


                                                                             301

          MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "Religion of the Ancient Celts", Folcroft
          Library, 1977rep.

          MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "The Mythology of all Races in Thirteen
          volumes; Celtic, Volume III.", Cooper Square Pub. 1967

          MACLENNAN, MALCOLM; "A Promouncing & Emtylogical Dictionary of the
          Gaelic Language", (Scots Gaelic) Aberdeen Univ. Press 1979

          MACMANUS, SEUMAS; "The Story of the Irish Race", Devin-Adair Co.
          1981

          MACNEILL, MAIRE; "The Festival of Lughnasa", Oxford, 1962 ***

          MARKALE, JEAN; "Women of the Celts", Inner Traditions International
          Ltd. 1986

          MARRIS, RUTH; "The Singing Swans & Other Irish Stories", Fontana
          Lions 1978

          MARSH, HENRY; "Dark Age Britain", Dorset Press 1970

          MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Goddess", Element Books
          1989

          MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Celtic Tradition", Element
          Books 1989

          McNEIL, F. MARTIN; "The Silver Bough, Vol 1.: Scottish Folklore &
          Beliefs", Cannon Gate Classic 1956/1989

          O'BRIEN, CHRISTIAN; "The Megalithic Odyssey", Turnstone 1983

          O'CONNOR, FRANK; "Short History of Irish Literature", Capricorn
          Books 1967

          O'CONNOR, NORREYS; "Battles & Enchantments", Books for Libraries
          Press 1922/1970

          O'DRISCOLL, ROBERT; "The Celtic Consciousness", George Braziller
          1982

          O'SULLIVAN, DONALD; "Carolan: The Life & Times & Music of an Irish
          Harper", Vol 1 & 2, Celtic Music 1983

          PEPPERS & WILCOCK; "A Guide to Magical & Mystical Sites - Europe
          & the British Isles", Harper Colophon Books 1977

          POWELL, T.G.E.; "The Celts", Thames & Hudson 1980










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                                                                             302

          QUILLER, PETER & COURTNEY DAVIS; "Merlin, The Immortal", Spirit of
          Celtia 1984

          REES, ALWEN & BRINLEY; "Celtic Heritage", Oxford 1971 ***

          RHYS, JOHN; "Celtic Folklore, Welsh & Manx, Vol.I"

          ROLLESTON, T.W.; "Myths & Legends - Celtic", Avenel Press 1985

          ROSS, ANNE; "Pagan Celtic Britian", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1967 ***

          ROSS, ANNE, & DON ROBBINS; "The Life & Death of A Druid Prince",
          Summit 1989 ***

          RUTHERFORD, WARD; "Celtic Mythology", Aquarian Press 1987

          RUTHERFORD, WARD; "The Druids, Magicians of the West", Aquarian
          Press 1978 ***

          SEYMOUR, ST. JOHN; "Irish Witchcraft and Demonology", 1913

          SHARKEY, JOHN; "Celtic Mysteries", Thames & Hudson 1975/1987

          SJOESTEDT, MARIE-LOUISE; "Gods and Heroes of the Celts", Methven
          & Co. Ltd. 1949 ***

          SMITH, LESLEY M.; "The Dark Age: The Making of Britian", Schocker
          Books 1984

          SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Minor Traditions of British Mythology", Rider
          & Co. 1948

          SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain", Anchor Press

          SPENCE, LEWIS; "British Fairy Origins", Aquarian Press 1946

          SQUIRE, CHARLES; "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance",
          Newcastle 1975 ***

          STEWART, R.J.; "Book of Merlin", Blandford Press 1988

          STEWART, R.J., ed.; "Merlin & Woman", Blandford Press 1988

          STEWART, R.J.;  "Mystic Life of Merlin", Arcana Press 1986















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                                                                             303

          STEWART, R.J.; "The Underworld Tradition", Aquarian Press 1985

          SUTHERLAND, ELISABETH; "Ravens & Black Rain", Corgi Books 1985 ***

          THURNEYSON; "Old Irish Reader", Dublin Institut for Advanced
          Studies 1968

          TOULSON, SHIRLEY; "The Winter Solstice", Jill Norman & Hobhouse
          1981 ***

          WHITE, CAROLYN; "A History of Irish Fairies", Mercier Press 1976
          ***

          WHITLOCK, RALPH; "In Search of Lost Gods", Phaidon Press 1979

          WILDE, LADY; "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, & Superstitions of
          Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past" Chatto & Windus 1925

          WILLIAMS, GWYNN A.; "Madoc, The Legend of the Welsh Discovery of
          America", Oxford Univ. Press 1987

          WILLIAMSON, JOHN; "The Oak King, the Holly King & the Unicorn",
          Harper & Row 1974 ***

          WOOD-MARTIN, W. G.; "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols
          1 & 2", Kennicat Pub. 1902/1970 ***

          YEATS, W.B.; "Fairy & Folktales of Ireland", Pan Books 1882 & 1882/
          1973

          YEATS, W.B. & LADY GREGORY; "Irish Myth, Legend, & Folklore",
          Avenel Press 1986

          YOUNG, ELLA; "The Wondersmith and His Son", David McKay Co. 1927

























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                                                                             304

                                  THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS 

          PURPOSE

              The Covenant of the Goddess was founded in 1975 to increase
          cooperation among Witches,  and to secure for Witches and covens
          the legal  protection enjoyed by members of other religions.

          FUNCTIONS

              The Covenant publishes a newsletter;  issues ministerial
          credentials on request to qualified persons; sponsors a national
          festival each summer; and encourages networking nationally,  as
          well  as  regionally  through local councils.

          STRUCTURE

              The  Covenant is incorporated as a non-profit religious
          organization in California, though it has grown to be a
          nationwide organization.  It is a confederation of covens and
          solitaires  of  various  traditions,  who share in the worship of
          the Goddess and the Old Gods and subscribe to a common  code of
          ethics.  The Covenant holds a Grand Council annually to elect
          national officers, set a budget, and decide matters which require
          deliberation by the full membership.  Decisions are usually made
          by consensus.

          CODE OF ETHICS

              * An ye harm none, do as ye will.

              * Since our religion and arts and practices peculiar to it
          are the gift of  the Goddess,  membership and training in a local
          coven or tradition are bestowed free,  as gifts,  and only on
          those persons who are deemed worthy to receive them.  However, a
          coven may expect each of its members to bear a fair share of its
          ordinary operating expenses.

              * All persons have the right to charge reasonable fees for
          the services by which they earn a living,  so long as our
          religion  is  not thereby exploited.

              * Every person associated with this Covenant shall respect
          the autonomy and sovereignty of each coven, as well as the right
          of each coven to oversee the spiritual,  mental,  emotional and
          physical development of its members and students in its own way,
          and shall exercise reasonable caution against infringing upon
          that right in any way.

              * Members of this Covenant shall respect the traditional
          secrecy of our religion.

              * Members of this Covenant should ever  keep  in  mind  the
          underlying unity of our religion as well as the diversity of its
          manifestations.




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              *  These ethics shall be understood and interpreted in light
          of one another, and especially in light of the traditional laws
          of our  religion.

          CONFIDENTIALITY

              All information give to the Covenant of the Goddess or any of
          its officials  is considered strictly confidential,  unless you
          indicate otherwise.  No information about members is published or
          given  out  without explicit  written  permission.  Direct access
          to the Covenant's mailing list is limited to the Board of
          Directors.  Maximum privacy is assured.

          NEWSLETTER

              At every Sabbat the Covenant publishes a newsletter of Craft
          and  Pagan news,  original  articles,  poetry,  humor,  rituals
          and announcements.  Member covens receive  the  newsletter
          automatically.  Individual  coveners  and  non-members who donate
          a suitable tax-deductible gift will also be placed on the mailing
          list, to receive the newsletter and other mailings.  Circulation
          is  limited  to members and friends of the Covenant.

          FINANCES

              An  annual  membership  tithe is set every year by the Grand
          Council to cover bare expenses,  based on the previous  year's
          expenses  and  any projected  cost increases.  The annual
          financial statement is published in the newsletter.  Other
          activities  are  supported  by  fund-raising.
              All contributions to the Covenant of the Goddess are greatly
          appreciated and are tax-deductible.

          APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP

              Any Goddess-supporting coven or solitaire can be eligible
          for  membership  in  the  Covenant of the Goddess if certain
          criteria and requirements are met.  All inquiries into membership
          should  be  sent  to the National Credentials Officer.  If the
          coven or solitaire is in an area near a local council,  the
          National Officer will forward the inquiry to the local
          Credentials Officer, who will respond.  A member can apply in
          person at a council meeting, or by filling out the appropriate
          form and sending it in with the initial membership tithe.

          GENERAL CRITERIA FOR COVEN MEMBERSHIP

              * Generally focus thealogy and ritual, etc., around worship
          of the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone).

              * Believe and follow a code of ethics compatible with that of
          the Covenant.

              * Have been meeting monthly or oftener for at least six
          months.




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              * Have three more members who have been formally
          accepted into the clergy.

              * Be a cohesive, self-perpetuating group.

          REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

              Full Membership:  The applicant must be recommended without
          reservation by two active members of the Covenant.

              Provisional Membership:  The applicant may be recommended by
          one  member;  and  then  within a year and a day make a viable
          effort to get to know other members, in order to achieve Full
          Member status.

              The appropriate Credentials Officer (National or  local)
          shall  verify information regarding criteria and credentials.

          COVEN-AT-LARGE

              This is the term we use to represent the many Witches who are
          solitaires, i.e. practicing alone.  Each local council may devise
          its own standards for admission of coveners-at-large,  in harmony
          with national guidelines.

          LOCAL COUNCILS

              A local council is a smaller branch of the Covenant,
          consisting of  at least three member covens of at least two
          different traditions, in
          reasonably close geographic proximity to each other.  The  local
          councils generally meet more often than the national
          organization.  They may initiate independent projects,
          sponsor local festivals and  workshops, and generally work
          together for common goals close to home.  As the Covenant
          continues to grow, we encourage new member covens close to one
          another to form their own local councils.

          VOTING

              When a matter requiring a decision is presented before the
          Covenant in council, it is discussed by the members in attendance
          until a consensus is reached.  If a consensus cannot be reached,
          then a vote is taken.  A coven  holding a current Full Membership
          is entitled to one vote.  Each such coven also holds the power to
          veto,  though this is exercised only in extreme cases.  A coven
          with Provisional Membership is entitled to one vote, but does not
          hold veto power.


              A coven-at-large is entitled to one vote if, and only if,
          three individuals are physically present at the council and
          unanimous in their choice of vote.






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          MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS

              In order to receive Ministerial Credentials as a Priestess or
          Priest, a person shall:

              1.  Be an active member of a coven which is a Full Member of
          the  Covenant.

              2.  Have  been  "confirmed" to taking on the full commitment
          to the requirements of that coven's Tradition of our religion.

              3.  Have undergone at least a full year  of  active  training
          for  the ministry of that Tradition.

              These credentials shall remain valid only so long as the
          person remains an  active  member  of  the coven which remains an
          active member of the Covenant.

              In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as
          an Elder, a person shall:

              1.  Satisfy (2.) and (3.) above.

              2.  Have undergone an additional full year of active training
          for  the ministry.

              3.  Be fully able to form a coven, admit members, and train
          them in the tenets and practices of that Tradition.

              These  credentials shall remain valid for life, unless
          specifically revoked, so long as the person remains in contact
          with the Covenant.

          THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL

              The annual Grand Council or national business meeting is held
          as  part of a national festival,  which is open to the whole
          membership as well as Pagans and Witches who are not part of the
          Covenant.  The
          festival is usually held at a secluded campground or resort,  and
          moves to a different area of the country each  summer.  In
          addition to  the council  meeting,  the  program  includes
          workshops  on magick and the Craft, concerts, a potluck feast, a
          talent show, and the opportunity to purchase (or barter for) art,
          crafts and ritual tools by  Pagan  artisans.  Registration
          information is available in the newsletter.

          FOR MORE INFORMATION:

              Write to: Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley,
          CA 94704.








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                                                                             308

                              A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality 



                    I am a Pagan andI dedicate Myself tochanneling the Spiritual
          Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others.


              *  I  know  that I  am a   part of  the Whole   of Nature.   May I
          grow  in understanding of  the Unity   of all  Nature.  May  I  always
          walk in Balance.

              *  May I  always be  mindful of  the diversity  of  Nature as well
          as  its Unity and   may I   always be   tolerant of  those whose race,
          appearance,  sex, sexual  preference, culture,  and other  ways differ
          from my own.

              *  May I  use the  Force(psychic  power) wisely  and  never  useit
          for aggression nor  for malevolent  purposes. May  I never  direct  it
          to curtail the free will of another.

              *  May I  always be mindfulthat I create my own reality and that I
          have the power within me to create positivity in my life.

              *  May I   always act   in   honorable  ways:  being  honest  with
          myself and  others, keeping   my  word  whenever  I   have given   it,
          fulfilling  all responsibilities and  commitments I  have taken  on to
          the best of my ability.

              *  May I  always  remember   that whatever  is  sent  out   always
          returns magnified  to  the  sender.  May  the  Forces  of   Karma move
          swiftly   to remind me   of these   spiritual commitments when  I have
          begin to falter from them,  and may I use this Karmic feedback to help
          myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

              *  May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals
          in the face of  adversity and  negativity. May  the Force  of my Inner
          Spirit  ground out  all malevolence   directed my   way and  transform
          it  into positivity. May   my Inner  Light shine   so  strongly   that
          malevolent forces can not even approach my sphere of existence.

              *  May I  always grow  in Inner  Wisdom & Understanding.  MayI see
          every  problem that   I face   as  an opportunity   to  develop myself
          spiritually in solving it.

              *  May I always act out ofLove to all other beings on this  Planet
          -- to  other  humans,   to  plants,   to  animals,   to  minerals,  to
          elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.

              * May I  always be  mindful that the  Goddess and God in all their
          forms dwell within  me and  that this   divinity is  reflected through
          my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.

              *  May I  always channel  Love and  Light from  my  being.  May my
          Inner  Spirit, rather    than  my ego  self,  guide  all my  thoughts,
          feelings, and actions.

                                SO MOTE IT BE

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          The Craft  (Witchcraft -  NOT to  be confused with  Satanism.   A true
          Witch has  nothing  to  do  with this,  even  though  there  are  some
          Satanists  who (unright-fully)  call themselves  "Witch".) contains  a
          large number  of groups with bonds  to each other, for  the most part,
          which  are looser than those you will find between Christian churches.
          Each has it's  own traditions,  it's own beliefs,  it's own  pantheon,
          etc.   So  just WHAT is  it that,  overall, a  Witch believes  in? The
          American Council  of Witches was formed to  determine what it was that
          all   Witches  have in common,  belief-wise.   In the  early 1970's, a
          paper  was  released with  their findings,  and  gives a  good overall
          picture of it.  The following is the text of that paper. 
                
          ======================================================================
                
                               BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT
                
          1.   The first principle is that  of love, and it is expressed in  the
          ethic, 
                    "DO AS YOU WILL, SO LONG AS YOU HARM NONE" 
                    a)love is notemotional in it'sessence, but isan attribute of
                  the individual as expressed in relation to other beings; 
               b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed; 
               c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself; 
                    d) theharm which isto be regardedas unethical isgratuitous  
                harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm, although it is        
                                                                                
                ethical to defend oneself and one's liberty when threatened by  
          real and present danger, such as defense against invasion. 
            
          2.    The Witch must  recognize and harmonize  with the forces  of the
          universe,  in accord  with the  Law of  Polarity: everything  is dual;
          everything has  two poles;  everything has  it's  opposite; for  every
          action there is a reaction;  all can be categorized as either 
          active or reactive in relation to other things. 
                    a) Godhead is one  unique and transcendent wholeness, beyond
                          any limitationsor expressions; thus,it is beyond our  
              human capacity to understand and identify with this                
                                                                                
           principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is revealed to           us
          in terms of It's attributes and operation. 
                    b) The most basic and meaningful attribute of the One that  
               we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is that of           
                                                                                
           polarity, of action and reaction; therefore Witches                  
          recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but worship and                 
                                                                                
           relate to the Divine as the archetypal polarity of God                
                                                                                
           and Goddess, the All-Father and the Great Mother of the               
                                                                                
           universe.  The Beings are as near as we can approach to               
                                                                                
           the One within our human limitations of understanding and            
          expression, though it is possible to experience the                   
          divine Oneness through the practices of the Mysteries. 
                    c) Harmony does not  consist of the pretty and the nice, but
                          the balanced, dynamic,poised co-operation and         
                      co-relation. 
            







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          3.   The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the
               Law  of Cause  and Effect;  every action  has it's  reaction, and
          every effect has it's cause.   All things occur according to this law;
          nothing in the universe can occur outside this law, though  we may not
          always appreciate the relation between a given effect  and it's cause.
          Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which     states that whatever
          goes forth must return threefold, whether of      good or ill; for our
          actions affect more than people generally    realize,      and     the
          resulting reactions are also part of the     harvest. 
            
          4.   As  Above, So Below.  That which exists  in the Macrocosm exists,
          on a  smaller scale and  to a  lesser degree, in  the Microcosm.   The
          powers of  the universe  exist also in  the human,  though in  general
          instance they lie dormant.  The powers and abilities can be 
          awakened and used if the proper techniques are practiced, and    this
          is why initiates of the Mysteries are sworn to guard the    secrets
          from the unworthy:  Much harm can be done by those who      have power
          without responsibility, both to others and to     themselves according
          to the Laws of Cause and Effect and of  Threefold Return. 
                    a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the    
                       physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be        
                                                                                
                  nothing in the universe which does not partake of the          
                                                                                
           nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes of            
          the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much                 
          smaller degree. 
                    b) These powers can be awakened through the various          
                                                                                
                          techniques of theMysteries, and,although they areonly 
          capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is                  
          possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of              
          the universe.  Thus humanity can be the wielders of the                
                                                                                
           power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within                
                                                                                
           It's own manifestation.  This, then, is further reason                
                                                                                
           for the oath of secrecy. 
                    c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing the
                       same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the         
                                                                                
                  principles through and by which the One operates.  By          
                                                                                
           reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn of            
          the Divine, and thus of oneself.  Thus the Craft is a                 
          natural religion, seeing in Nature the expression and                 
          revelation of Divinity. 
            
          5.   We know that everything in the universe is in movement or 
          vibration and is a function of that vibration.  Everything  vibrates;
          all things rise and fall in a tidal system that   reflects  the motion
          inherent in the universe and also in the     atom.   Matter and energy
          are but two poles of one continuous     phenomenon.     Therefore  the
          Witch celebrates, harmonizes with, and  makes  use of the tides of the
          universe and of life as expressed  through  the  cycle of  the seasons
          and the motion of the solar   system.    These ritual  observances are
          the eight great Festivals     of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of
          the Year.  Further, the  Witch works with the  forces and tides of the
          Moon, for this body      is the mediator of  much energy to our planet
          Earth and thus to   ourselves. 
            




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          6.   Nothing is dead matter in the universe.  All things exist, 
          therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner  from
          that which we are used to calling life.  In view of this,   the  Witch
          knows that there is no true death, only change from one     condition
          to another.  The universe is the body of Godhead, and  therefore
          possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things   partake  of the
          consciousness, in varying levels of     trance/awareness. 
                    a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to the  
                       Witch, for all partake of the one Life. 
                    b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature is
                       part of us as we are a part of Nature. 
            
          7.   Astrology can be useful  in marking and interpreting the flow and
               ebb of  the tides of our solar system, and  thus of making use of
          those tides; astrology should not be debased into mere 
          fortune-telling. 
            
          8.   Throughout the development of the human race,  civilizations have
               seen and worshipped many  and various attributes of the  Divine. 
          These universal forces have been clothed in forms which were 
          expressive to the worshipper of the attribute of the Godhead     which
          they expressed.  Use of these symbolic representations of   t   h   e
          natural and divine forces of the universe, or god forms, is a 
          potent method for contacting and utilizing the forces they  represent.
          Thus the Gods are both natural and truly divine, and   man-made     in
          that the forms with which they are clothed are    products          of
          humanity's striving to know the Godhead. 
                    a)  In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms are
                          brought into harmony by the one great Law whichstates:
                          All Gods are oneGod.  All Goddesses areone Goddess.   
              There is one Initiator.  This law is an expression of our         
          understanding that all of the forces of the universe, by              
          whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to clothe and relate                
                                                                                
           to whichever force, can be resolved into the fundamental             
          polarity of the Godhead, the Great Mother and the                     
          All-Father. 
                    b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing ethnic
                          sources or periods,which is the basis ofmany of the   
                                  differencesbetween
                                                   thevariousTraditions
                                                                      oftheCraft.
                                                                                
                                EachTraditionuses theforms,andthusthenames,which
                              to thatTradition bestexpress and awakenan         
                            understandingofthe forcerepresented,accordingto the 
                  areas of emphasis of the Tradition. 
                    c) Because we know that differing names or representations  
                                  arebutexpressionsofthesamedivineprinciplesand 
                                forces,werequire ourmemberstoswearthat theywill 
                              nevermockthenames bywhichanotherhonors theDivine, 
                            eventhough thosenames bedifferentfrom andseemingly  
                          lessexpressive thanthe namesand godforms usedby our   
                        Tradition(for tothe membersof anotherTradition, using   
                        it's names, oursmay easily seemequally less             
                expressive). 
            





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          9.   A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great
               guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of
               the Divine,  thus freeing the self  of the slavery of  the mind. 
          The Witch expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and 
          accepts the consequences of  them; guilt is rejected as  inhibiting to
          one's self-actualization, and replaced by the efforts of the     Witch
          to obey the teachings of harmlessness, responsibility for   t    h    e 
          consequences of one's actions, and the goal of actualizing  the   full
          powers of the individual. 
                    a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born innately 
                                sinful,and recognizetheconcepts ofsinandguilt   
                              aretremendouslyinhibitingto thehumanpotential;the 
                            consequencesof theLawof CauseandEffect,called karma 
                            bysome, arenot punishment,but therecurrences of     
                          situations andtheir effectsbecause theindividualas    
                        notgained the Wisdomneeded tohandle or avoidsuch        
                situations. 
                    b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make of
                                  ourlifeonEarth,andlikewisethereisnohellexcept 
                                theeffectsofourunwiseactions.Deathisnotfollowed 
                                bypunishmentorreward,but bylifeandthecontinuing 
                    evolution of the human potential. 
                    c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can, however, 
                                cutoneselfofffromitthroughthe rejectionofwisdom 
                              anda refusaltostrive forself-realization. This    
                   cutting off does not lead to personal suffering 
                                    in"hell", forthereisnoSelftosufferifthetieto
                                  one'sown divinityhasbeensevered;whatremainsis 
                                merelyanemptyshell,a"personality"orthought-form 
                    devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire. 
            
          10.   We  know of the  existence of  the life-force  which ensouls all
          living things, that is, all that exists.  We know that a spark of this
          Divine Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and      that
          it does not die; only the form of it's existence changes.   We    know
          that this spark of the life-force returns to      manifestation  again
          and again in order to fully realize and      actualize it's potential,
          evolving finally to the peak and   essence of existence which  is pure
          being.  In this process of    reincarnation each form  returns in  the
          same type of form, though     it's  ever-increasing actualization  may
          lead to higher levels of      existence of that form.   Man returns as
          man, cat as feline,      mineral  as  mineral,   each  class  of  form
          evolving as the individual    forms of that class evolve. 
            
          11.   This  process of  evolution through  successive incarnations  in
          manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained,   t h e
          essence of the life-experience.  This essence of experience,     o   r
          Wisdom, is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and 
          inseparable (see 9a). 
            








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          12.  We must care for the body,  for it is the vehicle of the spark of
               life, the form by which we attain.  Thus we must heal the body of
               it's ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal
               others  (both physically  and psychologically)  as far  as it  is
          within our power to do so.  However, we cannot interfere with the life
          of another, even to heal, except at their request or with   t h e i r
          express permission; unless such non-interference would be   inhibiting
          to our own, ethical existence and development -- and  
               even then the responsibilities and consequences must be 
          understood and accepted.  This, then, is one of the important 
          reasons for the communal life the Witches under the guidance of  t h e
          Priesthood:  That the group may be guided by wisdom and 
          experience, with the aid and support of one's peers; and that    one's
          actions may be guided by the influence of the ethical life  of     the
          group as a whole. 
            
          13.  Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the
               universe is called magick.  By magick we speak, not of the 
          supernatural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and 
          applications are not as yet recognized by the scientific 
          establishment.  The Witch must strive to recognize these forces, learn
          their laws, attune her/himself to them, and make use of     them.  The
          Witch must also be aware that power corrupts when  
                    used_only_ for thegains of theself, and thereforemust strive
               to serve humanity:  Either through the service in the Priesthood,
               or by example and effects of his/her life on others.   The choice
               must be made in accord with the true nature of the Witch. 































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          This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. 
          Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by 
          High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,  
          80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain 
          Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to  
          reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein 
          without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or  
          abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original 
          author.! 
           
                                IN GRANDMOTHER'S LAP 
                                Copyright 1987, RMPJ 
           
          "Morals are the nagging fear that somebody somewhere may be 
          having a good time." --H. L. Mencken 
           
               What is the difference between one of us and Oral Roberts?  
          Well, hopefully there are lots of differences, but the top one 
          on my list is that I work on being ethical and he is a moralist. 
           
               The moralist knows how everybody else should behave in order 
          to be a good person, avoid Hell, fit into decent society, etc., 
          etc.  He is quite likely to feel that he is a valid exception to 
          all his own rules, since he can handle temptation and control his 
          outcomes.  His main characteristic is frantic paranoid distrust 
          of other people.  No one should be seen nude, for instance, 
          because this would be un-bearably sexually arousing and lead to 
          promiscuity, neglect of ordinary duties, etc.  He knows he can 
          control himself, but everybody else has to be "protected" from 
          their evil impulses.  His major defence is projection: "I'm not 
          oversexed, and of course I'd never want to be or want to be 
          unfaithful to my wife, but that woman in the (name situation or 
          article of clothing) sure is asking for it.  Ultimate expressions 
          of this type of thinking are wife-beating -- one man said, "When 
          I walked into the self-help group I thought that when they heard 
          what I'd had to put up with they'd con-gratulate me for not 
          having killed her." -- and witch-burning -- "I am a good person.  
          Bad things do not happen to good people.  A bad thing has 
          happened to me.  Somebody did it!  Kill them!" 
           
               In essence, the moralist is saying "It can't be my fault 
          (I'm not able to face the idea that it might be my fault).  It 
          must be somebody else's fault.  If people would just follow these 
          few simple rules, which I'll be glad to explain to them, nothing 
          would go wrong and I wouldn't have to feel anxious.  But since 
          they won't all follow my rules, everything is their fault, not 
          mine, and I don't have to feel anxious." 












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               To me this is nauseating.  I have no idea how you "should" 
          behave; who are you?  What's the situation?  Who else is 
          affected?  Even then, the best I could offer would be some 
          suggestions of courses of action which might have good results -- 
           but I don't believe there are any simple rules for human conduct 
          which are always "right."  What I do believe is that ethical 
          behavior consists of choosing your actions such that you can look 
          at yourself in the mirror in the morning without flinching.  
          Which means I can see a Corsican being ethical and killing 
          another person as part of a feud; a gypsy being ethical and 
          defrauding a gaujo.  I suspect that what I mean here is that 
          ethics impel you to be true to your own values, while morals make 
          you want to 
          a) control others, and 
          b) not get caught yourself.  But being ethical implies that they 
          are your own values, which you have thought through and decided 
          to accept, and not just the ones you have swallowed whole from 
          your family or culture. 
           
               Marjoe, a famous evangelist who later went straight, 
          described preaching hellfire and damnation and then going back to 
          the motel and making love to his girlfriend of the moment -- who 
          had to be flown in from New York so the locals wouldn't know what 
          he was doing.  Oral Roberts says people have to give him $8 
          million, or God will "call him home."  These are examples of 
          people whose highest priority is influencing others, making the 
          right kind of impression - the actuality doesn't seem to be 
          really relevant to their choice-making process. 
           
               The ethical person, on the other hand, may not care at all 
          about the impression he is erig; he will say in total sincerity 
          "I know I look like a fool for doing it, but I couldn't have 
          lived with myself if I hadn't."  Or even harder, "I know you 
          think I'm being hard and cruel, but I honestly believe this is 
          the best solution in the circumstances." 
           
               Next issue (are you holding your breath?) the difference be- 
          tween act idealism and absolute idealism, or how to tell a witch 
          from a fundamentalist without a score card. 
           
             The Spinster Aunt ..........  FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987 

















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                                EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE 
                                      by Judy Harrow 
           
          originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985) 
          second  publication: THE  HIDDEN PATH  - Volume  X, Number  2 Beltane,
          1987) 
           
               All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight, 
          enlightenment, a shining  vision. Some  mystic found the  way and  the
          words to share the  vision, and, sharing it, attracted  followers. The
          followers may repeat those  precise and poetic words about  the vision
          until  they congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote
          and without understanding.  Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why
          they spread  so  fast -  and  end as  ritual  phrases, heard  but  not
          understood. Living spirituality so  easily hardens to boring religious
          routine, maintained  through  guilt  and  fear, or  habit  and  social
          opportunism - any reason but joy. 
           
                    We come tothe Craft witha first generation'sjoy ofdiscovery,
          and a first generation's  memory of bored hours of  routine worship in
          our  childhood.   Because we  have  known the  difference,  it is  our
          particular challenge to find or make  ways to keep the Craft a living,
          real  experience for  our grandchildren  and for  the students  of our
          students.  
           
                    I think the best ofthese safeguards is already builtinto the
          Craft as we know it, put there by our own good  teachers. On our Path,
          the  mystic  experience  itself is  shared,  not  just  the fruits  of
          mysticism.  We  give  all  our   students  the  techniques,  and   the
          protective/supportive environment that enable almost every one of them
          to Draw the Moon and/or Invoke  the God. This is an incredibly radical
          change  from older religions, even older Pagan religions, in which the
          only  permissible   source  of  inspiration  has   been  to  endlessly
          reinterpret and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the 
          Book of the Law, the Koran, ... ). The practice of Drawing the Moon is
          the brilliant crown of the Craft. 
           
               But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its 
          pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal
          process of  original visions clotting  into cliche, and  our perpetual
          flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom
          of those  who founded  the  modern Craft.  I do  not  think we  should
          assiduously  preserve  every  precious  word.  My  love  for   my  own
          Gardnerian  tradition does not blind me to our sexist and heterosexist
          roots. And yet, I want us to remain identifiably Witches  and not meld
          into some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some
          sort of anchoring in tradition to give us a sense of identity. Some of
          the  old   sayings  really  do  crystallize  great   wisdom  as  well,
          life-affirming Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear. 
           









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               So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our 
          neighbors. Christians  do something they call "exegesis;"  Jews have a
          somewhat  similar  process  called  "midrash." What  it  is  something
          between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination
          of a particular  text. The assumption often is that  every single word
          has  meaning (cabalists even look  at the individual  letters). Out of
          this  inspired  combination  of  scholarship and  daydream  comes  the
          vitality of  those  paths  whose canon  is  closed.  The  contemporary
          example,  of course,  is  Christian Liberation  Theology,  based on  a
          re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin. 
           
                    Althoughour canon is not closed - andthe day it is the day I
          quit - I'm suggesting  that we can use a similar  process to renew the
          life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage. 
           
                    So, I'dlike totry doingsome exegesison anessential statement
          of  the Craft way of life. Every religion has some sort of ethic, some
          guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular
          mythos,  this worldview. Ours, called  the Wiccan Rede,  is one of the
          most  elegant statements  I've heard of  the principle  of situational
          ethics.  Rather  than  placing the  power  and  duty  to decide  about
          behavior  with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where
          it belongs, with the actor. 
           
                               eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: 
                                AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL. 
           
          I'd like to start  with the second phrase first, and to take it almost
          word by word. 
           
               Do what YOU  will. This  is the challenge  to self-direction,  to
          figure out  what we want, and not  what somebody else wants  for us or
          from us. All  of us are  subject to  tremendous role expectations  and
          pressures,  coming  from our  families,  our  employers, our  friends,
          society in general.  It's easy to just be  molded, deceptively easy to
          become  a compulsive rebel and reflexively do the opposite of whatever
          "they"   seem  to  want.  Living  by  the  Rede  means  accepting  the
          responsibility to assess the results of our actions and to choose when
          we will obey, confront or evade the rules. 
           
               Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know
          what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example
          is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go
          to a party,  because what she really  wants is to be  a doctor. Again,
          balance is needed. Always going to the library rather  than the movies
          is the road  to burnout, not the  road to a Nobel. What's  more, there
          are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality,
          that get  ignored in  a compulsively  long-term  orientation. So,  our
          responsibility is  not to mechanically  follow some rule  like "always
          choose to defer  gratification in your  own long-term self  interest,"
          but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time. 
           






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               DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for
          Prince  Charming or  the revolution.  Don't blame  your mother  or the
          system. Make a realistic plan  that includes all your assets.  Be sure
          to include magic, both  the deeper insights and wisdoms  of divination
          and the focusing  of will and energy that comes  from active workings.
          Then take  the  first steps  right now.   But,  beware of  thoughtless
          action,  which  is  equally  dangerous. For  example,  daydreaming  is
          needed, to envision a goal, to project the results of actions, 
          to check progress  against goals, sometimes to  revise goals. Thinking
          and planning  are  necessary parts  of personal  progress. Action  and
          thought are complementary; neither can replace the other. 
           
                    When youreally lookat it, wordby word, itsounds likea subtle
          and profound  guide for life, does  it not? Is it  complete? Shall "do
          what you will" in fact be "the whole of the law" for us? I  think not.
          The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context.
          Taken   by  itself,  "DO  WHAT  YOU  WILL"  would  produce  a  nastily
          competitive society, a "war of each against all" more bitter than what
          we now  endure. That is, it  would if it were  possible. Happily, it's
          just plain not. 
           
                    Pagan myth and modernbiology alike teach us that ourEarth is
          one  interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions
          of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind)
          through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies
          the  effects  of  our  individual  actions,  it  becomes  increasingly
          critical to understand that 
          these actions  have consequences  beyond the individual;  consequences
          that, by the  very nature of  things, come back  to the individual  as
          well.  Cooperation,  once  "merely" an  ethical  ideal,  has  become a
          survival imperative.  Life is relational,  contextual. Exclusive focus
          on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap. 
           
                    The  qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the
          individual Will and places each of us firmly within the dual  contexts
          of the  human community and the complex life-form that is Mother Gaia.
          The first phrase of the Rede directs us to be aware of results  of our
          actions projected not  only in time,  as long-term personal  outcomes,
          but in  space  - to  consider  how actions  may effect  our  families,
          co-workers, community,  and the life of  the Earth as a  whole, and to
          take those projections into account in our decisions. 
           
                    But, like  the rest of the Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be
          followed  unthinkingly. It is simply  impossible for creatures who eat
          to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone
          is also  a decision and  an action,  and will create  results of  some
          kind.  When you  consider  that  "none"  also includes  ourselves,  it
          becomes clear that  what we have here  is a goal  and an ideal, not  a
          rule. 
           
                    The Craft,assuming ethical adulthood,offers us norote rules.
          We will always be  working on incomplete knowledge. We  will sometimes
          just plain  make mistakes.  Life itself, and  life-affirming religion,
          still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results. 
            
                                   Judy Harrow 


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                 The Witches' Creed 
           
          Hear Now the words of the witches, 
          The secrets we hid in the night, 
          When dark was our destiny's pathway, 
          That now we bring forth into light. 
           
          Mysterious water and fire, 
          The earth and the wide-ranging air, 
          By hidden quintessence we know them,  
          And will and keep silent and dare. 
           
          The birth and rebirth of all nature, 
          The passing of winter and spring, 
          We share with the life universal, 
          Rejoice in the magical  ring. 
           
          Four times in the year the Great Sabbat 
          Returns, and the witches are seen 
          At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, 
          On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. 
           
          When day-time and night-time are equal, 
          Whensun is at greatest and least, 
          The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned, 
          And Witches gather in feast. 
           
          Thirteen silver moons in a year are, 
          Thirteen is the coven's array. 
          Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, 
          For each golden year and a day. 
           
          The power that was passed down the age, 
          Each time between woman and man, 
          Each century unto the other, 
          Ere time and the ages began. 
           
          When drawn is the magical circle, 
          By sword or athame of power, 
          Its compass between two worlds lies, 
          In land of the shades for that hour. 


















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          This world has no right then to know it, 
          And world of beyond will tell naught. 
          The oldest of Gods are invoked there, 
          The Great Work of magic is wrought. 
           
          For the two are mystical pillars, 
          That stand at the gate of the shrine, 
          And two are the powers of nature, 
          The forms and the forces divine. 
           
          The dark and the light in succession, 
          The opposites each unto each, 
          Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: 
          Of this our ancestors teach.  
           
          By night he's the wild wind's rider, 
          The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. 
          By day he's the King of the Woodland, 
          The dweller in green forest glades. 
           
          She is youthful or old as she pleases, 
          She sails the torn clouds in her barque, 
          The bright silver lady of midnight, 
          The crone who weaves spells in the dark. 
           
          The master and mistress of magic, 
          That dwell in the deeps of the mind, 
          Immortal and ever-renewing, 
          With power to free or to bind. 
           
          So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, 
          And Dance and make love in their praise, 
          Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us 
          In peace at the end of our days. 
           
          And Do What You Will be the challenge, 
          So be it Love that harms  none, 
          For this is the only commandment. 
          By Magic of old, be it done! 
           
               Doreen Valiente, 
               "Witchcraft For Tomorrow" 
               pp.172-173















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                              Hill Country Pagan Grove 
                                Austin, Texas, U.S.A.  
            
            Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Creative Cooperative  Consolidated
          12611 Research Blvd. Number 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A.  
            
           First edition, December 1982 Second edition, revised, April 1983  
            
           PREFACE  
            
            Some have  asked how this little  booklet came into being.  It's all
          very straightforward: as the  most visible representatives of paganism
          here in  Austin, Texas, I  and my consort, Arnthor  Phalius, are asked
          often  to appear  in public  to talk  about witchcraft.  The questions
          included here  are those most often  asked, along with  the answers we
          give.  
            
            Of course  we  cannot pretend  to  speak for  all Pagans,  only  for
          ourselves.  But  the  little  booklet  has  been  well-received  as  a
          non-threatening  method  of  getting  to know  a  subject  like Wicca.
          Occasionally  we will  find someone who  has had  negative experiences
          with  persons who  call themselves  Wiccans or  Witches, and  in those
          cases  they  expressed relief  on find  that  `other types'  of Pagans
          existed than those which had given them their initial bad impressions.
            
            The Directory* is an individual effort at networking in the Sunbelt.
          Here in Texas there are many traditions and varieties of Paganism, and
          if  one  isn't  to be  alone,  one  must  learn  that there  are  more
          similarities  than  differences  in   Paganism  and  the  other  major
          religions.  Pagans have  always known this,  but for  various reasons,
          have not stepped forward as representatives of this view.  
            
           I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Universal Mind as it is 
          expressed in Nature. It  is my deep belief that persons  who reverence
          these  principles are  unified at  bottom, and  separated only  by the
          illusion  of words, which are not reality. Sometimes words aren't even
          adequate representations of `Reality`!  
            
            It is my  intention in this little booklet to  re-define some issues
          and terms in the  way that my tradition sees them.  It so happens that
          much  of the  rest of  Paganism falls  within this  general framework.
          (NOTE: A  `tradition' is a varietal type, like `denomination').  
            
            If youalready know the subject and wish to differ, your comments are
          welcome. If you are new to the subject, perhaps here  you'll find some
          questions  answered, and (if wanted) fellowship with others who are on
          similar paths. Directory* listings are free to those in the Sunbelt of
          the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published irregularly.











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            If you don't live in  the Sunbelt, but have goods or  services which
          interest Pagans, you may also put an ad into the Directory.* Write for
          details.  
            
           Blessed be, Merlana April 1983  
            
           1. WHAT IS WICCA?  
            
          `Wicca' (pronounced Wick-ah) is one name given to the Nature religions
          practiced in Northern Europe and the Middle East from the times of the
          ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of many in a group of spiritual
          practices  known  as  NeoPaganism.   NeoPaganism  is  currently  in  a
          world-wide revival, led by persons and groups in the United States and
          Britain.  
            
           2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER?  
            
           Wicca is one subsidiary form, or `tradition,' similar to the way 
          Christianity has  many forms.  One can  be  a Christian  and still  be
          Baptist, Methodist  or Roman Catholic. In  the same way, one  can be a
          Pagan  but   ascribe  to   another,  more  specific,   sub-variety  of
          philosophy.  
            
           3. IS IT THE SAME AS WITCHCRAFT?  
            
           One linguistic theory has the word Wicca coming from Olde English  
          `Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the wise ones.' Most followers of  
            Wicca (and most Pagans) prefer not to use  the terms `witchcraft' or
          `witch' because of the emotional connotations these words carry in our
           society.  
           
           Generally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' without further 
          qualifications is seeking notoriety and special attention. Those of us
          who guard  the  portals of  personal  Power (like  Carlos  Casteneda's
          character Don Juan) are normally hard to find or engage in discussion.
          Our Mysteries  are carefully hidden from the world, and from those who
          might be tempted to misuse them.  
            
           4. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?  
            
           Although Pagans generally agree that one God exists and is the same 
          regardless of name,  they vary in specific  concepts about God,  as in
          other religions.  
            
            What  an individual  Pagan holds  is strictly  a matter  of personal
          belief.  However, occasionally  a tradition will teach highly-specific
          concepts,  structures  and  mythologies.   If  one  finds  oneself  in
          disagreement,  the  best  policy   is  `voting  with  the  feet',   or
          withdrawing to find another group who better agrees.  
            
            NOTE: Sometimes it may be easierto gather together a group of people
          who  believe  as you  do to  form an  entirely  new group.  That's the
          purpose of networking, or what the booklet is designed for.  
            




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            Most  Wiccans divide the  Godhead (generally conceived  of as Mother
          Nature) into two forces. One force is male and the  other female. They
          are called respectively: The God and The Goddess.  
            
            Between them, these two divinities create balance and harmony in the
          Eternal  Dance.  They  represent  the  forces  of  birth,   death  and
          regeneration symbolized  in the  change of the  seasons. Wiccans  call
          5this cycle The Wheel Of The Year. Most rituals celebrate the Wheel Of
          The Year and our  deep, meaningful participation in natural  cycles of
          change.  
            
            Because the male force has been in ascendancy for thousands of years
          due  to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, there is presently
          a  tendency to emphasize The  Goddess, especially by  feminists (or by
          those whose personal concept of God happens to be female).  
            
            We also believe in  Magick, which is a partnership  between humanity
          and  the Universal Mind. This  partnership creates changes  in what we
          normally call `reality', i.e.,  change accomplished with prayer. These
          changes can seem miraculous or merely coincidental, and always include
          personal effort. Magick is not the same as `wishing.'  
           
           5. WHAT HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY?  
            
            There  are  several  types  of  get-togethers  that  Pagans  of  all
          traditions  attend. The most available  and open is  called a `Grove,'
          where those who wish  may study both spiritual and  ceremonial topics.
          Most  groves emphasize fellowship  and harmony  of mind  between their
          members.  You should  choose one as  much for  how you  blend with the
          personalities of the members as for a particular brand of teaching.  
            
            Eight  times  a  year, at  the  solstices  and  equinoxes, May  Day,
          Halloween,  and other  points  on the  lunar  calendar, Pagans  gather
          together  (usually outdoors under  trees) to celebrate  Nature and the
          turn of the seasons.  
            
            These  celebrations consist  of  dancing,  prayer, invocations,  and
          rituals passed down from the many traditions through the ages. We also
          urge participants to develop and use their own original rituals and to
          share them with others.  
            
            Because we  dance and  pray in  a standing  Circle  (or sometimes  a
          spiral),  and because  we  draw  at  these  times  from  the  Universe
          spherical energies of protection and power - these meetings are called
          (appropriately enough!) Circles.  
            
           6. HOW CAN I ATTEND A GROVE OR CIRCLE?  
            
            Wiccans and  Pagans tend to  be very  private, and do  not advertise
          their faith at publicly as  some others might. This is mainly  because
          of past persecutions. However, for those who are sincerely interested,
          there  always  exist  persons with  whom  to  visit  and explore  that
          interest. Check the Directory* at the  back of this booklet for  names
          of others who are open to contacts.  
            



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            If you are sincere and rally want to setout upon the Pagan path, the
          first step  is to find a  Grove to study  with. After a  Grove accepts
          you, eventually you will attend Circles.  
            
            7. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY OTHERSPIRITUAL PATHS TO BECOME A WICCAN? 
                That will depend on  the tradition and the teacher.  In general,
          Pagans  are most tolerant of any philosophical structure, and ask only
          that  the tolerance  be  returned. You  will  not be  requested  to do
          anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual needs.  
            
           8. DOES BEING PAGAN MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT?  
            
            Well  yes, of  course. But  the special  qualities are  available to
          everybody.  Everything that  Pagans do  with Magick  is done  in other
          religions by  other names. It  is only that  we have found  that these
          particular formulas, beliefs, and celebrations work best for us.  
            
            These  are varying approaches to (and grasps of) personal Power. One
          way of recognizing someone who is truly Powerful is to note whether he
          or she seems to need control  or influence over others. True  personal
          power is content to control only the self, and personal reality.  
            
           9. DO YOU CAST SPELLS ON OTHER PEOPLE? 
            
            The major law in  our religion is: "Do what you will,  an it hurt no
          other." (The Golden Rule)  
            
            In  other words, no  one is  prevented from  exploration of  God and
          GodSelf as long as others are not harmed.  
            
           We do believe in directing the energies of the universe toward 
          accomplishment  of  certain ends,  but  magick is  never  effective on
          another person  unless the person  specifically requests it  and takes
          responsibility for that request.  
            
            Attempts  at  so-called `black'  magick,  or  use of  the  universal
          energies for  negative  or harmful  purposes,  only result  in  karmic
          backlash  magnified at  least  threefold on  the unfortunate  would-be
          black magician.  
            
            Our  tradition  does  not believe  in  the  possibility of  `psychic
          attack',  and hence  does  not teach  methods  for combating  it.  Our
          philosophy tells us that to raise  a force against `psychic attack' is
          only to create that which you fear.  
            
           10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN?  
            
            No.  But  many Christians  are  anti-Pagan.  Historically there  has
          existed an adversary relationship  between Christianity and the Nature
          Religions  (largely created by Christians.)  
            
           It takes much universal love not to strike back when attacked, and 
          occasionally  a Pagan  might seem  bitter or  afraid as the  result of
          anti-Pagan  treatment.  This  is  only  a  personal  reaction,  not  a
          characteristic of the religion itself.  



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            It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans have suffered dismissal from
          jobs and worse simply from their religious affiliation being revealed.
          Events like  these lead  to a  certain caution and  sometimes even  an
          attitude approaching mild paranoia.  
            
           11. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PAGANISM?  
            
            Each person is in  charge of him or herself,  responsible totally to
          Godd/ess.  One might  hear  an individual  called  High Priestess,  or
          Priest,  but  this title  has  more  to do  with  the  role played  in
          ceremonies than with status in any formal hierarchy.  
            
            Groves  and  teaching  groups   sometimes  have  various  levels  of
          initiation, but again, these are individual to each tradition.  
            
            12. WHAT MAKES WICCA DIFFERENT FROM  OTHER PATHS THAT BELIEVE IN THE
          PSYCHIC POWERS?  
            
            We usually  find that people most often comment on the robes and the
          tools.  Traditionally  we  wear  special garments  while  engaging  in
          devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The garments
          have symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the person wearing them.  
            
            The tools  are: a cup, knife,  staff (or wand), and  the pentacle, a
          5-pointed star with 5th point upward, enclosed in a circle.  
            
            For those familiar with the tarotcards, this was the original source
          of the  tarot suits as  well as  many meanings and  symbolisms in  the
          tarot deck.  
            
           13. WHAT IS DONE WITH THE TOOLS?  
            
            They  are used, along with  other objects, like  candles, bells, and
          incense  to focus  energies and  influence  Universal forces  with our
          prayers.  If the  format reminds  you of  Roman Catholic  mass, that's
          because much of the indigenous Nature Religion's mysteries were  
          `adopted'  when  Christianity  moved  into  Northern  Europe  --  into
          England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia ... the lands of the Celts.

            
            Also,  if  the  tools and  concepts  seem  to  resemble elements  in
          Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Temple, it is because the
          latter paths drew and adopted Pagan  rituals and forms for other uses.
          Since  ours was an oral  tradition we gratefully  acknowledge the role
          these organizations played  in bringing to modern  times knowledge and
          insights which have otherwise been lost.  












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           Here's a bit of trivia: Although the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. 
          generally held indifferent attitudes  about Christianity they were all
          thirty-third degree Masons. Obviously they sought to incorporate their
          high  ideals  into  writing  our  first constitution.  This  odd  fact
          explains  to  some  people   why  fundamentalist  Christians  and  the
          constitution occasionally seem to be at cross-purposes.  

           14. HOW LARGE IS THE RELIGION?  
            
            Since Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion uninterested in
          power  or clout,  we  measure our  `size'  usually only  by  spiritual
          growth. There  is a  national newspaper  published quarterly  by which
          many Pagans keep in touch.  
            
           15. WHAT ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY? 
            
            That's magick, too!  Craft practitioners of old  WERE the scientists
          ...  there  was  need  for  healers  and herbalists,  agriculture  and
          astronomy experts.  The scientific method has now  made teaching these
          subjects  respectable in universities. But in the process we have lost
          the lore's  former integration  of the spiritual  relationship between
          God Expressed As Nature and ourselves.  
            
            Manyof us are scientifically trained and hold technological jobs and
          interests. This does not interfere with but only adds to  a desire for
          ritual  celebration and  union  with Godd/ess.  Also  many of  us  are
          ourselves  practicing psychics,  or  are  interested  in  extrasensory
          perception  (ESP)  and   its  uses.     Paganism  makes  available   a
          philosophical structure for all of these ends utilized effectively for
          millennia.   It  urges individuals  to develop  their personal  powers
          within that structure and to use them thereafter in a responsible way.


























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            16. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE: WHY DON'T I EVER HEAR OR READ ABOUT PAGAN
          CHARITIES OR GOOD WORKS?  
            
            Good news makes terrible press. News  media and supermarket tabloids
          would much rather print  scandal and controversy. How many  times have
          you  seen a  headline that  attributed a  person's conduct  to his/her
          belief in Witchcraft? Do you ever see the same types  of stories about
          Moslems, Jews or Christians?  
            
            In addition, organized charity can only be accomplished undercertain
          forms  of  organized  religious  structures.  That  takes  leadership,
          delegation of  powers, community  resources and accumulation  of money
          and collective wealth.  
            
            We focus  instead on  personal responsibility and  the necessity  of
          reflecting Godd/ess in our  characters and lives. Occasionally persons
          in  the Craft  will join  together to  change a  situation or  to help
          someone, but this is  always done quietly and with  the full knowledge
          and  permission of those for whom the  help of change in requested. It
          is always done  without taking  public credit. We  feel that  Godd/ess
          knows, and that is all we need.  
            
           17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS?  
            
            Wicca, a  branch of  the spiritual  movement called Neopaganism  (or
          Paganism) is  primarily a religion of  personal, mystical relationship
          between  the Universal Mind as expressed in Nature and the individual.
          It  believes in  Magick,  or positive  change  wrought by  prayer  and
          ceremonial  ritual. It brings its  practitioners the joy  of union and
          harmony with Godd/ess  as expressed  in Nature as  well as  fellowship
          with other persons who  are on similar paths.  Personal responsibility
          and growth are stressed, dogma and rigid beliefs are discouraged.  
            
                          MAY GODD/ESS SPEAK TO YOU 
                          IN THE VOICE YOU HEAR BEST. 
                          BLESSED BE! 





















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                               A LITTLE LESS MISUNDERSTANDING 
           
                    (What Christians Don't Understand about Neopaganism) 
           
                                      by J. Brad Hicks 
           
          Q:   Are you a witch? 
          A:   That's actually a  tricky question to  answer, so let me  go     
          about it in a round-about way.  What I am is a Neopagan.   
          Neopaganism is a beautiful, complex religion that is not in  
          opposition  to Christianity in any way - just different.  However,  
          some of the people that the Catholic church  burned  as  "witches"  
          were people who practiced the same things that I do.  In  
          identification with them and the suffering that they went through,  
          some  of us (Neopagans) call ourselves witches.    One expert,  P.E.I.
          Bonewits,  says  that there are  actually several  kinds of groups who
          call  themselves "witches." Some  are people whose  ancestors were the
          village   healers,   herbalists, midwives, and such,  many of whom had
          (or were ascribed to  have) mental, psychic, or magical  powers, which
          were passed  down through the  family in the  form of oral  tradition,
          and  Bonewits calls them "Traditional   Witches." Some  are people who
          have deliberately used the term to oppose themselves to  Christianity,
          are  practicing  "Satanists," and practice (deliberately)  most of the
          practices invented by the  Inquisitors.  Bonewits calls  them "Gothic"
          or "Neo-Gothic Witches."  Of a different kind are some radical  
          feminist groups, who call themselves witches because they believe  
          that the original Inquisition was primarily anti-female;  some of  
          these also practice magic,  many of them do not -  Bonewits  calls  
          them "Feminist Witches." But the vast majority of modern witches  
          are harmless people who worship God in many forms, including the  
          Lord of the Dance, the Lady, and the Mother Earth.  These are the  
          people that Bonewits (and I) call"Neopagan Witches" - and this  is  
          what I am.  I hope that this helps more than it confuses.   
           
          Q:   Are you a devil worshipper? 
          A:   I'm tempted to just say, "No!" and leave it at that, but that  
          probably isn't  enough.   Devil   worship  (including   Satanism)   is
          really a Christian heresy.  (If you don't believe me,  ask an expert -
          say,  any well-read pastor or theology professor.) In order to worship
          Satan, you  have to believe  in him - and  there are no  references to
          Satan  outside of the  Christian Bible.   So to be  a Satanist   or  a
          devil worshipper, you have to believe in the accuracy of the Christian
          Bible, then identify yourself with God's Enemy, proclaim that you  
          are "evil," and then try to "fight against Jesus" or similar  
          nonsense.  Neopagans do not accept the Christian Bible as  a source of
          truth.  As a source of some beautiful poetry,  sometimes, or as a  
          source of myth, but not as a source of truth.  Emphatically, we do  
          not believe that God has an Opposite, an evil being  trying to destroy
          God,  the world,  man, or whatever.  So it is non-sensical to say that
          Neopagans worship Satan.   Of course, many people insist  that any god
          other than JHVH/Jesus (and his other Biblical names) is a  demon or an
          illusion created by  Satan.  Well,  you're welcome to believe  that if
          you like - but over half of the world's population is going to  
          be unhappy at you.  Jews and followers of Islam are just  as confident
          that  they worship  the True God as  you are, and resent being  called
          devil worshippers.  So do I.   
           


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          Q:   What do Neopagans believe about God? 
          A:   Neopaganism is a new religion with very, very old roots.  It  
          harks back to the first religions that man ever practiced (based  
          on the physical evidence).  Neopagans worship a variety of symbols  
          from the Old Religions - the practices of the ancient  Celts,  the  
          Greeks, the  Egyptians, the Romans -  and differ with each  other over
          what those  symbols  really represent.    What I  (and   many  others)
          believe is that they are all aspects of  God (or maybe, the  Gods)   -
          some  kind of beautiful, powerful, and loving being or force that ties
          all of life  together and is the origin of all  miracles  -  including
          miracles such as written language,  poetry, music, art ...   
           
          Q:   Do Neopagans have a Bible? 
          A:   Not most of us.  The closest analogue would be a witch's Book  
          of Shadows, which is a  sort of notebook of legends,  poetry, history,
          and magic ritual which is copied by every newly-initiated witch,  then
          added  to.   But on  the whole,   even  a Book  of Shadows  isn't what
          Christians think of  as a  Bible.  It's  not  infallible (couldn't be,
          they've  been brought  to  us via  hastily-copied  texts under  trying
          circumstances),   it  doesn't prescribe  a specific  code of  morality
          (except for a  few general guidelines),   and it  doesn't claim to  be
          dictated by God -  except for a  few, debatable parts.    Those of  us
          who   aren't  witches don't  even have  that much.   Neopaganism  is a
          religious  system  that  relies   more  on  the individual than on the
          Book or  the Priest.  One  of the principal beliefs  of Neopaganism is
          that no  one,   not Pope   nor  Priest   nor  Elder, has the  right to
          interfere  with your  relationship to  God.   Learn from  whomever you
          want, and pray to whatever name means the most to you.   
           
          Q:   Did you say magic?  Do Neopagans believe in the occult? 
          A:   Cringe.  What a badly worded question - but I hear it all the  
          time.  Neopagans as a rule don't "believe in the occult" - we  
          practice magic.  Magic is simply a way to focus the   mental abilities
          that   you   were  born  with,  and  use them  to change the  world in
          positive ways.  Magic can also be mixed with worship; in which case it
          differs very little from Christian prayer.   
           
          Q:   But I thought that you said that  you weren't a demon-worshipper?
          A:   That's right.  Magic and demonology are two different things.   
          Magic you also know as "psychic powers" or "mentallics" or even as  
          "the power of positive thinking" - in essence,  the magical world  
          view holds that "reality" is mostly a construct of the human mind,  
          and as such, can be altered by the human mind.  That's all  there  
          is to it.   
           














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          Q:   How do you become a Neopagan? 
          A:   In  a  very  real  sense,  nobody every "becomes" a Neopagan.   
          There are no converts, as no conversion is necessary.  Neopaganism  
          is  an attitude towards worship, and either you have it or you don't. 
          My case  is not atypical.  All  of my life, I  have been fascinated by
          the  old mythologies.   I have always found  descriptions of the Greek
          Gods fascinating.  If I had  any religious beliefs as a child, it  was
          that somewhere,  there was a God,  and many people worship  Him, but I
          had no idea what His name was.   I set out to find Him, and through an
          odd  combination  of circumstances,  I because convinced that his Name
          was Jesus.   But   seven years  later, I had  to admit to  myself that
          Whoever  God  is, he answers  non-Christians' prayers as well as those
          in the name of  Jesus.  In  either  case, true miracles are rare.   In
          both  cases, the one praying has a  devout experience with God.  After
          searching my soul, I  admitted that I could not tell that I was better
          off than when I believed in the Old Gods.  And in the mean time, I had
          found out that other people also loved the Old Gods -  and  that  they
          call  themselves  Neopagans.  When I realized that what I believed was
          little  or no  different that  what they believed,  I called  myself a
          Neopagan, too.  The common element for nearly all of us is that nearly
          all of  us already believed  these things,   before we found  out that
          anyone else  did.  "Becoming"  a pagan  is never a  conversion.   It's
          usually  a   home-coming.  No  one ever  "brainwashed" me.   I finally
          relaxed, and stopped struggling against my own self.   
           
          Q:   I've heard about witches holding orgies and such.  Do you? 
          A:   No, that sort of thing doesn't appeal to  me.  Most  of  the  
          crap that you've heard about "witch orgies" is nonsense made up by  
          the National Enquirer to sell magazines.  But I shouldn't  be flippant
          about this,   because it underlies  a serious question -  what kind of
          morality do Neopagans hold to?   
                
                           "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: 
                            An it harm none, do what thou will!" 
                                        from an old Book of Shadows 
           
          That about sums it all up.  Neopaganism teaches that it is  
          harmful  to  yourself  (and  dangerous)  to  harm others.  It also  
          teaches that trying to impose your  moral  standards  on  somebody  
          else's behavior is (at least) foolish - and probably dangerous,  
          as you run some serious chance of hurting that person.  Perhaps in  
          a sense Neopagans don't have morality, for as R.  A.  Wilson said,  
          "There   are   no  commandments  because  there  is  no  Commander  
          anywhere," but Neopagans do have ethics - standards for  behavior  
          based on honor and mutual benefit.   













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          Q:   I saw on the news that Neopagans use a star in a circle as their 
              emblem.  Isn't that a Satanic symbol?   
          A:   A pentacle (that's what it's called) is a Satanic symbol in  
          precisely same sense that the cross is a Nazi symbol.  The German  
          National Socialist Party used an equal-armed cross with four flags  
          attached to it as their emblem.  (Yes, I know - that's a swastika.   
          Well, before the Nazis made the word common knowledge, people just  
          called  it  a  "bent cross" - it's an old heraldic symbol,  and it  
          means the same thing that a normal cross does).  That doesn't make  
          the Nazis good Christians, and it doesn't  make  Christians  into  
          Nazis.  In the same sense, Satanists (and some rock groups) use a  
          type  of pentacle as their emblem.   That doesn't make them Neopagans,
          nor   does   it  mean   that   Neopagans   are  Satanists   (or   even
          rock-and-rollers).   
           
          Q:   Are Neopagans opposed to Christianity? 
          A:   Some Neopagans are ex-Christians, and I'm not going to deny  
          that some of them have a grudge against the Church because of what  
          they perceived as attempts to control their minds.  Further,  many  
          Neopagans are suspicious of the Church, because it was in the name  
          of Jesus Christ that nine million of our kind were murdered.   
          Neopagans are opposed to anyone who uses force to control the  
          minds of others.  Does that include you?  If not,  then  it  means  
          that Neopagans as  such are not opposed to  you.  Do you work  for the
          benefit of mankind, are you  respectful to the  Earth?  Then  it makes
          us allies,  whether or not either of us wants to admit it.   
           
                                    - - - - - - - - - - 
           
                    There  are manyother misconceptions in the popularmind about
          the Neopagan religion.  Unless  you've   studied  it,  read  about  it
          from sympathetic sources,  then you really  don't know anything  about
          Neopagan history,  beliefs, practices, customs, art, science, culture,
          or  magic.  But it would take several entire books to teach you, and I
          already  fear  that I  will  be accused  of  trying to  win   converts
          (despite   what I've said  above).  If you  are curious and willing to
          learn,  try some of the following books:  
           
                            Margot Adler, _Drawing Down the Moon_ 
                                 Starhawk, _The Spiral Dance_ 
                                P.E.I. Bonewits, _Real Magic_ 
                              Stewart Farrar, _What Witches Do_. 
















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                                       NEOPAGANISM   
                                    By Eric S. Raymond
          I. Introduction 
           
                    The neopagan  phenomenon is a loose  collection of religious
          movements, experiments and jokes that offers  a healthy alternative to
          the dogmatism  of the  Judeo/Christian/Islamic mainstream (on  the one
          hand)  and the  mushy-mindedness  of most  'New  Age' groups  (on  the
          other). 
            
                    This article,prepared atthe requestof anumber ofcurious net.
          posters, offers a brief description of neopagan thought and  practice.
          A list of good sources for further study are listed at the end. 
            
          II. What is a neopagan? 
           
                    I  used the term 'religious'  above, but as  you'll see it's
          actually  more  than somewhat  misleading,  and  I  (like  many  other
          neopagans) use it only because no other word is available for the more
          general kind  of thing  of which  the  neopagan movement  and what  we
          generally think of as 'religion' are special cases. 
            
                    Neopaganism is 'religious' in  the etymological sense of 're
          ligare', to rebind (to roots, to strengths, to the  basics of things),
          and it deals with mythology and  the realm of the 'spiritual'. But, as
          we  in the Judeo/Christian West have come to understand 'religion' (an
          organized  body of  belief that  connects the  'supernatural'  with an
          authoritarian moral  code via 'faith') neopaganism  is effectively and
          radically anti-religious. I emphasize this because it  is important in
          understanding what follows. 
            
                    Common characteristics of almostall the groups that describe
          themselves as 'neopagan' (the term is often capitalized) include: 
            
          1. Anti-dogmatism 
           
                    Neopagan religions are religions of practice, pragmatism and
          immediate experience. The emphasis is always on what they can help the
          individuals in them to *do* and *experience*; theology and metaphysics
          take a back  seat, and very little 'faith' or  'belief' is required or
          expected. In fact many neopagans  (including yours truly) are actively
          hostile to 'faith' and  all the related ideas of  religious authority,
          'divine revelation' and the like. 
            
          2. Compatibility with a scientific world-view 
           
                  This  tends to follow  from the above.  Because neopaganism is
          centered in experiences rather  than beliefs, it doesn't need  or want
          to do vast overarching  cosmologies or push fixed Final Answers to the
          Big Questions -- understanding and helping human beings relate to each
          other and the world as we experience it is quite  enough for us. Thus,
          we are  generally friendly to  science and the  scientific world-view.
          Many of us  are scientists  and technologists ourselves  (in fact,  by
          some counts, a plurality of us are computer programmers!). 
            




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          3. Reverence for nature, sensuality, and pleasure 
           
                  Mostneopaganisms makeheavy use ofnature symbolismand encourage
          people  to be more  aware of their  ties to all the  non-human life on
          this  planet.   Explicit  worship  of  'Gaia',   the  earth  ecosphere
          considered as a single  interdependent unit, is common.  Veneration of
          nature  deities is central to many  traditions. Ecological activism is
          often  considered a religious  duty, though there  is much controversy
          over what form it should take. 
            
                  Bypreference, mostneopagans holdtheir ceremoniesoutdoors under
          sun or moon. Seasonal changes and astronomical rhythms (especially the
          solstices,  equinoxes and  full  and  new  moons)  define  the  ritual
          calendar. 
            
                  Ritual and festivenudity arecommon; to benaked before natureis
          often  considered a  holy  and  integrating  act  in  itself.  Sex  is
          considered  sacramental  and  sexual  energy  and  symbolisms permeate
          neopagan  practice (we  like to  contrast this  with Christianity,  in
          which the  central  sacrament commemorates  a murder  and climaxes  in
          ritual cannibalism). 
            
          4. Polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism 
           
                  Most neopaganisms are explicitly polytheistic -- that is, they
          recognize pantheons of  multiple deities. But the reality  behind this
          is more complex than it might appear. 
            
                  First,  many  neopagans  are philosophical  agnostics  or even
          atheists;  there is  a  tendency  to  regard  'the  gods'  as  Jungian
          archetypes  or otherwise  in some  sense created  by and  dependent on
          human belief, and thus naturally plural and observer-dependent. 
            
                  Secondly, asin many historicalpolytheisms, there isan implicit
          though seldom-discussed idea that  all the gods and goddesses  we deal
          with  are 'masks', refractions of some underlying unity that we cannot
          or should not attempt to approach directly. 
            
                  And thirdly, there is a strong undercurrent of pantheism,  the
          belief  that  the  entire  universe  is  in  some  important  sense  a
          responsive, resonating  and sacred whole  (or, which is  different and
          subtler, that it is proper for human beings to view it that way). 

          Many neopagans hold all three of these beliefs simultaneously. 
            
          5. Decentralized, non-authoritarian organization; no priestly elite 
           
                  Neopagans have seen what happens when a priesthood elite  gets
          temporal power;  we want  none of  that. We  do not take  collections,
          build  temples, or fund a  full-time clergy. In  fact the clergy-laity
          distinction  is  pretty  soft; in  many  traditions,  all members  are
          considered  'in  training'  for  it,  and  in  all   traditions  every
          participant in  a ritual  is an active  one; there are  and can  be no
          pew-sitting passive observers. 
            




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                  Mostneopagan traditionsare (dis)organizedashorizontal networks
          of  small  affinity groups  (usually  called  'circles', 'groves',  or
          'covens' depending on  the flavor of  neopagan involved). Priests  and
          priestesses have  no real  authority outside  their  own circles  (and
          sometimes  not  much  inside  them!), though  some  do  have  national
          reputations. 
            
                  Many  of us keep a  low profile partly  due to a  real fear of
          persecution. Too many  of our spiritual  ancestors were burned,  hung,
          flayed and shot  by religions that are still powerful for  a lot of us
          to feel  safe in the  open. Down in  the Bible  Belt the burnings  and
          beatings  are  still  going on,  and  the  media  loves  to hang  that
          'Satanist' label on anything it doesn't understand for a good 
          juicy story. 
            
                  Also,  we never proselytize. This posting is about as active a
          neopagan solicitation as anyone will ever see; we tend to believe that
          'converts'  are  dangerous  robots  and  that  people  looking  to  be
          'converted' aren't the kind we want. We have found that it works quite
          well enough to let people find us when they're ready for  what we have
          to teach. 
            
          6. Reverence for the female principle 
           
                  Oneof the most striking differencesbetween neopagan groups and
          the   religious  mainstream  is  the  wide  prevalence  (and  in  some
          traditions  dominance)  of  the   worship  of  goddesses.  Almost  all
          neopagans revere  some form  of the  Great Mother,  often as  a nature
          goddess  identified with the  ecosphere, and  there are  probably more
          female neopagan clergy than there are male. 
            
                  Most neopagan traditions are equalist  (these tend to pair the
          Great  Mother with a male  fertility-god, usually some  cognate of the
          Greek Pan).  A vocal and  influential minority are  actively feminist,
          and (especially on the West Coast) there have been attempts to present
          various neopagan traditions  as the natural 'women's religion' for the
          feminist  movement. The  effects  of this  kind  of politicization  of
          neopaganism are a topic of intense debate within the movement and fuel
          some of its deepest factional divisions. 
            
          7. Respect for art and creativity 
           
                  Neopaganism tends to attractartists and musicians as muchas it
          attracts  technologists. Our myth and  ritual can be  very powerful at
          stimulating  and  releasing  creativity,   and  one  of  the  greatest
          strengths  of the  movement is  the rich  outgrowth of  music, poetry,
          crafts and arts that has come from that. It is quite common for people
          joining the movement to discover real talents in those areas that they
          never suspected. 
            
                  Poets and musicians have the kind of special place at neopagan
          festivals  that  they  did  in  pre-literate  cultures;  many  of  our
          best-known  people  are or  have been  bards  and songsmiths,  and the
          ability  to compose and improvise good ritual poetry is considered the
          mark of a gifted priest(ess) and very highly respected. 
            



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          8. Eclecticism 
           
                  "Steal from any source that doesn't run too fast" is aneopagan
          motto.  A typical neopagan  group will mix Greek, Celtic  and Egyptian
          mythology with  American Indian  shamanism. Ritual  technique includes
          recognizable  borrowings from  medieval ceremonial  magic, Freemasonry
          and pre-Nicene  Christianity,  as  well  as a  bunch  of  20th-century
          inventions.  Humanistic psychology and some of the more replicable New
          Age healing  techniques have recently been  influential. The resulting
          stew  is lively  and effective,  though sometimes  a bit hard  to hold
          together. 
            
          9. A sense of humor 
           
                  Neopagans generally believethat itis more dangerousto takeyour
          religion too seriously than too lightly. Self-spoofery is frequent and
          (in some  traditions) semi-institutionalized,  and at least  one major
          neopagan  tradition  (Discordianism, known  to  many on  this  net) is
          *founded* on elaborate spoofery and started out as a joke. 
            
                  Oneof the most attractive features of the neopagan approach is
          that  we don't confuse solemnity with gloom. Our rituals are generally
          celebratory and joyous, and  a humorous remark at the right  time need
          not break the mood. 
            
                  We generally feel that anyreligion that can't stand tohave fun
          poked at it is in as sad shape as the corresponding kind of person. 
            
          III. What kinds of neopagan are there, and where did they come from? 
           
                    Depending onwho you talkto and whatdefinitions you use,there
          are between 40,000  and 200,000 neopagans in the U.S.; the true figure
          is probably closer to the latter than the former, and  the movement is
          still growing rapidly following a major 'population explosion'  in the
          late '70s. 
            
                    The numericallylargest and most influentialneopagan group is
          the 'Kingdom of Wicca'  -- the modern witch covens.  Modern witchcraft
          has  nothing  to   do  with  Hollywood's   images  of  the   cackling,
          cauldron-stirring crone (though wiccans sometimes joke about that one)
          and  is  actively  opposed  to the  psychopathic  Satanism  that  many
          Christians erroneously think  of as  'witchcraft'. Your  author is  an
          initiate Wiccan priest and coven leader of long standing. 
            
                    Otherimportant subgroupsinclude thoseseeking torevive Norse,
          Egyptian, Amerind,  and various kinds  of tribal pantheons  other than
          the  Greek and  Celtic ones  that have  been incorporated  into Wicca.
          These  generally started  out  as Wiccan  offshoots  or have  been  so
          heavily influenced  by Wiccan ritual  technique that their  people can
          usually work comfortably in a Wiccan circle and vice-versa. 
            
                    There arealso the variousorders of ceremonialmagicians, most
          claiming to be  the successors to the turn-of-the-century  Golden Dawn
          or one of  the groups founded by Alesteir Crowley during his brilliant
          and  notorious occult  career.  These have  their  own very  elaborate
          ritual  tradition, and tend to  be more intellectual,  more rigid, and
          less  nature-oriented.   They  are  sometimes  reluctant  to  describe
          themselves as neopagans. 

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                    The Discordians (and, more recently, the Discordian-offshoot
          Church of the  Sub-Genius) are  few in number  but quite  influential.
          They are  the neopagan  movement's sacred clowns,  puncturing pretense
          and adding an  essential note  to the pagan  festivals. Many  Wiccans,
          especially  among priests  and priestesses,  are also  Discordians and
          will  look you  straight  in the  eye  and tell  you  that the  entire
          neopagan movement is a Discordian hoax... 
            
                    Neopaganism used  to be largely a  white, upper-middle-class
          phenomenon, but that has been changing  during the last five years. So
          called 'new-collar'  workers have come in droves  during the eighties.
          We  still see fewer non-whites, proportionately, than there are in the
          general population,  but that is  also changing (though  more slowly).
          With the  exception of a few nut-fringe 'Aryan' groups detested by the
          whole  rest  of  the  movement, neopagans  are  actively  anti-racist;
          prejudice is  not the problem, it's more that the ideas have tended to
          be accepted by the more educated segments of society 
          first, and  until recently  those more  educated segments  were mostly
          white. 
            
                    OntheEastCoast, ahigher-than-general-populationpercentage of
          neopagans  have  Roman Catholic  or  Jewish  backgrounds, but  figures
          suggest this is not true nationwide. There is also  a very significant
          overlap in population with science-fiction fandom and the  Society for
          Creative Anachronism. 
            
                    Politically, neopagans are distributed about the same as the
          general population,  except that whether liberal  or conservative they
          tend  to be more individualist and less conformist and moralistic than
          average. It is therefore  not too surprising that the  one significant
          difference  in  distribution  is the  presence  of  a  good many  more
          libertarians than one  would see in a same-sized chunk  of the general
          population  (I particularly  register this  because I'm  a libertarian
          myself, but  non-libertarians have  noted the same  phenomenon). These
          complexities are obscured by the fact that the most politically active
          and  visible neopagans  are usually  ex-hippie left-liberals  from the
          '60s. 
            
                    I think the most acute generalization made about pagans as a
          whole  is  Margot Adler's  observation that they  are mostly self-made
          people,  supreme individualists  not necessarily  in the  assertive or
          egoist sense but  because they have felt  the need to  construct their
          own  culture, their own definitions, their own religious paths, out of
          whatever  came to  hand  rather  than  accepting  the  ones  that  the
          mainstream offers. 
            
          IV. Where do I find out more? 
           
                    I have deliberatelynot said much aboutmythology, or specific
          religious practice or aims, or the role of magic and to what extent we
          practice and  'believe' in it. Any one of those is a topic for another
          posting;  but you can  get a lot  of information from  books. Here's a
          basic bibliography: 
            
            



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          Adler, Margot _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_ (Random House 1979, hc) 
              This book  is a lucid and  penetrating account of who  the modern 
          neo-pagans are,  what they do  and why they do  it, from a  woman who 
          spent almost two  years doing observer-participant journalism  in the 
          neo-pagan  community.  Especially valuable  because  it  combines an  
          anthropologist's objectivity  with a candid  personal account of  her 
          own  feelings about all she  saw and did and how  her ideas about the 
          neo-pagans  changed  under the  impact of  the  experiences she  went 
          through. Recommended  strongly as  a first book  on the subject,  and 
          it's relatively  easy to  find. There  is now  a revised  and expanded
          second edition available. 
            
            
          Starhawk _The_Spiral_Dance_ 
              An anthology  of  philosophy, poetry,  training exercises,  ritual
          outlines and  instructive anecdotes  from a successful  working coven.
          First-rate as an introduction  to the practical aspects of  magick and
          running a functioning circle. Often findable at feminist bookstores. 
            
            
          Shea, Robert and Wilson, Robert Anton _Illuminatus!_ (Dell, 1975, pb)
            This work of alleged fiction is an incredible berserko-surrealist  
          rollercoaster  that _will_  bend  your mind  into  a pretzel  with  an
          acid-head blitzkrieg  of plausible, instructive  and enlightening lies
          and  a few preposterous and obscure truths. Amidst this eccentric tale
          of  world-girdling  conspiracies, intelligent  dolphins,  the fall  of
          Atlantis, who  _really_ killed JFK,  sex, drugs, rock and roll and the
          Cosmic Giggle Factor, you  will find Serious Truths about  Mind, Time,
          Space,  the Nature   of God(dess)  and What It  All Means --  and also
          learn why  you  should  on    no  account  take  them  Seriously.  Pay
          particular attention to Appendix Lamedh ("The Tactics of Magick"), but
          it won't  make sense  until  you've read  the rest.    This was  first
          published   in   3    volumes   as   _The_Eye_In_The_Pyramid_,   _The_
          Golden_Apple_ and _Leviathan_, but there's now a one-volume trade 
          paperback carried by most chain bookstores under SF. 
            
          Campbell, Joseph W., _The_Masks_of_God_ (Viking Books, 1971, pb) 
              One of the definitiveanalytical surveys of world mythography-- and
          readable to boot! It's in 4 volumes: 
          I. _Primitive_Mythology_ 
          II. _Oriental_Mythology_ 
          III. _Occidental_Mythology_ 
          IV. _Creative_Mythology_ 
          The theoretical framework of these books is a form of pragmatic 
          neo-Jungianism which  has enormously influenced the  neopagans (we can
          accurately  be described as the  practice for which  Campbell and Jung
          were theorizing). Note especially his predictions in vols. I & IV of a
          revival of shamanic, vision-quest-based religious forms. The recent  
          Penguin pb edition  of this book should be available  in the Mythology
          and  Folklore selection of any large bookstore. 








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          Bonewits, Isaac, _Real_Magic_ (Creative Arts Books, 1979, pb) 
            A fascinating analytical study of the psychodynamics of ritual and  
          magick. This was Bonewits's Ph.D. thesis for the world's only known  
          doctorate in Magic  and Thaumaturgy (UCLA Berkeley,  1971). Hardest of
          the  five  to  find  but  well  worth  the  effort  --  an  enormously
          instructive, trenchant and funny book. 
            
          V. Will there be more net.info on this topic? 
           
                I am  also available to answer  questions by email or  phone. Be
          warned  that I will probably tell  you to go off  and study some more,
          rather than referring you to a group, if you haven't read at least two
          out of the  five above or else good  equivalents like Michael Harner's
          _Way_Of_The_Shaman_   (Castaneda,  UFOlogy   books  and   anything  on
          astrology or the Great Pyramid will *not* count! Grrr...!). 
            
                No  fooling, learning to  do this stuff  right is  hard work and
          demands a lot more rigor and clear thinking than most people associate
          with  'occultism'. But it's also fun and empowering and could turn out
          to be one of the couple most important things you do with your life. 
            
                If response to this posting  is heavy, I may post some  stuff on
          Wiccan ritual practice and theology, that being what I know best. 
            


































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                             W H A T   I S   W I C C A ? 
           
                      An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe 
                                and its Modern Revival 
           
                              by Amber K, High Priestess 
           
                                Our Lady of the Woods 
                                     P.O. Box 176 
                             Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517 
           
          (This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as-is,  
          without further permission from the author, provided it is  
          offered free of charge.  Changes in the text, however, must be  
          approved in advance by the author.  Thank you!) 
           
               WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old  
          Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for  
          life and nature.   
           
               In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of  
          Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon.   
          They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and  
          in all life.  The creative energies of the universe were  
          personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses  
          and Gods.  These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set  
          apart from Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and  
          men, and even plants and animals.   
           
               This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca.  To  
          most Wiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods  
          -- are true aspects of Deity.  The aspects most often celebrated  
          in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is  
          Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds.   
          These have many names in various cultures.   
           
               Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co- 
          existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had  
          a profound influence on early Christianity.  But in the medieval  
          period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature  
          religions by the Roman Church.  Over a span of 300 years,  
          millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned  
          or burned as accused "Witches."  The Church indicted them for  
          black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a  
          part of the Old Religion.   
           
               The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small,  
          secret groups called "covens."  For the most part, it stayed  
          hidden until very recent times.  Now scholars such as Margaret  
          Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of  
          the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed  
          covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.   
           
               How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today?  There is no  
          central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great  
          deal.  But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and  
          at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.   

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               Though some practice alone or with only their families, many  
          Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members.   
          Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a  
          Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership.  Some  
          covens are highly structured and hierarchical, while others may  
          be informal and egalitarian.  Often extensive training is  
          required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an  
          important commitment.   
           
               There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the  
          United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian,  
          Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others.  All  
          adhere to a code of ethics.  None engage in the disreputable  
          practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and  
          brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people.  Genuine  
          Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples,  
          followers or victims.   
           
               Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the  
          "k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions).  Wiccan magick is  
          not at all like the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or  
          fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony  
          with natural laws and is usually less spectacular -- though  
          effective.  Various techniques are used to heal people and  
          animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific  
          ways.  Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are  
          repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.   
           
               Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental  
          protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and  
          sometimes magick is used toward such goals.   
           
               Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts  
          as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily  
          resurrection.  Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the  
          laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every  
          human being and all of Nature.  Yet laughter and pleasure are  
          part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing,  
          dancing, feasting, and love.   
           
               Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy  
          book, prophet, or church authority.  They draw inspiration and  
          insight from science, and personal experience.  Each practitioner  
          keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal  
          "recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.   
           
               To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable  
          perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to  
          it: there is no One True Faith.  Rather, religious diversity is  
          necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals.   
          Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or  
          proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit  
          from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when the time is  
          right.   




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               Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quite  
          willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to  
          inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of  
          Wicca.  One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess,  
          P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704.  Also, the following books may  
          be of interest:  (Ask your librarian.)  
           
             DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler 
             THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk 
             POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein 
             WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar 
             WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente 
           













































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                                 CULT DANGER EVALUATION FRAME 
                                 ~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ 
                             (with apologies to P.E.I. Bonewitz) 
           
          1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10 
          low                 middle                 high 
           
          Rate these 15 criteria according to the amount of it you perceive in a
          given  group/religious organization.    Higher scores  usually mean  a
          higher 
          danger of mind control or brainwashing. 
           
          1.)  HOW MUCH CONTROL DO THE LEADER(S) OF THE ORGANIZATION 
                    HAVEOVER
                           ITSMEMBERSHIP?............................___________
          2.)  HOW MUCH WISDOM AND/OR INFALLIBILITY IS CLAIMED BY 
                    THELEADER(S)OFTHEORGANIZATION?...................___________
          3.)  HOW MUCH WISDOM AND/OR INFALLIBILITY DO THE MEMBERS 
              OF THE ORGANIZATION CREDIT TO THEIR LEADER(S)?.......___________ 
          4.)  HOW INFLEXIBLE IS THE ORGANIZATION ON INTERPRETATION 
                    OF
                     DOCTRINE/REALITY
                                    CONCEPTS?........................___________
          5.)  HOW IMPORTANT IS RECRUITING/PROSELYTIZING TO THE 
                    ORGANIZATION?........................................___________
          6.)  HOW MANY FRONT GROUPS DOES THE ORGANIZATION OPERATE 
                    UNDER?...............................................___________
          7.)  HOW MUCH EMPHASIS DOES THE GROUP PLACE ON DONATIONS? 
               HOW IS MONEY USED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? ARE THE 
               LEADER(S) VISIBLY WEALTHIER THAN THE RANK-AND-FILE 
                    MEMBERSOF
                            THEORGANIZATION?........................____________
          8.)  HOW MUCH POLITICAL POWER EXISTS WITHIN THE 
                    ORGANIZATIONORIS DESIREDBYTHE ORGANIZATION?.....____________
          9.)  IS THERE SEXUAL MANIPULATION BEING USED IN THE 
               GROUP? (HARASSMENT/LEADER(S) ASKING OR GETTING 
                    SEXUALFAVORSFROMTHEMEMBERS).....................____________
          10.) HOW MUCH ACCESS TO AND TOLERANCE OF OTHER IDEAS DO 
               THE LEADER(S) ACCORD MEMBERS? HOW MUCH DO MEMBERS 
                    KNOWOFOUTSIDE OPINIONSOFTHE ORGANIZATION?.......____________
          11.) HOW INTENSE ARE EFFORTS DIRECTED AT PREVENTING OR 
                    RE-INDOCTRINATING
                                  DROPOUTS?.........................____________
          12.) DOES THE ORGANIZATION ENDORSE VIOLENCE ON BEHALF OF 
                    ITOR
                       ITSLEADERS?..................................____________
          13.) HOW MUCH PARANOIA DOES THE ORGANIZATION EXHIBIT 
                    TOWARDSTHE"OUTSIDE
                                     WORLD?"........................____________
          14.) HOW MUCH DISAPPROVAL DOES THE ORGANIZATION HAVE OF 
                    JOKES ABOUTIT,ITS DOCTRINES,OR ITSLEADER(S)?....____________
          15.) HOW TIGHT IS DISCIPLINE INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION? 
               (FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH DOCTRINAL 
               POINTS OR LEADERSHIP DECISIONS OSTRACIZED OR 
               SHUNNED?).........................................._____________ 
           
          Questions number 9 and 12 are pretty much yes or no questions, so give
          a  1 if no, a 10 if yes. 7 is an iffy one, if it looks like the leader
          or leaders of the group are living a lot higher on the hog  than their
          "flock", or that the leader(s) skim liberally from the "collection 
          box" and use that to live in luxury, then you should give the group an
          automatic 9 or 10 in that department. 
          I hope this is of use to all in regards to figuring out whether or not
          a group is truly a "cult" or not.  It's YOUR mind...USE IT!!!!!!! 


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                                   RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS 
                                                      or 
                           13 Reasons Air should be in the North 
                          ======================================= 
                                            by Mike Nichols 
                                copyright 1989 by Mike Nichols 
                           (fondly dedicated to Kathy Whitworth) 
            
            
           INTRODUCTION 
            
            It all started 20 years ago.  I was 16 years old then, and a 
           recent initiate to the religion of Wicca.  Like most neophytes, 
           I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional 
           manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches.  I 
           copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of 
           correspondences from every source I could lay hands on.  Those 
           generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such 
           as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and 
           unpublished works, mainly other Witches' Books of Shadows. 
            
                Twenty years ago, most of us were "traditional" enough to 
           copy everything by hand.  (Today, photocopying and even computer 
           modem transfers are becoming de rigueur.)  Always, we were 
           admonished to copy "every dot and comma", making an exact 
           transcription of the original, since any variation in the 
           ceremony might cause major problems for the magician.  Seldom, 
           if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came 
           from in the first place, or who composed them.  Most of us, 
           alas, did not know and did not care.  It was enough just to 
           follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed. 
            
                But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying 
           frenzy.  I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources, 
           and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements.  I 
           found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was 
           "right", "correct", "authentic", "original", "older", etc.  This 
           gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual 
           came from in the first place.  Who created it?  Was it created 
           by one person or many?  Was it ever altered in transmission?  If 
           so, was it by accident or intent?  Do we know?  Is there ever 
           any way to find out?  How did a particular ritual get into a 
           Coven's Book of Shadows?  From another, older, Book of Shadows? 
           Or from a published source?  If so, where did the author of the 
           published work get it? 
            
                I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already 
           see that the questions being raised were very complex.  (Now, 
           all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the 
           daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history.  And I am 
           equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a 
           thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft.  It may well be a 
           mare's nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft 
           historians.  And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me 
           fly into a passionate tirade whenever I'm confronted with such 
           banal over-simplifications as "Crowley is the REAL author of the 
           Third Degree initiation," or "Everyone KNOWS Gardner INVENTED 
           modern Witchcraft.") 

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           CONFLICTING TRADITIONS 
            
                The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was 
           when I was invited as a guest to attend another Coven's esbat 
           celebration.  When the time came to "invoke the Watchtowers" (a 
           ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn 
           that this group associated the element of Earth with the North. 
           My own Coven equated North with Air.  How odd, I thought. 
           Where'd they get that?  The High Priestess told me it had been 
           copied out of a number of published sources.  Further, she said 
           she had never seen it listed any other way.  I raced home and 
           began tearing books from my own library shelves.  And sure 
           enough!  Practically every book I consulted gave the following 
           associations as standard: North = Earth, East = Air, South = 
           Fire, West = Water. 
            
                Then where the heck did I get the idea that Air belonged in 
           the North?  After much thought, I remembered having copied my 
           own elemental/directional associations from another Witch's Book 
           of Shadows, her Book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh 
           tradition.  Perhaps I'd copied it down wrong?  A quick 
           long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score. 
           (When I asked her where she'd gotten it, she said she THOUGHT it 
           was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn't certain.) 
            
                By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at 
           variance with most published sources.  Still, my own rituals 
           didn't seem to be adversely affected.  Nor were those of my 
           fellow Coven members, all of whom put Air in the North. 
           Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and 
           correspondences that seemed to REQUIRE Air to be in the North. 
           The very thought of Air in the East offended both my sense of 
           reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities.  There are good 
           REASONS to place Air in the North.  And the whole mythological 
           superstructure would collapse if Air were in the East, instead. 
           If this is so, then why do most published sources place Earth in 
           the North and Air in the East? 




















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           RITUAL TAMPERING 
            
                Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason!  Somewhere along 
           the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the 
           information!  Such tampering is a long and venerable practice 
           within certain branches of magic.  In Western culture, it is 
           most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic and "ceremonial" 
           magic lodges.  It is common among such groups that, when 
           publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will 
           publish versions that are INCOMPLETE and/or deliberately ALTERED 
           in some way from the authentic practice.  This prevents someone 
           who is NOT a member of the group from simply buying a book, and 
           performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training.  It 
           is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be 
           given the COMPLETE and/or CORRECTED versions of their rituals. 
           This is how such groups guard their secrets.  (And it is a 
           telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern 
           Witchcraft to have "borrowed" its directional/elemental 
           correspondences from ceremonial magic sources!  What a laugh if 
           this was Crowley's last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!) 
            
                I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate 
           ritual tampering.  A friend of mine had been making a study of 
           the so-called "planetary squares", talismans that look like 
           magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic 
           order.  There are seven such squares -- one for each of the 
           "old" planets.  While making this study, he began coloring the 
           grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making 
           colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then 
           four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid.  Six 
           of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color. 
           Then there was the Sun square!  Against all expectation, the 
           colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging.  Thus, 
           he began his quest for the CORRECTED Sun square.  And I became 
           convinced of the reality of ritual tampering. 
            
           THE WATCHTOWERS 
            
                All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the 
           arguments in favor of the Air-in-the-North model, which I have 
           now come to believe is the CORRECTED system of correspondences. 
           The remainder of this article will be devoted to those 
           arguments, each with its own name and number: 
            
                1. AIRTS: This is perhaps the strongest argument.  In 
           Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations 
           are referred to as the "four airts".  And it is a known fact that 
           this tradition associates Air with North.  While it is true that 
           some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp 
           and Doreen Valiente), have given "tampered" versions of the 
           airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly 
           with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F. 
           Marian McNeill) invariably report the Air/North connection. 





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                2. PARALLEL CULTURES: Although arguing from parallel 
           cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to 
           examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Western 
           hemisphere.  For example, the vast majority of Native American 
           tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place Air 
           in the North, which they symbolize by the Eagle.  (Aboriginal 
           cultures lying south of the equator typically have different 
           associations, for reasons I will discuss next.) 
            
                3. GEOPHYSICAL: If one accepts the insular British origins 
           of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the 
           British Isles.  To the West is the vast expanse of the Atlantic 
           Ocean (i.e.  water).  To the East, the bulk of the European land 
           mass (earth).  South has always been the direction of fire 
           because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets 
           warmer.  Which leaves North as the region of air, home of the 
           icy winds of winter.  (These last two associations would be 
           reversed for cultures in the southern hemisphere, for whom north 
           is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the 
           land of ice.) 
            
                4. HYPERBOREAN: In fact, an ancient name for the British 
           Isles was "Hyperboria", which literally means "behind the north 
           wind", thus associating north and wind (air) once more.  The 
           inhabitants were themselves called "Hyperborians", and the 
           phrase "at the back of the north wind" (the title of one of 
           George MacDonald's faery romances) is still current.  Of all the 
           winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind 
           (Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest 
           and most influential (cf.  Robert Grave's goddess fantasy "Watch 
           the North Wind Rise").  You don't hear too much about the other 
           three cardinal winds. 
            
                5. SEASONAL: Many occultists associate the four seasons 
           with the four cardinal points, as well.  Hence, winter = north, 
           spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west.  (To be 
           precise, it is the solstice and equinox points which align with 
           the cardinal points.)  Again, in most folklore, winter is 
           associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in 
           the season.  In spring, it is the earth which arrests our 
           attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery.  Again, 
           south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west 
           relates to autumn. 
            
                6. DIURNAL: Occultists also often associate the cardinal 
           points of a single day to the four compass points.  Thus, 
           midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = 
           west.  (Please note that we are talking about TRUE midnight and 
           TRUE noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, 
           and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.)  These associate 
           nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed.  It is easy 
           to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. 
           And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the 
           sun rises over land (earth) and sets over the ocean (water). 
           South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest 
           heat (fire).  Leaving the "invisible" element of air to be 
           associated with the sun's invisibility, at midnight. 

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              7. MYTHOLOGICAL: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably 
           associated with air.  The pre-Christian Irish gods and 
           goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were "airy" faeries (later 
           versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs).  The 
           Book of Conquests states their original home was in the north, 
           "at the back of the north wind".  And when they came to Ireland, 
           they came in ships, THROUGH THE UPPER AIR (!), settling on the 
           mountain tops.  (It has always struck me as odd that some modern 
           writers see mountains as a symbol of earth.  The crucial 
           symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air, 
           touching the sky.  Virtually all Eastern traditions associate 
           mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air.  A CAVE would be 
           a better symbol of earth than a mountain.)  In Welsh mythology, 
           too, Math the Ancient, chief god of Gwynedd (or NORTH Wales), is 
           specifically associated with wind, which can carry people's 
           thoughts to him. 
            
                8. YIN/YANG: Many occultists believe that the four elements 
           have yin/yang connections.  Both air and fire are seen as 
           masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine.  If air 
           is associated with the north point of the magic circle, and 
           earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one 
           circumambulates the circle.  As one passes the cardinal points 
           of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, 
           feminine, masculine energies.  This alternating flux of 
           plus/minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of 
           the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. 
           That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by 
           standing stones in the British Isles.  At sites like the Kennet 
           Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones 
           alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni 
           stones. 
            
                9. GENERATOR: This argument flows out of the previous one. 
           Practicing magicians often think of the magic circle as a kind 
           of psychic generator.  Witches in particular like to perform 
           circle dances to "raise the cone of power".  Hand in hand, and 
           alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around 
           the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is 
           released.  This model has an uncanny resemblance to an 
           electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of 
           the four "poles" of the magic circle.  These poles themselves 
           MUST alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. 
           This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the 
           masculine air MUST be in the north.  If the feminine water is in 
           the west, then the feminine earth MUST be in the east.  If any 
           adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead. 










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                10. MASCULINE/FEMININE AXIS: When you look at a typical 
           map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top.  Any 
           north-south road is a vertical line, and any east-west road is a 
           horizontal line.  Likewise, a "map" of a magic circle makes the 
           vertical north-south axis masculine (with air and fire), while 
           the horizontal east-west axis is feminine (earth and water). 
           This makes logical sense.  When we look at the horizon of the 
           earth, we see a horizontal line.  Water also seeks a horizontal 
           plane.  Feminine elements, considered "passive", have a natural 
           tendency to "lay down".  Fire, on the other hand, always assumes 
           an erect or vertical position.  Air, too, can rise upward, as 
           earth and water cannot.  Masculine elements, being "active", 
           have a natural tendency to "stand up". 
            
                11. ALTAR TOOLS: In modern Witchcraft, there are four 
           principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the Tarot 
           card, the Magician.  They also correspond to the four Tarot 
           suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the four 
           "hallows" of Arthurian legend.  And, like the four elements, two 
           of them are feminine and two of them are masculine.  The 
           pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, 
           representing earth, and is here placed in the east.  The 
           womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. 
           They form the horizontal feminine axis.  The phallic-shaped 
           wand, representing fire, is placed in the south.  And the 
           equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north.  They form 
           the vertical masculine axis.  (The gender associations of cup 
           and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of 
           wine.) 
            
                12. AXIS SYMBOLISM: In nearly every culture, the vertical 
           line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy.  The horizontal 
           line is yin, feminine energy.  When the vertical masculine line 
           penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient 
           Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of 
           life, and life-force.  Place a circle around it or on it, and 
           you have a circle-cross or "Celtic" cross, symbol of everlasting 
           life.  (Please note the importance of the EQUAL-armed cross.  If 
           one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of 
           balance.  The Christian or "Roman" cross, for example, has an 
           extended southern arm.  And many historians have commented on 
           Christianity's excess of "fire" or zeal.  Some versions actually 
           show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of "air" or 
           intellectual qualities.) 














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                13. ASTROLOGICAL: The astrological year is divided into 
           four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox. 
           And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements. 
           Which element can be discovered by examining the exact MID-POINT 
           of the quadrant.  For example, the first quadrant, beginning at 
           the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules 15 
           degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit.  The second 
           quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by 
           earth, which rules 15 degrees Taurus, the Bull.  The third 
           quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed 
           by fire, which rules 15 degrees Leo, the Lion.  And the fourth 
           quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by 
           water, which rules 15 degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the 
           Eagle.  Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air, 
           earth, fire, and water, and to man, bull, lion, and eagle, 
           respectively.  If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is 
           because they represent the four elemental power points of the 
           astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners 
           of the Tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune.  (The 
           same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the 
           four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) 
            
                 If those are the arguments in favor of Air-in-the-North, 
           where are the counter-arguments in favor of Earth-in-the-North? 
           Surprisingly, I've heard very few.  The most common by far is 
           "But we've always done it this way." Not too convincing. 
           However, no matter HOW persuasive my arguments may be, many have 
           countered that magic doesn't lend itself to rational arguments. 
           It's what FEELS right that counts.  True.  And there's no 
           denying that many practitioners do just fine with earth in the 
           north.  Granted.  Still, if they've never tried it the other 
           way, how would they really know? 
            
                My challenge to my fellow practitioners then is this: give 
           Air-in-the-North a shot.  Just try it on for size.  See what it 
           feels like.  And not for just a single ritual.  It'll take 
           several tries just to overcome your habitual ritual mindset. 
           And nothing is as habitual as ritual!  So in order to give this 
           a fair shake, you'll have to do a whole series of rituals with 
           air in the north.  And go into it with an open mind.  Like all 
           magic, if you decide ahead of time it won't work, it won't. 
           Then, once you've tried it, compare it to your old method.  Ask 
           yourself what's different, if it worked any better, and why or 
           why not.  And let me know.  I'd enjoy hearing about your 
           experiences. 













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                               What is a First Degree? 
           
          Many  persons feel that the first degree initiation is  something  
          that  a person receives simply because this group or that  wishes  
          to accept a person into their circle (Gardenarian, Alexandrian,  
          etc.). 
           
          In the my tradition, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess, and  
          as  such  you carry responsibilities.  In  some  traditions,  the  
          knowledge  you have gained during your first degree studies  will  
          qualify you for a third degree in that tradition.  But let's look  
          at it a minute. 
           
          As I have stated, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess.   What  
          does this mean?  In other faiths, you must go to seminary or  its  
          equivalent for a period of at least 5 years to obtain this  goal.  
          When  you  leave  there, you are knowledgeable in  not  only  the  
          beliefs  of  your  faith,  but  also  it's  history,  sects,  and  
          doctrines.  You have been trained to be a counselor, helper,  and  
          friend  to your parishioners.  You have had training  in  dealing  
          with  problems  within  your church,  your  community,  and  "the  
          enemy".  Basically, you have been given the trust of your  church  
          to be knowledgeable, loving, caring, and trustworthy.   
           
          Should a Priest/ess in the craft be expected to be any less?   As  
          an Isian, the answer is a resounding NO!   
           
          During  your first degree studies, you are the equivalent  of  an  
          Associate  Pastor/Minister/Whatever.  You are now in training  to  
          eventually  have your own coven, or if you wish to  be  solitary,  
          you  are  in training to be able to defend your religion  to  the  
          outside world if the need arises. 
           
          What are the responsibilities of a First Degree in my tradition? 
           
          As always, in the this tradition, you are required to  constantly  
          be learning and growing.  This does not mean that you have to  be  
          constantly be learning about the craft, but about yourself,  your  
          community, Mother Earth, etc.  This responsibility does not cease  
          even   when   you  receive  your  third  degree.    This   is   a  
          responsibility to yourself. 

















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          Some of your responsibilities to the coven are listed below: 
          1.) To grow within the craft.  
          2.)  Observe  and  participate in all circle  functions  of  your  
          degree or lower. 
          3.)  To  assist in preparation for all circle functions  of  your  
          degree or lower. 
          4.)  To assist any student of a lessor grade in  his/her  studies  
          when asked by this student for assistance. 
          5.)  To contribute at least one research paper of 10 pages (5  if  
          single spaced) or more on the craft subject of your choice. 
          6.) Contribute in some manner to each sabbat or public  gathering  
          either  by  time, monies for supplies, or bringing  something  to  
          share  either during or after event.  Time could be  by  arriving  
          early to help set up, staying a little later and helping to clean  
          up  after, preparing and sharing a workshop (if open workshop  is  
          scheduled),  making  phone calls to remind people of  the  event,  
          etc. 
          7.)  Contribute  to ideas for coven gatherings and  help  arrange  
          same. (Remember, all things do not happen at Covenstead!)  
          8.)  Be aware of any conflicts within Circle, and bring  this  to  
          the  attention of the HP/HPS (even if that's where  the  conflict  
          is!)   
          9.)  Be  prepared  to accept the responsibility of  a  circle  or  
          ritual should something happen to your HP/S. 
           
          To  some  people, this may seem like a lot of  expectations,  but  
          keep  in mind.  We are not are not training  "week-end  witches."  
          You are in training to be a Priest/ess of Wicca.   
           
          Your  first degree is something to be proud of.  You have  worked  
          hard  and long to receive it, and your HP/S has found you  worthy  
          of same.   
           
          May the Lord and Lady smile on your efforts. 
























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                                  CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS 
                                       BOX 1542 
                                     Ukiah, CA  95482 
           
              Duplicate Membership Application (as presented in GREEN EGG Oimlec
          1989) Distributed Electronically to  the Pagan Community by  the Pagan
          Information Network in the general interest of all. 
           
           
              In dedication tothe celebration of life in itsmany forms, I hereby
          declare my  commitment to a way  of life that is  ethical, benevolent,
          humanistic,  life-affirming,  ecstatic  and   ecologically  sane.    I
          subscribe  to   means  and  methods  that  are  creative  rather  than
          destructive, tolerant rather  than authoritarian,  gentle rather  than
          violent,  inclusive  rather  than  exclusive.    I  pledge  myself  to
          harmonious  eco-psychic awareness  with  the total  biosphere of  holy
          Mother Earth. 
           
          Like a redwood  tree, I would have  my roots deep in the  Earth and my
          branches reaching for the stars. 
           
          I acknowledge  my personal  responsibility for  myself,  to my  fellow
          humans,  and  to the  whole  of  Nature; and  I  recognize  this total
          responsibility,  in each of us, as  the source of our infinite freedom
          to become who we are and do what we will.  I dedicate myself to my own
          inner  growth and  development that  I may  be  of greater  service to
          myself  and  the  world around  me.    For these  reasons  I recognize
          Divinity both  within and without,  and I say  to myself and  others :
          THOU ART GODDESS; THOU ART GOD. 
           
          I wish  to unite with  others upon a  spiritual path that  encompasses
          both the  Heaven's and  the Earth,  and all  the  worlds between,  and
          hereby make  application to join the  membership of the Church  of All
          Worlds, in order that we may  learn together and teach each other ways
          to bring about these ends. 
           
          I  understand that this association  does not require  the severing of
          any other religious ties. 
            
          D   a   t   e   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _
          Signature_________________________________________________ 
           
           
           
          I enclose $_______ as a contribution to  help carry on the work of the
          Church. 
          (Annual membership dues are  $25 for individuals, $20 each  for family
          members  at one  address.) (The Church  of All  Worlds is  a state and
          federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) religious organization.   All donations
          are tax-deductible.) 
            
           
          Reviewed        and       approved        by______________________this
          day:_____________________ 





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                                    What is Shamanism? 
                       Michelle Klein-Hass/SysOp, Shaman's Soup BBS 
           
          Pardon me for asking, but what is Shamanism?  That's one area of "the 
          occult" that I don't remember hearing about. 
           
          OK, I guess I'm the resident shamanism maven here, so I'll try to 
          define it.  Shamanism is the name (from the Tungus Shaman, meaning 
          miracle-worker) for any tradition of ecstatic worship of the Earth, 
          and the forces that reside and pervade Her.  Most traditions of 
          shamanism worship two deities, the God and the Goddess.  In the 
          European shamanic tradition, also known as Wicca, the God and Goddess 
          are most commonly known as The Lord and The Lady, or Great Mother and 
          the Lord of the Hunt. In the Yoruban tradition, they are known as Ogun
          and Yemaja. In the shamanic tradition of the Chiricahua Teneh 
          (Apache), they are known as Earth Mother and Sky Father, and also as 
          White Painted Woman and Killer of Enemies.  In other traditions, there
          are more deities worshipped, and in most of those named, there are 
          other lesser deities.  Some forms of shamanic tradition can be 
          classified as true polytheism, some, like the tradition of the 
          Australian Dreamtime, are truly pantheistic (the God-force is in all, 
          and all exists in the God-force, or as they put it, the Dreamtime) and
          at least in the tradition of the Yoruba (Nigerian African) and in most
          Native American traditions, these Gods and Goddesses are seen as 
          emanations from a Great Spirit.  In the Teneh tongue, this spirit is 
          known as Usen', Who is neither Male nor Female but encompasses both. 
          Joe Wilson describes the difference between the path of the Shaman and
          the path of the Priest this way: the Priest is the custodian of 
          tradition and rite, the Shaman is the one who journeys within and 
          experiences the God(esse)s directly. The path of the shaman is the 
          path of healing, direct involvement with ones Gods/Goddesses, and the 
          path of acquiring Power for The Good.  Modern Shamanism in America is 
          usually of two currents: Wiccan and Native.  

               Wicca  is a reconstructed  system, which is  probably similar but
          not  identical  to the  pre-Christian  religion  of  the  Keltoi  (the
          Britons, the  Gallics, the Irish and Scottish Gael, the Picts, and the
          Cymri(Welsh)  It  used to  claim quite an  impressive history, but  is
          reliably  traceable  to people  like  Gerald Gardner,  who  designed a
          system of Wiccan practice from various sources, including, supposedly,
          a wealthy woman whose family had practiced witchcraft for generations.
          He obviously had a good grasp of some of the  Anthropological works on
          the subject, but liberally borrowed as well from Crowley, Freemasonry,
          and  *fin de  Siecle* occultism  like the  Order of  the Golden  Dawn.
          Artificial or authentic, it seems to still work.  














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               Native shamanism works with either  traditions of a native people
          like the Native Americans  or the Yoruba tribe (present  in Santeria),
          or is a distillation of many practices, as is the  shamanism taught by
          Dr. Michael  Harner and  by Joseph  Wilson of Toteg  Tribe.   The true
          native traditions are dying  out quickly, and most native  Shamans are
          unwilling to transmit their  knowledge.  In some cases,  the knowledge
          has died out, and those descendants who remain and wish to embrace the
          Old Ways must  re-invent their  tradition.  My  teacher, Misha  Sacred
          Wolf  of  the  Naiche-Tosawi  band  of  the  Chiricahua,  is  in  that
          unenviable  position.  The Apache still exist, and they celebrate some
          of the old festivals for the benefit of tourists.  But much of the Old
          Knowledge died with the coming of the  white man, the reservation, and
          the  missionaries  that  considered  the  reservation  their  rightful
          "mission field". 
               While it is true that many Native peoples are indignant about any
          non-Native  involvement in shamanism, and the new age movement is full
          to  the brim with  hucksters and shysters  who if you  give them money
          will teach you "how to become a Shaman", there are two non-Natives who
          seem to respect the Ways, and have attempted to present  the teachings
          of  Native shamanism  in a  respectful, reverential way.   One  is Dr.
          Michael Harner,  author of  "The Way of  the Shaman" (Bantam)  and his
          "core  shamanism"  system.   His approach  is  sometimes a  little too
          eclectic, with a  glaring lack  of the  ritual and  mythos that  makes
          shamanism so  powerful.  He  has reduced the shamanic  experience to a
          few major elements: The Lowerworld Journey, where the  shamanist comes
          face-to-  face with their "Power Animal", which is a representative of
          the person's basic  animal energy; The  Upperworld Journey, where  the
          person  journeys  to   contact  their  "Teacher  Within",   who  is  a
          representation of  the person's Higher Self;  the Middleworld Journey,
          where ordinary reality is seen through non-ordinary eyes; and  various
          techniques of healing, primarily the Jivaro "sucking doctor"technique.
          A  non-ordinary state  of  consciousness is  reached through  rhythmic
          drumming,  singing,  and visualization.    Despite  the very  clinical
          "self-help" aspect of Harner's work, it is very valuable.  If you live
          in the Los Angeles area,  you are quite fortunate in that  perhaps the
          most exciting work in  the eclectic shamanic  way is going on  through
          Toteg  Tribe, a  shamanic society  founded and  facilitated by  Joseph
          Wilson. Joseph  was a  participant in the  Neo-Pagan (Wiccan-shamanic)
          movement for  more than 25  years, and  is now trying  to forge  a new
          shamanic way  for ALL  people of the  Americas.  He  has built  on the
          techniques of Harner with insight from both traditional Native peoples
          of  this  land that  he  has studied  with  and entirely  new  ways of
          expression  that he and others  that work with  him have spontaneously
          come up with.  He  does not claim to teach traditional  shamanic ways,
          but his  work is quite valuable  and instead of looking  behind to the
          old days  of Tribal America,  is aimed  towards the  21st century  and
          beyond.  Again, I study with  a woman who is of the Chiricahua  Apache
          tradition,  but I  also find  Wilson's work  to  be exciting  and very
          important.   I hope this  cleared up a  few things...there's a  lot of
          good info in the file areas about shamanic practice. 
          Hi Dicho--this is finished (sigh of relief) 
          Enju! B*B Michelle Klein-Hass (Chihacou White Puma) 







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          Here is the complete  expansion of the Indo-European root of  the word
          "witch", from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF INDO-EUROPEAN ROOTS,
          revised  & edited  by Calvert Watkins  (Houghton Mifflin  Co.: Boston,
          1985; ISBN 0-395-36070-6): 
           
          WEIK- [1].  Clan (social unit above the household).   1. Suffixed form
          *WEIK- SLA  in  Latin  VILLA,  country house,  farm:  VILLA,  VILLAGE,
          VILLAIN,  VILLANELLE, (VILLEIN);  (BIDONVILLE).   2.  Suffixed o-grade
          form  *WOIK-O in:  a.  Latin VICUS,  quarter  or district  of  a town,
          neighborhood:  (VICINAGE), VICINITY;  b. Greek  OIKOS, house,  and its
          derivativ   e  OIKIA,   dwelling:  ANDROECIUM,   AUTOECIOUS,  DIOCESE,
          DIOECIOUS, DIOICOUS, ECESIS, ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, ECUMENICAL, 
          HETEROECIOUS, MONOECIOUS,  PARISH, TRIOUECIOUS.    3. Zero-grade  from
          *WIK-  in  Sanskrit VIS-  dwelling,  house,  with derivative  VAISYAH,
          settler: VAISYA. 
           
          WEIK- [2].   In words connectid  with magic and religious  notions (in
          Germanic and Latin).  1. Germanic suffixed form *WIH-L- in Old English
          WIGLE,  divination, sorcery, akin to the Germanic source of Old French
          GUILE,  cunning trickery: GUILE.   2. Germanic  expressive form *WIKK-
          in:  a. Old  English WICCA,  wizard, and  WICCE, witch: WITCH;  b. Old
          English  WICCIAN,  to cast  a spell:  BEWITCH.   3.  Possible suffixed
          zero-grade form *WIK-T-IMA in latin VICTIMA, animal used as sacrifice,
          victim  (although  this may  belong  to another  root  *[SHWA]WEK- not
          otherwise represented in English): VICTIM. 
           
          WEIK- [3].   To be like.   1. Suffixed variant form  *EIK-ON- in Greek
          EIKON,  likeness,  image: ICON,  (ICONIC),  ICONO-;  ANISEIKONIA.   2.
          Prefixed and suffixed zero-grade form *N-WIK-ES, not  like (*N-, not),
          in greek AIKES, unseemly: AECIUM. 
           
          WEIK- [4].  Also WEIG-.   To bend, wind.   I. Form WEIG-.  1. Germanic
          *WIK- in: a. Old English WICE, wych elm (having pliant branches): WYCH
          ELM; b. Swedish  VIKER, willow  twig, wand, akin  to the  Scandinavian
          source of Middle English WIKER, wicker: WICKER; c. Old Norse vikja, to
          bend,  turn, probably akin  to the Scandinavian  source of Old  Nort h
          French  WIKET,  wicket (<  "door that  turns?):  WICKET.   2. Germanic
          *WAIKWAZ in: a. Old  Norse VEIKR, pliant: WEAK;  b. Dutch WEEK,  weak,
          soft: WEAKFISH.  3. Germanic *WIKON-, "a turning," series, in Old 
          English  WICU, WICE, week:  WEEK.  II.  Form *WEIK-.   Zero-grade form
          *WIK-  in: a.  Latin VIX  (genetive VICUS),  turn, situation,  change:
          VICAR  (VICARIOUS), VICE[3];  VICISSITUDE;  b. Latin  VICIA, vetch  (<
          "twining plant"): VETCH. 
           
          WEIK- [5].  To  fight, conquer.  1. Germanic *WIK-  in Old Norse VIGR,
          able  in battle: WIGHT[2].   2. Nasalized zero-grade  form *WI-N-K- in
          Latrin VINCERE (past participle VICTUS), to conquer: VANQUISH, VICTOR,
          VINCIBLE; CONVINCE, EVICT. 











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                                    NATURE SPIRIT MAGIC 
                                     By Larry Cornett
           
          INTRODUCTION: 
           
          Each plant, animal, rock, and other entity has a spirit 
          (consciousness resonance matrix).  These spirits can join 
          together, in a hive-mind, as a spirit of an area.  Nature spirits 
          include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful, 
          and are much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals 
          that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors 
          are familiar with.  They can be extremely powerful allies.  It is 
          possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are 
          receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively 
          participate in magical workings if they are. 
           
           
          SOME EFFECTS OF WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
           
          Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with 
          nature spirits in the wild.  I have personally seen actual 
          foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that 
          was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a 
          planned ritual the day before.  I have seen more than one site 
          attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in 
          the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other 
          nearby locations.  Birds have joined in rituals, flying around 
          the circle when energy was being raised; and insects, birds and 
          animals have joined in chants.  In addition, the wind often 
          responds to invocations.  Generally, these spectacular 
          manifestations happen unexpectedly.   
           
          With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will 
          channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being 
          performed.  It is suggested that you do not consciously try for 
          specific manifestations.  Let Nature channel her power into the 
          magic in her own way.  If approached with respect, nature may 
          give you many pleasant surprises. 
           
          Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of 
          success.  If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature 
          spirits know this, you will get it.  The best success in magic is 
          on the inner planes and more subtle than such manifestations.  
          This success involves beneficial changes in consciousness that 
          last and helpful chains of synchronicity.  In addition, working 
          with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership 
          with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement. 
           
          To get the best results, perform nature spirit attunement 
          several hours to several days before the main ritual.  The 
          purposes of such attunement are to find suitable power spots and 
          to get the help of friendly nature spirits.  This timing gives 
          Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively 
          participate in the main ritual. 
           




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          WHAT TO NOT DO: 
           
          If nature spirits are approached with disrespect by attempting 
          to command them rather than listening to them and inviting them 
          to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack.  I 
          once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowleyites who attempted 
          to perform the "Ritual of the Barbarous Names" at a power spot in 
          a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in 
          all directions.   
           
          While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the 
          area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when 
          the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto 
          him.  The vibes from nature could best be characterized as "Oh 
          yea, Mother...!"  One participant was quickly possessed by an 
          angry spirit and kept repeating "You killed my children, your 
          children will never live in peace."  When the priestess stepped 
          out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by 
          bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law.  Magicians should 
          know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names 
          they do not know! 
           
           
          CALLING NATURE SPIRITS: 
           
          To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one 
          should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the 
          ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals.  
          In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with 
          the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with 
          diverse, active ecologies.   
           
          When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a 
          place that feels good.  Then do the following, either 
          individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation: 
           
          o Relax, while standing upright, and focus on your breathing.  
            Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm.  Breathe together if 
            in a group. 
            - Feel the wind, and let it relax you and awaken your spirit 
              within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary 
              reality. 
            - Picture, in your mind's eye, a light inside you.  As you 
              breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you  - as 
              it expands to fill your aura.   
            - Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified, and full of power. 
            - Connect with your inner self (your higher self), and feel 
              your intuitive self operating. 










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          o Feel yourself as: 
            - The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with 
              all round. 
            - The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to 
              communicate with nature and energizing all around. 
            - Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing, and connected with 
              nature. 
            - The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander 
              while remaining part of Mother Earth. 
           
          o Focus on your spiritual self, and: 
            - Note the light within and feel it as love,  
            - Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your 
              body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a 
              power spot and contact nature spirits. 
           
          o Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light 
            energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be 
            aware of your presence.   
            - Say why you have come, and invite them to join in sharing, 
              mutual celebration, and  the work you intend. 
            - Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling 
              extending out and merging with the light from distant places. 
            - Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and 
              feet. 
            - Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to 
              further energize the carrier signal of light and love for 
              communicating with nature. 
            - Visualize the light expanding and merging.   
            - Continue to send out telepathic signals. 
           
          o Now go deeper: 
            - Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection 
              while you channel more light and love.   
            - Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts - 
              inviting receptive spirits to join with you and to make 
              themselves known. 
            - If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate 
              of about one beat per second; and you should listen to the 
              drum and let the drum take you deeper. 
            - Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who 
              knows and communicates with nature.  Let this part of 
              yourself emerge to full consciousness.  Let the drum and the 
              connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself 
              that naturally communicates with other life forms.  Let it 
              awaken your telepathic senses. 
            - Continue sending telepathic signals to nature.   
            - When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your 
              eyes a crack and look around, while continuing to channel 
              love and light and telepathically calling for a response.   
            - You may see light coming from certain areas that are 
              receptive.  You may get other signals, such as a feeling of 
              power or love returning in a certain direction.  Perhaps the 
              type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your 
              intuition in interpreting it. 




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            - You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) 
              instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light 
              getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then 
              mentally ask questions and observe the responses. 
           
          o When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and 
            receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love 
            energy.  Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy.  
           
           
          ENTERING A POWER SPOT: 
           
          o Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter.  If the 
            response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive 
            area.   
           
          o When entering the power spot, look around.  Perhaps the 
            responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity 
            (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or 
            other entity that stands out).  Perhaps the energy will be more 
            general.  Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to 
            guide your actions. 
           
          o If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to 
            touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication.  
            If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, and then 
            touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).   
           
          o Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the 
            first time - be sensitive, open, and listen. 
           
           
          DEEPENING COMMUNICATION WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
           
          o Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem 
            receptive, deepen the communication: 
            - Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each 
              breath, feel more refreshed.   
            - Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from 
              its base, roots extend deep into the Earth.  Deep into the 
              rich moist Earth.   
            - With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper, 
            - Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters 
              of the Earth.  Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the 
              Earth and from its waters.   
            - Feel the moist, warm energy rising.   
            - Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, 
              like sap rises in a tree.   
            - Feel the energy rise to your crown chakra (at the top of your 
              head). 
            - Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up 
              and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a 
              willow.   
            - Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your 
              surroundings.   




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            - Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your 
              branches.  As it flows, feel yourself being purified, 
              centered, and connected to the Earth.   
            - Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches 
              and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain. 
            - Note how your branches absorb energy from the air.  Also, 
              feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky.   
            - Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body 
              into the Earth. 
            - Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also.   
            - Feel the energy circulating. 
           
          o Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches of energy 
            surrounding you.   
            - Feel the energy dancing among your branches and the branches 
              around you. 
            - Notice how your roots also intertwine with underground energy 
              channels.   
            - Feel the energy dancing between your roots and the  
              surrounding energy patterns.  
            - Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the 
              same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, 
              drinking the same water,  sharing the same underlying 
              essence.  You are one with the magical grove. 
           
          o Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits 
            and people communicated regularly and the need to establish 
            such communication now.  
           
          o Test your connection by asking questions and observing the 
            responses. 
           
           
          WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
           
          o Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and 
            the nature of the ritual you plan.   
           
          o If the spirits you contacted are receptive: 
            - Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to 
              provide ideas. 
            - Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the 
              ritual.  Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, 
              visions, answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged 
              signals, or in other ways. 
            - Explain what type of space is needed and ask what the best 
              place to perform the ritual is.  
            - You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you 
              to other sites, or you may be at one of them.   
            - You may also ask what the best places for other aspects of 
              the planned work are (picnicking, individual vision quests, 
              etc.). 
            - If preparation of the site is needed (removing briars, 
              preparing a fire circle, etc.) ask permission of the spirits 
              before proceeding with such action. 




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            - Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirits you have 
              contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual 
              (visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help 
              with this communication). 
            - Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to 
              bring their friends.   
            - Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with 
              chanting, or with some other form of approach. 
            - You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working 
              in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further 
              guidance. 
           
          o Before you leave the power spot: 
            - Thank the spirits,  
            - Channel love energy,  
            - Trigger your memory of the experience, and 
            - If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and 
              honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material). 
           
          o  Leave in peace and love. 
           
          o Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, 
            doing similar meditations at each site.   
           
          o If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you 
            can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you 
            receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another 
            Pagan). 
           
          o Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots 
            and contacted nature spirits: 
            - Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found, 
            - Thank the spirits of the land,  
            - Pull back your roots and branches,  
            - Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing your hands 
              on the Earth, breathe in any excess energy, and channel the 
              energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the 
              energy going into the Earth), and  
            - Leave in peace and love.   
           
          o Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and 
            preferably cleaner, than you found it.  
           
          o If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you 
            may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the 
            Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are 
            at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase 
            communication. 
           
          o Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it 
            is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits.  The 
            results can be very interesting.  If with a coven, such circles 
            can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you 
            have located. 
           




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          o If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation 
            of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that 
            gives good responses, do not try to force a good response.  You 
            would only be fooling yourself.   
            - Thank the spirits for their attention. 
            - Ask them why they are not receptive (if it feels right and 
              they are communicative). 
            - Trigger your memory.  
            - Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess 
              energy you feel into the Earth. 
           -  If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or 
              other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits. 
            - Move to a more receptive site.   
             
          o If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you 
            should: 
            - Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits 
              weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your 
              plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate. 
            - It may also be appropriate to look for another general area 
              in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to 
              the work planned. 
           
           
          WHAT TO DO WHEN RETURNING: 
           
          It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to 
          attune to the spirits of the land using the techniques previously 
          described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning 
          to the site.   
           
          Often, individuals may have found small specific power spots to 
          which they have a special attunement, where the spirits are 
          interested in participating; but where the site is too small, has 
          too much vegetation, or is otherwise unsuitable for the main 
          ritual.  Individual attunement to the spirits in such areas and 
          inviting them to participate in the main ritual can be 
          worthwhile. 
           
          Then approach the main ritual site using the previously arranged 
          technique.  You should have the details worked out with the 
          spirits of the land.  An exceptionally powerful technique 
          involves doing a procession through or past receptive power 
          spots, inviting nature spirits to join as you pass each power 
          spot, and then moving to the central power spot for the main 
          ritual.  If participants are at individual power spots, they can 
          join the procession as it passes nearby. 
           
          When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not 
          set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it 
          should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a 
          container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits 
          who it isn't right to be with.   






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          One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring 
          instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in 
          to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's 
          sounds.  You may be able to get some very interesting back and 
          forth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the 
          wild, and get into an amazing jam session. 
           
          After the work is complete, be sure to thank the spirits for 
          their participation.  Libations and other offerings may also be 
          left for the spirits during and/or after the ritual. 
           
           
          ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 
           
          There are other ways of working with nature spirits.  This is one 
          approach.  The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic 
          guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature 
          spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon 
          Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 
          1981, Vicky Smith for editorial review of this article, Isaac 
          Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and 
          Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and 
          various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.  
           
           
          Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author 
          titled "Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation" by Larry 
          Cornett, published in The Druid's Progress and in Amaranth 
          Anthology.  
                            RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE: 
           
          This article is written by Larry Cornett.  It is copyrighted 
          l988; and it is hereby placed by the author in the public domain, 
          providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of 
          the author and providing the author is acknowledged.  It may 
          therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic 
          Forum or copied and handed out for free.  Permission to reprint 
          it in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, 
          and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the 
          publication containing the article.  This copyright takes 
          precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or 
          commercial system on which this file is posted. 
                                     by  Larry Cornett
          9/24/'88  9527 Blake Lane, # 102, Fairfax, VA  22031   (703)352-3791  














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                                                                             364

                                 THE MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES 
                          A Neo-Pagan Alternative Belief System
                              (C) 1989 By Joseph W. Teller
           * Free to Distribute & Copy in its Entirety For Non-Commercial Use*
            
                        MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : A QUICK INTRODUCTION              
            
                  Myceneaen Mysteries are an ongoing project to introduce a new
               path of passage and religious belief to the present Neo-Pagan
               community.

                  Like anything within the Neo-Pagan Community, we do not exist
               in a vacuum. I have been trained in several traditions and paths
               of the present community, and have learned much from them, but
               have found that a personal lack of hereditary connection to some
               of the pantheons and belief systems involved have often made my
               practice of Celtic or Shamanistic systems to become clumsy and
                    sometimes ineffective forme personally. Thus, to find my own
          way, I went forth on a combination research project and  personal path
          searching for what path would be best for myself.

                  The Myceneaen Mysteries are based upon a personal interface
               between myself and the aspects of the Early religious system and
               belief of the area now known as Greece, a personal comfortable
               status with many of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon 
          therein which I could not find in the Celtic, Norse or American 
          Indian belief systems. Many hours of painstaking research into   t h e
          true culture, beliefs, gods and means of worship practiced by    t h e
          early Myceneaens have resulted in this ongoing system of    belief. It
          is not for all, but if you feel a true connection      b e t w e e n
          yourself, the mythologies, the social structure and the     beliefs
          involved then perhaps this path is for you.

                          TheMyceneaen beliefsystemis nota total"re-creationist"
          idea, nor the structuring of a system out of whole cloth, but    like
          any belief system stemming from another time and blossoming      into
          a Neo-Pagan tradition it comes from a combination of both.  The   land
          of Myceneae has gone through not one but two dark ages      in     its
          time, and much of the original material was lost or    destroyed    or
          very badly distorted by the people that would pass     through  it  as
          their conquerors, and so I have had to take some  liberty    to    the
          myths, sorting them according to the values and   theology        they
          present as to whether they were of these people and    if so trying to
          prune out the changes made by centuries of   conquest.   This  is   an
          ongoing project, and the belief structure    will be added  to as  new
          material is encountered and adapted, but     the    basic    structure
          outlined in the pages of work already   completed  will  for the  most
          part remain stable, with each person    who takes up the system adding
          their own touch to the system.

               Thus, if you choose this path, you will be forming and helping
               to form the belief system for yourself and for others, making
                    your actions and writingsjust as important as thosethat have
          now been finished.  Few religions or belief paths truly allow the many
          members within it to shape the system to their own needs and     t   o
          bring about change. Myceneaen Mysteries does.

              

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           If you are reading this file online a BBS or from a printout of
                    such,or on a distributed disk, there should be several other
          text files here for you to read over, so please do so and feel   free
          to distribute it at will among your fellow Neo-Pagans and   all   open
          minded non-pagan friends. Only through the greatest    number       of
          people getting involved can we do the greatest amount  of  improvement
          and gain personal enlightenment on this path.
            
                  * Love, Trust & Community : The key of Myceneae *
            
                         MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : THEOLOGICAL ANSWERS              
            
               The purpose of this document is to explain some of the positions
               of The Myceneaen Belief system that are considered important and
               controversial to other Religious groups, many times to the point
               where they will place their views not only in public view but to
                    enforce them upon others not of their beliefs 'for their own
          good'.   These positions  are important,  as they  help show  where we
          stand and also explain a bit more of what we are really about.   These
          views are not forced on the membership of the Laos, but are      t h e
          official accepted policies, beliefs and viewpoints of the 
          organization in today's world - based on the overall religion.
            




































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               1. Contraceptive Devices.
                     We realize the importance of life, as most nature-oriented
                  religions do, and have a high respect for it and for the right
                  of all to live. On the other hand we strongly believe in the
                  right to choose one's path and actions in life. Thus, because
                  of these factors, and in consideration of the high risk of
                  disease in today's social circles, we support the use of all
                  non-destructive Contraceptive means to prevent the spread of
                  disease and the possibility of unwanted children being         
                                                                                
                      conceived Wedo notsupport, on theother hand, operative    
                    contraceptionthrough vasectomyor sterilization- sincethese  
                    cause an actual mutilationof the bodyand because theyare    
                  both questionablein recent studies ascauses of increased      
                cancerrates. We have astrong belief in taking responsibility    
                forour actions, and to utilize contraceptivedevices is to       
            take responsibility in ones sexual activities.
            
               2. Homosexuality/Bi-Sexuality.
                     These concepts in Sexuality are not nor ever have been in
                  our beliefs or those of the original Myceneaens anything but
                  Natural. To call such actions and feelings perverse, or worse,
                  is to deny the realities of nature and of the human condition.
                          We areborn bi-sexual and makeour choices based on     
          environmental  enforcement.  We accept  Homosexuality  and            
          Bi-sexuality  as true  parts of  life, not  something to  be          
          encouraged nor discouraged, but accepted as normal.
            
               3. Public Nudity.
                     This one is obvious and simple, throughout most of the
                          Neo-Pagan community it hasalways been :if you feel    
          comfortable and won't be making too many others  uncomfortable        
          then feel welcome to any level  of dress or undress that suits        
          you. It is  suggested that among a Damos that  a full level of        
          acceptance and knowing each  others bodies, at least by sight,        
          be eventually accomplished to improve the ability of  the Damos       
          to  work as a true group bound in the love and  trust they have       
          declared (if  you can't trust to be nude in someone's presence        
          you  probably  can't trust  them  entirely). This  will  be           
          difficult for some, it  is suggested that  if a member  seems         
          uncomfortable with this that they be  introduced to it slowly         
          by the rest of the group  so they become more comfortable. Not        
          only  does this build trust, but  it can also help  in keeping        
          tension levels down and to improve health of the  group overall       
          in some ways.
            













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               4. Smoking.
                  The smoking of tobacco in today's society is deeply enmeshed,
                  but slowly people are bring the realization of the damage of
                  utilizing this herb as an addictive substance regularly. We
                  also understand the difficulties of eliminating the effects
                  of it upon the body in withdrawal. Considering all this, there
                  shall be no usage of such materials within ritual or within
                  a celebration's public confines (the exception is the use of
                  pure, natural, un-chemically treated indian tobacco for use in
                  American Indian smoking rituals - which are rare and very
                  limited in scope or exposure). If a smoker chooses to do so at
                  a celebration they must go off away from the Damos and Guests
                  to a secluded area where their second-hand smoke cannot affect
                  anyone else in the group. The Damos should join in on trying
                  to help the smoker get past the addiction and back to a sense
                  of personal worth where such is unneeded (all addiction is
                  caused by a sense of personal inferiority and incompleteness).

               5. Ritual Drugs.
                  The use of these substances should only be within certain very
                  controlled circumstances, under extreme supervision by people
                  who are experienced and obviously personally balanced in the
                  matter. The use of illegal or highly controlled drugs is not
                  encouraged and anyone choosing to do so are doing so as an
                  individual, not as a representative of the Laos. Again, the
                          mainword iscaution withalldrugs ifyoudon't understand 
                 all the risks then don't use the substance.

               6. Alcohol.
                  The Myceneaens were the inventors of Beer and several other
                  naturally fermented acholic drinks, and so we cannot
                  deny this part of the past nor the religious aspects of it.
                  Any naturally fermented alcohol is acceptable for libation in
                          Ritualand incelebration, butthe takingof distilled    
                        alcoholsshall not bewithin Ritual (itsalright for       
              celebration though).  Unless a ritual is specifically to           
                                                                                
                Dionysus, the taking of enough alcohol to be  considered        
          'Drunk' in circle is to  be frowned upon and  felt offensive.         
          Becoming drunk in a celebration if so  wished is acceptable, so       
          long  as one maintains the  rules of hospitality and  does not        
          attempt to do such morally wrong things as  driving intoxicated       
          (Hosts be warned  that if a guest  is so intoxicated you  are         
          under obligation  to make sure they  either have a  ride home         
          with a non-intoxicated person or that sleeping space, at least        
          upon your floor, is  made available to them). Alcohol in small        
          amounts acts  as a natural remover of  the mental shields that        
          can block ones  ability to perceive the  powers of nature and         
          oneself, thus being useful in this way.

               7. Abortion.
                  This is for many groups one of the most discussed area of
                  personal choice. In Myceneae belief, ones spirit is not found
                  within an embryo until the finish of the third month, and so
                  we support the right of a woman to choose whether or not to
                  take such an action, but do want her to consider all of the
                  available options before doing such. Life is precious, both
                          thatof amother andthat ofa child,but anexisting life  

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                                                                             368

                will hold priority overa yet-to-be born, since ifan abortion    
              doesoccur the spirit of the child will find another bodyto        
            gain re-entranceinto the life-cycle. We do support the use of       
            all natural abortifacient herbs and drugs over physical             
          operations, but again this is the choice of the mother and not        
          for the religion to enforce.

             8. Pornography.
                We believe that the true pornography in the world is depictions
                of humanities cruelties unto itself for the purpose to glorify
                it and encourage it. This means we label books and movies of
                a purely violent nature to be Pornographic (Examples of such
                are 'Faces of Death', 'The Green Berets' or any of the numerous
                'slasher' films). Additionally we feel that films of a sexual
                nature that show women as inferior, mere sex objects or actually
                depict violent rape as something its not to be pornographic
                (ex: The Story of O). We have no objections to sexuality in
                books in films, displays of nudity or love within such. We
                also oppose Child-pornography, bestiality and slavery of any
                kind.

             9. Sexual Responsibility.
                Myceneaen beliefs have nothing in opposition to group sex or
                group marriages, from Menage-a-trois to full multi-faceted
                tribal families. We do have a strong ruling of community to
                regulate ourselves, and to reduce the risks of disease and other
                related problems. Any member of a Damos who has a sexually
                transmutable disease should warn all other members of the Damos.
                When a person enters into a Damos they must expose such info
                to the members, to protect all. If a member of a Damos is in
                      a relationship withsomeone outside theDamos they should   
          refrain  from sexual  contact with  members inside  the Damos,        
          unless  sure  that  they  are  clear  of  such  afflictions.          
          Relationships within the  Damos should be  encouraged, as  this       
          will  prevent an influx of diseases from outside unknown sources.     
          Members of  a Damos who  are sexually active  in any way should       
          seek out a  medical check for such problems routinely and  should     
          share the results  with the members. Keeping everyone within the      
          Damos healthy is of import to all members of the Damos. Remember      
          a Damos is  more than just a group  of friends and acquaintances      
          as is common in  most Neo-Pagan groups, it is an extended family      
          and community.
            
                                   HISTORICAL CONTEXT
                                   -----------------
               The Mycenaean Era is not the Greece of Homer, and has many of
            its own unique differences that set it off from that Era. It is
            sometimes known as the Golden Age or Heroic Age of the ancient
            land we call Greece. Fledgling borne from migrants coming into
            the area from Syria and Persia during the Empire of Crete, the
            Mycenaeans were a willful folk, who accepted the rule of Crete
            until the Minoans fell from power by a complex series of events
            that caused them to abandon the Mainland and Isles of Greece
            and vanish back into the mists of History. Neither The Minoans
            nor the Mycenaeans were remembered, until our own 1840's (AD)
            when the ruins were discovered and slowly excavated (a process
            still uncompleted to this day).


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                                                                             369

               Egypt, it has been said, introduced government to the world
            (and Bureaucracy and all that goes with it). Minos introduced the
            concept of Laws governing all equally (which Homer's Greece would
            rediscover in its own era) and the value of colonization & trade.
            Each had its religions and cults, but it was in Mycenaean that did
            rise truly human gods and goddesses - those who could weep or
            laugh, who did not simply hold themselves aloof from the majority
            of the population but who were close and intricately associated
            with their people.

               In concept, and in Mycenaean Myth, we are all descended from
            the gods. We are all their children, and we are all working
            towards learning what we must to take our proper places beside
            them one day in a future existence. We all have within us the
            ability to perform feats of wonder, magic as we call it, through our
            own ability of will and perception.

               As children of the gods and goddesses, we are imperfect only
            in that we have not yet learned the ways to best utilize our own
            abilities and to work with nature thoroughly - as Neo-Pagans we
            can work towards this goal, unlike those who refuse to open their
            eyes to their own ability and instead falsely believe that nature
            is a force to be battled and conquered instead of one that we are
            part of and must work with in order to survive. We are not in
            any way perfect, we do not have 'the one true path' or the 'one
            way to enlightenment', we have simply chosen a path in this belief
            system and religion that serves our personal growth (some may even
            walk this path and then later chose another closer to their own
            hearts in some way). We ask that others accept the fact that we
            have chosen this path of our own free will, if they ask for any
            information we shall give it freely, and that we ask that they be
            tolerant of us in our every day lives and not show bigotry against
            us for our belief path.

               The Mycenaean Era, historically lasted from approx. 1700 BC, as
            the Minoan Empire collapsed inward, and prospered through till 1120
            BC when the last shreds of it fell beneath the onslaught of the
            invading Dorians, who were the ancestors of Homer's Greece. The
            fall of Mycenaea brought with it a terrible 400 years of what has
            been called the 'Greek Dark Age' for the invaders destroyed all
            the knowledge of writing, and much of the culture and technology
            of the people of the land that was then Greece. They had come down
            out of the Northern parts of Central Europe, outnumbering the
            Mycenaeans and being experts at large scale war, still it took
            them from 1190 BCE to 1120 BCE to fully conquer the Mycenaeans.

               When the Dorians invaded and conquered the people, they
            destroyed what was then the most advanced civilized people in
            Europe. Mycenae had the benefits of the technology of the Minoans
            and the advantages of a widespread sea-trade with Syria, Italy,
            Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Rhodes, Persia and even possibly the Isles
            of Britain. This widespread trade made them one of the richest
            people, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and goods
            made them welcome in many ports. Mycenae had colonized villages
            in many lands, to serve as trading posts with native peoples.
            Their only major war was, that which we know now as the Trojan
            War, in 1200 BC (approx), was a successful enterprise supposedly
            based on principle instead of greed.

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                                                                             370

               Mycenae, like the native peoples of the Americas, were slowly
            worn down and defeated by an enemy they had sought to not war
            with but to trade with. The Dorians came first as raiders, then
            in larger numbers as they fled south from either hostile weather
            conditions or an unknown northern invader, and were not to be
            appeased with simply the lands of the neighbors of the Mycenaeans,
            such as the Hittites, but wanted the rich trade of the Black and
            Mediterranean Seas. They did not have a written language, but
            were evidently of similar stock of that which the Mycenaeans had
            once come from centuries before and spoke a similar tongue. They
            destroyed the citadels, palaces and shrines, burning many to the
            ground in their fury. They slew the learned and enslaved the
            poor and agricultural people to serve their own economy - they were
            not the peaceful folk that Homer first tries to show them to
            be, in Homer's day, after the ages, Mycenae was forgotten and
            Minoan Empire a wispy memory of long ago.

               Parts of the culture and its gods and goddesses were still so
            strongly enmeshed in the people that remained that the Dorians
            adapted it into their own rather than try to fight its existence,
            changing it to fit their own values and warlike natures. Thus the
            Mycenaean Age faded away in history and memory until the 1840's AD
            when the ruins of Mycenae were discovered and the Archaeological
            Society of Greece began to recover its forgotten past.

               Much of what we have to work with in our beliefs are based on
            the records of archaeological findings, the eventual deciphering
            of the few tablets and inscriptions in the ancient language of
            the people (Many of which were simply old accounting records)
            and the myths that have survived even the purging and nature of
            the Homeric era. Vocal records always change tales with the
            telling, and thus it has been painstakingly difficult to produce
            what these pages attempt to do. Much has had to been assumed in
            my research as the information is not available, and some has been
            modified to suit our modern times and needs. Thus this is not a
            recreation,no more than Ar nDracht Fan can claim an absolute
            reconstruction of Celtic Druidism, but a new view for the present
            and hopefully the future.

                  Each Wanax is responsible for seeing that their Damos sits
               down and somehow develops a name for their Damos, and it is by
                    this name that they will be known to other Damosi. It is    
          suggested that Greek names or ones related to the places they 
          choose to name sacred or to the local Native American Indian     names
          be used (We, as members of the Myceneaen belief must   realize     the
          rights of the natives of the lands we presently live   in   and   also
          respect and honor their gods, goddesses and local      nature  spirits
          and beliefs, for like the original Myceneaens we  accept  the validity
          of local deities as much as our own, some    being  our  own known  by
          other names and some being local powers      like the  dozens of river
          gods and nature spirits found in ancient     Greece). If a name is not
          to be in Greek or in line with a Native      American  group  then  it
          should in some way reflect the nature of     the  people involved  and
          their own goals together. Names,   preferably, should not be more than
          ten words in length and not   less than  two. At the end  of each name
          shall be added the word  Damos, to identify it as a part of the Laos.



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                  For the present I have chosen to act as the Basileus of the
               'organization', that is I wish to be a personage who will be the
               arbitrator (if requested by all sides) in disputes between any
               two or more Wanaxi or Damosi dealing with the material in my
               structure or in a gathering of Damosi. I will also, for the
               moment, hold the position of a communications point between any
               of the further spread Damosi. I hold this position only until
               we have someone who can serve better for either position and who
               is willing to take on the duties - the position holds no true
               power over other Wanaxi or the greater Damosi unless they choose
               to have me arbitrate. This position I will hold no longer than
               ten years, and preferably much less. Once a hundred Wanax are
               established they will have the power, by a majority decision,
               to decide when to replace the Basileus and with who (the who
               must be willing to take the office).

                  I also ask that all Wanaxi record their record of activities
               (which we will call, for lack of better terminology your Damosi's
               Book of Records) in photocopy, ASCII text file or to be
               Handwritten/typed/carboned and pass this duplicate on to me to
               keep  and utilize for communicating with all the members of the
               Laos (the people, in greek) of the Mycenaea faith, either within
               newsletters, computer files or whatever - based on the needs of
               each individual of the faith. This is a matter of choice of the
               Wanax personally, if they feel they need secrecy for some reason
               that is their choice and they may choose not to send such to me.
               I am not in a position of power in this path, simply a guide for
               part of the way and then it is up to your own selves to decide
               where you will go dealing with the path, your Wanax, your damos
               and your life-cycles.

               Many of the ancient titles and positions within Mycenae are
            no longer of great import in today's society, but might one day
            become of import. The E-qe-tai (ee-kay-tie) were the liaison
            between the temples and the military, I suggest that this be a
            position given by each Wanax to a member of their Damos when
            they feel the need for someone to act as a Liaison between the
            Damos and any other Damos, a messenger of sorts between groups,
            and also to serve as such if the group comes into contact with
            the press or other public media. This position need not be a
            permanent one, and several may be bestowed this title at one
            time if more than one series of liaisons are necessary. The
            Ko-Re-te (kowe-ray-tay) were military commanders within a Damos,
            we have no need of such at present, unless the Wanax of a group
            chooses that members of their Damos should learn a martial art
            or weapon skill for personal growth - then the Ko-Re-te will be
            the title given to a teacher within the group (You should not
            expect members of your Damos to be taught in such things by a
            person outside the Laos, nor can teaching be forced or required,
            only requested or suggested).

              The Lawagetas was in ancient times the 'Leader of the Host',
            a military leader for a collection of the Laos from more than
            one Damos for a particular purpose. Obviously this is not a
            needed position within our present structure. The Pa-si-re-u
            was the official responsible within a Damos responsible for the
            bronze smiths, again a title I cannot see the need to restore

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            (If anyone is skilled at this art and wishes to offer it as a
            teaching to members of your Damos, then grant them the title).

              The klawiphoroi were the key-bearers, always female, of the
            temple. Since our temples, shrines, groves and altars will be
            most likely within other buildings or outside and there is no
            plan to purchase buildings at present for this purpose (for we
            are a poor folk) this title will remain among the unused.

              Each individual of the Laos, including those not of a Damos,
            may consider themselves Mycenaean Priests and Priestesses as long
            as they choose to follow this path of Neo-Paganism. There are no
            paian (non-clerical followers), though there may be members of
            other faiths present at a ritual, celebration or gathering -
            so long as they are willing to accept the rules of hospitality.
            Due to legalities, children are brought into ritual rarely -
            they are not yet on this path and should not be forced upon it
            like some religions do. We must not make the mistakes that many
            mainstream religions have before. They can be present at an open
            celebration, but should not be brought into ritual until they
            are old enough to understand the beliefs and concepts, say
            not before their 16th birthday (this will be an arbitrary
            choice between the Wanax and the parents).

               Finances are the choice of the to deal with, and whether they
            will handle the finances of the Damos or have a separate person
            appointed treasurer or choose to keep no finances for the group
            but run the group as a 'donate anything but money' operation. I
            would like to hear from the Wanaxi on how they are handling their
            finances and the operations herein, especially any who set up
            their Damos as a physical communal household or farm site.




























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                       THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY FOR MYCENEAENS
                       ---------------------------------------
            1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands,
               celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible
               always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the
               officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without
               harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them
               into the locale.

            2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home,
               lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of
               a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they
               brought with them into the locale.

            3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peace-bond,
               remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious
               nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it
               the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict.

            4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even
               bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual
               any substance or device that may be legally questionable or
               outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of
               other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything
               from drugs, alcohol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc.
               all by the Host's discretion).

            5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or
               social concept be followed by a guest while within the home,
               celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before
               entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low
               level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the
               breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion).

            6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall
               carry out violence of a physical or psychic nature against
               those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of
               Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point.

            7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either
               doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality
               and they shall be annulled at that point.
















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            8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to
               share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words
               impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require
               the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally
               distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a
               simple manner (and not the tasks set out historically in legend)
               such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of
               wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested
               in conceptual context of the original Mycenaean Society.

            9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to
               force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but
               not obvious attempts to convert or proselytize.

            10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not
               seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this
               does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but
               does rule out harassment, forced sex and rape. If a person
               says they are not interested then their word is final and any
               further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of
               this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the
               situation.

            11) The Host may request of a Guest reimbursement for any supplies
               that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest
               that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected
               to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of
               long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for.

            12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the
               officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not
               question their authority or actions while within the ritual area.
               Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from
               outside of it while it is being carried out.

            13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts
               Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the
               common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than
               one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly
               impoverish condition in their own life.


















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              The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel
            it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot
            see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to
            request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated
            by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence,
            Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone
            who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of
            any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us
            internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a
            legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such
            to the authorities).

               Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the
            rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them
            beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups
            accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a
            Myceneaen only concept.
                              ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT
                              ----------------------------
               You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the
            title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for
            your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision
            in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for
            your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility,
            to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland,
            your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet.
            There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no
            devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do
            exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of
            alcohol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are
            still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do.

               Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to
            fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the
            goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is
            something to be learned from each success and every failure, that
            they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn
            and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being
            what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body
            for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you
            until you have learned all this existence can teach and advance
            to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our
            present.















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                                  OPEN CIRCLE ETHICS 
                                  by Brandy Williams

              Event organizers and open-circle coordinators have,  I think,
          a responsibility to participants  to  provide  a safe and comfor-
          table  environment.    The Pagan community here  in  the  Pacific
          Northwest  seems  to be evolving an  ethical  standard  governing
          organizers.   Althea Whitebirch calls it choice-centered,  and  I
          offer  my perception of it  here as a  model and a basis for dis-
          cussion.

              HISTORY:  A  few years ago,  the Seattle/ Vancouver/ Portland
          area had no ongoing festivals.  As I write,  August '86,  organi-
          zers  are  planning next year's schedule --   the  second  annual
          Spring  Equinox  Mysteries  festival,  the first Summer  Solstice
          Gathering,   the  third annual Solitary Convention,   the  fourth
          annual Fall Equinox Festival.   Many of the attendees are new  --
          either  to Paganism or to  the  northwest,   and  the events draw
          people from a wide geographical area, including British Columbia,
          Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, and all of Washington state.

              We're growing.   We're growing very rapidly, and dealing with
          a  disproportionate  influx  of  people  inexperienced  in  group
          rituals.   As a result we're starting from scratch in  developing
          organizer  ground  rules,  and developing  solutions  to problems
          being discussed in the Pagan net nation-wide.

              In  the Pacific northwest,  the circle of organizers is  very
          small, almost familial, and we're working from a basis of friend-
          ship and trust.   We're concerned about each other and pay atten-
          tion  to caring for one another.   I  think the combination of  a
          small group handling a  lot of newcomers  has allowed us to gene-
          rate a uniquely compassionate set of attitudes and guidelines.

              This outline is my own.   I'm going to phrase this is strong,
          definitive terms, with this qualifier: I call it Northwest Ethics
          because it has evolved out of  discussions with other organizers.
          However,  it isn't offered as a group consensus and any given or-
          ganizer might disagree with some of these points or the language.
          This  is intended  as  a starting point for discussion and not  a
          presentation of a set-in-concrete consensus.

              My  own experience:   I've staffed a number of events in  and
          out of the community.   My most recent experience was heading the
          SolCon '86 staff, so I'm using it as my most frequent example.

              RITUAL CHOICES:   Althea Whitebirch and I facilitated a  dis-
          cussion at the '85  Fall Equinox Festival that has borne substan-
          tial  results  in  the local community.   We argued  that  closed
          circles can do what they like,  but those of us in charge of open
          circles  should lay down some ground rules to  ensure  everyone's
          comfort and safety.

              Explain  The Ritual.   I'm personally finding it necessary to
          make  some  very  basic announcements,   like  circle  boundaries
          shouldn't  be  indiscriminately crossed,  and people should  only
          walk clockwise within them.   Again,  we're dealing with a lot of
          newcomers.

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              No Pressure To Physically Touch.   I've never seen anyone ob-
          ject  to holding hands,  but a lot of people have commented  that
          they cringe at kisses.  No kissing spirals in open circles.

              Why?   Newcomers tend to go along with group activities, even
          ones  they're uncertain about.   Maybe they should be  assertive,
          but  more  often  they're not,  and organizers are  their  voice.
          Choice: every event in this area includes space for people to put
          together  their own circles,  some of which can be more touching-
          oriented --  and are identified as such.   Or we might experiment
          with  providing an Intimate Circle,  which would include a lot of
          hugs and kisses.

              The  rule is:   you don't have to touch anyone you don't want
          to, anytime.  That should be clear to newcomers.

              Choice  In Participation.   In open circles,  if the  dancing
          gets too rapid or wild,  participants can step back.   Just bring
          your  neighbors'  hands together and move out of the way.    I've
          also  seen some ritualists allow people to cut themselves out  of
          the circle -- the procedure was clearly explained in advance.

              Effective ritual evokes response.   Novices are at  different
          tolerance and skill levels than experienced ritualists,  and some
          rituals can be overwhelming.   Also,  the 'boogie till you  puke'
          crowd exhausts the older folks and the kids in the group.

              Experiment  note:    I  recently separated a circle into  two
          groups, the 'keep on dancing' people, and the 'sit down and rest'
          folks.    Some rhythm is traded off for comfort.   I've also seen
          two  rituals staged consecutively,  one quiet and one 'dance  all
          night.' Suggestion: we can try a novice ritual, and a more power-
          ful one for skilled people.

              Also note:  one northwest organizer disagreed with these sug-
          gested choices,  feeling those who participate in a circle should
          be committed for the duration of the experience.   It's a  point.
          In  that case,  I  think a clear understanding of what's to  come
          would be essential.

              STIMULANTS

              In  PANEGYRIA Vol.  3  No.  4,  Althea Whitebirch argued  for
          informed  choice in using stimulants.   If alcohol is used  in  a
          communal  cup everyone should know,  and a fruit juice  or  other
          substitute should also be available.

              Drugs:  NOT AT EVENTS I COORDINATE!   At least,  not with  my
          knowledge or approval.  Private drug use hasn't been a problem so
          far.    My concern is that if anyone is caught,  it's not private
          any  more.   I'm the one who gets to deal with the police and the
          press, and the whole community's image suffers.

              If problems arise in the future,  I'd consider banning  drugs
          altogether.    Organizing is tough enough --  I  have a right  to
          limit my risks.  Call a closed circle and do it at home.

              MINORS: Young children supervised by Pagan parents are a real

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                                                                             378

          joy.   Teenagers with absent,  non-Pagan parents or guardians are
          becoming a problem, even with signed in advance waivers.  Some of
          us  are  leaning  toward a 'no minor  without  attending  parent'
          policy.   How do you keep them away from the wine?   Think of the
          issues surrounding sexuality with under-age kids.  The 'what-ifs'
          are frightening to contemplate.

              I  haven't made a firm decision because I know how  important
          the  contacts and support can be to our younger friends.   On the
          other hand,  they do grow up.   In two years, a  16  year old can
          sign her own waiver.  Maybe we could set up a gentle,  first con-
          tact network to provide them with 'one on one'  support, starting
          slowly.














































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                                                                             379

              SOLOMONIC DECISIONS

              I  was asked to kick out two people who wanted to attend  the
          last SolCon, and I burned one request for a registration.

              I know,  I  know.  The word 'blacklist'  leaps immediately to
          mind.    This is a tough issue.   The request I burned was from a
          person  who was suspected of having responded violently to a cri-
          ticism.  The other two revolved around sexual ethics: men accused
          of coercing women into intimacy.

              Help.

              The problem, as always, is that none of the cases were clear-
          cut.  How do I substantiate an accusation?  Do I kick someone out
          on a suspicion?   I  don't want violence or sexual coercion at an
          event  that  has my name on it.   I  also don't want  to  mediate
          personal conflicts;  that's not my job.

              At  the  moment,  one well-placed person can  ruin  another's
          reputation.   I've seen three people kicked from the community on
          ONE person's request.   I've also seen people with  a lot of con-
          tacts  survive a number of complaints.   Neither situation  seems
          fair.

              We have a lot of options.   This is an essay question:   pick
          one and list the pros and cons.
          1. Anyone at all can attend any event.
          2. Each organizer must individually choose who to deny attendance
          to.  (In practice, we do pass names to each other.)
          3.úAny person  who has been accused by one person of one  of  the
          following things should get flagged.  That is,  every event orga-
          nizer should be notified:
              -Theft or destruction of another's property.
              -Violence against people -- assault.
              -Sexual coercion or abuse.
              This seems to me to be most workable:






















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                                                                             380

          4.úIn one case I had three complaints a man had made weird sexual
          phone calls to women.   I  called him and offered him  probation:
          find someone to sponsor you,  to be willing to act as liaison  be-
          tween you and the community.   As with minors, the sponsor should
          be with you at each event you attend.   Then I would put the word
          out  that  you  are one probation,  and  the  sponsor  should  be
          contacted  if you contact anyone on your own and misbehave.   The
          probation would last for  a  year.    Any repetition of the unde-
          sirable behavior would get you kicked from my events permanently,
          and  I  would  notify other organizers.   Failure to  accept  the
          probation means getting kicked immediately.

              I haven't had a chance to use this procedure because the per-
          son  decided the effort wasn't worth it (a statement in  itself).
          I notified other organizers.

              I'm aware this issue is extremely hot.   Personally,  I'm in-
          troducing  a  lot  of people to the community,   AND  vice-versa.
          There are a lot of weirdos out there.  I don't want to let a mass
          murderer  loose  among us (as it were).   I  also don't  want  to
          blacklist someone because of a personality conflict.

              Bottom  line:  some novice assertiveness training seems to be
          in order.

              CARETAKING

              Some  of  us  have had good experience  with  'greeters'   or
          ombudsmen.   (Ombudspeople?)  It's a staff position, the sole re-
          sponsibility  of  which  is  to be  available  for  participants'
          support,   to solve problems,  hold hands,  and be a liaison  with
          staff.

              I didn't have greeters at SolCon '86  and regretted it.  Even
          with 30  people,  the event coordinator (me)  didn't have time to
          personally check in with everyone.

              I  like  very  much that northwest events  coordinators  show
          visible concern and caring for everyone.  A  friend of mine said,
          "I  love these events because I always feel so cherished."    I'd
          like to see that become a community standard.

              ORGANIZER'S MAGIC

              SolCon  '86   has  a staff  conceptualizer  who  renamed  the
          position.   An organizer is the focus,  he said,  of the energies
          coming into, and generated by the event.

              A  festival isn't just about magic.   It IS magic,   and  the
          focus has the pleasure of shepherding what another friend of mine
          calls the magical child through its inception,  and allowing par-
          ticipants to share in its direction.  (Rearing?)

              This outline is a suggestion, a template,  for focusing event
          magic.  These are the major focus points:

          -Conception.   When the event is scheduled/sited.  I  saw a staff
          group hold a circle at the actual site several months before  the

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                                                                             381

          event, asking for:  safety, to have enough registrants,  what the
          event  was designed to accomplish for the attendees,  the  staff,
          and the community.

          -Presentation.  I  don't know about anyone else, but for me, put-
          ting a flyer together is casting a spell.

          -Orientation.  Somewhere in the first few hours of the event, ask
          the  participants  to  help focus on the  event's  parameters  --
          safety, joy, solvency ...

          -Major or parting ritual.   Of necessity the ritual  coordinators
          will  set  the  structure,  and almost always the nature  of  the
          working  as well,  but eve here the attendees can have some space
          to give feedback.

          -Post-event focus:  a thank-you circle.

              FEEDBACK

              It  might  be suggested that an organizer has a right  to  do
          whatever works,  and event participants must fend for themselves.
          I argue that event sponsors represent the community -- create the
          experience of the Pagan community for many who have no other con-
          tacts,   and as such,  they are accountable to their participants
          and to other event organizers and community elders.

              Aside from the issues already discussed,  there are financial
          ones.   This year I distributed a financial accounting to  SolCon
          '86  attendees.  That was scary --  laying out the bottom line of
          the decisions and mistakes I made!  The thing is, a lot of people
          asked for that kind of accounting,  and I've wondered myself when
          I attended events.


























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              The other issue is proceeds or profits.   SolCon '86   didn't
          make any.   I had, however,  planned to pay my staff some salary,
          thinking we should be compensated for our work.  Some people dis-
          agreed,   feeling event funds should be channelled into  projects
          the  community benefits from.   Since teeny SolCon is becoming  a
          formal organization (for legal purposes)  and I'm putting  myself
          on  the Board,  I  won't personally be in a position to take  any
          money out.   However,  I'd still like to pay the staff --  even a
          small amount --  because they sacrifice some of their own fun and
          do a lot of work to make the thing possible.

              Finally:   organizing is a pretty heavy responsibility and  a
          lot of work.  I think we have a right to ask for hugs.

              I  hope to see lots of discussion on these issues.    Because
          our  value  is maximum tolerance for diversity,  doesn't have  to
          mean that anything goes.   I  think it's possible for us to reach
          consensus about some ground rules, to safeguard our community and
          everyone in it.   We ask for perfect love and perfect trust.    I
          think we need to provide a safety net to ensure it.

              As always, I welcome feedback.
                                                            Brandy Williams




































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                                                                             383

              STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP 
           
              By Usen's grace, Ho-dah.... 
           
              1.) PURPOSES: 
                              Thisis aneraofdecision.Dowe allowourselvestocutthe
                              throatoftheMotherWhohasnourishedus asaspeciessince
                    we "came down from the trees"?  Or do we work to walk in 
                    Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to 
                    see Her healed?  The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal 
                    Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's 
                    pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by 
                    the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies.  It 
                    was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of 
                    the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the 
                              Lifeway.
                                     Therearenon-Nativeswho
                                                          respectfullyhavechosen
                    these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If 
                    the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would 
                    die out within our lifetime.  There are simply not enough 
                    traditional Elders left. 
           
                              Ithasbeenshown tosomeofus thatOurMotherThe Earthis
                    not willing to die quietly.  She has demonstrated this by 
                    the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which 
                    continue day by day.  The Hopi prophecies state that, when 
                    the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the 
                    Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall 
                    rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity.  This 
                    prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversible. 
                    Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony 
                    with Our Mother that may stay Her hand. 
           
                    The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor 
                    Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The 
                    Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe. 
                    Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the 
                    Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do 
                    not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways.  The 
                    secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen' 
                    wishes to reveal them to us.  Our mission is to help heal 
                              OurMother,TheEarth,andtohelpeachotherwalk incloser


















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                                                                             384

                    harmony with Her.  We also exist to provide a way for urban 
                              andsub-urbanpeopletolearnandpractice
                                                                 therootShamanic
                   techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True 
                    Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way. 
           
                    We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World 
                              Dictionary"1.b)...apersonwhoisnota
                                                               Christian,Moslem,
                            orJew (byfaith);heathen.Paganspecificallyreferstoone
                  of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and 
                    as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists.  The Lifeway 
                              is trulyareligious commitment. No-onecan makea    
                            commitmenttothe Lifewayandtothe worshipofLifeGiver, 
                        TheEarth Motherand TheSky Father andremain aworshiper   
                  of other Paradigms of the Deity,much as one cannot be a       
          Christian and worship the  Greco-Roman pantheon.   However            
          this does not  imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor         
          impel a duty to "convert" others. 
           
                              WestandbyotherPaganswhodonotshareour paradigms,IE.
                            Wiccans,Asatruans, Hellenists,and otherShamanic     
          traditions, (African and  neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun),            
          Australian,  Siberian, Traditional  Native American,  and             
          Polynesian,  to name a few) and even  though we may disagree          
          with some or all of  their practices and beliefs, they  are           
          Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and  in times of persecution           
          as  well as times of goodwill we  must defend them.  We  may          
          even  share in their open rituals and allow them to share  in         
          our open  ceremonials.  But that which  is ours must remain           
          ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs. 
           
              2.) THE(A)OLOGY: 
           
                              AsourFellowshipisinherentlyreligious,
                                                                  wemustdeclarea
                    The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that 
                    we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God) 
                    This is summed up very easily.  There are three main powers 
                    we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The 
                    Sky Father.  The latter Two are emanations of the First, as 
                    all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from 
                    Usen', which is the primeval First Cause. 
           


















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                              Usen':OnecannotlookuponTheLifeGiveras eitherMaleor
                   Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions. 
                    Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause, 
                    this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into 
                    being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess, 
                    Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from 
                    Them. 
           
                    The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from 
                    The Earth Mother, which is our Earth.  She is alive, and we 
                    all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science, 
                    through the Gala Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her 
                    existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our 
                    duty in this life is to care for and honor Her.  This is a 
                    lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her, 
                    we risk Her wrath.  She is expressed through the faces of 
                    White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn 
                    Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider 
                              Woman,WhoisTheWiseWoman,TheAncientOne,TheCustodian
                    of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent- 
                    atives of The Earth Mother. 
           
                    The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man 
                    and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father. 
                    Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us 
                    warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that 
                    fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with 
                    the crops and animals that sustain us.  Sky Father is also 
                    expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and 
                    is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of 
                    Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present 
                    in every Man. 
           
                    There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some 
                    beneficent, some maleficent.  But most important is Usen', 
                              EarthMother,andSkyFather.Bywalkinginharmonywiththe
                    God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming 
                    in Good, and protecting each other from Evil. 




















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                                                                             386

           
              3.)ETHICS: 
           
                    We have our code of Ethics.  It is neither lengthy nor 
                    overly restrictive.  We do not include ancient taboos in 
                    this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo 
                    against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays.  If you 
                    wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for 
                    religious reasons, it is your prerogative.  But it is not a 
                    requirement. 
           
                    1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or 
                              intelligentbeings,orOurMotherTheEarth,youarefreeto
                   do as you wish. 
           
                              2.)Tochargeforhealings,sweatsorceremonials
                                                                       istotally
                    wrong and extremely offensive.  Also, to charge excessively 
                    for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee 
                    over expenses is allowable.  Your conscience is the best 
                    guide, that and the Will of the Deities. 
           
                    3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and 
                    Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need, 
                    provided that permission is given by the patient and that 
                    help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of 
                    others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells) 
                    or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently 
                    wrong and is considered Black Magick. 
           
                    4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic 
                              journeyingor
                                         theVisionQuestisveryrisky,andPossession
                   is a real possibility.  The practice of mediumship, or 
                    "channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not 
                    only Self but others to danger. 
           
                              5.)Permissionmustalwaysbeaskedofthespiritsofplants
                   and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or 
                    for medicine. 
           
                    6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's 
                    own.  Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared 
                    visions are for all of the group. 

















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                                                                             387

           
                    7.) It is wrong to criticize another within the group or 
                    outside the group.  Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general 
                    disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship. 
                    Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical 
                    issues not covered here are an individual's own affair. 
           
              4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES 
           
                    There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that 
                    makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The 
                              Deities.Itisgivenafterone hastakentheirfirstVision
                   Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the 
                    Shaman Within.  It can only be denied to those who have met 
                              theserequirements,isyoungerthanthe
                                                               legalAgeOfConsent
                   (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is 
                    under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other 
                    person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief 
                    who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to 
                    infiltrate to either sabotage or publicly discredit the 
                    Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of 
                    physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility, 
                    nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief, 
                    or sexual preference. 
           
                    There are no set offices within the Fellowship.  Ideally, 
                    leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being 
                              temporaryandpurpose-oriented.
                                                          Facilitation
                                                                     ofrituals
                                                                             may
                   be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship.  ANYONE WHO 
                    REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY 
                    SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO 
                    THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS. 
           
                    Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and 
                    mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless 
                    they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and 
                    non-initiates alike. 
           
                    Membership is extended to all.  But initiation is reserved 
                    for those who meet the criteria mentioned above. 
                    Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in 
                    basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain 
                    ceremonials and advanced workshops. 
















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              5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS 
           
                    In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an 
                    honorific, or recognition of talents.  Nor was it the 
                    highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society.  The Shaman 
                              was,inmostcases,abovetheChiefin
                                                            decision-makingpower
                   and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor 
                              withtheDeitiesforthetribe.SomeShamanicsocietiesare
                   now providing their membership with "Shaman training 
                    seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for 
                    an exorbitant price.  This implies that the cost of being a 
                    Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time. 
                    This is not the case.  Many tribes believe that the office 
                    of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is 
                              borninto.Certainly,theskillsareneversomethingoneis
                   born with, and this is not merely hereditary.  Rather, when 
                              achildisborn,thecurrentShamanwouldrecognizethatthe
                   child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the 
                              child'straining
                                            wouldbeginwhenthey
                                                             wereconsideredready
                            by theShaman.At adulthood,theywould betested. Ifthey
                          passedthetest, theywould becomethenext Shaman.If they 
                        failed, usuallythe testwas suchthatthey wouldeither die 
                outright, or they would go insane.  Many "heroic quest" 
                              tales,andmostnotablytheArthurianlegendshave
                                                                        echoesof
                   this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of 
                    Europe. 
           
                    But the point that is being made here is that we should not 
                              goback tothatsortofwayof doingthings,becauseinthis
                   society it is nigh on impossible.  The stand I am offering 
                    here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only 
                    through shared vision, and signs from the Deities.  It is 
                    not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious 
                    to the Fellowship.  I am not Shaman myself, and will not 
                    brook anyone calling me that.  This is something I place in 
                    the lap of the Deities to decide.  I cannot do anything 
                    more.  It is a mockery of those people that can truly be 
                    called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of 
                    traditional tribes, to do anything less.  In any event, to 
                    claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is 
                              punishableby
                                         withdrawingFellowshipfromthe
                                                                    onewhoclaims
                   to be Shaman falsely. 
















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                                                                             389

           
              6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS 
           
                    The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries 
                    by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon. 
                              Theseasonsbeginonthefirst fullmoonafteraSolsticeor
                   an Equinox.  The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are 
                              times
                                  ofcelebrationaswell,andperhapstheperiodbetween
                   the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week 
                    or so) could be considered a time of Holiday.  Lesser 
                              ceremonialsareheldonNewMoonsandFullMoonsbetweenthe
                   first Full Moons of the seasons.  Optionally certain Pagan 
                    festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other 
                    groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway 
                    Fellowship ceremonial days. 
           
                              There
                                  areotherceremonialsthatarepersonalinnature,and
                   can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with 
                    the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They 
                    are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence 
                    of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age, 
                    where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and 
                    where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if 
                              aboy)orWhitePaintedWoman(ifagirl);Initiation,where
                   a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given 
                    after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man 
                    and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man 
                    and woman who are married consent to have the bond 
                    dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili- 
                    ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity 
                    or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is 
                    a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release, 
                              whereaceremonyforadead memberoftheFellowshipisdone
                   to guide their soul Back Home.  Other ceremonials that are 
                    dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also 
                    encouraged. 























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                                                                             390

           
               7.) SUMMING UP 
           
                    A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at 
                    ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the 
                    Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude.  However, 
                    one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not 
                    only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere 
                    with the cleansing process of the lodge. 
           
                    This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual 
                              groupsthat
                                       federatethemselves
                                                        withLifeway
                                                                  Fellowship.But
                   federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far 
                              fromsomeofthebasicguidelines,ordoanythingthatwould
                   sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general. 
           
                    Hi-dicho...this is finished. 
                    May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother 
                    and the Father. 
                    ENJU! 
                    Chihacou White-Puma, 1988. 






































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                                                                             391

                              The Pantacle - a teaching story
                                  (c) Gary Dumbauld, 1988


               Michael came, walking slowly, purposefully, to the stone
          circle deep in the woods.  Stripped of clothes he came, naked to
          the wind the moon and the stars, a cord of red twice his height
          tied round his waist, a black-hilted knife at his left hip.  He
          tried to still his mind, remember his lessons, push his thoughts
          to the back of his mind, and just feel; the feel of the Earth on
          which he trod, the feel of the wind on his body, the feather-
          weight touch of the moonlight on his skin.  He tried to put
          himself in harmony with the grand design of the Universe, the
          purpose of the evening, he willed himself sternly to master his
          emotions, listen and look with sacred intent.

               He came, bearing the pantacle before him, balanced firmly on
          his hands.  Silver, it was, silver like the moon, carved and
          etched, polished, burnished and blackened with signs and symbols. 
          How he had sweated over it, this past year, with hammer and
          chisel, graver and burin, acids and wax, the tools of the
          silversmith.  A year and a day it had been, since he was judged
          worthy to become a Priest, and given this task.  His to carry,
          this silver shield, but not his to own, till the rite was over
          and he, like his father and mother before him, his aunts and
          uncles and grandparents for generations, inherited by solemn and
          sacred ceremony the High Priesthood of the Wise.

               The High Priestess' athame pressed to his chest, her low,
          clear voice as she asked him the ritual questions, roused him as
          from a dream, of forest dark, and woods enchanted.   He answered
          her with a voice not quite fearful, but not as steady as he would
          have wished.

               "I come to this Circle seeking knowledge.  I am Michael; my
          face you well know; I have been sworn and initiated into the
          Third Degree, but I would now seek the Priesthood of the Wise.  I
          come, bringing as my key this sacred Pantacle, over which I have
          labored for a year and a day; I wish to be instructed in it's
          true meaning; to this end I present my self, the work of my
          hands, and two passwords: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."


















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               "All who bring such words are doubly welcome" the High
          Priestess replied, "and I give to you a third password, a kiss",
          And so saying, kissed him on the lips and whirled him sunwise
          into the sacred space.  He gazed about himself, his eyes sliding
          easily over the usual implements on the altar, the candles and
          wands, censer, bowls of incense and salt; he looked at the High
          Priestess expectantly.  

               The High Priestess spoke again, her voice reverberating
          through the circle, echoing back from the sacred boundary stones;
          "A seeker comes; this his purpose.  The purpose of the Wise--to
          teach!  As it has ever been, let it now so be done!  Who shall
          begin?"

               The Priest in the North stood forward.  "I shall begin.  Young
          High Priest to be, step to the North."  

               Michael walked to the North, handed the Priest his Pantacle, and
          stood silently while the Priest examined it, hoping that his work
          would be judged as correct, hoping he had made an accurate
          rendering of all the signs and symbols that he had been shown, a
          year and a day previous.

               The Priest carefully examined the pantacle, turning it about to
          catch the light of the central fire, then handed it back to the
          boy.

               "It is well done, all is correct.  Look upon the symbol at
          the top of the pantacle--the upright triangle.  This sign is the
          symbol of fire, the flame straining upwards, and stands for the
          three-fold salute, by which I now salute you, recognizing the
          fire within you, the fire of will, the will to accomplish, the
          will to dare.  A year ago you knew nothing of the craft of the
          silversmith, and yet you have taught yourself to make this pan-
          tacle.  I say again, well done!", and so saying, the Priest
          touched Michael with his athame on the right shoulder, the top of
          his head, the left shoulder, and again on the right shoulder.





















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                                                                             393


               Putting his arm around Michael's shoulder, the Priest brought
          Michael around sunwards a few steps, then faced him again.

               "The next symbol on the pantacle is a pentagram.  This
          pentagram stands for the five-fold salute.  In the form of a
          pentagram with one point up, the five-fold salute symbolizes that
          which is the best man has to offer, ascending to the Gods, being
          enriched, expanded and augmented, and returning to enrich the
          life of mankind.  Thus, the five fold salute symbolizes the
          microcosm of man containing the macrocosm of the Universe."   So
          saying, the Priest touched Michael with the wand, on the right
          hip, head, left hip, right breast, left breast, and right hip.

               A priestess stepped forward, saying, "Now, with your
          permission, I will carry on this candidate's instruction."  The
          Priest bowed to her, and returned to his place in the North.  The
          Priestess took Michael by the hand and walked with him farther
          around the circle, still moving sunwards.  She stopped, released
          his hand, and faced him, taking up a bowl of blue paint. 
          Stepping closer, she reached out her blue-daubed hand, and made
          the sign of the labrys on his chest.

               "The next symbol on the pantacle is that of the Goddess in
          her aspect as the two moons, monthly waxing and waning.  The
          waxing moon symbolizes that which is outgoing and constructive in
          mankind, the waning moon that which is hidden and withdrawn.  The
          waning moon also reminds us that for every accomplishment there
          will be failures, that for every gain in our lives there will be
          setbacks; we are not to weep and wail against the Gods, or fate,
          or karma, but we should accept that there is a balance, and the
          balance will be maintained, whether we will it or not. 
          Constructive and destructive, life and death--this is the way the
          world is made; that which dies paves the way for the next round
          of life."

               The Priestess linked arms with him then, and they moved farther
          sunwards about the circle.  She turned to him, and kissed him
          firmly on the mouth, saying "The next symbol on the pantacle is
          the kiss.  I kiss you, Michael, because we are human; the Gods
          have created us male and female.  I also kiss you in token of the
          perfect love and perfect trust I have for you, and for the
          perfect love and perfect trust you declared for us when you
          entered this holy space.  That is why you were greeted by the
          High Priestess with a kiss."














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                                                                             394

               Michael stood, blushing.  He could still taste the sweetness of
          her mouth, and his body wanted to respond to her as man to
          woman--it was well he was carrying the pantacle in front of him;
          then he got himself under control, realizing the importance of
          this lesson; the ritual kiss would always be more than a
          handshake between equals, but never quite a sexual overture; an
          acknowledgement, not a demand.  He sighed, composed himself, and
          looked at the next sign on the pantacle.

               A stern-looking Priest came towards Michael, his face set in grim
          lines, carrying something Michael could not quite make out.  The
          man faced Michael, then walked behind him, carrying what could
          now be clearly seen as a cat o'nine tails.  Michael flinched in
          anticipation of being struck; surely the Priest was not going to
          whip him?  Ouch! Yes he was!

               "Michael," the Priest said, between strokes, "the next sign
          on the pantacle is the scourge.  The scourge of memory.  Stand
          tall, now, and be still, it will hurt worse if you try to avoid
          it."

               Now he had stopped striking Michael with the scourge.  The welts
          on his back stung and burned, but Michael tried to ignore the
          pain and concentrate on the Priest's voice as he continued.

               "Michael, you told us at your First Degree initiation that
          you were willing to suffer to learn.  This scourge will not be
          applied to your back again in a physical sense, but I want you to
          learn to look back upon your life; and take power from the
          foolish stupid things you have done.  The mistakes, the petty
          jealousies, the little hurts you've inflicted on your friends,
          your parents, the people around you.  Remember, Michael, and as
          you remember, allow yourself to feel sad, to feel the pain and
          embarrassment you've caused.  Feel it, take the power from it,
          then let it go!  Go onward, take strength from your past, don't
          dwell on it, but don't pretend the past never happened."

               The Priest again stepped behind Michael, this time carrying a pot
          of something in his hand.  Michael flinched again as something
          touched his back, but this was cool and soothing, drawing out the
          pain.  The Priest waited a few moments, till he saw that the
          cooling balm had done its work, then took Michael gently by the
          hand and drew him along, ever sunwards, to explain the next
          symbol.















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                                                                             395

               "The next symbol on the pantacle is the sign of the God, the
          horned circle.  The horned circle represents, among other things,
          the Cretan bull, annually sacrificed by our ancestors.  The bull
          symbolizes the wild magic of the God, the intuitional magic, the
          magic that springs from the instinct.  The Cretan priests
          sacrificed the bull, thus indicating the triumph of reason and
          intellect over instinct and intuition.  We, however are not
          Cretans, and we do not immolate the bull of intuition on the
          altar of reason.  Logic and reason are fine in their place, but
          never neglect the way you feel; never forget that the universe is
          a mixture, a combination, a melding of the tangible and the
          unreal, instinct and logic.  Now I must retire, your instruction
          will be completed by the High Priestess."

               The High priestess approached Michael, walking slowly,
          deliberately, each foot placed with purpose, her upright carriage
          reminding him of her status, first among equals, High Priestess
          of the Coven, the Circle of the Wise.

               She stepped closer.  "Michael," she said, "the last symbol on the
          rim of the pantacle is the inverted triangle, the alchemical
          symbol of water; representing the number three, the number of
          life.  It is a gate, a gateway of life, a gateway of time, for
          time is past, present, and future; life is body, mind, spirit.  I
          am about to bestow upon you, the three-fold kiss, to bring your
          body, your past, your mind, the present, your spirit, and the
          future to bear on this moment."

               So saying, she bent and kissed him, first on the right shoulder,
          then the left; kneeling she kissed him just above the phallus,
          and then on his right shoulder again.

               "Michael, you have now passed around the rim of the
          pantacle, let us now move to the center, and I will instruct you
          in the meaning of the central pentagram.  The pentagram in the
          center of the pantacle is the sign of mankind.  If I stand thus,
          with feet apart, hands stretched to the winds, head erect, the
          pentagram will enclose my body.  We therefore can observe that
          the pentagram in the center of the pantacle represents mankind in
          the center of the universe, surrounded by Goddess and God;
          blessings and reminders; past, present and future; good memories
          and bad; light and life, love and law.  The central pentagram
          therefore can serve as a reminder to us, that the Universe was
          NOT made for man, man was made for the Universe."















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                                                                             396


               She knelt at his feet, smiling, and kissed him, first on the
          left foot, then the right, saying, "I bless your feet, Michael,
          that have brought you in these ways, reminding you to be ever
          ready to go on foot, to help, protect, and defend the brothers
          and sisters of the Wise."  

               She kissed his knees, saying, "I bless your knees, reminding
          you to ever go on bent knee in humility when supplicating the
          Deities, that one who knows his own worth will gladly kneel in
          order to learn."

               She kissed his phallus, and said, "I bless and consecrate
          the organ of generation, that in time you may know that love is
          the great teacher of equality; love is the prime example of man
          and woman as equals; two beings, alike in all ways, equal in all
          ways, but totally different; one incomplete without the other;
          forever opposite, but forever complimentary.  Indiscriminate sex
          will gain you nothing, Michael, for though sex is magic, love is
          the magician."

               She kissed his right and left breast, saying "I bless your
          breast, and remind you to keep within the safe repository of the
          breast, the secrets of the Wise, as if under lock and key."

               Then she kissed him on the mouth, and said, "I bless your
          mouth, Michael; henceforth, as a High Priest, you will be a
          teacher, and the words of your mouth, based in knowledge,
          leavened with intuition and instinct, uttered with magical will,
          shall live in the memory of the Wise.  Go forward, make your
          progress, High Priest and Magus!




























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                                                                             397

                                      Defining Chaos 
                                       By: Mark Chao
           
          Introduction 
          * 
             Chaos, according to the `Oxford English Dictionary' means: 
          1. A gaping void, yawning gulf, chasm, or abyss. 
          2.  The  `formless void'  of primordial  matter,  the `great  deep' or
          'abyss' out of which the cosmos or order of the universe was evolved. 

                There are  a  couple of  additional  definitions, but  they  are
          irrelevant 
          to this  discussion.  When chaos  is used in magic, there  is no place
          for 
          confusion or disorder. 

             Chaos is the creative principle behind all magic.  When a magical 
          ritual  is performed, regardless of  `tradition' or other variables in
          the 
          elements  of performance,  a magical  energy is  created and  put into
          motion to 
          cause  something  to  happen.    In  his  book,  `Sorcery  as  Virtual
          Mechanics', 
          Stephen Mace cites a scientific precedent for this creative principle.
          I quote: 
                "To  keep it  simple, let  us confine  our  example to  just two
          electrons, 
          the pointlike carriers of negative charge.  Let us say they are a part
          of  the solar wind--beta particles, as it were--streaming out from the
          sun  at thousands of  miles a second.   Say that these  two came close
          enough that their negative charges interact, causing them to repel one
          another.  How do they accomplish this change in momentum? 

             "According to quantum electrodynamics, they do it by exchanging 
          a "virtual" photon.  One electron spawns it, the other absorbs it, and
          so  do they  repel each  other.   The photon  is "virtual"  because it
          cannot be seen by an  outside observer, being wholly contained  in the
          interaction.   But it is real enough,  and the emission and absorption
          of virtual photons is how the electromagnetic interaction operates. 

             "The question which is relevant to our purpose here is where does 
          the  photon come from.  It does not come out of one electron and lodge
          in the other, as if it were a bullet fired from one rock into another.
          The  electrons themselves  are  unchanged, except  for their  momenta.
          Rather,  the photon  is created out  of nothing  by the  strain of the
          interaction.  According to current theory, when the two electrons come
          close their  waveforms interact, either cancelling  out or reinforcing
          one another. 
          Waveforms are intimately tied to characteristics like electric charge,
          and we could thus expect  the charges on the two electrons  to change.
          But  electron  charge  does  not vary;  it  is  always  1.602  x (-19)
          coulombs.  Instead  the virtual photons  appear out of the  vacuum and
          act  to readjust  the system.   The  stress spawns  them and  by their
          creation is the stress resolved". 





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                                                                             398

          Austin Spare understood this principle in regard to magical phenomena 
          long before scientists discovered photons or began  experiments in the
          area of chaos science. 

          Austin Osman Spare-some history 
          * 
                Austin Spare was born at  midnight, Dec. 31st, 1886 in a  London
          suburb called  Snow Hill.  His father was a London policeman, often on
          night duty. 

                Spare showeda natural talent for drawing at an early age, and in
          1901-1904 left school  to serve an  apprenticeship in a  stained-glass
          works, 
          but continued his education at Art College in Lambeth.  In 1904 he won
          a 
          scholarship  to the  Royal  College of  Art.   In  that  year he  also
          exhibited a picture in the Royal Academy for the first time. 

            In  1905  he published  his  first book,  `Earth  Inferno'.   It was
          primarily 
          meant to be  a book of drawings, but included commentaries that showed
          some  of  his insight  and spiritual  leanings.   John  Singer Sargent
          hailed  him as a  genius at  age 17.   At an  unspecified time  in his
          adolescence,  Spare was  initiated into  a witch  cult by  a sorceress
          named Mrs. Patterson, whom  Spare referred to as his  "second mother".
          In 1908 he held  an exhibition at Bruton Gallery.  In  1910 he spent a
          short time as a member of the Golden Dawn.  Becoming disenchanted with
          them,  he later joined Crowley's Argentum Astrum.  The association did
          not  last long.   Crowley was said  to have  considered Spare to  be a
          Black  Magician.  In  1909  Spare  began  creation  of  the  `Book  of
          Pleasure'.   In  1912 his  reputation was growing  rapidly in  the art
          world. In  1913 he published the `Book of Pleasure'.  It is considered
          to  be  his  most  important  magical   work,  and  includes  detailed
          instructions  for his system of sigilization  and the "death postures"
          that he is  well known for.   1914-1918 he served  as an official  war
          artist.  He was posted to  Egypt which had a great  effect on him.  In
          1921, he  published `Focus of Life', another book of drawings with his
          unique and magical commentaries. 

            In 1921-1924 Spare was at the height of  his artistic success, then,
          in 1924 he  published the `Anathema  of Zos', in which  he effectively
          excommunicated himself  from his  false and trendy  artistic "friends"
          and benefactors.   He returned to South  London and obscurity  to find
          the freedom to develop his philosophy, art and magic.















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                                                                             399

             In 1947 Spare met Kenneth Grant and became actively involved with
          other well-known occultists of the period.  In 1948-1956 he began work
          on a
          definitive Grimoire of the Zos Kia Cultus, which is referred to in his
          various  writings.   This  is unfinished  and  being synthesized  from
          Spare's  papers by Kenneth Grant, who inherited all of Spare's papers.
          Much of this information was included in `Images and Oracles of Austin
          Osman  Spare' by Kenneth Grant,  but there are  some unpublished works
          which Grant plans to publish after completion of his Typhonian series.

             References for this section are mostly from Christopher Bray's
          introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare' and from
          `Excess Spare', which is a compilation by TOPY of photocopied articles
          about Spare from various sources.

           
          The Magic of Austin Osman Spare 
          * 
             Spare's art and magic were closely related.  It is reputed that 
          there are messages in his drawings about his magical philosophy.  One 
          particular picture of Mrs. Patterson has reportedly been seen to move;
          the eyes opening and closing.   Spare is best known for  his system of
          using sigils.   Being an artist, he was very visually oriented. 

           The system basically consists of writing down the desire, preferably 
          in your own  magical alphabet, eliminating all repeated  letters, then
          forming a design of the remaining single letters.  The sigil must then
          be charged.  There is  a variety of specific ways to do  this, but the
          key  element is  to achieve  a state  of "vacuity"  which can  be done
          through exhaustion, sexual release or several other methods. 

           This creates a `vacuum' or `void' much like the condition described 
          in the  introduction to  this discussion,  and it  is filled  with the
          energy  of  the magician.    The  sigil, being  now  charged,  must be
          forgotten so  that the sub-conscious  mind may work on  it without the
          distractions  and dissipation  of energy  that the  conscious  mind is
          subject  to.  Spare recognized that magic comes from the sub-conscious
          mind of the magician, not some outside `spirits' or `gods'. 

           Christopher Bray has this to say about Spare's methods in his 
          introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare': 
             "So in his art and writing, Spare is putting us in the mood; or 
          showing by example what attitude we need to adopt to approach the 
          `angle of departure of consciousness in order to enter the infinite. 
           What pitch of consciousness we need to gain success. 

             "One must beware making dogma, for Spare went to great pains to 
          exclude it  as much  as  possible to  achieve  success in  his  magic;
          however a 
          number of basic assumptions underpin chaos magic. 

             "Chaos is the universal potential of creative force, which is 
          constantly  engaged  in  trying to  seep  through  the  cracks of  our
          personal  and   collective   realities.     It   is   the   power   of
          Evolution/Devolution. 




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                                                                             400

             "Shamanism is innate within every one of us and can be tapped if 
          we qualify by adjusting our  perception/attitude and making our  being
          ready to accept the spontaneous.  Achieving Gnosis, or hitting the 
          `angle of departure of consciousness and time', is a knack rather 
          than a skill." 

             There are other methods to utilize the same concept that Spare 
          explains for  us.  Magicians since Spare  have written about their own
          methods  and explanations  of his  method quite  frequently  in occult
          magazines, mostly in  Great Britain.  Spare is certainly not the first
          person  in history to practice  this sort of magic,  but he is the one
          who has dubbed it (appropriately), Chaos. 
           
          Chaos since A.O.S. 
          * 
             Austin Spare died May 15, 1956, but his magic did not die with 
          him.  There have  been select groups of magicians  practicing versions
          of Chaos 
          ever since, especially  in Northern England  and Germany.  In  1976, a
          couple  of dozen Chaos Magicians,  including Peter J.  Carroll and Ray
          Sherwin,  announced  the  formation  of  a  new  magical  Order,   the
          Illuminates Of Thanateros.  The intention  of the group was to have an
          Order where  degrees expressed  attainment rather than  authority, and
          hierarchy beyond just organizational requirements was non-existent. 

           There are those who say that this lofty ambition has failed and that 
          the Order has since  slipped into a hierarchical power  structure; Ray
          Sherwin  "excommunicated"  himself  for  this reason,  but  the  Order
          continues  and   is  identified   as  the  only   international  Chaos
          organization to date. 

             The IOT has since spread to America.  There are smaller groups 
          of  Chaos  practitioners, as  well  as  individuals practicing  alone.
          Chaos since Spare  has taken on  a life of  its own.   It will  always
          continue  to  grow, that  is its  nature.   It  was only  natural that
          eventually the world of  science would begin to discover  the physical
          principles underlying  magic, although  the scientists who  are making
          these discoveries  still do  not realize  that this  is what they  are
          doing.  It is  interesting that they  have had the  wisdom to call  it
          chaos science... 

          In the abovw part  of my series on Chaos, I've made scant reference to
          the IOT due to lack of  information, however, in typical Murphy's  Law
          fashion,  a  letter  just arrived  filling  in  some  blank spots  and
          pointing out to me  that I made one mistake in  chronology.  The story
          goes;
          In 1977/78 Ray Sherwin was editor and publisher of a magazine called
          `The New Equinox', which Pete Carroll was a regular contributor to.
           Unsatisfied with the choices of available magical groups in England
          at the  time, they formed the  IOT.  They advertised  in `New Equinox'
          and the
          group  formed and  progressed  as previously  explained.   Ray Sherwin
          dropped out before Pete Carroll went on  to form `The Pact'.  They are
          still  friends,  and   Pete  has  graciously  consented  to  write  an
          introduction  to Ray's newest edition  of `The Book  of Results' which
          will be available through TOPY soon.



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