Sunset Blessing

Upon the sea and to the West
head O' ancient one to your rest.
From time out of mind you've taken this quest,
to rise again a marrow blessed.
But this day is over and night's begun
farewell to thee O' setting sun.

With souls departed on your ship,
they travel West their final trip,
Into the other world they go to rest,
may this song I sing see them three times blessed.
In colors orange, pink and red,
I say farewell to my beloved dead.

All that's done is in the past,
never forgotten, but to last.
To begin anew like the Spring,
as blessings in the songs I sing.
So depart thee now into the sea,
and in my memories always be.

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In Defense Of Excellence

I've noticed a trend, particularly in paganism, toward "elite" becoming a derogatory term. "Elitist" has very unpleasant connotations. In the mad scramble toward equality and egalitarianism, perhaps the trend has gone too far.

I am all in favour of equality of opportunity. I believe in Martin Luther King's dream, "I have a dream that someday my children will be judged, not upon the colour of their skin, but on the content of their character."

Yet, I am deeply disturbed by structures and titles meant to reward excellence downgraded and dismissed as being elitist and hierarchical.

It the Wicca, this is most strongly epitomized by the continuing attempts to do away with degree systems on the basis of being elitists and hierarchical.

So I ask, what is wrong with elites? Elites exist as an informal (and often highly formal) network of persons who, by virtue of personal qualities, or power, or money, or birth status, are capable of shaping and changing the structure of society. Some elites are based on nothing more than bank balances or parentage. Others are firmly based on intelligence, wisdom, commitment and ethical stance of their members.

I have no problem with the concept of elites. Not everyone has the desire or capability to belong to every group. The problem lies with the qualification for membership, not with the concept.

Hierarchy has an even nastier reputation. Yet in all societies, regardless of size, structure of purpose, have a hierarchy. Leadership roles exists and will be filled by those who can fill them. Leaders are necessary to achieve the goals of the group, regardless of how that leadership manifests. It is only when a hierarchy becomes closed and fixed that the structure becomes abusive.

The concerns of those who dislike the concept of hierarchy due to experience of its abuses are valid. It is very easy to fall into a system where power rests, not on those who are qualified, but upon other, less desirable criteria, such as birth status, or wealth, or loudness of voice. However, doing away with the formal structure of hierarchy does not solve the problem. Non-hierarchical groups often fall into leadership by peer pressure. Those that are thick skinned and dominant will lead de facto, especially if there is no de jure leader.

Hierarchies exist. They exist because, like physics, nature abhors a vacuum. A power vacuum will be filled regardless of the good intentions on all sides. The solution is to have structures where all persons have the opportunity to become leaders, to partici-pate in the decision making process, based only upon ability and desire to do so. Equal opportunity, equal access.

The degree system within the Craft is not perfect. Like any other system, it has its abuses. However, if properly used, it has rewards far greater than having no such system.

First, there is the reward for excellence. Those who have personal qualities such as commitment, talent, study, intelligence and open mindedness, should be rewarded for their abilities. The reward is not just a fancy title, but a recognition of that excellence, and membership in an elite.

Second, there is a benchmark for others to judge by. If I know what degree a person holds, mundane or Craft, I have some idea of their abilities and can assume a certain level of understanding.

Third, there is the recognition of self. A standard of excellence is required and achieving a degree is a feedback upon the levels achieved.

There are other aspects dealing with the magic rite itself, but even if there were not, the hierarchy of degrees and the elite groups formed by having them are a mark of excellence for those who belong. Within my tradition and, according to my faith, within the Wicca itself, there are no barriers of opportunity to the system. Therefore, I see no reason to abandon it. I do not say that the system cannot be improved or that another system cannot provide the same benefits, but I haven't seen one that provides a reward for excellence while avoiding the pitfalls.

Without active encouragement of excellence, whether in Craft or in the mundane world, entropy says that we will end up with mediocrity and least common denominator. And a world where mediocrity rules is not a world I wish to live in.

(This article previously appeared in "The Messenger")

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22 Commandments For The New Age

by Ann Waldrum

1. You shall learn of Honesty and attempt to heal your fear of it, to use this in daily living.
2. You shall learn to Love Unconditionally--beginning with yourself.
3. You shall help all people in your worlds come to physical healing.
4. You shall dwell on things of high and pure energy in others and self to change Earth.
5. You will learn and practice Pure Service -- unconditional and with love energy.
6. You will release Judgment into the Void--You will see, identify and choose for yourself Only.
7. You will Recognize One God --the God that corresponds to your vision.
8. You will destroy no one in any way -- through gossip -- through killing their gifts -- discouraging self love by injuring the physical body by foreign substance -- incorrect foods - incorrect labor.
9. You will use your mind in the way the Source prepared -- by faithfulness of prayer - by study and spiritual growth.
10. You will learn self-discipline so that you respond to the Earth with wisdom.
11. You will take full responsibility for your own life -- blaming no other.
12. You will seek to learn about your God -- seeing the Connection clearly.
13. You will be known for your Gentleness, your Loyalty, your Kindness, according to your beliefs.
14. You will grow in Peace by change of attitude and understanding of others.
15. You will learn to respond and act from the Highest Center of Inner God -- the Love Response.
16. You will learn to Love All Mankind by seeing the Highest in all people without exception.
17. You will promote the healing of Mind, Body, and Spirit by teaching and living the belief in Man's Divinity.
18. You will show faithfulness in your study of yourself and your persona (masks) in order to Free All Parts of Self.
19. You will Live your life as ordained by your faithfulness to the Truth, as you under- stand the Truth.
20. You will Speak in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
21. You will Think in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
22. You will live in Moderation (Balance) in All Areas of your life.The foregoing was delivered on July 20, 1989, through the trance-mediumship of Carla Neff Gordan by the Spirit Guide "Mary." Mary stated that these ideas will also be releas-ed through other mediums in six different areas of the world. In preface to these "Com-mandments" Mary said the following:

"You are a loving, connected community of like-minded souls assisting through our inner connection. You are becoming a profound source of awakening for your world. These rules are to open your hearts, to teach you self-love, to calm your emotion to help you to live in reality that you have wished. To grow, first you must become a source of service. There must be a difference in earth because you have walked here. Now is the time of shifting your energy into a higher place through unconditional love. A part of your purpose is to heal the earth through holy, or wholeness, relationships. You will begin now."

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Response To Craft Ethics Of The Covenant Of The Goddess

It has always been my view that the Earth Traditions, both in the Wiccan (European Shamanic) and Neo-Native Shamanic senses, are seeing their rebirth out of a true need to heal this wounded Mother of ours, and to stay Her hand, for Her anger is growing. It is quite possible that without this renewed spirit of reverence and worship of Earth and Sky and the True Source of All that Is, humanity as a species would be made as extinct as the Passenger Pigeon and the Dodo Bird.

Therefore, as a Pagan and as a follower of the Ways of the Chiricahua Teneh Nation, I cringe whenever I see restrictions and requirements that are, for all intents and purposes, useless today, and only hamper the mission we have of encouraging others to walk in a more sacred way on the Body of Our Mother. I see the power trips, the "I'm the High Priest(ess), that's why" crap and the games driving more and more Pagans solitary, when we should be uniting. And I was extremely angered when I read the published "ethics" of one organization, the Covenant of the Doves, now known as the United Wiccan Church.

I have listed the salient points that disturb me the most, and will respond to them one by one.

No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses. MK-H: I guess that's fair enough. But whether or not a woman is currently menstruating is none of the Coven's business.

No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year, nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time.

MK-H: No coven has any business ordaining a person, woman or man, before the legal Age of Consent, unless the minor is legally emancipated, and can produce their emancipation papers. To do otherwise is a wonderful excuse for prosecution if the persecution that File 18 and other Fundie hate articles I have been compiling in my XIANHATE series of files seem to augur comes to pass.

No woman shall have her ordination recognized unless she is in her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a nose. Her generative organs and breasts must be complete. The honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.

MK-H: So you would deny ordination to a woman who is handicapped, or blind, or deaf, or has suffered the effects of cancer and may have had a hysterectomy, a mastectomy or even the less-invasive "lumpectomy" done on her to save her life? That is bigoted and totally without reason in this day and age. And what if she is past Menopause? Would you deny ordination to a woman who may be past her fertile years? That's wholly disrespectful to the Elders who hold so much wisdom that could be an asset to a Circle.

No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled.
MK-H: Again, this is none of the Coven's business whether or not a woman has had sex. No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth.

MK-H: Some have chosen NOT to bear children, out of either financial necessity, or conviction that this society is not the place to raise kids in. And some have recognized that they simply do not have the temperament for child-rearing (myself included in that category.) Some are infertile, through no fault of their own. And some, through either psychological or physical drives, prefer other women. There are a great deal of Lesbians in the Wiccan movement. Would you write them off as nonexistent?

No man shall be a Magician who has not healed.

MK-H: Healing is not necessarily the only talent the God and Goddess give to people. Therefore, if a person does not have that talent, that does not mean that they aren't useful to the Circle in other capacities. And why is this criterion only applied to MALE postulants? Some of the best healers I know are female.

No man shall be ordained unless he has passed his 33rd year, nor shall he have his ordination recognized until that time.
MK-H: Why a double standard on when a man should be ordained? 18 is just fine for an eligibility date.

No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the father of a living child, has ten fingers and ten toes, two eyes, two ears and a nose and generative organs complete. The honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.
MK-H: Again I voice my objections about the anti-Physically Challenged bias that this requirement implies. And I suspect that the requirement of being "the father of a living child" is there for only one reason--that it is a legally permissible way of stating "No Pooftahs". Just as the childbearing requirement is discriminatory to Lesbians, the fatherhood requirement is discriminatory to Gays.

So what would I myself ask of postulants wishing initiation? In my theoretical Circle, I would ask them to attest, under pain of disfellowship, that they are not law enforcement officers joining the Circle for espionage purposes, nor are they there for sabotage or in- filtration purposes under religious grounds. Furthermore, they should affirm their allegiance to The Earth Mother, The Sky Father, and Their Ultimate Source, for swearing allegiance to other deities. (Primarily to weed out Christian or "satanist" infiltrators) They should have completed their Vision Quest, and have contacted their Lower Self in the form of their Power Animal(s), and their Higher Self in the form of the Shaman or Teacher Within. They also should not show outward or inward signs of being mentally unbalanced (something that would require a lot of trusting one's gut, although a psychologically-based questionnaire might be a good way of confirming it) or overly concerned with "finding power". They must also, for legal reasons, be either over 18 or legally emancipated.

Furthermore, there will be only ONE degree in my Circle--that of Kin. Anyone who is initiated is theoretically ready to act as ceremonial facilitator, and that duty will be rotated to them as the rotation goes around the Circle. Decisions should be made by consensus, with one person having only one vote. I ask you, James...does not the Mother and the Father decree that we should all be free and equal to one another? Is that not why you opt to have your Coven be naked in their rite? (Due to the fact that the Chiricahua Teneh never performed ceremonials in the nude, I would myself opt for robed work, even to the point of people working in comfortable street clothes.) So why all this bloody RESTRICTION? Why all these trivial, and sometimes even discriminatory rules and regulations? Your ancestor Aleister once said "The word for Sin is Restriction." It's a good rule of thumb. (by Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass)

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Moon Blessings

WAXING MOON BLESSING INVOCATION

We reach before us, into new beginnings
and seek to bring Energy and Growth to flourish here...
As the Moon shows new-born in the sky
we wake the power within us to nurture this beginning
and call the waxing Moon's light to ever more illuminate
the purpose and beauty for which we consecrate this (item)

FULL MOON BLESSING INVOCATION

We stand in this circle,
linked in the fullness of the Universe
and call the cool light of Night to bless our Venture.
Full in its glory
we tap the power of the Glorious Orb
Drawing the Light of the Lamp of Night
and reveling in the wholeness with which
we bless this (project, thing, person)

WANING MOON BLESSING INVOCATION

As we gather here, we summon the power of the Waning Moon
to carry away from this (item), any energy that
will keep potential from being reached.
We ask that the disappearing Orb lend us the power
to clear this (item) and purify it to best meet
the need for which we now consecrate it.

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Circle Casting Dragon Style

I just thought I'd drop a note on the traditional Dragon Tradition Circle casting. The circle is cast with the Blade, the Cup and the Censor. The Priest starts with the Blade in the north and draws the boundary of the circle. As he does he recites "I tread this Path for the Elements, that which comprises all that we see."

The HPS takes to sprinkling the boundaries with the Cup filled with salted water. She recites "I tread this Path for Self, a reflection of the Divine."

The HP then takes the censor and carries the smoke to the boundaries of the circle in a deosil direction. He recites "I tread this Path for Spirit, that which unites all things."
The HP or HPS then state the charge of our Circle. It is as follows.

"Our Circle is a place where hearts and minds can meet and share in the wonder and empowerment of a living and loving Goddess. We are a coven of friends, but above all things we are Family. Our Love and our Magick binds us together and our Circle keeps us and nurtures us. We are blessed. Blessed Be!"

The Dragon Guardians are then invoked.

EAST

Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the East. Your tongue is a sharp sword, cutting with the knowledge of the arcane. Your spirit flows as graceful as a swift in flight. Purify us with truth. Blessed Be.

SOUTH

Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the South, your breath is aflame with the fires of inspiration and passion. Your spirit is searing and fervent. Purify us with Love. Blessed Be.

WEST

Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the West, your coils are the cleansing healing waves that nurture the soul. Your spirit lunges, leaps and splashes like a Talbot at play. Purify us with pulsing tides. Blessed Be.

NORTH

Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the North, your talons run like roots into the earth, giving you infinite strength. Your spirit is substantial, hard and pure like a clear crystal. Purify us with persistent wisdom. Blessed Be.

Each of these Dragons has a secret name that they are also invoked with. A suggestion is that anyone using these invocations meditate to find an appropriate name for each Guardian and use it along with or instead of the words "Mighty Dragon".

I find that the Circle charge sets the mood for the Circle and I change it to suit the situation. If anyone has ideas for a Circle charge, I'd like to hear them. I have a number of Circle charges that I use but fresh ones always are nice.

Blessed Be, Cameron Mandrake (DragonHart Coven)

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My Book Of Shadows Blessing

This is the blessing I have as the first page in my Book of Shadows – Lady Selene

Harken as the Witches word
Calls the Lady and the Lord
Moon above and earth below
Skies coal blue and suns hot glow
In this right and ready hour
Fill the pages with thy power
May no unprepared eyes see
The secrets which entrusted be
To I who walk the hidden road
To find the hearthstones calm abode
Guardians of the four directions
Hear me and lend they protection
May these truths of earth and skies
Shielded be from prying eyes
But to the Witches whose maps these be
May the way be plain to see
And through all the coming ages
May we find home in these pages
So mote it be!

Beautiful Goddess of many faces, bless this book that it may enhance all who choose to read its pages. Bless this book as my relationship with you may continue to grow with your love and your blessing. So mote it be!

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