413 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
413 lines
20 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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II. DAY TWO: MEDITATION AND VISUALIZATION
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The second day's concentration is on the mental aspects of magick and
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ritual work, and is mostly in workshop form.
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A. Meditation
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Describe meditation as a means of altering your mental state by
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relaxation and concentration. Contrast meditation and trance
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state. Discuss the use of posture (asana) and paradoxical
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breathing (pranayama) to attain a meditative state, then do a few
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quick exercises.
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B. Visualization(s)
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Explain the difference between imagining and visualizing, then
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stress the similarities. Stress the fact that visualization is
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something that you will continually get better at - but there is
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still no "wrong way." Then lead the students through the
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following exercises:
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1. Grounding and Centering
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Using the seven chakras as steps along the way, guide them to
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visualize energy being drawn up from the Earth and blown
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through the tops of their heads (at the crown chakra) in a
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free-flowing fountain. Then (if they seem up to it), guide
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them to mold and direct that energy flow into a circle, then
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a sphere of blinding white light. Have them draw the circle
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back down through their spines until it is returned to the
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Earth.
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2. Contacting Your Magickal Self
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Get them as relaxed as possible and in a deep meditative
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state, then starting with a visualization of a Safe Place in
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the forest, lead them to a fairy hill, then through the Maze
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of the subconscious until they are somewhat lost. Guide them
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to a long stairway, then through the door at the top. Then
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set the mental setting - that at the doorway they change into
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a powerful magician, and suddenly all of the tools and
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symbols in the room are meaningful. Instruct them to study
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the tools for a while. After a minute or two, lead them back
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out through the maze, then to the clearing, and wake them
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back up.
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3. Aura Reading and Healing
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a. Diagnosis
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Guide them to ground and center (as II.B.1, above), then
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stand in front of an evenly-lit white wall. Have them
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open their eyes and stare at a point in the distance
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beyond the instructor. (Note: this will for some of
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them be the first time that they'll be channeling power
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with their eyes open, so take your time.) Instruct them
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to look for the greyish line around me (that is actually
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an optical illusion). Once they've found it, instruct
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them to visualize it being replaced with a wash of
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color. Have them examine it for variations in thickness
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or color.
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b. Treatment
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Point out an ill or sore region on the instructor's
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body. Have them examine it for variations in color or
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brilliance. Pick one student, then have him wrap his
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hands in the energy that he's drawing, then "tune" it to
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the color of the healthy areas in the aura. Instruct
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him to use his hands as if he were rubbing on oil or
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paint to color over the sick area, visualizing the new
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color (healthy energy) replacing the older area, and
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continue until the color stays changed after he's no
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longer touching it or until he gets tired.
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III.DAY THREE: BASIC RITUAL TECHNIQUES
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The previous two courses teach the full minimum necessary to work solo
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magick. The remaining two days will concentrate on group ritual. In
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Day Three, we will discuss the basic techniques.
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To explain the outline, relate the outline of the three Essentials of
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Eastern magick - mandalla, mantra, and mudra.
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A. Mantra - Music and Chanting
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Discuss the three types of mantra most often used in Neopagan
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ritual: memorized chants (for creating and focusing the Group
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Mind), impromptu chanting (for advanced meditation and growing
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together), and plainsong (for worship).
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1. Memorized Chants
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Teach them the chants listed below. Then run quickly (for
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familiarization purposes only) through "We Wander Now", "Hoof
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and Horn", "Burn Bright", "Circle 'Round the Fire", and any
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others that I can remember on the spot.
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a. "We All Come from the Goddess"
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We ALL - COME from the GODdess
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AND to HER we SHALL reTURN
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LIKE a DROP - OF - RAIN
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FLOWing TO the O-CEAN (repeat)
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b. "I Circle Around"
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I CIRcle aROUND, I CIRcle aROUND ...
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the BOUN-'DRIES OF the EARTH ...
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WEARing my LONG tail FEAthers AS I GLIDE ...
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WEARing my LONG tail FEAthers AS I GLIDE ... (repeat)
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c. "Air I Am"
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(evenly spaced, every syllable emphasized)
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Air I am,
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Fire I am,
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Water, Earth and Spirit I am ... (repeat)
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d. "The Goddess Chant"
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iSIS, aSTARte, diANna, HECaTE,
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deMEter, KALi - inNAna (repeat)
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2. Impromptu Chanting
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Discuss the uses of impromptu chanting: ecstatic magick
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(where one can't count on elaborate chants) and for deep
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probing rituals, where they are used for free association.
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As an example, demonstrate the three-word style that Starhawk
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teaches in SPIRAL DANCE. Emphasize the use of beat and tempo
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as unifying factors.
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3. Plainsong
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For contrast, sing the NROOGD classic, "O Earth Mother" to
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demonstrate that not all ritual music needs to be in the form
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of basic chants.
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B. Mudra - Movement and Dance
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1. Ritual Dance
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(This section has not yet been finalized. Current plans
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focus on simple circle-dance steps, the famed "spiral dance",
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and then brief discussion of free-form dance and ecstatic
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ritual.)
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2. Theater Techniques
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Remind people that one of the purposes of ritual is to catch
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and hold the attention of Child Self, and point out that the
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language that Child Self speaks best is melodrama. Instruct
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them that gestures and actions in the Circle should speak
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loud enough that words are not necessary. Then, since they
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undoubtedly won't get the point, do two exercises to rub
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their noses in it.
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a. Banishing Exercise
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Set up a circle, then pick out someone who seems to know
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a bit about magick. Get him to go to one of the
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quarters and ground and center. Then have him visualize
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a threat approaching from his quarter, and tell him to
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do a banishing. (He will inevitably do something
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traditional, elaborate, and sterile.) Relax him, then
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ask the class how THEY would have reacted, if THEY were
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attacking the circle, to what he had done. Pick an
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absolute novice, put him in the same place, ground and
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center, pump them up with melodrama and heroics, then
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describe a different menace and instruct them to scare
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it off, turn it away (don't use the word "banish"). See
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if the gestures aren't more dramatic.
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b. Charging Exercise
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Pick a couple who seem to know a bit about magick (if
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possible), and have them ground, center, and use the
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wand and chalice for a symbolic Great Rite. (See if
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they do anything more sexual than just stick the wand
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into the cup - I doubt it.) Relax them, then point out
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to the class that the energies to be raised in this
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exercise are to be earthy and sexual, EXACTLY like the
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"rush" or thrill of heavy flirtation. Then pick the
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most COMPATIBLE-looking couple (if possible) and repeat
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the exercise (and see if they don't make it more
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energetic).
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IV. NEOPAGAN SYMBOLISM
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Today's lecture has two purposes. First, we will deal with the
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legends, meta-legends, and conventions that form the basis for most
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Neopagan ritual. Then we will discuss the purposes behind a witchcraft
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initiation, and walk through the one that the graduates of this class
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will perform.
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A. Theology/Thealogy
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Theology and thealogy (the alpha-ending, Thea, being the Greek
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feminine ending) are outlined to show how Neopagans relate to
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their own and other people's choices of gods. The hook on which
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this will all be hung is that most of the Gods represent facets of
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human experience personified.
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1. Forms of the God
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Discuss the various types of masculine gods that appear in
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pagan and Neopagan myth: the Sun-child, the Horned Hunter,
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the Sensitive Artist, and the Lord of Death.
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2. Forms of the Goddess
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Discuss the image of the Three-Fold Goddess: the Maiden, the
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Mother, and the Crone.
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B. The Wheel of the Year
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Read aloud the story of the Wheel of the Year from THE SPIRAL
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DANCE, pages 28 and 29. Point out that this is the solar
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calendar, and relate it to the agricultural cycle. Then add the
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mystical component by telling the story of Persephone's descent
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into the underworld, showing how it relates to the Wheel.
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C. Initiation
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Tell the story of how Osiris was slain by his jealous brother,
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Set, and how his sister/wife Isis went down into the Underworld to
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gain the secret of resurrection from the dead (for reminders, use
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Wilson's account in COSMIC TRIGGER).
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Discuss how Isis's humiliation in the land of the dead compares to
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the psychology of initiation (with a brief aside into Paul's
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revelation of Eleusis: "Except a seed of grain fall into the Earth
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and die, it cannot rise again"). Use this and the discussion from
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Day One of how Craft Law arose to outline the dual purpose of a
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witchcraft initiation: to lead the initiate through humiliation
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and death into elevation and new life, and to bind the initiate to
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the laws necessary for the group experience of the Craft.
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Finally, if time permits, do a walk-through of the initiation to
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familiarize the candidates with it, then give them their scripts
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to memorize.
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ough of the initiation to
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familiarize the can |