-
The Three Great Mysteries: Uncovering the Secrets of Magick
The Second Degree Initiation ritual in the Gardnerian Book of Shadows contains a priestly monologue in which the initiate is instructed about the Mysteries of Life: “For there be three great mysteries in the life of man — love, death, and resurrection in a new body — and magic controls them all. To fulfill love…
-
The Eightfold Path: Raising Power for Magick
Gerald Gardner wrote about the Eightfold Way, also known as the Eight Paths to Power, in 1953 and again in 1957. He said essentially the same thing in both drafts, namely that combining the eight paths in certain combinations added more power to the rite and that intention and proper preparation were essential to the…
-
Meeting Your Ancestors: Beginning Ancestor Veneration at Samhain
Ancestor veneration can be a tricky subject for the newcomer. Whether you’re new to the Craft or just new to the concept of incorporating ancestors into your practice, it can be a challenge. First of all, not everyone knows their biological ancestors. And not everyone has nice ancestors. In fact, most people have some assholes…
-
Embracing Queerness as a Witch: Subverting Norms and Gaining Power
Categories: ArticlesTags: queer witcheryOne of the great Mysteries of the Craft is that each of us is a perfect, amazing, flamboyant, paradoxical reflection of the Divine. Of course, this Mystery looks cheap on paper. Until its full power is realized through direct experience, it seems obvious, cliché, tawdry. The experience of the Mysteries is what makes them powerful…
-
The Circle
Categories: Creative NonfictionTags: personal experienceThe ritual circle at Taz and Alex’s house was the main feature of their verdant back yard. It was eighteen feet in diameter with twelve stones — limestone, marble, quartz, granite, and others — marking the circumference. Wild strawberry plants surrounded the southern half of the circle, and the northern half was marked by three…