Oak Forest Coven

Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea

2010-01-27T20:37:00.005-05:00

By-Laws of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea

Article I: Name and Statement of Purpose

Name: The name of this Church and Corporation is: Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea. Hereafter, referred to as Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea or TVDqD. Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea (TVDqD) is a Nonprofit Religious Organization; organized and incorporated to perform legal activities appropriate of Religious Organizations. Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea is a Church (Temple) of the Tradition of Traditional British Witchcraft. Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea was incorporated in the State of Georgia on January 14, 2010.

Statement of Purpose: Our purpose is to educate Members, Seekers, Initiates, and the General Public about the Beliefs, Practices, and Tradition of Traditional British Witchcraft; to provide Members, Seekers, and Initiates with materials and tools to aid in their Spiritual Journey.

Article II: Qualifications of Membership and Participation

A. Membership shall be offered by Application to Seekers and Initiates of Traditional British Witchcraft upon approval of the Council of Elders. No person shall be denied access to membership on the basis of Gender, Race, Sexual Orientation, Physical Handicap, or Age providing they are 18 years of age.

B. All perspective members have read and understand these By-Laws.

C. Degrees of Participation

1. Guest: Individual who may attend all open events of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea.
2. Initiates: Individuals who can validate their Lineage and Initiation within Traditional British Witchcraft.

Article III: Administration and Operation

A. The Council of Elders: The Council of Elders shall oversee the operation of the Church. By-Laws for the Church are voted upon by the Council. The Council will consist of no more than 13 Elders of Traditional British Witchcraft. There will always be an odd number of Elders on the Council. After initial election, all terms will consist of 4 years. The Council of Elders shall be responsible for activities to the General Public including: Events, Information for Membership of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea, and Resources for Initiation within Traditional British Witchcraft, Outreach, and Networking. All Elders are elected by the general vote of the membership of the Church. Election of Elders for the Council will occur at the announced meeting in the year of the term expiration.

B. Elders: Defined as any Third Degree Initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft, who has shown High Levels of Commitment to the Church and voted upon by the Council of Elders. Elder are responsible for the long term Health and Sustainability of the Church.

C. Ordained Clergy: The Status of Ordained Clergy is authorized by Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea through the Council of Elders to Third Degree Initiates of Traditional British Witchcraft.

Article IV: Schedule of Meetings

A. Rituals: The Rituals will be at the recommendation of the Council of Elders to benefit the General Public and Members of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea.

B. Seminars: Seminars shall be open to the General Public and should be offered at such times and places as the Council of Elders decides. The Council of Elders shall establish the Curricula.

Article V: Attendance

A. Esbats: Esbats should be held in the Homes of the Elders and shall be closed to the General Public and are considered a teaching and learning event for the Members of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea and Initiates of Traditional British Witchcraft.
B. Sabbats: Sabbats should be held in the Homes of the Elders and shall be closed to the General Public and are considered a teaching and learning event for the Members of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea and Initiates of Traditional British Witchcraft.
C. Sabbats (Public): Public Sabbats shall be open to the General Public and are scheduled on or near selected Sabbats.
D. Classes: Classes shall be designated open only to Initiates and Elders of Traditional British Witchcraft and Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea, or open to the General Public by the Council of Elders.

Article VI: Finances

A. The Finances of the Church shall include donations, profit from fundraising activities, and sales of items established by the Council of Elders.
B. The Council of Elders shall make a quarterly report of income and expenses to the Council of Elders and Members of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea.
C. All required forms and reports shall be filed with the State and Federal Government as required to maintain Legal Status of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea.

Article VII: Privacy of Members

A. The Names, Addresses, Phone Numbers, and other information relating to Members of Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea shall be considered confidential and may not be disclosed without prior permission from the Member(s) involved.
B. Disclosure of confidential information shall be grounds for expulsion.
C. Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea considers the Personal Information provided by Members to be used by the Church only and will not give such information without explicit permission for the Member(s).

Article VIII: Revision of By-Laws

A. Any part of these By-Laws may be amended by the request of the Council of Elders at any time without prior notice.
B. If at any time, any portion of these By-Laws are deemed to be in conflict with any Applicable Laws, that section will no longer be valid.

Craft Humor

2009-12-21T18:26:00.002-05:00

Are you getting a bit old to practice the Craft? Signs that you may not be quite as spry as you once were:

The ritual feast is pureed.

Last Beltane the Coven decided it would be nice to go out to dinner to celebrate.

The last time you tried to do a spiral dance your oxygen feeds got tangled.

Viagra is kept in the coven supplies.

The Maiden of the Coven is a grandmother.

The ritual room is outfitted with defibrillators.

The Coveners drive their RV's to Scottsdale for the Autumnal Equinox.

When you are at a festival you go to bed at sunset.

It takes the whole Coven to move the cauldron.

The High Priest still has a vendetta going against Richard Nixon.

You find yourself using your pendulum over the stock pages in the newspaper.

You tell an Initiate that in your day you had to slog through 5 feet of snow uphill both ways when you did a Yule Ritual.

You drop your teeth in the ritual cup.

At Samhain you see more of your Coveners in the Wild Hunt than you do in Circle.

You put your Athame in the chalice during ritual but you can't remember why.

You hold an all night blow-out drum frenzy and none of your neighbors noticed.

You use Glenn Miller records for trance music.

All of your ritual robes are tie-dyed.

Your Coven has a 401(k) retirement plan.

A nitro pill vial replaces the crystal on your pendant.

No one has successfully jumped the Beltane fire since 1983.

You set comfy chairs around the circle.

You sit on the floor and can't get up again.

You do anointing with Aspercreme.

The oak tree your coven planted died of old age.

You use Bran Muffins and Prune Juice for Cakes and Wine because you need the fiber.

You don't use salt to consecrate you altar because you need to stay away from extra sodium.

You use a walker during the Wild Hunt.

You prefer to rent a Hall for rituals because the bathrooms are closer.

You need a flashlight to find the candles.

Written By:
Anonymous

Oak Grove Sanctuary (OGS)

2009-07-27T19:19:00.006-04:00

Oak Grove Sanctuary is a Pagan Sanctuary located in Franklin County of Northeast Georgia. Oak Grove Sanctuary was established on Beltane (May 1), 2008 by Oak Forest Coven and is dedicated to Communal Celebrations, Networking, and Education. Oak Grove Sanctuary is privately owned, operated, and maintained by Oak Forest Coven and encourages Nature Preservation and Environmental Education.

Accommodations

Oak Grove Sanctuary has several accommodations that benefit the Pagan Community. Oak Grove Sanctuary currently has a Ritual Circle for Private and Communal Celebrations, a Private Vegetable Garden, Flower Gardens, and ample space for Primitive Camping. Oak Grove Sanctuary sponsors Gathering of the Wise and Lifting the Veil; Communal Pagan Gatherings hosted by Oak Forest Coven at or around Beltane and Samhain. Oak Grove Sanctuary also sponsors workshops throughout the year for the purpose of Networking and Education.

Projects

Oak Grove Sanctuary’s projects include the construction of a Nature Walk, a Meditative Trail that will surround Oak Grove Sanctuary for Contemplation, and a Private Herb Garden that will educate others of the Healing Properties of Herbs.

Events and Workshops

Gathering of the Wise (Beltane Gathering)
Earth Day
Traditional Usui Reiki
Pagan Education
Lifting the Veil (Samhain Gathering)

Events and Workshops Schedule

Gathering of the Wise – Gathering of the Wise is an annual Gathering sponsored by Oak Grove Sanctuary and is hosted by Oak Forest Coven at or around Beltane. Gathering of the Wise starts at 3:00 pm on or near Beltane (May 1) and will last until 3:00 pm the following day. If you wish to attend Gathering of the Wise, you must first register with Oak Forest Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net or call Vertius at 706-498-8820. There is no charge to attend this Gathering, but donation will be accepted for the cost of the Gathering.

Traditional Usui Reiki – this workshop is taught by Vertius (Adam Gray), a Third Degree Initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft. Vertius is a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher and has a traceable lineage to Dr. Mikao Usui. This workshop teaches the value of Traditional Usui Reiki and its use in daily life. The Traditional Usui Reiki Workshop meets each month at Oak Grove Sanctuary. If you wish to attend this workshop, please email Vertius at vertius@live.com or call Vertius at 706-498-8820. There is no charge for this service.

Pagan Education – this workshop is taught by Vertius (Adam Gray), a Third Degree Initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft. This workshop teaches the Beliefs and Practices of Paganism and Traditional Witchcraft. The Pagan Education workshop meets each month at at Oak Grove Sanctuary. If you wish to attend this workshop, please contact Vertius at vertius@live.com or call Vertius at 706-498-8820. There is no charge for this service.

Lifting the Veil – Lifting the Veil is an annual Gathering sponsored by Oak Grove Sanctuary and is hosted by Oak Forest Coven at or around Samhain. Lifting of the Veil starts at 3:00 pm on or near Samhain (October 31) and will last until 3:00 pm the following day. If you wish to attend Lifting the Veil, you must first register with Oak Forest Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net or call Vertius at 706-498-8820. There is no charge to attend this Gathering, but donation will be accepted for the cost of the Gathering.

The High Priestess and High Priest of Oak Forest Coven

2009-02-22T11:36:00.021-05:00

The High Priestess

Alicee (Angel Dianne Spears) was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 28, 1977. Alicee grew up and attended school in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Alicee was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Chamblee in 1988. She grew up in a Southern Baptist family, although religion wasn’t a demanded part of her immediate family life. Her mother dabbed in the Occult and her father was Agnostic. Her grandfather was a Baptist preacher and was the source in which religion was taught to her; however, the more answers he gave the more questions she had. Her grandfather encouraged her to seek her own answers and after he passed, when Alicee was 11 years old, she continued to ask questions to the church, which they refused to answer and told her that she needed to accept that it was God’s Will. Her family moved to Jackson County, Georgia in a rural area where Protestant Churches, mostly Baptist, flourished and continued to offer information. She decided to educate herself on other religions within the world and began to look at the beliefs of Paganism and Witchcraft. She began to see her own personal beliefs reflected within Paganism and Witchcraft and in March of 2009, Alicee began her training as a Neophyte within Oak Forest Coven. She became an Initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft and within Oak Forest Coven in October of 2009.

Alicee is legally ordained to perform Weddings in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. She is currently the mother of 6 and engaged to Arden (Justin Jarrard) and plans to be wed on Samhain 2011. You can contact Alicee at: angelds77@hotmail.com.

The High Priest

Vertius (Adam Gray) attended school in Franklin County and in 1999 he attended college at Athens Technical College where he earned his degree in Certified Nursing Assistance. During his study as a Certified Nursing Assistance he would learn valuable skills that would prove to benefit his life to come. These skills include, but are not limited to: counseling, helping others with chronic or terminal illness, and comforting or helping others that have been abused. He is currently enrolled in North Georgia Technical College and is majoring in Accounting (Associates Degree).

Vertius wasn’t subjected to religious beliefs as a child, although he was raised in a predominantly Christian society. At the age of twelve, he would be the first in his immediate family to attend a local Baptist church. He would attend this church for four years and would be baptized before he realized that this wasn’t the belief system in which he wanted to live his life. Shortly, after his departure from the Baptist church, he would attend a United Methodist Church before converting to Catholicism in 1997.

In the later part of 1998, Vertius began to research the major religions of the world and would come to realize that many of the major religions had many similarities. During his research, he came across an ancient neo-pagan belief system called Traditional British Witchcraft and in the later part of 1998 would begin his training as a Neophyte within Traditional British Witchcraft. He became an Initiate of the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron, from which he was elevated to Third Degree, and in 2002 would hive off to establish Oak Forest Coven.

After establishing Oak Forest Coven, Vertius' love for healing would lead him to earn his Master/Teacher Certification in Usui Reiki in 2008. He is currently writing a book on Traditional British Witchcraft.

He also is the owner of the Window Live Group called Traditional Witches. This Group is a place for Initiates and Non-Initiates to discuss the Beliefs and Practices of Traditional British Witchcraft. Anyone wishing to join this Group can do so by visiting the link provided on this website.

Contact Information

Online Groups:
Traditional Witches

Social Networking:
Facebook

Videos:
YouTube

You may contact Vertius at: vertius@live.com.

Oak Grove

2009-02-21T13:21:00.006-05:00

Oak Grove is a Pre-Initiatory Religious Working Group of Oak Forest Coven where participants are introduced to the Beliefs, Practices, and Customs of Traditional British Witchcraft (TBW). Participants of Oak Grove are not Initiates of Traditional British Witchcraft or Oak Forest Coven, but are referred to as Neophytes of Traditional British Witchcraft and Oak Forest Coven.

As a participant of Oak Grove, you will be required to commit yourself to prompt and regular attendance, to respect the confidentiality of other participants and the teachers of Oak Grove, to refrain from discussions of the workings of Oak Grove, and to refrain from referring to yourself as a Initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft or Oak Forest Coven. Upon completion of participation in Oak Grove, participants will have the opportunity to join Oak Forest Coven for Initiation. Not all participants of Oak Grove will be considered for Initiation into Oak Forest Coven or Traditional British Witchcraft. This decision is based on your dedication to Oak Grove and considerations for Initiation is determined by the High Priestess and the Elders of Oak Forest Coven.

In keeping with the Old Laws of Traditional British Witchcraft, participants are not charged monetary payments for participation in Oak Grove. The only payment that is required by participants of Oak Grove is their time and energy.

Although there is no set time limit for completion within Oak Grove; participants are required to spend at least a minimum of a year-and-a-day before being considered for Initiation within Oak Forest Coven and Traditional British Witchcraft.

If you are interested in becoming a participant of Oak Grove, please email Oak Forest Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net or Vertius at vertius@live.com for acceptance and approval.

Book of Shadows

2009-02-19T11:25:00.005-05:00

The Book of Shadows is a personal book that has been copied by each initiated Witch that contains the format of worship according to one’s tradition. In Traditional British Wica, every Initiate is required to copy the Book of Shadows (BoS) in their “own hand of write”. Normally the BoS is copied with the Initiator present in case any questions arise that isn’t understood by the initiate. The Traditional teachings of Traditional British Wica states that “nothing is to be taken out” of the Book of Shadows but that you may add to the BoS as you wish. This means that your copy of the BoS contains the same materials as your Initiator’s. Even if the material that you copy doesn’t appeal to you, it may appeal to your initiates. Copying all the material in your Initiator’s BoS also establishes a link to those that are initiated in your tradition and Initiated Line.

Many individuals have taken the “lazy approach” and instead of copying the Book of Shadows in their “own hand of write” have decided to copy the BoS electronically either using a computer or typewriter. There is much to be said about electronically copying the BoS. First and foremost, it doesn’t have the same appeal as it would if you copied the BoS in your own “hand of write”. To copy the BoS in your own “hand of write” leads the Witch to be conscious about what is being written and infuses the BoS with the personal energy of the Witch. Over the years, I have heard many excuses as to why one wishes to copy the BoS electronically; one being that the Witch doesn’t have legible handwritten. Terrible handwritten is a hallmark of many Witches and Magicians, but copying the Book of Shadows by hand requires that the Witch carefully construct each letter with precision and mindfulness. Another reason is that a Witch has some medical condition that interferes with their ability to write anything for long periods of time. There are several Witches in the Traditional British Wica that have arthritis or some other debilitating disease that may interfere with their ability to sit and copy the BoS at length, but they realize the benefits of copying the BoS in their own “hand of write.” Although it may take any Witch with these conditions longer to copy the Book of Shadows, it is always done with love and devotion. It isn’t a race to see who can copy the Book of Shadows in the least amount of time. Think about it, even Gerald Gardner had a typewriter and terrible handwriting but he even wrote the Book of Shadows in his own "hand of write".

There is another point that I would like to bring up about the Book of Shadows and that is that the Book of Shadows used by Traditionalist can be found on the internet. I would like to state that the Complete Book of Shadows has never been published on the internet or in book format. It is true that portions of the Book of Shadows have been published, but not the Complete BoS. The information that is found on the internet can easily be placed in a ½ inch binder, but the complete BoS of Traditionalist would take many more pages and a larger binder to contain all the material of Traditional Wica. Desert Henge, a Gardnerian Coven in Arizona, wrote about this topic on their website. If you would like to read about what Desert Henge had to say on this topic, it can be viewed by clicking here.

Gathering of the Wise

2009-02-17T08:42:00.008-05:00

Gathering of the Wise is an annual event hosted by Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea and Oak Forest Coven on or around Beltane to bring Pagans, Witches, and the Wica together in Northeast Georgia for companionship and celebration. Gathering of the Wise is open to all age groups, to all Traditions, and to all Pagan Paths. Discrimination will not be tolerated and anyone displaying such actions will be asked to leave. Gathering of the Wise will and should be a secure and compassionate event for all to attend.

Registration

Anyone wishing to attend Gathering of the Wise should contact Oak Forest Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net or contact Vertius, the High Priest of Oak Forest Coven, at adamgray@wytchcraft.net or call 706-498-8820 between 12:00 – 5:00 pm. All attendees must complete a Waiver and Release of Liability Form before taking part in any event hosted by Oak Forest Coven at Gathering of the Wise.

Date and Time

Gathering of the Wise will be held from May 1, 2010 starting at 3:00 pm and lasting until 3:00 pm on May, 2, 2010.

Location

The location for Gathering of the Wise will be held in Canon, Georgia and directions to Gathering of the Wise will be sent to those who register with Oak Forest Coven.

Events

The events that will take place at Gathering of the Wise will be a public Beltane Ritual, the Dancing of the Maypole, Fire Walking, the Leaping of the Bonfire, Pagan Book Swap, and discussions on Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wica.

Traditional Usui Reiki Level One Attunement will also be offered to all attendees if they so wish. If you are interested or may be interested in receiving Usui Reiki Level One Attunement, please contact the High Priest of Oak Forest Coven using the email address or contact information above. There is no cost for this service and certification and lineage is provided. Information will be given after receiving Usui Reiki Level One Attunement to attendees that wish to obtain Usui Reiki Levels Two and Three (Master/Teacher Level) Attunements.

What to Bring

Anyone wishing to attend Gathering of the Wise should bring a blanket or chair to sit upon, a covered dish for the Potluck, a pagan book for the Pagan Book Swap, and comfortable clothing. If you wish to camp onsite, please bring a tent and all supplies that you may need during your stay.

What Not to Bring

We kindly ask that anyone wishing to attend Gathering of the Wise not to bring anything that is considered illegal, such as drugs.

Restroom and Facilities

A restroom is being constucted with a sink (Half-Bath) and should be finished before the Beltane Gathering.

Weather

The Weather is normally pleasant at this time of year with temperatures ranging from the mid to upper 80’s within the day and it is usually sunny. However, during the night temperatures can range from mid 60’s to mid 70’s and it is usually cold and damp. If it should rain upon the date of Gathering of the Wise, the gathering will be rescheduled to the following weekend of May 8 and May 9, 2009. If it should rain upon the rescheduled date, Gathering of the Wise will be cancelled.

Cost

There is no cost to attend Gathering of the Wise. However, we will be accepting donations for the cost of the gathering. We will also be accepting donations of canned and non-perishable foods for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. To learn more about the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and to learn about what foods are in high demand at this organization, visit their website at Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.

Lughnasadh

2009-01-10T12:09:00.001-05:00

Lughnasadh or August Eve is a Gaelic celebration traditionally associated with the first of August and commemorated the start of the harvest season and the ripening of first fruits. It is also favored as a time for handfastings, a trial marriage lasting a year and a day, before actual getting married before the New Year (Samhain). This Sabbat is traditionally celebrated with bonfires and dancing and the festival was spelled Lughnasa, Lughnasad, or Lughnasadh in Old Irish.

However, in England, it was common for tenants to present harvested wheat to their landlords on or before Lughnasadh and probably was the reason why some neo-pagans refer to Lughnasadh as Lammas, but this term means “Loaf-Mass Day” in which it was customary to bring a loaf made from the first wheat harvest to church as an offering. In Traditional British Witchcraft, this Sabbat is always referred to as August Eve or Lughnasadh because of the statement above.

Midsummer

2009-01-10T12:04:00.003-05:00

The Summer Solstice is derived from the Latin “sol” meaning “sun” and “sistere” meaning “to stand still”, because of the Sun’s movement from north or south comes to a standstill. In many Celtic Nations, this Sabbat is referred to as Midsummer because the ancient Celts only had two seasons, summer (which began at Beltane) and winter (which began at Samhain) with the Summer Solstice (Midsummer) being placed between the two. It is also referred to as the first sign of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first sign of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, for half the year (from the Vernal or Spring Equinox to Autumnal or Fall Equinox) the Northern Hemisphere tips to the Sun with Midsummer or the Summer Solstice being at its height, while in the Southern Hemisphere the Sun being at its height around Yule or the Winter Solstice. Since the Sun is at it height and is the hottest, due to the fact that it is closer to the Earth, the whole planet enter summer.

Midsummer is also sometimes referred to by neo-pagans as Litha, though in Traditional British Witchcraft we prefer to use the traditional name Midsummer or the Summer Solstice. Traditionally, at Midsummer bonfires were lit and leaped to ensure prosperity, good luck, and to ensure a good harvest.

In Traditional British Witchcraft, Midsummer is celebrated with the lightening of bonfires, feasting, and merrymaking and to commemorate the strength and height of the Sun (God).

Beltane

2009-01-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Beltane is derived from the Celtic God Belenus or Bel and was worshipped in Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The term Beltane means “bright fire” which is also known as May Eve or May Day. The name Belenus means “the brillant or shining one” with Bel means “shining”. The term Beltane also is derived from the Old Irish Beltain, which later became known as Bealtaine and in the Scottish Gaelic is referred to as Bealltainn. Both Beltain (Bealtaine) and Bealltainn are from the Old Irish Beltene meaning “bright fire”. The term Bel or Bael is linked to the English term bale and refers to the bale-fire which is often lit on Beltane. The term Bealtaine also refers to the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first of May in Ireland.

For the Celtic Nation, Beltane marked the beginning of summer when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. The lighting of bonfires on the eve of Beltane was a main activity of this festival. In fact, on the Hills of Uisneach and Tara, the community would light the bale-fires from their individual hearth fires. These fires symbolized purification and transition, welcoming the summer season and the blessing of the land for a good harvest.

It was also common in Ireland to decorate the homes by hanging boughs made of Rowan (Mountain Ash) and hawthorn over the doors and windows and in Scotland boughs of junipers were thrown in the fires for purification and blessing. It was also common to drive livestock and individual through two fires for purification.

In Traditional British Witchcraft, this Sabbat is observed as a festival of fertility and often the Great Rite is enacted to bless the land on May Eve. It is also a time of unity between the Goddess and God, often seen as dancing around the Maypole.

Vernal Equinox

2009-01-10T11:57:00.001-05:00

The Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox) is derived from the Latin terms “ver” meaning spring, “aequus” meaning equal, and “nox” meaning night. It is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere between March 20th and March 22nd and in the Southern Hemisphere between September 21st and September 23rd. The dates are derived from the Gregorian calendar and these dates may not hold true if one follows a lunar calendar, since the Gregorian calendar is a Solar Calendar. The Vernal Equinox marks the time of year when the Sun can be observed directly above the Earth’s Equator which leads way for the day seeming equal in both light and darkness. It is also observed as the first point of Aries within the astrological calendar marking when the Sun enters into the astrological sign of Aries. On the Vernal Equinox, the Sun rises at the same time all over the world which is normally around 6:00 am and sets around 6:00 pm, however one must take in account that the world is divided into time zones and this fact must be calculated to determine the correct time for the Vernal Equinox to occur in your part of the world.

Some neo-pagans refer to this Sabbat as Ostara (Eostar), but this term was used by Aiden Kelly to denote the feast of spring and is disregarded by most Traditionalists as inaccurate because the term Eostar, from which Ostara derives its name, refers to the Goddess Eostar and not the feast of spring. In fact, Easter is derived from the name of this Goddess.

The celebration of Earth Day was normally celebrated on the Vernal Equinox, but has since been moved to April 22nd in many countries around the world.

Imbolc

2009-01-10T11:54:00.003-05:00

Imbolc or February Eve is one of the four principal festivals in the Celtic Calendar, marking the first signs of spring, and is celebrated among the Gaelic people and other Celtic Nations on February 2nd. This date was chosen because it was the midpoint between Yule (Winter Solstice) and the Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox) on the Solar Calendar. In the Northern hemisphere this is when the sun reaches fifteen degrees of Aquarius and in the Southern hemisphere it is the midpoint of Leo. Imbolc is derived from the Irish Gaelic term “Imbolg” meaning “in the belly” and is celebrated as one of the four fire festivals in Traditional British Witchcraft.

In some Celtic Nations, Imbolc or February Eve is dedicated to the Goddess Brigid (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, or Brìd), the Goddess of poetry and healing and is associated with holy wells and sacred flames. The flame symbolizes the lengthening of the days and the first signs of spring. In Pre-Christian times a sacred fire was kept alight by the Priestesses of the Goddess Brigit on the hill of Kildare to protect their herds and to provide a fruitful harvest. On the Isle of Man, She is known as Caillagh ny Groamagh, and is seen as a gigantic bird, carrying sticks in her beak.

Candles play an important role on Imbolc because they symbolize the light of inspiration and healing and are normally lit on the eve of February to welcome the first signs of spring.

Imbolc was an important time for Ancient Ireland and this is evident by the Loughcrew burial mounds and the Mound of the Hostages in Tara, Ireland, where the inner chamber of the passage tombs are perfectly aligned with the rising sun of both Imbolc and Samhain.

The True Meaning of Christmas

2008-12-11T10:55:00.006-05:00

The reason that this article appears on this website is because Vertius (High Priest) and an Elder (Messenger) of Oak Forest Coven decided to educate followers of different religions of the true meaning of Christmas. There are so many followers of other religions which have no idea of the origins and traditions of this holiday. In this article we hope to inform the reader of the true meaning of Christmas, past and present.

The Etymology of Christmas

The term Christmas is derived from the Old English term “Cristes maesse” and the Middle English term “Christemasse” and was first recorded in 1038, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, meaning “Christ’s Mass” or “the Mass of Christ.” There are times when the term Christmas is abbreviated “xmas” and this abbreviation is derived from the first letter of Christ in Greek. The first letter of Christ in Greek is X (Chi) and appears in the Greek version of the New Testament.

Christmas and the Winter Solstice

There is no doubt that Christmas is derived from the ancient pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice. In the ancient Roman calendar, December 25 was the date of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year until the invention of the Gregorian calendar when the Winter Solstice was moved to December 21. In the ancient Roman calendar, the feast of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (the birthday of the Unconquered Sun) was celebrated on December 25 to signify that the Sun could not be conquered by the dark of winter when there was fewer hours of light within the day and when most, if not all, of the vegetation has died. In the Roman calendar, the festival of Saturnalia was also celebrated at this time of year, starting on December 17th and lasting until December 23rd. This feast celebrated the dedication of the Temple of Saturn by untying the ropes or chains that had bound the statue of Saturn throughout the year. Gambling was allowed and the masters and slaves reversed roles in which the masters served the slaves. Punishment of slaves was not allowed during the festival of the Saturnalia which led to the slaves disrespecting their masters. Overall, the feast of the Saturnalia was a time of merriment, with large quantities of food and presents.

According to the Bible, there are no records of the date of the birth of Jesus and historically Christmas was not even celebrated until the year 354 C.E. Traditionally, the birth of Jesus was March 28th, according to “De Pascha Computus”, a calendar of feast produced in 243 C.E. However, the birth of Christ was not celebrated because according to the theologian Origen of Alexandria “only sinners celebrated their birthdays.” In the East, the birth of Jesus was celebrated on January 6th after 354 C.E. It was only after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on December 25th in 800 C.E. that the birth of Christ and the celebration of Christmas increased dramatically.

Christmas Traditions

There are many customs or “traditions” that are associated with Christmas, but here again most, if not all, of these customs are direct results of the pagans. The following paragraphs have been divided so that the reader can get a clear idea of the customs of Christmas and their origins.

Christmas Decorations

There are so many families in the world that celebrate Christmas by decorating their homes and churches, but most do not know where the tradition started. Many of us are familiar with the decoration of the Christmas tree, which is derived from the pagan custom of tree worship. The pagans would place a evergreen tree in their homes and decorated it with candles to symbolize the rebirth of the Sun at the Winter Solstice and since the evergreen were the only tree that appeared to “be alive” at the most darkest time of the year it became a great representation of rebirth with the candles representing the light of the Sun. The term “Christmas Tree” is first recorded in 1835 from the Germanic language. This custom was introduced to England from Germany to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, then successfully to Prince Albert during the reign of Queen Victoria. The Germans also introduced this custom to the United States during this time. The Yule log is also Germanic in origin and was a charm against lightening and good fortune. The Yule log would be lit from a piece of the previous years log and would be dusted with the ashes of that log. In English folklore, Father Christmas is often depicted carrying a Yule log. Another custom that is derived from the pagans is the decorating with evergreens, especially with holly, ivy, and mistletoe. This custom is derived from the custom of rebirth of the Sun as described above.

Gifts

The custom of giving of gifts at Christmas is derived from many sources, most which are pagan. It is believed that one source is from the Roman feast of Saturnalia. At the feast of Saturnalia items were made and distributed among friends and family. The Germanic custom of gift given was associated with the God Odin and there is a great resemblance between Odin and Santa Claus. Below is a image of Odin the Wanderer from 1886.

The traditional gifts associated with pagans were the making and giving of dolls to the children and the making and giving of candles to the adults to remind them of the rebirth of the Sun. The candles would be lit on Yule and placed within the windows throughout the night. The lighting of the Yule log is also traditional and would remain burning throughout the feast of Yule.

Conclusion

As this article shows, Christmas is pagan in origin and is celebrated by pagans as the feast of Yule or the Winter Solstice. The customs of Yule (Winter Solstice) remind us of the everlasting wheel of transformation and the return of the Sun until it’s height at Midsummer (Summer Solstice).

Traditionalism and Eclecticism

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What is the difference between Traditionalism and Eclecticism? How does a Traditionalist view an Eclectic? Does a Traditionalist think that their way of working is more correct than that of an Eclectics’? These are many questions that are asked regarding our Tradition, our views on certain issues, and the way we view others in the pagan community. This article is a response to those questions, in hopes to bring every individual that reads it, either as a seeker or an initiate, to a greater understanding of occult knowledge within Traditional British Witchcraft. This article should be read carefully, because this is a response and not the response of Traditional British Wica. Each Initiate of Traditional British Wica may have a difference response to the same questions and this should be debated at length.

What is the difference between Traditionalism and Eclecticism?

Traditionalism is the act of strict adherence to traditional methods or teachings and accepts these methods or teachings as authority, especially in cultural or religious practice. Traditionalism is also a system holding that all knowledge is derived from a divine source or revelation and is transmitted by tradition. Eclecticism is the act of making a decision on the basis of what seems best instead of following a single doctrine (teaching) or style. So a Traditionalist is a follower (initiate) that adheres to a particular Tradition as a means towards greater understanding of cultural and religious practices and accepts these practices as authority because these teachings and practices have validity within the Tradition. An Eclectic, is an individual that selects and chooses from various sources, not following any one system, as of philosophy, but selects and uses what are considered the best elements of all systems.

How does a Traditionalist view an Eclectic?

In Wica, a Traditionalist view on Eclecticism and Eclectic is very diverse. Each Traditionalist views Eclecticism in a different way, however most will agree that taking information from different sources and applying them to a religious matter is unwise and unsafe. It is never wise to assume that you can take a deity from one culture and another deity from another culture and make it work effortlessly. The reason behind this is as diverse as the reason behind why that decision was even made because most cultural views on the deities are different and most cultures have a different method of working with a particular deity. You have to ask yourself the question is the deities’ compatible and most of the time you will come to the realization that the two deities are not. To answer the original question, it is only through Tradition that Wica has remained alive and it is through Tradition that it will survive.

Does a Traditionalist think that their way of working is more correct than that of an Eclectics’?

I have been asked this question many times and have had some defensive remarks, but from my point of view, and from many others that have been in a Traditional Circle, the energy in a Traditional Circle is more intense than that of an Eclectic Circle. The reason for this is simple. In a Traditional Circle, the initiate draws upon the collective power of all initiates, in the past and the present. The reason this can be achieved is because there is an established link between initiates through the process of initiation. This process didn’t happen suddenly and is one of the main reasons that all candidates wishing to join a Traditionalist Coven aren't accepted.

The Altar

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The term altar is derived from the Latin term “altare” or “altus” meaning “a high place for burning offerings” and refers to an elevated place or structure where religious rites were performed or where sacrifices were offered to the Gods. In the Olden Days, altars were normally an elevated structures such as mounds or platforms in which animal sacrifices or crops were offered to the Gods for a successful hunt or a bountiful harvest. However, the Wica and most followers of Witchcraft no longer offer animal sacrifices to the Gods and in Traditional British Witchcraft sacrifices are made to the Gods in the forms of harvest, flowers, and incense.

In Traditional British Wica, the altar is an elevated structure made from natural materials such as wood and stone and is placed in the centre of the Circle during rituals. The altar is the structure where the Working Tools are placed during the rites, according the gender and elemental association, and were offerings are placed or made when not in use for the rites associated with Tradition. In Traditional British Wica, the only items that are placed on the altar are those that have been properly consecrated to the Gods and offering that have been dedicated to the Gods for a specific occasion. The altar is always placed facing the North because this is the direction of the Gods realm and domain.

In Traditional British Witchcraft, the altar should be covered with a black cloth to represent procreation; the only exemption to this rule is at the Esbats and some Sabbats in which other colors are used. The altar candles upon the altar should always be white except for Beltane, Samhain, and Yule and are placed in the upper right and left hand corners of the altar to symbolize the presence of the Gods when lit. When not in use for rituals, the only items upon the altar are the altar candles, statues of the Gods, the Censer, offerings (in the form of flowers or harvest), and the perpetual or eternal flame. All Initiates of Traditional British Wica keep a perpetual or eternal flame on their altars to symbolize life eternal and the union between the brothers and sisters of the Art and the union of the masculine and feminine forces or energies.

The altar is either circular or square. The round altar represents life eternal and a square altar represents balance and the Netherlands or the Underworld. The ideal altar is three feet around or square and three feet tall. This is a comfortable height for an altar because the Witch can stand at the altar without having to lean over to reach the Working Tools during ritual.

The altar is divided into two parts and represents the masculine and the feminine. The masculine side of the altar is the right side and the left side of the altar is feminine. Therefore, the statue of the Goddess should be placed on the left side of the altar and the statue of the God should be placed on the right side of the altar. The offerings should be placed between the statue of the Gods and the perpetual or eternal flame should be placed in the center of the altar. The Censer should be placed to the East of the altar.

In Traditional British Wica, the altar is the physical foundation of their life as a Witch. It represents their connection with the Gods and is the place where offerings are made and devotion takes place. The altar is a reflection of the Witch and should always be kept clean and free of clutter.

In the olden days, the woman was the altar with her womb placed within the centre of the Circle. In Traditional British Witchcraft, this is still held true during the Great Rite.

Yule

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Yule is the ancient celebration of the Winter Solstice (which is derived from the Latin terms “sol” meaning sun and “sistere” meaning “to stand still”) and is derived from the Old English term “geol” meaning “December”. The term “geol” was used by the English and Anglo-Saxons before 900 C.E. and the term “Yule” was used from 1450 C.E. until the present day. The Sabbat of Yule is celebrated between December 20th and December 23rd and commemorates the shortest day and the longest night of the year and the rebirth of God since His departure into the Netherlands or the Underworld during the Autumnal Equinox. However, the date of Yule was moved from the above dates in the Julian calendar to December 25th to correspond with the date of Christmas and is one of the reasons that Yule and Christmas are often used interchangeably.

Yule predates Christianity and it is no surprise why the Christian Church chose the 25th of December as the birth of Jesus and the celebration of Christmas, which means the Mass of Christ. The reason that the Church chose this date as the birth of Jesus is because the pagans of Europe celebrated the rebirth of the sun and their God and to sway the pagans to the New Religion the Church chose the Winter Solstice as the birth of Jesus. However, historically the birth of Jesus would have taken place at the Vernal or Spring Equinox and not at the Winter Solstice.

There are many Yule traditions that have survived throughout the centuries that are even found in the celebration of Christmas. These traditions are the decorating of the Yule Tree (which normally was a fir or spruce tree), the burning of the Yule Log (started from a piece of the previous year’s Yule Log that was kept under the bed for protection), the hanging of holly branches, the giving of gifts (which were normally candles, to commemorate the rebirth of Light or the Sun and homemade dolls for the children), the hanging of boughs, the eating of pork, and merriment. However, there is one tradition that the Church never accepted and that was the hanging of mistletoe.

Lifting the Veil

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Lifting the Veil is an annual Gathering hosted by Oak Grove Sanctuary and Oak Forest Coven on or around Samhain to bring Pagans, Witches, and the Wica together in Northeast, Georgia. This Gathering is open to all age groups, to all Traditions, and to all Pagan Paths. Discrimination will not be tolerated and anyone displaying such actions will be asked to leave.

Registration:

Anyone wishing to attend Lifting the Veil should contact Oak Forest Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net or the High Priest of Oak Forest Coven at adamgray@wytchcraft.net. Anyone wishing to attend must also complete a Waiver and Release of Liability Form.

Where and What Time:

This year’s annual event will take place in Canon, Georgia in a secluded area in the woods. The Gathering will be held from October 30, 2010 starting at 10:00 am and lasting until 12:00 am.

Events:

The events that will be held this year at Lifting the Veil will include Fire Walking, Samhain Ritual, and a Pagan Book Swap. Traditional Usui Reiki Level One Attunements will also be offered to all Attendees.

Schedule of Events:

10:00am – 11:00am: Registration
11:00am: Handfasting (Alicee and Arden)
1:00pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Discussions
4:00 pm: Reiki I Attunements
6:00pm: Dumb Supper
7:00pm: Apple Bobbing
8:00 pm: Fire Walk
10:00pm: Samhain Ritual

Activities for Children:

Corn Husk Dolls
Pumpkin Carving
Make Autumn Wreath

Candy will be Provided for Children

What to Bring:

Anyone wishing to attend this Gathering should bring a blanket or chair to sit upon, a pagan book for the Pagan Book Swap, and sufficient clothing. If want to camp onsite, please bring a tent and all supplies that you may need during your stay.

Food and Drinks:

Oak Grove Sanctuary and Oak Forest Coven will be selling food and drinks that will help cover the cost of Lifting the Veil. The Dumb Supper will be provided by Oak Forest Coven.

Dumb Supper:

Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin
Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
Herb Grilled Corn on the Cob
Thyme Roasted New Potatoes
Olive Rosemary Yeast Bread
Apple Pie
Pecan Pie

Restrooms and Facilities

A Half-Bath will be provided for Attendees to use during their stay at Lifting the Veil.

Weather:

The weather is normally pleasant within the day with temperatures ranging from 75 Degrees to 85 Degrees Fahrenheit and it is usually sunny. However, during the night the temperatures can range from 50 Degrees to 55 Degrees and is normally cold and damp. If it should rain upon this date then the Gathering will be cancelled.

Cost:

There is no cost for this event. However, we will be accepting donations for the cost of the Gathering. We will also be accepting donation of canned and non-perishable foods for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. To learn more about the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, visit their website at www.foodbanknega.org.

Initiation

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Initiation into Oak Forest Coven and Traditional British Witchcraft is not taken likely and all applications are not accepted. We do not give Initiations on a silver platter. Having made that point, this article is to inform the applicant of the procedure of accepting new candidates into Oak Forest Coven and Traditional British Witchcraft.

Once an application is received, the applicant will receive and email or postal letter with a questionnaire and a personal information sheet. When these two forms have been completed and returned to Oak Forest Coven, they are reviewed by the High Priestess and High Priest and finally by all members of Coven. If the candidate is known to anyone in the Coven, this is discussed at length to determine what that member knows about the pending candidate. After the candidate has been presented to all members of the Coven, then the Council of Elders discuss the application in depth to determine if the applicant process should continue to the final stages of acceptance.

If the Elders agree, then a meeting is established between the High Priestess, the High Priest, an Elder (speaking on behalf of the Council), and the applicant. Once the meeting has taken place then the detail of the meeting are presented to all member of the Coven to determine if the applicant is accepted and should continue to the Outer Court for training as a Neophyte to learn about the History of Traditional British Witchcraft, its Lineage, and Beliefs and Practices.

When the Neophyte is taught the History and the Beliefs and Practices of the Tradition, then the Neophyte begins their training in Meditation, Visualization, Grounding, Centering, and Shielding. This is time when a Neophyte will determine if this is the path they wish to follow and to determine if they wish to continue on that path. This is also the time when the Neophyte promises to keep secret all that the Coven and the Tradition hold sacred.

When the Neophyte decides that this is the path that they wish to continue and to follow and promise to keep the secrets of the Tradition, then the Neophyte is presented to all members of the Inner Court for Initiation.

Although there is no set time limit for a Neophyte to determine if they wish to continue and to promise to keep secret all that is taught to them in Traditional British Witchcraft, the least amount of time that is generally accepted is a year-and-a-day.

Anyone thinking about joining Oak Forest Coven should contact the Coven at oakforestcoven@wytchcraft.net.

History of Oak Forest Coven

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Oak Forest Coven was established on the Sabbat of Imbolc in the year of 2002, when Vertius (Adam Gray) hived off from his Mother Coven, the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron after obtaining his Third Degree Initiation in Traditional British Witchcraft. Oak Forest Coven took its name from Oak Forest, Illinois, the location where Elizabeth Pomponios moved when she resigned from the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron.

Since the establishment of Oak Forest Coven there have been many changes in regards to the location of the Coven. When the Coven was first established it was located in Carnesville, Georgia and operated in this area of Georgia from Imbolc of 2002 until Beltane of 2004. Since then, Oak Forest Coven has relocated twice to new areas of Georgia, Royston (Sandy Cross), Georgia and to Canon, Georgia; all which are located in Franklin County. On Beltane, in the year 2004, Oak Forest Coven remained at Royston, Georgia until the Vernal (Spring) Equinox of 2007, when eventually it was relocated to Canon, Georgia and were it currently resides and is located.

Although, Oak Forest Coven has relocated twice since its establishment, the Coven has remained true to the teaching and practices of Traditional British Witchcraft and values these teachings and practices that have been passed down from previous generations. Oak Forest Coven strives to keep the Olde Ways alive by actively operating and practicing these ancient teachings and by holding true to the Tradition in which it was established.

Lineage

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George Browne

- Mary Browne

- Charles Smith

- Elizabeth Louise Pomponios (The Coven of the Mystical Cauldron)

- Vertius (Adam Gray) (Oak Forest Coven)

Worship and Devotion

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Worship and devotion is a vital part to Traditional British Witchcraft, commonly referred to as Traditional British Wica. The term worship is derived from the Old English term “wordscip” or “wurdscip” meaning to render honor (homage) and reverence to a deity or god(s) and the term devotion is derived from the Latin term “devotio” and refers to the act of consecration by a vow. Worship is the act of adoration (fervent and devoted love) in a formal and ceremonial structure determined by Tradition and devotion is the act of profound dedication, consecration, and earnest attachment to a cause or person(s), hence the Gods. Therefore, worship is a communal adoration to render honor and reverence to the Gods and devotion is a personal act of dedication and earnest attachment that a devotee has towards the Gods

In the olden days, there was no questioning of the devotion and worship to the Gods. Every moment or situation was seen as sacred and important decisions were not conducted until an offering or offerings (a form of devotion) were brought to the temple for the approval of the Gods. This act of consecration was not only viewed as sacred by the commoners, but was deemed vital by royalty to insure prosperity and balance to their kingdoms or empires.

Many Witches today have lost sight of true worship and devotion to the Gods. The only act of devotion that is given thought is to the worship of the Gods at the Esbats and Sabbats. Even then some Witches come to the conclusion that worship and devotion is not important and tend to give excuses of why they do not worship or devote their lives to the Gods. Excuses are “exaggerated lies” and there is no reason why a Witch should note worship or devote their lives to the will of the Gods. When you look at the situation, it is obvious that a Witch does not want to worship or devote themselves to the will of the Gods and many times laziness is one of the leading factors. Worship is important because it establishes the communal link between the brothers and sisters and to the collective will of the Coven to the Gods. As Witches we should be able to conquer any situation that is put before us and especially if that situation is blocking the path which leads to the Gods, the personal growth of our individuality, and companionship with brothers and sisters of the Art.

Devotion is also as important as worship, because devotion links every individual Witch to the union between themselves and the Gods. This union is vital to truly understand the will of the Gods and their personal relationship to that will. There are many forms of devotion and in Traditional British Witchcraft this includes the offering of flowers and the harvest, the upkeep of the altar and the perpetual or eternal flame that resides upon it. There are two reasons for the perpetual or eternal flame. It symbolizes life eternal and the union between the brothers and sisters of the Art and the Gods. As one of the focal point of worship and devotion the altar should be clear of clutter and dust; it should be organized, and should be a place that we can return to time and time again to communion with the Gods.

In Traditional British Witchcraft, daily meditation and devotion is essential because it establishes the link between the initiate and the Gods. In Traditional British Witchcraft, devotion also includes the recitation of the divine Names of the Gods using the Witch’s Ladder. In the morning, normally at sunrise, devotion is of dedication and earnest attachment to God and in the evening, normally at sunset, devotion is of dedication and earnest attachment to the Goddess. This act of devotion is of dedicating the Witch’s life to will of the Gods.

The Power of Meditation

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Meditation is the foundation in which all ritualistic and magical work is laid and it is no wonder that it is one of the Eight Ways of Magic. Meditation sets the mind at ease and rids the mind of all negativity. This is an important factor to consider if someone is about to enter the Circle or conducting magic, because if the mind isn’t at ease, the mind will begin to wonder and the ritual or magic performed will not have the same outcome as someone whom has cleared their mind beforehand.

In Traditional British Witchcraft, there are two forms of meditation that are taught to the neophytes and initiates. Of the two, the first must be achieved before advancing to the second and these two forms are contemplation and visualization. Contemplation is used to truly understand what is happening in the mind and to rid the mind of all negativity through breathing techniques. The breath is a good indicator of what is going on in the mind and body of an individual. When someone is frightened or stressed the breath become rapid and when calm the breath becomes slow. Visualization is the act of concentrating the mind on a fixed object or object of the imagination in order to establish a link to a particular person or object. In a Coven this is important because the members of the Coven should be “of one mind” in the Rites performed and with their will and imagination see that their efforts have been achieved towards the Great Work.

The benefits of meditation are tremendous. Meditation lowers the consumption of oxygen and decreases the respiratory rate, it increases blood flow and slows the heart rate, reduces anxiety and leads to a deeper level of relaxation, decreases muscle tension and headaches, it increases serotonin, which influences mood and behavior, and elevates depression, obesity, and insomnia. It also helps in chronic diseases such as allergies and arthritis and enhances the immune system, which increases the healing process, and also reduces blood pressure. Meditation also eliminates fears and phobias. The benefits of women included the reduction of Pre-menstrual syndrome.

It is important that all neophytes and initiates do not confuse meditation with prayer. Meditation is the act of reflection and contemplation and prayer is the act of petition. It is important that all neophytes and initiates are consistent in their daily practice of meditation. Through consistent practice only will a neophyte and an initiate become to understand the full potential of the power of the mind and how to use that power to better our lives and those around us.

History

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The purpose of this article is to inform initiates and non-initiates alike of the history of Traditional British Witchcraft. Traditional British Witchcraft is not the same as British Traditional Witchcraft and initiates and seekers should not interpret them as such. Much research has been done to ensure that anyone who reads this article has the most accurate information available regarding our Tradition.

The birth of Traditional British Witchcraft, began with George Browne (1818-1872), a male Witch (referred to as a Master at that time) who claimed hereditary descent from Agnes Browne, which was persecuted for the act of bewitchment of Master Avery and his sister and was hanged at the gallows of Abington in Northampton, England on July 22, 1612. According to Tradition, George Browne was a very quiet and secretive man living and working as a laborer in the farm of his family in Maidstone, Kent, England; the place of his birth. George Browne was considered an Adept in the Art of Witchcraft, which is probable one of the reason for his secrecy, since England had passed the Anti-Witchcraft Act, a law stating that any individual practicing or considered practicing Witchcraft would be prosecuted and hung. George Browne kept this part of his life a secret until he passed his knowledge of Witchcraft to his daughter, Mary Catherine Browne (1854-1916), which was born in Dundalk, Louth, Ireland on October 16, 1854.

Mary Browne was very close to her father, helping him as much as she could with the activities of daily life since the absence of his wife, the mother of Mary Browne. George Browne, seeing how loyal his daughter was toward the family, decided to share his beliefs and practices with her in order to keep the knowledge of the family alive. The connection that Mary Browne had with nature, in her daily life, lead her to a greater understanding of the beliefs and practices of her family that had been established through the generations. Mary Browne would continue to acknowledge and practice these beliefs according to the tradition of her family, but according to Tradition she had no children or heir to pass this knowledge to and decided to pass this knowledge to an individual who was not part of the immediate family. Mary Browne shared this knowledge with Charles Smith and would continue to do so until her death on Beltane (May 1), 1916.

Charles Smith (1880-1970) who was born on January 28, 1880 in Ventor, Isle of Wight, England was the first person that Mary Browne entrusted with the teachings and practices of her family. Charles Smith was knowledgeable in the occult practices of ancient England and of the Golden Dawn and was one of the factors that lead him to be chosen by Mary Browne. Charles Smith combined his knowledge of the Golden Dawn with the teachings of Traditional Witchcraft, as passed down to him by Mary Browne, to establish a complete system that is known by initiates outside England as Traditional British Witchcraft. Charles Smith lived a long and prosperous life, living until the age of 90, until his death in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England in 1970, the place where the persecution and execution of Agnes Browne had taken place by hanging in 1612.

Letter Written to Elizabeth Pomponios from Charles Smith. It reads:

"January 21, 1956

Dearest Elizabeth,

I was glad to hear that you and your husband will be traveling to England to visit. It will be such a honour to meet you and Gilbert after so many years of us writing to one another. I look forward to seeing the both of you and to share with you and Gilbert the knowledge that I have attained. I pray that the knowledge of the Browne Family that I will share with you both will remain and will blossom into Light within this World of Darkness. Mary and George would have wanted it that way.

I was sorry to hear that your mother has fallen ill. What I know of her from your letters is that she seems to be a great woman. May the strength of the Old Ones be with her.

With great concern,
Charles Smith (Signed)"

Elizabeth Louise Pomponios (1926-2003), was born Elizabeth Louise McCormick in Lake Township (Huron County), Michigan on October 26, 1926. Elizabeth Pomponios was the first American to be initiated by Charles Smith and to establish the first Traditional British Coven, the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron, in North America. The Coven of the Mystical Cauldron was established and located in Athens, Georgia, the place where Elizabeth Louise and Gilbert Albert Pomponios decided to live when they moved from Michigan. The Coven of the Mystical Cauldron remained an active Coven for twenty-one years until it was disbanded in 2003. Elizabeth Pomponios remained the active High Priestess of the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron since it establishment, considering her age and health, until Imbolc of 2001 when she decide to move with her husband to Oak Forest (Cook County), Illinois. The reason that Elizabeth Pomponios remained the High Priestess for so many years is because none of the Elders wanted the responsibility of operating and maintaining the Coven, except for Sara Owens, the deputy of Elizabeth Pomponios. It was Sara Owens that Elizabeth Pomponios entrusted with the responsibility of initiation and elevation of those within the Coven of the Mystical Cauldron. Elizabeth Louise Pomponios (February 7, 2003) and Gilbert Andrew Pomponios (March 4, 2003) both died in Oak Forest, Illinois and were cremated.

Traditional British Witchcraft, is the terms used by initiates in North America to denote the tradition into which they were initiated and adhere by according to the beliefs and practices of that tradition. However, the terms “The Craft”, and “Traditional Witchcraft” have been used to denote the tradition of Traditional British Witchcraft, and all these terms are interchangeable within the tradition. The reasoning behind the terms “Traditional British Witchcraft, is to specify that we are a tradition based on lineage, the origin of our establishment, and the beliefs and practices that our tradition adheres. Traditional British Witchcraft is an initiatory, oath bound, and mysterious tradition, which establishes it as a secretive tradition within Witchcraft, or the Craft. Initiates begin their training within the Outer Court and when considered admissible, were accepted into the Inner Court of the Tradition. The Outer Court was established, according to Traditional British Witchcraft, to evaluate and train initiates without positioning the tradition or Book of Shadows in jeopardy. The Inner Court was established of admissible Elders containing the inner secrets of the tradition. These arrangements lead to two copies of the Book of Shadows, one for training, which was openly shared among initiates of the Outer Court of the Tradition, and one authentic (complete) and secretive, obtained by the initiates of the Inner Court of the Tradition.

This concludes the article on the History of Traditional British Witchcraft, commonly referred to as Traditional British Wica. I hope that this article leads the reader to some insight into our Tradition.

Fluffy Behavior 101

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The question keeps coming up, "What makes someone fluffy or a fluff-bunny?" The concept of "fluff-bunny" is similar to "twinkie" as used in many American Indian communities: someone who either plays at the spiritual practices or is serious about it but goes for stereotypes and glitz rather than factual information. Practicing any significant number of these characteristic behaviors will be good and sufficient cause to label you accordingly. These are from actual experience, but they don't all apply to any one person - we hope. Several of them seem contradictory; this doesn't appear to matter to the people in question.

Note: if you find this list offensive, then you are probably a classic fluffy. If you think we're being unnecessarily confrontational with this, you may be right (but see item 7). If you think we're picking on Wiccans, maybe so; but we do know plenty of non-Wiccan fluffies (check out Why Wiccans Suck and Wicca for the Rest of Us for other detailed views on the decadence of Wicca).

1. Claim to be practicing some really old path, but don't put forth the effort to find out what people actually did or believed on that path. Make stuff up while claiming that it's how the ancients did it.

2. Ignore anything dark or threatening, even if pretending to work with dark deities. Talk about how your deity of choice is always good or always right, or pretend your favorite dark goddess is really just a misunderstood sweetie-pie.

3. Accept any kind of nonsense you're told by another fluffy or read in some book with a crescent moon on the spine. Alternatively, accept any one source as definitive, no matter what those tight-assed intellectuals think about it. And do pass on whatever it is you think you know as though you invented it.

4. Get all worked up at any kind of challenge involving logic or fact. Only feelings really matter. Disregard what others have to say if it doesn't affirm what you already believe, whether or not they can prove their claims.

5. Make a big point of being huffy at anyone who doesn't take whatever you say at face value, especially if they continue to present evidence that disproves your claims, and declare that you are finished talking about the subject because "everyone is entitled to an opinion" and so your opinion is just as good as anyone else's.

6. Emphasize loudly that people don't have the right to make judgments about your words if they don't know you very well offline. Regardless of what you actually SAY, only your professed motivations should matter to other people.

7. Avoid conflict at all costs, and jump into other people's disagreements, even if you're not directly involved, to try to get them to agree for agreement's sake. Agree with other people just to smooth things over, or even lecture them on how they should just get along. If you moderate a list or message board, delete any messages that don't agree with you or that present uncomfortable viewpoints.

8. Try to get others to refrain from using profanity or stop talking about a subject because it makes you uncomfortable; for example, go to a clothing-optional event and then pitch a fit if anyone opts to go fully or partially nude.

9. Tell non-fluffies how horrible/non-spiritual they are for not accepting all pagans, regardless of how asinine their behavior might be; but be sure to tell everyone at the drop of a hat that you're Not A Satanist, whether they asked or not.

10. Be sure to complain frequently about persecution, whether you've actually experienced any or not. Extra points if you think someone choosing not to do business with you is "persecution" or if you repeat any form of the "Burning Times" myth:

~ 9 million died (or any number greater than about 40,000)

~ Those condemned as witches were Wiccans (or any kind of Pagan)

~ People were burned at Salem (try hanged and pressed)

You might want to check the Covenant of the Goddess website for a reasonable account of the Witch Hysteria from a source with impeccable Wiccan credentials, except that doing so might be non-fluffy.

11. In conversation in person or otherwise, always assume that the Wiccan Rede (or whatever your code of honor happens to be) applies to all Pagans. If mildly challenged on this, act confused; if strongly challenged, go into Major Evil Eye Mode and accuse the Rede-Infidel (who OBVIOUSLY has no ethics whatsoever) of Satanism, Crowleyism, or worse.

12. Presume to lecture others on any of the Favorite Fluffy Topics:

~ Why Witchcraft is a Religion

~ Only Wiccans are Witches

~ What Real Witches (your definition) don't do: hexes, spells for selfish purposes, animal sacrifices (we're not like those awful Santerians or Voodoo practitioners), sex magick, etc.

~ What Real Witches (your definition) MUST do: be vegetarian/vegan, do charity work, recycle, vote for Democrats, etc.

~ Why Magick should NOT be used to interfere with another's Will or Karma - even by healing them

~ How the world was a happy, peaceful matriarchy until those horrible men had to mess it all up

~ How ritual nudity, sex magick, and the scourge are all in traditional Wicca only because Uncle Gerald was a dirty old man, not because of any actual value they might have

13. Insist that Wicca, or whatever your path is, is whatever you make it, regardless of its history. Demand respect for what you're doing even as you trash the efforts of your precursors and insist on calling the trash by the same name. Don't bother renaming what you do, however loosely based on the original form, because you want to ride on the coattails of people who went before and claim some sort of lineage regardless of the lack of similarities between what they did and what you do.

14. If your belief is "All Goddesses are One Goddess" and "All Gods are One God" and ultimately all deities are aspects of the One, use this as an excuse to not bother learning about or working with specific deities. Or, when you do call on a Lord and Lady by name, mix and match any two from any pantheons at any times.

15. Use a disability as an excuse not to check your facts or learn anything new, or as an excuse to engage in other fluffy behavior. Claim persecution if anyone dares to suggest that using a spell-checker isn't unreasonable even for someone with a disability.

16. Sign your emails/posts "Namaste" or "Bright Blessings" when the content of the message chews someone out, insults, or otherwise contradicts the salutation.

17. You can be lacking in all of the preceding Fluffy Traits, but if you demonstrate this one, you're in the Fluffy Club: Don't show any signs of having been touched by divinity or ecstatic experience. Many mainstream Christians sing hymns as if they were laundry-lists, and everyone accepts them, so that is what we want to do. Look askance at people who actually get out of themselves in ritual or celebration. Care more about what society and/or your friends think than what your deities think or whether you are actually getting anything out of what you do. Be sure not to do anything, even if it would develop your path/abilities/insights, that might possibly provoke disapproval or make you lose face.

It should additionally be noted that this is not a diatribe against people who simply haven't learned much yet about paganism; it's about people who refuse to have integrity in their path or to use logic and critical thinking skills. The grey matter in our skulls isn't just to fill up space; it's a tool that should be used - OFTEN.

The distinction we make between newbie and fluffy is precisely in terms of how they respond to education. We encounter plenty of each kind. The uneducable will more likely flare up at anyone who presents the truth, because they have already committed to "it's anything I want it to be" as a guiding principle, whether we're talking about history, theology, the practice of magick, or whatever.

Why do we make such a big deal about fluffies? We'd happily let it pass if they weren't so busy trying to impose their fluffy values on the rest of the community. The rabid fervor with which they attempt to impose their flippancy on others gives outsiders the impression that we're all stupid, incapable of critical thinking skills, and inconsistent. Quite frankly, we don't appreciate that, and we don't appreciate being told we need to behave in stupid, unthinking, and inconsistent ways. So while you are certainly entitled to believe whatever you wish, you don't have a right to force it on us; but we do have a right to call bullshit when we see it.

Permission to repost or otherwise distribute is granted provided the essay is kept intact and this notice included.

Beliefs and Practices

2007-12-31T22:00:00.001-05:00

Beliefs

We believe in the Ancient Providence, which was, is, and ever shall be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. We believe that the Ancient Providence is omnificent and is hereby omnifarious. We acknowledge that the Ancient Providence is androgynous and is understood by humanity as the Goddess and God of Witchcraft, or the Craft. We acknowledge the existence of the Lords of the Watchtowers, the Kings of the Elements, which guard and protect the Temple of the Gods, or the Circle.

We believe and adhere by the Old Laws and the teachings of Traditional British Witchcraft and the Rede, which is accepted as a moral guideline to which we should live our lives according to Tradition. We believe that the standards of conduct in Traditional British Witchcraft are based on the Old Laws and the Rede, which advises us to live our lives to the best of our ability with minimum harm to others and to ourselves. We believe and acknowledge that the Rede isn’t a law, but advise to help us to realize that as individuals we are not perfect, but as individual with a free will, we are capable of limiting our destructiveness and to live in harmony with other.

We believe and accept the authority of the High Priestess and the High Priest, which are living representations of the Goddess and God. We believe that a High Priest/High Priestess refers to a Third Degree Initiates that establishes and operates a coven according to Traditional British Witchcraft. We believe that only a Third Degree Initiate can form and operate a Coven. We believe and accept that every Coven in Traditional British Witchcraft is anonymous and should have no more than thirteen initiates. We believe and accept that a Coven is ruled by the High Priestess who is assisted by her consort, the High Priest and is supported by the advice of the Elders and the Messenger of the Gods, or the Summoner. We believe in the honorary relationship between the Parent and Daughter Covens and accept the Parent Coven as our Queen or Magus. We believe that a Coven is where an initiate learns of the Religion and Magic. We believe that initiation is a means of validity within the tradition and is not offered to everyone. We believe that every initiate of Traditional British Witchcraft is a Priest/Priestess within the tradition with a direct connection to the Gods.

Practices

We believe that working skyclad (ritual nudity) is a sign of freedom and equality. We believe and acknowledge the polarity of opposites and work in female - male couples. We believe that all rites are to take place within a properly prepared Circle. We believe that our rites bind us to the Gods and celebrate our connection to the Gods and to nature.

We believe and acknowledge three types of rites. We believe and acknowledge these rites as the Esbats, which are Lunar Rites dedicated to the Goddess, the Sabbats, which are Solar Rites dedicated to the God and the Wheel of the Year, and Rites of Transition, such as Initiation, Handfastings, and Death. We believe and acknowledge the Sabbats as:

- Imbolc
- Vernal Equinox (Spring Equinox)
- Beltane
- Midsummer (Summer Solstice)
- Lughnasadh
- Autumnal Equinox (Fall Equinox)
- Samhain
- Yule

We believe that Magic is a means to better our lives and to aid humanity. We believe that Magic should never take place on a Sabbat, for these are times of celebration. We believe that Magic is secondary to Traditional British Witchcraft, for the Craft must ever survive.

The Watchtowers

2007-12-31T04:19:00.000-05:00

This article is the result of research done on the Watchtowers and their correspondence to the Circle within Traditional British Witchcraft, commonly referred to as Traditional British Wica. This article will explain why some Traditions correspond the north with air, east with earth, and will provide a reasonable explanation for the traditional correspondence of north with earth, air with east.

The reasoning for north to air and east to earth is stated in the article titled: Re-Thinking the Watchtowers or 13 Reasons Air should be in the North. This article is considered by some to be absolute evidence of why air should be placed in the north, but when viewed closely one will find that the evidence in this article are inaccurate and misleading. In the following article: Traditional Watchtowers, explains why the article written by Mike Nichols is considered inaccurate from the traditional standpoint and is considered misleading information.

Re-Thinking the Watchtowers or 13 Reasons Air should be in the North

By Mike Nichols

Introduction

It all started many years ago. I was a teenager then, and a recent initiate to the religion of Wicca. Like most neophytes, I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches. I copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of correspondences from every source I could lay hands on. Those generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and unpublished works, mainly other Witches’ Books of Shadows.

In the late 1960s, most of us were “traditional” enough to copy everything by hand. (Today, photocopying and even email attachments are becoming de rigueur.) Always, we were admonished to copy “every dot and comma”, making an exact transcription of the original, since any variation in the ceremony might cause major problems for the magician. Seldom, if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came from in the first place, or who composed them. Most of us, alas, did not know and did not care. It was enough just to follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed.

But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying frenzy. I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources, and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements. I found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was “right”, “correct”, “authentic”, “original”, “older”, etc.

This gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual came from in the first place. Who created it? Was it created by one person or many? Was it ever altered in transmission? If so, was it by accident or intent? Do we know? Is there ever any way to find out? How did a particular ritual get into a coven’s Book of Shadows? From another, older, Book of Shadows? Or from a published source? If so, where did the author of the published work get it?

I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already see that the questions being raised were very complex. (Now, all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history. And I am equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft. It may well be a mare’s nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft historians. (And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me fly into a passionate tirade whenever I’m confronted with such banal oversimplifications as ‘Crowley is the real author of the Third Degree initiation’, or ‘Everyone knows Gardner invented modern Witchcraft’.)

Conflicting Traditions

The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was when I was invited as a guest to attend another coven’s Esbat celebration. When the time came to “invoke the Watchtowers” (a ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn that this group associated the element of earth with the north. My own coven equated north with air. How odd, I thought. Where’d they get that? The high priestess told me it had been copied out of a number of published sources. Further, she said she had never seen it listed any other way. I raced home and began tearing books from my own library shelves. And sure enough! Practically every book I consulted gave the following associations as standard: north = earth, east = air, south = fire, west = water.

Then where the heck did I get the idea that air belonged in the north? After much thought, I remembered having copied my own elemental/directional associations from another Witch’s Book of Shadows, her book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh tradition. Perhaps I’d copied it down wrong? A quick long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score. (When I asked her where she’d gotten it, she said she thought it was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn’t certain.)

By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at variance with most published sources. Still, my own rituals didn’t seem to be adversely affected. Nor were those of my fellow coven members, all of whom put air in the north. Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and correspondences that seemed to require air to be in the north. The very thought of air in the east offended both my sense of reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities. There are good reasons to place air in the north. And the whole mythological superstructure would collapse if air were in the east, instead. If this is so, then why do most published sources place earth in the north and air in the east?

Ritual Tampering

Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason! Somewhere along the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the information! Such tampering is a long and venerable practice within certain branches of magic. In Western culture, it is most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic, and ceremonial magic lodges. It is common among such groups that, when publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will publish versions that are incomplete and/or deliberately altered in some way from the authentic practice. This prevents someone who is not a member of the group from simply buying a book, and performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training. It is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be given the complete and/or corrected versions of their rituals. This is how such groups guard their secrets. (And it is a telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern Witchcraft to have “borrowed” its directional/elemental correspondences from ceremonial magic sources! What a laugh if this was Crowley’s last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!)

I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate ritual tampering. A friend of mine had been making a study of the so-called planetary squares, talismans that look like magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic order. There are seven such squares—one for each of the “classical” planets. While making this study, he began coloring the grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid. Six of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color. Then there was the Sun square! Against all expectation, the colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging. Thus, he began his quest for the corrected Sun square. And I became convinced of the reality of ritual tampering.

The Watchtowers

All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the arguments in favor of the air-in-the-north model, which I have now come to believe is the corrected system of correspondences. The remainder of this article will be devoted to those arguments, each with its own name and number:

1. Airts: This is perhaps the strongest argument. In Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations are referred to as the “four airts”. And it is a known fact that this tradition associates air with north. While it is true that some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp and Doreen Valiente), have given tampered versions of the airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F. Marion McNeill) invariably report the air/north connection.

2. Parallel Cultures: Although arguing from parallel cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, the vast majority of Native American tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place air in the north, which they symbolize by the eagle. (Aboriginal cultures lying south of the equator typically have different associations, for reasons I will discuss next.)

3. Geophysical: If one accepts the insular British origins of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the British Isles. To the west is the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean (i.e. water). To the east, the bulk of the European landmass (earth). South has always been the direction of fire because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets warmer. Which leaves north as the region of air, home of the icy winds of winter. (These last two associations would be reversed for cultures in the Southern Hemisphere, for whom north is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the land of ice.)

4. Hyperborean: In fact, an ancient name for the British Isles was Hyperborea, which literally means “behind the north wind”, thus associating north and wind (air) once more. The inhabitants were themselves called “Hyperboreans”, and the phrase “at the back of the north wind” (the title of one of George MacDonald’s faery romances) is still current. Of all the winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind (Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest and most influential (cf. Robert Grave’s Goddess fantasy Watch the North Wind Rise). You don’t hear too much about the other three cardinal winds.

5. Seasonal: Many occultists associate the four seasons with the four cardinal points, as well. Hence, winter = north, spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west. (To be precise, it is the solstice and equinox points that align with the cardinal points.) Again, in most folklore, winter is associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in the season. In spring, it is the Earth that arrests our attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery. Again, south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west relates to autumn.

6. Diurnal: Occultists also often associate the cardinal points of a single day to the four compass points. Thus, midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = west. (Please note that we are talking about true midnight and true noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.) These associate nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed. It is easy to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the sun rises over land (Earth) and sets over the ocean (water). South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest heat (fire). Leaving the “invisible” element of air to be associated with the sun’s invisibility, at midnight.

7. Mythological: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably associated with air. The pre-Christian Irish Gods and Goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were “airy” faeries (later versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs). The Book of Conquests states their original home was in the North, “at the back of the north wind”. And when they came to Ireland, they came in ships, through the upper air(!), settling on the mountaintops. (It has always struck me as odd that some modern writers see mountains as a symbol of earth. The crucial symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air, touching the sky. Virtually all Eastern traditions associate mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air. A cave would be a better symbol of earth than a mountain.) In Welsh mythology, too, Math the Ancient, chief God of Gwynedd (or North Wales), is specifically associated with wind, which can carry people’s thoughts to him.

8. Yin/Yang: Many occultists believe that the four elements have yin/yang connections. Both air and fire are seen as masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine. If air is associated with the north point of the magic Circle, and earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one circumambulates the Circle. As one passes the cardinal points of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, feminine, masculine energies. This alternating flux of plus/ minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by standing stones in the British Isles. At sites like the Kennet Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni stones.

9. Generator: This argument flows out of the previous one. Practicing magicians often think of the magic Circle as a kind of psychic generator. Witches in particular like to perform circle dances to “raise the cone of power”. Hand in hand, and alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is released. This model has an uncanny resemblance to an electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of the four “poles” of the magic Circle. These poles themselves must alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the masculine air must be in the north. If the feminine water is in the west, then the feminine earth must be in the east. If any adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead.

10. Masculine/Feminine Axis: When you look at a typical map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top. Any north–south road is a vertical line, and any east–west road is a horizontal line. Likewise, a “map” of a magic Circle makes the vertical north–south axis masculine (with air and fire), while the horizontal east–west axis is feminine (earth and water). This makes logical sense. When we look at the horizon of the Earth, we see a horizontal line. Water also seeks a horizontal plane. Feminine elements, considered “passive”, have a natural tendency to “lay down”. Fire, on the other hand, always assumes an erect or vertical position. Air, too, can rise upward, as earth and water cannot. Masculine elements, being “active”, have a natural tendency to “stand up”.

11. Altar Tools: In modern Witchcraft, there are four principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the tarot card, the Magician. They also correspond to the four tarot suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the Four Hallows of Arthurian legend. And, like the four elements, two of them are feminine and two of them are masculine. The pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, representing earth, and is here placed in the east. The womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. They form the horizontal feminine axis. The phallic-shaped wand, representing fire, is placed in the south. And the equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north. They form the vertical masculine axis. (The gender associations of cup and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of wine.)

12. Axis Symbolism: In nearly every culture, the vertical line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy. The horizontal line is yin, feminine energy. When the vertical masculine line penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of life, and life force. Place a circle around it or on it, and you have a circle-cross or “Celtic” cross, symbol of everlasting life. (Please note the importance of the equal-armed cross. If one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of balance. The Christian or Roman cross, for example, has an extended southern arm. And many historians have commented on Christianity’s excess of “fire” or zeal. Some versions actually show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of “air” or intellectual qualities.)

13. Astrological: The astrological year is divided into four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox. And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements. Which element can be discovered by examining the exact midpoint of the quadrant. For example, the first quadrant, beginning at the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules fifteen degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit. The second quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by earth, which rules fifteen degrees Taurus, the Bull. The third quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed by fire, which rules fifteen degrees Leo, the Lion. And the fourth quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by water, which rules fifteen degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the Eagle. Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air, earth, fire, and water, and to Spirit, Bull, Lion, and Eagle, respectively. If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is because they represent the four elemental power points of the astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners of the tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the four Gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.)

Traditional Watchtowers

by Adam Gray, 3*

The reasoning for the traditional correspondences of north to earth and east to air are based on information, that when viewed closely, that are associated with the polarities of opposites and the Decans of the Zodiac. This pattern is not only mirrored by the Circle, but also the placement of the Working Tools on the Altar before rituals.

In the above you have seen how some use the airts to decide the placement of the directions with the Watchtowers, however when one looks closely at this topic in depth you will come to the conclusion that it is inaccurate. The term “airts” is Scottish Gaelic for “Airs” and refers to the directions of the winds. The airts were aiet for East, deas for south, iar for west, tuath for north. When you look at the word “tuath”, which is Scottish Gaelic for north, it also means peasantry, country dweller, and husbandmen. It is also the prefix of such Scottish Gaelic words as “tuathanach” meaning farmer and “tuathanachas” meaning farming. Therefore, this is proof that “tuath” referred to the earth and those who worked it. From this evidence, there is no doubt that earth is associated with the north and not with air.

Cultural and geography doesn’t change the placement of the Watchtower, except between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Circle is always cast the direction of the sun, therefore in the Northern Hemisphere this is to the south and in the Southern Hemisphere, to the north. It is important to note that the BoS states: "with thy right hand near the altar", when casting the Circle, from this it is obvious that Gardner wrote this instruction because he lived in the Northern Hemisphere and would mean that the Circle is cast from east to south. Culturally, there are many beliefs that may institute a reasoning for associating the Watchtowers to a particular direction. Geographically, England is surrounded by water, so does this mean that water can be associated with any direction?

When referring to the ancient name of the British Isles, it is important to keep in mind that “Hyperborea” means “beyond Boreas” and not “behind” as stated in the Article by Mike Nichols. Boreas is the name for the north wind and has nothing to do with north being associated with wind. In fact, the north wind was referred to as Boreas, the east wind was referred to as Eurus, the south wind was referred to as Notus, and the west wind was referred to as Zephyrus.

The placements of the seasons are based on the sun and its strength during the cycle of the year, while the times of day associated with the Watchtowers are: east – dawn, south – noon, west – sunset, north – midnight are considered accurate. Doesn’t the sun rise in the east and set in the west in the Northern Hemisphere and isn’t the middle of the night between these times.

When one looks at the mythology of the Tuatha De Danann, it is obvious that “tuatha” refers to earth and not air, because this is the same word referring to farming.

In British Traditional Witchcraft, the Watchtowers correspond to the traditional layout of east – air, south – fire, west – water, and north – earth. In Traditional British Witchcraft, the construction of the ritual space is viewed as the microcosm and is mirrored by the macrocosm. Since the Circle is the microcosm of the macrocosm, the construction of the Circle must reflect the macrocosm in order to succeed in the Great Work.

The reasoning for their traditional placement is because the east represents the Sun and is viewed as the father, the south represents the son, the west represents the Moon and is viewed as the mother, and the north represents the daughter. Since the Sun rises in the east (Northern Hemisphere) and is one of the symbolic images used for the God (Father) and the moon rises in the west and is one of the symbolic images used for the Goddess (Mother), it makes since in order for the energy to flow correctly that the polarities must be opposite, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t reside beside each other. The reason is because when one looks at the construction of the Circle, with the altar placed in the center, these polarities are opposite each other and therefore must mirror each other.

Since air (east) is positive and water (west) is feminine, these directions create a link across from each other, the same of north and south. The center of the Circle corresponds to the Spirit and it is from the Spirit that energy is manifested. So what about the energy that flow around the Circle? How does it flow with two elements with the same polarity beside each other? It reasoning for this is because the energy doesn’t flow from east to south and west to north, but from east, west, south, and north. This pattern creates balance, represented by the sign of Infinity, which is often associated with the magician card of the Tarot.

Traditionally, the Working Tools are also associated with the directions of the Watchtowers as Sword – Air, Wand – Fire, Cup – Water, Pentacle (Pantacle) – North. This placement is based on the Decans of the Zodiac, which correspond to the Watchtowers. At fifteen degrees Aquarius (an Air sign), the Decan is Mercury in Aquarius and is governed by the Lord of Earned Success represented by the six of Swords. At fifteen degrees Leo (a Fire sign), the Decan is Jupiter in Leo and is governed by the Lord of Victory represented by the six of Wands. At fifteen degrees Scorpio (a Water sign), the Decan is Sun in Scorpio and is governed by the Lord of Pleasure represented by the six of Cups. At fifteen degrees Taurus (a Earth sign), the Decan is Moon in Taurus and is governed by the Lord of Material Success represented by the six of Pentacles (Disks).

The Witch's Ladder

2007-12-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

I have known about this topic for some time, but I failed to realize that it has become an over-rated and misleading issue within the Craft and the pagan community. There is no doubt that Wica is one of the most secretive religions and many times there is a lot of misleading and corrupt information that falls into the hands of neophytes (new comers) and others who wish to learn about the Craft. In this article I hope to clear up one of the most debatable topics within the Craft and the pagan community; the use of prayer beads.

The reason I decided to write on this topic is because over the last couple of years some individuals within the pagan community have decided to “adopt” what they would like to call the “pagan rosary”. It is obvious that the term “rosary” was borrowed from the Catholic Church’s teachings of the “Holy Rosary”, which was established by St. Dominic in the fourteenth century and was based on the teachings of the Gospels of the early Christians. The term rosary comes from the Latin “rosarium” meaning “garden of roses” or “bouquet of roses”, and referred to the spiritual offerings of roses to Mary and Jesus when the Holy Rosary was recited or prayed. Why this term was borrowed from the Christian tradition is unknown, unless some pagans are referring to Mary as a Goddess. Which isn’t even a teaching within Christianity. To refer to Mary as a Goddess means that one would have to believe in Mary as the Mother of God, and therefore must believe in the teaching of the Catholic Church. Wica is a religion in itself and is very much complete. You can’t be a follower of two religions, which brings me to another term that I have heard and that term is “Christian Witch”. That term within itself is an oxymoron.

However, there is an aid or tool used within Traditional British Witchcraft and some other Traditional branches of the Craft, called the Witch’s Ladder. When one looks at the terminology of the “Witch’s Ladder”, it makes much more sense than that of the “pagan rosary”. The term ladder comes from the Middle English term “laddre” and refers to “a means of rising” or “a series of stages or levels”, and within Traditional British Witchcraft the Witch’s Ladder is a string of forty beads, or a cord of forty knot, used to aid in concentrated repetition without the need of counting. This concentrated repetition elevates the consciousness of the Witch. It is sad to say that even this practice has been corrupted with individuals adding such items as feathers and other objects to the Witch’s Ladder. This isn’t the original design or structure of the Witch’s Ladder, as some would have you to think and I hope that this article will clear up this corrupt and misleading information.

Take a look for yourself, when one takes the time to search this topic in truth; you will find that the “pagan rosary” isn’t pagan, but Christian in nature, and some have even gone as far as to adopt the “prayers” of the Catholic Church and reword them to make them “pagan”.

Adam Gray, 3*

Samhain

2007-10-31T19:54:00.001-04:00

Samhain is celebrated on the 31st of October and is the ancient celebration of the end of the harvest season, which is regarded as the Celtic New Year. The term is derived from the Old Irish “samain” meaning “November” or “the end of summer”. The ancient Celtic calendar (the calendar of Gaul) was divided into two seasons, the summer, which was referred to as the “light” half of the year and was celebrated from Beltane, the 1st of May until Samhain, the 31st of October, and winter which was referred to as the “dark” half of the year and was celebrated from Samhain until Beltane.

Bonfires are a traditional element in the celebration of Samhain and historically two bonfires were lit in which the cattle and livestock were driven, as well as the villagers would pass through as a sign of purification. One this night the villagers would extinguish all other fires and would light their hearth from one of the two bonfires uniting the villagers.

In the Celtic tradition, Samhain was the time within the year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead were thin, allowing the spirits of the departed to pass between the worlds to commune with humanity. In Wica, this is the time when one would honor the spirit of their deceased ancestors that would have died that year.

The modern holiday of Halloween is derived from pre-Celtic celebration of Samhain and is the combination of the Old English terms “hallow” meaning “saint” and “even”, which was shortened to “e’en” to refer to the Roman Catholic and some Protestant Church’s celebration of All Saint’s Day. However, traditionally the Roman Catholic Church celebrated All Saint’s Day on the 13th of May; this date was changed in 835 B.C.E. when Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV decided that the pre-Christian pagan celebration of Samhain should be eliminated from Europe. So, this day was established a day of fasting and was considered the vigil of All Saint’s Day. In North America, Halloween wasn’t celebrated until the nineteenth century when the Irish and Scottish immigrants brought this custom from their homeland and this custom didn’t reach other western countries until the twentieth century.

Today, Halloween is a holiday among many countries as a day associated with activities that include wearing costumes (which came from the English tradition of guising), bobbing for apples (which was a Roman festival dedicated to the Goddess Pomona and her ancient symbol of the apple which was adopted by the Celtic territories during the Roman invasion), and the carving of pumpkins lit by candles (which was a tradition adapted by North Americans from the Irish and Scottish tradition of carving yellow turnips).

A Celtic forms of Divination attributed to this holiday include the divining of one’s future spouse by peeling an apple and tossing it over one’s shoulder into a pool of water forming the initials of their future love and the baking of brambrack in Ireland. In North America, the unmarried would gaze into a mirror to see the face of their future love or spouse, but if a skull appear it was destined that they would die and never marry.

Halloween
By Robert Burns

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams
To sport that night.

Among the bonny winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin' clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, country-folks,
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu' blithe that night.

The lasses feat, and cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they're fine;
Their faces blithe, fu' sweetly kythe,
Hearts leal, and warm, and kin';
The lads sae trig, wi' wooer-babs,
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, and some wi' gabs,
Gar lasses' hearts gang startin'
Whiles fast at night.

Then, first and foremost, through the kail,
Their stocks maun a' be sought ance;
They steek their een, and graip and wale,
For muckle anes and straught anes.
Poor hav'rel Will fell aff the drift,
And wander'd through the bow-kail,
And pou't, for want o' better shift,
A runt was like a sow-tail,
Sae bow't that night.

Then, staught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar and cry a' throu'ther;
The very wee things, todlin', rin,
Wi' stocks out owre their shouther;
And gif the custoc's sweet or sour.
Wi' joctelegs they taste them;
Syne cozily, aboon the door,
Wi cannie care, they've placed them
To lie that night.

The lasses staw frae 'mang them a'
To pou their stalks of corn:
But Rab slips out, and jinks about,
Behint the muckle thorn:
He grippet Nelly hard and fast;
Loud skirl'd a' the lasses;
But her tap-pickle maist was lost,
When kitlin' in the fause-house
Wi' him that night.

The auld guidwife's well-hoordit nits,
Are round and round divided,
And monie lads' and lasses' fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle coothie, side by side,
And burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa, wi' saucy pride,
And jump out-owre the chimlie
Fu' high that night.

Jean slips in twa wi' tentie ee;
Wha 'twas she wadna tell;
But this is Jock, and this is me,
She says in to hersel:
He bleezed owre her, and she owre him,
As they wad never mair part;
Till, fuff! he started up the lum,
And Jean had e'en a sair heart
To see't that night.

Poor Willie, wi' his bow-kail runt,
Was brunt wi' primsie Mallie;
And Mallie, nae doubt, took the drunt,
To be compared to Willie;
Mall's nit lap out wi' pridefu' fling,
And her ain fit it brunt it;
While Willie lap, and swore by jing,
'Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.

Nell had the fause-house in her min',
She pits hersel and Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase they're sobbin';
Nell's heart was dancin' at the view,
She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't:
Rob, stowlins, prie'd her bonny mou',
Fu' cozie in the neuk for't,
Unseen that night.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell;
She lea'es them gashin' at their cracks,
And slips out by hersel:
She through the yard the nearest taks,
And to the kiln goes then,
And darklins graipit for the bauks,
And in the blue-clue throws then,
Right fear't that night.

And aye she win't, and aye she swat,
I wat she made nae jaukin',
Till something held within the pat,
Guid Lord! But she was quakin'!
But whether 'was the deil himsel,
Or whether 'twas a bauk-en',
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,
She didna wait on talkin'
To spier that night.

Wee Jennie to her grannie says,
"Will ye go wi' me, grannie?
I'll eat the apple at the glass
I gat frae Uncle Johnnie:"
She fuff't her pipe wi' sic a lunt,
In wrath she was sae vap'rin',
She notice't na, an aizle brunt
Her braw new worset apron
Out through that night.

"Ye little skelpie-limmer's face!
I daur you try sic sportin',
As seek the foul thief ony place,
For him to spae your fortune.
Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!
Great cause ye hae to fear it;
For mony a ane has gotten a fright,
And lived and died deleeret
On sic a night.

"Ae hairst afore the Sherramoor, --
I mind't as weel's yestreen,
I was a gilpey then,
I'm sureI wasna past fifteen;
The simmer had been cauld and wat,
And stuff was unco green;
And aye a rantin' kirn we gat,
And just on Halloween
It fell that night.

"Our stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen,
A clever sturdy fallow:
His son gat Eppie Sim wi' wean,
That lived in Achmacalla:
He gat hemp-seed, I mind it weel,
And he made unco light o't;
But mony a day was by himsel,
He was sae sairly frighted
That very night."

Then up gat fechtin' Jamie Fleck,
And he swore by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
For it was a' but nonsense.
The auld guidman raught down the pock,
And out a hanfu' gied him;
Syne bade him slip frae 'mang the folk,
Some time when nae ane see'd him,
And try't that night.

He marches through amang the stacks,
Though he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks.
And haurls it at his curpin;
And every now and then he says,
"Hemp-seed, I saw thee,
And her that is to be my lass,
Come after me, and draw thee
As fast this night."

He whistled up Lord Lennox' march
To keep his courage cheery;
Although his hair began to arch,
He was say fley'd and eerie:
Till presently he hears a squeak,
And then a grane and gruntle;
He by his shouther gae a keek,
And tumbled wi' a wintle
Out-owre that night.

He roar'd a horrid murder-shout,
In dreadfu' desperation!
And young and auld came runnin' out
To hear the sad narration;
He swore 'twas hilchin Jean M'Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,
Till, stop! She trotted through them,
And wha was it but grumphie
Asteer that night!

Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen,
To win three wechts o' naething;
But for to meet the deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:
She gies the herd a pickle nits,
And two red-cheekit apples,
To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples
That very nicht.

She turns the key wi cannie thraw,
And owre the threshold ventures;
But first on Sawnie gies a ca'
Syne bauldly in she enters:
A ratton rattled up the wa',
And she cried, Lord, preserve her!
And ran through midden-hole and a',
And pray'd wi' zeal and fervour,
Fu' fast that night;

They hoy't out Will wi' sair advice;
They hecht him some fine braw ane;
It chanced the stack he faddom'd thrice
Was timmer-propt for thrawin';
He taks a swirlie, auld moss-oak,
For some black grousome carlin;
And loot a winze, and drew a stroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin'
Aff's nieves that night.

A wanton widow Leezie was,
As canty as a kittlin;
But, och! that night amang the shaws,
She got a fearfu' settlin'!
She through the whins, and by the cairn,
And owre the hill gaed scrievin,
Whare three lairds' lands met at a burn
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,
Was bent that night.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As through the glen it wimpl't;
Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays;
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl't;
Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays,
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading hazel,
Unseen that night.

Among the brackens, on the brae,
Between her and the moon,
The deil, or else an outler quey,
Gat up and gae a croon:
Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool!
Near lav'rock-height she jumpit;
But mist a fit, and in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,
Wi' a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three are ranged,
And every time great care is ta'en',
To see them duly changed:
Auld Uncle John, wha wedlock joys
Sin' Mar's year did desire,
Because he gat the toom dish thrice,
He heaved them on the fire
In wrath that night.

Wi' merry sangs, and friendly cracks,
I wat they didna weary;
And unco tales, and funny jokes,
Their sports were cheap and cheery;
Till butter'd so'ns, wi' fragrant lunt,
Set a' their gabs a-steerin';
Syne, wi' a social glass o' strunt,
They parted aff careerin'
Fu' blythe that night.

In Traditional Wica, Samhain is considered the celebration of death; while Beltane is the celebration of life and fertility.

The Role of the High Priestess and High Priest

2007-10-01T00:07:00.000-04:00

The High Priestess and High Priest are the earthly representation of the Gods and should therefore reflect the virtues of the Gods. The High Priestess, as representative of the Goddess, should recognize that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess and should retire in favor of a younger woman, should the Coven so decide in Council; and the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the God. The High Priestess shall choose whom she will, if he have sufficient rank*, to be her High Priest.

As representative of the Gods, the High Priestess and High Priest are the spiritual leaders of the Coven and it is under their authority that the Coven is maintained and managed, with the aid of the Council of Elders. It is under this authority that the High Priestess and High Priest shall rule the Coven with compassion and love.

The Coven is the spiritual family of an initiate and it is the responsibility of the High Priestess and High Priest, as spiritual leaders, to ensure that chaos is kept to a minimum and that order and disciple is maintained.

The qualities of the High Priestess and High Priest should be the same qualities that reflect the virtues of the Gods. These virtues are those of compassion and love, forgiveness and wisdom, and mirth and reverence. The Coven should decide in Council whom is qualified to rule and this should be given considerable thought, for not all are qualified to rule. The High Priestess and High Priest should be an adept in the beliefs and practices of the Craft and in the Art Magickal.

* In Traditional British Witchcraft, only a Third Degree Initiate can claim and rule a Coven and the High Priestess is referred to as “Lady” or “My Lady”, but the High Priest is never referred to as “Lord” or “My Lord”.

The Autumnal Equinox

2007-09-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

The Autumn Equinox, also called the first point of Libra, is the calculated point within the year when the Sun can be viewed directly above the Earth’s equator, occurring between September 21 and September 23. The term equinox is derived from the Latin terms aequus (equal) and nox (night); while the term autumn is derived from the Latin term autumnus. On this date, day and night are of equal length, twelve hours devoted to the daylight and twelve hours devoted to night, according to the Gregorian Calendar, which is a calendar based upon the rotation of the Sun around the Earth. However, if you do not live near the equator you will observe more or less than twelve hours of daylight with the sun rising directly in the east and setting directly in the west in the northern hemisphere. Before the autumnal equinox, the sun raises more to the north, and afterwards, the sun rises and sets more to the south.

The term “Mabon” was invented by Aidan Kelly in the 1970’s as part of a religious study to refer to the birth of Mabon, the son of Mordon, the Goddess of the Earth and has only recently been applied to the neo-pagan festival of the autumnal equinox. The term “Mabon” was taken from Welsh mythology and is commonly used in America than in Britain to refer to the autumnal equinox. In fact, in Gardnerian Wicca and Traditional Wica, the festival is referred to as the Autumnal Equinox and the term “Mabon” is dismissed by British neo-pagans as inauthentic. With the increasing number of American publications sold in Britain, such as Llewellyn, this misleading term has been adopted by some British as the authentic term to refer to the Autumn Equinox.

Historically, the Autumn Equinox was the time of the second harvest and was considered a time of balance and Mystery. It was also considered a time to honor the Goddess as the aging Deity from Mother to Crone, and to honor the God as he prepares for Death and Rebirth. In Traditional Wica the altar is decorated with the symbols of the season, which include oak sprigs and acorns, that remind us that within the seed life is dormant and when placed within the womb, it is the place where the mysteries of Life, Death, and Rebirth are understood. The altar is further decorated with ears of corn, pine cones, and usually some form of fire is present upon the altar.

This article applies to neo-pagans who live in the Northern Hemisphere and not to those who live in the Southern Hemisphere. Neo-pagans who live in the Southern Hemisphere would celebrate the festival of the Vernal Equinox.

Sabbats and Esbats

2007-04-30T23:35:00.004-04:00

Sabbaticals

Universal Time

2010

Imbolc – February 2
Vernal Equinox – March 20 – 13:32
Beltane – May 1
Midsummer – June 21 – 7:28
Lughnasadh – August 1
Autumnal Equinox – September 22 – 23:09
Samhain – October 31
Yule – December 21 – 18:38

Esbaticals and Moon Phases

Universal Time

2010

Esbatical

January 30 – 6:18
February 28 – 16:38
March 30 – 2:25
April 28 – 12:18
May 27 – 23:07
June 26 – 11:30
July 26 – 1:37
August 24 – 17:05
September 23 – 9:17
October 23 – 1:36
November 21 – 17:27
December 21 – 8:13

New Moons

January 15 – 7:11
February 14 – 2:51
March 15 – 21:01
April 14 – 12:29
May 14 – 1:04
June 12 – 11:15
July 11 – 19:40
August 10 – 3:08
September 8 – 10:30
October 7 – 18:44
November 6 – 4:52
December 5 – 17:36

First and Last Quarter Moons

January 7 – 10:39 – Last Quarter Moon
January 23 – 10:53 – First Quarter Moon
February 5 – 23:48 – Last Quarter Moon
February 22 – 0:42 – First Quarter Moon
March 7 – 15:42 – Last Quarter Moon
March 23 – 11:00 – First Quarter Moon
April 6 – 9:37 – Last Quarter Moon
April 21 – 18:20 – First Quarter Moon
May 6 – 4:15 – Last Quarter Moon
May 20 – 23:43 – First Quarter Moon
June 4 – 22:13 – Last Quarter Moon
June 19 – 4:29 – First Quarter Moon
July 4 – 14:35 – Last Quarter Moon
July 18 – 10:11 – First Quarter Moon
August 3 – 4:59 – Last Quarter Moon
August 16 – 18:14 – First Quarter Moon
September 1 – 17:22 – Last Quarter Moon
September 15 – 5:50 – First Quarter Moon
October 1 – 3:52 – Last Quarter Moon
October 14 – 21:27 – First Quarter Moon
October 30 – 12:46 – Last Quarter Moon
November 13 – 16:39 – First Quarter Moon
November 28 – 20:36 – Last Quarter Moon
December 13 – 13:59 – First Quarter Moon
December 28 – 4:18 – Last Quarter Moon

Oak Forest Coven

Templum Vetus Deus quod Dea

Craft Humor

Oak Grove Sanctuary (OGS)

The High Priestess and High Priest of Oak Forest Coven

Oak Grove

Book of Shadows

Gathering of the Wise

Lughnasadh

Midsummer

Beltane

Vernal Equinox

Imbolc

The True Meaning of Christmas

Traditionalism and Eclecticism

The Altar

Yule

Lifting the Veil

Recommended Reading List

Initiation

History of Oak Forest Coven

Lineage

Worship and Devotion

The Power of Meditation

History

Fluffy Behavior 101

Beliefs and Practices

The Watchtowers

The Witch's Ladder

Samhain

The Role of the High Priestess and High Priest

The Autumnal Equinox

Sabbats and Esbats