FIELD TURNS FROM
BROWN TO GREEN, AS THE FIRST SPROUTS FORCE THEIR WAY FROM THE SOIL.
DAYS PASS.  WEEKS PASS.  THE SPROUTS LOOK FIRST LIKE GRASS, THEN STALKS
APPEAR AND GROW EVER LONGER.  AT THE TOP OF EACH STALK, SWELLINGS
BECOME NEW SEEDS.  THE CLUSTERS OF SEEDS GROW, BLANKETED IN THEIR
CHAFF, THE HEADS OF GRAIN GROW BRUSHY, BEARDED.  THE GRAIN TURNS GOLD
FROM GREEN; THE HEADS BOW DOWN UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THEIR SEED.

        AND NOW YOU SEE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE FIELD, WOMEN WITH SICKLES 
IN THEIR HANDS.  THEY ARE SINGING A DIRGE, A MOURNING SONG.  THEY COME
INTO THE FIELD AND CUT THE STALKS, KILLING THE PLANTS!  YOU ARE A
STONE, BUT YOU FEEL YOUR HEART BREAK WITH GRIEF FOR THIS KILLING.
SOON, ONLY STUBBLE IS LEFT; THE WOMEN HAVE TAKEN THE GRAIN AWAY.
BEFORE LONG, MORE WOMEN COME, AND SET FIRE TO THE STUBBLE.  YOU FEEL
THE HEAT OF IT WARMING YOUR STONE BODY.  YOU FEEL CRACKS OPEN INSIDE
YOU.  SOON, THE FIRE BURNS OUT, AND THE FIELD IS LEFT BLACK AS IT
BEGAN.  THE WOMEN RETURN WITH SEEDS, PLANTING AS BEFORE.  THE WEATHER
TURNS COLD, AND YOUR STONE-SELF CRACKS APART;  PIECES OF YOU FALL ONTO
THE FIELD.

        YOUR AWARENESS IS IN THE FIELD NOW, IN THE SEEDS.  SLEEPING IN THE 
EARTH, UNDER THE SNOW.  WITH SPRING, YOU FEEL THE EARTH WARMING, AND YOU 
KNOW WITHOUT KNOWING HOW THAT THE SUN IS ABOVE YOU.  YOU PUSH
UPWARD, TOWARD THE UNSEEN SUN.  YOU SEND DOWN A TAP ROOT TO HELP PUSH
YOU UP AND TO FEED YOU, AND IN THE OTHER DIRECTION YOU SEND A SHOOT
WITH TWO LEAF BUDS.  BEFORE LONG, YOU BURST OUT INTO THE SUNLIGHT.  ALL
AROUND YOU ARE OTHER PLANTS.  AS THE DAYS PASS, YOU GROW WITH THEM.
WHEN THE THUNDERSTORMS COME, YOU FEEL THAT THIS RAIN IS RICHER, AND YOU
FEEL BLESSED.  SEEDS DRINK RAIN AND EAT SUNLIGHT AND GROW HEAVY UPON
YOU.  YOU CANNOT HOLD THEM UP; THEY PULL YOU DOWN.  YOU ARE OPPRESSED,
AND AT A STANDSTILL.  YOU SENSE MOVEMENT IN THE FIELD, AND THEN THERE
IS A SHARP PAIN!  YOU ARE CUT OFF FROM YOUR ROOT!  YOUR POWER TO
TRANSFORM SUNLIGHT SLIPS AWAY FROM YOU LIKE BLOOD!  YOU ARE DYING!  YOU
ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR MOTHER FIELD AND THROWN ON A HARD FLOOR.  YOU
ARE BEATEN, BROKEN APART, SCATTERED.  YOU ARE DEAD.

        BUT SOME AWARENESS REMAINS WITH YOU.  YOU FEEL THE PIECES OF
YOURSELF GATHERED UP IN HUMAN HANDS, AND THEN SCATTERED AGAIN, THIS TIME 
ON SOFTNESS.  IT IS MOTHER!  THEY HAVE RETURNED YOU TO MOTHER!  AND NOW 
YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU WERE BEFORE; BEFORE YOU WERE A SINGLE PLANT -- NOW 
YOU ARE A DOZEN PLANTS.  THE CYCLE IS REPEATED, ALL OF YOUR SELVES ARE 
KILLED AND THROWN ABOUT, AND NOW YOU ARE HUNDREDS OF SELVES!  YOU DIE, YOU 
ARE TORN APART, YOU ARE REGATHERED, AND REBORN.  YOUR HUNDREDS OF SELVES 
SPEAK IN THIS VOICE: EVEN THIS AM I, AND I AM GOD.

        COME BACK TO YOUR ONE SELF NOW, YOUR ONE HUMAN SELF.  YOU ARE  
SITTING BESIDE THE FIELD, WHERE YOU SAT DOWN, WITH THE EMPTY SEED BAG AT 
YOUR SIDE.  YOU LEAVE IT THERE, YOU RISE UP, AND TURN AWAY FROM THE
FIELD, TO THE WOODS AT THE BACK OF THE FIELD.  YOU FEEL LEAF MOULD AND
TWIGS UNDERFOOT.  ALL AROUND YOU YOU SEE LIFE SPRINGING UP OUT OF DEATH.  
WHERE TREES HAVE FALLEN, NEW PLANTS ARE GROWING UP THROUGH THE ROTTING 
TRUNKS.  WHERE ANIMALS HAVE DIED, THEIR BODIES HAVE DECAYED TO PROVIDE 
FOOD FOR THE PLANTS ALL AROUND.  ALL AROUND YOU, LIFE IS LIVING OFF OF 
DEATH; THIS IS THE NATURE OF LIFE, ITS HORROR AND ITS WONDER.  YOU HEAR A 
NOISE NEARBY AND TURN TO LOOK; THERE IS A MAGNIFICENT STAG JUST ON THE 
OTHER SIDE OF A BUSH; YOU BLINK, AND IT IS GONE.  WAS IT ONLY BRANCHES?

        EVERYWHERE AROUND YOU, GREEN THINGS ARE FULL OF THE FIRE OF LIFE, 
AS ARE YOU.  YOU FEEL LIFE THRILLING THROUGH YOU, LIKE ELECTRICITY. 
SOMETHING ELSE IS EXCITING YOU -- WHAT IS IT?  YOU CANNOT QUITE TELL.  IS 
IT A SCENT, A SOUND, A SENSE?  SOMETHING, THERE ON THE EDGE OF YOUR 
HEARING, SOMETHING YOU CAN ALMOST TOUCH, A FAINT SCENT YOU     
HALF-REMEMBER.  WHAT IS IT?  YOU ARE AROUSED AND DETERMINED TO TRACK
DOWN THE SOURCE.

        EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, YOU SEE GLIMPSES, HALF-SEEN, OF SOMETHING.
SOMETHING FLITTING THROUGH THE TREES.  IS IT A DEER?  A WILD BOAR?  A 
FERAL GOAT?  A BEAR?  ON THE BUSHES YOU FIND TUFTS OF HAIR.  BEFORE YOU
YOU SEE TRACKS -- CLOVEN HOOVED, TOED, CLAWED.  WHAT ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
DO YOU DARE GO ON?  ALL AROUND YOU IS THE PULSING OF ELEMENTAL FORCES:
    THE FIRE OF LIFE, THE WIND OF BREATH, THE WATER OF BLOOD, THE EARTH,
    THE EARTH, THE EARTH, POWERFUL AND DARK AND UNKNOWABLE.

        ABOVE YOU, THE SKY DARKENS, THE WIND RISES.  YOU HEAR THUNDER AND 
THE BAYING OF HOUNDS, CRYING FOR BLOOD AND DEATH.  YOU TREMBLE WITH
FEAR AND EXCITEMENT; WHITE HOUNDS WITH RED EARS BURST OUT OF THE BUSHES, 
SURROUNDING YOU.  THEY GROWL -- BUT THEY ARE WAGGING THEIR TAILS.  ARE YOU 
THEIR PREY, OR THEIR MASTER?  YOU FEEL ANTLERS ON YOUR OWN BROW; ARE YOU 
THE STAG THEY HUNT, OR THE HUNTER WHO CARES FOR THEM?  NOW THERE ARE 
PEOPLE WITH THE DOGS, AND YOU FEEL THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE, THE RESPECT.  
YOUR DEATH WILL FEED THEM, GIVE THEM THEIR NEEDS, AND THEY ARE GIVING YOU 
THEIR LOVE.  YOU KNOW THEIR HUNGER, AND YOU FEEL GREAT COMPASSION FOR 
THEM.  YOU LIE DOWN AND LEAVE YOUR BODY TO THEM; THEY SING WITH JOY AS 
YOUR SELF FLIES UP OVERHEAD, OUTWARD, SPREADING, INTO THE TREES AND PLANTS 
AND ANIMALS AND EVERYTHING.

        YOU ARE SUDDENLY OVERWHELMED BY THE FEELING THAT YOU ARE BEING
CAUGHT UP IN THE COSMOS; YOU ARE EVERYTHING AND NOTHING; YOU ARE NOT
YOURSELF; YOU HAVE NO SELF; YOU FEEL A SUDDEN, UNREASONING TERROR; YOU
ARE STILL; YOU ARE ALL.

        SLOWLY, SOMETHING BREAKS INTO YOUR FEAR.  YOU HEAR A SWEET, LOW,
BREATHY PIPING.  THE PIPING CALMS YOU, AND YOU KNOW NOW IN YOUR HEART
THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS A PART OF EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS WITHIN YOU.
YOU ARE STILL; YOU ARE ALL; YOU ARE LIFE AND DEATH AND REBIRTH; WITHIN
YOUR OWN HUMAN BODY IS THE MICROCOSM OF ALL THAT IS.  THE GREEKS NAME
THIS ALL "PAN".

        YOU STAND BACK IN THE WOOD, HEARING THE MUSIC, SMELLING THE SMELLS 
OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS, FEELING THAT PULSE OF POWER FILLING YOU,
INFORMING YOU, EMPOWERING YOU.   YOU ARE ECSTATIC!  YOU TAKE TO YOUR TOES 
AND DANCE WITH JOY! AROUND YOU, ANIMALS COME OUT OF THE FOREST TO
DANCE WITH YOU, REJOICING IN LIFE!

        YOU SEE THE LIGHT OF THE SUN FILTERING DOWN THROUGH LEAVES, AND 
THE LIGHT SEEMS TO TAKE A SHAPE.  WHAT IS THAT SHAPE?  WHO DO YOU SEE?
THE GOD STANDS, SMILING, WELCOMING, BEFORE YOU.  WHO IS HE?  HE IS ALL 
THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE; WHAT IS HE TO YOU?  HIS EYES ARE SAD AND WARY AS A 
DEER'S.  HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH HIM?  HE REACHES OUT TO YOU; YOU HAVE BEEN 
AS HE, YOU HAVE DIED AND RISEN, YOU HAVE BEEN THE LIFE OF WILDNESS, YOU 
KNOW THAT HE HAS BEEN WITHIN YOU AS YOU; WILL YOU WELCOME HIM BACK AS HE, 
THE GOD?

        YOU DO TOUCH HIM, AND WELCOME HIM.  HE THROWS BACK HIS HEAD TO
LAUGH FOR JOY!  AND NOW YOU DANCE TOGETHER, AS ONE, FOR YOU ARE ONE.  SIT 
UP.  FEEL YOUR BODY! TOUCH YOUR BODY AND FEEL YOUR FLESH, FEEL THE HEAT OF 
LIFE UNDER YOUR FLESH.  BREATHE AND FEEL THE WIND WITHIN YOU.  MOVE, AND 
FEEL THE JOY OF THE DANCE!  RISE UP, AND DANCE THIS INVOCATION!

        HE IS THE STORM THAT SCOURS THE LAND
        HE IS THE GUIDE OF HIDDEN WAYS
        HE IS THE HOLLY AND THE OAK
        HE IS THE HUNTER AND THE PREY
        HE IS THE LORD OF STAG AND BEAR
        HE IS THE SLAYER AND THE SLAIN
        HE IS THE BLADE OF SACRIFICE
        HE IS THE BLOOD THAT HEALS ALL PAIN
        HE IS THE WORD THAT MADE THE WORLDS
        HE IS THE SONG IN EVERY THROAT
        HE IS THE IVY AND THE GRAPE
        HE IS THE LORD OF RAM AND GOAT
        HE IS THE HEAT IN LIMB AND LOIN
        HE IS THE RAPTURE AND THE FRIGHT
        HE IS THE FIRST LORD OF THE DANCE
        HE IS THE FLAME UPON THE HEIGHT
        HE IS THE SOWER AND THE SEED
        HE IS THE STONE BESIDE THE TRACK
        HE IS THE BEARDED HEADS OF GRAIN
        HE IS THE LEAF AND BRANCH AND BARK
        HE IS THE LORD OF HORSE AND BOAR
        HE IS THE BLACKTHORN ON THE MOUND
        HE IS THE PULSE OF WOODLAND'S HEART
        HE IS THE HOME AND HOLY GROUND
        HE IS THE SALMON IN THE POOL
        HE IS THE WINNER OF THE MEAD
        HE IS THE HAZEL AND THE ASH
        HE IS THE SECRET IN THE REED
        HE IS THE SPEAKER OF THE RUNE
        HE IS THE CORACLE ON SEA
        HE IS THE SWALLOWED AND REBORN
        HE IS THE RIDER OF THE TREE

        When all have danced to satiation, bring the dancing to a close,
    then say:

        LOOK AROUND AND SEE THE ALL IN YOUR SISTERS!  REACH OUT AND 
EMBRACE THE GOD YOU SEE THERE!

Feel the presence of the God

 What/how do you feel now?
