54 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
54 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
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Excerpt from "Witchcraft - What Is It?" by Paul Hugli.
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MODERN WITCHCRAFT RITES
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Most modern rites of wicca are derived from Dr. Gerald
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Brosslow Gardner, philosopher, who travelled the world, returning
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to his native England in 1946. He had knowledge of ancient
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religions and opened a witchcraft museum on the Isle of Mann.
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Also, he was a practising witch and by his death in 1964 he had
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thousands of followers.
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Ceremonial setup consists of five things: 1) secrecy; 2) an
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alter covered with white cloth; around it is a nine foot diameter
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circle marked on the floor with chalk or tape; 3) about the circle
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are the cabbalistic symbols of wicca, which will help to summon the
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gods; 4) a candle is placed at each compass point, and on the alter
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is a censer (with burning incense), a whip or scourge, an athame (a
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small knife), a copper pentacle, a long blade sword, and containers
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of salt and water; and 5) a pentagram is drawn within the circle,
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representing the four elements (fire, water, air, and earth) and
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the Quintessence (the so-called fifth element...the unseen or
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beyond...the source of occult power).
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The actual ceremony can be conducted by the HP, wearing a
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bronze helmet with horns (representing the hunting god), or the
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HPS, who represents the Golden Mother or Great Mother (the goddess
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of fertility). The coven members are either naked or dressed in
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white robes. The worshippers are taken into the circumference of
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the circle. Near by is THE BOOK OF SHADOWS, which each new leader
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hand-copies from her "mentor".
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There are four parts to the wicca ceremony: 1) The blessing of
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the coven--the circle is consecrated with salt and water; and the
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HP or HPS recites, over the bowed heads of the coven, "Eko, Eko,
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Azarak...Eko, Eko, Zamelak...Eko, Eko, Eko, Eko."; then all members
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join hands; 2) The ritual dance--members dance around the circle as
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the leader calls the gods to guide them; 3) The initiation of new
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members--if the neophyte is female, the HP performs the rite; the
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HPS if male. The new member kneels naked before the altar, the
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leader rising the athame high and to the East, tells the gods of
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another initiation...asking for their blessing. Then the neophyte
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is allowed to enter the circle, where <s>he is blindfolded and
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wrists tied behind the back with a cord tied to the neck. <S>he is
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instructed by the HPS/HP not to pass on the secrets of the coven
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and the promise is sealed with blood from the neophyte's small
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finger. With the ritual sword at the neophyte's breast, <s>he vows
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his/her obedience to the cult. Then the neophyte is unbound and
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has the blindfold removed. Lastly, the HPS/HP perform the "five-
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fold kiss"...on the neophyte's feet, knees, genitals, breasts, and
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lips...thus signifying the birth of a new witch; 4) The request to
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the gods, asking for the gift of health, prosperity, fertility, and
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well-being. Then another ritual dance takes place. And, though
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the dance may seem erotic, intercourse is the exception and not the
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rule. Transfered to computer by Allyson Taylor
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