I’ve had several “craft” names over the years, each marking an achievement or a transition. But for the purposes of Wicca Discovery, I’m choosing to work under my legal name. In any event, I am your hostess, and I have been serving as a learning and research resource in these fields for roughly 20 years. Additionally, I serve on several interfaith discussion councils and I have made it my business to study every path to the divine I can find. So far as I’m concerned, sharing my own knowledge and experience with other people is a vital part of my spiritual journey, but also if I aim to teach, I should let you know more about me and the life circumstances that have brought me to this point.
I think I had the best and healthiest spiritual upbringing a child could experience. To begin, my parents were themselves spiritual explorers, having thought through the mainstream dogma of their youth to a point of universal acceptance and a belief of the divine inherent in everything (and in nothing). We had no labels and really didn’t need any. They taught me the basics of morality and ethics, and the significance of the intangible, that which really couldn’t be described in words. There were Neopagan and Wiccan influences, but I was encouraged to study and experience all faiths so that I might be of better service to humanity.
The following bit of verse is how I’ve managed to best explain my spiritual origins and my understanding.
My path is sacred, though it names nothing deity
Yet all things like wind and snails and light are holy
This path is me, is mine, is myself
The guiding light of the heart glows in my mind’s eye
Compassion, kindness, love and gentle regard
Acting the words for those without a voice
Cherishing this moment, right now, as the best ever
Secure in the gnosis of the Aether and the Other
Laughter is the language of the spirit
So has been the path so far
No female figure has ever been as strong and as meaningful to me as my own mother. Not only has she been everything maternal, she encouraged me to embrace what in my experience other mothers were hesitant to discuss—my own being as a woman and the journey of womanhood. She never used the word “Goddess” exactly, but she evoked a kind of reverence and devotion within me, that which I came to know as the Goddess. When I reached menarche at ten years old, my mother helped me celebrate my transition and demonstrated how this cycle was a manifestation of the female divine. That I am now at this point on the path of the Goddess began with my mother encouraging me to take joy in being of the female divine.
I don’t think I qualify as a beginner—but on the other hand, aren’t we all beginners in the eyes of the Goddess? It’s my rule to teach with humility and my goal that no one should ever be made uncomfortable.
I began my studies in depth with the Temple of the Ways, a progressive Pagan tradition celebrating the goddess Nehallenia. In addition to being an active member in the Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess, I began several new Goddess-oriented projects and initiatives—Spiral Way, Grove of the Seven Sisters, the Tribe of Theagenia, the Sisterhood of Themiskyra, and most recently Kitty Boston Coven Unlimited in honor of my grandmother.
I earned my BA from Muhlenberg College in History/Religious Studies/Linguistics in 1993, and went on to pursue graduate studies at Florida State University. I have both taken and taught independent coursework in the history of Neopaganism, Reconstructionism, group and individual therapy, group dynamics, and mediation/conflict resolution.
I am a regular participant and occasional ritual leader in local groups and circles. But I go where I am needed, and so I often serve as visiting clergy with other groups. My favorite action is when I attend interfaith gatherings as a representative of alternative faiths. I carry the community with me, and I am honored to speak as best I can on everyone’s behalf.
Walking my path has been a sincere spiritual adventure, one that has challenged ideas of which I was once certain and one that has helped me develop new thoughts. That I have evolved in mind and spirit over the years is an absolute for me. At the end of the day, I would like to discover who we are and why are we here.
Wicca celebrates the Goddess and the God, but a lot of my personal spiritual is Goddess-oriented. This is not because I’m somehow against males, but rather because in this incarnation I happen to be female.
My home grove, where my coven gathers and where other associated groups join us in celebration and observation, and I call this place of serenity Blue Avalon. A reflection of the Goddess Herself, Blue Avalon has many layers. For me, Blue Avalon is a place of the spirit, what I call Blue Avalon of the Mind. The grove is also Blue Avalon of the Heart and Blue Avalon of the Soul. But whatever I call it, Blue Avalon is a vital part of me, a place very real both physically and spiritually.
When we consider Blue Avalon as a geographic place of dreams, the grove is an earthly manifestation of the Goddess. She shows us the path to Blue Avalon, which can be a metaphor for the process of attaining wisdom and reflection. The boundaries can be crossed and the challenge is surmountable, but we are still required to make an effort in the journey. In Blue Avalon we are not burdened with the seductive flash of the modern world. Instead we are gifted with a simple splendor, the gentle beauty of trees and hills, the crisp sweetness of apples and the pure taste of cold spring water. Blue Avalon is the Goddess showing Her love.
Yet the Goddess sometimes seems intangible and untouchable. This is no cruel joke or a streak of malice. Rather this is the natural result of our mortal human condition trying to reach across a cosmic gulf to touch the divine. Blue Avalon then is a construct that represents that divine in images and feelings we are able to experience and understand. If a woman wants to connect with the Goddess, all she need do is bite into an apple.
Blue Avalon is sometimes imagined as a place of peaceful endings. For me, Blue Avalon is a land of new beginnings. When I picture the grove and I feel what for me is the Goddess within, I experience an eagerness to learn, to explore new things. I feel that I have only a cursory understanding of Blue Avalon, and the grove is beckoning me to undertake the journey to a more complete understanding. I am encouraged to seek, and to realize that there is truly never any real end to the search. I am inspired.
Much like the cupped hand of the Goddess, Blue Avalon is a cradle of nurturing energies. For many years I have found refuge in the Blue Avalon of my mind. By eating a symbolic apple and drinking from the symbolic well, I am refreshed and renewed. I am made whole and strong and ready to tackle the challenges on my path.
What does Blue Avalon mean to me? Blue Avalon represents the reason I am on the path of the Goddess. Blue Avalon is not only comfort and beauty, but it is the strength to rise up and meet adversity. Just as I feel the Goddess has embraced me, Blue Avalon is welcoming me, and there is much work to be done.
I tend to be an optimist. I believe that circumstances will work out for the best. But our lives aren’t always about the good and the positive. We may find ourselves in despair so deep we begin to question how we can go on—or if we can go on at all. This is the time when we find out who and what we really are, and what we are capable of doing.
But it’s how to survive that may be the knowledge that will serve Blue Avalon and her faithful the best. We’ve all been in pain, we’ve all known suffering. Life is not about avoiding the unpleasant, for the unpleasant is part of life. But it’s these challenges that allow us to find out who we are and how strong we can be. I would share this understanding—how to work through pain as a challenge to be accepted and surmounted. If we are refreshed by the Goddess and a bit of Blue Avalon, we can all find the inner strength to survive when life goes sour. After all, there is much joy and beauty in life, but these things require their balance. To me, being of Blue Avalon means accepting the dark, the painful, and the sad as the natural entities they are.
Considering the state of the world, kinship is more important than ever. We need to know we can rely upon each other. Perhaps the fire of kinship that we can kindle in Blue Avalon can create a light that will pervade the world. I want to share this philosophy, the philosophy of taking what comes as from the Greater Powers and meeting its challenges. We all can push through the pain.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Wicca Discovery Rede
Wicca is a world religion.
It is not a joke. It is not a cult. It is not a fad.
Wicca shall maintain a relationship of peace and respect with all other faiths.
Wicca is a union of individual experiences.
It builds from the ground up instead of embracing what trickles down.
Women and men are equals. We are all equal to each other.
What we might call divine is constantly revealed in the natural universe and in ourselves.
Our charge is a lifetime of learning and accepting change.
Morally we are-self regulating and aided by karma.
Kitty Boston Coven Unlimited
We are a group of Wiccans and Witches with a good sprinkling of Pagan practices that was founded in Philadelphia, PA in 2002. In 2012 we celebrated our tenth anniversary as a working and celebrating coven.
Kitty Boston was my paternal grandmother who passed from this plane just months before I was born. I have been raised on stories of her activism and her struggles to secure justice and fairness, especially for women and labor groups. The values of the coven are the same values Kitty stood for and shared with her community. In my place as High Priestess and mentor I truly feel that I am carrying out the mission left to me by my grandmother—and it’s occurred to all of us more than once that perhaps I am Kitty reincarnated. Personally, I rely on the inspiration of the former and simply enjoy the fascinating possibility of the latter.
Our coven has expanded to accommodate a much larger member base through an online presence. This way anyone from anywhere who feels moved to join our numbers may do so easily. We have not yet looked closely into forming hive covens from online groups, but the discussion is certainly open.
The basic purpose of this coven is explained in the Goddess Quartet.
Whatever path we walk, we have four main objectives:
TO KNOW
We cannot serve the powers if we remain content to wallow in ignorance. Therefore we must always be on the alert, always ready to learn and work to understand. Knowing is perhaps our greatest tool.
TO WILL
Our strength comes from our determination and our perseverance. As is said elsewhere, there are no shortcuts, only shortcomings. We must have the tenacity to see what we have begun carried through to its completion, and completion must be our greatest desire.
TO DARE
Moving forward in our personal quests is a test of our inner courage. We do not avoid such tests, as they are an essential part of spiritual growth. There are no easy answers and often there are no predictable outcomes, but we go forward all the same.
TO KEEP SILENT
There is great power in keeping our explorations and achievements to ourselves. In this way we develop our inner self, our inner most thoughts. We don’t need to share everything we do with everyone.
CREED UNLIMITED
Children of the Unlimited, the future is yours.
Leave those who prefer to cleave to old ways have their peace. No one is correct, no one is incorrect. Always bear in mind the importance of history and past learning, for it is these which are the building blocks of the future. But above all, never forget that the Unlimited Way faces the future. Our question is not what has been, but what will be, and how will we affect circumstances.
Our goddess is not a literal goddess. Rather, She is the embodiment of the “divine” essence that exists within everything and everywhere in the universe–our kind of panthiesm. She is all ideas of deity.
To be an Unlimited witch is to bear a great and pervasive responsibility–but never without deep rewards. By accepting this Creed you promise that you shall be a steward of all things–your fellow man, other life forms, your planet, other planets, the universe itself. In return you will find that you have capacities and capabilities far beyond usual human scope. You will, in reality, begin to see yourself not just as an earthling, but as a resident of the universe.
Assuming responsibility is your first obligation. The second involves studying and practicing a holistic kind of healing. One example is the practice of healing by touch. The majority of our healing comes in herbal form. We do not discount professional medical care. But we do understand that being healthy begins with taking care of ourselves–by being our own practitioners.
Kitty Boston Coven requires that you take up causes dear to Her and be an active participant in any way you can. The continuing erosion of spiritual freedoms affects all of us who practice non-standard paths. Support environmental reforms and projects. Endangered animals need our concern and protection. Take care of your earth and your fellow man.
Living is a constant exercise in magic. We have made “magic” such a normal part of our lives that it is virtually second nature. Much of the power of our magic comes from our own instincts and our own divinity within us. To this end, we do not do much in the way of spellwork, although we do create talismans and amulets. The study of magical texts from every tradition and every time period is a crucial part of existence. Never stop learning.
As you study magic, study also the language of the skies–astronomy. We embrace far beyond our own world. Know the stars and the planets. Pay attention to moon phases. Celebrate the four solar points of the year at the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice, and the Autumnal Equinox. Remember that to us there is life on planets other than the earth. Be open to the endless possibility of the stars.
At the same time, never neglect your obligation to teach from your own knowledge. You are free to teach the Unlimited Way to those who strike you as good candidates, but education goes far beyond that. Do everything you can, by whatever means you can, to see that good, factual information is disseminated. Knowledge is more than just power–knowledge is everything.
All paths are valid to those who walk them. Do your best to engage those on other paths in a most diplomatic way. We build bridges, we do not burn them.
Finally, in everything, let compassion be your guiding hand.
Kitty Boston was my paternal grandmother who passed from this plane just months before I was born. I have been raised on stories of her activism and her struggles to secure justice and fairness, especially for women and labor groups. The values of the coven are the same values Kitty stood for and shared with her community. In my place as High Priestess and mentor I truly feel that I am carrying out the mission left to me by my grandmother—and it’s occurred to all of us more than once that perhaps I am Kitty reincarnated. Personally, I rely on the inspiration of the former and simply enjoy the fascinating possibility of the latter.
Our coven has expanded to accommodate a much larger member base through an online presence. This way anyone from anywhere who feels moved to join our numbers may do so easily. We have not yet looked closely into forming hive covens from online groups, but the discussion is certainly open.
The basic purpose of this coven is explained in the Goddess Quartet.
Whatever path we walk, we have four main objectives:
TO KNOW
We cannot serve the powers if we remain content to wallow in ignorance. Therefore we must always be on the alert, always ready to learn and work to understand. Knowing is perhaps our greatest tool.
TO WILL
Our strength comes from our determination and our perseverance. As is said elsewhere, there are no shortcuts, only shortcomings. We must have the tenacity to see what we have begun carried through to its completion, and completion must be our greatest desire.
TO DARE
Moving forward in our personal quests is a test of our inner courage. We do not avoid such tests, as they are an essential part of spiritual growth. There are no easy answers and often there are no predictable outcomes, but we go forward all the same.
TO KEEP SILENT
There is great power in keeping our explorations and achievements to ourselves. In this way we develop our inner self, our inner most thoughts. We don’t need to share everything we do with everyone.
CREED UNLIMITED
Children of the Unlimited, the future is yours.
Leave those who prefer to cleave to old ways have their peace. No one is correct, no one is incorrect. Always bear in mind the importance of history and past learning, for it is these which are the building blocks of the future. But above all, never forget that the Unlimited Way faces the future. Our question is not what has been, but what will be, and how will we affect circumstances.
Our goddess is not a literal goddess. Rather, She is the embodiment of the “divine” essence that exists within everything and everywhere in the universe–our kind of panthiesm. She is all ideas of deity.
To be an Unlimited witch is to bear a great and pervasive responsibility–but never without deep rewards. By accepting this Creed you promise that you shall be a steward of all things–your fellow man, other life forms, your planet, other planets, the universe itself. In return you will find that you have capacities and capabilities far beyond usual human scope. You will, in reality, begin to see yourself not just as an earthling, but as a resident of the universe.
Assuming responsibility is your first obligation. The second involves studying and practicing a holistic kind of healing. One example is the practice of healing by touch. The majority of our healing comes in herbal form. We do not discount professional medical care. But we do understand that being healthy begins with taking care of ourselves–by being our own practitioners.
Kitty Boston Coven requires that you take up causes dear to Her and be an active participant in any way you can. The continuing erosion of spiritual freedoms affects all of us who practice non-standard paths. Support environmental reforms and projects. Endangered animals need our concern and protection. Take care of your earth and your fellow man.
Living is a constant exercise in magic. We have made “magic” such a normal part of our lives that it is virtually second nature. Much of the power of our magic comes from our own instincts and our own divinity within us. To this end, we do not do much in the way of spellwork, although we do create talismans and amulets. The study of magical texts from every tradition and every time period is a crucial part of existence. Never stop learning.
As you study magic, study also the language of the skies–astronomy. We embrace far beyond our own world. Know the stars and the planets. Pay attention to moon phases. Celebrate the four solar points of the year at the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice, and the Autumnal Equinox. Remember that to us there is life on planets other than the earth. Be open to the endless possibility of the stars.
At the same time, never neglect your obligation to teach from your own knowledge. You are free to teach the Unlimited Way to those who strike you as good candidates, but education goes far beyond that. Do everything you can, by whatever means you can, to see that good, factual information is disseminated. Knowledge is more than just power–knowledge is everything.
All paths are valid to those who walk them. Do your best to engage those on other paths in a most diplomatic way. We build bridges, we do not burn them.
Finally, in everything, let compassion be your guiding hand.
Karma Straight Up
Recently I read a post about karma being an Eastern concept and discipline and why does it show up so often in Western practice and traditions. True, Western traditions have similar ideas, so why aren’t we using those?
Karma comes to us from the Sanskrit karman, which means action or deed, or the whole cycle of cause and effect. It is a more subtle version of its Western counterparts, such as “an eye for an eye”, “you get back what you put in”, “you reap what you sow” and so forth. Karma is the totality of what each of us do and say and think. That is, karma is the measure of who and what we are. In the West we often take karma as something that can be improved upon or serve as a moral compass. The idea is more our place in this spinning universe and what we do with the physical life we were given.
So what does karma have to do with us? In the first place, it is universal, a word people feel comfortable using to explain a truth which basically is beyond our human understanding. Sanskrit itself is an Indo-European language, which makes it quite relevant to the West. After all, Sanskrit has given us other words as well–aubergine, avatar, ayurveda, bandana, cheetah, crimson, crocus, jackal, jungle, mantra, orange, punch, rice, sandal, shaman, sugar, and vivid, to list a few.
So. We have an Indo-European language producing a term, but we’re thinking perhaps there is a better term to be found in Western traditions. But karma in its roots is as much the inheritance of Western language and tradition as anything Celtic or Germanic. Besides, karma has been brought into mainstream English language thinking. Use what you will, but never feel awkward applying terms of karma to yourself.
Karma comes to us from the Sanskrit karman, which means action or deed, or the whole cycle of cause and effect. It is a more subtle version of its Western counterparts, such as “an eye for an eye”, “you get back what you put in”, “you reap what you sow” and so forth. Karma is the totality of what each of us do and say and think. That is, karma is the measure of who and what we are. In the West we often take karma as something that can be improved upon or serve as a moral compass. The idea is more our place in this spinning universe and what we do with the physical life we were given.
So what does karma have to do with us? In the first place, it is universal, a word people feel comfortable using to explain a truth which basically is beyond our human understanding. Sanskrit itself is an Indo-European language, which makes it quite relevant to the West. After all, Sanskrit has given us other words as well–aubergine, avatar, ayurveda, bandana, cheetah, crimson, crocus, jackal, jungle, mantra, orange, punch, rice, sandal, shaman, sugar, and vivid, to list a few.
So. We have an Indo-European language producing a term, but we’re thinking perhaps there is a better term to be found in Western traditions. But karma in its roots is as much the inheritance of Western language and tradition as anything Celtic or Germanic. Besides, karma has been brought into mainstream English language thinking. Use what you will, but never feel awkward applying terms of karma to yourself.
Principles of Wiccan Belief (1974)
Seventy three Witches formed the Council of American Witches in 1974. In April of that year, at the Spring Witchmeet in Minneapolis, MN, (1974-APR-11 to 14), they adopted the following document. At the time, Wicca and other Neopagan religions were greatly misunderstood in North America. This document helped to set the record straight.
The thirteen statements are necessarily vague. They do not precisely and completely match any one Witchcraft tradition. But they do provide an introduction to the full range of belief systems called “Wicca.”
The Council disbanded later in 1974.
In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.
Principles of Wiccan Belief:
We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called “supernatural”, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds — sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. — and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it — a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch — but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.
Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way,’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by Christian tradition. 4
We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.”
The thirteen statements are necessarily vague. They do not precisely and completely match any one Witchcraft tradition. But they do provide an introduction to the full range of belief systems called “Wicca.”
The Council disbanded later in 1974.
In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.
Principles of Wiccan Belief:
We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called “supernatural”, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine-and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds — sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. — and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it — a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.
Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch — but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.
Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way,’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by Christian tradition. 4
We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.”
"Altar"-ed States
Once upon a time I lived in a house with a hexagonal storm room in the wilds of Central Florida. I turned into something of a home temple, an entire room to dedicate to my craft. Taking advantage of such a prized commodity, I had three places of focus–you could call them altars.
My main altar was a round glass and metal picnic table. I did not use an altar cloth, because I am a clutz, and clutzes, candles, and cloth do not make a good combination. In the center of the altar I had a large cauldron wreathed by ivy. A white candle burned in the cauldron. This represented the Eternal in any form. To the North, I had a feather bundle of chamomile and a yellow stone. The East was marked by a pretty shell-dish filled with sea salt and a green stone. I marked the south with a single red candle and a red stone. Finally, I kept my chalice in the West, along with a blue stone. I had a large piece of citrine and smaller chips of the stone among the ivy, as they represented the Irish deity Oghma and creativity, which is my special affinity.
In the West of the room, I kept a Thanatropic place of meditation. One does not worship Azrael, but one does commune with the energy, and this altar was my place of communion. I had two black candles at either back corner of the rectangular altar. An incense burner for jasmine incense in the form of the Grim Reaper stood on the altar. I had a white candle in a Roman-fashioned tripod, again to represent the eternal. Jasmine oil sat to the left while a jar of dried jasmine flowers was on the right. Across the altar, I sprinkled amethyst chips, which is the stone of Azrael.
The East of my room was home to my Vodoun/Earth Magic altar, which was an interesting combination of traditions. The snake is a sacred Vodoun symbol and is also my power animal. Thus, I had a variety of rubber snakes on this altar. Above the altar hung a flag of a rainbow with a black serpent, which represented the marriage of Damballah and Aida Wedo, the great loas of Vodoun. To the back of the altar sat a tiny cauldron filled with live oak acorns and two black votive candles to either side. Three coffins each with a plastic skeleton (Halloween is a great time to go shopping!) circled the cauldron, and are joined by two skull candles that are never lit. A phial of Earth energy anointing oil was at the front of the altar, my broom rested against the side, and my rattle and my ritual drum sat at the foot of the altar.
So this is how I’ve done it. What about you? I hope this little essay has sparked your imagination with wonderful ideas for your own places of focus.
My main altar was a round glass and metal picnic table. I did not use an altar cloth, because I am a clutz, and clutzes, candles, and cloth do not make a good combination. In the center of the altar I had a large cauldron wreathed by ivy. A white candle burned in the cauldron. This represented the Eternal in any form. To the North, I had a feather bundle of chamomile and a yellow stone. The East was marked by a pretty shell-dish filled with sea salt and a green stone. I marked the south with a single red candle and a red stone. Finally, I kept my chalice in the West, along with a blue stone. I had a large piece of citrine and smaller chips of the stone among the ivy, as they represented the Irish deity Oghma and creativity, which is my special affinity.
In the West of the room, I kept a Thanatropic place of meditation. One does not worship Azrael, but one does commune with the energy, and this altar was my place of communion. I had two black candles at either back corner of the rectangular altar. An incense burner for jasmine incense in the form of the Grim Reaper stood on the altar. I had a white candle in a Roman-fashioned tripod, again to represent the eternal. Jasmine oil sat to the left while a jar of dried jasmine flowers was on the right. Across the altar, I sprinkled amethyst chips, which is the stone of Azrael.
The East of my room was home to my Vodoun/Earth Magic altar, which was an interesting combination of traditions. The snake is a sacred Vodoun symbol and is also my power animal. Thus, I had a variety of rubber snakes on this altar. Above the altar hung a flag of a rainbow with a black serpent, which represented the marriage of Damballah and Aida Wedo, the great loas of Vodoun. To the back of the altar sat a tiny cauldron filled with live oak acorns and two black votive candles to either side. Three coffins each with a plastic skeleton (Halloween is a great time to go shopping!) circled the cauldron, and are joined by two skull candles that are never lit. A phial of Earth energy anointing oil was at the front of the altar, my broom rested against the side, and my rattle and my ritual drum sat at the foot of the altar.
So this is how I’ve done it. What about you? I hope this little essay has sparked your imagination with wonderful ideas for your own places of focus.
Welcome to Wicca Discovery!
Before you pick up the broomstick…
Before you cast a spell…
Before you seek a favor from the powers that be…
Before you wear a pentagram around your neck…
Before you call yourself Wiccan…
Check out WiccaDiscovery–and know!
We will go where we’re needed, offering unbiased-as-possible learning and teaching to folks who want and need it the most–or just for anyone!
Welcome to Wicca Discovery, a teaching and learning tradition emphasizing the basic principles of the Wiccan religion in a straightforward and accessible fashion. Wicca Discovery is for everyone regardless of interest, a place where Wicca is presented in general and universal terms that can be understood by anyone making the effort to learn.
It might seem like there are so many websites about Wicca and associated spiritual paths already that no one could read them all in a given lifetime, much less make sense of the content or come away with a practical understanding. But this is not one of those websites. This is Wicca Discovery, a blogsite written by a humble priestess with a desire to teach and the ability to explain what sometimes seems beyond explaining. This is taking Wicca in the context of global spirituality as a true religion with deep roots and joyful meaning. Most importantly, this is presenting Wicca in a simple fashion, in a way anyone with an interest could read these pages and somehow feel better educated. Many people are curious about the Wiccan path. Wicca Discovery explores the details.
I have been serving the community as a teacher and an itinerant speaker since 1994. In those earlier days, I was more focused on helping people live Wicca in a hostile society. When the population at large can’t or won’t accept something, humans will hide their fear behind rash behavior and alarmist speech. And so were Wiccans and many of our sisters and brothers on other paths called “devil worshippers”. It’s a misconception that still is alive and healthy today, and we still need to tread carefully in strange doorways. But closed minds don’t change. Closed minds were never ready to accept any of us. To my thinking there still has been a slow change. Many more people are interested in learning the truth, whether they plan to become Wiccan or just better informed. This is a great opportunity for us, a window in which our efforts against hatred can be seen by anyone. A world of acceptance begins with us.
Of course, we might wonder what circumstances have changed–and is it tolerance or apathy?
Wicca is a religion. It is no different from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or any other religious tradition in validity. There have been debates on this subject, such as the famous Helms Amendment threat of the mid-1980’s. Wicca may part ways with the mainstream. Over the last twenty years or so Wicca has undergone a series of changes, not the least of which is an improved popular opinion and attempts at understanding. We’ve come a long way, but there remains a long way ahead.
As we reach this crossroads,`I began to think about Wicca, its place in the world, and the thousands of people seeking to learn. I’ve been teaching Wicca–Wicca as I understand it, complete with exploring the depths of its origins as well as the spiritual practices of human beings from thousands of years ago. It’s a deeper, more inclusive kind of Wicca, the sort that some may say is not Wicca at all. I say these folks shouldn’t sell Wicca short. I may go in different paths, explaining the workings of Wicca from a universalist perspective, but the essentials of what Wicca is are intact.
Wicca Discovery is teaching without hubris, reaching out to the seekers with genuine interest and desire to learn. Wicca Discovery may lead to your decision to pursue the Wiccan path, or it may just provide some important information on what was once a “secret” religion. Stepping back and doing nothing will not help Wicca defeat the naysayers, those people who would shackle our religion to negativity, crime, violence, and worse. Action is what will attain acceptance and tolerance.
Wicca Discovery proposes to help interested people learn about the Wiccan religion. In doing so, Wicca Discovery will embrace five principles of operation and progress.
1) Wicca is a valid and established religion and spiritual path. We’re not so much interested in proving our validity to other people as we are in living the path and making its relevance and value clear.
2) No money will ever be exchanged for information or teachings. As it has been said, how can one charge for a spiritual existence which in itself cannot be bought?
3) Wicca Discovery stresses the importance of peaceful co-existence with other faiths and with the greater society as a whole. Each of us is an ambassador of the path and those who walk it.
4) Everyone is welcome here at Wicca Discovery. Whether you’re seeking like minds, starting your practice, or just curious as to what it’s all about, Wicca Discovery welcomes you.
5) Live the path, for the path is life!
Here’s to a great fulfilling and rewarding adventure!
Before you cast a spell…
Before you seek a favor from the powers that be…
Before you wear a pentagram around your neck…
Before you call yourself Wiccan…
Check out WiccaDiscovery–and know!
We will go where we’re needed, offering unbiased-as-possible learning and teaching to folks who want and need it the most–or just for anyone!
Welcome to Wicca Discovery, a teaching and learning tradition emphasizing the basic principles of the Wiccan religion in a straightforward and accessible fashion. Wicca Discovery is for everyone regardless of interest, a place where Wicca is presented in general and universal terms that can be understood by anyone making the effort to learn.
It might seem like there are so many websites about Wicca and associated spiritual paths already that no one could read them all in a given lifetime, much less make sense of the content or come away with a practical understanding. But this is not one of those websites. This is Wicca Discovery, a blogsite written by a humble priestess with a desire to teach and the ability to explain what sometimes seems beyond explaining. This is taking Wicca in the context of global spirituality as a true religion with deep roots and joyful meaning. Most importantly, this is presenting Wicca in a simple fashion, in a way anyone with an interest could read these pages and somehow feel better educated. Many people are curious about the Wiccan path. Wicca Discovery explores the details.
I have been serving the community as a teacher and an itinerant speaker since 1994. In those earlier days, I was more focused on helping people live Wicca in a hostile society. When the population at large can’t or won’t accept something, humans will hide their fear behind rash behavior and alarmist speech. And so were Wiccans and many of our sisters and brothers on other paths called “devil worshippers”. It’s a misconception that still is alive and healthy today, and we still need to tread carefully in strange doorways. But closed minds don’t change. Closed minds were never ready to accept any of us. To my thinking there still has been a slow change. Many more people are interested in learning the truth, whether they plan to become Wiccan or just better informed. This is a great opportunity for us, a window in which our efforts against hatred can be seen by anyone. A world of acceptance begins with us.
Of course, we might wonder what circumstances have changed–and is it tolerance or apathy?
Wicca is a religion. It is no different from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or any other religious tradition in validity. There have been debates on this subject, such as the famous Helms Amendment threat of the mid-1980’s. Wicca may part ways with the mainstream. Over the last twenty years or so Wicca has undergone a series of changes, not the least of which is an improved popular opinion and attempts at understanding. We’ve come a long way, but there remains a long way ahead.
As we reach this crossroads,`I began to think about Wicca, its place in the world, and the thousands of people seeking to learn. I’ve been teaching Wicca–Wicca as I understand it, complete with exploring the depths of its origins as well as the spiritual practices of human beings from thousands of years ago. It’s a deeper, more inclusive kind of Wicca, the sort that some may say is not Wicca at all. I say these folks shouldn’t sell Wicca short. I may go in different paths, explaining the workings of Wicca from a universalist perspective, but the essentials of what Wicca is are intact.
Wicca Discovery is teaching without hubris, reaching out to the seekers with genuine interest and desire to learn. Wicca Discovery may lead to your decision to pursue the Wiccan path, or it may just provide some important information on what was once a “secret” religion. Stepping back and doing nothing will not help Wicca defeat the naysayers, those people who would shackle our religion to negativity, crime, violence, and worse. Action is what will attain acceptance and tolerance.
Wicca Discovery proposes to help interested people learn about the Wiccan religion. In doing so, Wicca Discovery will embrace five principles of operation and progress.
1) Wicca is a valid and established religion and spiritual path. We’re not so much interested in proving our validity to other people as we are in living the path and making its relevance and value clear.
2) No money will ever be exchanged for information or teachings. As it has been said, how can one charge for a spiritual existence which in itself cannot be bought?
3) Wicca Discovery stresses the importance of peaceful co-existence with other faiths and with the greater society as a whole. Each of us is an ambassador of the path and those who walk it.
4) Everyone is welcome here at Wicca Discovery. Whether you’re seeking like minds, starting your practice, or just curious as to what it’s all about, Wicca Discovery welcomes you.
5) Live the path, for the path is life!
Here’s to a great fulfilling and rewarding adventure!
--Emilie J. Conroy
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Recipe for the Ladies
FEMININITEA
--to attune with yourself
--to reflect
--to pause
--to rest and heal the psyche
2 parts raspberry leaf
2 parts pennyroyal HERB (NOT the oil!)
1 part dried lavender flowers
1 part catnip
1 part bay leaf
Combine the ingredients with water in a pan. Bring to boil and then let steep for 15 minutes. You can add honey for a better flavor.
--to attune with yourself
--to reflect
--to pause
--to rest and heal the psyche
2 parts raspberry leaf
2 parts pennyroyal HERB (NOT the oil!)
1 part dried lavender flowers
1 part catnip
1 part bay leaf
Combine the ingredients with water in a pan. Bring to boil and then let steep for 15 minutes. You can add honey for a better flavor.
Nine Gifts from the Cauldron
Poetry sings
Reflection maintains
Meditation preserves
Lore promotes
Research questions
Knowledge gives
Intelligence arranges
Understanding nourishes
Wisdom ennobles
The Sanctity of Laughter
A funny thing happened at my high school reunion.
With great Pagan panache, I appeared in a purple gown cut along the lines of a classical Greek robe. I wore what I call my Pagan bling bling, a pentagram about the diameter of a Big Gulp cup sprinkled with amethyst chips. After all, I had no reason to disguise what I was under a cloak of the mundane. These were people who had known me back when I was a caterpillar. Now I was a caterpillar with wings.
Anyway, I got a drink of Generic Punch X and went to join a cluster of people. It took twenty seconds for the question to hit. "When did you convert?"
Once I figured out he was talking to me, I tried making the most vacuous face I possibly could. "Convert?"
"Yeah. To Judaism." Politely he motioned to my above-mentioned bling bling. "That's a pretty Star of David you've got."
This wasn't the first time. I mean I understand how a star is a star unless you know that there's a vital difference. Maybe other Pagans would take this opportunity to expound upon the ancient history of the pentagram, continuing long after any interest has waned. I didn't. "It's a symbol of natural religion," I said by way of clarification. That seemed to be enough. The evening went on and I discovered that all of the ritual work in the world would never make me a dancer.
A few mornings later I was relating this story to a Wiccan friend on the subway. To my surprise, she covered her mouth with a silver-decked hand and gasped. "You must have been so offended!"
Offended? Well actually, I wasn't. How could I be? My reunion chums were familiar with the Star of David but not with the pentagram. As none of them are Pagan, I wouldn't have expected them to recognize the pentagram. Regardless, I'd gotten a good laugh out of the event. I couldn't quite understand why my aforementioned friend found more offense than humor.
"He who laughs last didn't get the joke."
With great Pagan panache, I appeared in a purple gown cut along the lines of a classical Greek robe. I wore what I call my Pagan bling bling, a pentagram about the diameter of a Big Gulp cup sprinkled with amethyst chips. After all, I had no reason to disguise what I was under a cloak of the mundane. These were people who had known me back when I was a caterpillar. Now I was a caterpillar with wings.
Anyway, I got a drink of Generic Punch X and went to join a cluster of people. It took twenty seconds for the question to hit. "When did you convert?"
Once I figured out he was talking to me, I tried making the most vacuous face I possibly could. "Convert?"
"Yeah. To Judaism." Politely he motioned to my above-mentioned bling bling. "That's a pretty Star of David you've got."
This wasn't the first time. I mean I understand how a star is a star unless you know that there's a vital difference. Maybe other Pagans would take this opportunity to expound upon the ancient history of the pentagram, continuing long after any interest has waned. I didn't. "It's a symbol of natural religion," I said by way of clarification. That seemed to be enough. The evening went on and I discovered that all of the ritual work in the world would never make me a dancer.
A few mornings later I was relating this story to a Wiccan friend on the subway. To my surprise, she covered her mouth with a silver-decked hand and gasped. "You must have been so offended!"
Offended? Well actually, I wasn't. How could I be? My reunion chums were familiar with the Star of David but not with the pentagram. As none of them are Pagan, I wouldn't have expected them to recognize the pentagram. Regardless, I'd gotten a good laugh out of the event. I couldn't quite understand why my aforementioned friend found more offense than humor.
"He who laughs last didn't get the joke."
In recent months I've encountered a growing number of Pagans who seem to have misplaced their senses of humor. It's my hope that I'm just running into killjoys and not a representative population. We're not really in a humor crisis, are we? One of the things I like about Pagan paths is the sense of humor and the idea that spirituality should be fun. I like being able to laugh at myself. There's nothing so serious that an injection of good humor won't improve it. That being said, is it any wonder that I just have to shrug at Pagans full of their own importance, Pagans who won't deign to have a good laugh?
Laughter is a gift from the divine. It is the divine expressing joy and elation through us. Every laugh is a thank-you to the Powers That Be for life and the ability to enjoy life. Through laughter, not only is the divine served, but we serve ourselves as well. We've all heard the adage about laughter being the best medicine. Humor is good for us. A good chuckle reduces stress and raises the level of endorphines in the body, leaving us to feel especially good. Perhaps best of all, humor helps to keep the episodes of life in good perspective.
When I was learning the Wiccan path I had the benefit of a close-knit group and circle elders who understood the sanctity of humor. The woman who was both priestess and mentor always reminded us to laugh at ourselves. If I forgot the words to my Full Moon oration, I learned to have a good "D'oh!" and then go back to dip into the endless cauldron of inspiration. Ritual may be sacred, but it is also a circus begging for messes to occur. People are going to spill the libation and knock over candles. Rain can soak the most devoted of celebrants, turning a grand outdoor observance into an ad libbed indoor rite. Maybe the person baking the esbat cakes used the driest recipe possible.
This is all part of what makes the celebration dynamic and personal. There are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong, in that the Powers That Be have given us built-in openings for humor and laughter. To err may be human, but to be able to get up and laugh at one's self is a gift.
All right then, so somebody explain to me why someone - anyone - would abandon the gift of humor. You can be serious about your path without taking yourself too seriously. Are people choosing to give up humor in exchange for dry observation and almost mechanical experience? I cannot tell if people are not getting subtle humor or if they are refusing to roll in the mud of laughter and silliness. Recently, I've come to wonder if this isn't the price all of us as a community must pay after decades of endless challenges from more orthodox religious traditions. Has all the fighting knocked the laughter out of us? I don't believe it.
Everybody, listen up! We're not like the traditions that focus more on the negative aspects of being human. The spiritual world touches us all, and engaging with the spiritual world is fun! Celebrate with laughter the hours of the day and the seasons of the year. Giggle at what strikes you funny. Take a good look at yourself and ask if you might be taking yourself too seriously. Does a question from a newcomer inspire you to a relaxed explanation or to indignant frustration?
Laughter is a gift from the divine. It is the divine expressing joy and elation through us. Every laugh is a thank-you to the Powers That Be for life and the ability to enjoy life. Through laughter, not only is the divine served, but we serve ourselves as well. We've all heard the adage about laughter being the best medicine. Humor is good for us. A good chuckle reduces stress and raises the level of endorphines in the body, leaving us to feel especially good. Perhaps best of all, humor helps to keep the episodes of life in good perspective.
When I was learning the Wiccan path I had the benefit of a close-knit group and circle elders who understood the sanctity of humor. The woman who was both priestess and mentor always reminded us to laugh at ourselves. If I forgot the words to my Full Moon oration, I learned to have a good "D'oh!" and then go back to dip into the endless cauldron of inspiration. Ritual may be sacred, but it is also a circus begging for messes to occur. People are going to spill the libation and knock over candles. Rain can soak the most devoted of celebrants, turning a grand outdoor observance into an ad libbed indoor rite. Maybe the person baking the esbat cakes used the driest recipe possible.
This is all part of what makes the celebration dynamic and personal. There are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong, in that the Powers That Be have given us built-in openings for humor and laughter. To err may be human, but to be able to get up and laugh at one's self is a gift.
All right then, so somebody explain to me why someone - anyone - would abandon the gift of humor. You can be serious about your path without taking yourself too seriously. Are people choosing to give up humor in exchange for dry observation and almost mechanical experience? I cannot tell if people are not getting subtle humor or if they are refusing to roll in the mud of laughter and silliness. Recently, I've come to wonder if this isn't the price all of us as a community must pay after decades of endless challenges from more orthodox religious traditions. Has all the fighting knocked the laughter out of us? I don't believe it.
Everybody, listen up! We're not like the traditions that focus more on the negative aspects of being human. The spiritual world touches us all, and engaging with the spiritual world is fun! Celebrate with laughter the hours of the day and the seasons of the year. Giggle at what strikes you funny. Take a good look at yourself and ask if you might be taking yourself too seriously. Does a question from a newcomer inspire you to a relaxed explanation or to indignant frustration?
Somewhere you have your own Pagan bling bling. You have your own story to tell of a path-related incident that made you laugh. This is the Powers That Be touching you and letting you know of their love. Embrace that sense of humor and laugh out loud to the stars. Laugh until you don't have the power to laugh anymore. This is message sent and received. This is the appreciation of the cosmic gift.
The Simple Path
My path is sacred, though it names nothing deity
Yet all things like wind and snails and light are holy
This path is me, is mine, is myself
The guiding light of the heart glows in my mind's eye
Compassion, kindness, love and gentle regard
Acting the words for those without a voice
Cherishing this moment, right now, as the best ever
Secure in the gnosis of the Aether and the Other
Laughter is the language of the spirit
So has been the path so far
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