Dedications 2008

Congratulations to our new dedicants for 2008.

Dedication is usually a first step for coveners as well as solitaires. It is a group or personal declaration of intent to follow the Wiccan path and always strive to honor the Gods, increase your knowledge of the craft, and live by the rede. Within traditions such as the Dark Moon tradition dedication is usually followed after a period of study (traditionally a year and a day) which leads to a first degree (the dedicant is now considered a true witch).

After a first degree comes a second degree where the witch now takes on the responsibility of teaching first-years and additional coven responsibilities.

Upon attaining a third degree a witch may decide to leave the coven and hive-off forming their own coven. For those third degree witches remaining in the coven, there are adept and master adept degrees.

Our dedicant list for this year include (alphabetically)

Amanda B
Andrea
Barbara
Danika
Leroy
Lisa + Steve
Rae (dedicated remotely)

Congratulations dedicants.

Bealtaine Rune

Our bard has once again taken it upon himself to rewrite the Witches' Rune (oh the blasphemy for the dogmatically impaired.) I hope you like it. Use it in your ritual if you like. What he's wriiten really does capture the spirit of Beltane in 28 lines.

Bealtaine Rune

A Maying, a Maying we come between April and June.
Hearken unto the Bealtaine Rune.
East then South, West then North,
Dance about the Maypole then sally forth!

A nutting, a nutting we will go,
from sunset ‘till Beltane morn’s first glow.
We’ll look for nuts ‘neath streamers of the Maypole.
If we can’t find any, off to the greenwood we’ll go.

Out of sight, we’ll pick flowers by the dim light.
Don’t look for us; we’ll be out all night.
We’ll gather hawthorn and alder decorated with balls bright,
Twined like lovers laying the night’s delights.

It’s so very dark here in the greenwoods.

We might meet Little John Maid Marian, or Robin Hod.

Come harvest will be a new crop to remember this May Eve:

Hodsons, Robinsons, Johnsons more than you might believe.

Horned hunter of the night,
with the Goddess by his side,
Embrace and smile to see such a sight,

Couples everywhere beyond the balefire’s light.

Back to the fire for one last run.

Bid farewell to the Goddess and the Horned One.

By the power of the Moon and Sun,

Jump the flame for luck and because it’s fun.

By the morning light we’ll parade our charade.
With woven boughs and garlands we made,
We’ll leave flowers and nuts in each doorway,
As a pretense for spending May Eve in the glade.

A Beltane Primer

I found this article about Beltane on paganweb.com.
Beltane is a fertility festival, concerned with Nature enchantments and offerings to wildlings and Elementals. The return of full-blown fertility is now very evident. The powers of elves and fairies are growing and will reach their height at the Summer Solstice.

Beltane, most commonly pronounced "BELL-tayn", but also can be "BEEL-teen", "BEEL-tawn-uh", or "B'YAL-tinn", is one of the Greater Pagan Sabbats and is usually celebrated on May 1st. In the Celtic tradition it is celebrated on May 1st or the first Full Moon in Taurus. The Scottish tradition of PectiWita celebrate their Sabbat on May 15th.

Other names used for this Sabbat are Bealtaine (Irish Wittan), Whitsun or Old Bhealltainn (Scottish PectiWita), Bealtinne (Caledonii or the Druids), Samhradh and La Baal Tinne (Faery Wicca), Roodmas, Rudemas (Mexican Craft), Walburga (Teutonic), Walpurgisnacht (German), Walpurgis Eve, Celtic Summer, Giamonios, Tana's Day - La Giornata di Tana (Aridian Strega), Floralia, The Great Rite, May Day, and May Eve. It is also known as Cetshamain in Ireland, and is one of the few specifically Irish festivals.

Beltane is the time of year when we celebrate new life, fertility and the earth's ripe abundance in all its forms. It is a time of pure joy, bliss, and playfulness.

For many, crops are planted and animals bred. As Pagans we honor the divine union of the God and Goddess, and the consummation of that marriage which we believe symbolically fertilizes our crops, our animals, and ourselves. It is also a time of beginnings, the beginnings of many new projects.

Celebrate Beltane

• Arise at dawn and wash in the morning dew: the woman who washes her face in it will be beautiful; the man who washes his hands will be skilled with knots and nets.
  
• If you live near water, make a garland or posy of spring flowers and cast it into stream, lake or river to bless the water spirits.
  
• Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill, then give it to one in need of caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend.
  
• Beltane is one of the three "spirit-nights" of the year when the faeries can be seen. At dusk, twist a rowan sprig into a ring and look through it, and you may see them.
  
• Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck—but make sure you tie up long skirts first!
  
• Make a May bowl —wine or punch in which the flowers of sweet woodruff or other fragrant blossoms are soaked—and drink with the one you love.

Celebrants sometimes jump over broomsticks, especially at Handfastings which are very common during this season, or dance around May Poles, as both of these are symbols of fertility.

Traditional activities include blowing horns, and gathering flowers. Solitary Practitioners might consider the weaving together of ribbons as an alternative to creating and dancing around the May Pole.

Many like to celebrate Beltaine by decorating their homes and themselves with fresh flower garlands, or by stringing up greenery around their homes and places of work.

Sending flowers to loved ones, planting new gardens, cleaning out the cupboards and general spring cleaning are all traditional Beltaine gestures.

Plaiting and weaving straw, creating things with wicker, making baskets and fabrics are traditional arts for this turn in the Wheel of the Year.

Symbols of Beltane

Traditional symbols used to represent Beltane are the May Pole (the traditional full-size one is about 10 feet tall), May baskets, crossroads, eggs, butterchurns and chalices. Symbolically, many Pagans choose to represent Beltane with fresh flowers all around the ritual area as well as their homes and the cauldron is often totally filled with gorgeous Springtime flowers. Roses, bluebells, marigolds, daisies, primroses, violets and lilac are associated with Beltane.

Beltane Altar

Altars are generally adorned with seasonal flowers. Other appropriate altar decorations for the season include mirrors, a small May pole, phallic-shaped candles to represent fertility, and daisy chains.

Gods and Goddesses of Beltane

Appropriate Deities for Beltane include all Virgin-Mother Goddesses, all Young Father Gods, all Gods and Goddesses of the Hunt, of Love, and of Fertility. Some Beltane Goddesses to mention by name here include Aphrodite, Arianrhod, Artemis, Astarte, Venus, Diana, Ariel, Var, Skadi, Shiela-na-gig, Cybele, Xochiquetzal, Freya, and Rhiannon. Beltane Gods include Apollo, Bacchus, Bel/Belanos, Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, Faunus, Cupid/Eros, Odin, Orion, Frey, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and The Great Horned God.

Colors of Beltane

The most common colors associated with Beltane are white and dark green, and red... but also appropriate are all the colors of the rainbow spectrum itself. Stones to use during the Beltane celebration include sapphires, bloodstones, emeralds, orange carnelians, and rose quartz.

Plants and Animals of Beltane

Plants and herbs associated with Beltane are primrose, yellow cowslip, hawthorn, roses, birch trees, rosemary, and lilac. Also included are almond, angelica, ash trees, bluebells, cinquefoil, daisies, frankincense, ivy, marigolds, satyrion root, and woodruff.

Animals associated with Beltane are goats, rabbits, and honey bees. Mythical beasts associated with Beltane include faeries, pegesus, satyrs, and giants.

Incense

Use lilac, passion flower, rose or vanilla. These can be used alone or blended as you like.

Foods

Dairy foods and eggs are in tune with this season. Sweets of all kinds, honey, and oats are all fine foods for Beltane. Simple dishes such as vanilla ice cream and egg custard are quite traditional fare on this day. For something a little different, try some of the recipes below:

More on Christian banishments

One of my students emailed me a couple of questions. She was especially concerned about the use of prayer as a form of manipulative magick. Below, are her questions and my answers.

1. What are the classifications for the God and Goddess candle?

I’m not sure what you meant here. If you’re asking what element they belong to, they represent deity so either they are above elements or it could be said that they belong to the fifth element, spirit. If you’re asking about gender, the God candle is male and the Goddess candle is female. Also, once consecrated and dressed, they are considered altar tools just like an athame or pentacle.

If I’ve misunderstood your question, perhaps you can rephrase it so my poor stuffy head can understand what you’re asking.

2. What kind of protection spells are effective against Christian prayers?

It was quite astute of you to recognize prayer as a system of magick. A prayer is a petitionary type of spell. The basic difference between a prayer and a spell is as you said the Christian doesn’t recognize personal empowerment so they call upon a higher power than themselves to change their reality. Whereas, the witch realizes that they have a connection to divinity and therefore have it within themselves to effect change in their reality via an act of will (almost the textbook definition of magick.)

Yes, you were also correct to see Christian prayers directed at you (or in their parlance, “prayed for you”) as a form of manipulative magick, and therefore a violation of the Rede. In this case, you would be justified in performing a binding, or banishment. However, unless you know the specific parties, a binding/banishment might be ineffectual to say possibly harmful if you bound the wrong entity. Yes, I might magickally nuke an entire congregation to get the guilty party but that’s just me.

If you Google “Christian banishing” I have the number one spot on the returned list of hits. Ah, the notoriety.

So let’s instead deflect their these prayer/spells.

Here’s what I wrote—just in jest mind you.

Any Christian who genuflects with a "hallelujah" on his lips,
Should be strangled with a rosary and bludgeoned with a crucifix.
Crowd your self-righteous pews with congratulations on being one of the few
If your faith decrees and you must save my soul, pray for me if you like.
And, I'll dance free and naked in the forest for you in the full moon light.

Let’s see if we can make the above a little more practical for our intentions

(Suggested stones: Amber & Jet—if you can get it, or I’d use either a nice smooth and flat piece of snowflake obsidian, Hematite, or onyx—these are more readily available. If all else fails, ask Kris, we may have some obsidian.

Correspondences

Obsidian Snowflake / Hematite (Mirror Stone)

· Absorbing and grounding negative energy, Reflecting evil, healing, and balances energy flow

· Element: Earth

· Planet: Saturn

· Planet Day: Saturday

· Gender: Feminine

· Planetary Hours: 06:28-07:38, 14:37-15:48, 22:17-23:04, 03:52-04:41

Hemp (Cannabis Sativa)

· Healing, Love, Visions, Meditation, Psychic Ability, and Divination

· Element: Water

· Planet: Saturn

· Planet Day: Saturday

· Gender: Feminine

· Planetary Hours: 06:28-07:38, 14:37-15:48, 22:17-23:04, 03:52-04:41

Casting the Spell

1. Using the hot glue gun, attach the pendant fastener to the crystal.
2. Run or otherwise connect the hemp cord to or through the fastener.
1. If using more than one color cord, you made braid the cords. Be sure to tie off the ends otherwise, the braids will unravel.
3. Place the amulet within a magick circle, and or upon a pentacle in order to charge the amulet. You may leave the object for a time to charge or proceed straightaway to the mechanics of casting in the following steps.

In addition, a protection sigil could be painted onto the amulet or some other personal article.

We haven’t discussed sigils yet so instead of a sigil we’ll just use a pentagram. Using modeling paint or some such, paint a sigil or pentagram upon one side of the stone and some other power symbol that has meaning for you upon the other side. Maybe you could use gold & silver paint?

Next taking the hemp cord—I know Kris has plenty of this along with fasteners and clasps—a fastener/clasp and fashion a necklace amulet out of the stone, hemp cord, fasteners, and clasp while saying the below activation spell clause.

Silvery light of crystal hematite (or obsidian),

Your glowing surrounds me, and leaves me protected.

Unwanted energies directed at me are deflected.

Herb of hemp encircles me like smoke about my head.

Protect me from unwanted prayer energy that cause me dread.

(Hold the finished amulet out before you and recite)

Crowd your self-righteous pews,

With congratulations on being one of the few.
If you must save my soul, pray for me if you like.
And, I'll dance free, unaffected, and fully protected,

Your unneeded prayers reflected, by might of my shield of silvery light.

(Take the newly charged talisman in your hand and see a shield of light form around you. Now whenever you have need of it you can call upon this talisman to envelop you in a shield of light which reflects all unwanted prayer energy away from you and recite:)

This is my spell; this is my will.

As it is above, so it is manifest below.

It is my bidding that you reflect all harm and negativity away from me.

So mote it be

Perform the spell on a Saturday, preferably during a new moon or waning lunar quarter—ideally; the moon should be in Capricorn (just for the Saturn correspondence.) If you must choose, then choose lunar phase over day. Plan your working during the hours of 06:28-07:38, 14:37-15:48, 22:17-23:04, or 03:52-04:41. When performing the spell recite the incantation three times.

Not a Real Coven?

Not a real coven?

M, (Name withheld to minimize her embarrassment) the self-described witch queen of Warner-Robins has been telling people that the Circle of the Dark Moon is not a real coven, that only she and her husband are true witches, and that our circle is a bunch of upstarts. She’s been discouraging people from attending our classes, signing up for our meetup.com group, and has even threatened members of her own coven with "warlocking" (never seen the term used as a verb before) if they have anything to do with us.

Sounds like somebody’s worried and it isn’t anyone from our circle.

The Oxford Unabridged dictionary succinctly defines a coven thus:

Coven

/kuvv’n/

• noun a group of witches who meet regularly.
• — ORIGIN variant of archaic covin ‘band of people’, from Latin convenire ‘come together’.

Not necessarily an endorsement of being a coven or not but let’s examine what as a group, the Circle of the Dark Moon has accomplished.

• Formed an open circle which welcomes all who have a sincere desire to honor the Lord and the Lady.
• Conduct regular rituals for Sabbats and Esbats as well.
• Established the Dark Moon Tradition (well technically it’s not a tradition yet—we’re shy one circle from being able to call ourselves a true tradition.)
• Opened a Wiccan training school that features classes on a wide array of subjects. See our curriculum page or our classes page for further information about our training courses.
• Initiated the Dark Moon Alliance which is a cooperative outreach program that encompasses circles/covens in the states of Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio.
• Expanded our classroom into the virtual realm where we now offer internet classes via TeamSpeak.
• Established an affiliation with the Aquarian Tabernacle Church.

While it is true that we don’t walk on water. We don’t need to. The seas part before us instead.

Now let’s look at what a ‘real coven’ does according to M.

· Practices secrecy for the sake of secrecy because all those rabid Christians and their witch-hunter friends are out to get you.

Uh huh. M, I bet you’re really sorry that you’re not living in the 15^th century. At least if that were true, then some of your paranoia would be justified.

· Tries to schedule her events to overlap established event dates for other groups.

Unfortunately for you, M, our coven (ooh there I used the word) has so many events, you go ahead and knock yourself out trying to block our dates. Your group really doesn’t have that many events—and oh wait they’re secret anyway (no admittance without someone to vouch for you.) And we all thought that republicans came up with the idea for vouchers.

· Uses her coven to “shop new bods” for her polyamory group.

This last point I really don’t understand. In these days of teacher/student sex scandals (how come I never had any teachers like that when I was in school?), I have to wonder isn’t she worried about someone with a more malicious bent than me sending an email link to her polyamory site to all the local school boards? I can imagine if someone did that M would have a lot more time on her hands to manage her coven. That could be a good and a bad thing.

As I said above M is worried. And I don’t see why. The pagan community can only benefit from having more and more open groups to choose from. Or as one of my teachers remarked why choose? Study everything. Try many paths. As someone wiser than me pointed out—that the pagan community has enough problems without fighting amongst ourselves. I guess we could join the Christians if we wanted to do that.

I already see some positives from having more than one coven in the area:

• M has been forced to bring her group out of the broom closet. Albeit she's only cracked the door ajar. But it's a start. She had to do that out self-preservation since her group suffers from flagging numbers. It doesn't matter if have 102 members, if only 29 of them are active. Our circle has 34 active members, 13 active members in the Akron extension, and another 48 (although the counts from the Alliance website are flaky at best) members from the Dark Moon Alliance.
  
• M has started giving classes (at 2:00 PM Sundays--opposite my internet classes of course. ) She only began giving classes since the word spread of the success of the Circle of the Dark Moon's instruction program. Ah well, it's true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Ultimately after we’ve laid our wands and athames aside, it’s about serving the Lord and the Lady, about knowing your craft and attuning to nature, and about finding your own path and your own enlightenment.

Enlightenment isn’t a competition, it’s a cooperation.

I crashed the markets, but I did not completely kill off the developers. (Sung to "I Shot the Sheriff"

From the street of Wall,
make the mighty fall.
Make them suffer the ignominy,
of corporate and personal bankruptcy.

Let them know the lot of the common man,
strip them of their wealth, their pride, and their healthcare plans.
Send them into the streets,
with no homes, no clothes, and nothing to eat.

Sorry that's the way I feel. We've been ruled by the illegal bush (note, I refuse to capitalize the bastard's name) fascist regime too long. Time to make them pay and redistribute the wealth from the elitist 1% back to the struggling 99%.

Happy Valentine's Day to my Wife