Michael Wynn's Occult Reference Library
THE COVEN,THE COVENS

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A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT AND MAGICK SPELLS

te formal, with covens using ritual tools and learned invocations emphasising the goddess and her representative, the high priestess, as their head. the goddess is the archetype or source energy of the ultimate feminine power or principle. all the named goddesses represent aspects of particular qualities of the goddess in different cultures. her consort is the horned god and his representative in the coven is the high priest. though each coven is autonomous, formal wicca follows a system of degrees of learning and does not permit self-initiation. the high priest initiates the female members and the high priestess the male. they celebrate eight sabbats, or seasonal celebrations. there are, however, numerous forms of wicca and of witchcraft, many of which draw on ancient traditions. for exam

a coven, consider what you are looking for. some covens emphasise set ritual and ceremony and a learning path that can take years rather than months, along which you progress in an orderly fashion, gradually building up a great store of wisdom and experience and allowing your psychic powers to unfold slowly- is that what you want? it is important also to establish what you may be able to give to the coven. can you devote the necessary evenings for the coven, or do you have a packed schedule and many commitments, which prevent you from setting aside a regular time? perhaps you may want to explore magick more informally with like-minded people where the emphasis is on spontaneity. it is important that you choose a coven that operates in a manner with which you feel comfortable. some modern

ple feel very self-conscious and needs very strong parameters to prevent ceremony from spilling into everyday relationships. it can also detract from the spirituality of the ritual. if sexual attraction or spontaneous sexual fantasies are allowed to arise between members of a group, this can make ritualistic contact very difficult, especially where members are in relationships with people outside the coven. the sacred marriage, which involves ritual sex between god and goddess, is an important part of seasonal celebrations. however, modern covens often celebrate the ritual coupling of earth and sky by plunging a knife into a chalice of water, or by the use of physical sex carried out in private, by an established couple, out of sight of the coven. in this way, any very human complications

and buy established pagan magazines. take your time until everything feels right and you have answered all the questions you need to ask. no reputable coven will be in a hurry to sign you up- the reverse is usually the case. you certainly do not want to find yourself signing in blood, being initiated by having sex with the high priest or priestess or promising to fall on a sword should you leave the coven or betray their secrets. nor should you pay huge sums of money in advance for training; for membership of an established pagan organisation, yes, but these tend to ask for remarkably little. even a full druidic or goddess training, for example, costs no more than a few hundred pounds over several years. most covens and healing groups expect you only to pay for your expenses. i hope that

candle and set a large gold candle in the centre of the circle. if you have a cauldron or large pot, you can set the central candle in that. surround the central candle with flowers and herbs of midsummer, if possible freshly picked from an outside source, and any greenery* if you are working in a group, members can stand around the circle, one at each of the points of the year, with the rest of the coven standing in the north, in a line, facing the south. if you are alone, you may wish to adapt the ritual so the stones and candles are smaller. place the central candle on your altar, which will on this occasion be standing in the north, facing the south, and move round the altar in a circle* enter the circle at the mid-winter solstice (north, the position of the birth of the sun, and ligh

ALEX SANDERS THE KING OF THE WITCHES

place of a coven small meeting, not necessarily of a full coven. extra-sensory perception a massofenergy or power raised by the witches and sent to work their will. small image made of clay or plasticine to represent a person on whom a restraint is to be worked. ancient hebrew book of magic. length of cord measuring a witch's height at the time of his initiation. sometimes held as a 'hostage' by the coven leader. originally a five-sided figure but now any circular piece of metal inscribed with witch symbols. major meeting of whole coven or several covens. cards used in predicting the future. primitive form. of religion practised by negroes of haiti and elsewherein the west indies and america. originally the witch who bound the initiate, but used only by non-witches to describe a male-witc

rld ofconcrete, but he learnt how to recognize wild thyme, rosemary and pimpernel from the book in which his grandmother had pressed leaves, ferns and flowers during. her youth in the foothills of snowdon. as a 17 girl she had belonged to a coven of four witches who were ardent chapel-goers-in bethesda anyone who missed a service without good reason was ostracized by the other residents. at night the coven used to climb part-way up the mountain to a small lake reputed to have belonged to witches since the middle ages. stepping-stones led to the small island in the centre which was the circle where they performed their rituals, and in the inky black waters they studied the moon's reflections and conjured up the future. when he was nine, alex was allowed to take part in his first full-moon c

draw the power; a virgin child representing purity i believedto find favour with the spirits. fora week beforehand they .had been .makiilgptepara#ons, the most arduous.ofwhich wasthe gatherin offourpolinos of rose petals to be dried and made into incense. they could.be picked only betwe,en the early tnorninghours oft\vo and three, according to the magic ritual, and as they had.noroses oftheir own,the coven madeforays intog rdensallover eneighbou1' hood until there was not a rose to be seen in the entire district' they.charted an elaborate circle surrounded.by. pentacles and the symbolitwatchtowers. the child sat.a little' apart,ll1 a small triangle. he was to be used as a medium through'\vhicli voices might speak. at seven o'clock in the evening they took. their places within the circle an

isn't like the ceremony you performed tonight. it lasted only an hour or so' paul said.alex ha to tell him that in his case two initiations were in order, the first being egyptian form, which lasts for all time, the.second being the normal first-grade initiation 'isn't the witches' initiation binding, then' paul asked. alex told him that whereas a witch can be cursed by his elder and banishedfrom the coven, no one on earth has the authority or power to banish one who has taken the egyptian form of oath. in spite of his being chosen by the powers to be a witch, paul could not be initiated and shown how to use the magic until alex was ready, and the more he saw of his young apprentice the more he realized that power in such hands would be abused. as hrash as ever, despite his debts and the p

ken by the discovery and .by the potentiality of having a genuine seventeenth-century witch as .an informant, they drove back to manchester bearing their precious relic. later, alex.overcame his reluctance and agreed he should go into trance again so that nick might speak. but nick had other ideas; right from the start he came only when he had something to say, and he refused to be conjured up by the coven. assured that he would not have his energy sapped by trivial chatter, alex was never again loth to offer his body to the long-dead witch. in accordance with the instructions, alex began preparing for the first ceremony for his two spontaneous initiates. the most binding oaths he could fmd were contained in some old manuscripts belonging to one of his colleagues, pat, the descendant of a

ceremony. maxine, daughter of a strict father .dreaded the ordeal of appearing naked before others. nor had she ever seen a naked man. with eyes downcast she waited at the edge of the circle, her flowing hair dr;tped over her breasts. once the ceremony began, however, her apprehension fled; she joined hands with the others and danced without embarrassment. now that paul was an accepted member of the coven he was abletojoin the others in bringing personal problems before the circle .when. they began their. weekly help .sessions. the standard practice is to raise a. cone of power--commonly known as a familiar-which can be instructed either to look into the future and report. back findings, or to influence other people, usually non-witches. faced with paul's 'problems, the witches debated wh

before she had been initiated into the third grade. now alex was really alarmed; how could he initiate a virgin-and a minot at .that? the only way. he decided, was to initiate herand paul together. as brother and sister, in the way they had undergone their first-grade initiation, and thus sex would play no part. when the day came alex followed the exact ritual but. instead of telling the rest of the coven to leave the room. he commanded paul to lay his body on maxine's without passion or lust, so that she would remain a virgin but would be initiated symbolically. after the ceremony, when they sat down to the feast-known as the mass long before the advent of christianity-alex told her that he would be marrying her later in the year. ibut why not now' she asked. she loved him and could see

e for opening .locked doors-alex always kept his flat locked when he .was out but maxine could 'wish' it open. it was a talent that might havenetted her a fortune had she applied it dishonestly, but she only used it to take refuge in alex's flat when the discord with her mother became toomuchfor her or she wanted to avoid the people who kept trying. to put her off witchcraft. one evening, just as the coven was beginning its session, a distant relative. of mrs morris arrived and demanded that. maxine be sent home at once. the witches retired into the kitchen to go on with their work while alex tried to reason with the man. there was a loud argument and their voices could be heard allover the flat, so the coven decided to take the law into. their own hands. in whispers, they calleddown the p

michael had to be bribed to give informa. tion asked ofhim and for which he had been created. alex, who has frugal tastes, would recover from an involuntary trance to. find he had eaten a pound of chocolate biscuits demanded by michael in return for information. the spirit had begun to take over, demanding the exclusive use ofalex's body, demanding to be born human. other familiars conjured up by the coven warned. that michael was hoarding a reservoir. of power. even the first. grade witches had noticed that of late, when they raised the cone ofpower in the circle, it would be whipped away and they would have to start allover again. finally, alex called a meeting, cast the circleand told paul that michael must be destroyed 'he is obsessing me. i have no life of my own. i can't get on with

ly have.beenknown by even his own witches, let alone outside ones. there was no doubt that the letter was in deadly earnest and that its originators were experienced witches. their only omission feom: the traditional words of the curse, usually inscribed about. the pentacle.was the phrase 'set thou a wicked one to be ruler over him. let satan stand at his right hand' that night alex had addressed the coven meeting and, 97 to the surpriseof those present, had passed round the eighteeninch- long curse. afterwards he was invited to speak on a television programme and the interviewer asked him what he thought of the curse. snapping his.[rogers, alex replied 'let them do their worst; this is what i think of the curse' brave words, but when he later returned to his flat with maxine he could feel

iful little girl' she was told. maxine was certain there had been some mistake, but one look at the infant assured her that it was hers. instead of michael, it was called maya a witch name meaning 'mother goddess. maya is not being trained for witchcraft, asher brother will be when he arrives, but will be able to choose her religion for herself when she is older. right from birth she has attended the coven meetings, but though her crib is in the same room, it is placed. outside the circle' when maya was a few months old, alex had a disturbing vision: a house, similar to the one in which he was living, was being destroyed by fire. people werescreaming, and he could see the symbol of death. when he had had the same vision three. times he called on the owner of the house and asked if he would

nly to find there was no fortune awaitiilg themin the capital; social outcasts ofone sort or another; and many who were just lonely. as he extended his areaof lectures and public appearances to include universities, specialist clubs and high-intelligence groups, alex recruited many who had natural gifts similar to those enjoyed by some hereditary witches. one of these nearly succeeded in wrecking the coven. ben had come from mauritius to study at london university, but he had become a successful singer and had exchanged. the academic life for the student world of pop. a roman catholic, he first heard alex speak at a. college lecture and asked if he could attend the tuesday-evening sessions, within a few months he had prepared himselffor initiation and had learnt all the rituals by heart. a

but he had become a successful singer and had exchanged. the academic life for the student world of pop. a roman catholic, he first heard alex speak at a. college lecture and asked if he could attend the tuesday-evening sessions, within a few months he had prepared himselffor initiation and had learnt all the rituals by heart. alex had no hesitation in putting him through the first grade. also in the coven was victoria, a quiet girl of nineteen. she was engaged to a man in edinburgh who was. unaware of her religion. she asked alex if he would consecrate her engagement ring to ensure that she would have a happy marriage, and he had obliged. while the coven prayed, he had held the ring over the altar and had blessed it witch-wise. in between the regular weekly esbats, the witches were encour

fconsecrating the ring to bless the marriage, had been working voodoo to break it up, his intention being to have an affair with victoria. without waiting to hear more, alex went up to ben's room and demanded the return of the ring. it was concealed ina bag of flour-flour being the medium for voodooalong with a crucifix, a st christopher medallion and a bracelet, all belonging to other witches in the coven. on 3 january, the first full moon of 1969, the coven was convened and ben was ritually cursed and banished. the others were asked to repeat their witch oaths or resign their membership. voodoo is totally incompatible with witchcraft, used as it is fo.r the seduction of women or the destruction of men by death or insanity 'let all ofyou understand that while i am elder ofthe coven i will

wer: about four .thousand, but they are increasing monthly. q: how many hereditary witches are there besides yourself? a: five that i know of. two in scotland, others in lancashire. sussex and cornwall. q: what does it cost to join. a: nothing. witches are not allowed to receive money for membership. those who call afford to, buy their own robes and weapons; others make do with those discarded by the coven. q: is witchcraft compatible with christianity and other religions? a: yes, so long as christians recognize that their god is also ours. q: how much time must members devote to the cult? a: a minimum of one evening a week plus the night of the full moon each month. experience has shown that most witches enjoy the company of their fellows and make friends within the coven. quite a few mar

to it as we recite the correct incantations. no harm is wished her, beyond the impulse to keep her mouth shut. q: why must witches be naked for the ceremonies? a: we believe nothing should come between us and our god, that clothes are a form of deception or concealment, and that we must keep nothing from each other. q: then why do you wear a robe or loin-cloth? a: witch law says that the elder of the coven must be apart. in the days when as. many as fifty witches might attend a 123 meeting, it was necesscu:y for the elder to .be easily indentifiable. ifhe wore arobe, some of the witches who suffered from the cold claimed he had the advantage over them, hence. the ioin-cloth-e symbol of his difference but not a protection from the cold. q: does it matter where coven meetings are held? a: no

was probably worshipped by their ancestors. q: as well as the black market you ha.ve justmentioned,are there any other abuses of witchcraft practised in covens? a: too many. one coven initiates its members with the use of an artificial phallus. this is nothing new to witchcraft; it. was used centuries. ago during fertility rites when .witches swore they had relations with the devil-as they called.the coven elder. they claimed that his member was cold, which was not .surprising, for the women. demanded' that the elder lie with each one of them to ensure a good harvest, and. the poor man was hard put t? it to satisfy 124 so many. an artificial phallus was used, therefore, similar to the ones inexistence in egypt centuries before the birth of christ. it was life-sized and made of stone. we de

e, her humility and generosity. is. so he resigned allhis power to her. 16. but the high priestess should ever mind that all power comes from him !7. it is only lent, to be used wisely and justly. 18. and the greatest virtue of a high priestess be .that she recognize. that youth is necessary to the representative of the goddess !9. so she will gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman should the coven so decide in council. 20. for a true high priestess realizes thar .gracefully surrendering pride of place is one of the greatest virtues. 21. and that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life. with greater power and beauty. 22. in the old days, when witchdom extended far. we were free and worshipped in all the greater temples. 23. but in these unhappy times we must

rmed. but if they do, they must utterly avoid the old coven. 47. the elders of the new and .the old covens should meet in peace and brotherly love. to decidetlie. new boundaries. 48. those of the craft who dwell outside both. covendoms may join. eitherbu.t not both, 49. though all may, if the elders agree, meet for the great festivals if it be trtily in peace and brotherly love, 50. but splitting the coven off means strife. so for this reason these laws were made of old and may the curse of the goddess be on any who disregard them. so be it ordained $1. if you would keep a book, let it be in your own hand ofwrite. let brothers and sisters copy what they will, but. never let the book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another. 52. for if it be found in their hand ofwrite, the

d conjurors and the priests of the christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts. and they sell pardons to let men escape from their sins. 120. be not as these. if you accept no money, you will be free from temptation to use the art for evil causes. 121. all may use the art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the craft only if you are sure you harm none. 122. but ever let the coven debate this at length. onlyifall are satisfied that none may be harmed, may the art be used. 123. if it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way so as to harm none. may the curse of the goddess be upon any who breaketh this law. so be it ordained. 124 'tis judged lawful if ever any of the craft need a house or land and n

d in need, and the curse of the gods be on any who break this law. 141. it ever be the way with women and with men also, that they ever seek new love. 142. nor should we reprove them for this. 143. but it may be found a disadvantage to the craft. 144. and so many a time it has happened that a high priest or a high priestess, impelled by love, hath departed with their love. that is, they have left the coven. 145. now if the high priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full coven. 146. and this resignation is valid. 139 147. but if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return in a few months? 148. so the law is, if a high priestess leaves her coven, she be taken back and all be as before. 149. meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as high pr

ALEXANDRIAN BOOK OF SHADOWS OCCULT

r humility and generosity, 14. 15. so he resigned all his power to her. 16. but the high priestess should ever mind that the power comes from him. 17. it is only lent, to be used wisely and justly. and the greatest virtue of a high priestess be that she recognize that youth is necessary to the representative of the goddess. 18. 19. so she will gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman should the coven so decide in council. for a true high priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering pride of place is one of the greatest virtues. 20. and that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life, with greater power and beauty. 21. security in the old days, when witchdom extended far, we were free and worshipped in all the greater temples. 22. 23. but in these unhappy times

n it is formed. but if they do, they must utterly avoid the old coven. 46. the elders of the new and old covens should meet in peace and brotherly love to decide the new boundaries. 47. 48. those of the craft who dwell outside both covendoms may join either but not both. though all may, if the elders agree, meet for the great festivals if it be truly in peace and brotherly love, 49. but splitting the coven oft means strife, so for this reason these laws were made of old and may the curse of the goddess be on any who disregard them. so be it ordained. 50. grimoire if you would keep a book, let it be in your own hand of write. let brothers and sisters copy what they will, but never let the book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another. 51. 52. for if it be found in their han

convene the elders and inquire into the matter, and they shall hear both sides, first alone and then together. 92. 93. and they shall decide justly, not favouring one side or the other. 94. ever recognising there be people who can never agree to work under others. 95. but at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly. 96. to those who must ever be chief, there is one answer"'void the coven or seek another one, or make a coven of your own, taking with you those who will go" 97. 98. to those who cannot rule justly, the answer be "those who cannot bear your rule will leave you" 99. for none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at variance. 100. so, an either cannot agree, get hence, for the craft must ever survive. so be it ordained. curses in the olden days whe

d conjurers and the priests of the christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts. and they sell pardons to let men ascape from their sins. 119. be not as these. if you accept no money, you will be free from temptation to use the art for evil causes. 120. all may use the art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the craft only if you are sure you harm none. 121. but ever let the coven debate this at length. only if all are satisfied that none may be harmed, may the art be used. 122. if it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way so as to harm none. may the curse of the goddess be on any who breaketh this law. so be it ordained. 123 'tis judged lawful if ever any of the craft need a house or land and n

d, and the curse of the gods be on any who break this law. 140. resignations 141. it ever be the way with women and with men also, that they ever seek new love. 142. nor should we reprove them for this. 143. but it may be found a disadvantage to the craft. and so many a time it has happened that a high priest or a high priestess, impelled by love, hath departed with their love. that is, they left the coven. 144. 145. now if the high priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full coven. 146. and this resignation is valid. but if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return in a few months? 147. 148. so the law is, if a high priestess leaves her coven, she be taken back and all be as before. meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as high priest

is valid. but if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return in a few months? 147. 148. so the law is, if a high priestess leaves her coven, she be taken back and all be as before. meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as high priestess for as long as the high priestess is away. 149. 150. if she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the coven elect a new high priestess, 151. unless there is a good reason to the contrary. the person who has done the work should reap the benefit of the reward. if somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden and deputy of the high priestess. 152. training it has been found that practicing the art doth cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of better results if th

o suffer and be purified. art thou willing to suffer to learn? c: i am h: i purify thee to take this great oath rightly. the bell is rung thrice and purification follows: 3, 7, 9, 21(=40) strokes. scourge and bell are returned to the altar as hierophant says: h: i now give thee a new name, n. what is thy name?(giving light smack or push) c: my name is n (giving light smack or push) each member of the coven in turn gives candidate a light swat or push, asking: each covener: what is thy name?(giving light smack or push) candidate responds to each with his (her) new name. when all have put the question, all return to their places and h. administers the oath saying: h: repeat thy new name after me: i, n, swear upon my mother's womb, and by mine honour among men and my brothers and sisters of t

ighty one, descend to aid me, who without thee am forlorn. hp stands and takes a step back. all adore in silence as hps traces invoking earth pentagram in air before them with athame, saying: hps: of the mother, darksome and divine, mine the scourge, and mine the kiss, the five-point star of love and bliss- here i charge you, in this sign. this completes drawing down the moon. hps and hp now face the coven and deliver the charge. notes l lots of published sources eg. janet and stewart farrar's the witches' way the ancient call may be used as a circle chant, or declaimed (generally by hp) generally either before the great god cernunnos invocation, or before the witches' rune. hp raises his arms wide and says: hp (first three verses are sometimes dropped) eko, eko, azarak eko, eko, zamilak e

ourse some have more) this version of this ritual requires two. the hp is carrying his wand, when the hps hands him her wand and the scourge, for no obvious reason. he has to just put down the lot (or hand them to someone, as the next thing he does is light the cauldron. l beltane preparation: two white candles are on the altar with a wreath of spring flowers. quarter candles are green. hps leads the coven, riding poles if possible, about the covenstead with a quick, trotting step, singing: all: o do not tell the priests of our art, for they would call it sin; but we will be in the woods all night, a-conjuring summer in. and we bring you good news by word of mouth, for woman, cattle and corn, for the sun is coming up from the south with oak and ash and thorn. a ring dance follows after whi

nd upon thy hill of vision, and show us the lovely realms of the gods. hps traces an invoking pentagram upon the hp with her wand. he comes desoil about the altar picking up his own wand and the scourge. he plunges the wand into the cauldron and holds it up, saying: hp: the spear to the cauldron, the lance to the grail, spirit to flesh, man to woman, sun to earth. saluting hps with wand, he joins the coven in their circle. hps picks up a sprinkler and stands by the cauldron, saying: hps: dance ye about the cauldron of cerridwen, the goddess, and be ye blessed with the touch of this ccnsecrated water; even as the sun, the lord of life, ariseth in his strength in the sign of the waters of life. hp leads a slow circle dance deosil about the cauldron. as each passes, hps sprinkles them with wa

given as "a beautiful old fire rite to the horned god" in the grimoire of lady sheba. the hps' first speech is broken into verses here (but not in the farrar version) and in sheba's version. i think it's easier to read that way. l lammas poles should be ridden in a ring dance about the covenstead. and sing the ancient call. the casting of the circle follows. hps traces the five point star before the coven saying: hps: o mighty mother of us all, mother of all things living, give us fruit and grain, flocks and herds and children to the tribe, that we may be mighty. by thy rosey love, do thou descend upon thy servant and priestess here. hps draws down the moon upon herself and all salute her. after a brief silence for contemplation, the ceremony of cakes and wine follows. notes l per stewart

osey love, do thou descend upon thy servant and priestess here. hps draws down the moon upon herself and all salute her. after a brief silence for contemplation, the ceremony of cakes and wine follows. notes l per stewart farrar's what witches do. autumnal equinox the altar is decorated with the symbols of autumn: pine-cones, oak sprigs, acorns, ears of grain, etc. after the circle has been cast, the coven stands in a ring facing inwards, men and women alternately. the high priest stands to the west of the altar and the high priestess to the east, facing each other. the high priestess recites: hps: farewell, o sun, ever-returning light, the hidden god, who ever yet remains, who now departs into the land of youth through the gates of death to dwell enthroned, the judge of gods and men, the

re purified by the scourge. hps erects the circle. the hp says: hp: o gods, beloved of us all, bless this our sabbat that we, thy humble worshippers, may meet in love, joy and bliss. bless our rites this night with the presence of our departed kin. facing north with arms upraised, coveners hand-linked in a semicircle behind him, the hp invokes the horned one. hps bearing a priapus wand then leads the coven in a meeting dance, slowly, to the witches' rune. hp gives each an unlit candle and brings up the rear of the dance. the candles are each lit from the balefire before the outward spiral. when it is done the hps assumes the goddess position saying: hps: dread lord of the shadows, god of life and bringer of death! yet as the knowledge ofthee is death, open wide, i pray thee, the gates thro

BUCKLAND RAYMOND COMPLETE BOOK OF WITCHCRAFT

was excited by what he found. he had spent a lifetime in the study of religio-magick and now was a part of it. he wanted to rush out and tell everyone. but he was not allowed to. finally though, after much pleading, he was allowed to present some of the true witch beliefs and practices by weaiving them into a novel: high magic's aid, published in 1949. it took five more years for him to persuade the coven to let him do the factual treatment. complementing witchcraft today, his third book was published in 1959, titled the meaning of witchcraft. from his lifetime study of religion and magick, gardner felt that what he found as the remains of witchcraft was incomplete and, in places, inaccurate. for millenia the old religion had been a purely oral tradition. it was not until the persecutions

ultant loss of intercommunication, that anything was put into writing. at that time, when the witches were having to meet in the shadows, the rituals were finally written down in what became known as the book of shadows. the book was then copied and recopied as it passed, over the years, from coven leader to coven leader. it was only natural that errors would creep in. gardner took the rituals of the coven to which he belonged a basically english/celtic group and rewrote them as he felt they should have been. this form then became known as "gardnerian witchcraft. in recent years there have been many wild and wonderful theories and accusations advanced, from "gardner made up the whole thing" to "he commissioned aleister crowley to write the book of shadows for him. such charges scarcely bea

(as i spoke about in lesson one) but. don't be afraid to modify where necessary to make it totally right for you. if the name used to identify the god, in the tradition you have chosen, happens to be cernunnos (for example) and you have difficulty relating to that name, then choose another for your own use. in other words, respect the name cernunnos in group worship and all matters pertaining to the coven but, in your own mind and in personal rites don't hesitate to substitute pan or mananna or lief or whatever. a name, as i have said, is a label. the god himself knows you are "talking" to him; he's not going to be confused (this all applies equally to the goddess of course. it may well be for the above reason that the name cernunnos is found in so many branches of the craft. as i've ment

k a rough circle on the ground, usually very crudely drawn, and use it whether accurate or not. its purpose was merely to designate a space to be hallowed for the rites; a place "special" for that purpose. your circle does not have to be as painstakingly accurate as the ceremonial magician's (though more on this in lesson eleven magick, yet it is drawn with a certain amount of care and exactness. the coven circle is nine feet in diameter; the individual's circle is five feet. the drawing of the circle starts, and finishes, in the east and is always drawn clockwise, or deosil. if you are meeting outdoors, then the circle is actually marked on the ground with the sword, as the priest/ess walks around. indoors the circle should first be marked on the floor with a length of white cord, with ch

rite contains all of the elements i have previously discussed. if you decide to write your own, i urge you to follow the general pattern. in this ceremony i have written it as for a priest initiating a female. it can obviously be adapted for reversal of the roles (in virtually all traditions male initiates female and female initiates male. it is usual for the initiate to be naked in this rite. if the coven usually works naked then, of course, this is fine. however, if the coven is usually robed then the initiate should either be the only one naked or should wear a robe that can be opened down the front as and when indicated (even robed covens usually wear nothing under their robes. the initiation can take place with all the coven present; with only the priest, priestess and initiate; or wi

owever, if the coven is usually robed then the initiate should either be the only one naked or should wear a robe that can be opened down the front as and when indicated (even robed covens usually wear nothing under their robes. the initiation can take place with all the coven present; with only the priest, priestess and initiate; or with priest, priestess, one or two assistants and the initiate. the coven should decide which method they prefer. the below ritual is written for priest, priestess, two assistants (whom i shall call maiden and squire) and initiate. in addition to the usual altar furniture, there is a dish of anointing oil between the water and the salt and a red, nine-foot length of cord and a blindfold on the altar. the priestess's goddess crown and the priest's horned helmet

r the wiccan rede. an' it harm none, do what thou wilt" priestess "an' it harm none, do what thou wilt. come now.(name, and meet your kindred" initiate salutes* priest and priestess then moves around to salute and greet all the others in the circle. if the initiation has been taking place without the other coven members being present, they now return to the circle to join the celebrants. if it is the coven custom to present a newcomer with any gift(s) this may be done at this time. bell is rung three times. priest "now is it truly a time for celebration" feasting and merriment follow till the temple is closed. next lesson you will consecrate your tools, so that they may be used in future rituals 'when one witch salutes another, it is with an embrace and a kiss. now answer the examination q

e been individual, or "solitary" witches. witches who worked (and frequently lived) alone. there are still many today who feel more comfortable that way and i will look at them specifically later in this book. but the majority of witches work in groups, known as covens. the origin of the word is in doubt. margaret murray (the witch cult in western europe) suggests it "is a derivative of 'convene" the coven is a small group; usually no more than a dozen. the "traditional" size is thirteen, though there is absolutely no reason why that particular number should be adhered to. personally i have found that the most comfortable number is about eight. one of the things that governs the number of people in the coven is the size of the circle in which they hold their rituals. by tradition, again, t

cause you enjoy performing them, not because you have to perform them (we can leave that to the other faiths. hierarchy and priesthood the group needs a leader, or leaders. the leaders, as priests for the group, will be representing the god and the goddess, so one male and one female leader would seem to be the ideal. in the saxon tradition (and some few others) these are democratically chosen by the coven members: they lead for a year and then there is a re-election (if re-elected, their terms running concurrently or not, they are known in their sub- 53 54/ buckland's complete book of witchcraft sequent terms as high priest/ess, to indicate this experience. such a system has the distinct advantage of (a) precluding any ego-trips and power-plays by the priesthood (b) giving everyone who wi

you; they love. you. their love for you, in the changing world, is unchanging. their love, beloved, is unchanging. a non-witch (someone not initiated) is referred to as a cowan. generally cowans cannot attend circles, though some traditions do have allowances for such visitors. i personally think cowans should be able to sit-in at the religious rites (not the working of magick, however, if all of the coven are agreeable and if the coven works robed rather than skyclad. what better way to learn of the true spirit of the old religion and to determine whether or not it is the path sought? it also, incidentally, is excellent public relations, helping straighten the popular misconceptions. participation is very important in religion. one of the detractions of christianity, i think, is the fact

raighten the popular misconceptions. participation is very important in religion. one of the detractions of christianity, i think, is the fact that the average worshipper is little more than a spectator. lesson five: covens and rituals/ 55 sitting in the "audience, as it were, s/he can only watch most of the ritual along with the rest of the crowd. how different in the craft where, as a member of the coven "family, you are right there in the middle, taking part. expound on this idea. as much as possible give different coven members things to do. at each meeting (or on a rotating system) have one person in charge of the incense; another to see that the wine is topped-up; another to turn the pages of the book, etc. all are supposedly equal in the circle; the ritual leaders (coven priest and

is any historical precedent for this but, as with so many things, it doesn't really matter. it's again a case of what suits you. i am going to completely by-pass any discussion of the titles "queen" or "king. covens are autonomous and there are no" leaders of all witches" recognized in wicca, regardless of occasional claims to the contrary. covensteads and covendoms the name given to the home of the coven (the place where it always, or most often, meets) is the covenstead. within the covenstead, of course, is found the temple. the covendom traditionally extends for one league (approximately three miles) in all directions from the covenstead. this is the area where, traditionally, the coven's witches live. it used to be that one covendom could not overlap another, so one covenstead would n

le. facing it, you are facing east. on the altar are one or two white altar candles, thurible, dishes of salt and of water, bell, deity figures (optional, bowl of anointing oil, goblet of wine (or fruit juice, libation dish, sword (if you have one) and/or priests' athames. censerer lights the incense and the altar candles (not the circle candles) and then leaves the area to wait, with the rest of the coven, in the northeastern quarter. priest and priestess enter the circle, from the east (just on the northern side of the east candle) as will all, when they come in and move to stand before the altar, facing east. priest rings bell three times. priest/ess "be it known the temple is about to be erected; the circle is about to be cast. let those who desire attendance gather in the east and awa

nd bring it the breath of life" time now to look at the opening and closing ceremonies, as performed by a coven, with the appropriate tools. in the saxon tradition we call these rites erecting the temple and clearing the temple. preferring these terms to others, such as "opening and closing the circle, i will use them here. the rituals in this workbook are written to utilize a number of people in the coven. don't hesitate to modify them for more or less people. where i have indicated "priest/ess" it means the words/action may be performed by either one. otherwise one or the other will be specified. erecting the temple the circle is marked out on the floor. there is a candle at each of the four quarters; yellow to the east, red to the south, blue to the west, green to the north. the altar i

is outside, or a candle or a sterno* burner, if meeting inside. the erecting the temple is performed. this may be followed by full moon or new moon rite, if appropriate. bell is then rung three times by a covener acting as summoner. summoner "haste! haste! no time to wait! we're off to the sabbat, so don't be late" priest/ess "to the sabbat" all "to the sabbat" with priest and priestess leading, the coven moves deosil around the circle, walking or dancing as each feels moved. it is appropriate to carry small drums or tambourines, to give a beat. coven circles as many times as they wish. at some point, as they move around, priest/ess should start singing a hymn to the gods (this can be anything from a simple repetitive chanting of the names of the gods to a spontaneous song of praise, or c

s or tambourines, to give a beat. coven circles as many times as they wish. at some point, as they move around, priest/ess should start singing a hymn to the gods (this can be anything from a simple repetitive chanting of the names of the gods to a spontaneous song of praise, or can be one of the songs or chants given in appendix d. all can join in as the procession continues. if it is preferred, the coven can circle a number of times then come to a halt and start the singing while standing in place. priest "now is a time of change. now do we leave the light and "dance and song, as an essential part of the religious hunting ceremony, is almost universal even today. the yakuts of siberia, for instance, and many american indian and eskimo tribes, always dance before hunting. dance/rhythm is

a maypole the circle may be drawn extra large to accommodate it. the erecting the temple is performed. this may be followed by full moon or new moon rite, if appropriate. the bell is rung three times by a covener acting as summoner. summoner "haste! haste! no time to wait! we're off to the sabbat, so don't be late" priest/ess "to the sabbat" all "to the sabbat" with priest and priestess leading, the coven move deosil around the circle, walking or dancing as each feels fit, with small drums or tambourines giving a beat. circle as many times as you wish. priest and priestess start singing a hymn to the gods and all join in. eventually all halt and singing ends. priest "the lord has reached the end of his journey" priestess "the lady sets her foot upon the path" then follows an enactment of

move ever on" priest "the wheel turns" all "without ceasing" priestess "the wheel turns" all "and turns again" priest "farewell to our lord" all "welcome to the lady" priestess "god-winter ends his reign" all "as goddess-summer turns to face the light" priestess "hail and farewell" all "hail and farewell" priest and priestess lead coven in a dance about the circle leading to the maypole. each of the coven-ers takes a ribbon and dances around the pole with it, intertwining one with another. this is continued till all ribbons are tied around the pole, symbolizing the union of male and female; the joining of all together. a suitable chant/song to sing while dancing is found in the gardnerian book. it is gerald gardner's version of a rudyard kipling poem "oh, do not tell the priests of our ar

ght" a circlet of candles. the altar cloth and candles should be brown. the erecting the temple is performed. this may be followed by full moon or new moon rite, if appro-riate. bell is rung three times by covener acting as summoner. summoner "haste! haste! no time to wait! we're off to the sabbat, so don't be late" priest/ess "to the sabbat" all "to the sabbat\ with priest and priestess leading, the coven moves deosil around the circle, walking or dancing. circle as many times as you wish. priest/ess starts a hymn to the gods and all join in. finally, all halt and stop singing "now has our lord reached the zenith of his journey "now does he turn to face the lady "though apart they are one 'they are both the shadow and the light" then follows an enactment of a seasonal motif (e.g. the midp

and around the circle. the altar cloth and candles should be yellow. the erecting the temple is performed. this may be followed by full moon or new moon rite, if appropriate. the bell is rung three times by covener acting as summoner. summoner "haste! haste! no time to wait! we're off to the sabbat so don't be late" priest/ess "to the sabbat" all "to the sabbat" with priest and priestess leading, the coven move deosil around the circle, walking or dancing. circle as many times as you wish. priest/ess starts a hymn to the gods and all join in. finally all halt and stop singing. covener "the powers of life and death are held by the gods" covener "great is the power of the mighty ones" covener "god is old yet young" covener "and the power is his" then follows an enactment of a seasonal motif

he lady and, through her, the lord" priest "blessed be the lady of the circle" all "and blessed be her lord" priestess "may the surplus be drawn from the land" all "that the body may be filled with strength" priest "power to the lord" all "and power to the lady" priestess "let the old wane" all "that the young may wax anew" priest "ever turns the wheel" all "ever onward" priest and priestess lead the coven in a dance about the circle. this may be followed, or accompanied, by a song or chant. all, except priest and one male covener, sit. priest then dances around, deosil, between the seated coveners and the line of the circle. male covener dances around widdershins, between the coveners and the altar (in other words, one outside the ring, going clockwise, and one inside, going counter-clock

CASSANDRA EASON A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC

e 9 wicca01.txt covens using ritual tools and learned invocations emphasising the goddess and her representative, the high priestess, as their head. the goddess is the archetype or source energy of the ultimate feminine power or principle. all the named goddesses represent aspects of particular qualities of the goddess in different cultures. her consort is the horned god and his representative in the coven is the high priest. though each coven is autonomous, formal wicca follows a system of degrees of learning and does not permit self-initiation. the high priest initiates the female members and the high priestess the male. they celebrate eight sabbats, or seasonal celebrations. there are, however, numerous forms of wicca and of witchcraft, many of which draw on ancient traditions. for exam

a coven, consider what you are looking for. some covens emphasise set ritual and ceremony and a learning path that can take years rather than months, along which you progress in an orderly fashion, gradually building up a great store of wisdom and experience and allowing your psychic powers to unfold slowly- is that what you want? it is important also to establish what you may be able to give to the coven. can you devote the necessary evenings for the coven, or do you have a packed schedule and many commitments, which prevent you from setting aside a regular time? perhaps you may want to explore magick more informally with like-minded people where the emphasis is on spontaneity. it is important that you choose a coven that operates in a manner with which you feel comfortable. some modern

ple feel very self-conscious and needs very strong parameters to prevent ceremony from spilling into everyday relationships. it can also detract from the spirituality of the ritual. if sexual attraction or spontaneous sexual fantasies are allowed to arise between members of a group, this can make ritualistic contact very difficult, especially where members are in relationships with people outside the coven. the sacred marriage, which involves ritual sex between god and goddess, is an important part of seasonal celebrations. however, modern covens often celebrate the ritual coupling of earth and sky by plunging a knife into a chalice of water, or by the use of physical sex carried out in private, by an established couple, out of sight of the coven. in this way, any very human complications

and buy established pagan magazines. take your time until everything feels right and you have answered all the questions you need to ask. no reputable coven will be in a hurry to sign you up- the reverse is usually the case. you certainly do not want to find yourself signing in blood, being initiated by having sex with the high priest or priestess or promising to fall on a sword should you leave the coven or betray their secrets. nor should you pay huge sums of money in advance for training; for membership of an established pagan organisation, yes, but these tend to ask for remarkably little. even a full druidic or goddess training, for example, costs no more than a few hundred pounds over several years. most covens and healing groups expect you only to pay for your expenses. i hope that

candle and set a large gold candle in the centre of the circle. if you have a cauldron or large pot, you can set the central candle in that. surround the central candle with flowers and herbs of midsummer, if possible freshly picked from an outside source, and any greenery* if you are working in a group, members can stand around the circle, one at each of the points of the year, with the rest of the coven standing in the north, in a line, facing the south. if you are alone, you may wish to adapt the ritual so the stones and candles are smaller. place the central candle on your altar, which will on this occasion be standing in the north, facing the south, and move round the altar in a circle* enter the circle at the mid-winter solstice (north, the position of the birth of the sun, and ligh

DEMONIC BIBLE

ritual chamber. the rituals of the demonic bible may be undertaken by a group or coven. if this is the case, each participant chooses a dark god/goddess as his personal archetype. the high priest performs the rituals to cross the gates of hell and become the devil incarnate. he then adopts the name of a particular archetype, such as satan or lucifer, and is known from then on by that name within the coven. he then initiates the high priestess so that she becomes the manifestation of the dark goddess. she assumes the name of a particular archetype such as hela, hecate, or diana. the other priests and priestesses are then initiated by the high priest or high priestess (as appropriate) and become the manifestations of various devils and dark gods. members of the congregation are then initiat

DIABOLUS

n his neck abides strength, terror dances before him. this indicates that the form of leviathan is difficult to comprehend. in the biblical art of liber floridus, the antichrist, emerald and crimson robes flowing, rides upon leviathan, who is pictured as a great dragon-beast with four legs, talon like teeth with blackened eyes. the face of this beast is the model for which has been invoked during the coven maleficia40 rites involving the ascension of power. 40 the coven which founded the order of phosphorus, renamed maleficia after the day of cain for the group, august 22nd. 37 the bible makes further reference to leviathan in job- may those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse leviathan. may its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

ains basic beliefs, rituals, charms, spells, and incantations. there is no authentic definitive edition, since the form and scope of the book differs from coven to coven. normal procedure is for a witch to copy the work in her own handwriting and destroy the original, but in many covens, copies are made without destroying the original. however, no copy is intended to be kept by a witch who leaves the coven, and this rule is enforced by various threats and curses. although the act of copying the book in manuscript suggests a centuries-old secret tradition, there is little doubt that the material contained in most modern versions of the book of shadows derives from sources such as aradia; or the gospel of the witches (1899) by charles godfrey leland, a compilation of witchcraft folklore repo

ened a feminist bookstore and began to develop a form of wicca that would meld gardnerian witchcraft (based on the teachings of john gardiner) and her growing feminist ideals. in 1976 she published the feminist book of lights and shadows, the basic text of what is known as dianic wicca. budapest was by this time the priestess of a feminist coven, the susan b. anthony coven, in venice, california. the coven began a newsletter, themis (now thesmorphoria, and in 1979 she and the coven relocated in the san francisco bay area. budapest opened the women s spirituality forum, which gave dianic wicca a public outreach. among her many books are the holy book of women s mysteries (1979) and the grandmother of time (1989. sources: budapest, zsuzsanna e. the feminist book of lights and shadows. venice

of gabriel and the organization s own teachings and instructional material. encyclopedia of occultism& parapsychology. 5th ed. children of light 277 sources: children of light. http//www.childrenoflight.com. june 10, 2000. children of the night organization for mature and discriminating afficionados of the vampire genre in art, cinema, literature, and mythology. membership included nine issues of the coven journal of stories, poems, artwork, and film and book reviews and a pen pal network. last known address: c/o thomas j. strauch, 9200 s. avers ave, evergreen park, il 60602. childs, edward (ca. 1869) early english private medium, introduced to spiritualism by mrs. thomas everitt. childs reportedly demonstrated direct voice and direct writing phenomena and played musical instruments withou

ast asia and while there may have learned of the so-called moon lodges, masonic groups that met monthly according to the lunar calendar. modern wicca is built around small intimate groups of ten to twenty people (covens) who gather in a culture that is either secular or follows another faith. while several covens may father for the solar festivals (sabbats) to celebrate together, the real work of the coven is done in its esbats. common to all wiccans is the full moon esbats. it is at these meetings that one develops their psychic powers, learns to do magic, and focuses the spiritual life. most covens also meet at the new moon. new moon rituals tend to be for personal growth, healing, and the initiation of new ventures. these tend to be the most intimate meetings of the coven and rarely are

he initiation of new ventures. these tend to be the most intimate meetings of the coven and rarely are outsiders admitted. full moon rituals are for the working of magic, banishing of unwanted influences, and assistance for those in need. central to the esbat is the ritual act of drawing down the moon, magically raising a whirlwind of power and symbolically drawing it into the circle within which the coven meets, as the energy is released, each member feels an empowerment for their life. sources: ravenwolf, silver. to ride a silver broomstick: new generation witchcraft. st. paul, minn: llewellyn publications, 1995. valiente, doreen. the abc of witchcraft past and present. new york: st. martin s press, 1973. esdaile, james (1808.1859) scottish surgeon and mesmerist. esdaile was born februar

raining she met stewart farrar (1916.2000, and though he was more than 30 years her senior, they formed a working relationship as priest and priestess. in the wiccan faith, as developed by gerald b. gardner and expounded by sanders, women play a dominant role, with the priestess taking the lead in the annual cycle of esbats and sabbat rituals. in spite of sanders charisma, all was not well within the coven and early in 1971 the sanderses were to separate. in december of 1970, owen and farrar left and formed their own coven. their relationship grew closer and in 1974 they were handfasted (marriage in the wiccan world) and officially married the next year. meanwhile, farrar, who had worked as a journalist, left his job and launched a successful career as an author. in 1976 the farrars relinq

agnosticism that had dominated his life, he found himself attracted to the new faith and in 1970 was initiated. assisting his conversion was the research required for his next book, what witches do, a basic volume describing alexandrian wicca. despite its repeating many elements of sanders fictional biography concerning his own wiccan accomplishments, the book attracted many to the craft. once in the coven, farrar met janet owen (1950, another new initiate, and after eight months of training they left sanders and formed their own coven. they functioned as priest and priestess for several years and were finally handfasted (married) in 1974. two years later they moved to ireland, farrar having returned to his work as a freelance author. through the mid- and late 1970s he wrote a series of oc

to found the gardnerian movement in the united states. gardner died at sea on february 12, 1964. after his death the contents of the museum were sold to ripley s believe it or not and were subsequently disbursed to various ripley s museums and sold to private collectors. gardner s form of witchcraft was based on a polytheism centered on the great mother goddess and her consort, the horned god. in the coven, the basic organizational and worshiping group of the movement, the two deities are symbolized by the priestess and priest. the priestess has clear dominance, and the lineage of authority is passed through her. the ritual is in three degrees, gardner having assembled ritual elements from a variety of sources. much of the third degree is taken from the writings of aleister crowley. as gar

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 2

approximation of typ- new thought encyclopedia of occultism& parapsychology. 5th ed. 1116 ical practice. there is a degree of variation from coven (small worshipping group) to coven. traditionally, gardnerians worship in the nude, but many new wiccan coven dress for rituals. there are annual dues for members and each coven may ask for an additional fee to cover the small costs involved in running the coven. however, no fees may be charged for initiating anyone into the craft or for the performance of an act of magic. church members are very active in the larger wiccan community, especially with the covens of the covenant of the goddess. most new wiccan covens are found in the western united states. headquarters are at box 162046, sacramento, ca 95816. information about the group can be fou

. this return occurs through gnosis, occult wisdom. sloane taught that this gnostic form of satanism was the oldest religion, dating to the worship of the horned god pictured in the ancient cave paintings of europe. as developed by sloane, the religion emerged in the context of the neo-pagan revival of the late 1960s. it differed from wicca by refusing to turn the horned god into a fertility god. the coven dissolved following sloane s death in the early 1980s. ouroboros (or uroboros) ancient greek alchemical symbol of a serpent eating his tail. the mystical work the chrysopoeia of kleopatra has a drawing of the serpent ouroboros eating his tail, with the text one is all. another emblem illustrates the symbols of gold, silver, and mercury enclosed in two concentric circles with the text one

te who must ask for initiation; it is not offered, or even suggested. just asking for an initiation does not guarantee that the request is granted; one or more teachers may refuse. it may take some years before all on the committee agree that the candidate is ready. if the candidate works in a coven, they usually are simultaneously initiated into the craft and that coven, and any initiates within the coven are invited to be part of the initiation whether they were the candidate s teachers or not. reclaiming initiations are customized to the individual seeker. first, the initiators give challenges to the candidate. the candidate must accept the challenges from each initiators and fulfill them to everyone s satisfaction before the actual ceremony takes place. each initiator creates these cha

agricultural communities, though most modern pagans are urban dwellers. in the rituals, while some recognition of their past significance is still noted, the sabbats have been reinterpreted as occasions for personal magic and reformation and the veneration of the deities. as distinct from the eight major sabbats, witchcraft covens also hold a bi-monthly esbat at each new and full moon. these are the coven s regular meetings for its ongoing magical work and group worship (see also litanies of the sabbat) sources: ravenwolf, silver. to ride a silver broomstick: new generation witchcraft. st. paul, minn: llewellyn publications, 1995. valiente, doreen. the abc of witchcraft past and present. new york: st. martin s press, 1973. sabbathi this angel, in the jewish rabbinical legend of the celest

y a transcendent god. attunement of the self to natural cycles through seasonal rituals is wicca s central public religious practice. wicca as a religion has no central authority nor organization, although various umbrella groups such as the covenant of the goddess in north america and the pagan federation in the united kingdom include many individuals and groups. the primary organization remains the coven, ideally numbering thirteen persons but in actuality often comprised of fewer. because of wicca s rapid growth, however, some adherents now seek more formal organizational plans and credentialing of leaders (priests and priestesses, a trend resisted by those witches who hold individual and small-group practice and experience to be primary. wiccans often identify with a particular traditi

. in 1954 his nonfiction book witchcraft today was published, which he wrote in the voice of a sympathetic outsider describing the modern continuation of an ancient fertility religion. margaret murray supplied an approving introduction. subsequent research suggests that it is more likely that gardner and a female companion whose craft name was dafo, plus possibly other individuals, actually began the coven. they drew inspiration for their practices from ceremonial magic, from classical pagan religions, and from british folklore. what gardner in 1954 described as wica or cult of the wise people contained no crucifixes, inverted or otherwise, no sermons, mock or otherwise, and no absolution or [eucharistic] hosts save for the cake and wine. there is no praise or homage to the devil, no litur

FREEMASONS SATANISM AND SYMBOLISM

hing and masonic supply company, inc, richmond, virginia, p. 48; emphasis added] once the mason learns to control his emotion and to apply the "dynamo of living power" the mason can be assured of being able to control the "seething energies of lucifer" in his hands. he makes the admission that masonry is the craft, which is an old name for witchcraft. satanists are assured that, if they will join the coven and learn the craft, he will control the supernatural power of satan, just as manly p. hall promises here. as you can see, they have exposed themselves. powerful proof that freemasonry is satanism. the language is direct and clear. it is not cluttered with deliberately confusing arcane language that only an insider can understand. further, note that hall and reynold e. blight are 33rd de

HUEBNER LOUISE WITCHCRAFT FOR ALL WICCA 04

ow, too limited, and probably not enough anyway. none of the witches i know are poor, but most are very extravagant. all of us would probably be much better off financially, if we weren't so wild and impractical when it comes to money matters. people often say "you should be extremely well-off because you do magic" yes, a witch can be rich, and many are, if that is the way they are concentrating. the coven in our area is just a loosely associated group. judging from the mail i receive, i'd say there is at least one person in every community who practises witchcraft. people in every walk of life are witches and wizards. there is a difference, by the way, between wizards and warlocks. a warlock is generally an effeminate male who has a great interest in witchcraft. he never has much success

LEWIS JAMES SATANISM TODAY AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION FOLKLORE AND POPULAR CULTURE

l body. everyone will complete this evolution, and the purpose of the fraternity is to help people to speed this process, through a set of lessons and involvement in ritual practice. among the teachings of the fraternity is a course of philosophy in two levels, after which the neophytes can be accepted into either the order of the holy grail, which offers courses in a celtic approach to magic, or the coven of diana, which explores witchcraft, mysticism, and moon magic. after completing one of these courses, the initiate may apply for full membership through the order of the golden sword. at the beginning members, who must abstain from the use of illegal drugs, are supposed to attend a twentylesson series in ritual magic. members, who become gradually involved in a series of rituals, are in

LUCIFERIAN SORCERY

arious aspects of magickal systems which have proven to work, thus enabling the student with a force of fire and strength of spirit! utilizing many left hand path techniques and modern grimoire formats of transmitting lore of the daemon, is finally the luciferian path available to all who hold the strength of the illuminated soul! it is essential that the independent practitioner of the craft, or the coven initate is able to bring forth the mind set which activates the individual path to shaitan, the embrace of the opposer and the union of lilith. it is through these ceremonial and dreaming aspects of uniting the dayside with the nightside that the practitioner is able to achieve gnosis. the individual is initiated by the mothering/fathering coven to receive the power of the current into t

LUCIFERIAN WITCHCRAFT THE MYSTERY REVEALED

darker, more hidden elements of the left hand path. coven nachttoter has announced the formation of the order of phosphorus, a luciferian group based on a wide variety of traditions which allow the individual a multitude of choices to develop his/her will to its fullest potential. the foundation of toph and coven nachttoter is luciferian magick, and the luciferic witchcraft tradition developed by the coven. taken from elements of gardnerian and medieval witchcraft, influences of thelemic magick, austin osman spare, chaos sorcery and other avenues, toph intend to move magickal initiation into new areas of science and folklore. this is the primary tool of the order, working with phi brainwave patterns to control ones own initiation into the mysteries. systems are very important to the order

MASTERING WITCHCRAFT

mind the fate o' the laird troughenramastering witchcraft by paul huson proudly brought to you by toc mastering witchcraft by paul huson a practical guide for witches, warlocks and covens contents: book cover (front (back) scan/ edit notes foreword introduction 1- first steps 2- preliminary preparations 3- divination 4- spells for lovers 5- counter magic and protection 6- vengeance and attack 7- the coven and how to form one appendix 1- the planetary hours appendix 2- glossary of witch words and terms bibliography (removed) scan/ edit notes format: v1.5 (pdf- no security) genera: wiccan/ witchcraft extra's: pictures included copyright: 1970/ 1972 first scanned: august/ 12/ 2002 foreword in the circle of firelight which we are pleased to call an enlightened scientific civilization, we usua

e more useful works at the end of this book in the bibliography. 1- first steps the powers and their attainment having read the preceding pages, you now may be ready to take your first step, your initial, practical commitment to the way of witchcraft. for your first step, it will be sufficient for you to make a token gesture. the traditional initiation rites we defer to chapter 7; it is entitled "the coven and how to form one" here and now it will be sufficient for you to make a symbolic gesture which will ceremonially demonstrate your severance from old restraints and inhibitions that in the past have acted as the main obstacles to the development of the powers within you. basically, these restraints can be symbolized as the yoke imposed by such established systems of irrational thought a

again enters its full spate, and so the cycle recommences. to farmers and those whose work is subject to the seasons the ebb and flow of the solar tide is, of course, second nature, for it influences the entire life cycle of all that grove upon the earth. but for witches, it is observed chiefly in coven activities directed at drawing down elemental group power, hence the timing of their sabbats. the coven is seen to consist of a group mind which needs to be periodically recharged with power. this belief they hold in common with many organized religious cults, which is one of the reasons why the witch festivals often coincide with christian or druidic holy days. when you organize your own coven, you should be fully aware of the import of the various sabbats, as will be explained in the las

hem in their own witch name, like any other magical tool, when they finish (for instructions on general exorcisms by fire and water as well as magical "charging" see further on in this chapter) the bracelet: this is usually made of copper or silver an is worn by witches of either sex, again as a form of identity sign. however, unlike the necklace, it is engraved with the witch name of the bearer, the coven symbol (which is often an animal such as an owl, cat, or serpent, and his rank in it. there are usually only two "degrees" of rank, that of the triangle and the more advanced one of the pentacle. if male, the leader of the coven is sometimes known as the magister or master, the female as the high priestess. these are generally honorary ranks and titles, however, and simply indicate senio

are usually only two "degrees" of rank, that of the triangle and the more advanced one of the pentacle. if male, the leader of the coven is sometimes known as the magister or master, the female as the high priestess. these are generally honorary ranks and titles, however, and simply indicate seniority of membership for the most part. very occasionally are they indications of power (see chapter 7 "the coven and how to form one" for more on this) sometimes coven members will wear the bracelet to signify the triangle, and the garter, the pentacle grade. should you not belong to a properly formed coven, your name in witch runes will be all you need to have, plus any other amuletic symbols of good luck you may choose, such as your zodiac birth sign and planet. similar to the bracelet are the ri

complement of participants to act as energy donors. the best time for practising necromancy, however, is when the solar power is waning to its lowest ebb between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice; this fact is made use of in the traditional witch festival, halloween, wherein necromancy is employed. this is, of course, the feast of the dead, one of the four great sabbats (see chapter 7 "the coven and how to form one" for more on this) however, complications aside, necromancy is one of the more spectacular of magical operations when successful, and if a legitimate motivation impels a witch to have recourse to it, and she maintains a serious, respectful, and considered attitude toward the operation, then chances of success are high. there are two types of motive which make the oper

e them their more correct title. magistellus is latin for "little master" and the word is often used by witches strangely enough to designate one of their small, magical servants. the term "familiar" is one coined by the ecclesiastical authorities during the persecutions, implying merely an intimate friend or servant. basically, there are three types of magistellus. there is that which is used as the coven "totem" animal, mentioned earlier in connection with the symbolism of the witch bracelet. this symbolic animal form is decided upon at the formation of a coven by mutual agreement among the members and after much introspection and divination. the chosen totemic animal form or forms, for there may be several, is then ritually "assumed" by coven members during the chain dance at the sabbat

d maybe or a large black cat. part of this witchlore may have filtered out in the past and now be responsible for the common public beliefs about lucky or unlucky black cats crossing one's path, and so on. the second type of magistellus in a witch's repertoire is simply the aforementioned pet animal with whom one enters into an emotional rapport. should the animal be of the same species as one of the coven totems, then of course it takes on an added witchly significance. if you own a pet you may wish to make use of it as a power object. by charging it with a curse or blessing, as the case may be, specifically directed at someone, that person on coming into contact with the animal will discharge the spell and receive the full impact. be wary of your witch friends' cats or dogs- be sure you

indulge in the luxury of enjoying attack in person, so to speak, by formulating his witch power into a definite "shape" and then transferring his consciousness to it. the shape is then sent forth to accomplish the witch's will. the shape, fetch, or wraith is often animal in form, the type being dictated either by analogy with the ensouling emotion of the projector or, on occasions, being that of the coven totem. this process of "sending forth the fetch" is identical to that of present-day practices of astral, or etheric, projection. the fetch itself may be perceived with the inner vision of the victim or, on very rare occasions, with his physical eyes should he or the antagonist be in any way a "materializing medium" this is the basis for the legends of the werewolf and the vampire. both

etiana- poisonous) twilight sleep (henbane- hyoscyamus niger- poisonous) devil's apple (jimson weed, thornapple, devil's trumpet- datura stramonium- poisonous) mark of gain (hemlock- conium maculatum- poisonous) the last seven may be traditionally magical herbs, but they also happen to partake of the nature of powerful vegetable drugs. again, as in the instance of the mars variety, be careful. 7- the coven and how to form one as regards environment, whenever you wish to perform an operation of witchcraft solo, all you basically need is a corner of your own home, the only prerequisite being privacy and a modicum of soundproofing. the latter is required not so much as a precaution against the neighbour's objecting to your noise, but rather as a further aid to the discarding of inhibitions, w

oes not necessarily imply a rigid fanaticism among the members but rather abilities first to bring the mind to bear upon a problem, and second to let the imagination loose within certain limits. in fact, the members must all be fully, and practically, conversant with the four powers of the witches' pyramid. the more magically powerful are the individuals belonging to a coven, the more potent does the coven become as an entity. and it does become an entity. if enough pyramid power is brought to it and tied in place by sufficient emotional rapport among the members, witches believe that a pool or vortex of magical energy begins to form, which, if sustained by regular performance of a ritual, not only becomes an "energy bank" upon which the comprising members can draw to supplement their pers

on of most occult groups that require secrecy from their members. the rituals and symbols special to a group such as this are kept from the eyes of "cowans" or the uninitiated, not so much for fear of the powers supposedly conferred being abused, but because, by meddling with the "triggering devices" involved in the symbolism, such outsiders set to naught all the careful work involved in building the coven entity. this is particularly the case should the intruder be of a hostile or sceptical turn of mind. the total number of members to a coven is traditionally limited to anywhere up to thirteen, inclusive of the leaders. should the full complement of three leaders be present, that makes ten other members possible. whenever the number of members grows to exceed that, a new coven is formed

inning, midpoint, and end of the seasons, the ebb and flow of the elemental tides. so if and when you form your own coven, always bear in mind that, first, sabbats are a time of renewal of friendship and elemental power; and, second, sabbats are a time of enjoyment. the actual details of establishing your own coven can be considered under the following seven headings: 1. the nature of your coven- the coven "logo" totems, and general symbolism. 2. your coven hierarchy, if any. 3. your initiation ritual (or rituals if you establish a coven hierarchy) making use of coven symbolism. 4. a binding oath of secrecy imposed upon all members on admission to the coven, fortified with the additional threat of magical reprisals. this is usually facilitated by the candidate surrendering certain object l

ir, et cetera. 5. the taking of a magical coven name. this may be the same or in addition to the witch name initially assumed for solo practice. 6. the actual witch insignia to be worn, such as pendant, ring, bracelet, necklace, or garter. 7. a ritual or rituals to be performed on any of the eight sabbats you care to celebrate, again involving considerable use of coven symbolism. what you do with the coven after you have established the preceding seven points is entirely up to you and the other members. some covens concentrate on attempting to heal the sick, others specialize in necromancy, but the general goal is one of knowledge and power. in further pursuit of the latter, a few groups try to bring their powers to bear on political matters, singling out individuals who stand high in publ

up being dictated by the leader or leaders at the head. these people were usually held to be stronger, wiser, or merely older than the rest of the group, and maintained a position of authority until such a time as either they had it challenged from below or they themselves handed it on to a successor in due course. some witches believe, mistakenly, i feel, that at one time the periodical death of the coven leader was demanded, thus forcibly ending his term of office. this was considered a magical sacrifice, a renewal of power for the rest of the coven; a recharging of the coven entity, in fact. whether this form of sacrifice was, in fact, ever indulged in by witches is a moot point. it is certainly a practice common to many primitive societies. the witch god and witch goddess it seems, how

er is known as the high priest, the female as high priestess. on the other hand, in those which stress the knowledge and power aspect, the male is known as the magister, grand master, or "devil (meaning "little god) and the female as the lady or queen of the sabbat. the second male, known as the "officer "executor" or "summoner" is he who relays the requests of the magister or lady to the rest of the coven membership. he is the go-between and lieutenant of the leader or leaders, and traditionally he wore black from head to foot to designate his rank. hence his old title "the man in black" occasionally, in medieval france, he was dressed in green and named "verdelet" his badge of office was a pilgrim's crutch or blackthorn staff, whence derived another of his titles "black rod" it was the s

ant of the leader or leaders, and traditionally he wore black from head to foot to designate his rank. hence his old title "the man in black" occasionally, in medieval france, he was dressed in green and named "verdelet" his badge of office was a pilgrim's crutch or blackthorn staff, whence derived another of his titles "black rod" it was the summoner's job to attend to the mundane functioning of the coven, the membership dues if any, and the passing out of information to the members about time and place of the next sabbat, what to wear, what food to bring and so on. in the absence of the magister, the summoner could and would frequently lead the coven. in those covens which concentrate on knowledge and power, the lady or high priestess holds little or no executive power. she sits at the m

he other hand, in the goddess-oriented covens, the high priestess is definitely leader, the high priest being merely her consort. the magister may wear furs or pelts, a robe, or nothing at all, depending on the variety of coven he leads. upon his head he may wear the traditional shamanic horned helmet, rather like that of a viking warrior, or a mask covering his whole head and representing one of the coven's totem animals, be it goat, ram, horse, cat, or whatever. or he may don a metal helmet which covers his entire head (hence the old comic epithet for the magister "old brazen nose) he will naturally wear any witch jewels he possesses, also. the lady or high priestess, on the other hand, may life-wise wear a robe or nothing at all, depending on the type coven she belongs to. the robes can

s ideal for this purpose. witch jewels should be worn, and members should bring their athames and wands for participation in the group rituals. in the old days swords would be brought if the participants were gentry or nobility, or pitchforks if they were peasants. the wands or riding poles were, however, generally disguised as broomsticks. the athames and wands are the modern substitutes. during the coven meeting itself, whether it be formal sabbat or informal esbat, the magister and lady may be known by any of the following titles, apart from their own coven names. these are some of the traditional names for the various witch spirits you already know about, whether they be held to be independent entities or aspects of a single divine pair, a god and goddess. the coven leaders are seen as

the same. morgan or morrigan. celtic names for goddess seen a lady of death, variant of classical hecate. also king arthur's half-elven sister. brigid or bride. a celtic mother goddess. astarte or ishtar. mesopotamian goddess of love. bride of adonis-tammuz. the virgin or maiden. referring to perephone, the greek underworld goddess. should the lady or high priestess have a daughter present within the coven, the latter title of "maiden" is sometimes conferred on her. let me reiterate: the titles bestowed upon the leaders vary considerably from coven to coven, depending on the approach adopted, dianic or druidic, celtic or cabalistic, robed or sky clad. in one you may find it is the magister or lord of misrule who holds sway, in another the high priestess or queen of elfhame. and likewise, w

e who holds sway, in another the high priestess or queen of elfhame. and likewise, when you wish to consider forming your own coven, the choice of leadership, who, how, and in what manner, remains, as it always has done in the past, entirely your own. your initiation ritual your initiation ritual will mark the ceremonial request for admission and consequent acceptance of a prospective member into the coven. as such, it is a type of ritual common to all secret societies, and indeed most of them generally have many elements in common. the magical reasons behind such a ritual are those of acceptance of the individual into the coven group mind. inasmuch as the candidate's individual interests fit into harmonious rapport with the aims and ideals inherent in the coven, so in the same measure wil

MICHAEL FORD WITCHMOON

nd hungary have significant folklore as well, hungary being connected with the bathory family. countess bathory added fuel to the fire of vampire mania in europe by being caught indulging in her blood lust, killing and bathing in the blood of over 560 girls. 10 10 romania adds yet more strength to the vampire lore with its colorful races of vampires, being varcolaci (of which coven nachttoter and the coven maleficia derived inspiration, dracul, strigoi and moroii. varcolaci is a romanian vampire spirit. this particular vampire spirit is generally a living individual, going forth in a presumably normal life. in the night however this vampire would physically enter sleep and its spirit would rise as what was called varcolaci. the undead spirit is able to rise towards the night sky, in the fo

r years. he had then also admitted to killing and sorcery. it was also found out that his daughter had assisted her father along with his mistress katherine trompin. their judgments were passed october 28th, 1589 in such manner. stubbe peeter was tied to a rack and torn apart limb from limb on october 31st 1589. his daughter and mistress we later burnt at the stake the same day" it is the goal of the coven maleficia (7) to not condone violence or harm to others, but to present the choice of shadow exploration and individual understanding and power. there is no seeking of members, as they are few and hidden, like the dream of blue ice which forms on the windows on a cold night. there is no set temple, beyond the individuals who practice upon their own will and desire. the result of the misu

to understand the symbolism which represents knowledge and wisdom. the devils mark is but a glyph of what is considered awakening or the emergence of the primal atavism, and its opposite being the serpent. the serpent, as represented throughout history means wisdom and awakening, while to christians is normally a symbol of evil. the osculum infame should be practiced as either solitary or within the coven you are to join. it is essential and imperative that one is also knowledgeable and strong enough to choose his or her coven in a business like, intelligent manner. do not join simply because it is the only one in your area, or because you like one of the members. please in all manners and means focus on the core of the coven, what the skeleton represents. many simply seek fleshly pleasur

ase of information. the energies available are balanced positive and negative, thus eminently suited for growth. the renewed tradition now opens doors to the mind unknown for thousands of years. we are relinked with the 82 82 sorcerers of babylon and egypt, who passed on the cups of witch blood to those psychically connected or of lineal descent. rites on the equinox should be employed to benefit the coven or individual witch, so that balance is achieved. these goals have plentiful magickal energy to employ, will and athame- the cause of change and passion! approach the equinox with the witches rune and, according to your atavistic desires and ancient gnosis of memories, explore and rejoice! this rite sees a change of emphasis from the life giving sun to the height of the moon in it's deat

. the individual shall move through the dual ecstasies to work with both shadow and light. this is the development of the bestial and angelic familiar; the holy guardian angel and evil genius-congressus cum daemone. five: this is the initiation by magickal retirement for a period, from which one observes sethian isolation and the various aspects of self. the initiate shall receive instructions of the coven, and may then seek the discarnate who reside in the lands of the gast for selfintrospection. six: the infernal induction. the initiate shall embrace the daemonic essence and enjoy the pleasures of the earth. the initiate shall for a period chosen by the coven, become an avatar for a specific associate god or goddess form of the higher famulus/angel/demon. seven: this is the path of over

notice your strength and ability on the astral plane shall be increased. with this increased ability you can contact or assume the spirit of black eagle, for which there always is a price. those who have contacted this elemental shall know of which i speak. the unspoken is here. know thyself! 144 144 the witches sabbat doctrine and the darkside spheres of the qlipoth in my personal workings with the coven maleficia- which consisted of my wife, soror davcina (elda isela ford) and at one time two other individuals- our undertakings were based on the path workings which led me to qlipothic elementals. these entities could and did provide knowledge and inspiration concerning the sorceries of which they were born. many of these elementals within the qlipoth already existed in a previous form w

g the spirit of a certain beast would dress in the skins of that which they would invoke. such invocations would be conducted in which the sorcerer would anoint his body, decorate it in paints with numerous sigils and then don the skin. to this would be added ferocious and high strung dancing, to induce the gnosis wished. 7. an occult research group whose magickal affiliations remain independent. the coven maleficia was formed in houston, texas in late 1996 by michael ford. in 1997 michael was based in indianapolis again during which workings were undertaken which involved ceremonial magick practice, the ritual of the bornless one to contact ones holy guardian angel, astral travel and dream projection, vampiric and lycanthropic sorcery, qlipothic workings and later ghost research. the cove

, many of which appear on the internet. the art must be viewed in order to understand the concepts. 8. aleister crowley and the hidden god and nightside of eden by kenneth grant. skoob publishing. 9. the desert of set is the abyss, the dwelling of choronzon whose number is 333. the demonic force can be useful in workings of da ath 10. an early associate of coven nachttoter before the formation of the coven maleficia who used art as a channeling point for qlipothic forces. 11. liber 49 by jack parsons and the vision and the voice by aleister crowley. 12. see chapter five. 13. a rite of protection, unpublished. chapter three 1. the devil or baphomet. 2. atavistic resurgence is the recalling of a past ancestral quality, or an obtained one with the karma of another animal. such atavisms appear

NAGEL CARL AMAZING SECRETS OF OCCULT POWER

fortune beyond your wildest dreams. i should know. i have used them to win gold sovereigns, clothes, cameras, and over $10,000 in lotteries and contests and you can do the same. contents introduction secrets of witchcraft secrets of money magic secrets of sex magic secrets of the cabala secrets of the spirit world< you can work magic 1: the witching circle the gray man what witches do welcome to the coven anyone can be a witch the circle of protection the sign of the elder gods love and witchcraft the black pullet the magic of herbs the children of the night the fear of witchcraft witchcraft made easy be your own secret coven 2: you can awaken your magic power the ritual that will awaken your fiery serpent physical sensations of occult power seeing your invisible power how to invoke the s

s in the night sky above a wooded hollow. a naked young girl lays outstretched on an altar, her loose blond hair rippling over her shoulders and across the cold altar stones. her pale flesh bathed in the glow of the full moon above. her breasts rise and fall to the fear inside her, as hooded figures draw close to the altar and a low-pitched chant begins to fill the night air. standing before her, the coven master takes up the chant as, with head bowed, an assistant hands him the sacrificial knife, its blade shining in the silver moonlight. from out of the darkened wood another figure appears leading a goat that he takes to the side of the altar as the priest begins his litany. he calls out a list of demonic names and to them he addresses his earnest plea for them to bear witness to what is

we beseech thee! we are gathered here in thy honor, o great god, baal! we offer unto thee the body of the virgin, so that we may live eternally in the darkness of thy womb" then, with knife raised high, he walks slowly towards the goat and with quick, neat thrust slits its throat. an expectant hush falls as three hooded figures step forward to catch the blood in a golden chalice and pass it round the coven, each of whom takes a sip, then bows his head. finally it is the coven master s turn. he raises the chalice, drinks part of its contents and uses the still-warm blood to draw numerous occult symbols on the belly of the naked girl. an excited wail rises up from the coven, and is quickly stilled. and so begins a typical witchcraft ceremony. or perhaps i should say hollywood's idea of a typ

to read aleister crowley s magick in theory and practice; but it was written in such a convoluted manner that it was, to me, almost like trying to read latin without ever having learned the language. as a consequence, i began forming my own spells and rituals based on occult tradition. black magic, sex magic, mind power and, of course, witchcraft. what witches do the cornerstone of witchcraft is the coven. a coven is just a fancy name for a group of people who like to get together every so often, take all their clothes off, and dance about in a circle, in the open air. it is lead by a coven master. the purpose of the coven is to build magical energy amongst its members to achieve the coven's common objectives, such as ensuring that there is a full moon every month and that summer returns

heir devotion to the moon goddess diana, and the goat-footed god of fertility, pan, indulging in drink, laughter, love, and song. the more interesting covens, on the other hand, indulge in an orgy of< wickedness where all the instincts are given free reign. the dark forces, pleased by the perversions performed for them, then pursue obtaining the tasks asked of them by the participants. welcome to the coven there are various forms of secret initiation ceremonies depending on the type of coven one seeks to join. in most instances the initiate is a woman; though, in some cases a man will be initiated into the coven. the coven master enters the room and draws a magic circle on the floor. the spirits of the north are called upon to witness the ceremony with the words, i summon, serve, and call

on the floor. the spirits of the north are called upon to witness the ceremony with the words, i summon, serve, and call ye up mighty ones of the north to guard the circle and to witness our rites. the initiate is led naked to the center of the circle with her hands tied behind her back, and blindfolded. at the center of the circle she repeats a solemn vow, then she is presented to each member of the coven who greet her with a kiss. next she is introduced to the spirits of the four cardinal points. she then kneels in the center of the circle and repeats another vow. she is asked what she most desires, and answers to serve the old ones. finally she is asked if she realizes that before she can be accepted her body must first be purified, and answers i do. she is then whipped forty times acro

st desires, and answers to serve the old ones. finally she is asked if she realizes that before she can be accepted her body must first be purified, and answers i do. she is then whipped forty times across the quivering flesh of her naked behind. the blindfold is removed with the words, so be it. her bonds are removed with the words, now you are free. once again she is presented to each member of the coven who greet her with a kiss. the coven is now free to spend the evening in whatever way they wish. anyone can be a witch contrary to popular belief not all witches belong to covens. i certainly don t, though i do live in close proximity to an area of parkland once used by a coven to hold its meetings during the second world war. many work alone and with just as good results using the magic

weet smelling, constantly burning incense. red and black drapes hang from the walls and an altar to the spirits of lasciviousness and sensuality is placed toward the north. its chief ornament is a well-oiled artificial phallus of marble or wood, tall black candles and a chalice. beside it is a small whip. if the ceremony is an all-night affair, sensuous music is played to heighten the atmosphere. the coven master wears a red robe and the others black cloaks to cover their nakedness, their faces hidden behind small black domino masks. as the ceremony begins the coven renounces all other religions, vows to serve the dark forces, and pledges to keep its activities secret. sexual offerings are made to the dark spirits attracted to the ceremony. the coven removes their masks and cloaks, and tur

es all other religions, vows to serve the dark forces, and pledges to keep its activities secret. sexual offerings are made to the dark spirits attracted to the ceremony. the coven removes their masks and cloaks, and turns their attentions to the gratification of the senses. each member is encouraged to indulge in his or her own perversions to ensure the excitement reaches a fever pitch. and when the coven master considers the orgy of wickedness is reaching a climax of excitement, he begins to work the magic, harnessing the sexual energy liberated by the lowering of inhibitions. once the initial ceremony is completed, a queen of the night (usually a recently initiated member of the coven) is elected to satisfy the sexual demands of the coven master. she is carried to the altar, laid down a

excitement, he begins to work the magic, harnessing the sexual energy liberated by the lowering of inhibitions. once the initial ceremony is completed, a queen of the night (usually a recently initiated member of the coven) is elected to satisfy the sexual demands of the coven master. she is carried to the altar, laid down and surrounded by black candles, and worshipped by the more virile men of the coven. she is stroked, kissed and otherwise stimulated until her passions are aroused. only then is she brought before the coven master who copulates with her, until he is exhausted. the mark of the beast aleister crowley, an infamous black magician of the 1920s, was< dubbed by the daily express the wickedest man who ever lived and came to believe that he was the biblical beast of the revelati

ank you letter #10 the magic of goetia has worked unbelievable miracles for me. it is indeed a true source of occult power. i mostly gain money from the magic, i ve been winning lotteries etc. so i just wanted to let you know that i ve been having lots of luck thanks to you. signed: gordon r, england, july 1992. occult power points in this book, you ve discovered: the cornerstone of witchcraft is the coven. it is lead by a coven master. the purpose of the coven is to build magic power amongst its members to achieve the coven's common objectives. covens hold great feasts on certain nights each year. special nights on which white witches gather to celebrate their devotion to the moon goddess diana, and the goat-footed god of fertility, pan, indulging in drink, laughter, love, and song. the m

sting covens indulge in an orgy of wickedness where all the instincts are given free reign. there are various forms of secret initiation ceremonies depending on the type of coven one seeks to join. the initiate is led naked to the center of the circle with her hands tied behind her back, and blindfolded. at the center of the circle she repeats a solemn vow, then she is presented to each member of the coven who greet her with a kiss. contrary to popular belief not all witches belong to covens. many work alone and with just as good results using the magic power of witchcraft as if they were working with a group. using this magical power is simplicity itself. the warlock of the middle ages, desiring to arouse love and passion, was required to make a figure of wax to represent the woman whose

PHOSPHORUS

the liking of the initiate. this chaos grimoire is essential in a balanced study of magick from different perspectives and ideas. for those who are not interested in lengthy essays, but rather express their own self-work in the form of art (painting, drawing, ect) or music (original recordings) may submit copies (do not send originals unless for talismanic purposes) to the magistra or magister of the coven. find a medium suitable that may present your obtainment through the cunning arte. in summary, you must be able to described and positively present the following structure of the grade, thus embodying the elements of the grade system7 -study of lucifer, how this spirit relates to self and how it becomes a focus point of the initiates life -lilith-hecate, how this spirit relates to the se

RUBY TABLET OF SET

ould be included in the handbook. in many cases the chaplain is as likely to encounter members of another similar group as the one chosen to typify a set of groups. there are, for example, a number of different zen buddhist groups, the zen center of rochester and its affiliated centers being but one example. there are any number of wiccan covens not affiliated with the gardnerians, the largest of the coven networks. fortunately there are seven authoritative resources which provide regularly updated material on a wide variety of religious groups which can be used to extend the value of and supplement the material in this handbook. they include. hill, samuel (ed, handbook of denominations in the u.s. nashville, tn: abingdon press, annual edition. melton, j. gordon, encyclopedia of american r

es direct their initiates' attention toward acknowledging the separate presence of the self if the institution is not of the forum and questing type. it is better for the leader that their followers do not think for themselves, primarily because of the loss of financial backing and power, but even more to the point that the use of grey cells encourages comparison and analysis. in such a situation the coven leader is no better than his christian counterpart. hermann hesse saw this in siddhartha: slowly the thinker went on his way and asked himself: what is it that you wanted to learn from teachings and teachers, and although they taught you much, what was it they could not teach you? and he thought: it was the self, the character and nature of which i wished to learn. i wanted to rid myself

SCHLAGER NEIL WORLD RELIGIONS REFERENCE LIBRARY

named dorothy clutterbuck (1880 1951, who ran a small coven (gardner later claimed that he learned his witchcraft tradition from a coven that had a deep historical tradition, and that his writings were thus handed down from generation to generation. clutterbuck s small coven, however, was one with world religions: biographies 139 gerald brousseau gardner recent roots only) once he was a member of the coven, gardner began to study witchcraft ritual with the intent to publish a book. england still possessed laws against witchcraft at the time, however, so he wrote the 1949 novel high magic s aid using the false name of scire. though fiction, this book revealed much about witchcraft. some of the material came from gardner s association with aleister crowley (1875 1947, one of the more famous

on may 1, lughnasadh on august 1, and samhain on november 1. this celebration calendar, also called the wheel of the year, is used by most neo-pagan groups in the early twenty-first century. gardner developed rituals to accompany each of these holy days and for each degree of initiation into wicca. one major ritual of the gardnerian tradition is called drawing down the moon. the high priestess of the coven enters a trance and becomes the goddess, who is symbolized by the moon. the high priest of the coven calls on, or draws down, the goddess into the high priestess. wiccans generally celebrate inside a magic circle, holding hands and saying prayers to the goddess and god. in the gardnerian tradition, such ceremonies are conducted in the nude. a pentagram, or five-pointed star, is the gener

y to get and hold jobs and run businesses. for this reason, many tended to keep their beliefs private. wiccans acknowledge that in the twenty-first century non-wiccans have become more tolerant because of growing public awareness that wiccans are not worshipers of satan or of evil. wiccans believe that the ideal number of persons in a coven is thirteen. when the number grows larger than thirteen, the coven splits, or hives, into two or more covens. the covens remain associated as a larger unit called a grove. wiccan wedding ceremonies are referred to most commonly as handfastings. some wiccans adhere to an ancient celtic practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day. consider the following. some people, including government officials and the court system, have not regarded wicca as a r

SZYMANSKI GREG SEARCHING FOR THE ILLUMINATI DEEP WITHIN THE BOWELS OF THE VATICAN

enlightenment, or illumination, which is how they got their name. gs: mm hm. sv: they are international. in europe there are twelve fathers who sit, who represent the different nations of europe. they are very expectantly awaiting he who is to come, and during that ceremony in the vatican (bumper music starts) on my knees i had to swear my allegiance to serve he who is to come. they believe that the coven. gs: svali, can you, uh, i have to take a break. sv: sure. gs: we'll continue with the massive organization, your role as a mid-level person in the illuminati on the republic broadcasting network [commercial break- resume 33:27] gs: okay, we're back on the investigative journal, and i'm talking with svali. svali, why don't we just pick it right up where we left off at the break. you were

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL 1

hristians who observed pagan celebrations of the solstices, midsummer, and so forth and who collectively designated the participants as satan-worshippers. however, numerous scholars of witchcraft, sorcery, and satanism generally agree on the following order of service for the observance. the sabbat began with the ceremonial entrance of the participants, led by the high priest or high priestess of the coven (a coven is traditionally comprised of no more than 12 members) christian observers of the sabbat were quick to compare this ceremonial entrance to the orthodox introit, but there is no evidence that the witches referred to the procession by this name or even intended a comparison to the christian order of service. according to contemporary reports of sabbat gatherings in the middle ages

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL

locate the problem and get the plane flown out of there. in those four days in the village, frost got his first taste of religion and healing as practiced by shamans. the villagers could not believe that an outsider, especially a caucasian, would have any interest in their procedure or would be receptive toward it. but frost saw many parallels in what they were doing to what he had been taught in the coven in england and had put on his mental shelf with the move to canada. when frost moved to california, he became senior project engineer on the radar system in the f-104. this gave him the opportunity to travel extensively world-wide and achieve high-level contacts in many countries. when the opportunity arose to become the firm fs european representative, frost took it and moved his family

leheartedly all the tenets of witchcraft. the acceptance of the supreme being, the knowledge that good and evil are equal parts of a human being, and that she must personally strive to outbalance evil with good. she must not debase the arts which she has been taught, and at all times she must be conscious of the need to be discreet, not only in her own life but with regard to any other members of the coven. h shortly after leek returned to england the family moved to the new forest, a large area that roughly extends from southampton northward to the borders of salisbury and nearby stonehenge, and westward to dorset. it was in this area that leek widened her lore of herbs, nature, and human psychology. since the age of 15, sybil leek had been in and out of various media jobs, and when she b

THE GOD OF THE WITCHES

on of christianity into theworld.there is only one trial in which the number thirteen is specifically mentioned, when isobel gowdie, statedthat in each coven of her district there were thirteen persons. in the other trials the number is indicated andcan be recovered by counting up the accused persons. as i have noted above, the old religion held its placelonger among the women than among the men. the coven of romulus consisted of thirteen men; if thelegendary companions of robin hood[8] were real personages, then that coven was composed of twelve menand one woman; gilles de rais (1440)[9] had eleven men and two women, bessie dunlop (1567)[10] spokeof five men and eight women, and in kinross-shire (1662)[11] one man and twelve women formed the coven.the incarnate god, called the devil by th

if thelegendary companions of robin hood[8] were real personages, then that coven was composed of twelve menand one woman; gilles de rais (1440)[9] had eleven men and two women, bessie dunlop (1567)[10] spokeof five men and eight women, and in kinross-shire (1662)[11] one man and twelve women formed the coven.the incarnate god, called the devil by the christian recorders, was the supreme chief of the coven; thesecond in command was known as the officer, who represented the chief in his absence, and there was the god of the witcheschapter iii. the priesthood25besides a woman-member called in scotland the "maiden.[12] all offices could be held by women,including that of chief, though they were usually filled by men, except of course that of the maiden, who wasalways a woman. in england women

ut executive power. she sat at the right hand of the incarnategod at feasts, and she generally led the dance with him. if, as i maintain, joan of arc belonged to the oldreligion her title of la pucelle, the maid, takes a new significance and emphasises her position in regard toher royal master, for she was not only maid of orleans but bore the higher title of la pucelle de france.to any member of the coven might be deputed the task of summoner. in a small district the chief himselfwould notify all members as to the place where the esbat or weekly meeting would be held; but in a largedistrict a member, well known to the whole coven, went from house to house with the information "manytimes himself warneth them to meet, sometimes he appointeth others to warn them in his stead,[13] as wasthe c

the onemaster.recruiting for the religion was not required while the cult was in its prime, but as the church gained powerand began to persecute there was difficulty in obtaining converts, and judging by the statements of thewitches a chief had often to use persuasion and bribery to secure a likely recruit. once secured it wasdifficult for the member to withdraw, for discipline was strict within the coven. in most places the masterruled through the love which the members bore to himself as the incarnate god, for as de lancre[18] puts it,"the devil so holds their hearts and wills that he hardly allows any other desire to enter therein. this the god of the witcheschapter iii. the priesthood26personal affection of the worshipper for the god must always be taken into account in considering th

both set up a very loud laughter,calling for the devil to come and help them in such a blasphemous manner, as is not fit to mention; so thatthe sherif seeing their presumptuous impenitence, caused them to be executed with all the expeditionpossible; even while they were cursing and raving, and as they liv'd the devil's true factors, so theyresolutely dyed in his service. the remaining members of the coven died "without any confession orcontrition. in guernsey in 1563, martin tulouff[23] and colinette gascoing refused the pardon of god andthe queen.there was in all places a system of rewards and punishments; these are noted only when the religion wasfalling into decay. praise awarded publicly before the assembled coven, the honour of leading the dance withthe master, and gifts of money wer

transgressing member of acoven must have returned home black and blue with bruises as a reminder that implicit obedience was thechief's due.it was not till the religion became a secret matter and the persecution of the church was pressing it hard, thatcapital punishment first appeared. this was inflicted on actual or potential traitors, whose treachery mightinvolve the safety of other members of the coven, more especially that of the master. the almost invariablemethod of execution was by strangulation, and often occurred in the prison in which the suspected traitor wasguarded. after death a thin string or other totally inadequate ligature was tied loosely round the neck in sucha way as to show that the victims had not died by their own hand but had been done to death as an act ofjustice

or thirteen times thirteen, i.e, thirteen covens.the meetings. there were two classes of meetings, the esbats which were specially for the covens, and thesabbaths which were for the congregation as a whole.the esbats took place weekly, though not always on the same day of the week nor in the same place. theywere for both religious and business purposes. attendance at the esbat was compulsory for the coven, butother members of the congregation were admitted to the religious rites. thus the french witches, antoinetornier and jaquema paget,[38] returning from gleaning one day, saw a meeting being held in a field calledlongchamois; they laid down their bundles, joined in the meeting, and when it was over they picked up theirbundles and went home. it is not uncommon at the present day to see w

these matters were usually cases of illness, for the witches of a coven were always the healers in avillage. there were also cases of divination in which direction was required, and by the reports of the witches the god of the witcheschapter iii. the priesthood29the chief was kept informed of all that went on in his district and was able to give help or reproof whereneeded. a newly-made member of the coven would receive instruction at the esbat, either from the chief orfrom a fellow-member, such instruction including methods of divination by animals. sometimes the chiefhimself desired help and he then chose his assistants from among those present. if a new remedy or charmwere to be tried the whole coven was instructed and the result, successful or otherwise, had to be reported atthe next m

re to be tried the whole coven was instructed and the result, successful or otherwise, had to be reported atthe next meeting. included in the business was information as to likely converts. the members themselveswere always ready to put in a word to those who were discontented with christianity, and the master or oneof the officers could then take the case in hand. after the business was finished the coven turned to itsreligious celebrations. though the chief sometimes gave an address, in which he laid down and explained thedogmas of the religion, the main ceremony was the sacred dance. after this came the feast, which was oftenfollowed by another dance then the meeting broke up and the members returned home.the esbat might be held in a building or in the open air. as a cottage room would

have more than one familiar. john walsh, thedorset witch[49] divined by "a blackish-gray culver or a brindled dog; alexander hamilton in lothian" hada crow, a cat and a dog as his divining animals; and margaret nin-gilbert, of thurso, as late as 1719,divined by a black horse, a black cloud or a black hen.[51]her divining familiar was indicated to the witch by the devil when she became a member of the coven, andshe was instructed in the method of divining by that special animal. she could also have an animal of her ownfor private divination; these had to be named by a special ceremonial in which several members of the coventook part. the guide to grand jurymen informs its readers that "to these their spirits they give names, andthey meet together to christen them. the lancashire witches met

was only fourteen when tried in 1678, said that "the devil took her by the hand and nipped her arm,which continued to be sore for half an hour. at borrowstowness, in 1679, margaret pringle[45] stated thatthe devil took her by the right hand "whereby it was grievously pained; but having it touched of new again,it immediately became whole. little thomas lindsay, of renfrewshire,[46] when he joined the coven, had"a nip on the neck, which continued sore for ten days; and john reid, who later suffered the traitor's deathin prison, received "a bite or nipp in his loyn, which he found painfull for a fortnight. isobel adams ofpittenweem, said at her trial in 1704, that "the devil put his mark in her flesh which was very painful"[47] in1705 the two northampton witches,[48] elinor shaw and mary phi

oldest person present followeddirectly after him holding to his tail, and the rest came after holding hands. this seems to have been a circulardance to begin with, followed by a dancing procession. the follow-my-leader dance was always of greatimportance among the witches, and it was essential that the leader should be young and active as pace wasrequired. at auldearne[64] in 1662, the maiden of the coven was nicknamed "over the dyke with it",because as isobel gowdie explained "the devil always takes the maiden in his hand next him when wewould dance gillatrypes; and when he would leap from [the words are broken here "he and she will say'over the dyke with it" at aberdeen,[65] thomas leyis was the leader and knocked down a certain kathrenmitchell "because she spoiled your dance, and ran n

d was eaten in the open air. the feasts of the witches of wincanton, insomerset,[81] sound very pleasant "all sate down, a white cloth being spread on the ground, and did drinkwine, and eat cakes and meat. in scotland, where the weather was more uncertain, the records show thatthe feast usually took place indoors. the food was supplied by the chief as a rule; sometimes one of thericher members of the coven would provide; and it was also not uncommon for the congregation to bringeach his or her own food and eat it in company. in this last case the food was apt to be homely enough, as insweden[82, where "the diet they did use to have was, they said, broth with colworts and bacon in it,oatmeal, bread spread with butter, milk, and cheese" when the grandmaster provided the food the feastwas wor

al, but were supposed to be effected by magic. the meanswere very simple, as in the cases following. at crook of devon in kinross-shire in 1661[40] bessiehenderson "confessed and declared that janet paton was with you at a meeting when they tramped downthos. white's rye in the beginning of the harvest, 1661, and that she had broad soles and tramped down morenor any. in the same year in forfar[41] the coven assisted the devil to destroy a wooden bridge during astorm; it was apparently done to strike terror into the people of the neighbourhood. the method of effectingthe destruction of the bridge was simplicity itself; helen guthrie said that "they went to the bridge ofcortaquhie with intention to pull it down, and that for this end she herself, jonet stout, and others of them didthrust thei

hat cat the chiefest part of a dead man and several joints of his body: and in the night following,the said cat was conveyed into the midst of the sea by all the witches, and so left the said cat right before thetown of leith in scotland. this done there did arise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not beenseen. the legal record of a similar event is more detailed,[46] and mentions that the coven at prestonpanssent a letter to the leith coven that "they should make the storm universal through the sea. and within eightdays after the said bill (letter) was delivered the said agnes sampson (and several others) baptised a cat inthe webster's house, in manner following: first, two of them held a finger in the one side of the chimneycrook, and another held another finger in the other s

TYSON DONALD NEW MILLENNIUM MAGIC

cle is drawn. the most effective magic circles are of human dimension. if they are drawn around a single individual, the radius should be the reach of the arm or the arm coupled with the staff or wand. in wiccan covens a rod is driven into the earth and a sash from a robe is fixed to it, then the circle is inscribed at the extremity of the sash. this is large enough to accommodate the thirteen of the coven. it need hardly be said that if the ritual involves five hundred, the circle must be large enough to hold them. in rituals involving large numbers of people, it is often convenient to form the circle from the living bodies of the participants, who link hands and make a ring. since the participants are part of the circle itself, they can never be outside it and are in no danger from destr

VOX SABBATUM

in morocco to this day as sorcerers. they would beat drums and with their kafans on, would chant iwwaiy which would be recited to the beating of the drums. at a point of ecstasy they would remove their masks or kafans and the master of the az-zabbat would appear, the black man of the rite. at dawn they would sacrifice a white cockerel with a knife, cutting the throat. the dhulqarnen the leader of the coven, was called such in a play of words. the lord of two centuries was said to exist after death, being an isolate being, whose spirit remains potent for another century, has perfect memory of his life and can manifest through various forms while attached to the earth. the sabbat as it was described in spain indicates that the middle eastern and moroccan practices of the az-zabbat survived t

g, strengthening and developing your mind you start to become something godlike. the black man of the sabbat the sabbat rite is a constant widdershins movement in the realm of dream and twilight, however the pole or axis of the ritual is based around the sabbatic goat, called the black man or the devil of the infernal sabbat. this god form in flesh is always portrayed by the master or magister of the coven, a chosen individual who will wear robes and the mask of sathan. cain is considered a form of the black man in the sabbat as well, the book of cain presents an illustration of cain as the adversary and the sabbatic goat a point of initiation and an enfleshed avatar of the witch cult. the black man of the sabbat is a symbol for the enfleshed power of darkness, that by will-desire-belief m

WICCA EIGHT SABBATS OF WITCHCRAFT

or example) celebrated this as a festival of the dead. but the majority of our modern traditions can be traced to the british isles. the celts called it samhain, which means 'summer's end, according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from beltane to samhain and winter ran from samhain to beltane (some modern covens echo this structure by letting the high priest 'rule' the coven beginning on samhain, with rulership returned to the high priestess at beltane) according to the later four-fold division of the year, samhain is seen as 'autumn's end' and the beginning of winter. samhain is pronounced (depending on where you're from) as 'sow-in (in ireland, or 'sow-een (in wales, or 'sav-en (in scotland, or (inevitably 'sam-hane (in the u.s, where we don't speak gaelic

WICCA WITCHCRAFT TODAY

ticular kind of work is being done. for an initiation all eight must be present and the initiate is told the use of, and holds, each in turn. because three and five make eight, many things must be in eights; but eight and five make thirteen, so thirteen is another good number; but since five eights, or three covens and a leader, make forty, forty is a good number and certain things must be forty. the coven traditionally consists of twelve witches and a leader, probably because it is a lucky number and because there are thirteen moons in a year. i think i must make this clear: that the word coven is used in two senses. first, it is a band which may be of any number of initiated people who have a common leader, who hold meetings and celebrate the rites. the leader may be a man or a woman, bu

ies would prove you were initiated. actually, they all know each other, or are introduced, so they do not need passwords. in italy witches are said to say 'six and seven' as a password, because it would be dangerous to say thirteen; these numbers of course add up to thirteen. in england i could understand their saying five and eight for the same reason, but actually they mostly know each other in the coven and so do not need passwords; they very often do not know of the existence of other covens. in ancient times at least the leaders were always of the old races- the people with the natural powers of hyper-normal control of the body by simple auto-intoxication. as the normans began to form alliance with the people of the heaths, some of them, probably those who had an inherited witch tradi

which told the candidate what would be required of him; but there was no question of giving up any other faith. he was told that he would obtain benefits and help in the future life by the aid of the goddess, who asked nothing in return. the pact with the devil is nonsense; the only promise is one of secrecy and to help one's brothers and sisters when in need. one has to be formally introduced to the coven, though in name one is introduced to the mighty ones- the spirits of the dead members of the cult who have not been reincarnated and who are supposed to be present. i can see no real reason why one cannot be a good enough though unorthodox christian and a witch at the same time. it seems to me easier than being a christian and a communist. the christian who thinks reincarnation heresy, w

e to suspect some connection with heresy, with fairies, or with forbidden knowledge, or because of personal spite, non-attendance at church, not giving enough money to the church, or simply because they were people who were worth looting. those were the discreditable reasons why they were convicted. 11- some other matters i think that i must make it clear that, as far as my experience goes, while the coven should traditionally have six couples and a leader in the circle, nowadays it may often have less. at a meeting, if there were more than thirteen initiated people present they would sit outside with any uninitiated and watch the religious rite. if for certain reasons they were required in the circle, others would step outside to make room, and those without would then be purified and tak

unguarded moment she let it out at school that i was a witch? they would bully and badger her, and the county council or somebody would come round and take her away from me and send her to an approved school. they do such awful things by these new laws nowadays' diana will grow up and have love affairs, is not interested, or is interested but gets married and her husband is not interested, and so the coven dies out or consists of old and dying people. the other reason is that science has displaced her; good weather reports, good health services, outdoor games, bathing, nudism, the cinema and television have largely replaced what the witch had to give. free thought or spiritualism, according to your inclinations, have taken away the fear of hell that she prevented, though nothing yet has re

y, as they are used for a religious purpose, they try to make them as nice as possible, of course, the average witch does not have a full battery of tools; not all have the sword, for instance. an athame (witch's knife, a censer, some cord and one or two other tools are quite enough to work with. for initiations the whole battery of tools has, of course, to be present; but these usually belong to the coven. it is very amusing to see how clever some witches are in disguising their tools so that they look like something else; indeed, they often are something else, until they are put together in the proper way to be used. for the benefit of anyone interested i have a large number of witch tools which i will be pleased to show anyone at the museum of magic and witchcraft, called locally the wi

ALEX SANDERS THE KING OF THE WITCHES

raft to a new form of society but it never lasts.long; we are. essentially. traditional and those whotry to change us soon give up. q. does witchcraft help people to cope with modem life? a: certainly .they use it. to see into other people's minds and to bring. themselves opportunities. for advancement. and it provides a comprehensive social hfe. q does this mean that there is complete harmony in the covens? a: unfortunately no, there is as. much bickering and backbiting among our members as amongany other religious group. q:lf witches develop the powers of clairvoyance as you say. why don't many of them set up as professional seers? a: some do, and. it is permissible under our law, providing they don't.make itlmown that. they. are using .witchcraft. manyof the famous illusionists and.magi

none but the wicca may see our mysteries, for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of man. 25. so be it ordained that no coven shall know where th.e next coven bide. 26. or who its members be. save only the priest. and priestess and messenger. 131 27. and there. shall be no communication. between them, save by the messenger of the gods, or the summoner. 28. and onlyifit be safe may the covens meet in some sa.fe place for the great festivals. 29. and while there, none .shall say whence they came nor give their true names. 30. to thisiend,.any that are tortured in their agony may not tell if they do not kn.ow. 31. so be it ordained that no one shall tell anyone not of the craft who be ofthe wicca, nor give anynames or where they. bide, or in any way tell anything which can bet

ALEXANDRIAN BOOK OF SHADOWS OCCULT

t none but the wicca may see our mysteries, for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of man. 24. 25. so be it ordained that no coven shall know where the next coven bide. 26. or who its members be, save only the priest and priestess and messenger. and there shall be no communication between them, save by the messenger of the gods, or the summoner. 27. 28. and only if it be safe may the covens meet in some safe place for the great festivals. 29. and while there, none shall say whence they came nor give their true names. 30. to this end, that if any be tortured, in their agony, they may not tell if they do not know. so be it ordained that no one shall tell anyone not of the craft who be of the wicca, nor give any names or where they bide, or in any way tell anything which can

DAVID ICKE THE BIGGEST SECRET

rings. david berkowitz, the serial killer in new york known asthe son of sam, has written that he was part of a satanic group which had orchestrated themurders. in letters to a church minister, berkowitz said..this group contained a mixture of satanic practices, including the teachings of aleistercrowley and eliphas levi (another notorious satanist. it was (and still is) totally bloodorientated. the covens doctrines are a blend of ancient druidism, teachings of the secretorder of the golden dawn, black magick, and a host of other unlawful and obnoxiouspractices..satanists (genuine ones) are peculiar people. they arent ignorant peasants or semi-literate natives. rather, their ranks are filled with doctors, lawyers, businessmen, andbasically highly responsible citizens. they are not a carel

DION FORTUNE PSYCHIC SELF DEFENSE

dependent psychics point to witchcraft in a previous incarnation when trouble of this sort is afoot. the motive is nearly always vengeance, but there is also good reason to believe that the projection of the astral body takes place involuntarily during sleep, and is not deliberately willed by the offender. very many people who are at present psychics 18 of 103 and sensitives got their training in the covens of medieval witchcraft, and for this reason experienced occultists are very wary of the natural psychic, as distinguished from the initiate with his technique of psychism. where psychism and mental unbalance are found conjoined with a malevolent disposition, there is strong presumption that the cult of diabolus is not far to seek. a curious set of happenings, in which i myself was one o

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

ganization. its national council is elected by vote of the member covens. it has a vision of creating a non-degree-granting college for the training of people for the wiccan priesthood. in the mid-1990s, there were 12 covens in either full or associate membership. the association may be reached at p.o. box 2205, clearbrook, bc, canada v2t 3x8. it publishes a periodical, duck tales, and several of the covens also publish newsletters. website: http/ www.cwa.ca. sources: congregational witchcraft association. http//www.cwa.ca. february 28, 2000. congress of astrological organizations founded in 1973 to promote the general welfare and interest of members and to stimulate and increase their cooperation in all matters affecting their interest in astrology; to establish, improve, and promote stan

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 2

f liturgy consider themselves part of the nroogd tradition. covens are autono- encyclopedia of occultism& parapsychology. 5th ed. new reformed orthodox order of the. 1113 mous and recognize one another s initiates. the identities of initiates are held in strictest confidence. coven esbats are usually held skyclad; they work on ethical magic and the celebration of the divinity of each participant. the covens recognize and greet the force of a goddess and god. initially, the ritual performance required three priestesses and one priest, but now this form is usually reserved for large public rituals; the smaller coven meetings require only one of each. although magical workings vary in form and content, they often include charms and simple poetry. mythic enactments corresponding to a needed tr

t she was a witch, and she initiated the young alex then and there. she subsequently gave him a book of shadows, which he copied and from which he learned his magic rites. he held a number of jobs over his young adult years and became involved in ritual magic and even satanism. in the 1960s he formed his first coven and began to initiate people into witchcraft. in fact, sanders encountered one of the covens of gerald b. gardner in the 1960s. from it he attained an initiation into the craft and a copy of gardner s rituals. he eventually left that coven and began his own group independently. his version of witchcraft differed little from that of gardner and included all of his distinctives. about this same time he met maxine morris, a young woman some twenty years his junior. he married her

ed to ireland where they became wiccan leaders in their own right and together wrote a number of authoritative books on wicca. sanders died april 30, 1988, from lung cancer. his movement spread around the english-speaking world during the 1970s, but following the revelations of his unacknowledged use of gardner s rituals and his plagiarizing of material from eliphas levi and franz bardon, most of the covens that had identified themselves as alexandrian dropped any relationship with him. sources: farrar, stewart. what witches do. new york: coward, mc- cann& geoghegan, 1971. guiley, rosemary ellen. the encyclopedia of witches and witchcraft. new york: facts on file, 1989. johns, june. king of the witches: the world of alex sanders. london, 1969. reprint, london: pan, 1971 [sanders, alexander

also attempts to introduce non-pagan readers with the essentials of pagan spirituality and practice, while emphasizing those concerns of common interest with the larger new age community such as ecology, attention to the changing seasons, and feminism. neo-pagans, still a miniscule minority largely invisible within the larger culture, also have a need for communication among its far-flung groups, the covens and groves, most of whom meet in private homes. widdershins carries notices of pubic pagan events and of individuals and groups that are open to contact. advertising carries notices of pagan business, especially stores that carry pagan and wiccan books and supplies (candles, incense, and ritual implements. widdershins is published eight times annually, its appearance following the eight

LEWIS JAMES SATANISM TODAY AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION FOLKLORE AND POPULAR CULTURE

pposed to represent a similar outline for world domination drafted by the witches international coven council (a nonexistent group) during a meeting in mexico in 1981. it was claimed that a copy of these letters was intercepted by police. the writer art lyons was said to have traced the authorship of this document to a san diego police cult expert. the letters read: wormwood 281 1. to bring about the covens, both black and white magic into one and have the arctress govern all accomplished; 2. to bring about personal debts causing discord and disharmony within families accomplished; 3. to remove or educate new age youth by: a. infiltrating boys /girls clubs and big sister/brother programs b. infiltrating schools, having prayers removed, having teachers teach about drugs, sex, freedoms c. in

SCHLAGER NEIL WORLD RELIGIONS REFERENCE LIBRARY

ss. wiccans do not recognize a hierarchy of authority, or chain of command. every practitioner can be his or her own priest or priestess, performing rituals without the assistance of a class of specialists. when they do participate with groups, wiccans believe that the ideal size of a coven is thirteen members. when a coven grows larger than thirteen, it splits, or hives, into two or more covens. the covens remain associated as a larger unit called a grove. wiccans have the freedom to develop a number of ritual practices. they start by accumulating ritual tools, which serve the same purpose as ritual objects in other religions. they focus and guide the worshipper s 386 world religions: almanac neo-paganism thoughts and energies. these tools are used in rituals conducted on altars positione

THE GOD OF THE WITCHES

women (plate x).cotton mather, in his account of the salem witches in 1692,[1] states that "the witches do say that they formthemselves much after the manner of congregational churches, and that they have a baptism, and a supper,and officers among them, abominably resembling those of our lord. his statement is abundantly proved bythe evidence in the trials, and the priesthood can be recognised in the covens. the word coven was used bothin england and scotland to designate a band of people of both sexes, who were always in close attendance ontheir god, who went to all the meetings, large or small, who performed the ceremonies either alone or incompany with the grandmaster, and who were conspicuous in the ritual. to them the god taught the prayersthey were to say, to them he gave his counsel

are still attributed to "occult" powers, to their conferencewith the foul fiend, the principle of evil; and to dissipate the fog which the words of the christian recordershave created is still a task of some difficulty.there were large numbers of adherents of the old faith who were never brought before the inquisitors, for itseems that to a great extent the persecution was against the members of the covens, who were regarded asdevil-worshippers and enemies of christ, and were accused of practising hellish rites and of having dealingswith infernal powers. no matter whether the magic was used for good only, if an accused person belonged toa coven the doom was certain. this explanation accounts for the numerous cases of men and women of goodand kindly lives, whose so-called witchcraft was pr

ed".the number in a coven never varied, there were always thirteen, i.e. twelve members and the god. in thesmall districts there would be only one coven; where the means of communication were easy and thepopulation large there would be a coven in each village, but instead of the god himself there would be a manor woman who acted for the grandmaster and conducted the services in his name. when all the covens met atthe great sabbaths and the grandmaster was present in person, the substitutes were called "officers. there issome evidence to show that on the death of a grandmaster his place was filled either by election or byseniority from among the officers. in the witch-trials the existence of covens appears to have been wellknown, for it is often observable how the justices and the priests o

who was both king and incarnate god, went about surrounded by his twelvelictors; and the danish hero, hrolf, was always accompanied by his twelve berserks. both are legendarypersonages; hrolf was within the christian era though himself a pagan, but romulus was most certainlypre-christian, and his legend could not therefore be contaminated by christian beliefs. there is reason thento consider that the covens of the horned god took their rise before the introduction of christianity into theworld.there is only one trial in which the number thirteen is specifically mentioned, when isobel gowdie, statedthat in each coven of her district there were thirteen persons. in the other trials the number is indicated andcan be recovered by counting up the accused persons. as i have noted above, the old

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