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December 25, Christmas Is Celebrated As The Birthday Of Jesus Christ However, The Bible Doesn't Specify A Date Or Time Of Jesus' Birth. The Reason For Choosing 25th December For Christmas Is Believed To Be Influenced By Two Similar Pagan Holidays - The Birthday Of Mithra And The Feast Of Saturnalia.
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Ever Wondered Why Christmas Is Also Known As Xmas? According To 'From Adam's Apple To Xmas: An Essential Vocabulary Guide For The Politically Correct,' The Word "Christianity" Was Spelled "Xianity" As Far Back As 1100 As A Symbolic Syllable For "Christ." The Syllable Became 'X'temmas' In 1551 And Was Eventually Shortened To "Xmas."
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THE NAME SANTA CLAUS ORIGINATED FROM THE DUTCH WORD SINTERKLAAS WHICH MEANS SAINT NICHOLAS. St. Nicholas Was Bishop Of The Turkish Town Of Myra In The Early 4th Century. The Dutch First Made Him Into A Christmas Gift-giver, And Dutch Settlers Brought Him To America Where His Name Eventually Became The Familiar Santa Claus.
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There Is A Weird But Very Interesting Custom In Ukraine. Often The Christmas Trees Are Decorated With Artificial Spider Webs As It Is Believed To Bring Good Luck. According To A Legend A Poor Family Went To Bed On Christmas Eve With The Members Crying Because They Wouldn't Be Able To Decorate Their Tree. Their Cries Were Heard By The Spiders Roaming In The Home And They Were So Touched By The Cries That They Decorated The Tree With Their Webs. The Next Day On Christmas, The Web Strands Magically Turned To Gold And Silver, Which Changed The Families Fortune Forever.
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Every Christmas, Kids Flood The Post Offices Across USA, Canada And Many Other Countries With Letters To Santa Claus. The Post Offices In Canada Receives So Many Letters From Kids, That Some Kind Postal Workers Started Answering The Letters. The Canadian Postal Service Also Set Up A Special Zip Code H0H 0H0 For Santa Claus, So Kids Can Send Letters To Santa Directly. The 0 After H Is A Zero Not O In The Hohoho As You Might Have Thought.
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Santa Is The Worlds Richest Fictional Character According To Forbes. They Compiled A List Of The World's Richest Fictional People And St. Nick Or Santa Claus Is On The Number One Position With The Wealth Amounting To Infinity.
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According To Finnish Folklore When Visiting Finland, Santa Leaves His Sleigh Behind And Rides On A Goat Made Of Straw Named Ukko.
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Every Christmas, 25-30 Million Real Trees And 8-12 Million Artificial Trees Are Bought In America To For Decoration.
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It Is Also Estimated That People Spent Over 52 Billion And 45 Billion Over The Thanksgiving Weekends In 2011 And 2010.
Wishing A Merry Christmas To All The Readers ! Thanks For Reading
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G is for GargoyleGAR.GOYLE [gahr-goil]noun 1. a grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal.
2. a spout, terminating in a grotesque representation of a human or animal figure with open mouth, projecting from the gutter of a building for throwing rain water clear of a building.
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A piece of classic architecture, the Gargolye was generally used a way to get water off the roof of a building. The French "gargouille" translates to English as throat also known as gullet. In other languages the word translates to words such as water spitter, water vomiter, protruding gutter and to gargle. A French legend says that St Romanus, a bishop of Rouen saved a country from a monster called Gargouille. Gargouille was described as a fire breathing dragon. St. Romanus is said to have defeated the dragon with his crucifix and burned the remains. Its head would not burn so it was mounted on the church to scare off evil spirits. Gargoyles are sometimes made of concrete or terracotta and can be found in places like The Temple of Zeus.
And Notre Dame de Paris
Aside from dragons, animals were also used as gargoyles. Romans, Greeks, Etruscans and Egyptians used several types. Dogs were seen as guardians, eagles for seeing far away, snakes for immortality, goats were linked with both Christ and Satan and the monkey was linked to sloth.All over the web everyone seems to either love or fear gargoyles. I found this great video of statues by Larry Lo Presti. He has some amazing paper mache garoyles.
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A Grimoire for Modern Cunning Folk
Peter Paddon, Pendraig Publishing
2010
Don't know if I would call this book a Grimoire as it seems more like an over view and introductory reading of Traditional Witchcraft. There are non spells in this book or rituals per se. There are meditations and there are discussions on covens and the set up of an altar.
In reality though this book is a primer on CED witchcraft, something which is not mentioned in the book. There is mention of a coven in North Hollywood that the author used to belong to but no where is the name mentioned and no where is the coven leader who taught Peter CED witch craft even mentioned. A bridge has been burned in order to make a place.
I had some reservations about reviewing the book as it does have good information yet the sources are all covered up. That being said I shall launch into a summary of the book.
CED witchcraft really focuses on learning lore and there is also a strong emphasis on working with the ancestors both spiritual and biological. The Deities as the author describes them are both living breathing entities and archetypes that dwell with in the psyche. The most prominent deity is auld hornie, the great honred god of the witches. He is normally embodied in Cernunnos, Odin etc. He is agod of fertility, the dead and is a trickster God. He is the king of the Underworld, the Wild man of the forest.
The Queen of Fate or the White Lady is the mistr4ess of mysteries and only comes around as he needed. She is embodied in the Goddess of Goda. THe Dark mother exists outside the wheel of the year. She is the Goddess of Change and is ussually manifested asw Ceridwen. She exist in the North Eastern quadrant in the Circle.
The Lord and Lady are the deities of Nature most Wiccans are familiar with. They are the heads of the Faerie Court. The Male god is the child of promise, warrior, lover., priest, King and wraith. His life cycle follows the wheel of the year and each of the different goddesses discussed plays a part in the mystery thus far discussed.
Wiccans and cermonials will cast a circle and call their quarters after all Wicca is the daughter magic system of Ceremonial Magic. Instead the Crafters as they are so called will "lay the compass" or "plough the bloody field" The techniques that they use are different. There is a simulation of pushing a bolder or starting in the center and moving out. For each quarter there is a pair of deities that serve as guardians or protectors. There are also 4 points that are combo points like the North East and each of those has their own set of deities. THe author has included a meditation to contact those deities and work with them.
There are many different ways of working with deities. The Wiccan way is to call down the deity and have them momentarily possess you. The CED way is for you to go up to there realm so they can communicate with you and/or possess you. Some times they can come down and you move closer to them until their prescence envelopes you.
To do magic or meditate properly one needs to enter into a trance state of gnosis. This can ber done by various mediation techniques or herbs. The two the author reccomends is mugwort and salvia divinorum. You can burn them as an incence of vaporize teh salvia divinorum. There is also a hmome remdy for making absinthe.
The author also describes the parts or tools of the altar, magicians working tools and how they are used. Meditation techniquwes such as raising your dragon are discussed along with the Traditional Crafter atitude for taking oaths.
I wish I could have given this book a review but proper credits must go to the ones who taught him.Enjoy the blog
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Ok after all of this i did look into what was said about the Frost's and there is no proof of anything ever happening to a child BUT after reading the ritual again, well lets say EYES WIDE OPEN now and i will no longer be endorsing the Frost's. And i did look into other wiccan and pagan schools and found a few good ones, thank you for the info.
And i i am humble enough to see when i am wrong and boy was i this time. This just drives your point home "always look in to a would be teacher" and also makes my point we need some sort of standards for people calling themselves a priest or priestess. I know this will be hard as most group's are family style groupsor covens and don't announce themselves to the world.
To do this we all need to work together to make wicca a respectable religion, i think we got our work cut out for us after this kind of group.
Source: http://candle-magic.blogspot.com
Witchcraft is the oldest recognized religion founded on archaeological evidence like burial rituals and goddess figurines. However, the modern type of witchcraft is based on a combination of archaeology, oral traditions and modern interpretations as well as activities such as visions, dreams, or divination.
If you want to be a witch, you can become one. You can actually decide to make yourself a witch. With the modern type of witchcraft called eclectic witchcraft, you can create your own version by choosing from different traditions around the world to come up with a customized version of witchcraft that will fit you. However, you should take note that the first rule in the guide to witchcraft is for you to avoid causing harm to others. So if you decide to become a witch, be sure to send out good and positive energy.
There are ancient and modern kinds of witchcraft and the most famous type is Wicca. It is a religion which focuses on worshipping nature. The Wiccan faith is established on the worship of the religion known as 'Divine in Nature.' The guide to witchcraft followed by Wiccans is based on the use of witchcraft spells or prayers and rituals as a way of asking for divine help. The Wiccan Rede is their major rule of behavior. It prohibits them from causing harm to themselves and other people.
In early witchcraft, magic rituals are combined with herbal preparations. Early witches for example believed that eating rose hips is helpful during menstruation. This traditional witchcraft practice is the root of associating roses with romance. As witchcraft blossomed and changed through the years, its new forms can all be traced back to female shamanism.
Your guide to witchcraft would not be completed without knowing the other types of witchcraft. Another modern form of witchcraft is the Tameran Witchcraft which is based on ancient Egyptian witchcraft and includes some forms of Wicca and eclectic witchcraft. The attempt to copy ancient Egyptian witchcraft is called kemetic witchcraft.
Even if the Roman Catholic considers witchcraft as heresy, there are still many Christian witches existing today. However, these Christian witches differ in who they worship. Some Wiccans honor Jesus as their God and Mary as their Goddess. Some witches worship only the Christian trinity or just Jesus.
Though there are witchcraft spells that can be practiced at home, there are also some who have natural talent for it. They are called natural witches and their natural talents are obvious. Their natural witch talents include having dreams that predict the future and accurateness with tarot, runes, and other prophecy.
To become a witch is just the same as becoming a Christian, Buddhist or Muslim. If your heart is into it, then you can decide to become a witch.
An important guide to witchcraft to know if it is right for you is to try performing meditation or an initiation ritual. The best teachers of witchcraft are the practicing witches. However, there are also a lot of witches who learned on their own. There are witches who practice in covens and some may also prefer to work alone.
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Carolyn Anderson is fascinated by magic and witchcraft. For an underground guide to witchcraft, check out Witchcrafts Greatest Secrets. Also check out Subliminal Video Message System, to help you find what you want in life.
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Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com
Tampa Tribune
Tuesday, June 19, 1990
Pages 1A, 7A
GUNSHOTS HALT RITUAL BY WITCHES
By Neil King Jr.
Tribune Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY - A gathering of witches asking their war gods for
protection ended abruptly Sunday night when the witches and nearby neighbors exchanged gunshots.
Accounts vary as to who shot first and why, but the witches said the attack is the latest in acts of violence and vandalism against their group and its island shrine near Moon Lake northeast of New Port Richey.
Five witches from the Coven Lothlorien said they had just completed their ritual seeking protection from previous threats when gunfire tore through the trees surrounding their ceremonial grounds at about 11 p.m.
No one was wounded and no arrests were made, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.
Witches - or wiccans - are nature worshippers who hold regular rituals in honor of the celestial cycles and the seasons, said Ron Parshley, president of the National Association of Pantheists. Wiccans' ceremonies include torch-lit dancing, chanting and burning of incense, he said.
"We heard the bullets ripping past and we all crouched down on the ground and started crawling back to my house on our hands and knees," said Kassie Cornwell, a witch and a registered nurse whose property includes the island.
The small island sits in the middle of a pond at the end of a lush pathway behind Corwell's house. Only one other house stands within 200 yards of the pond, which backs up to a vast stretch of swamp.
Members said Sunday's ritual was in response to threats they had received the day before.
Cornwell said her house was pelted with eggs and a note was thrown in her front yard Saturday, warning the group to stop their "Satan worshiping or be prepared for worse. Next time we won't stop at eggs."
"We are the ultimate enemy. We are out to kill!" read another note.
Cornwell, 43, said between the gunfire she heard people cursing, calling them Satanists and other names.
When the gunfire erupted, one coven member - Curtis Niles of Spring Hill
- got a shotgun from the house and fired several rounds in the air, Cornwell said.
One neighbor, Art Gray, 39, told a sheriff's deputy Sunday he heard shots coming from Cornwell's property and he fired back, also in the air, to warn the people away from his house.
Several of Cornwell's neighbors said they believed the group practices Satanism and sacrifices animals. Cornwell said the group doesn't allow animals near their worshiping area. She said the group's credo is to "do what you will, but harm none."
The coven has worshipped at the Cornwell property since she bought her home a year ago. She said the worship area has been desecrated six or seven times.
Mary Niles, another member, said the coven in named for the tree that the elves inhabited in "The Hobbit," J.R. Tolkien's introductory book about an imaginary dwarflike people called hobbits.
Detective Jerry Puig, a religion specialist for the Pasco Sheriff's Office who has interviewed coven members, says there is a big difference between Satanism and the group's religion.
"Wicca is all nature worship - worship of the sun, the wind, the moon,"
Puig said. "There is no blood and no devils involved."
PHOTO CAPTION: Cassie Cornwell, left, and Mary Niles, priestesses of Wicca - a religion worshiping nature - say they were shot at Sunday night during ceremonies on a small island near New Port Richey. Story, A Section
"From a letter by Mary Niles to Jay Stewart of the Alliance for Magical and Earth Religions along with the clipping above:
"Thank you so much for your group's efforts on our behalf and the
financial support you sent us...
"Our legal expenses are approaching $4,000 at this point. Our coven
has been practicing for two years and we have been harrassed by the
neighbors for a year of that time, culiminating in death-threat
letters and the June 16th shooting. At that point, we decided to take
a stand, not only for our coven but hopefully for other Wiccans and
Pagans as well who have experienced religious prejudice, to possibly
bring this urgent problem to the attention of the public. We called
in the media and they have given us excellent coverage. We also
incorporated our coven into a non-profit organization."
She gives the address: Coven Lothlorien of Moon Lake, Inc.
Box 5172
Spring Hill, FL 34606-5172
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Solitary Wicca For Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own is my new favorite book!
Many people interested in magick and Witchcraft do not join covens - but prefer a solitary approach. As they work to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their powers, they need sound guidance and tools. Here the author provides readers with what they need to take their spiritual practice to the next level. In Solitary Wicca for Life, readers are encouraged to reach beyond the ordinary and create a unique path of worship using techniques that go further than other texts: Advance Circle Casting - advanced techniques and applications, plus protective entities to incorporate into the circle Enriching Ritual - tools and practices that can bring new depth to personal practice Crafting Liturgy - Wiccan rituals defined stage-by-stage Drawing Down Deities - invoking deities for divinations, guidance, communion etc Solitary Wicca for Life is the essential reference handbook readers need to reach deeper, go further and strengthen their solitary path - one day at a time.
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Of all the tools of the Craft, the broom is probably the most well known. For better or for worse, it has been the image of Wicca and Witchcraft for generations. The picture of a powerful Witch riding through the air, though far from accurate, is something almost every has seen before. But the true nature of the broom in Wicca is more complex.
The broom, in one form or another, has been in use magickally and mundanely for thousands of years. In ancient times, it was used during ritual as women would straddle a broom and jump, showing the crops how high they should grow. Today it is used primarily for cleansing, and the broom is still found in most households today. However, it also has more symbolic purpose.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE BROOM
Typically, the broom is thought of as a masculine tool due to its phallic nature. However, it may also be considered a balanced tool. The handle (or stave) is certainly phallic, and so is masculine. The bristles, on the other hand, receive the stave much as the female receives the male. In this way, the broom can be said to embody both the male and the female.
RITUAL USES OF THE BROOM
The broom can be used for a variety of purposes. It can serve as a decoration, especially in the winter month. More commonly, Wiccans will use the broom to cleanse a ritual area. This is done by sweeping your ritual space, often the Magick Circle itself, in a clockwise motion, visualizing the negative energy leaving the Circle. Some Wiccans will chant as they do this, perhaps saying something like: "As I gently sweep this place, I cast out negativity from this space"." It doesn't have to be complicated.
Brooms are also laid across the entrance to a coven circle or hung on doors for protection. They can also be used during a wedding, in some traditions. In this case, the broom is laid before the newly-wedded couple, who proceed to 'Jump the Broom' to seal their commitment to each other.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BROOM
The traditional broom of the Witch is a besom, a broom that is rounded instead of flat. These are very easy to make at home. First you'll need a stave, traditionally made of ash. However, you may use any wood you choose. You'll also need twigs, straw, or herbs for the bristles. If you are making a traditional besom, you'll want birch twigs for your bristles, but really you can use anything that works for you.
The twigs should be gathered to the stave and tied together tightly. You can use rope or twine or even a leather thong to bind to the twigs. Keep the bristles as even as possible, and bind them only tight enough to secure them to the stave. If you bind them too tightly, they could break.
The broom is a common tool of Wiccan practice. Though surrounded by much myth and legend, the modern use of the broom is for ceremonial cleansing and protection.
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"The Rebirth of Witchcraft" by Doreen Valiente
Robert Hale Publishing, 2008 (paperback)
236 pages, b/w illustrations and photographs
From "the mother of modern witchcraft", originally released by Phoenix Publishing in 1989 as a paperback, this witchcraft classic has recently been reprinted in time for a whole new generation of witches. In my personal opinion, "Rebirth of Witchcraft" should be required reading for every Wiccan and Neopagan. It is an autobiography of Doreen Valiente and the people she encountered on her path - who happened to be big name Pagans. After all, Doreen Valiente was there when modern witchcraft history was happening; she literally helped write the original book of shadows as well as most of Wicca's liturgy used today. In her other works Doreen has been the scholar, the historian, the teacher, but in "Rebirth of Witchcraft" she is the elder - and the tale she chooses to tell us in her friendly and open way is one we should listen to.
Each chapter is a snap shot of time in Doreen's life: her first meeting with Gerald Gardner, her joining Gardner's coven, her becoming disenchanted with him and becoming interested in traditional witchcraft, Doreen's encounter with Magister Robert Cochrane of the Clan of Tubal Cain, her experiences with Alex Sanders, her standing on feminist witchcraft (which we now call Dianic), her opinion of the Pickingill Material presented by Eric Maple, and her predictions for the future of witchcraft
This book is incredibly valuable as a piece of witchcraft history. Doreen Valiente documents honestly what happened throughout the modern witchraft movement along with her personal experiences - something no one else in the community has done (who was there and wrote honestly at least *wink*). This title is definitely one for your permanent collection.
Origin: http://wiccancommunity.blogspot.com
Hecate is a Thracian and pre-Olympian Goddess.
Hecate is Goddess of the Cross Roads, Magic and Balance
known by many names Hekate,Hekete,Kurotrophos,Kl^eidouchos,Trivia,Enodia, Heqit, Heket, Hekat and many more
Hecate Has a Chariot of Three Purple and Black Dragons
Snakes, Dogs, Ravens are her Symbols
In this ritual you will be calling on Hecate in Her Crone aspect. It is performed during the Dark of the Moon. Some people are fearful of working with the Dark Moon and the Crone, but She is the wise protector who will take your negativity and transform it in her cauldron of change. Begin by setting up your altar as you normally do for ritual, making sure you have a black candle and wine or water in your chalice in addition to anything else you use. You will also need cleansing, purifying incense and a censer or some kind of container, which can be carried, around your home. (I use a large shell to hold smoldering charcoal, or stick incense.) It is best to set your altar on the floor for this rite, but you may do it however you feel most comfortable.
Cast your circle as you normally do. When you are through, kneel before your altar and light the black candle. With your arms held, palms upward, at your sides, call Hecate by saying three times:
Hecate, beautiful Crone of Night
I call you here to put things right.
Transform the negative thought and pain
And help my life be whole again.
Close your eyes. When you feel the presence of Hecate and know she is there to help you, open your eyes. Bow your head to her to show your reverence, then take the chalice, saying:
Lady of the Dark Moon,
Share with me this wine.
Bring your protection to
Flood this life of mine.
May the waters of your eternal womb
Bring change most divine.
Sip a small amount of the wine (or water), envisioning it as liquid energy, flowing to effect a positive change within and outside of you. Leave the rest as an offering to Hecate. Light the purifying incense in the censer, cut a door in the Circle, and, beginning in the eastern-most corner of your home, smudge your home, going counter-clockwise. Go into every closet, the bathroom, and the garage - make sure your entire house is smudged. As you go, chant:
Negativity be gone.
Come back into the Circle and visualize your entire house and yard bathed in a peaceful blue light. Since you have created a void by banishing the negativity, you will need to fill that void. Now going deosil (clock-wise), re-trace your steps through the house, asking that good, protective spirits come into your home and that positive energies replace the negative ones that have just been banished. This is an important step, because if you don't fill the void with something good, the negativity will come right back. Sometimes during such a ritual, I take one large and one small black stone and charge them to keep away negativity. I promise Hecate that the large one will remain in a prominent place in my house and that I will keep the small one with me at all times.
Thank Hecate. Meditate if you wish, visualizing your life free from negative happenings and feelings and full of love, prosperity, and happiness. Feel how She has changed your home and your life. Close the Circle and know that it is done.
A Warning Hecate is a Goddess of Balance
if you untrue in your intentions she will see it in your heart
you can not hide the Truth from Hecate
if you are not Totally Innocent in the situation, she will Punish Both of you. so before you invoke her know who she is and honor her Properly and know your part in the situation and own up to it any wrong doings you have done otherwise you will be slapped too.
Origin: http://invocation-rituals.blogspot.com
Several of us were giving Chevski a good-natured ribbing about his shameless misappropriation of The Templar Head, turning it into the Brazen Head of Terms Termax. Mostly, i'm just jealous that he thought of it before it occurred to me! I came up with my own Knights Templar knock-off, the Knights Imperious, but hadn't thought to mine some of the other myths.
Chevski's post on the Brazen Heads reminded me of that thoroughly discredited speculative non-fiction book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. Well, perhaps i'm overstating the case, when I say thoroughly discredited. Still, it's well worth the read, as long as you remember that much of it is speculative, and any time you see any materials referenced, that are provided by Gerard de Sede, Pierre Plantard, or the other hoax co-conspirators, you should discard any conclusions that rely on their manufactured evidence. There is some intriguing stuff in Holy Blood, Holy Grail that would make for an exciting "imperial" background for your D&D game.
Here is an excerpt from The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, that occurred to me after I read Chevski's post.
"In France the arrested Templars were tried and many subjected to torture. Strange confessions were extracted and even stranger accusations were made. Grim rumours began to circulate about the country. The Templars supposedly worshipped a devil called Baphomet. At their secret ceremonies they supposedly prostrated themselves before a bearded male head, which spoke to them and invested them with occult powers."
"- page 72 & 73"
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JOAN OF NAVARRE1370-1437. Duchess of Brittany who was the wife of King Henry IV of England was accused of being a witch and wanting to bring down the king. Later she was pardoned and reinstated.
MOTHER SHIPTON a 15th Century Yorkshire witch. She was said to have powers of healing and spell-casting, and her prophecies about modern time such as those of airplanes and cars has come true. Also scientific inventions, new technology, wars and politics.
ANNE BOLEYN 1507-1536, she was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England was beheaded and her reputation was smeared due to the fact she was unable to bear her husband a child so he claimed she was a witch. She had a sixth finger on one hand which was believed to be a sign that the young lady was a witch.
CAROLINE OF BRUNSWICK 1768-1821 she was Queen to King George IV of England. It is told that she felt she was constantly being neglected by her husband and she decided to make a wax effigy of him and stick pins and thorns into it and then melt in a palace fireplace.
THE NORTH BERWICK WITCHES a group of men and women who were accused of witchcraft in Scotland in the 16th century. On minimal evidence they were condemned and tortured and burnt. They were supposed to have created a storm to the drown the King James 1.
TAMSIN BLIGHT 1798-1856. Famous English witch healer and a person who is able to remove curses or spells from a person. She was also said to have put spells on those who did not please her. Also known as Tammy Blee and Tamson.
MARY BUTTERS late 18th century-early 19th century. She is known as the Carmoney Witch and narrowly escaped trial for the killing of a cow and three people. She claimed at her inquest she saw a black man who killed the three people and that she was knocked unconscious causing the ingredients to become toxic. The incident was made into a humorous ballad.
OLD DOROTHY CLUTTERBUCK 1880-1951. Clutterbuck was allegedly the high priestess of a coven of witches and was suppose to have initiated Gerald B. Gardner into witchcraft. It also said that Clutterbuck was actually not the high priestess but a protector of the high priestess that the real high priestess was a woman by the name of Dafo. She was a woman of high respect and wealth. When she died she left a hefty amount of money more than 60,000 pounds.ISOBEL GOLDIE?-1662. It is said that she had wild sexual escapades with the devil who had initiated her into the art of witchcraft. She confessed this several times but many thought that it was just a story she had made up and that it was just a game that had gotten out of hand. There are no records as to what had happened to her or other people she confessed to being witches as well. In all likelihood they were all hung as her confessions were so obscene for the time.
JOAN OF ARC 1412-1431. She was not charged as most people have said for practicing witchcraft but for being a relapsed heretic who denied the authority of the church. MARGARET JONES?-1648. The first witch to be executed in Massachusetts Bay Colony, she was accused of being a witch after patients under her care as their physician had gotten sicker. The reason why many patients got worse was because they refused to take medicines prescribed for them.
LADY ALICE KYTELER ?-1324. Lady Alice was a wealthy woman from Ireland who was accused of witchcraft as a result of the fact that her fourth husband and his family believed she had lured him into marrying her more money. These charges were dropped and later she moved to England were she lived in luxury until her death.
MARIE LAVEAU 1794?-1881 and 1827-1897. The most renowned voodoo queen in North America was actually a mother and daughter. Their appeal was their magical powers, control of one's lovers and enemies, and sex. Marie I was a most powerful women who was told all the secrets by women and was able to use these to increase her powers. Marie II was feared more and inspired subservience. FLORENCE NEWTONmid 17th Century. A trial most famous in Ireland was that of Florence Newton also known as "the Witch of Youghal". She was accused of bewitching people into fits and of killing them with these fits. Her trial unlike most trials involved no torture. One young lady who was bewitched by her went through fits of which many things were vomited up by her and many different things were thrown at her. If Florence Newton was left unhand cuffed the young lady would have fits and fall ill but if handcuffed would remain calm and have no fits.
DOLLY PENTREATH 1692-1777. Was born in Cornwall, England. Never married but had a son. She was accredited with the knowledge of astrology and possessed magical powers which people would come and use her for. She was able to use her powers for good and bad. ELISABETH SAWYER?-1621. Elisabeth Sawyer also Known as "Witch of Edmonton" was accused of bewitching her neighbors children and cattle because they refused to buy her brooms. When she was being harassed she finally confessed to being a witch. She was hanged for confessing to be a witch. TOAD-WITCHthese are self-initiated witch in English folklore who are accredited with possessing the power to overlook or cast the evil-eye over a person. They were powerful and most feared. They had powers also over horses, pigs and men. It was considered dangerous being a Toad-Witch as one was likely to go insane because of the supernatural powers possessed and usually died a violent death.
WITCH OF ENDOR was accredited with raising of the spirit of Samuel at the request of King Saul of Israel. In the bible it is said Saul wished to find out whether he should fight the Philistine Army. Some say that the witch was a fake and that she threw her voice to sound like Samuel when in fact she lied about seeing god or angels, about incantations. Some believed that their may have been a spirit conjured but that it was more likely to have been the Devil but some believed that it was not the Devil as he would have been repelled by the word God or Jehovah and that the Devil would not have punished someone but would have encouraged them to do more evil. JOAN WYTTE1775-1813. Cornish woman also known by the name of "the Fighting Fairy Woman of Bodmin". She was said to be clairvoyant and that people would seek her services as a seer, diviner and healer. She was known to visit a holy well where she tied clouties (a charm that is a strip of cloth taken from a sick person. This would decay and was suppose to heal the person in a magical way. Still done today.) On the branches of trees. Later on as a result of a tooth abscess she became very ill-tempered and would shout at people. She became involved in a large fight with people where she used her remarkable strength and bashed people and threw them across a room. She was arrested and sent to jail where she died as a result of the poor conditions. When she died her body was dissected and the skeleton was placed in a coffin, later on it was recovered and used as a joke in a s'eance which went wrong as it was alleged the lid of the coffin in which the skeletal remains was placed, flew open and started going around and assaulting the people taking part in the s'eance. After this the bones were to pass onto an antique dealer, and later on a founder of a Museum of Witchcraft. It was later said that while on display in the museum they started to experience poltergeist at which a witch was bought in to consult them of what to do and it was said that Wytte's spirit said that she wished to be laid in a proper burial. The empty coffin remains on display along with a plaque accounting her story.
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Invocation to the Goddess Isis
From my Book of Shadows. Taken from the late Scott Cunningham.
Isis of the Moon,
You Who are all that ever was,
All that is,
and all that shall be.
Come, veiled Queen of the Night!
Come as the scent of the sacred Lotus charging my Circle
with love and magick.
Do descend upon my Circle, I pray,
O blessed Isis!
This is my desire, by Her will so mote it be.
As a note of interest, the Goddess Hekate was worshiped in Egypt as Isis. When analyzing the characteristics of the titles, attributes, and manner of worship given to Isis, they are almost identical to that given to Hekate. Like Hekate's corresponding Equals - Kerridwen and Morrigan - Isis is seen as the same Cosmic Soul as Hekate. This is partly due to the fact that like Hekate, Isis is a Triple Goddess of the Moon - complete within Herself; the Birth-giver of all Gods/esses. Isis also shares the titles of Dark Goddess and Queen of Witches with Hekate. Thus, Isis is seen as the same Being as Hekate/Kerridwen/Morrigan.
Blessed be! )O(
In Her darkness,
Danica-Daughter of Gaia-Moon
Credit: http://theartofastralprojection.blogspot.com
THE DATE OF AUGUST 13TH IS SACRED TO "HECATE. " IT IS THE TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL HELD IN HER HONOR WHICH DATES BACK TO THE ROMAN ERA. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN ANCIENT PEOPLES WOULD CALL FOR HER BLESSING aND PROTECTION FOR THEIR CROPS FROM THE FIERCE STORMS THAT WOULD OFTEN OCCUR AT THIS TIME AND WERE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY THE MOON.
"HECATE", WHOSE NAME MEANS "SHE WHO WORKS HER WILL" OCCUPIES A RATHER UNCERTAIN PLACE IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY. IN EARLIER ACCOUNTS, SHE IS SEEN AS A POWERFUL DEITY ASSOCIATED WITH BRIGHTNESS, BUT IN LATER TIMES, SHE IS CONNECTED WITH DARKNESS AND THE "UNDERWORLD". SHE IS THE OLDEST GODDESS IN WESTERN CULTURE TO HE ASSOCIATED WITH WITCHCRAFT. "HECATE" WAS A GODDESS OF THE MOON, THE" UNDERWORLD", ENCHANTMENT, THE CROSSROADS, AND THE NIGHT SPIRITS.
IN HESIOD'S "THEOGONY", " HECATE" IS CONSIDERED "ZEUS' "FAVORITE GODDESS:
"HECATE WHOM ZEUS THE SON OF CRONOS HONOURED ABOVE ALL. HE GAVE HER SPLENDID GIFTS, TO HAVE A SHARE OF THE EARTH AND THE UNFRUITFUL SEA. SHE RECEIVED HONOUR ALSO IN STARRY HEAVEN, AND IS HONOURED EXCEEDINGLY BY THE DEATHLESS GODS... THE SON OF CRONOS DID HER NO WRONG NOR TOOK ANYTHING AWAY OF ALL THAT WAS HER PORTION AMONG THE FORMER TITAN GODS: BUT SHE HOLDS, AS THE DIVISION WAS AT THE FIRST FROM THE BEGINNING, PRIVILEGE BOTH IN EARTH, AND IN HEAVEN, AND IN SEA". "
ACCORDING TO HESIOD, HER GIFTS TOWARDS MANKIND ARE ALL-ENCOMPASSING:
"WHOM SHE WILL SHE GREATLY AIDS AND ADVANCES: SHE SITS BY WORSHIPFUL KINGS IN JUDGEMENT, AND IN THE ASSEMBLY WHOM HER WILL IS DISTINGUISHED AMONG THE PEOPLE. AND WHEN MEN ARM THEMSELVES FOR THE BATTLE THAT DESTROYS MEN, THEN THE GODDESS IS AT HAND TO GIVE VICTORY AND GRANT GLORY READILY TO WHOM SHE WILL. GOOD IS SHE ALSO WHEN MEN CONTEND AT THE GAMES, FOR THERE TOO THE GODDESS IS WITH THEM AND PROFITS THEM: AND HE WHO BY MIGHT AND STRENGTH GETS THE VICTORY WINS THE RICH PRIZE EASILY WITH JOY, AND BRINGS GLORY TO HIS PARENTS. AND SHE IS GOOD TO STAND BY HORSEMEN, WHOM SHE WILL: AND TO THOSE WHOSE BUSINESS IS IN THE GREY DISCOMFORTABLE SEA, AND WHO PRAY TO HECATE AND THE LOUD-CRASHING EARTH-SHAKER, EASILY THE GLORIOUS GODDESS GIVES GREAT CATCH, AND EASILY SHE TAKES IT AWAY AS SOON AS SEEN, IF SO SHE WILL. SHE IS GOOD IN THE BYRE WITH HERMES TO INCREASE THE STOCK. THE DROVES OF KINE AND WIDE HERDS OF GOATS AND FLOCKS OF FLEECY SHEEP, IF SHE WILL, SHE INCREASES FROM A FEW, OR MAKES MANY TO BE LESS". "
"FOR TO THIS DAY, WHENEVER ANY ONE OF MEN ON EARTH OFFERS RICH SACRIFICES AND PRAYS FOR FAVOUR ACCORDING TO CUSTOM, HE CALLS UPON HECATE. GREAT HONOUR COMES FULL EASILY TO HIM WHOSE PRAYERS THE GODDESS RECEIVES FAVOURABLY, AND SHE BESTOWS WEALTH UPON HIM; FOR THE POWER SURELY IS WITH HER". "
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Many people have vague ideas of what real witches are, usually formed by children's stories or by the faith that they learned whilst growing up. To compound the problem, many people will simply parrot the information they've heard or assumed as fact - so when you are exploring the concept of witchcraft, you will come across many of these myths and misleading "facts". Here are a few of the most popular myths about witches, debunked.
MYTH #1: REAL WITCHES ARE WICCAN
Witchcraft and Wicca are two entirely separate things. Saying that they are the same is akin to saying that artists and christians are the same. Witchcraft is a craft or skill, just as cooking is a craft or skill. It can be learned and practiced by anyone who can follow instructions and focus on what they're doing. Wicca is a religion, constructed in the 1950's by a man named Gerald Gardner. Some Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccans.
MYTH #2: REAL WITCHES WORSHIP SATAN, AND "PAGAN" MEANS "SATANIST"
Witches do not believe in Satan. Satan himself is a construct of the Christian faith, as a counterpart to the religion's God. Therefore, to put it quite simply, to believe in Satan you first have to believe in God, which requires you to be a Christian.
Also, pagan comes from the Latin word "paganus", meaning villager, or someone who lived out of the city as a rural peasant. As the Christian faith spread, the outlying towns were often holdovers of polytheistic faiths, and as such those far-flung villagers were at first rightly called pagans (villagers, out of the city). However, the term morphed from that rightful meaning into a meaning of "not believing in God", as the unconverted did not. Today it has come to mean a person who does not believe in a monotheistic (one god) religion.
MYTH #3: THE PENTAGRAM IS THE SYMBOL OF SATAN
The pentagram can be found dating back as far as 3,000 BC in Mesopotamian writings, having an astrological meaning; it represented the five planets Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Venus. Since then it has appeared in many different cultures and represented many groups, including having a sacred meaning for Christians. - In Judaism it is the Seal of Solomon. - In Taoism it symbolises the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. - In Mormonism the pentagram appears inverted in many Temples - In Christianity the pentagram represents the five senses, and sometimes the five wounds of Christ. In medieval times Christians actually wore pentagrams in the belief that it would protect them from demons. - Both Ethiopia and Morocco have pentagrams on their country's flag. - Satanism uses the pentagram inverted, or pointing down, to symbolize pointing towards Hell, with the two upward points representing the devil's horns. - In Witchcraft, the pentagram points up towards the heavens, and the points represent earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. There are many different types of real witches, however, and Reconstructionist witches do not recognize or use the pentagram at all.
MYTH #4: ALL REAL WITCHES ARE FEMALE
Both men and women can practice witchcraft, and both may refer to themselves as "witches". Some modern-day men refer to themselves as "wizards" in an attempt to denote masculinity, and authors frequently use the term "wizard" to denote a male witch. In Old English, "wicca" (wik-ka) meant "male wizard or sorcerer" and "wicce" (witch-ee) meant "female witch or sorceress".
MYTH #5: THE PERSECUTION OF REAL WITCHES IS OVER
Unfortunately this isn't true. While we no longer have public hangings, crushings, burnings, or quarterings of witches here in the United States, that does not mean that they are not persecuted. Some witches still find that if they reveal their beliefs, some people will shun them and their families. Many find that once their beliefs are found out, their employer will fire them. Outspoken witch authors both offline and online receive very nasty "hate" mail, comments on their websites, and slandering of their names and reputations. There are many different types of persecution, not just killings.
However even today people are still being tried, convicted, and sentenced to death as witches. In many countries, witchcraft is considered a criminal offense, and those accused of it can suffer jailtime and hefty legal fees. In July of 2010 Unicef published a paper titled "Children Accused of Witchcraft" detailing the rising tragedy of children being accused of witchcraft and being cast out of their homes, tortured, abused, and even killed all across Africa. It's not just children being persecuted in Africa, however; accusations of witchcraft made against adults is extremely common and even resulted in the burnings of 11 people in Kenya in 2008. In November of 2009, a Lebanese TV anchor was charged with witchcraft and sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. In October of 2009, five widows in India were filmed being forced to strip naked, be beaten as they were paraded through the streets, and even being forced to eat human excrement - all because a local cleric accused them of being witches. According to the BBC, widows are often targeted in an attempt to seize their land and possessions.
Remember when doing your research to explore as many resources as possible, and when you run across something that seems a little far-fetched, it's very likely it's a myth. Look up credible sources of information and weigh out all of the differing viewpoints carefully. Blessed Be!
Raven LeFay is a real witch living and practicing solitary witchcraft in the eastern United States - Merry Meet!
For more great information on witchcraft, visit my site Real Witches at
Source:: http://spells-and-chants.blogspot.com
If one wishes to practice the craft then it makes sense that one should learn the history of the craft. Wicca was introduced by Gerald Gardener in the mid to late 1950's shortly after Britain repealed their anti-witchcraft laws. Gardener claimed that he became initiated into a coven in North Forrest England. His claims are subject to dispute.
Prior to him introducing Wicca, Gerald Gardner was a member of the Mason and he was a member of Ordo Templis Orientales, Aleister Crowley's organization. Mr. Gardner tried to set up OTO in London but he was not too successful. Many a people familiar with both Crowley's work and Wicca have noticed that Gardner plagiarized Crowley in many an instance and used his words in a construct that Crowley himself would not have used. Doreen Vailente would later on re-write everything.
Despite all this the author Ronald Hutton does make the statement that Wicca, meaning the wiseones, is a viable religion. Hutton is a historian who has written many
Mr. Hutton goes on to say that "Wicca" is the first all British contribution to religion given to the world. In order to fully get an understanding of Wicca one must get an overall picture of British history and the British mentality. The British fascination with Paganism began with a renewed enthusiasm and admiration for Greco/Roman Culture. These nationalities were thought off as being advanced and were praised for their many contributions to world civilization. The Greeks and the Romans were only thought to be lacking morals and the revelation of Jesus Christ. Later on British literature would foster and cultivate a fascination with nature. The old pagans were thought to have a real closeness with nature.
As history would progress several authors would write paens to Pan and how he would chase wood nymphs in the the forest. The Christian religion was felt to be too rigid at this time. Godfrey Higgins asserted that in ancient History that there was an ancient civilization that extended through out the known world. They were the ones who discovered writing and religion. Helena Blavatsky, s spiritualist, speculated that Atlantis was this society.
In the Ancient world there was a Goddess for every aspect of civilization but not nature, however. The Goddesses had their own identity. Toward the end of the Pagan Period in a work called "Metamorpheisis" by Apuleius it was said that the moon goddess was said to embody all the other Goddesses. In literature and in Archaeology a view was starting to prevail that humanity worshiped a mother goddess. She is represented by the earth and the moon. She ended up embodying all the Goddesses and this is the current view of Pagan Witchcraft.
Like wise with the Greek Gods like Jupiter, Apollo and Neptune all of them fell out of favor. For while Apollo was the favorite but soon he gave way to the horned God Pan. Pan was a favorite of the literary scene up until the 1930's. He represented nature, sexuality and playfulness. He was the exact opposite of Jesus. In the view of Robert Graves the horned God was the consort of of the Goddess and was both the lover and the offspring of the Goddess. Death served as a transition.
Wicca borrowed their ritual structure from the Masons. The first Masonic Lodge was established in the late 1596 in North Scotland. They had initiations, handshakes and passwords. Many of which Wicca would come to borrow. In Medieval times there were guilds who had secret organizations. They too had a lot in common with the Masons but with more of a focus towards their craft or profession.
Masonic craft was oriented towards spiritual perfection. To join a lodge one had to believe in a supreme being. Their ceremonies had 4 cardinal directions and they were connected with mythology. As more archaeological information became available about the Sumerians, Egyptians and Greek that information slowly got added into the Masonic lore.
The Pentagram was one of the Masonic symbols, the masons also ended their ceremonies with "so mote it be" These element should be recognizable to those who practice Wicca. One Masonic type organization was called " The Horseman's Word" This guild of horse whisperers would mock Christ and Christianity and say parts of the Bible backwards.
In a nutshell to cap things off, word has it that Gerald Gardener after returning from India in the 1930 became acquainted with a group of Rosicrucian actors who introduced him to the craft. Dorothy Clutterbuck was the priestess who supposedly initiated Gardner. Later he tried to bring to London with success along with a woman named Dafo. Later on she would leave and Gardner would recruit Doreen Valiente. Valiente upon looking over Gardners book of shadows noticed a lot of phrases taken from Aleister Crowley. Crowley himself was not really interested in Witch Craft which he considered a woman's religion. None the less Crowley did meet with Gardner 3-4 times. Later on Valiente would part with Gardner and join with Robert Cochran. Valiente later left Cochran and wnet on her own. The book discusses the growth of Wicca, Alex Sanders, the impact of American Wicca on the British.
For those who practice Wicca I advise that you read this book. Not only does it tell the history and development of the craft but also what events and trends lead to it's birth. It is very scholarly and thorough.Enjoy the blog
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"The Rite of Her Sacred Fires will be taking place again at the Full Moon in May this year (evening of the 5th and 6th of May 2012), marking the third year of this international devotional rite honouring and celebrating the Keybearing Goddess of the Crossroads, Hekate."
This weekend we will be experiencing one of the most spectacular full moons, with the moon nearer to the earth than usual creating the illusion of a much larger moon, and maybe then appropriate that this should coincide with the third annual Rite of Her Sacred Fires celebrations which will be taking place again all around the world in celebration of the Goddess Hekate, associated in antiquity with the Moon, as well as Magic, Mysticism and the Mysteries.
The Rite of Her Sacred Fires was first created in celebration of the publication of the anthology project Hekate Her Sacred Fires in 2010, and has become the largest international celebration of its kind. You can find out more about it by going to:
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Intrigued by Ronald Hutton's assertion that "Wicca" (meaning the wiseones) is the first all British religion given to the world, I approached his book The Triumph of the Moon as my first serious study of Wicca and Witchcraft with an objective attitude and without any preconceived perspectives on the matter. As anyone who has read any Hutton will already know, his First, a belief that all Pagans, both of European prehistory and of contemporary tribal peoples represented a religious expression of humanity's ignorance and savagery.
Second, that derived from the religion and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome, the Pagans were noble and admirable people but essentially remained inferior to Christianity in their ethics and spiritual values.
Third, that some writers considered Paganism superior to Christianity, being a life affirming and joyous alternative approach to religion which respects all of nature and seeks to integrate our lives with it.
Fourth, that a number of thinkers, writers and poets with connections to the Romantic movement such as Shelley, Leigh Hunt and Thomas Love Peacock, considered Paganism a remnant of a great universal religion of the distant past, elements of which were to be found in all the major religions practice by civilized humanity, from which contemporary NeoPaganism is descended.
Hutton then explored in greater depth the various strands of Romantic literary Paganism, the Frazerian Anthropology, Folklorism, Freemasonry, Theosophy, the revival of Ritual Magic and of Ceremonial magic, Thelema, and Woodcraft Chivalry, among others.
I found his research into the varieties of 'Cunning Folk' and other groups including 'The Toadmen' (still around in 1938) and a Masonic styled secret society called 'The Society Of The Horseman's Word' in the 19th century to be particularly enjoyable and informative reading.
To introduce them briefly, the 'Cunning Folk' were professional or semi-professional practitioners of magic active from at least the fifteenth up until the early twentieth century who practiced folk magic - also known as "low magic" - although often combined this with elements of "high" or ceremonial magic. In earlier times, the witch's power to harm people, livestock, and crops was greatly feared: for this reason country people consulted with the 'Cunning Men' and 'Wise Women' who had the power to negate their spells with counter-magic. Cunning-folk practitioners were also consulted for love spells, to find lost property or missing persons, exorcise ghosts and banish evil spirits.
Ronald Hutton suggests that the 'Cunning Craft', rather than dying out, had changed character by being subsequently absorbed into other magical currents.
The decline of the cunning craft in Britain was not however indicative of other European nations: in Italy for example, cunning practitioners continued operating right into the early twenty-first century.
Nevertheless, the author portrays that through the increasing interest in ancient Paganism and survival of traditional magical practices like charms during the 19thC, there came about in the 20thC what amounts to a new religion.
Laurie Lipton. The Black Sun
OF THE RISE OF MODERN WICCA,
WITCHCRAFT AND PAGANISM IN BRITAIN;
The second half of this book traces in greater depth the modern history of that new religion, of Paganism and Wicca, with particular focus on Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions of Wicca and examines the personalities involved in launching modern pagan witchcraft, including Gerald Gardner, Sanders, Valiente, the Crowthers, Pickingill and others.
Hutton says that Wicca was introduced by Gerald Gardener in the mid to late 1950's shortly after Britain repealed their anti-witchcraft laws. Gardener had claimed that he became acquainted with a group of Rosicrucian actors who introduced him to an ancient surviving craft and that Dorothy Clutterbuck, their priestess, initiated him into their coven.
However, Hutton also argues that Wicca's origins go well beyond Gardener claiming that Gardener was influenced not only by Ancient Hinduism following his period of civil service in India, but also a diverse collection of sources including 17th and 18th century fraternal organizations, 19th century esoteric societies including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Ordo Templi Orientis and Freemasonry from whom he borrowed Wicca's ritual structure, initiations, handshakes and passwords. The author makes clear that Gardener also derived inspiration and some practices from the Occultist Aleister Crowley and Romantic literary authors including Yeats, Frazer and Graves as well as the Back-To-Nature movement.
Despite Gardener's claimed introduction to an older craft group - which Hutton points out is contested, and because of Gardener's own subsequent gathering of sources and resources such as The Book Of Shadows, his forming of Covens and publicizing of his new organization, Gardener is nevertheless portrayed as the founding father of modern Wicca.
Whilst this early NeoPaganism may appear a socially or politically subversive movement, particularly because of its secrecy and the reversal of cultural norms such as that some aspects of ritual were to be carried out naked, the point is made that at this stage the movement was not of a socially minded reactionary nature at all. Several of its founding figures were deeply conservative (and politically Conservative), and their quarrel was not with social and economic status quo, but rather against the unnaturalness and destruction of traditional patterns of life and societies deep involvement with nature that characterized the rising industrial modernity.
On the one hand then Hutton appears to make the argument that early modern Pagan Witchcraft did not stem from any unbroken lines of succession and does not represent a survival of ancient forms of indigenous religious practice, but equivocally he also states that various forms of earlier practice such as the Cunning Craft, Wise Women and others had been subsumed and evolved into the new forms of neo Paganism and Wicca...
OF THE MODERN WORLD VIEW
Moving on to consider the more recent developments in Wicca and Paganism, Hutton presents the modern world phenomenon of Witchcraft and of Paganism as having developed in Great Britain and been exported to USA where they were taken up by feminist pagans who massively popularized the concepts as well as imbued them with a more socialistic communal minded orientation. After this socialization the author says a "new and improved" Wicca made the jump back across the pond to England in the early 1980's, that Paganism and Wicca have returned with greater prominence and popularity to Great Britain in large part via the AND THEIR ULTIMATE UNCERTAINTY;
Despite the apparent academic objectivity of Ronald Hutton's research which I have thoroughly enjoyed in a number of his studies, I found in this work an ambivalence and lack of clear resolution on a number of occasions. Mr Hutton seems to present an evidence based case as far as it would go and then implies the ensuing conjecture without the definitive evidence for the the implied conclusions, a practice which he points out in others as imaginative if academically erroneous. I find myself further intrigued by such deft footwork from an academic author and because of these misgivings I have looked about for other reviewers opinions. Of the many such reviews that I found among those who were not too overwhelmed, like myself, by all the cross references and closely written and basically bewildering panoramic scope of fine details, some appear to see the wood through the trees, claiming that the authors main pitch in this work, that Wicca and NeoPaganism do not carry any unbroken lineage to antiquity, are partisan perspectives that the author has impelled his evidence to support. These views of Ronald Hutton as expressed in The Triumph Of The Moon have then provoked a certain amount of debate from both sides of the camp so to speak. In response to such perspectives, Hutton frequently hints that there is more to this story, but states that without definitive evidence we cannot be sure and then proceeds present to his own conjectured conclusion almost as a definitive orthodoxy.
OF THE DEBATE OVER AUTHORIAL OBJECTIVITY IN
THE TRIUMPH OF THE MOON;
For a balanced review of The Triumph Of The Moon, I have include a few quotes here from a well argued case against Ronald Hutton's conjecture that there is no ancient lineage of Witchcraft or Paganism in Britain, from the author of the website 'e g r e g o r e s' under the title of
The Recantations of Ronald Hutton;
'In Triumph of the Moon, Ronald Hutton triumphantly claimed that the whole notion of the Old Religion had been "swept away" by a "tidal wave" of research...Hutton had spent a decade studying the question of the relationship between modern Paganism and ancient forms of religion...Hutton had reached the conclusion that no such relationship existed whatsoever, and that no one could be taken seriously who believed otherwise, explicitly including anyone who so much as "suggest[ed] that there might be some truth" in the notion of the Old Religion.
The only problem was that the whole time Hutton had, now by his own admission, been systematically ignoring "certain types of ancient religion" which just so happened to be precisely the ones which most "closely resembled [modern] Paganism, had certainly influenced it, and had certain linear connections with it"! And why did he ignore the one place he should have been looking all along? Because it was "in every sense marginal to my own preoccupations."
Hutton was by his own admission preoccupied then with his own proposition that "the paganism of today has virtually nothing in common with that of the past except the name."
IN CONCLUSION;
As I have previously held no particular view over the ancient lineage claims for Witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism in Great Britain, and their authenticity or lack ther, and because I have followed a largely intuitive path similar perhaps to that of a Hedge-Druid in my relative independence of groups and traditions as regards my own awareness of Pagan and nature reverencing issues and of what I shall term Supernature and its apprehension in daily life, I have found this volume to be informative, enjoyable and unexpectedly provocative. That there ensues some degree of partisan prejudice was almost to be expected, as the wider public may still hold various oppositional perspectives based on an until recently dominant Christian cultural ideology and its ensuing misinformation against Paganism and Witchcraft in particular. That such views should apparently inform an objective academic in his choice of how to handle his subject matter is not a question that I am well enough equipped to consider. I would surmise however by saying that I have learned a lot by reading this work, both within the tome itself and further by becoming aware of sensible and informed dissent without.
For all of these reasons I recommend this study to any who would consider the origins and developments of Witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism in modern Britain today, with the caveat that there may indeed be more to this story than meets the eye or is presented here.
SO MOTE IT BE ~
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