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Monograph
9:
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More Ritual Preliminaries. |
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You will soon be experiencing, and I
hope enjoying, your first Esbat. I know you are eager to get started but
it important that you are fully prepared for what is to come. At the
beginning of this course many students write in to ask if they can do
more than one monograph per week. By this stage, many are writing it
because they are worried about falling behind. I know you have been
given a lot of stuff to memorise, much of which you don't yet see the
relevance of. There are two things I want to say about this. |
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Firstly, don't worry about falling behind, there is no such thing! When
I talk about one monograph per week I am giving you a maximum speed for
the course. There is no minimum speed. It is better to take ten years
and become a proficient Witch, than to cram your studies into ten months
and become a lousy one! |
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Secondly I want to impress on you the importance of learning this stuff,
not just reading it. There are three stages to becoming proficient at
ritual. At first you will be reading most of the words from crib sheets.
There is nothing wrong with this up to a point. I know some covens where
the High Priest & High Priestess still use crib sheets, even for routine
esbats. |
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There is nothing wrong with crib sheets but your rituals will become
much more powerful and much more interesting, when you have memorised
the words and can recite them by heart.
Then after a while you will enter the third stage where you no longer
just recite the old words but begin to speak your own words from the
heart. Then your rituals will really fly!
But you can't just start off at stage three now or the words you invent
may not work. You need to master the first two stages first. |
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This is why I want you to memorise as much as possible beforehand. I
don't expect you to begin your first esbat knowing it all, but I do want
you to be familiar with the basic concepts. That way you will get far
more out of it! |
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So this week I want you to learn some of the words you will recite in
the esbat. Please do try to memorise as much as possible. All this stuff
may seem a bit strange at first, but when the ritual beguines you will
see how it all fits together. |
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I have said before that Wicca is "Dynamic Positive Thinking" and by
"dynamic" I mean energised! One way we work up the energy is by reciting
the Witches' Rune at the start of our rituals. Please don't play around
with this. It is much more powerful than you might think at the moment.
For now please just learn it IN YOUR HEAD! Don't start reciting or
chanting it until you are in circle! |
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Witches'
Rune
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Darksome night and shining Moon
East and South and West and North,
Hearken to the Witches rune,
Hear us as we call you forth! |
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Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
Wand and Pentacle and Sword,
Hearken unto our desire,
Come ye as the charm is made! |
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Queen of the Sky, Queen of the Earth,*
Horned Hunter of the Night,
Lend your power unto our spell,
Work our will by magick rite! |
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By all the powers of Earth and Sea,
By all the powers of Moon and Sun,
As we do will So Mote It Be!
Work the spell and be it done!
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*Another
popular, if dubious, version of this line is "Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell.
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Five Fold Kiss |
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A traditional
blessing used by Wiccans is the Five Fold Kiss. When working with
a coven, or with a partner of the opposite sex, this is a very beautiful
part of the ritual. A priest (male witch) would administer the
blessing to a priestess (female witch) in the following way: |
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First he would kneel and kiss her
feet saying "Blessed be thy FEET that have brought thee in thy ways".
Then he would kiss her knees saying "Blessed be thy KNEES that shall
kneel at the sacred alter". He would then kiss her just above the
pubic triangle with the words "Blessed be thy womb without which we
would not be". Then he would kiss her on both breasts saying
"Blessed be thy breasts formed in beauty". Finally he
stands and kisses her on the lips with the words "Blessed be thy lips
that shall utter the sacred names". |
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A priestess would give the
blessing to a priest is a similar fashion but with two differences: |
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Instead of saying "Womb" she would say "Phallus"
Instead of saying "Breasts formed in beauty" she would say "Breast
formed in strength" |
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So the whole
blessing would go like this: |
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Blessed be thy
FEET that have brought thee in thy ways.
Blessed be thy KNEES that shall kneel at the sacred alter.
Blessed be thy WOMB / PHALLUS without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy BREAST(S) formed in strength / beauty.
Blessed be thy LIPS that shall utter the sacred names. |
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When working
solo, the Five Fold Kiss can not be self administered un less you are
both bisexual and double jointed! However it is possible to touch
each part of our own body in turn saying "Blessed be MY feet
............. " etc. |
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The Charge |
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An important part of all Wiccan ritual is the Charge of
the Goddess and the Charge of the God. The bits shown in italics serve
as an introduction. When working in a coven or group, the Charge of the
Goddess is given by the High Priestess, with the introduction given by
the High Priest. The converse is true for the Charge of the God. When
working solo you have to do it all yourself, so try to feel both parts
in turn. You can emphasize each part with different voice intonations
(but please don't put on silly voices). |
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The Charge of the Goddess was first written down my
Doreen Valiente based on teachings she received from Gerald Garner. The
Charge of the God is more recent. There are several different versions.
I don't know who wrote this one. |
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The Charge of the Goddess |
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Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old
was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen,
Diana, Arienrhod, Brigid, and by many other names. |
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Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month,
and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some
secret place and adore the spirit of me who is Queen of all Witches. |
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There shall you assemble, ye who have not yet won my
deepest secrets and are fain to learn all sorceries.
To these shall I teach that which is yet unknown. |
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You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you
be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music
and love, all in my name, for mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and mine
also is joy on earth. |
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For My law is love unto all beings. Mine is the secret
that opens upon the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life
that is the Cauldron of Cerridwen that is the holy grail of immortality.
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I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of youth
unto the heart of mankind. I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal
and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that
have gone before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am
the mother of all things and my love is poured out upon the earth. |
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Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of
whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:
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I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the
stars and the mysteries of the waters. |
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I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of
nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and
unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices,
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be
beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth
and reverence within you. |
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And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will
avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek,
you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. |
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For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that
which is attained at the end of desire. |
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The Charge of the God |
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Listen to the words of our great Sun God, he who of old was called
Ra, Apollo, Mithras, Bel, Lugh, Vishnu and many other names. Hearken
also to our great Sky Father, Zeus, Thor, Odin, Horus, and Nuada!
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I am the spark from whence all flames are lit. I am warmth that ripens
the fruit. I am the pollinator, the fertiliser, the energiser, the
originator of life in its myriad of forms. I am the constant blazing
Sun. It is I who radiates my life sustaining power to all those who will
take it. My energies are given freely and with love. I ask for no reward
or sacrifice. |
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I am he, from whom the Great Earth Mother turns her face, at the end of
the year, when her harvests are gathered. But this brings no sorrow,
only joy at the love we have shared. And I am he who is embraced once
more when the springtime comes. Then the Mother takes my gift of power
and love once again. |
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I am the gentle breeze that carries the tiniest insect and the faintest
fragrance. Yet I am also the great tempest, that shakes the earth, and
tears away the old to make way for the new. Listen for my pipes in the
rustling of the leaves. I am the bearer of great news for those who can
hear. When your time is at an end and this cycles is completed, cast
your selves upon my wind. Come joyfully to the strength and safety of my
arms. There you will find welcome and true shelter until your quest
begins again. |
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Hearken also unto the words of our great Earth Father, the god of
nature and fertility: Pan, Herne, Cernunnos, Eros, Adonis, Frey. Listen
also to the great Sea God, Poseidon, Neptune, Dylan and
Manannan. |
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I am the husband, the lover, the son. I am he who bears the HORN OF
PLENTY and the ANTLERS OF POWER. I am the LORD OF THE ANIMALS, and the
GREEN MAN OF THE TREES. I am the strength of the mighty oak, and of the
timeless mountains. |
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Come to me my children. seek for me in the green forests, in the rocky
heights, and in the deepest oceans. You know that I will never fail you.
I am the father that holds his children with tender joy. Yet I let you
go that you may learn to walk unaided. I am the leader of the wild hunt
that cries for your soul in the night. Yet I bring justice not wanton
destruction. For am I not also the Lord of Love, bestowing joy on all
living things? |
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Pentagrams: |
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The pentagram, or five pointed star, is a very ancient symbol of power.
Each of its five points represents one of the metaphysical elements. |
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It can also be thought of as a human being, with the head corresponding
to the uppermost point, the arms outstretched into the next two points,
and the legs and feet corresponding with the lower two points. |
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The Pentagram can also be used as a doorway or portal for different
spiritual energies. Depending on which way it is drawn it can be used to
invoke or to banish these energy forms. |
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The Invoking Pentagram of Earth: |
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To invoke Earth Spirits or Earth Energies, draw an Invoking Pentagram
of Earth. Start at the top (point 0) and continue down to point 1,
continue to each point until you get back to the top (point 0 is now
point 5). Last you draw the sealing stroke from point 5 to point 6. All
pentagrams MUST be drawn with one single, unbroken line. This is called
an Invoking Earth Pentagram because it ENDS at the bottom, left hand
point, the point which corresponds with the element of Earth. |
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Invoking Pentagram of Earth
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In practice, most students use this pentagram as a
general invoking pentagram for all the elements. This works fine.
It is far better to just learn one invoking pentagram and one banishing
one AND GET THEM RIGHT; rather that learn a whole bunch of different
ones and GET THEM WRONG. |
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The Banishing Pentagram of Earth: |
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To banish Earth Spirits or Earth Energies, draw a Banishing Pentagram
of Earth. Start at the bottom, left and corner (point 0), continue
through all the points in sequence end with the final sealing stroke
from point 5 to point 6. This is called an Banishing Earth
Pentagram because it STARTS at the bottom, left hand point, the point
which corresponds with the element of Earth, moving AWAY from it. |
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Banishing Pentagram of Earth
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Again, most students use this pentagram as a general banishing pentagram
for all the elements. You will learn more pentagrams latter on in
the course, but for now it is essential that you commit these two to
memory! |
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Oroborus: |
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Oroborus, the Serpent of the Universe, the snake with its tail in its
mouth, is a symbol of infinity.
It symbolises the cycles of
rebirth and regeneration. It is a Gnostic symbol associated with the
God, Abraxsis: the Lord of Darkness
and Light. The one illustrated here encircles a pentagram.
Together, the Oroborus and the pentagram stand for the oneness
of all things through the infinite cycles of time. |
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Working With Specific Deities: |
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There is one more thing I want you to think about this week, and that
concerns working with specific deities. Wiccans believe that all Goddess
are one Goddess and All Gods are One God. For thousands of years we have
given names to that energy which runs within all things. We have done
so in order to commune with it and understand facets of it. |
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So which deity names will you chose to work with? Dose it matter? The
most common God & Goddess names for everyday Wicca use are probably
Cernunnos and Aradia. Cernunnos is the Celtic horned God of nature and
of the animals. Aradia (Herodius) is probably of southern European
origin, a later version of Diana, brought north by the invading Romans.
Whatever you think about putting these two together, they have been used
by many thousands of modern day Witches to good effect. |
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As your knowledge grows you may wish to use different names. Do your
research, examine different pantheons. Most Wiccans are essentially
Celtic yet many prefer to work with totally different pantheons
altogether. Some feel more comfortable with the Egyptian deities or even
the gods and goddesses of Hinduism. Hindus are not Wiccans but there is
strong evidence to suggest that Cernunnos was brought from India where
he is thought to be a very early version of Pashupati, the Lord of the
Animals in Hindu mythology, peacefully surrounded by his beasts. |
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Culture and history affect the deities you connect with. Whether you
meet the Goddess as Kali, Cerridwen, or even Mary (all valid aspects of
the Triple Goddess) you are still tapping into her universal force,
which is ultimately nameless. The same applies to your choice of
God names. This important thing is to always workshop the God and
Goddess together. Some groups work only with the Goddess or only
with the God. This is not Wicca. Wicca works through the
tension and balance of male and female forces in equilibrium, neither
being more prominent than the other. |
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Recommended
Reading.
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While
not essential, reading as much as possible from different
authors
will improve the breadth and depth of your
understanding.
Books are a great way to learn more about
the subject. This course is offered in association with Amazon
and they will deliver your books to you, wherever you are in
the world, as well as charging you very low prices. It's a
great service!
|
£ |
Doreen Valiente
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Witchcraft For
Tomorrow |
$ |
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£ |
Patricia Crowther
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Lid of the
Cauldron |
$ |
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£ |
Gerald Brosseau Gardner
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Witchcraft
Today |
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£ |
Miranda Green
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Dictionary of
Celtic Myth and Legend
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$ |
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£ |
Miranda Green
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The Gods of The Celts |
$ |
£
For prices in
Pounds Sterling |
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$
For prices in
U.S. Dollars |
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To
enable this course to continue, and to remain
free,
please support our main sponsors by ordering
your books here,
Thank You.
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If
you have any questions or comments, you can
E~Mail
us anytime. |
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A
Glossary Of Pagan Terms |
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