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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Monday, 28 November 2011 |
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On this day that people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a day with a lot of energy, both of thankfulness and of hearth and home, larder and abundance, of friends and family.
It's a day associated with the harvest, like many other days between the Summer and Winter Solstices, though probably the latest harvest festival of the Gregorian year. It is a day that's the height of increase. It's interesting that this year it falls so close to the New Moon, at a place of decrease, and also that it falls when Mercury is retrograde, a time often associated with things going backwards. Appropriate since there is a general spiritual climate with the current economy, with the unemployment, with the recent protests, of lack, not abundance.
With the importance of family on this day for most Americans, it begs the question, who are you thankful to? Is it to the Divine or land spirits, those that bring abundance? Is it to your living family and friends, those that are part of your life in the now, the present, and all the blessings they give you. Is it to your ancestors, recent or ancient, blood or spirit, the ones that helped you get where you are today? I think it's as important to know who you're thankful to as what you're thankful for, for this tells a lot about you.
When you hear the word "ancestor", what do you think of? You grandfather that died a year or two ago? Your father that died? Those who you're descended from who made the crossing to the New World? Someone sitting in a grass hut in pre-history? Or do you think of the Might Dead, of the dead of your spiritual line, those who mentored you, who mentored them? Those form part of the current you ride in your journey? If you believe in reincarnation, do you only think of the ancestors of this life, or of all lives?
Memory is passed in the blood and is stored in the bones. Not the memories like what I had for dinner last night, but the ancient memories. Who we really are, where we really came from. As the baby grows in the mother, their blood mixes. Her blood flows through her bones, picking up the memories. Her blood flows down the umbilical cord, mixing with the baby's, and passes, along with the oxygen and nutrients, the memories in her bones of what came before. And the baby's blood circulates through his body and those memories join others in his bones.
And other memories come also, memories from the Neshamah, who has lived many lives before. She passes these memories along the cord, very much like the physical umbilical cord, that connects her to the newly developing Nefesh. These memories are carried within her in the Threads of Wyrd, of Fate, that lie at her core. They are passed down that cord to Nefesh. And Nefesh is closely tied with the blood and the bones, and takes these memories and stores them in the bones to join the others in the baby's bones.
These memories are what ties us to both our physical ancestors and our spiritual ancestors. And the new born baby knows all things that came before, but can't communicate them, being without words. But with the coming of words comes restriction of memories, for the memories that he can't put into words no longer hold meaning and are forgotten. With language comes ignorance and forgetfulness. And we spend the rest of our lives re-learning, re-discovering, re-remembering. But the memories are still in our bones, as they are still in the wind that blows across our skin. So close, yet so far. Right there, yet they might as well be in the stars. And they are.
Magic and the craft is in our blood and our bones, for those who aren't clayborn. It's tied up in those memories. Call it Witchblood, call it the Witch's Mark, call it whatever you like, but it's there, waiting for use to find it. As it was in our parents, whether physical or spiritual, and in theirs, all the way back. And where do we go, looking back? How far and to whom?
There's a story common in the Craft, and elsewhere, both esoteric and exoteric, both legend and myth, The story tells of beings descending, seeing the beauty of the Daughters of Man, and having children of them, and teaching them all things, all crafts, all sciences, all arts, all magic. Some call them Watchers, some call them Guardians, some call the Gods, some call them the Sons of God. There are different counts of them, seven, eight, twelve, 200, other counts as well. In many traditions, those with the Witchblood or Mark are those descended from these beings. The things they taught aren't just passed down from teacher to student, master to apprentice. They are in those memories, in our blood and our bones. If we're not taught, still we can learn. If we just listen to our bones, listen to our blood, listen to the wind.
If we are descended, both physically and spiritually from the Watchers, from the Guardians, they aren't guides or teachers or protectors. They are our flesh and blood, some of our most ancient ancestors. They are family. When we encounter them in the Circle or Compass, or at Dawn or Dusk, yes, they are distant and removed, the ultimate reaches, the stars in the sky. But they are also family, also our ancestors, the most ancient of the Mighty Dead. They are distant, but they are also close, in our very blood and bones, just as we were in their loins and seed. The connection is more than just a teacher and a student, or a protector and witness to our Arte. They are one with us and us with them. One blood, one body, one soul.
When we say we're thankful on this day, yes, let us look to the spirits and the Divine, yes, let us look to our friends and families, yes, let us look to our ancestors. But let us look to all our ancestors, recent and ancient, physical and spiritual, human and stellar. We are made of stardust, and we also carry it in our blood and bones, in our Nefesh, our Ruach, and our Neshamah, in the very strands of Wyrd that connect us to the past, the present, the future, all that was, all that is, all that will be, all space, all time, all earths, all heavens, the mundane and the sacred, the human and the divine.
"Let us give thanks..."
FFF, ~Muninn's Kiss
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Saturday, 05 November 2011 |
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In Kabbalah, there are four worlds, the World of Emanations, the World of Creation, the World of Forms (if you know Plato, you'll get that one), and the World of Action. We live in the World of Action, which is the world change occurs in, and those changes ripple back up to the higher worlds. Everything in our world begins in the the World of Emanations as seeds of an idea. You can see these as pre-thoughts, pre-ideas. This is the Yod floating in the Zoid that will become creation. In that Yod are all the letters. It is the seed from which everything comes, the DNA of the universe, if you will. From the seed of an idea in the World of Emanations grows an idea fully formed. This idea is in the World of Creation. This idea grows into a plan, in the World of Forms. The World of Forms, or Plato's World of the From, is the blueprint for what's in our world. And the plan is put into action in the World of Action. All Hebrew roots are verbs, not nouns. The Gather has spent generations gathering berries, gathering nuts, gathering herbs. She (or he) has seen that the seed falls to the ground, and that from it grows a new plant. This is the seed (ha!) of an idea, the World of Emanations. It dawns on her one day, after all those generations, that maybe the seeds she gathers can be grown, so she doesn't have to worry about where to find them. This is the idea, the World of Creation. She decides to try it, decides which seed to try, where to plant them. This is the plan, the World of Forms (I typed World of Farms; lol). She gathers them and plants them and they grow. The action in the World Of Action. Previous generations might have had the seed, but never had the idea. They might have had the idea but never formed the plan. They might have made a plan but never put it into action. The Gather is now the Farmer. She watches the plants grow. And one day, made her, maybe a later generation, notices that when one left or branch becomes sick, it spreads through the plant. There is another seed. She realizes maybe she can cut the deceased leaf or branch off to save the rest. Another idea. She figures out she can use the knife she uses to skin animals or cut herbs to cut off the leaf or branch. Another plan. She does so. Another action, and pruning becomes part of life. And so on. The Hunter has been watching the wolf hunt for generations. He (or she) has learned from it, improved how he hunts, generation by generation. One day, he wonders what it would be like to hunt with the wolf instead of watch, instead of hunt apart from the wolf. This is the seed of an idea, the World of Emanations. He wonders if he can catch the wolf, and train it to hunt with him. This is the idea, the World of Creation. He makes a plan to lure the wolf in with food, get the wolf comfortable with him. This is the plan, the World of Forms. He does it, and ends up with a wolf half trusting him, eventually hunting with him, sharing life and food with him. The action in the World of Action. And, once again, each step might have happened in previous generations, but it wasn't until him that it was carried out. And he or his descendant observes the wolf, seeing it's strengths, it's weaknesses. And they make the connection that with humans, a strong father usually has stronger children, a smart, sunning father usually has smarter children than the ones that aren't as bright. This is another seed. He wonders if he got two wolves with the strengths he wants with another one with the same strengths whether the pups would be better than normal. Another idea. He decides to observe more wolves, either wild ones or the ones he's hunted with, find the ones with the strengths he wants, and get them together to bred. Another plan. And he does so. Another action. And so on. A man named J. H. Muller, in 1786, wondered if a mechanical machine, a difference engine, could be designed that could do calculations for him. This was the seed of an idea, the World of Emanations. A man named Charles Babbage proposed such a machine in 1822 and set about doing so, designed an analytical engine and an improved difference engine. They were built but too expensive to manufacture. This was the idea, the World of Creation. A man named Konrad Zuse in 1936 designed a new machine from the idea of a difference engine. His design didn't do one operation, or several operations like the ones before, but could be programmed to do different things. This was the plan, the world of Forms. And from there, the modern computer evolves, the action in the World of Action. I could go on, but my point is that an idea forms that leads eventually to an action. The idea comes first, not the technology. Sometimes the idea is successful, sometimes not, but often the failure leads to new seeds, which lead to new ideas. In scientific terms, the seed is a question, the idea is a hypothesis, the plan is the design of the experiment, and the action is the experiment itself. And it's our culture, our lifestyle, our setting (which is the term I use in my Social Dynamics) that provides the experiences that bring about the seed of an idea. Our Gatherer wouldn't have thought to plant seeds if she didn't gather them first. Our Hunter wouldn't have thought to domesticate a wolf if he hadn't been following the same herds. Muller, and engineer in the Hessian army, wouldn't have thought of building the difference engine if he hadn't seen the steam powered machines of his time. He also, by the way, designed and built and improved version of Leibniz' adding machine. Leibniz added division and multiplication to Pascal's calculator and invented the first mass produced calculator. Without Pascal's seeds, ideas, plans, and actions, Leibniz couldn't have done what he did. Without Leibniz, Muller couldn't have done what he did. All this lead to the first computer, which changed the world. So the seeds that brought about the computer, the ideas, the culture, started at the latest in 1642 with Pascal's mechanical calculator. The ideas that led to the computer took almost three hundred years to get to the first computer and it's been almost 80 years to get where we are. Technology comes from ideas. Then technology spawns new ideas, which spawn new technology, and so one. A cycle, a process, thought begets change, change begets thought. Technology doesn't develop apart from thought, in isolation from an idea that came from the culture and the setting of the culture. The question is, why the 'sudden' change? Why, after thousands and thousands of years, generations and generations of observing these same things, living this same way, with little change, why, 'suddenly' does someone change all that? What plants the seed of an idea in the first place, since it never happened before that point? Around the same time, independently, in at least six places, the change occurs, the seed is planted, germinates, and grows, and the world is never the same. The changes that occurring in lifestyle and technology (the square house, the domestication, the pottery, the metal working, the walls), and the supposition made from these of the changes in thinking, the changes in world view, all these things are interesting but don't get us to the meat of it. These things are the elements, the symbols, in the Mystery Traditions, the elements the initiate sees when they're ready, be it the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Dionysian Mysteries, the Arcadian Mysteries (my personal favourite), the Mithraic Mysteries, the Orphic Mysteries, the Isis Mysteries, early Christianity, or even modern Feri. The element, the symbol, the Key, only has meaning to the initiate because they are ready for the Mystery they point to. This is the heart of mysticism, moving beyond the symbols and elements to the Mystery behind them. To me, the societal changes are only interesting in that they point to the changes in thinking to brought them about and that they brought about, and those changes are only interesting because the point to the Mystery that caused the initial change, the Catalyst, the planting of that seed of an idea. Something changed. Something in six places (is there a seventh we're missing, I wonder) about the same time, after generations upon generations, thousands upon thousands of years (Carl Sagan is saying billions and billions in my head right now). Was it greed that lead to stockpiling, and that to the rest? I think not. The first things they started stockpiling were food, plants and animals, but you couldn't do that without first domesticating them. It was the realization that they could domesticate that came first, then the action, and only then did greed come in. But what changed? Someone drank from the Welsh Cauldron of Inspiration. Someone was given fire by Promethius. Someone gave up an eye to drink of the Well of Wisdom. Someone saw a burning bush and turned aside. Someone ate from a forbidden tree and gained knowledge. Someone was baptised in the River Jordan and had the Spirit descend on them like a dove. Someone was sitting by a river beneath a tree and realized there was another way. Someone wrestled with G-d in the night. Someone was taught by angels. Something happened, and someone, well, at least six someones, realized there was another way beyond what had always been true, the way things had always been. Not saying it was G-d or a god coming to them, or anything else particularly, just that something changed, something planted that seed, and everything changed, first with them, then their family, then their neighbours and so on. Not in everyone, of course, but it rippled out like a still pond when a rock is thrown in. And once that seed of an idea was planted, nothing could ever go back. From Cain's, the farmer's, line, not from the nomad line, Lamech's wife Adah gave birth to Jabal and Jubal, and his wife Ziilah gave birth to Tubal-Cain and Naamah. Jabal is said to be the father of all who live in tents and raise livestock, the nomad herders we've talked about. Jubal is the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Tubal-Cain to all those who forge tools of bronze and iron (and weapons). And by Jewish tradition, Naamah is the mother of all demons. Many British traditions look to this passage. Hence, the Clan of Tubal-Cain, which the association with metal working. There's a change here. the beginning of stringed instruments, the beginning of forging. And these things are in the line of Cain, the farmer, who is contrasted with the line of Seth which is seen as the good line. The author(s) of Genesis seem to think the change brought about in the Neolithic Revolution was a bad thing, just as eating of the Tree and gaining Knowledge is shown as bad. But the witchcraft traditions usually look to Cain and the line of Cain. I find that interesting. From a 1600s York manuscript: "Before Noah flood there was a man called Lamech as is written in the Scriptures in ye Chatr of Genesis And this Lamech had two wives ye one named Adah by whome he had two sons ye one named Jabell ye other named Jubell And his other wife was called Zillah by whome he had one son named Tubelcaine & one Daughter named Naamah & these four children founded ye beginnings of all ye Sciences in ye world viz Jabell ye oldest Sone found out ye Science of Geomatre he was a keepr of flocks and sheep Lands in the Fields as it is noted in ye Chaptr before sd And his bother Jubell found ye Science of Musicke Song of the Tongue harpe & organ And ye third brother Tuball Caine found ye Science called Smith Craft of Gold Silvr Iron Coppr & Steele & ye daughter found ye ara of Weaving And these persons knowing right well yt God would take vengencance for sinne either by fire or water wherefore they writt their severall Sciences yt they had found in two pillars of stone yt might be found aftr Noah his Flood And ye one stonbe would not burn wth fire & ye othr called Lternes because it would not dround wth wtr etc."
Four children, the Herdsman or Horseman, the Musician or Bard, the Smith, and the Weaver. All of these hold importance in the later witchcraft of Europe and the British Isles. The other common thing in many witchcraft traditions is the Watchers, coming down and teaching mankind all sciences and magic, including the things listed in the previous quote. The story is of the Watchers watching humans and falling in love with the women (from Genesis and from Sumerian myths) and having children, the giants and men of renown in the Tanakh, the "witchblood" in some witch traditions. And they taught man these things. Science and math, forging and weaving, magic and witchcraft, domestication and farming. Basically, that the Neolithic Revolution came about from their teaching. The seed of the idea. The fire from heaven. The Inspiration. In Sumerian myth, the Apkallu were seven, associated with seven stars. They are the Watchers and taught mankind, bringing about the first civilization, Sumer. In Cochrane's Basic Structure of the Craft, there are seven wind gods, the sons of Night and Man, the seven stars. In Feri, there are seven Guardians, who are the true teachers of the witch. They are the watchers, and they are seven stars. Regardless of whether there were watchers or whatever, that point, that seed, that inspiration, that formed in six places around the same time is ingrained in the psyche, the cultural memory, of the people of the earth, and seems present in one form or another in the myths of people throughout the world. That moment that began the Neolithic Revolution that is such a Mystery is remembered and engraved in all of us. And that, I think, is the important part of the study of the Neolithic Revolution. And the ultimate goal and central pillar of mysticism. And the essence of witchcraft.
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Friday, 02 September 2011 |
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Are the Christian End Times coming soon, with the Tribulation, the pouring out of the Vials of Wrath? Is the Norse Ragnarok coming soon, with an endless winter and a war like no one has seen before? Is there a great catastrophe Apkallu? Will the US economy collapse soon? Will the world end on December 21, 2012? Will the Age of Aquarius start this year? Will there be world peace? One stable world government? Every culture, every religion, every faith, foretells trouble coming at some point, or great peace and prosperity. Regardless of who you ask, no one thinks the world will stay the same. All prophecies are of change. Even politicians foretell change. But when it comes down to it, all we can do is do our own work and help those we can. Whether we move toward a stable one world government or towards complete anarchy, it's not what happens that matters but how we respond. Our responses bring learning and growth, and we move forward on our journey. If all things stayed the same, we would be stagnant and never grow, never change, never move forward. Our world is very turmoilous, but we walk the border between this world and other worlds even more turmoilous than ours. In the liminal space, change is the only constant. If you don't change, you die. Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Experience your world today, in this moment, let change take a hold of you and move you forward. The journey is nothing more than placing one foot forward, then another. Live in the now. Respond to the now. Make a difference in the now. Don't waste the now. Each moment is Da'ath, Knowing. Each moment, we stand in the Abyss and are changed by it. Unless we are asleep. Awaken, oh sleeper, leave your dreams of tomorrow, your memories of yesterday, and see the landscape before you, see the now, step forward, and change! FFF, ~Muninn's Kiss
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 26 July 2011 |
Though I didn't just fall off the Turnip Truck, having spent the entirety of my
life pursuing the path of the lightning strike which illuminates a Path that we
call Witchcraft, I really don't want to give the impression that there are answers
for those who are just beginning their journey of discovery.
Rather I wish to convey the sense that answers are not the goal to be slavishly
focused upon.
Questions are the fuel of the seeker, and the process of exploration is a reward
beyond measure.
Pity the fools who believe they have figured it all out. Who have settled for
packaged programs of limited scope which serve up a meager repast.
This is a journey that asks you to commit to the long haul.
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 19 July 2011 |
While the 18th and 19th century history of Modern Witchcraft informs that which we have to look back upon, we live in the 21st century.
The 20th century stands as a bulwark of change which presented us with a variety of options to think about who we were, who we are and who we would become.
No matter what you may think of that which has gone before, that which faces us
is unprecedented.
Our ability to leave the planet and travel beyond the confines of our domain.
Knowledge of the probability of life - even in its simplest forms on other
planetary bodies within our Solar system, and the potential of our limited human
consciousness to plumb the depths of creation. All these things bring us to the
edge of history and threaten to plunge us headlong into a new arena of mysteries
that shred what has passed as both conventional wisdom and arcana of the ages.
Can Witchcraft survive these challenging factors, or does it provide clues about
how to move forward.
Superstition and fantastical narrative MUST fade and be replaced by the work of those willing and able to dare to make magic.
who's up to the task?
That's the big question as I see it!
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Wednesday, 22 June 2011 |
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Mythos The Great Orgasm of God Herself, the birth of the Divine Twins, the Twins' interaction which is our world. God Herself is the Star Goddess, Night, YVHV, God the Father, the Tao, Ayin, Ayin Soph, Syin Soph Ohr, pregnant proton, Brahma. The Divine Twins are the Dual Consort, paradox, Yin and Yang, Lucet and Tettens, Lucifer and Nocifer, Yesh, electron and neutrino, Maya, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Pathos To cross the Abyss, to be a Bridge, to live paradox. Ethos All things have life force, are part of the Divine, and hence require respect. Not to not harm, but to give respect to the Divine in them. Be conscious of the effects of your actions and think about them before you act. Logos To learn all things from all people, spirits, and gods, that I might see beyond the words, facts, and ideas, into the Truth beyond. Nomos Well, that would be going a bit far, don't you think? ;-) FFF, ~Muninn's Kiss
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Sunday, 05 June 2011 |
Time marches on, time marches on. South moves north, North moves south A star is born, a star burns out. the only thing that stays the same is everything changes, everything changes. ~Time Marches On by Lawrence Tracy The world changed a lot between the "rebirth of witchcraft" and its origins. The world of the 50s and 60s was not the same as the classical world that gave birth to the Mystery Religions of Greece and Rome. It wasn't the same as the world that gave birth to the Gnosticism of the Middle East. It wasn't the same as the world that gave rise to Christian Mysticism, Islamic Sufism, or Jewish Kabbalah. It wasn't even the same as the world that gave birth to alchemy or ceremonial magic in Europe. It wasn't the same as the world that gave birth to the pagan revival on the 1800s. All these things, all these worlds that had passed away, influenced the "rebirth". There are elements of them even in traditions that predated the repeal of the Witchcraft Act. The world changes. But does the Craft, the Art? The roots or magic and witchcraft are very deep, back to the beginning of time. Has the Art remained unchanged since time began, or has it changed with the times, adapted with the changes in culture, in perspective, in knowledge, in technology? What parts are traditional and what parts are innovation? What parts need to be kept and held onto, which need to be kept as lore but not practice, and which parts are no longer needed? Is witchcraft an eldritch craft that has to be done the way it was in prehistory, or is part of the modern world in the same way it was part of the ancient? I would say both. Without the tradition, you're afloat on the ocean with no compass, no sextant, no chronometer, no map. But if the Art doesn't evolve, it is static, and static is dead, like a pond with no outlet, rotting and stinking. Witchcraft is all about change, and even the tradition needs to change. I think the Art should have tradition and lore as its foundation, but modern things can be built on that foundation. If any of that makes sense. If there is one word that I would use to describe magic, to describe witchcraft, it's Change. The Craft changes the practitioner, and it changes the world. Sometimes the intention is one, sometimes the other, but it always does both. How can something that's static cause Change? Do volcanoes erupt do to static forces or dynamic? What has ever been changed in the world by doing nothing? Of course, there's a time to act and a time to do nothing, and you have to decide which it is. But Change comes from Action. This is, after all, the World of Action. Action is, obviously, active. Active is dynamic. Change comes out of the dynamic. If the Art becomes static, unbending, unchanging, it can't create Change. Without Change, is it still magic? Is it still witchcraft? Is it still an Art or a Craft? Whether a landscape is done with water colours and a paint brush on a canvas or using a computer, it takes the same eye, uses many of the same techniques, and uses the same symbols. Most of the people I know that create that type of thing on the computer don't go in and change each pixel until a pattern emerges. They either use styluses on a tablet or the mouse to do brush strokes. And the brushes don't work that much different than a physical brush. It's still painting. It won't look the same, since it uses different tools, a different medium, true. But water colour doesn't look like acrylic, nor does it look like spray painted graffiti murals on a wall or air brushed paintings on the side of a motor cycle tank. But they are all painting, and they all use the same techniques, the same lessons, the same symbols, the same traditions. I would see the tradition in the Art as the training the art student receives to learn the techniques and to get an eye for what is needed in the painting. Some students train in art one-on-one with a mentor, others in a classroom setting with other art students. Some art teachers and professors only train one-on-one, others in groups. But there comes a point where to move from being an art student to being a real artist that the student must make what they learned their own and apply it apart from the teacher. And after that point, they must learn from the world around them and other sources, to integrate, to adapt. Michael Angelo's art isn't the same art that is created and sells today. But the same principles are still taught and still used, just applied in new ways, with new subjects, with new tools, and on new media. There are a lot of examples from the 50s-70s of people teaching the Art through letters. There are people who teach it through emails today. There are people who use phone calls (adding the aural, the way things are said) or video chat (which adds the body language, which I can't read anyway) to pass on oral tradition. I have experienced imparting of knowledge in a non-verbal way while on the telephone, and have heard of curses laid on people using pictures on the Internet. I talked to someone who was involved in a powerful magical working on a conference call. Modern technology can be used in the Art without it no longer being what it was. There's things you can't do over technological pathways, but there's much you can. On a list once, I asked if a certain book would be available on the Kindle. Someone else on the list responded saying that you shouldn't buy books about magic in electronic form, because books have a soul so you need a physical format. My response was: I'm sorry, but I have to say you're wrong. Unless magic or rituals are performed over the book when it's published, a book about magic is no more powerful than a book about fantasy. The words have the same power no matter what medium they are in. Maybe I could agree if you said that books that are hand written have more power than ones in electronic media, but then they would over printed media as well. Anything that's mass produced can't have any inherent power over that of the words and diagrams, no matter what the medium. I'm sure people thought the same kind of things when books were first published on the printing press instead of hand copied. I have a number of books about magic on my Kindle and I've got as much out of them as I have from the printed books I have. There are some books that I'd prefer to have in paper form, just because I like books, but there are others that I'd prefer to be able to carry with me, so I can read or refer to them when I need to, not just when I have access to my library. I can't carry more than one or two books with me, but I can carry my Kindle and have a library full of books right there with me. I can perform magic just as easily by referring to my Kindle as referring to a paper book. It's your Intent and Will and Faith that works magic, not the book you read it from.
Technology can be used as a tool in the Craft. I was just reading an entry in Francesca De Grandis's Outlaw Bunny blog today about social media and oral tradition. She makes a point about how even though the written word is powerful, oral tradition, spoken word, is more so, but that they each have their place. On her Third Road site, one of the things she talks about is how she has embraced using technology to share oral tradition, even presenting her Steller Rose teleseminars to her local students. She is using technology to do things that "traditionally" were done without it. Technology is a major part of our world, as it always has been. Even during the Middle Ages, major advanced in technology changed the world. As practitioners of the Art, we have a choice. We can either avoid technology and do things, all things, the way they used to be done, and live a static life, or we can find ways to integrate the technology and the changes in the world and move forward, in a dynamic life. Because the Art isn't just a job we do for eight hours and then forget about it. It's an integral part of your lives. It's like my dream of Romulus and Remus. The founders of Rome in a modern parking lot. Me the priestess and our leader, sitting on a modern couch. There was magic, there was tradition, there were the Old Ways, but mixed with it was the modern. It doesn't have to conform to society, in fact it shouldn't, but it does need to adapt to the changes in society, and utilize what tools society can provide. For it isn't the same world it was in the 50s and 60s in Britain. The Art, the Craft, witchcraft, needs to adapt and Change if it's going to be of any use in the modern world. But if it's not true to the Foundation, to the tradition, it is no longer the Art, but just a fad. When Joe Wilson's son Chad asked Joe, in 1972, which was right, fundamental Christianity or 1734, Joe answered, "What they all have in common must be close to the truth." This is the case with the Old Ways and modern society as well. We need to see the magic, see the Divine, see the Art, in the modern, for it's there. We must see the modern with the eyes of tradition, mix the Sight and technology. FFF, ~Muninn's Kiss
UPDATE: I found the section from Franscesca and reworded that paragraph. It was actually on her Third Road website, rather than her Outlaw Bunny one. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 June 2011 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 24 May 2011 |
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Thursday, 21 April 2011 |
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This was a reply to an email on a list, though I've removed the parts that are relevant only to the message I was replying to. I liked how I said what I said and figured I'd share it with anyone who wants to read it. This is in regards the the article Rethinking the Watchtowers by Mike Nichols. It is from a Wicca perspective. The email discussion about it was in a Feri context. The original site is no longer up, but it can be read here: http://witchnest.blogspot.com/2009/07/rethinking-watchtowers-or-13-reasons.html Some of what he says I agree with and some I don't. I like Air in the North, but I like Fire and Earth differently than his arrangement. When I've called on the Feri Guardians, I've used the associations V gives, but they aren't the arrangement I'm most comfortable with. I prefer the arrangement that is "traditional" in the traditions that draw from Robert Cochrane's letters and practices, like 1734 and the Clan of Tubal Cain. The explanation below is mostly my own understanding, based on what I've read, what I've experienced, conversations with others, and my own musings, nothing official. So this isn't all my original thoughts, nor is it all what I was taught from a specific authoritative source. I'll explain why I put "traditional" in quotes, at the end. http://www.1734-witchcraft.org/gillsthree.html The associations I'm talking about are drawn from RC's Basic Structure of the Craft, which is essentially a creation myth, but sets up a mythos used in rituals and rites. It describes Night having seven sons who created seven worlds. Four of these are the Wind Gods, which are the Four Winds from the four directions. Tettens is in the North, the North Wind, and is Woden, amongst other things. He is described as Air. In the East is Lucet, the King of Light, who is Fire. These two are the Divine Twins, "Lucet and Tettens are the Twins, the Children of Night and the Serpent, brothers and some say one and the same person. Fire and Air, growth and decay. One looks forward, the other backward. One creates, the other destroys, Castor and Pollox." In the South is Carenos, who is fertility, Earth. In the West is Node, Sleep and Wisdom, the God of the Sea, Water. So Air is in the North, and is the colour black. This is the cold North Wind, which brought all the winter storms to the British Isles. For North is also Winter and Midnight, which matches what was said in the article, for Winter is dark, and the further north you go, the darker and the longer the nights, until there is only night, only Midnight. Hence the colour black. Fire is in the East, and is the colour red. The sun, which is Fire, and the masculine principle in the world (though the sun is pulled by a female in Norse belief and the moon my a male; there's a lot of secrets in that), rises in the East (as does the moon, but that isn't important), and many ancient cultures believed his home was in the East. Cochrane equated the Masculine Mysteries with the sun and Feminine Mysteries with the moon, which are East and West. Lucet, the King of Light, brings the sun, which brings light. Life was said to come from the East and from the sun. Fire is red of course. Earth is in the South, and is the colour white. Earth is feritility, as Carenos is fertility. The further south you go in Britain, the more fertile, in general. Wessux is definitely more fertile than the Scottish Highlands. The soil in the southern part of Britain are chalk, which is white of course. The use of chalk in the Craft is very important. Also, white is light, and noon is the brightest part of the day. I'll get to that in a bit. Water is in the West, and the colour is grey. The moon, as we mentioned, is Water and feminine. The moon sets in the West (as the does the sun, but that isn't important), and many ancient cultures believed she had her home there. The house of the moon, the Gates of the West, are the Gates of Death, the way to the Underworld. The dead were said to travel across the great western sea, the Atlantic Ocean, when they died, traveling with the moon. Water is in the West not because you couldn't see land from the West coast of Britain or could from the East coast, but because it was "known" that past Ireland, there was only water and the land of the dead, which was under water. Grey is for twilight, between day and night. I;ll get to that in a second. North, East, South, and West are not just Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. In fact the four elements are one of the least important associations with the Wind Gods and directions, just as the Feri Guardians are so much more than elemental forces. 1734 doesn't work in a Circle in the way Wicca and Ceremonial Magic does. 1734 works a compass (notice, "works a" not "works in a"). The compass isn't related to protection or controlling anything like circles in Ceremonial Magic. What does a compass do? It points the way. But compass comes from a different meaning, to surround. The four directions surround, so became called the compass, and the device that points was named for it. Thorn likes to use the phrase for God Herself, and also for Witch, "the centre which is the circumference of all." This is the compass. When you stand in the middle, you are Witch, you are the centre, but you are also the world, the circumference. But, anyway, I digress. The compass places in in time and space, orientates you. The directions are also times and dates. North is Midnight, and Winter Solstice. East is Sunrise, Dawn, and Spring Equinox. South is Noon and Summer Solstice. West is Sunset, Dusk, Twilight, and Autumn Equinox. And of course, there isn't only four directions. Northeast is Candlemas, Imbolc, and the point between Midnight and Dawn. Southeast is Roodmas, Beltane, and mid-morning. Southwest is Lughnassadh and mid-afternoon. And Northwest is Samhane and mid-evening. And you can put other points on the compass. But the compass doesn't stand still. It can be rotated. It spins. Like a castle spinning without moving. Time and space move. They aren't static. Where are you and when are you when you're in the compass? That is a very good question. Which brings me to my last point. I say it's the "traditional" arrangement, because it doesn't stand still. You can place any direction, any element, any hour, any date at North and it changes everything. Regardless which order you use or which placement, experiment. North determines the feel of the compass. Each element has specific associations. Maybe why I like Air in the North is because I have always had an affinity to Air and Wind. I worshiped a wind goddess when I was younger and would call up a strong wind at will. And Air is inspiration and intellect, and I tend to live in my intellect much of the time, as you can probably tell from these two posts. In a dream back in February, I was made a priestess and they painted yellow tribal patterns on my skin and white clothes. Yellow is ofter associated with Air and Intellect. But I digress again. What to place at North depends on the work you are doing. Some workings work well with Air at North and Earth at North is just wrong for that working. But others Earth is best. So the best thing is to think throw the correspondences and associations, experiment, and get a feel for it. Magic and witchcraft are Art. The intellectual thoughts, the techniques, the traditions, the teachings, all the knowledge in the world, can help you plan and give you ideas, but practice and a feel for it are ultimately what matters. Listen to Fetch and Godself, don't depend only on Talker, like I tend to. FFF, ~Muninn's Kiss |
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Saturday, 09 April 2011 |
Okay, back to Romulus and Remus. I'd first like to quote from the Wikipedia article about them, since I think it gives a pretty good summary. The think to remember is that there are many versions of the myth. This doesn't reflect all of them.
Romulus and Remus are Rome's twin founders in its traditional foundation myth, although the former is sometimes said to be the sole founder. Their maternal grandfather was Numitor, rightful king of Alba Longa, a descendant of the Trojan prince, Aeneas and father to Rhea Silvia (also known as Ilia). Before their conception, Numitor's brother Amulius deposed his brother, killed his sons and forced Rhea to become a Vestal Virgin, intending to deprive Numitor of lawful heirs and thus secure his own position; but Rhea conceived Romulus and Remus by either the god Mars or the demi-god Hercules. When the twins were born, Amulius left them to die but they were saved by a series of miraculous interventions. A she-wolf found them and suckled them. A shepherd and his wife then fostered them and raised them to manhood as shepherds. The twins proved to be natural leaders and acquire many followers. When told their true identities, they killed Amulius, restored Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa and decided to found a new city for themselves.
Romulus wished to build the new city on the Palatine Hill but Remus preferred the Aventine Hill. They agreed to determine the site through augury. Romulus appeared to receive the more favorable signs but each claimed the results in his favour. In the disputes that followed, Remus was murdered by Romulus. Ovid has Romulus invent the festival of Lemuria to appease Remus' resentful ghost. Romulus names the new city Rome after himself and goes on to create the Roman Legions and the Roman Senate. Rome's population is swelled by incomers, including landless refugees and outlaws; most are men. Romulus arranges the abduction of women from the neighboring Sabine tribes, which immediately leads to war but eventually results in the combination of Sabines and Romans as one Roman people. Rome rapidly expands to become a dominant force in central Italy, due to divine favour and the inspired administrative, military and political leadership of Romulus. In later life Romulus becomes increasingly autocratic, disappears in mysterious circumstances and is deified as the god Quirinus, the divine persona of the Roman people.
The image of the she-wolf suckling the divinely fathered twins became an iconic representation of the city and its founding legend, making Romulus and Remus preeminent among the feral children of ancient mythography. The legend as a whole encapsulates Rome's ideas of itself, its origins and moral values; for modern scholarship, it remains one of the most complex and problematic of all foundation myths, particularly in the matter and manner of Remus' death. Ancient historians had no doubt that Romulus gave his name to the city. Most modern historians believe his name a back-formation from the name Rome; the basis for Remus' name and role remain subjects of ancient and modern speculation. The myth was fully developed into something like an "official", chronological version in the Late Republican and early Imperial era. Roman historians dated the city's foundation from 758 to 728 BC. Plutarch says Romulus was fifty-three at his death; his reckoning gives the twins' birth year as c. 771 BC. Possible historical bases for the broad mythological narrative remain unclear and are much disputed. Very few scholars believe in the historicity of Romulus and Remus, but Andrea Carandini is one. He bases his belief on the 1988 discovery of an ancient wall which he names as the Murus Romuli on the north slope of the Palatine Hill in Rome, and dates to the mid 8th century BC.
In all versions of the myth, there are strong parallels between the birth of the twins and the birth of Moses in the Torah. Both were meant to die but were saved. Both were placed in baskets in a river, in this myth on the Tiber instead of the Nile. Both were saved from the river. Moses was found and raised by a princess, whereas Tiberinus, the river deity, directed the twins' basket to the reeds where they were rescued and suckled by a wolf. There are a lot of parallels between how the Jews view Moses and how Rome viewed Romulus, but I won't go there here.
Whether the myth is true or not, whether Romulus and Remus really lived, whether they really founded Rome, doesn't really matter, like it doesn't with most myths. The myth, Romulus, is Rome and Rome is Romulus. The myth shaped Rome and Rome shaped the myth. You can't have Rome as it was without Romulus. And you can't have the modern Western world without Rome, because it grew out of Rome. Most of Europe and the New World are the result of Rome. Basically what is identified as the Christian world is the modern Roman world. The West is Rome and Rome is Romulus. We, the modern world, are the results of this myth. Romulus formed the Roman Senate in the myth, and Western government, and also Western religious structures, come from the Senate. It is all the product of Romulus, Romulus the son of a god, Romulus raised by wolves, Romulus the shepherd, Romulus the warrior, Romulus the leader, Romulus the kinslayer.
But what of Remus? There is no Romulus without Remus. They are twins. The story of Romulus is the story of Remus. There's a reason why Remus, so mysterious to historians, is always part of the story. But all the stories are either about both doing something or about only Romulus. Who was this Remus? Why is he important?
Seeing Romulus as the leader and Remus as the follower is easy with the focus on Romulus. It's easy to think Remus just followed his brother's lead, never questioned, never argued, did whatever Romulus wanted. But is this true? The stories say they both proved to be excellent leaders and gained many followers. It wasn't just Romulus the leader and Remus the follower. This matches my dream with each of the twins leading a group. But what more do we know about Remus? Some versions of the myth tell of a disagreement. The twins want to build a city, the city that would later be known as Rome. They disagree on which hill to build it one. They decide to use augury to decide. Remus sees six eagles (or vultures) and Romulus sees twelve. Remus claims it favoured him because he saw his six before Romulus saw any. Romulus claims it favoured him because he saw more. Romulus and his followers start building a wall (or a boundary, a trench, etc, depending on the version), while Remus watches, criticizing. I'll finish this story in a moment, but first, what do we see here? Is Remus just a follower? Obviously not. They disagreed, and Remus didn't just give in.
The end of this version is interesting, and gets to the root of where I've been heading. Remus jumps over the wall as an insult to the defenses. Romulus gets mad and kills Remus and says, so will happen to anyone who jumps over the wall. This can, of course, be taken as talking about that anyone who tries to breach the defenses of Rome will be killed. And this understanding would have been the one Romans saw in the myth. And for a long time, anyone who went against Rome ended up losing. But is there another way to look at it?
The wall, the trench, the boundary. Liminal. Crossing over. Liminal space is important, because a boundary in the physical world reflects a boundary in the spiritual. Witch lives in the liminal, one foot in each world. Part of what makes Witch is the crossing over. Some use the term jumping the hedge. Is it a great stretch to compare this to jumping a wall? Can we see Remus as Witch?<
Romulus is the one building, he is the establishment. The government, the Church, order, the authorities. Remus is on the sidelines, the outcast, Other, Witch. Remus is a threat to Romulus, to what he is building, to his plans. Other is always a threat to the establishment, whether the establishment is Christian, Muslim, Jewish, pagan, heathen, atheist, whatever. Witch is always a threat. Because the establishment doesn't like change. Change can't be predicted, can't be controlled. But Witch is change. Change can't help but come.
So, we see Romulus as the establishment, and Remus as Witch. Romulus isn't evil, nor is Remus. But neither are good, either. The Church isn't evil, the government isn't evil, science isn't evil. Witchcraft isn't evil, either. There is no inherent good or evil in either. But both may do evil or do good, or more accurately do harm or help. Romulus kills Remus, not because Romulus is evil, and not because Remus is evil, but because Remus is a threat.
But what is Romulus without Remus? The important parts of the story are done with Remus' death. And what is Remus without Romulus? They are twins, they are one. Romulus is Remus' reflection, and Remus is Romulus' reflection. They are each others' soul. So too with the establishment and Witch. Without Witch, there is no change. The establishment becomes stagnant. And without the establishment, Witch becomes complacent. You see this in today's witchcraft. It has grown in numbers in the last sixty years, but so has the number of "witches" who aren't serious, who just think it's cool, who never dig deep. The establishment and Witch, like Romulus and Remus, are two sides of the same coin, the outside expression and the inside expression.
Okay, back to my dream. In my dream, both Romulus and Remus were obviously leaders as they each had large groups of people. I only one I actually encountered was Romulus. Was Remus already dead by then? I don't know. But as important as he is in myth, as important as he is in the discussion above, he must not have been important in the dream. It was our interaction with Romulus, with the establishment, that mattered.
Romulus was the large group, the majority, as the establishment always is. Or, I should say, followed by the majority. We were the small group, the minority. Romulus' people seemed like followers, lackeys. It was him and those who followed him. Our group felt like a team, one. There was a leader, the secular leader, the representative. And there was me, the priestess, the spiritual leader, the Bridge. But we weren't above the rest, superior to the rest. We were all equals even if we had different roles.
Romulus tries to force himself of the leader. She is the physical, I am the spiritual. She is this world, I am the Otherworld. She is human, i am divine, fey. Together, we are whole. Together, we are Witch. He forces himself on her, because he can touch the physical word. He can touch the body. But he can't touch the spiritual, he can't touch the soul. I aid her in trying to fight him back. We are one, so we fight together, the spiritual aiding the physical, the soul aiding the body. It's only together we can fight back.
There is a lot more in my dream, though some of it is personal. And there is a lot more to the story of Romulus and Remus. But I'll leave both be for now.
FFF,
~Muninn's Kiss |
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Written by Muninn's Kiss
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Friday, 08 April 2011 |
Back a while, I had a dream that I wrote about where there were four groups, two large, two small, and the two big groups were led by Romulus and Remus. Later dream, we (the group I was in, one of the small ones) met Romulus and a small group of his people. I don't remember them, but I remember a sense of his people (the small group of them, not all of them) behind him and our people (once again, not all of them) behind me and the leader of our group. I was a priestess in the dream, and the leader was also female. I think we were on a couch or something similar, and it seems like the encounter took place in a parking lot. Our leader was sitting on the right hand side of the couch and I was sitting on her left, pretty close to her. Romulus was standing, bent over her trying to sexually assault or maybe rape her. She had her knee up trying to push him away and I was grabbing at his arm, trying to stop him. He was dressed all in tight black leather that covered everything but his hands and head. I woke up in the middle of the struggle.
It had been a very long time since I did any reading on Romulus and Remus, so earlier this week, I read up on them to refresh my memory. The following are my thoughts on the story, some of the themes, how it relates to the craft, and some thoughts about the meaning of the part of my dream I expanded on above.
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Read more...
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 13 March 2011 |
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I don't know why, but I have decided to re-open this site. I closed it down two years ago because I was involved in a program that required me to be relatively "quiet, and because I was not interested in navigating controversy. Such is not my nature. However I am not one to shy from honest and sincere debate. In the ensuing years it seems that other sites which previously focused on Traditional(ist) Witchcraft have also bitten the dust. Personally I believe that there is a need for people to explore, and so I have overcome my personal issues and re-opened this site There will be no editing of posts here. what you say will be what you say,. Stand by it or die by it Good luck. LUX ./. owen |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 13 March 2011 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 03 December 2009 |
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The site has been migrated to a new VMware partition on a much more powerful server. |
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 08 September 2009 |
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GONG |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 September 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 19 August 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 August 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 12 August 2009 |
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It was my hope that this blog site would engender conversation. That has not come to fruition. In about two weeks or so this site will be migrated to a new blog site at ophidiana.com. I don't think that it will be possible for me to migrate all the past content to thge new site. I receive regular notification of new registered users, yet none of them post in the forums From this I deduce that none of you (with a few exceptions) have anything to say. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 August 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 22 July 2009 |
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Scientists at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, have discovered that the human body emits ultraweak bio luminescence. http://bit.ly/W3rVI -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- AbstractThe human body literally glimmers. The intensity of the light emitted by the body is 1000 times lower than the sensitivity of our naked eyes. Ultraweak photon emission is known as the energy released as light through the changes in energy metabolism. We successfully imaged the diurnal change of this ultraweak photon emission with an improved highly sensitive imaging system using cryogenic charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. We found that the human body directly and rhythmically emits light. The diurnal changes in photon emission might be linked to changes in energy metabolism. |
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 06 July 2009 |
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three form spirit trap home of Arte bring me your shadows for my drink lay out your light for me to eat. The triangle walks I
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 05 July 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 21 June 2009 |
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Written by Dikki Jo Mullen
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Friday, 19 June 2009 |
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Summer Solstice Astrology A Secret Black Moon brings the Longest Eclipse of the 21st Century! Exciting Heavenly Patterns - Astrology Updates By Dikki-Jo Mullen, Astrologer 2009 The longest of days nears, the ancient wheel of the seasons creaks in the heavens. The Wheel of time turns to mark summer, another new act begins in the drama of the cosmic theater. The Summer Solstice coincides with Father’s Day this year, on Sunday June 21, 2009 at 1:46 AM EDT. The event horoscope created for that time is called The Summer Ingress Chart. It reveals the potentials the universe promises for all of us until Autumn arrives on September 22nd. The Summer Solstice Ingress Chart Venus and Mars will conjoin at the 15th degree of Taurus and exactly trine Saturn at 15 degrees of Virgo. This is a marvelous influence for Earth friendly business ventures and eco conscious life styles. Enjoying homegrown produce, spending time in nature, exploring natural healing techniques are all in tune with the times. The fixed star Menkar at about 14 Taurus lends intensity to domestic situations and accents the well being of animal companions. Because of the social nature of a Venus-Mars conjunction, Menkar’s presence reminds us to select the best relationships. Both romantic and business associations can make or break one's whole life right now. New alliances are forming, while long term links dissolving. Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron are all retrograde and form a tight stellium near 26 degrees Aquarius. Spiritual studies, psychic dreams and exploring different religious practices can appeal to many. This is a very rare pattern, lasting off and on through the end of the year. “An Ancient Pottery Bowl Filled With Violets” is the Sabian Symbol here. It suggests combining cultivated beauty with keepsakes and treasured memories. There will be two New Moons in Cancer during the summer of 2009, this is the very rare secret “Black Moon” pattern (the second New Moon in a single Month is the more obvious Black Moon. The lunation occurring twice in the same sign is equally as rare and also functions as a Black Moon, hence the secret element. A Black Moon is fey and other worldly, realms of the new subconscious potentials are at work). Changes in living arrangements and family dynamics can be expected for many. Remember, the Moon always represents changes. Historic preservation, antique collection, scrap books and vintage photo albums can come to light. Research traditional recipes and plan to enjoy meals prepared at home. Remember to write a wish list in the 8 hours following a New Moon. You’ll watch your written wishes come true as Luna Waxes. The first of this pair of New Moons will be on June 22, 2009 at 3:35 PM EDT, just after the Summer Solstice. The Sabian Symbol is “ A man on a magic carpet observes vistas below him.” The Cancer Sun and Moon are in a tight mutually applying opposition aspect to retrograde Pluto at 2 degrees Capricorn. Scandals, competition, opposing and transforming ideas are all a part of the new perspectives coming in. Large groups of people can be impacted with a strong Pluto influence active. Feelings and loyalties regarding relationships and group involvements of all kinds are in flux. This June 22 New Moon precedes a triple eclipse pattern. Eclipses are extremely significant. These close alignments of the Sun, Moon and Earth coincide with New and Full Moons. Weather can be a topic of special interest. The First Eclipse July 7 brings a lunar eclipse at the Full Moon in Capricorn, again at 15 degrees. In numerology 15 is a number of manifestation (writing a wish exactly the same way 15 times will often make it come true, also 15 is the number of addition in the Square of Saturn in the Abra-Melin system of Magic). A wide orb Grand Trine in Earth signs is present. Mars will be at 26 Taurus, exactly square the Aquarius planets. This shows an important time regarding the economy and values. Be alert to new trends in career and business opportunities. Precious metals and gems as well as other natural resources can be involved. With retrograde Jupiter taking place, the welfare and ethical treatment of animals can touch the hearts and thoughts of many. The Second Eclipse On July 21, 2009 at 10:35 PM EDT the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st Century occurs! Actually even longer, this will be the longest solar eclipse until June 13, 2132! It’s on a critical degree, at 29 Cancer and also marks the secret Black Moon, the second New Moon in the same sign! The Sabian Symbol is “A Daughter of the American Revolution”. This suggests an important events unfolding the USA. It forms an out of sign yod, quincunx to both Pluto and Neptune, (a 4 degree orb is used). Fortunately this super important eclipse will also trine Uranus in Pisces. Out of chaos will emerge surprise benefits. It's a time to express patriotism. Water safety, both regarding drinking water and time spent near or traveling by water, should not be neglected. A potent Aquarius influence also suggests that aviation and cyber-space can be a focus. The security and safety of both will be a priority. The Third Eclipse The final summer time eclipse will be at the Full Moon at 13 degrees Aquarius on August 5, 2009 at 8:55 pm EDT. “A train entering a tunnel” is the Sabian Symbol of the Moon, while the Sun’s Sabian Symbol is “A Cherub whispering”. This suggests a time of darkness with a light at the end of the tunnel and the real presence of helpful angels giving advice that it would be well to heed. This eclipse is on the day after President Obama’s August 4thbirthday. Anyone with a birthday within 3 days of an eclipse or a natal planet within 3 degrees of an eclipse will be impacted by this profound influence. Watch for turning points in the Obama Presidency! For everyone this Full Moon favors mystical and astrological studies as well as deep meditation and dream work. All in all a memorable summer is certainly in the stars. It’s a time of inspiration. Aspire to embrace the extraordinary. New potentials within each of us are waiting to be discovered. Out of yourself create. Don’t cling to the illusion of security through the well worn patterns. “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” There is an awakening within the world around us taking place, an individual spirit of courage and adventure is the best way to meet it. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 20 June 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 |
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Flow below our boundary firm Ride along the fernie brae. Rise like antient walls and berm keep the outer world at bay.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 May 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 |
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So it is all too often the case that we keep access to our own teachers and resources private. This is because we share a human condition which seeks to retain privilege and exclusivity at all costs. I will be clear that one of the fellow travellors who has been both a teacher and an examplar for me over the years is Rudy Rucker. I was privileged to have him write a character in one of his Novels based upon me. After being bent out of shape for a day or two because the characterisation was unflattering I came to the realisation thyat he had pegged me pretty well. That's when I realised it was worth whiole paying attention to this guy who could flay me to the bone and still be my buddy. Recently Rudy posted an interesting Youtube entry. Pay attention, this guy is a treasure.
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 26 March 2009 |
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F rom "The Watersons" album (CD)
"A Yorkshire Garland" Chickens In The Garden Gods I L O V E this song As we count down the days from thr ingress of spring to summer this tune empowers us all
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 25 March 2009 |
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Earth Hour 2009 8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. Saturday 28 March 2009 http://www.earthhour.org/home/ This is a global political event that inherits energy from the Pagan Practice of the "Needfire" in which all fires are extinguished and relighted from a single flame as a rite of renewal. This Earth Hour event is a symbolic event, and who knows the power of symbolism better than Witches. Pagans, NeoPagans, Witches, Wiccans, Fluffie Bunnies and hard core Traditional Witches are all at the same peril of a world on the edge of Global Climate Change. Perhaps those with eyes to see and ears to hear can excersize their mouths to give voice to a Magickal intention of making change in their own lives and minds then excersize their hands to take a simple symbolic action as a seed for future changes in the larger world. Beyond just turning off electric lights for an hour consider convening with your kith and kin to add active value by repairing to a site of active darkness, striking new light via flame to illuminate your space then spreading that light to the extents of your domain at the end of the hour. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 21 March 2009 |
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I've made no secret of my association and friendship with Gwydion Pennderwen who was the Bard of the American Pagan Movement and until the day I die his spirit will be with me and inform my sojourn along this crooked path. But to be blunt he is dead, gone to the underworld where he has taken his place with our ancestors. And we who remain amongst the host who maintain body temperature and respiration require a Bard to sing us merry songs which stir our blood and animate our corpus. Damh [Dave] The Bard is one such. During my holiday to the old Sod last year I made it a priority to collect every one of his available CD's, and I urge each and every one of you to follow in suit whether you do so by holy pilgramage or simple amazon surfing. The spirit of Albion
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 22 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 21 March 2009 |
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I would be remiss if I did not present you with a video of Damh performing live. The previous Youtube entry was some wankers game bullshit set to an album cut. Here is the real deal. But you really need to buy Damhs CD "The Hills they are Hollow" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00129E01S/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1237705648&sr=8-10 to apreciate the whole thing.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 21 March 2009 |
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Damh paying his tribute to Gwydion. Thanks Dave
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
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My love and devotion for the DarkerShade of Pagan podcast is unending. And The 03/15/09 edition has brought me to orgasmic heights. Unto Ashes, Marissa Nadler, The Moors, Fever Ray, Faun, Ex Reverie. Oh my. This music moves my soul. And it also moves my fingers to surf to the respective websites of these bands then compells me to purchass their wares. Go there. http://www.adarkershadeofpagan.com/ Go there NOW. And then exercise your option as lovers of the dark and twisting path to support these artists. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 20 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
The Dancing Of The Lord of Weir! Robin Williamson
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
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[Probably their most accesable cut ever] |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
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Another Band you've probably never heard of. The singer Aneli Drecker has a voice like an Angel, and the tune is from Geir Jenssen who went on to create the equally obscure techno styles of "Biosphere". Granted some readers of this blog will wonder what these youtube postings have to do with Traditional Witchcraft. Perhaps there is no connection at all except for the fact that these are pieces which have sustained me through the years. It is my belief that magic is raised by sound motion and emotion and these are examples of what moves me on all three axis of that formula. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
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I L O VE THIS BAND You can download their entire "Momento Mori" album for free at http://thebastardfairies.com/ |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 07 March 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 05 March 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 05 March 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 04 March 2009 |
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Delicious.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 04 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 02 March 2009 |
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You and me At the dark end of the street. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 02 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 02 March 2009 |
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Take a walk on the Shadow side with the Albion Band. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 02 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 02 March 2009 |
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Shake it like you mean it boys! |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 02 March 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 28 February 2009 |
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Natacha Atlas I put a spell on you.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 28 February 2009 |
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Rounding out tonights Music Video posts with the TomTom club. So what the HELL does this have to do with Traditionalist Witchcraft? Well for one thing if it doesn't get you out of your chair shaking your booty and waving your hands in the air there is something wrong with you. And for another, Witches ought to understand the esoteric meaning of "Genius" Mohannon.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 28 February 2009 |
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I have no words for this except that it is one of my favorite pieces of Music - E V E R . |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 28 February 2009 |
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For me this particular Bjork song is one of her most Magical pieces. On the one occasion when I was gifted with the opportunity to attend a Live Bjork show, this particular tune was the one which convinced me that she is a magic User. Because it IS in your hands!
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 14 February 2009 |
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I am indebted to Jason Pitzl-Walters and his Podcast "http://www.adarkershadeofpagan.com/" for helping me find this Video of "The Moors" - The Hunter. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 14 February 2009 |
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Julie Felix. "Fire Earth Water and Air" From her spectacular Album "Clothos Web" |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 12 February 2009 |
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What manner of wise have you discovered? How do you show it in your private life? How do you manifest it in your public life? How does it manifest in your craft? This is not a joke, nor is it an excersize in displaying your efforts to be "More Pagan than thou". This is not a contest to determine who can attract more sycophants and "Me-too" bullshit artists. If your energy is primarily engaged in juvenile attempts to diminish the efforts of others or disparage the path others follow then In My Not So Humble Opinion you have missed the point entirely. If your energy is not primarily engaged in connecting you with that which carries your light forward then you are lost in a futile struggle which diminishes YOU. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 11 February 2009 |
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Look in the Traditional Witchcraft forum for a thread to discuss this item, There was a battle in heaven between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness. One side, the host loyal to the Angel Lucifer/Lumiel - Lord of Light - took "wives" amongst the terrestrial inhabitants who bore them children. The other side - apparently the hosts of darkness - complained that by doing so their wisdom and power had been diluted so ordered the children destroyed. Now this implys that both sides were originally from the same origin - IE - Sons of God. In this battle Lucifers forces lost the war and were banished to Earth to live their lives amongst the aboriginal people with whom they had shared their Stellar largesse. It seems the winning forces who retained control of the heavens had no ability to force their will regarding their desire to destroy the results of the transgression they so bitterly opposed. These offspring of the Angels fallen from Grace of the victors were considered giants amongst the other Earthly denizens. Now clearly this is all alegory. I don't think anyone expects that Alien Greys arived in spaceships and found the primititive primate chicks to be such hot stuff that they couldn't keep their sacred "grey units" in their pants. So what does it really all mean? talk to me |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 08 February 2009 |
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Albion Band. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 08 February 2009 |
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PS this the Mekons "Robin Hood" with Michelle Shocked |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 February 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Friday, 30 January 2009 |
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The new breed call it Imbolc, but the Old Craft knows it as Candlemass. It is a time of ignition, initiation, integration. In our current experience the wise will use it to ignite a new flame which initiates a renewed will to survive and personally reintegrates the strength of all Witchdom in compact to impell our desire and belief by force of our collective will. You know what to do. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 26 January 2009 |
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http://www.adarkershadeofpagan.com/ I've submitted a review of Jason Pitz-Walters podcast " A Darker Shade of Pagan" as my annual contribution to the next issue of "The Witches Almanac" but I just can't wait for my gentle readers to wait next Falls Publication to hear my praise. I am an aging Hippy, having reached the august age of 61 years young and as a true son of my generation music feeds my soul. I am not one who normally waits for another to inform my musical judgement, but Good Jason has earned his pearch upon the top pedastal of my musical mentors for this new millenium. Each Week this incredible experience steals me away to greater heights of ecstacy. Go there now. Do not hesitate. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 26 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 24 January 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 24 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 24 January 2009 |
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Many years ago, when I had recently moved hearth and home to Northern California I also reconnected with an old chum who went by the name Gwydion Pendderwen. We had first become friends when I lived in the SF Bay Area during the 1973/1974 time frame and had discovered that we had both become embroiled in machinations with the infamous Rhyddlwm Gawr (Bill Wheeler) of Y Tylwyth teg. The truth of the matter was that Bill had engaged in serial fishing expeditions by sending Gwydion stuff that he conned out of me, and further tempted me with stuff he conned out of Gwydion. (Note to Bill if you are reading this - I encourage you to sue me, because I still possess the original letters in your own hand that you sent both Gwydion and myself admitting that you are a liar and a cheat and confessing that you stole from your various correspondents in order to fluff your credibility. So Please Bill be my guest) But this posting isn't about that shitbird, it's about finding connection to the spirits of place, about the sort of Withcraft that does not depend upon written ritual form or the kind of thing you can steal from others because if it isn't felt in your heart and mind it doesn't matter. Sabbats were held and what our Christian Brothers and Sisters would call miracles occured. People were fairy led out into the Mendocina hillsides, and the night skys came to life singing songs of life death and resurection. I think the most amazing event I witnessed was a "Multiplication of Bread". It was a Samhain Eve and |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 24 January 2009 )
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Read more...
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 17 January 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Friday, 16 January 2009 |
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African Head Charge - Chant For The spirits ---------------------- Woe betide ye who divide the world of Spirit. Our blood is the fire which stokes the forge of Heaven. The still force which is unitary, and which is our boon. {mp3}AHC_DervishChant{/mp3) [Get the fuck up out of your chair and dance!] Find solace in division if you will But rejoice with reunion when it comes. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 04 January 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 04 January 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 04 January 2009 |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 January 2009 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 31 December 2008 |
I have just about HAD IT with "Death Destruction and Despair, People Dying Everywhere"
In my not so humble opinion those who are of the mystical sort need - DESPERATELY - to cast their imaginal eye out to the perimeter of the planets orbit and take a fresh look at our beautiful homeland and try to envision it as a new destination. Much as the Watchers might have seen as they approached in their original sojourn.
Over the millenia the blood born boon brought to us by the "Sons of God", those children of light, who are our ancestral guardians and benefactors has infused all of our bodies despite the political and social barriers we have erected.
For sure we retain the bulk of our primate heritage which mandates that we continue seeing those across the way as other, and in typical primate fashion we will likely continue to require conflict as a basis for our manner of interaction. However it seems to me that it behooves those who liken themselves to "Be Wise" to hasten the evolutionary process and simply "Get Over It"
I suppose it is probably too much to ask "Now Stay over it" but I am a bold sort and it doesn't bother me a bit to suggest that this might be the wisest thing to do.
We who honor the mark and celebrate the aegis of stellar wisdom lore amongst our kind certainly ought to be able to cobble together enough courage to stand our own ground without |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 31 December 2008 |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 25 December 2008 |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Friday, 19 December 2008 |
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Before I start Please play this Audio File.
We have passed through the fires of Hells Hall, the Samhain blaze that reduces us to dust of the Earth and Stars. These are times that try the souls of those with nothing but clay and pottery shards to speak for their sojourn. But for those with the forgemaster at their heels this is a clarion call. You have yourself and those of your kin to serve and the time is now for you to sharpen your blade and cut through the layers which bind the unknowing to turmoil and strife. Fail not my Brothers and Sisters, Fail not. Join me in the forum http://tradwitch.com/component/option,com_fireboard/Itemid,36/func,view/catid,11/id,564/#564 talk to me. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 22 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 |
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The Whole Earth catalog was a hippy extravaganza which informed my generation. We gave you Free Sex, the idea that spiritual enlightenment could be gained by the use of drugs (Psychic Stimulants), and Rock N Roll. We also presided over the Pagan Renaissance of the latter third of the Twentieth Century. Yes we were idealistic and suffered from the sin of being brash youth. But werever you are now, you didn't get here without our efforts , naive as they may have been. I will leave the gentle reader to peruse Wikipedia and other sources to discover the salient facts behind the history behind the WEC. But why stop there. Do your own Archeological digging. the entire thing is now online. http://www.wholeearth.com/issue-electronic-edition.php?iss=2064 As a teaser please allow me to point you at "Plant Teachers and the Path of Eve" by Dale Pendell, published in the Winter 1998 issue. NINETEEN NINETY EIGHT! http://www.wholeearth.com/issue/1340/article/60/plant.teachers.and.the.path.of.eve
Extraterrestrials, Carbon Atoms, and Mystical Poetry - Oh My! Quelle Surprise! |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 14 December 2008 |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A burglar who broke into a house claims he was held captive by a "supernatural figure" for three days without food and water, officials said.
Police official Abdul Marlik Hakim Johar told The Star newspaper the house's owners found the 36-year-old man fatigued and dehydrated when they returned from vacation Thursday.
He says they called an ambulance to take him to a hospital. The man told police that every time he tried to escape, a "supernatural figure" shoved him to the ground. Abdul Marlik could not immediately be reached and other police officials declined to comment. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 14 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-galhgKDvNg |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 December 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Monday, 24 November 2008 |
I have been watching with interest the various conversations and
opinions regarding Witchcraft Traditions, whatever their origin.
It seems to me that all we have to offer are opinions regarding issues
which cannot be proven in the scientific sense, and which for the most
part derive from romantic fantasies of one sort or the other.
It is my opinion that the Art Magical and the Elder faith derive from
mystical sources which transcend the human condition, and which emerge
in a variety of manifestations over time and space.
My own understanding of these issues does not rely on specific
terrestrial location since it traces it's aegis to a stellar origin.
I have personally experienced instances of "High Sabbat Energy" in
the remote Hills of Northern California ( Hi Eldri :-), The site of
the White Horse Chalk Figure in Uffington, and my own back yard in
Rhode Island.
This does not discount the History of Traditional Craft on the Old
sod, nor does it eliminate the New world territory of the American
Continent.
In my no so humble opinion Witchblood/Witchfire flows in our
collective veins and is capable of breaching the planetary mantle
anywhere on this planet where there are individuals receptive to it
and capable or carrying forward the gnosis brought foreward by it.
Temporal folkloric instances are valuable waymarks on the crooked path
and the cunning |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 24 November 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
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Tonight I was communicating with some off shore Sys Admins that work in my group. Oct 9th is an important festival in their calendar, Dasara which commemorates the triumph of good over evil and which honors Mother Durga amongst others in their pantheon. At the end of doing our business , I sent him the line "Jai Mata Durga" and he responded with "Jai Mata Di. I regularly speak with these guys who are on the same team with me but who live on the other side of the planet. They are quite interested that I understand some aspects of their faith, and honor their pantheism. Most of the other American team members know absolutely nothing about their lives and their ways. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 October 2008 )
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Written by Dikki Jo Mullen
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Sunday, 24 August 2008 |
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The Black Moon of August 30, 2008
Nearly everyone has heard the phrase ‘Once In A Blue Moon’, referring to the rare and serendipitous occurrence of two Full Moons in a single month. Far fewer know of the Black Moon. The Black Moon, despite its sinister title, is equally lucky, but more mysterious. The Black Moon is the second New Moon in a single month. Usually about three to four years will pass between either Black or Blue Moons. The wise will make the most of the promise of the special magic the Black and Blue lunations invoke. The Black Moon opens a portal to other dimensions. It’s a time to connect with ghosts, the world of faerie and the planes of the ascended masters. Deep meditations under this cycle can bring guidance and answers on many levels. The intent is to help us all to cope with and understand the current planetary, political , cosmic and economic changes!
The August 30, 2008 Black Moon is at the 7th degree of Virgo, applying to conjoin Saturn and trine Jupiter. Serious issues involving the Earth and security are in the thoughts and hearts of many. Healing, service, animal companions, idealistic standards, communication and precision are the keynotes. The Sabian symbol is “a dance class instruction”, suggesting excellence in skill, cooperation and moving in harmony with others. The fixed star Zosma , a triple star of pale yellow and violet, hovers near a Virgo stellium involving the Sun, Moon and Saturn. The message is to rise above melancholy and altruistically consider the needs of others. Honor the greater good. Zosma does not favor the self serving. Riches and rewards will come to those who help others and are willing to grow.
The carnelian agate (health) and sapphire (peaceful love) are favorable crystals to wear or carry, colors to select for candles and wardrobe include mauve, navy, grey and lime. The aromatherapy fragrances of lavender (cheerful friends) and raspberry (anti stress) are desirable. Connect with Guardian Angel Auriel for blessings and favor. The influence of the Black Moon stays in force until the next New Moon on September 29, 2008. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 August 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 17 August 2008 |
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The following is the bulk of a posting I made on Dawn Jacksons "Traditional Witchcraft" yahoo list. It was in response to some discussion regarding the co-option and "Dumbing down" of the concept of Traditional Witchcraft. In the early 1970's, at least here in America, there were three women
who publicly identified the Craft Current they followed as Traditional
in the Pagan Press/Zines of that era.
Those three were:
Gwen Thompson in Connecticut
Bonnie Sherlock In Wyoming
Kitty Lessing in Florida
Victor Andersons people, wisely chose to eschew that particular "Name
Game" and have homegrown their own Feri/Faerie brand which is to their
credit.
This can be verified by even a casual investigation of the "Green Egg"
which was the paramount journal in circulation here in the States
during that decade.
Mikes "The Cauldron" was known about but from my experience was not
commonly subscribed to.
Mike: I'd really be interested if you had any figures you could share
on how many American subscriptions you had in a typical year circa
1970 to 1990.
Anyway, in the 1970's the Craft groups who followed the paths as set
out By Gardner and Sanders never EVER used the term Traditional or
Traditionalist. They strictly adhered to the monikers of Gardnerian,
Alexandrian, or the sometimes confusing Al-Gard for those who followed
a mixed lineage.
The self identified Traditionalists made it clear that they were a
different breed of Witch from those groups which derived from Gardners
Wica and Sanders Neo-Classical Paganism and I do not recall a single
objection to the contrary. In fact the American Traditionalists were
happily singled out as "Not Like Us" by the American Gardnerians
Alexandrians and Al-Gards.
The Traditionalists were (and still are) decidedly Old Craft and
Luciferian in both Style and Lore, something that the typical 1970's
era Witches were desperately trying to deny and live down.
Gwen Thompson and Bonnie Sherlock bonded in a vivid and prolific
correspondence relationship, which led to them both sharing their
holdings fairly freely.
Kitty Lessing tended to march to the beat of her own drum, and she
disappeared from the scene well before the onset of the 1980's decade.
(If anyone out there holds a kinship to her, feel free to contact me
off list, I have a few personal letters from her which might be
valuable assets to your archives)
Bonnie Sherlock suffered from type one diabetes and while I do not
recall the exact year of her passing, I'm quite sure it was very early
in the 1980's or in the late 1970's.
I know that there were people she trained, but if they have retained a
continuing presence I am not aware of it. (I can make the same offer
in regard to personal correspondence from Bonnie, along with my
recollections of a single visit to meet her circa 1973)
Somewhere around the mid to late 1980's, after all three of these
Ladys had exited the scene or passed on, the terms "British
Tradtional" started being usurped by The Gardnerian and Alexandrian
groups that had previously shunned it as unclean due to its perceived
diabolical connections. And thus we have the current disparity in
which American Gardnerian and Alexandrian lineage Witches call
themselves "British Traditional" while their kin in the UK do no such
thing.
In recent years I have noticed, much to my dismay, that the term
"Traditional Craft" is becoming similarly co-opted
It has been suggested to me that those who have identified as
Traditionalist since the aegis of publicly acknowledged Witchcraft in
modern America ought to now abandon that term and "move on" to
"Traditional Initiatory Witchcraft" (TIW) to which I boldly reply
BULLSHIT!
My suggestion is that they really ought to roll back to their (one C)
Wica and be happy with it. I recommend abandoning their quest to
hijack every term that seems to be du jour and thus a suitable target
for adoption.
These terms are NOT orphans, they are NOT seeking a new home!
Now all this said, I am well aware that I will probably have bruised
the feelings of many Neo Pagan Wic(c)ans whom I've befriended over the
years and for that I can only say "Deal With It" Feels free to come yell at me or otherwise discuss this issue in the FORUM |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 17 August 2008 )
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Written by Dikki Jo Mullen
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Thursday, 31 July 2008 |
Double eclipses and a rare Black Moon Stalk the Lion!
Astrology Forecast For August , 2008
(Solar Eclipse in the New Moon 1n Leo on Aug. 1, 2008, 6:13 AM EDT, Lunar eclipse at the Full Moon in Aquarius on August 16 at 5:10 PM EDT, The New Moon on August 30 is a rare Black Moon )
By Rev. Dr. Dikki-Jo Mullen, Astrologer
A Cosmic Promise For A Most Uncommon Time!
“The shadow of the eclipse” is a technical term astrologers use to refer to the volatile time preceding an eclipse. It is a cycle of change bringing a hint of the even greater changes to come. The end of July, 2008, definitely brought an intriguing eclipse shadow. Dr. Edgar Mitchell, former astronaut and one of only a dozen people to walk on the Moon, called a press conference at his Lake Worth, Florida home. A Virgo, born on September 17, 1930, this respected scientist and Navy officer announced that aliens (the outer space type) are definitely among us. Southern California was rocked by a major earthquake. This happened while television shows were being filmed. A genuine courtroom drama was shown on the evening news as judge, defendants and plaintiffs alike rushed for safety and cover from Judge Judy’s Courtroom. Afterward Judge Judy herself advised people to have a plan in the event of future quakes!
A glance at the ephemeris (astrologers’ reference for planetary motion) for August, 2008 brings a gasp of amazement. Cosmic patterns reveal that this month can be a rare pivotal time in the lives of many, indeed in world history itself. Looking back and forth at the two eclipses (on August 1 and August 16) which are followed by a rare Black Moon on August 30, my first instinct is to retreat to my three treasured 19th Century Farmer’s Almanacs for a moment of reflection and meditation to regain perspective and balance.
For August the 1823 “Farmer’s Almanack by Robert Thomas”
Offers a helpful observation:
“On nature’s face there’s many a smile
Which luxury and peace betoken,
It pays the labourer for the toil,
In health and joy and rest unbroken.”
August 1 is Lammastide, the ancient Celtic festival of late summer and early harvest. This year of 2008 brings a total solar eclipse at the Leo New Moon on Lammas. For those who follow the old ways the traditional observances of Lammas can bring a deep spiritual experience. The Solar eclipse conjoins Mercury showing that changing mindsets and mental attitudes, important communication, travel and education can be a focus. The Sabian symbol for the eclipse degree (9 Leo 32’) reads “Early Morning dew”. Eternal refreshment and rejuvenation, the promise of a new day’s dawn, coincide with the promise of a new month. The wise will be alert and stay on top of all that is progressive.
The two week period between August’s eclipses brings the Olympics in China. Prepare for surprise wins and losses among the athletes as well as amazing Olympic celebrations and situations. Anyone with a birthday in August can expect the start of a banner year. For everyone else, take out your horoscope and look at the natal planets in Leo and Aquarius. They are highlighted and will be very active in your life.
The lunar eclipse on August 16 is at 24 degrees Aquarius 21 minutes. It conjoins Neptune which is in mutual reception with Uranus. Both planets rule aliens as well as unusual weather. More evidence of Dr. Mitchell’s claims as well as seismic and storm activity are likely near this date. Creative and spiritual breakthroughs for those involved in the mystic arts, music, film or visual arts can occur. The Sabian symbol is “A watch dog standing guard”. Hold onto and protect that which you treasure, the symbol hints . Integrity, strength and devotion will lead to success.
As August ends Venus and Mercury will join Mars in Libra. Social contacts, teamwork and appreciation of beauty in all forms will be accented. It’s an optimum time to assemble a medicine bag of crystals, for Libra has a special link with gemstones. The Black Moon (the very rare second New Moon in a single month) will be at 7 Virgo 48’, 3:58 pm EDT on August 30. The Black Moon is fey and mysterious, insights can come, there is an awareness of finer perceptions. The Virgo influence encourages breakthroughs in healing.
What Does August Mean To You? |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 July 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Friday, 04 July 2008 |
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Many years ago I had a fascinating experience at the exploratorium in San Francisco. I found myself standing in front of a small cloud chamber watching a most incredible miniature light show. The Cloud Chamber is a sealed environment containing a supercooled, supersaturated water or alcohol vapour and which detects and makes visible electrically charged particles moving through it.  Larger Image here: Looking inside I could see the swirling real time tracks forming and trailing away in full three dimensional goodness. I was struck that if these invisible particles were penetrating the space in front of me then they were also penetrating the space inside of me. Inside my gut, inside my heart, inside my brain. There it was for the eye to see. Cosmic interplay that is older than life, older than consciousness, older than everything we can conceive of. Straight lines and Spirals combining in an orgasmic sigilic frenzy. Are their paths fated ? Is this the order in chaos? Is it an illusion, a clever trick of some power unknown to our comprehension? I don't know but I think it is some kind of clue to things we as Witches pursue. This blog entry came about via the catalyst of a posting in our forum in the "Musings on our Arte - 2008" thread. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 July 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 12 April 2008 |
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Due to a schedule that was very densely packed with things to do, places to go and people to see combined with very limited network access I was not able to blog directly during my recent pilgrimage to the Blessed Isles. Since returning I have been navigating the accumulated work load that awaited me along with the obligatory parting gift of a nasty cold picked up in that toxic petri dish called Heathrow. However this seems like as good a time as any to write up my experiences for the blog. We arrived In London on the morning of the 28th (Greenwich Time) and picked up our rental vehicle ready to head out and encounter the wonders of the landscape on our way to Wales. The two main items on the agenda were the White Horse of Uffington and the Roman remains in Bath. We would be lead on our quest by the tutelary spirit of the rented Satellite Navigator “Tom Tom”, which was a strange name considering the voice which came forth was decidedly female. Being a devotee of my Magellan unit back home, I quickly found that Tom Tom did not respond readily to the invocations and spells I was already familiar with. It was necessary to delve into the 93 page Grimoire (User Manual) that purported to reveal arcane secrets for the proper prayers and mudras required to get “Tom Tom” to communicate in a comely form. Fortunately the 93 pages were actually only three real pages of instructions printed in 31 different languages. Unfortunately the three real pages of instructions weren't very much help at all. So we lumbered on and managed to elicit directions to Uffington itself, but we were on our own as to how best to get to the horse. This is where experience with being “fairy led” comes in handy, and we managed through a serious of totally coincidental moves to find a car park designed to the bustling traffic of visitors thankfully to find we were the only ones. I guess Friday Morning isn't exactly peak traffic time at the White Horse. It quickly became obvious that the vantage point from the car park was designed to discourage walking out the the chalk figure itself and I allowed my mind to range a bit and became convinced that we should consider driving up the road some more and see what that offered.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 April 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Thursday, 13 March 2008 |
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Two weeks from today I will be winging my way across the Atlantic for a long overdue UK visit. The first week of the trip will be spent in Wales and then down in the south western countryside. This will be my first visit to the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle and then we will wind our way back to London stopping in Glastonbury and Cerne Abbas. The dollar is in the tank but a Witch has got to do what a Witch is gonna do. It has been over twelve years since my last "Somerset Fix" and I'm ready to soak up some of the magickal mist that can only be found in Avalon. I also need to replenish my supply of sacred well water. My excuse for not posting a blog entry in weeks isthat I've been super busy with planning and preparation not to mention trying to get the load of my "Day Job" managed so that I can relax while I'm away. It's no vacation if you have to work three times as hard for a month after you return! I'll have a laptop with me and hope to be able to post pictures along the way. Eastward - HO!!!! Follow this link to the Forum Posting |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 March 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Saturday, 02 February 2008 |
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In 1972 Robin Williamson released "Myrrh", his first solo effort after the demise of "The Incredible String band".
One track stands out as a complete departure from anything you have ever heard before or since. Many ballads tell us tales of the Fairys and Fairy abduction, but for the most part they tell their story from the perspective of the Humans involved and it is the Fairys who purloin Human victims. 'The Dancing of the Lord of Weir' turns that script on it's head and tells us the tale of how a local Noble, The Lord of Weir, steals a Fairy Princess away to his castle keep and how her Fay Kin rescue her from bondage. Follow the link back to our Forum where I have posted a copy of this fascinating song and it's Lyrics. You won't be sorry you did. This is a very different kind of Fairy tale. < Follow this link to the Forum Posting |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 February 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 |
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The Crooked Path is mandated by the Science of Chaos.
There is no such thing as a straight line, it is a fantasy which prevails amongst the men of clay in order to prevent them from following the path of light.
Whenever you THINK you are on an "Olde Straight Track" you have forgotten that the Triad of Fate Time and Circumstance conspire to masquerade in a way that prevents you from observing that you exist on a shifting platform thus creating an illusion of stability beneath the ever shifting reality only understood by those with access to the mystic realm.
The point of realization where this paradox collapses the state vector of your consensus reality creates a sacred well that taps into the stream of consciousness running beneath the terrestrial surface, otherwise known as the underworld.
If you dare sup from that which wells up then thrice blessed are thou and from thenceforth shall thy blood become infused with the character of all those who have gone before within the current. Thou shall be called to the Grand Sabbat, and there shall thou dance in ecstasy until thy soul be satiated with the Serpent fire.
Be thou Wise, Fare forth upon the path when the entrance is presented to you. It may not come to you a second time, fail not. Discuss this transmission in our Forum |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 January 2008 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 26 December 2007 |
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I have just installed a Tarot Card Module which you will find over on the left margin of the site screen. It features four different kinds of spreads. The Tarot card designs are quite nice, being the work of http://nerrawsoft.com/hosting/ |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 December 2007 )
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Written by owen93
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Wednesday, 26 December 2007 |
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Recently a topic about Margaret Murrays work and the treatment of same in Ronald Huttons
research was being discussed on Dawn Jacksons "Traditional Witchcraft Yahoo List" and the following is a rant that I posted as a response. I'm converting it to a blog entry here and pointing it at a Forum Posting for further discussion
I confess that I had never read Huttons books in full and have thus
far relied upon smaller articles and paraphrasing of his findings by
others.
Recently I encountered a rather strongly worded polemic with negative
connotations regarding Andrew Chumbley and the Cultus Sabbati which
cited Hutton as evidence for some of the the accusations. I was rather
taken back by that as I had not previously encountered anything
negative regarding that institution and it's most illustrious member.
This led me to purchase a copy of the most recent Edition of Huttons
"Triumph of the Moon" allowing me to look the citations up myself.
I found that the sections cited not only did not support the claims I
had read, IMNSHO they asserted quite the opposite.
At that point I decided I might as well read the whole book since I
had it in hand.
I'm only about five chapters into it, and I can see that Professor
Hutton is taking a massively comprehensive approach and leaving very
little off the table in setting up the modern historical conditions
which led us to the revival of interest in Witchcraft that some of us
old farts experienced during the second half of the twentieth century.
Undoubtedly this makes for tedious reading for those who may only be
interested in building a stage for their pet Neo-Neo Romantic notions
regarding survival of Pagan Theology and I can see how some might wind
up glossing over Huttons extensive treatment of the details involved
in the 19th century Greek Revival, Celtic Revival and other Neo
Romantic flotsam that entered the popular vernacular in the first half
of the twentieth century.
The sense I get is that Hutton does not heap particular scorn or blame
on Murray but rather includes her as just ONE of many who succumbed to
the "tone of the times" and like so many even today she simply sought
to prove what she already believed for all the best reasons.
I think one of the things that bugs me the most is our all too human
tendency to throw shit on others and then complain that they stink.
I get particularly annoyed that derision is often cast on some public
and semi public figures from the Neo Pagan Revival of the last
century for erroneously believing the Wiccan Hype and making specious
claims to cover up their adoption of such material in an attempt to
backfill what seemed to be gaps and holes in otherwise traditional
holdings. While at the same time those throwing the rocks claim
Cochranes overt efforts of "Truth bending" cleverly renamed "Grey
Magic" was perfectly acceptable.
I prefer to believe this was mostly done for "all the best reasons"
and I tend not to buy into the invective that they were just trying to
feather their own nest for personal gain. If Cochrane lied his ass off
to impress his audience and is lauded for doing so, then I don't see
why others should be tarred and feathered for doing the same thing.
I suspect that getting others to believe you is a core skill of the
cunning art and that the true masters of our art, like the master of
the illusory arts of legerdemain, never descend to the scurrilous act
of attempting to raise their own credibility at the expense of others.
(IE: Stage Magicians do not expose the secrets of how their
competition achieve their effects.)
From my own experience the era between the mid 1960's and our current
time has been riddled with a succession of "Witch Wars" and campaigns
of "Bad Mouthing" and I for one am just tired of it. When I see others
engage in it my first instinct is to back away and keep my distance
because I don't think it takes a huge store of Wisdom to know that
someone who "turns on" one associate will eventually get around to
working the same drill on others and that it should be no surprise
when the target winds up on your own back.
I'm fairly well read regarding the history of Witchcraft and it seems
to me that this tendency of modern Witches to savage each other over
differences in traditional belief has no analog in the past. If there
is I'm perfectly happy to be corrected on that score.
LUX ./. owen |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 December 2007 )
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Written by Dikki Jo Mullen
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Thursday, 06 December 2007 |
The Bright Thunderbolt In The Claw of The Darkest Dragon
Star Study Of The Rare Jupiter-Pluto Conjunction
December, 2007 Astrology Insights
By Dikki-Jo Mullen, Astrologer and Parapsychologist
Astrologers are waiting and watching in anticipation! On Tuesday, December 11, 2007 a very rare Jupiter- Pluto conjunction will occur at 28 degrees 24 minutes of Sagittarius! Events which unfold and decisions made near that date can make quite an impact. This applies to the Planet as a whole, the stage of world affairs and to the dramas unfolding in our personal lives. Jupiter, the largest of planets has a traditional link with both Zeus and Thor. The hurling thunderbolt, signifying the power of great divine intervention gives a key from traditional mythology as to what can be expected when Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius and co ruler of Pisces, is at work. Pluto, ruler of Scorpio and God of the mysterious world of shadows, has long been portrayed as a dragon; splendid, unfathomable … and potent and untouchable. Pluto has profound potential for both good and evil. When these two planets connect in the zodiac ….Wow!! Regenerate, improve, evolve, while vibrating to the pervasive sense of divine reality can occur. Philosophical beliefs, education, breaking old restrictions with improved methodologies in various way are what we can expect. The Sabian Symbol for the conjunction and the fixed star Sinistra, which hovers nearby, provide further clues. Both factors will highlight the Jupiter-Pluto merger. Sinistra is a small twinkle in the |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 December 2007 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
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So it seems that the Roman Catholic Church is in an uproar over "The Golden Compass" a Movie adaption of "His Dark Materials" by religious skeptic Philip Pullman. They fear that it will indoctrinate their precious little babes into scorning the churches spiritual authority. Call me a cynic, but I'm just not impressed by the Vaticans sincerity in opposing the indoctrination of children into religious dogma. Considering the infamous Jesuit motto "Give me the child until he is seven, and I shall give you the man" and the theocratic blackmail that The Roman church exerts upon those who marry outside their faith I feel quite certain that the real beef is that they cannot stand anyone else elbowing in on what they see as "Their Territory". Welcome to our world, Hollywood has been characterizing Witches and Witchcraft as everything that is evil in the western world since it's earliest era while largely giving the very real historical evils that were perpetrated in the name of Jesus a complete pass. So they will just have to excuse me while I snicker softly to myself about their current consternation. Please join me in discussion of this topic in our forum .
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 )
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Written by owen93
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
| | Karma: 2 | During the twenty five years I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area I had the privilege of kinship within the Northern European Heathen organization Freyas Folk. My time was well spent learning the ways of my Teutonic ancestors and even better spent enjoying the kinship of each and every one of my peers within Freyas Folk. The modern Northern European Heathen movement encompasses a wide spectrum of variety in how individual kindreds manifest their devotion to the faith. and the reconstruction of the connection to their Gods. Freyas Folks was more magickly oriented than most Heathen groups and if you will pardon the cliche, Witchier than most. In the early days of the Heathen movement Prudence Priest, the leader of Freyas Folk, was thrown out of the Asatru Free Assembly for being "A Witch". they labeled her as an urban degenerate for polluting the movement with her sorcerous style. Years later when the Ring Of Troth became a dominant force in modern Heathenry Prudence was elected Steerswoman for a term because they wanted someone with Sorcery Street Cred at the time. My personal path is Traditionalist Witchcraft and I feel lucky to have gained solid training in those Arts and attachment to a vibrant current therein. But that training was immeasurably enhanced by my time amongst the Heathens of Freyas Folk and I raise my mead horn in their honor. This brings me to the point where I would like to also heap praise on some other Heathens which I just recently found in my internet travels. Namely "Hex Magazine" can be found on the internet at hexmagazine.comI highly recommend you give it a look and if you like what you see consider purchasing hardcopy issues. I purchased both of the first two issues and I am absolutely astounded at both the production values and the superior content. Just to start with the issues feature full color on nearly every page and paper stock throughout heavier than most magazines use for their covers. This project is clearly fielded by folks who know their PrintCraft very well and set out to create the very best product possible. Do not be put off by the price, these two issues are worth every penny of their cover price, this is not just some ordinary "runny soy ink" glossy piece that you'll toss in the corner of the bookshelf. These are keepers. I believe that Witches of all persuasions would find something of value here in these pages whether they have any history or knowledge of the Heathen path or not. I suspect that just the producers attention to detail and excellence in execution stand as an example of "How To Do It Right". Particularly the article on "Threshold Warding" ought to be required reading for all with a threshold of their own worth warding! Comments are welcome in the Media Madness Forum |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 |
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On my various travels around the Internet to other Witchcraft related sites and in a number of publications I run into jokes and statements of derison about "Fluffy Bunny Wiccans/Pagans". It is quite a humerous term but I'm wondering what does it really mean? A Site which advertises itself as "Wicca for the rest of us" presents one authors take of the subject of Fluffy Bunnies but frankly I find myself wondering about someone who describes Fluffies as " people who, most broadly categorized, give the rest of us a bad name, not by doing bad or objectionable things but instead being unserious, sophomoric, or just plain wrong" on one line and then "Those who refuse to learn, refuse to think and refuse to consider the possibility that they could possibly ever be wrong" three lines later. Well - whatever - I really don't take serious issue with the article, it is quite fun and when it gets down to brass tacks sums it up as "Fluffy Bunnies are frequently attracted to Wicca for the sake of appearance". I couldn't agree more. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 October 2007 )
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Written by owen93
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 |
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I began my personal journey pursuing Witchcraft at a very young age, somewhere around nine years old. I didn't know what a Witch was but I knew I was one and I had a strong sense that Witches were not quite simply the characatures drawn in childrens books and modern versions of fairy tales. My youthful fascination grew and was fueled by access to a library with an exceptionally comprehensive occult collection. I was a voracious reader and had absorbed most of the classics available prior to 1960 by the age of twelve. This included all eight volumes of " The History of Magic and Experimental Science by Lynn Thorndike". I can't tell you that I had any genuine grasp on the material but I read it and I imagine something of it must have embedded itself into my juvenile brain because this period of my life has colored all that has transpired since. The fascination waned in my early teens being replaced by an equally obsessive interest in Science but it never really went away, it simply lay close under the surface and I was ever vigilant to find connections between the two. I sought that elusive glue which I thought most certainly mediated the relationship between physics and metaphysics. In my early 20's I discovered the book "Witches USA" By Susan Roberts. This book spoke about Witches in a different way. It presented Witchcraft and it's practitioners |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 30 January 2009 )
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Written by Summoner
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Sunday, 22 April 2007 |
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Welcome to our site, TradWitch.com. This site champions the Traditionalist form of Witchcraft which follows forms of praxis and lore with roots in a multitude of traditional sources. This site is owned and operated by Opdhidiana, a non profit educational organisation. All who follow the path of Magickal Arte and the Elder Faiths of their Ancestors are welcome. It is recognized that there are many differences across the wide array of faithful practitioners which fall under the loosely defined banner of Witchcraft. It is our belief that we can celebrate some differences and simply agree to disagree about the more difficult issues without descending to rancor. It is our belief that we can learn to converse civilly with each other and thereby gain in wisdom and comity.Shakespeare wrote "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.". The word Tradition is a noun and its simplest definition means "Something that is handed down" or " a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices". The word Traditional is the adjective form of the word Tradition. In it's simplest form Traditional means "in accordance with tradition". We are using the word Traditionalist which takes the form of both a noun and an adjective. In the former it means "Adherence to tradition, especially in cultural or religious practice" and in its adjective form means "stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded". We at Tradwitch.com are proud to be stubborn in our adherence to the Traditions of our Elder Faith and narrowly focused on the cultural and religious praxis derived from them. We are still working on building the site out however registration is open and we welcome your participation. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 September 2007 )
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