348 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
348 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
BASIC TECHNOLOGIES OF WITCHCRAFT
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This is the outline for a collection of four semi-formal training
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sessions for people interested in starting out in "The Craft" or
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Neopaganism. It is intended to give enough grounding to effectively
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participate in ritual, with the expectation that those that are really
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dedicated, skilled, and/or interested will undertake further study.
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Since this is for beginners, there are no textbooks, no required
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reading, and the course only deals with such material as can be taught
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in four 1-1/2 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
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and tradition, intended to make people more comfortable with the
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subject.
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A. History of The Craft
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Examine two topics to show how they influence the modern
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witch: how Neopagan witchcraft grew out of and borrows from
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the Gardnerian Reformation, and how our Craft Law developed
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from a 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)
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pre-historic religion.
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a. The Gardnerian Reformation
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Discussion of Gerald Gardner and both the original
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and modern versions of Gardnerian Witchcraft (with
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a quick side-line into its off-shoot and
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competitor, Alexandrian 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
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Egg", the journal in which the framework of modern,
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Neopagan witchcraft was developed from the
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framework of Gardnerianism crossed with Greco/Roman
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and Egyptian 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
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Wicca, the Masonic Druids of England, and the
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Family Tradition- alists.
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d. Evidences of Stone-Age Witchcraft
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Discuss some of the evidence that witchcraft
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carries on a tradition with stone-age origins and a
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10,000 year history, both pro and con. Emphasize
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that there is no conclusive evidence one way or the
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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
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Evil, combined with the need to trust each other
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against the Inquisition, gave birth to the concept
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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
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the libertine and the disciplinarian
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interpretations of that law. Discuss the Law of
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Karma, and how the Wiccan Rede (interpreted
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properly) becomes more of a safety rule than a
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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
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"witchhunt" is being begun. Encourage the students
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to recognize that the decision to be public or
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secretive has to be made by each individual, and
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they have the right to expect others to respect
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their privacy on this 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
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the basic theories of magick, and how they influence the
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design 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
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will, focused by the proper ritual. For comparison
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and contrast, mention Bell's Hypothesis, from
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quantum physics. Discuss seriously the possibility
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that all that the magician alters is his own mind
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and awareness 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
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and magickal, or (better terms) theurgical and
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thaumaturgical. Show how magick is used in both,
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and where 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
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is 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
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from the Ceremonial magicians and kaballists, who
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use it for protection from outside magick.
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Emphasize that the quantum leap that Gardner made
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was to think of using the circle INSTEAD to keep
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beneficial magick WITHIN the ritual area until it
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is fully built-up, focused, and 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
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science are the symbols for four types of power,
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four states of matter, four types of personality,
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and so forth, showing correspondences. Highlight
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the difference between elemental power, psychic
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power, and divine power - and the similarities.
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Explain how the elements are used in casting the
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circle.
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c. Ritual Tools
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Discuss one-by-one the tools that a witch uses to
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focus her mind - the athame, the elemental symbols
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(salt or a pentacle for earth, a candle or lamp for
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fire, the incense and the wand for air, the chalice
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for water), the magic mirror, the sword, candles,
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herbs, and the use of images.
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2. Conduct within the Circle
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Two final bits of information needed inside the circle:
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the directions of casting and the integrity of the
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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
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often mistaken for evil, but show that the
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difference is more accurately raising or banishing
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power. Stress that, in order to get along, when in
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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
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involved, there is no RISK involved in leaving a
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circle. However, stress that since a circle is
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supposed to CONTAIN energy it should not be
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punctured hastily or unnecessarily. Teach how to
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open and close gateways in the circle, and when to
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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
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and 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
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by relaxation and concentration. Contrast meditation and
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trance state. Discuss the use of posture (asana) and
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paradoxical breathing (pranayama) to attain a meditative
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state, then do a few quick exercises.
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B. Visualization(s)
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Explain the difference between imagining and visualizing,
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then stress the similarities. Stress the fact that
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visualization is something that you will continually get
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better at - but there is still no "wrong way." Then lead the
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students through the following exercises:
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1. Grounding and Centering
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Using the seven chakras as steps along the way, guide
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them to visualize energy being drawn up from the Earth
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and blown through the tops of their heads (at the crown
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chakra) in a free-flowing fountain. Then (if they seem
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up to it), guide them to mold and direct that energy
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flow into a circle, then a sphere of blinding white
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light. Have them draw the circle back down through
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their spines until it is returned to the 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
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Place in the forest, lead them to a fairy hill, then
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through the Maze of the subconscious until they are
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somewhat lost. Guide them to a long stairway, then
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through the door at the top. Then set the mental
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setting - that at the doorway they change into a
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powerful magician, and suddenly all of the tools and
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symbols in the room are meaningful. Instruct them to
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study the tools for a while. After a minute or two,
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lead them back out through the maze, then to the
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clearing, and wake them 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),
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then stand in front of an evenly-lit white wall.
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Have them open their eyes and stare at a point in
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the distance beyond the instructor. (Note: this
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will for some of them be the first time that
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they'll be channeling power with their eyes open,
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so take your time.) Instruct them to look for the
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greyish line around me (that is actually an optical
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illusion). Once they've found it, instruct them to
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visualize it being replaced with a wash of color.
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Have them examine it for variations in thickness or
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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
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or brilliance. Pick one student, then have him
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wrap his hands in the energy that he's drawing,
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then "tune" it to the color of the healthy areas in
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the aura. Instruct him to use his hands as if he
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were rubbing on oil or paint to color over the sick
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area, visualizing the new color (healthy energy)
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replacing the older area, and continue until the
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color stays changed after he's no longer touching
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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
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solo magick. The remaining two days will concentrate on group
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ritual. In Day Three, we will discuss the basic techniques.
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To explain the outline, relate the outline of the three Essentials
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of 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
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growing 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
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(for familiarization purposes only) through "We Wander
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Now", "Hoof and Horn", "Burn Bright", "Circle 'Round the
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Fire", and any 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 fly ...
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WEARing my LONG tail FEAthers AS I fly ... (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
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association. As an example, demonstrate the three-word
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style that Starhawk teaches in SPIRAL DANCE. Emphasize
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the use of beat and tempo as unifying factors.
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3. Plainsong
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For contrast, sing the NROOGD classic, "O Earth Mother"
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to demonstrate that not all ritual music needs to be in
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the form 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
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dance", and then brief discussion of free-form dance and
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ecstatic ritual.)
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2. Theater Techniques
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Remind people that one of the purposes of ritual is to
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catch and hold the attention of Child Self, and point
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out that the language that Child Self speaks best is
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melodrama. Instruct them that gestures and actions in
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the Circle should speak loud enough that words are not
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necessary. Then, since they undoubtedly won't get the
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point, do two exercises to rub 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
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know a bit about magick. Get him to go to one of
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the quarters and ground and center. Then have him
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visualize a threat approaching from his quarter,
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and tell him to do a banishing. (He will
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inevitably do something traditional, elaborate, and
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sterile.) Relax him, then ask the class how THEY
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would have reacted, if THEY were attacking the
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circle, to what he had done. Pick an absolute
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novice, put him in the same place, ground and
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center, pump them up with melodrama and heroics,
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then describe a different menace and instruct them
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to scare it off, turn it away (don't use the word
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"banish"). See if the gestures aren't more
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dramatic.
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b. Charging Exercise
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Pick a couple who seem to know a bit about magick
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(if possible), and have them ground, center, and
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use the wand and chalice for a symbolic Great Rite.
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(See if they do anything more sexual than just
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stick the wand into the cup - I doubt it.) Relax
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them, then point out to the class that the energies
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to be raised in this exercise are to be earthy and
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sexual, EXACTLY like the "rush" or thrill of heavy
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flirtation. Then pick the most COMPATIBLE-looking
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couple (if possible) and repeat the exercise (and
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see if they don't make it more 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
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most Neopagan ritual. Then we will discuss the purposes behind a
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witchcraft initiation, and walk through the one that the graduates
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of this class will perform.
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A. Theology/Thealogy
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Theology and thealogy (the alpha-ending, Thea, being the
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Greek feminine ending) are outlined to show how Neopagans
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relate to their own and other people's choices of gods. The
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hook on which this will all be hung is that most of the Gods
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represent facets of 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
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in pagan and Neopagan myth: the Sun-child, the Horned
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Hunter, 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,
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the 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
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the mystical component by telling the story of Persephone's
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descent into the underworld, showing how it relates to the
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Wheel.
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C. Initiation
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Tell the story of how Osiris was slain by his jealous
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brother, Set, and how his sister/wife Isis went down into the
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Underworld to gain the secret of resurrection from the dead
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(for reminders, use Wilson's account in COSMIC TRIGGER).
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Discuss how Isis's humiliation in the land of the dead
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compares to the psychology of initiation (with a brief aside
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into Paul's revelation of Eleusis: "Except a seed of grain
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fall into the Earth and die, it cannot rise again"). Use
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this and the discussion from Day One of how Craft Law arose
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to outline the dual purpose of a witchcraft initiation: to
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lead the initiate through humiliation and death into
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elevation and new life, and to bind the initiate to the laws
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necessary for the group experience of the Craft.
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Finally, if time permits, do a walk-through of the initiation
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to familiarize the candidates with it, then give them their
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scripts to memorize.
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