168 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
168 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
BASIC TECHNOLOGIES OF WITCHCRAFT
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This is the outline for a collection of four semi-formal training sessions
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for people interested in starting out in "The Craft" or Neopaganism. It is
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intended to give enough grounding to effectively participate in ritual,
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with the expectation that those that are really dedicated, skilled, and/or
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interested will undertake further study.
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Since this is for beginners, there are no textbooks, no required reading,
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and the course only deals with such material as can be taught in four 1-1/2
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to 2 hour informal sessions.
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I. DAY ONE: Neopagan Traditions
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The first day's material is a basic overview of Neopagan history and
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tradition, intended to make people more comfortable with the subject.
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A. History of The Craft
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Examine two topics to show how they influence the modern witch:
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how Neopagan witchcraft grew out of and borrows from the
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Gardnerian Reformation, and how our Craft Law developed from a
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variety of traditions and needs.
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1. Origins, Ancient (?) and Modern
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Fact before theory: discuss the evolution of witchcraft
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from Gardner onwards, then overview the evidences that
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witchcraft is a pre-Christian and (possibly) pre-historic
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religion.
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a. The Gardnerian Reformation
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Discussion of Gerald Gardner and both the original and
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modern versions of Gardnerian Witchcraft (with a quick
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side-line into its off-shoot and competitor, Alexandrian
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Witchcraft).
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b. The Church of All Worlds and Neopaganism
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History of the Church of All Worlds and its contri-
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butions, including the word "neopagan" and "Green Egg",
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the journal in which the framework of modern, Neopagan
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witchcraft was developed from the framework of
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Gardnerianism crossed with Greco/Roman and Egyptian
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pagan traditions.
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c. The Non-Pagan Branches of the Craft
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Other types of witches: Feminist Wicca, Church of Wicca,
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the Masonic Druids of England, and the Family Tradition-
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alists.
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d. Evidences of Stone-Age Witchcraft
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Discuss some of the evidence that witchcraft carries on
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a tradition with stone-age origins and a 10,000 year
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history, both pro and con. Emphasize that there is no
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conclusive evidence one way or the other.
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2. Craft Law, Ancient and Modern
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a. The Reasons for Craft Law
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Discuss how the in-bred fear of of the Powers of Evil,
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combined with the need to trust each other against the
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Inquisition, gave birth to the concept of Craft Law.
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b. The Wiccan Rede
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"An it harm none, do what thou will." Stress both the
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libertine and the disciplinarian interpretations of that
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law. Discuss the Law of Karma, and how the Wiccan Rede
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(interpreted properly) becomes more of a safety rule
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than a Commandment.
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c. The Rule of Secrecy
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Gloss quickly over the Inquisition (everybody knows
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enough), and examine some of the evidence that a "witch-
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hunt" is being begun. Encourage the students to
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recognize that the decision to be public or secretive
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has to be made by each individual, and they have the
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right to expect others to respect their privacy on this
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matter.
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3. Magick in Theory and Practice
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Magick is the unifying force in all of the Neopagan
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Traditions. To lay the groundwork for Day Two, explain the
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basic theories of magick, and how they influence the design
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and practice of Neopagan ritual.
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a. The Basic Rules of Magick
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Explain that the central theory of magick is that
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reality can be altered by a sufficiently strong will,
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focused by the proper ritual. For comparison and
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contrast, mention Bell's Hypothesis, from quantum
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physics. Discuss seriously the possibility that all
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that the magician alters is his own mind and awareness
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of how the world works.
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b. Magick and Neopagan Ritual
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Define the two classic types of ritual: religious and
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magickal, or (better terms) theurgical and thauma-
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turgical. Show how magick is used in both, and where
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the rituals diverge.
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B. The Magick Circle
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Even more than the pentacle, the Magick Circle is the central
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symbol of Neopagan Witchcraft. The final topic for Day One is
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the purpose, symbolism, and protocols of a pagan Circle.
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1. Purpose and Symbolism
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a. Ceremonial Magic and Qabbalism versus the Pagan Circle
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Most people get their idea of what a circle is for from
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the Ceremonial magicians and kaballists, who use it for
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protection from outside magick. Emphasize that the
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quantum leap that Gardner made was to think of using the
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circle INSTEAD to keep beneficial magick WITHIN the
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ritual area until it is fully built-up, focused, and
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directed.
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b. The Power of the Circle: The Five Elements
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Discuss how the classic Four Elements of Greek science
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are the symbols for four types of power, four states of
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matter, four types of personality, and so forth, showing
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correspondences. Highlight the difference between
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elemental power, psychic power, and divine power - and
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the similarities. Explain how the elements are used
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in casting the circle.
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c. Ritual Tools
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Discuss one-by-one the tools that a witch uses to focus
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her mind - the athame, the elemental symbols (salt or a
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pentacle for earth, a candle or lamp for fire, the
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incense and the wand for air, the chalice for water),
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the magic mirror, the sword, candles, herbs, and the use
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of images.
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2. Conduct within the Circle
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Two final bits of information needed inside the circle: the
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directions of casting and the integrity of the circle.
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a. Widdershins and Deosil
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Define the terms (deosil = clockwise, widdershins =
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counter-clockwise). Explain that widdershins is often
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mistaken for evil, but show that the difference is more
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accurately raising or bannishing power. Stress that, in
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order to get along, when in doubt, go deosil.
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b. The Integrity of the Circle
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Remind people that, since no evil magick is involved,
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there is no RISK involved in leaving a circle. However,
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stress that since a circle is supposed to CONTAIN energy
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it should not be punctured hastily or unnecessarily.
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Teach how to open and close gateways in the circle, and
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when to and not to do so.
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