653 lines
32 KiB
Plaintext
653 lines
32 KiB
Plaintext
WORDS TO THE WISE ....
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O daughters and sons of the Earth, adore the Goddess and God and be
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blessed with the fullness of life. Know that They have brought you
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to these writings, for herein lie our ways of the Craft, to serve
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and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the tenders of the sacred flame
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of knowledge. Run the rites with love and joy, and the Goddess and
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God will bless you with all thet you need. But those who practise
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dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath. Remember that you are
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of the Craft. No more do you trod the ways of doubt. You walk the
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path of light, ever climbing from shadow to shadow to the highest
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realm of existence. But though we're the bearers of truths, others
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do not wish to share our knowledge, so we run our rites beneath
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moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we are happy. Live
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fully, for that is the purpose of life. Refrain not from earthly
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existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until such
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time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till
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we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call
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the Goddess and God our kin. Walk the fields and forests; be
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refreshed by the cool winds and the touch of a nodding flower. The
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Moon and Sun sing in the ancient wild places: The deserted
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seashore, the stark desert, the roaring waterfall. We are of the
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Earth and should revere Her, so do Her honor. Celebrate the rites
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on the appropriate days and seasons, and call upon the Goddess and
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God when the time is meet, but use the Power only when necessary,
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never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power for harm is a
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Perversion of Life itself. But for those who love and magnify love,
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the richness of life shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate.
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So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!
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THE NATURE OF OUR WAY
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* As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the seashore,
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on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is
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impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is
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readied with fumes of flowers.
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* Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts and cryptic poems if
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you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs
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and in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the wisperings of the
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wind and the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is
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here that the old secrets are preserved.
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* Books contain words; trees contain energies and wisdom books
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ne'er dreamt of.
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* Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing
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themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways
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with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its
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spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.
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* There can be no monopoly on wisdom. Therefore share what you
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will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore
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from the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise
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increases their destruction.
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* Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say yours
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are greater in power or wisdom?
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* Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall
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return to you three-fold, good or bane.
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* Be wary of one who would dominate you, who would control and
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manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the
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Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who
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would twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but
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welcome those priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.
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* Honor all living things, for we are of the bird, the fish, the
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bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.
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* And this is the nature of our way.
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BEFORE TIME WAS
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Before time was, there was The One; The One was all, and all was The
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One.
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And the vast expanse known as the universe was The One, all-wise,
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all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.
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And space moved. The One molded energy into twin forms, equal but
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opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The One.
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The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One, but
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darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One.
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So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and planets
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and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes and so all
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was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.
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Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns. And the
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Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and were
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one.
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From their union sprang the seeds of all life, and of the human
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race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.
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The Goddess chose the Moon as Her symbol, and the God the Sun as His
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symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.
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All are born, live, die and are reborn beneath the Sun and Moon; all
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things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings of
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The One, as has been the way of existence before time was.
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SONG OF THE GODDESS
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I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent
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prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force,
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boundless and eternal.
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I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magick. The
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winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the cresent Moon upon
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my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries
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yet unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the
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plow. Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.
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I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest. I am
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clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the
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fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled;
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all things come to fruition according to my reason. I am refuge
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and healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.
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Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and
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rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the tides
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of women and mem and give release and renewal to weary souls.
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Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my
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gift.
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I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas. My names and
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strengths are manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and
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wisdom. I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of
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darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.
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CALL OF THE GOD
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I am the radiant King of the Heavens, flooding the Earth with
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warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth
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into manifestation. I lift my shining spear to light the lives of
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all beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to
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flight the powers of darkness.
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I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the swift
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stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky. The
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ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of
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the air sing of my sanctity.
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I am also the last harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath
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the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without
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planting there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.
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Worship me as the thousand-named Sun of creation, the spirit of the
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horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly
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cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such
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is the destiny of all creation.
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I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and
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rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and
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strengthen the minds of all.
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THE DAYS OF POWER
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In the past, when people lived with Nature, the turning of the
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seasons and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on
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religious ceremonies. Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the
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Goddess, ceremonies as adoration and magick took place in its
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light. The coming of Winter, the first stirrings of Spring, the
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warm Summer and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals.
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The Witches, heirs of the pre-Christian folk religions of Europe,
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still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the
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seasons. The Pagan religious calandar contains 13 Full Moon
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celebrations and eight Sabbats or days of power.
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Four of these days (or, more properly, nights) are determined by
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the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the
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seasons. The other four ritual occations are based on old folk
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festivals. The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year,
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and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long
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after we're gone.
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Four of the Sabbats - perhaps those that have been observed for the
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longest time - were probably associated with the agriculture and
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the bearing cycles of animals. These are Imbolc (February 2),
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Beltane (April 30), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31).
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These names are Celtic and are quite common among Witches, though
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many others exist.
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When careful observation of the skies led to common knowledge of
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the astronomical year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21,
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June 21, September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from
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year to year) were brought into this religious structure.
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Who first began worshipping and raising energy at these times?
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That question cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and
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nights are the origins of the 21 Craft ritual occasions.
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Many of these survive today in both secular and religious forms.
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May Day celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even
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Thanksgiving, to name some popular North American holidays, are all
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connected with ancient Pagan worship. Heavily Christianized
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versions of the Sabbats have also been preserved within the
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Catholic Church.
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The Sabbats are Solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun's
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yearly cycle, and are but half of the Pagan ritual year. The
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Esbats are the Pagan Full Moon celebrations. At this time we
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gather to worship She Who Is. Not that Witches omit the God at
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Esbats - both are usually revered on all ritual occations.
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There are 13 Full Moons yearly, or one every 28 1/4 days. The Moon
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is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a sourse of energy. Thus,
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after the religious aspects of the Esbats, Witches often practice
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magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought
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to exist at these times.
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Some of the old Craft festivals, stripped of their once sacred
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qualities by the dominance of Christianity, have degenerated.
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Samhain seems to have been taken over by candy manufacturers in
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North America, while Yule has been transformed from one of the most
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holy Pagan days to a time of gross commercialism. Even the later
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echoes of a Christian savior's birth are hardly audible above the
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electronic hum of cash registers.
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But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the Craft
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celebrate them. Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the
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Goddess and God and to our home, the Earth. Most rites are held at
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night for practical purposes as well as to lend a sence of mystery.
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The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more naturally celebrated at
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noon or at dawn, but this is rare today.
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THE SABBATS
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The Sabbats tell us one of the stories of the Goddess and God, of
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their relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of
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the Earth. There are many variations on these myths, but here's a
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faily common one, woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats.
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YULE
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The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa December
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21). This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The Winter
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Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births. Mithras
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was said to have been born at this time. The Christians simply
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adopted it for their use in 273 C.E. (Common Era).
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Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of
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the year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated
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the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights.
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Witches sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the
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Sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.
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Since the God is also the Sun, this marks the point of the year
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when the Sun is reborn as well. Thus, the Witches light fires or
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candles to welcome the Sun's returning light. The Goddess,
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slumbering through the Winter of Her labour, rests after Her
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delivery.
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Yule is remnant of early rituals celebrated to hurry the end of
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Winter and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily
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available. To contemporary Witches it is a reminder that the
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ultimate product of death is rebirth, a comforting thought in these
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days of unrest
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IMBOLC
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Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving
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birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The
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God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer
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days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes
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seeds to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of
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Spring occur.
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This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter,
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through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival of
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light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes,
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torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own
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illumination and ispiration as much as light and warmth.
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Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast
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of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's
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Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow
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the old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but
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many more carry tapers during their invocations.
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This is one of the traditional times for initiations into covens,
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and so self-dedication rituals, such as the one outlined in this
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Book of Shadows, can be performed or renewed at this time.
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OSTARA
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Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as Spring,
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Rites of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true
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Spring. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness
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of Winter to the exhuberant expansion of Spring. The Goddess
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blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep,
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as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walkes the greening
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fields and delights in the abundance of nature.
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On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is
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overtaking darkness; the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures
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of the Earth to reproduce.
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This is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting spells for
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future gains, and of tending the ritual gardens.
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BELTANE
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Beltane (April 30) marks the emergence of the young God into
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manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in Nature, He desires the
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Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms,
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and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. Witches
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celebrate the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.
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Beltane (also known as May Day) has long been marked with feasts
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and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal
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point of Old English village rituals. Many persons rose at dawn to
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gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens,
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using them to decorate the May pole, their homes and themselves.
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The flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess; the May pole the
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God. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes
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consummated.
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May poles are sometimes used by Witches today during Beltane
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rituals, but the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony.
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It represents, of course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood,
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the end of all desire, the equal but opposite of the May pole,
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symbolic of the God.
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MIDSUMMER
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Midsummer, the Summer Solstice (circa June 21), also known as
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Litha, arrives when the powers of Nature reach their highest point.
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The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God.
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In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility,
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purification, health and love. The fire once again represents the
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Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours.
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Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds.
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LUGHNASADH
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Lughnasadh (August 1) is the time of the first harvest, when the
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plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use
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as well as to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God
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lose His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day
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and the nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy
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as She realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her
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as Her child.
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Lughnasadh, also known as August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home
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and Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day. It originally
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coinsided with the first reapings.
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As Summer passes, Witches remember its warmth and bounty in the
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food we eat. Every meal is an act of attunement with Nature, and
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we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.
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MABON
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Mabon (circa September 21), the Autumn Equinox, is the completion
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of the harvest begun as Lughnasadh. Once again day and night are
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equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body and
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begin the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and
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rebirth of the Goddess.
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Nature declines, draws back its bounty, readying for Winter and its
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time of rest. The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire
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burns within Her womb. She feels the presence of the God even as
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He wanes.
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SAMHAIN
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At Samhain (October 31), the Craft say farewell to the God. This
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is a temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but
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readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.
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Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of
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Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en, once marked the time
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of sacrifice. In some places this was the time when animals were
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slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter. The
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God - identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our
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continuing existence.
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Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last
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year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which
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we have no control - death.
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The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the
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physical and spiritual realities is thin. Witches remember their
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ancestors and all those who have gone before.
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After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the Wheel of the Year
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is complete.
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Surely there are mysteries buried here. Why is the God the son and
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then the lover of the Goddess? This isn't incest, this is
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symbolism. In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths)
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the everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the
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Goddess and God. This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death
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and rebirth. It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful
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effects of love, and honours women who perpetuate our species. It
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also points out the very real dependence that humans ha ve on the
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Earth, the Sun and the Moon and of the effects of the seasons on
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our daily lives.
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To agricultural peoples, the major thrust of this myth cycle is the
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production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and
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God. Food - without which we would all die - is intimately
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connected with the deities. Indeed, Witches see food as yet
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another manifestation of divine energy.
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And so, by observing the Sabbats, Witches attune themselves to the
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Earth and to the deities. They reaffirm their Earth roots.
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Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens
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their connections with the Goddess in particular.
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It is the wise Witch who celebrates on the Sabbats and Esbats, for
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these are times of real as well as symbolic power. Honouring them
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in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft.
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THE ESBATS
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When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their religious
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rituals on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of Nature
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to be inhabited by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they
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first reconed time by the waxing and waning of the Moon. The
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primary reason for this is that the monthly cycles of the Moon are
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far more visible than the slow and subtle changes in the position
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of the Sun, even to someone who is not especially looking for
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repeated cycles. One of the earliest calandars known (although its
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use is still a controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000
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year-old piece of bone from Europe. It is pierced with variously
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shaped holes in a series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the
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Moon, in a loop design, which represents the Lunar cycle from New
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Moon to Full and back to the New or Dark of the Moon. The
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artifact, just a few inches across, desribes three such Lunar
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cycles - three months or one season.
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Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the first
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New Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the
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first Solar month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may
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not always fall in the Solar month that is given here. And because
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there are 13 Full Moons in a Solar year, one month will have two.
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The second Full Moon to occur in a Solar month is popularly called
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the Blue Moon.
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JANUARY
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To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with
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the nature of the activity that took place at that time. The Moon
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of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time
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when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the
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silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves.
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Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other
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time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in
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order to survive.
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The wolf in northern countries was at one time so feared that it
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became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that
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supposedly will devour the world at the end of time. The Christian
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version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues.
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Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Ridinghood, which
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preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten
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children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world,
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is brought forth once more.
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As the light of the new-born year slowly increases and the Wolf
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Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has
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just ended and learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell
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and let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born.
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Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the
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greatest secrets of magick.
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FEBRUARY
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The Moon following the Wolf Moon is the Storm Moon. Whether you
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meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a
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solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick
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of this night and the nature of the storms of February. Unlike the
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boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are
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accompanied by the clashing of thunder and the flining of lightning
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bolts, the storms of February come in silence. They blanket the
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world in coldness in keeping with the nature of t he dark half of
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the Wheel of the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent
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snow, Nature rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that
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is called death; and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature
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prepares for life anew.
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MARCH
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The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like Diana,
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chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is pure
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potential waiting to be fullfilled. The Goddess has many forms:
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The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, the seductive
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enchantress of the night, or the Crone ancient and wise. As the
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Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to
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Her will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we,
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Her children, always begin again by discoverin g new potencial
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within ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon,
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when the candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep
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within yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like
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the Maiden, to be fulfilled.
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As it is the time for the planting of seeds on the material plane,
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so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On the
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night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of
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March is full, cast your magick Circle. Then before the rite has
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ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant. They
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may be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain
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magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the
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fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment
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that they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie
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ahead, so that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.
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APRIL
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As the Hare Moon of April waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping
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and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games,
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and as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round,
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feel within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures
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that are also children of the Old Gods.
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MAY
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This time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess is the Dyad
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Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet their
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opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you cast
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your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple
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blossoms, and light candles of white. When the sacred round has
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been danced, sit a moment and reflect. Seek harmony in all things.
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As the dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as
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heat balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, "Let there be
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beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility,
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mirth and reverence, within you." And then before the rite is
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ended, if it is appropriate, become one with your working partner,
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physically as well as spiritually.
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JUNE
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After the spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees have
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gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey
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that is waiting to be gathered. In ancient times much of this
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honey was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process
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similar to that of making wine. The "Moon in June" is the Mead
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Moon. Mead has been considered to have magickal and even
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life-restoring properties in many of the countries of ancient
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Europe, and it was the drink of many of the great heroes of
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legend.
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The legendary figure Robin Hood, who is accepted historically as
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being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of
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King Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one
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of us. One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also
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because he was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic
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of the Green Man of Sherwood Forest. Lincoln green, which is made
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from woad, the dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and
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the Druid priestesses, is also a colour tha t symbolizes,
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historically, the Pagan peasantry. Among the articles robbed from
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the rich by Robin Hood are "met and met." This probably means
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"meat and mead." In the myth of Odin, one of His quests is for the
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Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which He returns to the realm of the
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Gods where it belongs, but a few drops fall to Earth, and this may
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be had by anyone who can find them.
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On the night that the Mead Moon waxes full, after the Circle has
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been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is
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available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip
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the sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to
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receive the inspiration of the higher realms. Become a mead cup
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ready to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the
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clear, bright liquid of illumination. Every time this ritual is
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performed, even if there are no immediate results , you are
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becoming a more perfect vessel for divine inspiration.
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If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice,
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the results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the Mead
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Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the
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Moon is Drawn should be prepared.
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JULY
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As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for gathering
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of herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb." When the
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magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time of the
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Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in
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the herb garden, and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you
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place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you
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other secrets of herbal magick.
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AUGUST
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One day at mid-month we realize that the robins and wrens that were
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nesting nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have been
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replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent
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during the nesting season.
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As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime
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temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon
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thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the
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ripening of tomatoes.
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In the fields and meadows and along roadsides now there are wild
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herbs to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and
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milkweed - all awaiting the natuaral dyer who can extract from them
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tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for
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natural inks for talismans. Among the medicinal herbs to be
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collected at this time is boneset, which does not help broken bones
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to heal but is a febrifuge that was used as a remedy for "Breakbone
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Fever" in the 1840s. Milkweed pods with their silken fluff,
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goldenrod, and wild grasses and grains gathered now will be dried
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in time to adorn the altar at the Autumnal Equinox.
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As the aromic herbs begin to fill the rafters in the dry heat of
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the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool
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darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen
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in the fields under the waning August Sun.
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To the Ancients this was the Barley Moon, a time to contemplate the
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eternalness of life. Just as we are descended from the first woman
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and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain of
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the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered.
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By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain
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of events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves.
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And here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the
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future.
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Everywhere there is abundance.
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