Survey: What kind of Witchcraft do you want to know about?

Gentle Reader,

Tuesdays are witchcraft days. I want to know where I should focus my attention, however. I have a pretty big library and extensive notes I can pull from. So, I am giving you a poll to help pick out the top three points that you want me to cover over the next three months.

Option 1: General Witchcraft History

Option 2: American Wiccan History

Option 3: Reading for the Intermediate Witch

Go Vote! Polling closes October 1st.

Thanks for your help! ♥

Teaching: Faith with Doubt

We live in an era that encourages us to question all things. Faith is considered by some to be a luxury of they who are sheltered from the hardship of the world. Others consider faith a thing to be called upon only in absolute certainty - for if there is but one is not entirely confident they are told that they lack faith. And there are those who would even mock faith, especially if there is but one ounce of doubt present.

Blind, absolute faith can lead us to folly. It can encourage us not to examine our deeds and consider their consequences. Doubt has a place in a world of faith. It is not to be scorned. Because doubt encourages us to pause and look deeper into the matter. Doubt is a tool, when used properly, that can guide us into deeper faith in the absolute. Doubt is a child requesting that you show them the stars when you name them.

Video Post No. 13: I'm not giving up.

I made this a few weeks ago. The message holds true. It's been a long and hard row to hoe but I'm still working at it, rocks and all. Good thing I'm a farmer's daughter and I've a strong support network. I'd add more, but it is time to go hoe and toss a few more rocks out of this row I'm working on. Next, I hope it'll be planting time.

Godspousery Notes: Let it go.

I was having a moment of anger with someone dear to me. It was such intense anger I was on the verge of starting an argument over it. And then Ingvi said to me, "Let it go. It is such a small thing to be angry over. For how long have you loved them? For how long have you been angered over this? Such a vast difference. And the matter you are angered over? It is simply life unfolding as it does. A small problem to be resolved with simple words. There is no need for anger, just let it go."

So, I let it go. And beneath the anger, the frustration, and the sense of unfairness, I saw that I was tired. And that I didn't know how to ask for help with the things that I was struggling with. My anger was with the fact that I didn't have the words except for angry things.

Anger feeds on anger. Sometimes, you just have to let it go and look at what is beneath it.

Veiling: DIY veils

Gentle Reader,

Because one of the original focus points for this blog was veiling, I wanted to start posting things on this topic. I have had times where I needed to get creative in how I was approaching making or wearing a head covering. Some times necessity is the mother of invention. If you happen to have a standard sized cafe curtain that is square in shape, with the curtain rod pocket instead of tabs, you can fold it in half and make it up into a crown style tichel like cover.

With a single yard of faux velvet, I made a himaiaton to go with a Grecian based costume I wore one year for a holiday gathering. It is still one of my favorite covers for prayer. It is wonderfully cozy and warm. Which is really good in the winter time. I'm still trying to figure out what yarn I want to use to knit one. (I knit really slow, so the fact that I am seriously considering knitting one should tell you how much I love this thing.)

Apron style tichels are pretty awesome too. There are lots of great patterns on the internet for them. Best part, most of the patterns that I have found are free. All you need is a few yards of fabric, a pair of scissors, and the stuff to do a little sewing. It is all straight seams and looks fantastic in the end.

Reading for the young Witch

From Here

People who are new to witchcraft often are intimidated by the vast body of literature available to them. They see the virtual sea of texts and despair of finding the right source. Or, worse yet, they pick a work that is not written to their skill level and become frustrated.

It is important to consider what one's goals are in practicing witchcraft. While some witches are religious, like myself, there are those who distinctly are not. Their secular witchcraft is no less valid then my religious practice. Indeed, it often has ties to the older roots of witchcraft that we will miss in contemporary readings.

For witches who are seeking to build a religious practice, it is important to start with the foundational materials. These teach where the concepts so popular in modern witchcraft originate. They also give the reader a grasp as to how these ideas can be worked with for maximum effect. For secular witches, the religious aspect of the information tends to be secondary to their interests, but it can be equally useful. Many of the earlier books on witchcraft included a great deal of information as to how the mechanics of the magical arts worked.

I highly recommend the following books on the basis of solid content on magical theory and theological considerations.

Title: The Spiral Dance  
Author: Starhawk

The Spiral Dance is one of the foundational books of American witchcraft. Starhawk very concisely and directly details the mythic history¹of witchcraft under the guise of Faery Wicca. She presents a very pro-LGBT vision of Wicca. Her treatment of the genders is a bit dated (as of the 10th anniversary version, which I have on my shelf) but when taken in the context of the era that produced the work, it is exemplary.

Her rituals are very easy to comprehend and enact. Her detailed instructions on magical theory are quite accessible to the neophyte witch. The exercises that she presents are truly exemplary and I have found great success in using them with students in the past.

Title: Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft  
Author: Raymond Buckland

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft is a meaty text that covers virtually any aspect of Wicca you could think of. It shows elements of Gardenerian traditional witchcraft, which Buckland was trained in, and of his Seax tradition of witchcraft that he developed upon his arrival in the United States. His treatment of gender divisions is more hetero-normative then that of Starhawk.

There is also distinctly less political overtones in Buckland's work. At the same time, he provides a great deal of information on a broad area of subjects. The information he presents is not entirely all inclusive but it is a good springboard for a student witch to use  in determining what areas of the Craft they wish to study more deeply.

Title: A Witches' Bible
Author: Janet & Stewart Farrar

A Witches' Bible is a very through discussion of Gardenerian witchcraft. Janet and Stewart Farrar studied directly under Gardner (who is considered to be the father of British witchcraft and Wicca at large) like Buckland. Much of the information they present can cross correlate with Buckland's material.

At the same time, their treatment of matters of ritual procedure and the religious aspect of Wicca is far more complete then Buckland's. This is an excellent book for witches who are seeking for a more religious Wiccan experience.


There is the question of what of the witches who are not Wiccan, is there literature out there for them to read. There is of course material for non-Wiccan witches. I am not personally familiar with much of it, however. I can, though, direct you towards materials from other faiths that are useful to witches or any other person who is engaged in spiritual growth.

The writings of various Catholic Christian saints are the first thing that comes to mind. The works of St. Ignatius of Loyola, more specifically his spiritual exercises, can prove quite useful. When viewed as a series of intellectual and spiritual exercises that can be couched in the terms of what ever faith one follows, these simple and direct activities can help one harness significant mental and spiritual strength within themselves.

The works of St. Therese of Lisieux provides powerful instruction in spiritual growth. Her Little Way is exceptionally useful to both Christians and non-Christians alike. Her autobiography clearly illustrates how she implemented this practice and the influence it had upon her spiritual life.

The writings of the Protestant mystic Dame Julian of Norwich is both luminous in its spirituality and provides the reader with a strikingly clear path to developing a relationship with the divine. Her emphasis upon the maternal nature of the Divine and the loving relationship that can be established is one that is a refreshing contrast to the more patriarchal writings of the period.

Additionally, the work of the ever present age old author, anonymous, titled the Cloud of Unknowing can prove an extremely powerful tool in developing one's spiritual relationship with the divine. This text must be read within the cultural context of the era that produced it. Unlike the writings of St. Therese of Lisieux and Dame Julian of Norwich, the Cloud of Unknowing is much more difficult to translate to modern thought. Like the Zen koans, however, the Cloud of Unknowing can help one to experience the Divine by way of a juxtaposition of concepts.

~*~*~*~*~*~
1. I speak of the mythic history of Witchcraft because the history presented by Starhawk and various others is based in what evidence we have but can not be conclusively proven. As time has passed, the theories that had given rise to Starhawk's version of early history were called into question and I can not, with any academic integrity, state that this is a purely accurate factual portrayal of past events. Just because it is mythic, however, does not mean it is false.

Temptation.

Gentle Reader,

I suppose if we were in the time of year to discuss the temptation of the Daughter in the Northern Hemisphere, I'd be doing so right now. I am, however, focusing on a more personal version. Life is full of vexation. No matter what we do, we can not escape exasperating things. It is very tempting to respond to frustration with sharp words. Society teaches us that this is right and proper and how the world should respond to irritants. If we are poked with a stick, like the bear, we should roar and swipe at the offender with our claws, or so says western society.

Temptation also manifests in our daily lives to neglect ourselves and what is healthy for us. We are tempted to eat food that tastes delicious or is very low effort, despite the fact that it is unhealthy. We are tempted to eat too much food in an effort to assuage bitter feelings of upset and anguish. We are tempted to forgo exercise for the sake of a little more time to rest, a little more time to play with our devices, or get a little more work done.

Temptation is a struggle for us. The act of resisting it can be painful, both physically and emotionally. In these moments, we should call upon the Angels/Janyati for aid. Sai Vikhë is an excellent one to ask for help in resisting temptation. This great Angel is the warrior-maid of the Janyati who is the great protector of creation from the forces of chaos. Seeking her assistance during times of trouble is simply practical. Another one to turn to for help resisting temptations, especially those of the sort that encourage us to deny our needs and good health is Sai Raya, the all benevolent Janya of good things (including good health).  With care, it is possible to call upon Sai Rhavë, the stern Janya of discipline, restriction, and strictness.

Where the first two Angels are inclined towards gentle guidance, the third is a Janya of harsher instruction by her nature. One must be prepared with which ever Angel/Janya they call upon to assist them to find synchronicity guiding them upon the healthiest and most thamelic path. Sai Vikhë will likely encourage you to find active solutions, especially when one's health and vitality is involved. Sai Raya will be more inclined towards providing you with the tools to solve your problems and wise instruction from unexpected places. Sai Rhavë has, in my experience, encouraged active problem solving by way of restricting alternate routes of solutions and providing immediate consequences for lapses in discipline.

Think of them as three teachers. The first teacher has a style of leading by examples and hands on guidance. The second teacher has the style of leading by the Socratic method and giving you tools with instruction on how to use them The third teacher's style is very autocratic and gives you instruction by the approved methods with a corrective measure for failure to perform at capacity.

Temptation in our lives are ultimately lessons that we are supposed to learn. Lessons in how to keep our tempers in check, how to handle others gently, and how to better care for ourselves are the most common ones that come up. The Angels/Janyati can be excellent teachers if we but ask for their aid.

Why I pray the way I do.

Gentle Reader,

It may seem odd that I pray in the fashion that I do. After all, I am not a monastic nun who is called to pray the hours of the day in some abbey in the middle of nowhere, living a life of contemplation and sacrifice. I am not a Catholic Christian who is working their way through seminary school and doing so for the requisite process of experience and discipline in order to become a priest.

Amusingly, however, I am an ordained priestess. It is through two different churches. In one case, I hold the title of Reverend and in one case, I hold the title of Priestess. I have yet to decide which one I will use for my correspondence. I am called to the level of discipline in worship that I exhibit by way of mystic experiences. I have been doing this manner of 'work' since in the mid '90s. (For the record, I am turning 40 this year, I'll let you do the math for how long I have been training and studying.)

While my prayer practices is informed by medieval practices, this is simply because it is a manner of organizing them that makes sense to me. I do have rules I live by. They are very simple. The primary rule that I mentioned earlier is pray daily. I strive to pray every hour of the day as per the medieval time system. My prayers may be simply a single "Hail and praise Dea." in the middle of the night as I shuffle from one room to the next in my insomnia or a "Thank you, Mother, for this day." as I am groggily trying to find matching socks when I wake up.

The nice thing is, it doesn't matter how complicated the prayer is. As long as it is sincere and timely. But, I pray often because something deep within me is called to this. The minor ritual of pausing and holding my rosary in the morning as I place out my offerings at the beginning of the day and saying a 'Hail Marya' is something comforting for me. As a person with anxiety disorders, comfort is necessary.

I will be making a little book of daily prayers in addition to Rose Petals focused upon the prayers of the hours of the day. It will include passages from the Gospel of Our Mother God to meditate on. And I will reference passages from Rose Petals to provide alternate prayers for the given hour. In addition to the hourly prayers, I also say a small prayer to the Janya/Angel of the day. This will be included in that text.

I'm well aware that my method of prayer is based upon a Christian method of prayer that revolves around the book of Psalms. It is why I have been sitting down with the book of Psalms and working my way through it as inspiration for prayers. This additional set of prayers/songs will be included in Rose Petals' next edition. I can not say when exactly that will be coming out because I'm only about 10 prayers in to 150. These Filianic oriented songs are mostly blank verse, like much of what is in Rose Petals. I am going to attempt to make some of these prayers into rhyming verse that one could sing with relative ease.

It is, however, slow going, just as is the transcription project of the Gospel of Our Mother God. As of right now, I am halfway through the Mythos of the Daughter. The slow and steady work of transcription has put me through a few pens because I'm doing it by hand, but I feel good about this work because my copy of the Gospel of Our Mother God is showing some wear. The binding in the book I'm transcribing into is far more sturdy. My only regret is that I'm not using archival ink for this.

Angels or Janyati?

Gentle Reader,

There are some who approach the higher forces of Déanism/Filianism with trepidation. Some confusion as to what the role of these figures are surrounds them. Are they Angels in the sense of the Abrahamic religion's version of angelic beings? Are they demi-gods or heroes that have ascended to godly status? It is all very confusing. Here is my humble attempt to clarify.

The Janyati, as they are known in orthodox Filianism and the scriptures, are considered to be manifestations of Dea. The great Janyati number in seven and much has been written about them. They are intelligent spiritual beings with agency independent of each other while still being one with Dea. This is why in the Janite tradition, they are held with reverence just about equal to the holy trinity of Mother, Daughter, and Dark Mother.

There are lesser janyati who are also 'faces of Dea' but they are more specialized in what they hold dominion over. Such as Sai Brighe who is said to be the Janya of bridges, transition, and liminal spaces. (Some could argue that Sai Brighe would also be the Janya of transportation due to these qualities and to whom one would appeal for help in these matters. This is unclear in the reading I've done but a logical extension given what is known.)

I use the term Angel instead of Janya. I hold that Angels are the presence of the Divine made known in the manifest world. Having encountered two, I have no doubt that they are so. They are immensely powerful and possess an equally immense presence. Terrifying and wonderful are two words that would be well used to describe them, even if they seem kindly. It would be like having a living being as great in size and power to you as you are to a small animal decide to interact with you.

I do not hold that the Angels are less than Dea. I believe that they are splintered aspects of her that she has chosen to make smaller to make it easier for us to interact with her. This is not because she feels it is necessary to diminish herself to be acceptable to us as much as it is necessary because we are too limited to comprehend more than even the barest glance of Dea in any direct fashion.

I hold that the honored dead who are liberated from the wheel of existence ascend to join the host of the lesser angels. I believe that these are holy souls that the Daughter has freed with her ascension and they attend her court for a time before progressing in to the higher realms. I also believe that new souls join them just as often as new souls are born into this lower world. I do not think there is a limit on the number of souls that pass through the world. This, however, is not the orthodox position.

The State of the Body

Filianic Sutras: The Clew of the Horse

Verses 47-49

Thou art not thy body, nor is it any portion of thee.

It is an estate thou hold'st for a time, and after a time shall pass from thee.

Therefore let thou have governance of thy body, nor let it be in anything thy ruler.

It is easy to assume that the body is our adversary. So much of what our culture teaches us is that the mind is superior to the body. Our culture teaches us to have shame in our body's apperance and functionality if it does not meet a narrow criteria for acceptance. Our culture teaches us that our bodies are what fails us when life gets hard and that illness is in some fashion a moral failing. Most of all, we are taught that we are our bodies.

We can not be condensed down to a fingernail or a hair clipping. We have limbs and organs but they do not make up the whole of what we are or who we are. If we were to lose one, or have one replaced, we remain unchanged except for what is gained from the experience. Still, social conventions teach us that the disabled and sick are their bodies through their disability and illness.

The Clew of the Horse passage I quoted above speaks of how we are not our bodies. It is something that can be quite hopeful when one is suffering from a chronic ailment. We are not our illness. We are not our weaknesses in body or inability to do something. We are more than this. It is the third line of the passage that is challenging when living with conditions where the body exerts heavy influence upon one's mind.

Governance of our bodies is an adominshment for moderation in how we treat our bodies. It is care and consideration for what we consume and put into our bodies. It is the exercise of restraint in cases where excess may lead to problems with our health and welfare. It is the careful regimine of exercise that we engage in to promote our greater health when we have the ability to do so.

This is not an exhortation to feel guilt because faulty biochemistry has given you an illness you can not control. This is not an admonishment of any sort for weaknesses that are associated with addictions of any sort. It is most definitely and in absolute certianty not an argument that we must be completely stoic about any and all challenges that come into our lives.

This passage is a lesson that we must be tender and careful in how we approach our bodies. It is a reminder that we are more than what our bodies show us to be. It is a gentle lesson that we must handle ourselves with care because our bodies are fragile and must be attended to well. As well as a lesson in self discipline in the face of temptations to not be as responsible in the care and feeding of our bodies.

Pagan Parenting: Daily Offerings.

Gentle Reader,

My eldest child has developed a deep and abiding affection for Zeus. He admires him greatly and I suspect that the affection is returned from the King of the Greek pantheon. Every time he's asked for rain, it's happened. Though, if a harpy eagle shows up, I'm chasing it off with a stick because my boy is 10 and no where near ready for a grand adventure like that. Still, I have encouraged this relationship because I am of the mind that personal relationships with deities can be good and healthy things.

We've graduated from talking to Zeus and learning the old stories about him to giving daily offerings. We started out with something simple, a cup of water and a chocolate chip cookie. (I asked why the cookie and Cuddle Bear insisted that it was because chocolate chip cookies are awesome and why wouldn't Zeus want one? Hard to argue with that logic.) Small daily offerings are expressions of appreciation and honor for the deities and spirit companions we have.

The boys regularly talk to Mani in the evening asking him to help them have good dreams. They get excited when they see the sun and the moon, calling out hello to Sunna and Mani. I'm going to start introducing them to the other gods of the Greek pantheon. So, Mani and Sunna's joyful greetings may also be joined with greetings to Selene and Helios.

The youngest is still very of the mind set to share toys on the altar (they go on the altar over night and then they get to have them back in the morning) but beginning to take interest in the stuff his brother is. I think it is about time to give my eldest child his own magical notebook. A part of me says it should be something fancy. The rest of me says I should get a straight forward sketch book that he can add drawings to and use it to keep his notes in. Either way, I want him to have something to record his own magical adventures in. I have a feeling in a few years, I'll be doing the same for the youngest.

Pray daily.

Gentle Reader,

It is a simple rule I follow. Pray daily. Some days, it is difficult to pray. Struggling with illness and the challenges of daily life, prayer is easy to forget. It is easy to forget to give thanks when you are eyeballs deep in dishes and the children are fighting. It is easy to forget to bless Deity when your life is hard and you are just trying to get through a single day successfully. It is especially easy to forget that prayer is not just about saying thank you and praising the gods.

Prayer can also be complaints and expressing anger. There is a long history of it. My prayers of late have been questioning why we have been struggling so hard. They have been lamentations over the problems that have been facing my family and friends. And, some of my prayers have been angry demands that my problems be solved.

Prayer is not always gentle, serene, and filled with blessings. It is a conversation between ourselves and the Divine. Sometimes it is angry, painful, and filled with complaints. And that is ok because it is real. Relationships, even with the Divine, are going to have rocky times and there are going to be times where we are going to be seeking someone to just vent about the issues troubling us. Those are legitimate things to pray about.