<![CDATA[_Liber Wicca: A Flight into the Fanciful_
By Frater I Nigris
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The word of Sin is Restriction.
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WICCAN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY
Part I: Witches and the Western Mystery Traditions
Introduction
This essay concerns Neopaganism, the Western Mystery traditions,
and witches. I make no claims regarding orthodoxy or truth here.
I'm only telling a story that I have learned which is meaningful
to those as skeptical and imaginative as myself.
There are certainly more fantastic accounts regarding these
social traditions which I enjoy, yet for me they do not hold the
same level of credibility. These tend to be more mythical and
meaningful to the subconscious mind, and are therefore of perhaps
MORE value than a story of the type you are about to read.
The Western Mystery traditions, comprised of their mystical and
occult threads, are impossible to define in any concrete fashion.
Several people have of course attempted to do this, yet in each case
their bias and short-sightedness hindered a complete description.
Besides this, the traditions themselves form a complex, arising as
they do from numerous sources, locations and time periods. To
isolate one tradition within this complex and attempt to understand
its origin and character is not only difficult, it is a mistake.
In writing about Neopaganism and witches here I therefore do you
a disservice. I can only provide a small glimpse, a micro-view
of the entirety. It is the equivalent of attempting to understand
your nose. Without some understanding of the rest of you, my attempts
will be minimal and perhaps futile.
Given all of this, I will nonetheless proceed....
A Rough Historical Basis of Paganism
In the ancient world there were two major types of society: the
nomadic or wandering tribes and the stable homesteading tribes.
Families tended to hold together in clans, at times joining and
separating based upon need or individual difference, respectively.
These tribes developed their own forms of language, government,
religion and philosophy. Their lifestyle contributed greatly
toward their societal constructs. For this reason the most
popular ideas and practices (those which have been preserved in
their art and tools) included such themes as tool-making, hunting,
and the Mysteries of Birth, Sex, Marriage and Death.
The stories and mythical artwork of ancient times portray someone
immersed in a world of great powers. Sun, Moon, clouds and night
often rivalled or combined with influential plants and animals
as religious foci. Some of these became associated with individuals
as symbols of personal identity and power.
There is little known regarding the actual practices of ancient
peoples. What is commonly referred to as 'Paganism' in today's
society is really a fabrication of fantasy, dreams and theory -
useful for those who wish to create their own path, yet difficult
to substantiate in anthropological terms.
The Developing World
Out of these family clans two major societal traditions developed
in line with the types of tribes mentioned above. These were the
nonmobile communities that settled in rich, comfortable environments
near sources of water and food, and the pioneering explorers who
roamed freely through sometimes quite inhospitable regions.
Without getting into too much detail, let us say that most of the
ancient civilizations took root in what we today refer to as the 'East'
or 'Middle East'. Those in China, India and Egypt/Mesopotamia are
quite possibly the oldest large communities known.
The pioneers scattered in clans throughout the world, crossing
the ice-bridge into the North Americas, and spreading throughout
Africa and the rest of the world. Some parts of these peoples are
known as the 'Indo-Europeans', and the common heritage of both the
Indus Valley Civilization (India) and the nomads of Europe (Celts,
Teutons, etc.) is sometimes overlooked.
The religious practices were comprised of the same elements as in
ancient times with variation based on lifestyle. Those who were
nomadic tended to focus more on courage, stability and the figure
of the Hero/ine.
Those who were stationary tended to focus upon bounty, life, and
the figure of the Mother or Father (depending on region and time).
Again, while more is known about these civilizations and pioneers,
ideas concerning their lifestyle is speculation and projection,
assembled from pottery, statuettes, tools, buried cities and
mass graves.
A Rough Historical Overview of the Western Mystery Traditions
With greater and greater numbers of people vying for use and
control of resources, and given the nature of humans, warring
became inevitable.
Tribes focussed the advantage of group power toward their own ends,
often at the expense of individuals and/or smaller communities.
This group identity and force concretized many times in the course
of time and, in the area of Europe and the Mediterranean, reached
a peak in the form of the Roman Empire.
Founded upon pagan fertility rites and martial Mystery schools,
the Romans sought to bring unity, through force, to the decentralized
tribes of Europe, driving the last rebellious factions into the British
Isles (chiefly Ireland and Scotland) and northerly reaches
(Scandanavia, Finland, etc.).
During the rule of the Romans a wave of religious fervor spread
from the Middle East. It was a martyrdom cult, given life by the
Mystery traditions of Osiris and other heroic figures, and centering
on the concepts of indwelling authority, the resistance
to oppression and the sacrifice of one's life in the cause of freedom.
When first attempts to stamp this out only inflamed its growth, the
Romans took the only reasonable action in response, adopting its mantle
and co-opting the movement through deception. This was the Roman
response to the threat of 'Christianity' and the beginning of the
'Holy Roman Empire'.
Centuries rolled by, during which the social factions of the country
farmer, the warrior, the creative artisan/merchant and the lawyer,
or clerical (scribe) castes developed along an age-old system of
Indo-european, tribal stratification.
In each of these social classes there arose a different type of
religious practice, given substance by a common ancient heritage,
yet formed within the values and lifestyles of those who created them.
The clerical caste, often sharing political and social power
with the warriors, developed a form of Christianity focussed
on literature and the skills of language, sometimes becoming dogmatism.
The warrior and merchant classes pursued a mixture of the ancient
Mystery schools (which the warrior class would perpetually retain),
Christian symbology (much of which originated from within the
Mystery schools in any case), and a type of social and personal
alchemy, inspired by the work of the pyramids in Egypt and other
created world-wonders of the time. This developed into a fraternal
artisan guild structure known as Masonry.
The peasants and farmers pursued variations of older, regional
practices, largely agricultural and fertility rites. It was the
variation both in literacy and in economic status which would
stigmatize the lower classes as 'primitive' in the eyes of 'scholars'
for many years.
The Current Western Mystery Traditions and Their Origins
Human civilization is an ever-renewing flower, a recurrently-
erupting volcano of art, politics, religion and philosophy.
We might compare the development of the human brain with the
development of 'civilization' (society). The deeper, more
central and less obvious elements of the brain are its oldest
parts, and this is true also for Western society and its religious
traditions.
Today's purely Western sects include the complex which is
called Christianity, the ripe material objectivism which is called
modern Science, the Masonic tradition, and what can reasonably
be called Neopaganism or Neoshamanism.
Christianity is largely the result of enforced conformity,
and its doctrines and practices, while retaining an essentially
(as from the essenes, 'those who are') valuable teaching,
are now geared more toward the simple of mind or extremely
intelligent than to anyone between the two.
Modern Science is a renegade sect of philosophers and engineers,
often disconnected from their roots in Christian and Masonic
traditions. Much of it has become for the West what Christianity
once was: an orthodoxy of intellectual stagnation, producing
specialists and elitists. They now wield authority in the field
of 'objective knowledge', supplanting Church doctrine.
Masonic traditions are, at their worst, social indoctrination
schemes that effectively disempower the individual and diffuse
rebellion. At their best they are mechanisms of preserving
important pscho-social symbols and concepts. The form and meaning
of these symbols may have a profoundly transformative effect
upon those who use them as foci of meditation.
Setting the Stage: The Fragmentation of Paganism
It ought be said that none of the aforementioned social and
religious developments took place in a vacuum. Just as there is an
incredible mixture among economic classes by virtue of a shared
society, so has there been a weaving of religious traditions in
the West.
Ancient roots of unknown form gave way, through civilization,
to an agrarian and fertility-based religious expression amidst
peasantry, the farmers in much of Europe. This was dissipated
by war, plague and the oppression of upper class fear (exemplified
by the Inquisition).
Many, if not all, of the ancient rites have been forgotten or lost,
only preserved in form by a co-opting 'Christian' social tradition
(e.g. communion and the concept of the Dying Sun-King), or by those
who have seized upon times of old as some sort of 'Golden Age',
free from the pressures and trials of civilized, citified life.
Whether or not any remnants of an agrarian, fertility-religion somehow
managed to be preserved by such a non-literary, ravaged culture as was
peasant Europe, it did not likely retain the same form over
hundreds of years, especially given the pressures from the upper
classes to dissolve it.
It has been popular to assume that if indeed this did occur, then
it would most likely have found shelter within places which
withstood the onslaught of the Romans, British and other imperialists
bent on unification through force.
With all this history behind it, and given inspiration by an orthodoxy
which berated and condemned it, when tides of political and social
restriction began to recede, it is no wonder that a renewal,
a resurgence, began to develop. Much of this rejuvenation has taken
place very recently.
A New Religion: Gerald Gardner and the Craft
Controversy has raged during the latter half of this century
concernng the origin and history of Neopaganism. The term
itself derives from a new version (neo) of the religion of the
country-dweller (paganus). It is a similar descriptor to the
'heathen' or, 'one who dwells within the heaths', the shrubland.
Until 1951 many countries had laws against Masonry and witchcraft,
a holdover from earlier times. England was among them, and in that
year it repealed restriction of witchcraft.
In immediate response to this, a man by the name of Gerald Gardner
published several books on the subject, claiming to have had
dealings with an extant 'family tradition' of witches in England.
In so doing he revealed details of their lives and religious
expression.
Much of the resultant history of Wicca, as he called it, is available
in written form by such notable authors as Margot Adler. I shall
not repeat their words here except to say that there are important
relationships between today's organized Wiccans and traditions
outside the peasant class, notably Masonry.
Terms such as 'craft', ritual forms such as 'initiations', and social
delineations like 'degrees' are indicators to me of the similarity
of origin between modern Wicca and Masonry. For this reason and
because I personally find its somtimes rigid structures distasteful,
I consider the religion of Wicca to be different than the Way of the
Witch. This is largely as a result my own experience and the prevalence
of this attitude among many of those whose vision I respect greatly.
I would distinguish between a Wiccan, who is a member of an
organized and tax-exempt tradition with many sects (such as
Gardnerianism, Alexandrianism, Faerie, etc.), and a witch,
who needs no social tradition yet may or may not engage
society and group rite. A Wiccan may be a witch, but a witch
need not be a Wiccan.
My Meaning for the Term 'Witch'
'Witch' appears to derive from the root 'wicce', which means 'to bend'.
I like to play with the ambiguity of this definition. A witch
bends like a reed in the wind. She also is one who bends or shapes hir
world.
Witches are healers. This varies, however, among those who
engage the healing of individuals, those who work for the
healing of all, and those who seek both, or see no essential
difference between them. In this way witches may be identified
as shamans.
Here my bias begins to show...
Witches TEND to focus more heavily upon certain mythic images
than on others. Usually this is the imagery which common society
has shunned/repressed. For this reason I say that modern witches
focus more on the wrathful, repulsive, and/or aged aspects of
any deities which enter hir practice: the Crone, the Old King,
the Underworld Lord, the Demon Queen.
Witches are often ecologists and may apply the principles of
ecology in their lives where they feel able. Many are engaged
in political activities designed to awaken a sensitivity to
issues surrounding plant and animal, the balance of nature,
and one's place in the world.
Witches are individualists. Most are solitary workers. It is rare
that I meet a witch who says she's a member of an organized religion.
Those who do often work for social change, harmony, and a global
consciousness without doctrinal or moral sectarianism.
I find that most witches are open-minded and focus on actions rather
than words and ideas, many having studied other cultures and
acquired a broad view of social issues. They are generally
accepting of all those whom they meet.
I would say one more thing about witches. They have a sense of
humor. They don't seize on details and ostracize. They don't require
the seriousness of others. They often don't take themselves too
seriously, understanding the Great Cosmic Joke in which they live.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would further note there is absolutely
NOTHING which separates a witch from a Christian, a Buddhist,
a Taoist, or even a Satanist.
One reason this is the case is that living a witch's life doesn't
necessarily have anything to DO with social religious tradition,
though it may include it. Another is that there is a place where all
paths converge and this 'place between' is where the witch spends
the bulk of hir time.
Afterward
My definitions and descriptions are by no means the last word
on the subject of witches. I urge you to develop your own ideas
if you have not done so already. There are no false paths in the
amusement park of the imagination.
Create fabulous stories about your origin and the origin of groups
to which you belong. Witches care more about fantasy than about
fact, more about imagination than about knowledge, more about
ambiguity than about definition.
I hope you will take what I've said here and chew on it, mash it
up, destroy it, then create your own stories with the combined
mastications of all the stories you have found inspiring.
There is no truth but what we discover.
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Part II: Beginning Wiccan Theory
Introduction
This information is gleaned from books, personal instruction with Wiccan
elders, ritual work with Wiccans, and from social interaction over a
period of 5-10 years. It is not meant to represent the opinion of anyone
but myself, makes no claim to objective truth, and is mostly a projection
of my imagination beyond the very limited philosophical framework I found
within the Wiccan and Neopagan community.
I imagine that the influence I've experienced from many Eastern traditions,
along with my limited readings in Western philosophy and occultism, must
have contributed in great part to my understanding of the following key
terms and phrases:
Merry Meet and Merry Part (mm/mp)
Traditional Wiccan ritual derives from a very common structure. It may be
seen in many indigenous religions, is a basic formula for Vedic rites, and can
be seen as a pattern for most Western social events - 'secular' and
'religious'.
It is comprised of the following steps:
a) Cleaning, preparation or creation of ritual space
This varies from as little as a change in attitude or focus to an entire
process of physical and/or symbolic 'purification', designed to alert the
participants (especially their unconscious minds) to a change of atmosphere
in preparation for the rite.
In traditional Wicca this usually includes creating a 'Circle' of ritual
space (actually a sphere) and purifying the area and participants with
incense (fire and air elements) and salt water (water and earth).
The exact sequence of the Circle, censing, and aspergation may vary.
b) Calling of energies/entities
Though at times this calling will precede the preparations, depending
upon the custom and timing of an event, it is the equivalent of inviting
guests and/or guardians. Sometimes this is seen as a necessary precaution.
At others it is seen as an important element in and of itself.
The energies or entities vary among traditions. In Wiccan ritual it is often
the 'Guardians of the Watchtowers' or 'Quarters' and these are summoned
from the planar four directions (North, East, South and West), usually
associated with elemental energies of the world (Earth, Air, Fire and Water).
Often also 'the god and goddess' are welcomed to the Circle, sometimes
through the personality and form of a 'Priest' and/or 'Priestess' who may
happen to be officiating. More a focus of group energies than any social
authority, the Priest/ess is said to 'channel' or 'manifest the energies
of' the god/dess during the rite.
c) Raising of power
This is the build-up before the climax of the social event. It is emotional
and 'psychic' in nature and in Wiccan tradition will often involve the
creation of what is called a 'Cone of Power'. This is a three-dimensional
psychic energy funnel, designed to direct those 'raised energies' toward
a group focus.
Sometimes this focus amounts to a physical change within or outside the
Circle (often delayed so as to account for the will of the gods).
Sometimes this focus is an energy or entity within or outside the Circle
that is perceived to be lacking and in need of such aid. Sometimes the Cone
is raised with the intent that those present will take what they need of its
power and that the rest may be 'grounded', directed toward Mother Earth
for Her use/healing.
d) The Great Work/Rite
This is the Main Event, though at times it is coincident with and may be
inclusive of the build-up. This may be the central reason for the rite (if
there is one) and, in those traditions which define it in any way, usually
involves some procurement of knowledge (science) or expression of
inspiration (art).
In Wicca, like in most tantric traditions, it either takes place physically
or symbolically. The more complex and socially controversial form of this
is the physical conjunction of the Priestess and Priest (coitus). This is
symbolically represented by the 'blessing of the cakes and wine' (the seed
of the god is symbolized by the grain of the cakes, the blood of the goddess
by the wine). This is typically done using magical implements, often
symbolized by the penetration of the dagger (or 'athame') into the chalice
(or 'cup'), a fairly heterosexual symbolism.
Once the god and goddess have conjoined within the Circle, their fruits (the
cakes and wine) are consumed by the participants. Traditionally, and within
the symbology of the rite, this is a time for social announcements and
information to be exchanged by the group. Not only does it provide a modicum
of secrecy for the Wiccan network, it also symbolizes the real unity between
the 'world beyond' the Circle and the 'ritual space' which it contains.
e) Departures and resolution
Once the Main Event has taken place and some time has passed for an
appreciation of its beauty and meaning, then it is time to call the rite
to a close and return to everyday life.
In Wicca this may be very simple or complex, depending upon the group (coven).
It usually includes the 'dismissal' or 'departure' of the guests or guardians,
including the god and goddess.
It also involves 'taking down' or 'opening' the Circle; bringing down the
dividing line between the outside world and ritual space and/or extending
the Circle to include the entire universe (in form somewhat like the ripples
that a pebble makes when dropped into a pond).
At the beginning, when preparations are made and ritual space is created,
many Wiccans exchange the greeting 'Merry meet'. At the conclusion of the
rite, when the Circle has been opened, an extension of this greeting ('The
Circle is open yet unbroken.... Merry meet, merry part, and MERRY MEET AGAIN!')
is sometimes used as a resolving seal upon the entire event. It is often
pleasantly echoed by joyful hugs and shared warmth.
When used in the context of a greeting outside such rites, the words 'Merry
meet' or 'Merry part' are an acknowledgement of the sacred space that we
live in and the coming together and separation of each of our individual
Circles. Each seemingly separate person is a Circle or Sphere (and Point) of
consciousness. We are a sacred space-time-consciousness and our acts
are magical acts (especially those which are consciously recognized).
Through the use of these traditional greetings we invoke the balanced
centeredness of ritual and acknowledge the interpenetration, the unity, of
our life and its magick.
The Wiccan Rede: 'An it harm none, do as thou wilt'
A rede is a piece of advice or counsel, and to this extent the Rede is used
as a guideline for one's life. Each person considers it carefully and
thoughtfully before she meaningfully calls hirself Wiccan, analyzing all
of the ramifications and subtleties of the words 'harm none' and
'as thou wilt'.
The meaning of this advice is not agreed upon by the majority of Wiccans,
nor is it important that it be so, for Wicca is not a doctrinal religion.
Since most Wiccans recognize no official priests/esses there is little
to move the rede into the status of a 'law' (a required constraint). One
interprets it as one wishes and associates with others of like mind or
those whose way is acceptance.
Therefore be reminded that the following ideas are my own interpretation
and no other (along with the subsequent description of the 3-fold Law).
'An' is a contraction of 'And if'. This form allows it to be appended to the
advice one might give to another. The Rede is designed to EMPOWER
people, not disempower them. It suggests that one take a careful look at
oneself and one's actions to evaluate if any harm may be caused in their
doing, and if not, to complete them to one's satisfaction.
The Rede centers upon one's INTENT. It is not only impossible but
unreasonable to evaluate the ends of one's actions. We can never be
sure that they have come to complete fruition. All we can do is learn from
the past, be aware of the present and plan for the future.
'An it harm none' is a deceptively complex phrase. If harm included any
type of injury or damage then we would find ourselves straight-jacketed
into suicide. Life depends upon death and injury for its very existence.
We displace and destroy countless microscopic organisms with every
breath and movement. In order to feed ourselves we must kill some form
of life in order to absorb its nutrients. It is sometimes important that
minor injury take place so as to prevent an eventual calamity. Surgery
and self-defense are good examples here.
For this reason we may accept a less expansive meaning for the word 'harm'.
It need only include the cause of unnecessary pain and suffering. To
interpret this further and define what is 'necessary' would be to DISempower
our fellow Wiccan, forming a doctrine that is ethically contrary to the Rede.
Each individual discovers this line for hirself and acts accordingly.
For this reason no absolute association may ever meaningfully be applied to
'good' and 'evil' or 'bad'. We each have our individual reactions and
evaluations of an action taken by another. If we think that another's action
will lead to harm then we may oppose it (not the person, the action)
so as not to bring about harm through our INaction.
Again, we can never know who is objectively 'correct' in any conflict.
BOTH are correct as we follow our emotions and intuitions, act with
pure intent, express our respect for another's feelings and power, and
remain aware of the present circumstance.
In social interactions only consensus (without the force of rule)
conforms to the Rede and its important protections. 'An it harm none,
do as thou wilt' is a subjective guideline, not a moral imperative.
Those who would judge us, saying that they know we are not living by it,
fail to do so themselves by disrespecting the innate divinity of our
experience and conscience.
The 3-Fold Law
As an extension of the Rede, the 3-Fold Law is an explanation of a law of
nature. It deals with action and how this affects the cosmos and the
apparent source of this action. As an explanation, it ought to be tested
by the skeptical and disregarded by those who feel it inaccurate. Many
continue to claim its accuracy (in whatever detailed form), so perhaps
it is not so easy to dismiss.
The Law, as mentioned above, is not a moral judgement or a social
constraint. It is a principle of nature which has been observed and
described. Action (karma) produces suffering based upon its nature and
our evaluation of its result. Intent and our view of this intent are
central to this principle's function.
Our actions affect us in the following 3-fold manner:
a) Energy goes through us as we manifest it. We suffer or benefit according
to its nature. If an energy is intended to harm another then it harms us as
we manifest it.
b) Our actions affect others directly, and to the extent that we are one
with all so do we suffer again if our intent was harm.
c) Our deep mind compensates us for our harmfulness and our beneficence.
If we see that we harm, we punish ourselves; if we see that we help or heal,
then we reward ourselves (more carefully and thoroughly than any jailer).
This may tie in to psychological models about the 'superego' and its
prohibitive function, arising from the programming of our parents and other
influential authorities. This a very deep self-judgement process, inspired
in us by society, the compensation carried out via unconscious processes
too complex to explore here.
It ought be mentioned, however, that those who transcend or grow beyond
compartmentalizing their actions are also beyond the compensation of this
Law, especially with regard to the reactions of the deep mind or superego.
There is much speculation as to whether this growth actually occurs, however
(see Hinduism's 'moksha', liberation or Buddhism's 'nirvana'/extinction for
other explanations).
Blessed Be
This simple phrase is a rough equivalent of the Christian 'amen' or the
native american 'ho', perhaps with subtle differences. It is sometimes
used in greeting or parting and general well-wishing. It is also used in
ritual to seal or provide support for a magical act.
At its most esoteric, 'Blessed be' is an acknowledgement of the divinity
of all present being. It is an affirmation of the rightness of all and/or
the conferment of one's blessings upon another in warmth and love.
Conclusion
As with most religious traditions, the esoteric concepts associated with
each of these words and phrases has not become apparent or has been diluted
or lost by many who comprise Wicca. Social dynamics and communication
failures work to separate wisdom from compassion and ideas from feelings,
even in the best of situations.
Little regarding Wiccan philosophy has been written and much of this is
one-sided or moralistic. Perhaps this essay shall provide some of the fuel
for the debate that these issues really deserve, rather than simply add to
the endless drone of judgement and small-mindedness that at times seems
commonplace.
================================================================
Reviews, comments and questions welcome.
Invoke me under my stars. Love is the law, love under will.
I am I!
9303.03 e.v.
Frater (I) Nigris (666) 333
Tyagi Nagasiva
Tyagi@HouseofKaOS.Abyss.com
House of Kaos
871 Ironwood Drive
San Jose, Kali Fornica, 95125-2815
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