966

{file "Helpful Hints (Humor)" "bos227.htm"}

Helpful Hints for a Nearly Extinct Species

Submitted satirically by Haragano
Let's get down to basics. Being the leader of a
more than
just the hard work of raising dust devils in the
back yard or zapping
a friend's TV antenna so they can get HBO. Leading
a group offers a
lot of perks. You get a lot of ego strokes, you
get to divide up
babies just like Solomon and you even get to keep
the leftovers from
the potlucks at moon feasts. After all you have put
in a lot of long,
hard hours and cashed in a lot of empties to win the
coveted title of
"High Poop-di Ha of the Infinite Invisibility". And
you want to keep
it! The bottom line, the final word in keeping your
position on top
of the heap is spelled P-O-W-E-R.
These hints
are concerned with
helping you keep it.
group is

In the busy modern craft of today there are

many ways that your
power base can be erroded. The two most likely
ways you can end up
preaching to an empty circle are through the
insiduous inroads made by
INFORMATION and DISCUSSION. These twin curses have
upset more High
Poop-di-Has than Carter has little liver pills.
Information is the worst threat. The more a
follower is acquainted
with history, anthropology, psychology, sociodynamics ... really, any
area that requires an individual to exert himself
mentally, you are in
for questions you don't really want to answer. The
very best way to
deal with this sticky situation is to avoid it.
Recruit the immature
and the fanatic. They don't bring really tasty
goodies to feasts, but
they are good ego boosters.
They are expendable
and feircely loyal
for no particular reason.
If you find you are being pestered by an
"intellect" (they should

have never gotten through your screening) you have to

quickly learn to
manage information
more effectively.
Don't
worry.
Managing
information is easier than it seems. Newscasters do
it every night.
First, Adopt an attitude of "ask me anything",
then make sure you
don't have any answers and don't know where to get
them.
Create a
vacuum! Yes, nature abhors a vacuum but it is your
strongest weapon
in the war for ignorance. Second is the wild goose
chase, atried and
true method of dealing with anyone who persists in
asking questions.
Send a troublesome individual on a few of these.
Tire them out, and
they will go away sooner or later. When they leave,
the stage is set
for you to shake your head solemnly and expound at
length on how they
were not ready to learn what you had to offer.
This act is very
impressive to newcomers.
Reassure your followers that they don't have to
keep up on current
thoughts in and about the craft.
After all,
books and magazine
subscriptions are expensive. Imply that they will
learn all that they
need from you by hinting at the "secrets of the
craft" that yet await
them. If they are adamant about reading, call their
attention only to
those items that reinforce your point of view (you
need all the backup
you can get). The Xian (as in Xmas)
fundamentalists have developed
this sort of information management into an art
form. "Information
Management is next to Godilness". I'm sure Mr.
Falwell has that
embroidered on a pillow slip somewhere. You might
want to write him
for a needlepoint kit.

967

ON TO DISCUSSION...
Discussion with other groups must be limited. If
they don't share
your point of view, all contact with them should be
eliminated. After

all, your immature followers do mature and fanatics

mellow out. The
free exchange of differing ideas has a
justifiablely bad reputation
for expanding an individuals craft viewpoint. And
THAT is deadly to
the sacred position of High Poop-di Ha.
There is an effective means of terminating
troublesome contacts with
other groups, while at the same time confirming your
position as the
center of attention.
It is the practice of
the "Fine Art of
Self-Righteous Indignation"!
The premier example
of this was the
medieval Church.
When it met with a conflicting
view, such as a
scholar pointing out that the Church was rewriting
history or physics,
the Church would denounce him as a "minion of
Satan".
Usually the
scholar was hauled off and put to the
Question.
What's the truth, more or less,
compared to the self
Righeous
Indignation of God's Chosen....right?
Remember, you haveto slam the door tightly on any
new ideas! This
takes dramatic measures.
You don't want
conflicting information
coming in, and you certainly don't want your
s/h/e/e/p/ followers
wandering off.
Pick a public occasion and invade a circle or
a study
group.
Most importantly, make sure your group is
around you. After
all, the coming performance is really for them.
Rant, pound your
breast, whatever you need to do, to get across the
idea of YOU as the
poor, persecuted victim.
Make this crystal clear
to your group and
they will stick to you like you were dipped in crazy
glue.
If anyone
in your group has ever had a course in group
dynamics, send them on a
wild goose chase that evening. They might tumble
to what you are up
to, and besides they are probably asking too many
questions anyway.
burst into

When facing the m/i/n/i/o/n/s/o/f/S/a/t/a/n/

group, be
personally offensive if you can.
Call them
picky, heretical,
egotistical, perverse, etc.
Anything you can get
away with (wailing
opposing

in the background is a nice touch).

To keep your
group successfully
insulated from differing ideas, you have to
clearly label the
opposition in the minds of your followers. People
just LOVE tags!
Now, this next point is important, so listen up! You
must make it
clear that you want no further contact with the
opposing group. Try
to affect a tone in your voice that conveys "this
is a regrettable
decision but it just has to be", like the tone
Billy Graham takes on
when he talks about sinners. This gives you a
twofold bonus. First,
it gets the word to "them" in no uncertain terms
and, second, it gets
the word to your people that it would not be wise for
anyone who wants
to remain a part of your group to have any contact
with "those" you
have just judged unacceptable. This sort of frontal
assault generally
alienates both groups as well as every individual in
them. There will
be no information exchange, no open discussion and
very little growth.
But what do you care, you're safe.

968

One warning though; If for any reason you think the

other group will
simply laugh
at your overacting, don't
chance
a face-to-face
confrontation. Keep the performance within your own
group. If you
have been a good information manager that should be
effective enough.
Although you are one of the last "High Poop-di-Ha's
of the Infinite
Invisibility" in the craft, you belong to an ancient
society that can
be traced through most of the world's major
religions. You exemplify
rigidity, closed-mindedness and religious
manipulation. You have a
lot to be self-righteous about!
In order to
pervent your kind from
dying out completely, you have to remember to
stringently restrict the
information flow to your group and terminate all open
discussions with

outsiders holding differing views. If you take to

heart these few
pointers you won't go the way of the Great Auk
and the Passenger
Pigeon.

969

{file "Channeling (Jast)" "bos228.htm"}

Channeling
By Jast
Channeling has become a popular phenomena in the
last several years.
We see it featured in News-Magazines and on talk
shows. We read
articles about it, and bookshelves everywhere now
hold volumes of
books written by channeled entities, with more
appearing every month.
Some channeled sources have gained a great deal of
notoriety, drawing
large crowds for seminars and workshops, often at a
steep price.
.
How can we better understand this sudden outpouring
of information?
Webster defines "channel" as: " a means of access, a
route". In the
context of New Age work, channeling provides an
access-way through
which communication can be achieved between planes of
existence.
Channeling is a route through which those who are NOT
focused in
physical reality can give information to those
who ARE focused in
physical reality.
.
Though it may seem to be a fairly recent
phenomena, channeling in
various forms has existed as long as humankind. The
most common form
of channeling, in fact, is one we all have
experienced: That sudden
helpful insight that occasionally comes to us from
"out of the blue".
This form of channeling has created many works of
art and has helped

us find solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

Unlike other forms
of channeling, this inspiration is always available
to us and whether
we receive it rarely or often may simply depend on
our receptivity and
openness.
.
Dreams are another avenue through which channeled
information can
reach us. In the dream state we are open and
spiritually attuned,
creating an un-obstructed gateway through which
Universal knowledge
can flow. While the dream channel and
inspiration are both valid
routes of channeling, dreams, for many people,
are more easily
ignored. We tend to respond to and use those
insights which inspire
us.
.
The most spectacular form of channeling is, of
course, "Trance
Channeling". In this technique, the channel gives up
the use of his or
her body by entering a trance state, allowing the
"source" to speak
directly to a third party.
.
Although most trance channels work with only one
source, sources can
be a number of things or beings. Many believe that
channeled "sources"
reflect the channel's subconscious mind or a
"collective unconscious".
.
Channeled material
may also flow from
one's
"Higher Self".
Information communicated to us through this Source
definitely "counts"
as channeled material, for our "Higher Selves"
are not focused in
physical reality. Others may channel material from
the Cosmic Mind or
from the God -Goddess-All-That-Is.
.
Most channeled material, however, comes to us from
spirit guides or
Masters and, ultimately, it is the material
which is important
regardless of who or what we believe our source to
be.

970
Another way of communicating with ones "source" is
through "Automatic

Writing". In this form of channeling, the channel

first meditates then
sits with a pen and paper or a typewriter and allows
the source to
write. Meditation should be practiced each time
before automatic
writing since meditation puts us at peace and makes
us more receptive
to true spiritual sources.
.
The technique for automatic
writing is
fairly simple: After
meditating, sit in a comfortable position holding a
pad of paper and a
pen, resting the point of the pen on the paper. Keep
the body relaxed
and ask if there is a "source" present. Stay relaxed
and just wait for
writing to begin.
.
At first the writing may be unreadable, just fine
little scribbles
that mean nothing. After some practice, however,
the scribbles will
become readable words and phrases which allow the
source to identify
themselves and discuss whatever subject we wish.
Success may not be
achieved in the first few sessions. It may take
time and daily
practice to develop a strong connection but it is
well worth the
effort.
.
No matter what technique we use to channel our
information, it is
very important that we not follow blindly. Until we
are satisfied with
their believability, each of our sources should be
regarded with a
certain amount of healthy skepticism. We should
examine all channeled
material with a detached and questioning mind.
.
Although the material may vary in content,
there are certain
qualities which will always be present in
information which is
"channeled" by a true spiritual source. Such
information will be
positive in outlook and will always direct us
toward the spiritual
path. Since our sources will always try to help us as
much as they can
by giving us sound and usable advice, sources who
attempt to dazzle us
with incomprehensible garbage should be regarded
with suspicion. A
true source will not lie nor will they gossip. Our
guides will not

tell us to do things, and they cannot predict the

future because the
future is always changing.
.
When we attempt to channel our spirit guides, it is
important to keep
these points in mind. Non physical entities have
"personalities" just
as physical ones do. Someone whose attitudes
were negative, or
depressed, in LIFE, might carry remnants of
these qualities into
spirit life. Edgar Cayce was once quoted as
saying: "The only
difference between a LIVE Episcopalian and a DEAD
Episcopalian
is
that one is DEAD and one is ALIVE."
.
In reality, there is no such thing as communication
with the "dead".
We tend to see life in physical terms but LIFE is a
SPIRITUAL reality
which, for us, is presently housed in a physical
form.
.
Though misguided entities can not harm you
physically, their
influence could produce negative side effects which
could make your
experience of channeling less fulfilling or
pleasant, just as being
around ANY negative personality might tend to do.
For this reason it
is important to establish a secure system of
protection and awareness
when attempting to channel. Observing and following
these giudelines
can protect us from the inevitable confusion
which results from
contact with these misguided "sources".

971
A certain amount of preparation is also necessary if
we hope to be a
clear and responsible channel. With this as our
goal, it is probably
not advisable that we attempt any form of
channeling until we have
attained some degree of proficiency at meditation.
.
Meditation makes us more centered and loving. It
also acts as a
shield against contact with negative spirit
personalities. Meditation
should be practiced daily, for besides facilitating
our ability to
channel clearly, it is the most important thing we
can do to expand

our spiritual lives.

.
Your spirit guides can become life-long friends and
advisors as they
have a wonderful outside view of our lives and life
in general. They
have access to information that we could not
otherwise obtain. They
help to deepen our understanding of ourselves and
help us through our
times of crisis. Contacting these spirit friends
is not difficult.
There is no loss ofcontrol of our bodies and
nothing to fear for we
can quit any time we choose.
.
Spirit friends, just like our friends in the
physical world, should
always be treated with respect. They should not
be expected to
entertain our friends or answer a lot of trivial
questions. (If it is
important to us, then it is not trivial.) Probably
the most serious
mistake we can make, however, is to become too
dependent on our guides
as this is the one thing that will cause us to
lose them. Like any
true friend, our guides do not want us to count on
them too heavily.
.
The process of channeling our spirit guides
is truly a great
adventure. It may take weeks or months to develop but
it is an amazing
process and will bring invaluable results to those
who persevere. Good
luck and happy channeling.

972

{file "Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk)" "bos231.htm"}

THE ELEMENTS
TheElements havebeen apart
ofman'sancient andarcane lore
since its inception in pre-historic times.
Different traditions
associate them with
various things.
The
following list
of
correspondences comes from Starhawk's "The Spiral
Dance."
AIR:

Direction:

East.

Rules:Themind,allmental,intuitiveandpsychicwork,
knowledge, abstract learning,theory, windswept
hills, plains, windy beaches, high mountain peaks,
high towers, wind and breath.
Time:
Dawn.
Season: Spring.
Colors: White, bright yellow, crimson,
blue-white.
Signs of the Zodiac: Gemini, Libra,
Aquarius.
Tools: Athame, sword, censer.
Spirits: Sylphs, ruled by King Paralda.
Angel: Michael.
Name of the East Wind: Eurus.
Sense: Smell.
Jewel: Topaz.
Incense: Galbanum.
Plants:Frankencense,myrrh,pansy,
primrose,vervain,
violet, yarrow.
Tree:
Aspen.
Animals: Birds.
Goddesses: Aradia, Arianrhod, Cardea,
Nuit, Urania.
Gods: Enlil, Khephera, Mercury, Shu,
Thoth.

FIRE:

Direction:

South.
Rules:Energy,
spirit,heat,flame,blood, sap,life,
will, healing and destroying, purification,
bonfires,
hearth fires, candle flames, sun,
deserts, volcanoes,
eruptions, explosions.
Time: Noon.
Season: Summer.
Colors:Red,gold,crimson,orange,
white(thesun'snoon
light).
Signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Leo,
Saggitarius.
Tools: Censer, wand.
Spirits: Salamanders, ruled by King Djin.
Angel: Ariel.
Name of the South Wind: Notus.
Sense: Sight.
Jewel: Fire Opal.
Incense: Olibanum.
Plants:Garlic,hibiscus,
mustard,nettle,onion,red
peppers, red poppies.
Tree: Almond, in flower.
Animals:
Fire-breathingdragons,
lions,
horses(when

their

hooves strike sparks).

Goddesses: Brigit, Hestia, Pele, Vesta.
Gods: Agni, Hephaestus, Horus, Vulcan.

980
WATER:

Direction:

West.
Rules:

Emotions,feelings,
love,courage,
daring,sorrow,

the ocean, the tides, lakes,

streams, and
rivers, springs and wells, intuition, the
unconscious mind, the womb, generation, fertility.
Time: Twilight.
Season: Autumn.
Colors: Blue, blue-green, green, gray,
indigo, black.
Signs of the Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio,
Pisces.
Tools: Cup.
Spirits: Undines, ruled by King Niksa.
Angel: Raphael.
Name of the West Wind: Zephyrus.
Sense: Taste.
Jewel: Aquamarine.
Incense: Myrrh.
Plants:
Ferns,lotus,mosses,rushes, seaweed,water
lillies, and all water plants.
Tree: Willow.
Animals:
Dragons(asserpents),dolphinsandporpoises,
fish, seals and sea mammals, water-dwelling
snakes,
all water creatures and sea birds.
Goddesses: Aphrodite, Isis, Mariamne,
Mari, Tiamat.
Gods: Dylan, Ea, Llyr, Manannan, Osiris,
Neptune,
Poseidon.
pools,

EARTH:

Direction:

North.
Rules:Thebody,growth,nature,

sustenance,material
gain, money, creativity, birth, death, silence,
chasms, caves, caverns, groves, fields, rocks,
standing stones, mountains, crystal,
jewels, metal.
Time: Midnight.
Season: Winter.
Colors: Black, brown, green, white.
Signs of the Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo,
Capricorn.
Tools: Pentacle.

Spirits: Gnomes, ruled by King Ghob.

Angel: Gabriel.
Name of the North Wind: Boreas, Ophion.
Sense: Touch.
Jewel: Rock crystal, salt.
Incense: Storax.
Plants:Comfrey,ivy,grains:barley,oats,corn,rice,
rye, wheat.
Tree: Oak.
Animals:Coworbull,
bison,snakes(earth-dwelling),
stag.
Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Geae, Mah,
Nephthys,
Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea, Rhiannon.
Gods:
Adonis,Athos,Arawn,
Cernunnos,Dionysus,Marduk,
Pan, Tammuz.
981

SPIRIT
/ETHER: Direction:
throughout and about.

Center and circumference,

Rules:
Transcendence,tranformation,
change,everywhere
and nowhere, within and without, the void,
immanence.
Time: Beyond time, all time is one.
Season: The turning wheel.
Colors: Clear, white, black.
Tools: Cauldron.
Sense: Hearing.
Plant: Mistletoe.
Tree: The flowering almond.
Animal: Sphinx.
Goddesses: Isis, the Secret Name of the
Goddess, Shekinah.
Gods: Akasha, IAO, JHVH.
982

{file "Candle Colors" "bos232.htm"}

CANDLES
Candleshavebeenusedfor
morenaturallightinginritual

work as well as focal points and concentration

centuries.
Each different color has a different meaning for
both internal and
external uses.
Here are a list of uses put
together by Charles
Butler.
aids for

Outer Works
Inner Works
RED:COURAGE
ORANGE:PLENTY
YELLOW:CENTERING
GREEN:HEALING
BLUE:EMOTIONS
PURPLE:SPIRIT
PINK:JOY
BURGUNDY:REKINDLING
BLACK:AUTHORITY

RED:ENERGY
ORANGE:GENEROSITY
YELLOW:THE UNKNOWN
GREEN:PROSPERITY
BLUE:LOVE
PURPLE:INSPIRATION
PINK:REVELATION
BURGUNDY:PASSION
BLACK:COMFORT
WHITE:VISION

WHITE:PROTECTION

983

GREEK FIRE INITIATION

Cast of Characters
Tiresias:____________
Hephaestus:____________
Artemis:____________
Apollo:____________
Hestia:____________
Prometheus:____________
Seeker:____________

Incastingthecircle,whencalling
theQuartersyouare
free to use your own words but we ask that you use
Greek styling and
personify with the names of the four Greek winds:
North:
East:
South:
West:

Boreus
Eurus
Notus
Zephyrus

Tiresiasseatednorthofaltarrises,goesaroundtoface
altar, and invokes God and Goddess in a Greek style
using these two
triumverates:
GOD
Zeus: Strength
Hades: Knowledge
Poseidon: Emotion
GODDESS
Hera: Power
Athena: Wisdom
Aphrodite: Love
He then stepback andsays: "We havebeen
calledforth fromthe
edges of Time and Space by one who seeks entry
to the Halls of
Olympus. I am Tiresias, Prophet of Thebes, who,
though blind, shall
be his guide. Seeker, come forth!"

984

Seeker approaches circle at north-east point of

Circle.
Tiresias: "Who seeks entry to Olympus?"
Seeker: "I, __________.
Tiresias: "Beforeyou enter,gaze uponone
whosought whatwas
not rightfully his. Do you still
desire entry?"
Seeker replies.
Tiresias: (If no,he leaves and circleis
closed. Ifyes):
"Then enter and ask passage of the Guardians of the
Gods."
Seeker enters and they travel 1 1/8 to North.

Tiresias: "Hail, MightyHephaestus,

Craftsman of the Gods.
With me is one who seeks entry to Olympus."
Hephaestus: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Hephaestus:"By whatright seekyoupassage
throughthe North?"
Seeker: "I haveendured ayear of thepath
ofEarth andlearned
of my own mortality."
Hephaestus: "Pass with the Blessings of the
Earth."
They travel around 1 1/4 to East.
Tiresias: "Hail,Vigilant Artemis,Virgin
Goddess. Withme is

one who seeks entry to Olympus."

Artemis: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Artemis: "By what right seek you passage
through the East?"
Seeker: "I have endured a year of the
path of Airand have
learned the need for focus of will."
Artemis: "Pass with the Blessings of the Air."
They travel around 1 1/4 to South.
Tiresias: "Hail, Bright Apollo, Lordof
the Sun. With me is
one who seeks entry to Olympus."
Apollo: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Apollo: "By what right seek you passage
through the South?"
Seeker has no answer.
Apollo: "Youhave not yetearned theright
topass through the
South. To win this right, you must
seek Fire from he
who first gave it to Mankind, Prometheus. Tiresias,
guard
him upon his path of Fire that he learn what he
needs
to
face the Titan."
They travel around 1 1/2 to North.
Tiresias: "Icome with __________, whonow
seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you
teach
him that will ease his path?"

985

Hephaestus: "Knowthat Iam

Hephaestus,Craftsman andSmith of

the Gods.

In my labors, I use

Fire as a purifying

agent, seperating the metal from

and
for the actual forging of my Art. But remember

the stone,
that

creativity requires forethought.

w a s
t

i t s
s o n

Daedalus

Master of my Craft, yet rarely considered

implications of his creations. He created the

Labyrinth of Minos, who then imprisoned him within
intricacies.

He crafted wing that he and his

might escape, yet in their flight Icarus died.

Always consider the consequences of the which you
create."
They travel 1 1/4 around to East.
Tiresias: "I come with __________,who now
seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you
teach
him that will ease his path?"
Artemis: "Knowthat I amArtemis,
VirginHuntress. Through my
will, no man has ever known me.
Yet will must be
tempered by intellegence.
Remember Otus and
Ephialtes, twin giants who were arrogant enough to
think
themselves better than the Gods. They
continued their
ill-wrought plans, even after
Poseidon
warned
them. Through supposed desire,
they chose to pursue
me. They seperated in
pursuit of
what they saw as a
white hind, and,
with simultaneous
throws, slew each
other. Thus
blind will caused the
death of all they
truly
loved."
They travel 1 1/4 around to the South
Tiresias: "Icome with __________, whonow
seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you
teach
him that will ease his path?"
Apollo: "Know thatI am Apollo, Godof the
Sun andKeeper of
Knowledge. Knowledge of Fire has allowed Man to
forge
a civilization. But seeking to advance
without
can lead to catastrophe. Witness
Phaethon,
who

attempted to drive the Sun Chariot

proper
knowledge, nearly causing the
incineration of the
Earth. Action without
knowledge
will often lead to
ruin."
They travel around 1 1/4 to the West.
without

Tiresias: "I come with__________, who now

seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you
teach
him that will ease his path?"
Hestia: "Know that I amHestia, Goddess of
Hearthand Home.
The warm glow of emotion in balance is vital for
proper growth and life. But when emotions are
allowed to rule above all else, tragedy is soon to
follow. Consider Paris, who upon seeing Helen,
bowed
to an all-consuming desire for her,
kidnapping her
without thought of the
consequences.
Thus began the
Trojan War. Do not
bury
your
emotions,
but
neither should you elevate
them to
the level of
Ruler.

986

Theytravel 1 3/4around to theSouth.

Tiresiasalone goes to
altar and faces Seeker.
Tiresias: "Seeker,are youprepared toface
Prometheushimself

with your request?"

Seeker: "I am."
Tiresias: "Then come forward and call him

forth."

Seeker goes to altar facing North.

Seeker: "From the depths of Time, I call

Arise
Prometheus, Lightbringer."
Fromwithinthe membersin
theCircle,Prometheus risesand goes
to north side of altar.
you forth.

here?"

Prometheus:
Seeker:

"I am Prometheus.

"I am __________."

Who summons me

Prometheus: "Why haveyou brought me

herefrom the depths of
Time?"
Seeker: "I seek the Gift of Fire."
Prometheus: "And by what right do you ask it?
Seeker: "By the right of perfect love and
perfect trust."
Prometheus: "Thenknow thatyou are
wellmet. I willgrant you
Fire and its path for a year
and a day that you
might learn its lessons. The most important
lesson it can teach you is the need for thought
before action of any kind. You must always
consider
the consequences of all that you do or
say.
At the
end of your time on this path, you
will be judged
on your fitness to continue your
search."
Prometheus gives Seeker a token of Fire.
Prometheus: "With my service done, I bid you
farewell."
Prometheus leaves, blending into Circle.
Tiresias: "Welldone, mostnoble
Seeker.Pleasejoin usfor the
remainder of our revels."
Seekeris given seatin Circle. Tiresias
faces frontof altar
and dismisses Deities using Greek styling and the
following names:
GOD
Zeus, Hades, and
Poseidon
GODDESS
Hera, Athena, and
Aphrodite
Each Quarter dismisses
Greek style and
dismisses the appropriate Wind:

its element in

NORTH:
EAST:
SOUTH:
WEST:

Boreas
Eurus
Notus
Zephyrus

Tiresias: "Our workis completed fornow.

Letus rejoice and
enjoy this company, remembering that though we may
go our seperate
ways, we are alway united as one.
Merry meet,
merry part, and merry
meet again!"

GREEK FIRE INITIATION

987

Seeker's Copy

Seeker approachescircle atnorth-east

pointof Circle when
summoned.
Seeker:

"I, __________.

Seeker replies to question.

Seeker enters and they travel 1 1/8 to North.
Seeker:
ofEarth andlearned

"I am called __________."

Seeker: "I haveendured ayear of thepath

of my own mortality."

They travel around 1 1/4 to East.

Seeker:

"I am called __________."

Seeker: "I have endured a year of the

pathof Air and have
learned the need for focus of will."
They travel around 1 1/4 to South.
Seeker:

"I am called __________."

Seeker has no answer.

They travel around 1 1/2 to North.
They travel 1 1/4 around to East.
They travel 1 1/4 around to the South
They travel around 1 1/4 to the West.
They travel 13/4 aroundto theSouth.
Tiresiasalone goesto
altar and faces Seeker.
Seeker:

"I am."

Seeker goes to altar facing North.

you forth.

Arise

Seeker:

"From the depths ofTime, I call

Prometheus, Lightbringer."
Seeker:

"I am __________."

Seeker:

"I seek the Gift of Fire."

Seeker:

"By the right of perfect love and

perfect trust."
Seeker is given seat in Circle.

988

{file "Scents and Oils" "bos233.htm"}

SCENTS AND OILS

It has long been one of man's beliefs that
different scents
effect us on many levels including the spiritual One
of the main
reasons for perfumes and colognes is this belief.
Here is a brief
list of properties distributed by Connections
Candles, a company the
makes candles and sells them at metaphysical
gatherings.
APPLE:

and

Peace of mind, relaxation, love, wisdom.

BAYBERRY:

Luck to the home, money to the pocket.

BURGAMOT:

Protection from harm.

CEDAR:

Instills confidence, protection from misery

misfortune.

stimulate

CINNAMON:

raise and enhance spiritual vibrations,

clairvoyance, aids focus and

concentration, good for
personal protection.
CITRONELLA:
protection from

Attracts friends and customers,

insects.

CLOVE:
negative forces.

Strengthens memory, protects from hostile

EUCALYPTUS:
depression or illness.

Promotes healing of any hurt,

Especially good for colds or flu.

FRANKENCENSE: Frees one of obsessions and
destructive habits, brings
spiritual blessings, protects,
exorcises, purifies.
HELIOTROPE:
meditation,

Increases clairvoyance, assists

protects from physical harm.

HONEYSUCKLE:
realities, sharpens

Aids in understanding non-physical

intuition, brings prosperity.

JASMINE:
-

Psychic protection, cleanses the aura,

stimulates

creativity and originality, attracts

spiritual love.
LAVENDER:
calm and peace,

Frees from emotional stress, brings inner

gives increased awareness, brings

stability and permanance,
good for headaches.
LEMON:

Evokes protective spirits.

LILAC:

Helps recall past lives, draws good spirits,

helps

decision making, improves memory.

989

strength,

MUSK:

Instills self assurance, confidence and

heightens passions.

MYRRH:
understanding

Guards against evil, brings peace, assists in

personal sorrow.

ORANGE:
PINE:
ROSE:
tranquility.
SAGE:
negative

Brings harmony, raises power.

Cleanses, ends useless recriminations.
Unconditional love, peace, harmony,
Powerful clearing and cleansing, removes
energy.

SANDALWOOD:
past lives,

Stimulates clairvoyance, aids in seeing

healing, clearing, protection, calms the

mind.
SWEETGRASS:
transformation.
VANILLA:
the premises,

Invokes spiritual blessings, aids

Vitalizes energy, brings happy occasions to

draws good fortune.

990

{file ""Landmarks" (D.C.W.)" "bos234.htm"}

LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT

A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the
boundaries of real
estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar
prominent features of
the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise.
Just
as departing from
the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has
departed from that
piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of
our Craft signify
such a person or organization has departed from the
correct defines of the
Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this
their "Law".
THE LANDMARKS
The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan,
In the dim, dark ages of the past
For the rule and regulation of the wise,
To advise and help them in their troubles
And relations, one with the other,
That all might work and love
together.
They are the Bill
And the code
And are
Or
little use,
or Coven

of Rights of each member,

of operation of the Coven.
to be honored by all
else they become meaningless and of
And departure therefrom by any person
Shall be a departure from the

rest of the Covens

Which constitute the

American Rite.
us,

And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of

And no further communication shall be established

Concerning things of the Craft

With either He or They until
They shall return to the fold of the
Craft

In love and cooperation.

For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way,
And so should we return that love.
But this can only be done and made manifest by
love expressed
In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft,
Not in pride, but in cooperation and
sincerity.
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT
Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind
And free to decide for himself in good faith,
Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets,
And shall desire to follow the Way,
Shall be permitted to do so,
And none may say him "Nay".
And the Gods will love him and look after him,
And they shall bless him on all things,
And his needs shall always be satisfied,
As he shall show forth love and affection
For all the brethren and sisters of
the Craft,
And he shall obey the
Admonishments
Of the Craft as to secrecy and
correct living.

991
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
And when he shall desire to join the Craft,
And to follow the Way to Perfection,
He shall make his desires known to any member
Of the Priesthood.
And they shall observe his readiness
and sincerity,
And shall then administer the
rites of
Secrecy, which is sacredness
and brotherhood.
But a Priest shall accept the Sister,
And a Priestess the Brother,
As an eternal reminder of
The duality of the Universe.
And a new name and secret mark
Shall be given each new fellow.
By this name, and under this mark,
Shall they be known among the members
Of the Craft, in love and harmony,

And their old name and identity shall not

be known

Even among the members of their own

Coven,
name or his house
of none.

And none shall inquire for his

And he shall inquire these

But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite,

Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy.
And he shall have the right to follow the Way.
Walking alone if he will it that way,
Or with a Coven of living brethren
If he so shall choose;
And he shall have the right
To withdraw from any coven at any time
Without the need to say why,
If he shall so choose.
And this either for the purpose of joining another
Or to become solitary for his own reasons,
And there will be none to censure;

them

And he shall have the right to remain

In a certain Coven, and none shall say him "Nay",
Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart;
Except that should he lose harmony with
Then they may so decide
And he shall depart.

But no man shall have the right

To speak for the Craft,
And leaving one Coven does not mean
Leaving the Craft, or
Leaving the Way
And each is free, then, or at any
time later,
To remain solitary
Or to seek admission to
another Coven.

992
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
But let him and each other fellow of the Craft
Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the
Craft,
That it may be readily recognized,
And here he shall keep all the Laws and
Landmarks,
And the tenets of the Craft,
That he might not forget,
And if he do forget, that
his mind might be

Renewed.
And in this book, all things shall be the mark
Of his own hand, and in ink,
That it shall be long lived.
Let each of the brothers and sisters
Copy what they will from the book,
Providing that they are of sufficient
worthiness,
To receive it, and are of sufficient rank,
Or that the writings are of sufficient
nature
As pertain to their own rank.
Never suffer this book out of hand or possession,
And never borrow the writings of another
To keep, but merely to copy.
And each shall guard and keep these
writings,
As his most sacred possession
And destroy them when danger
threatens.
However, should one be of sufficient power,
To remember his past as a wise man,
This book and other Craft artifacts,
May be buried in a stone box
Prepared for them from time to time,
And this in view of immediate
death,
And the desire to save them
for a future life.
Otherwise, on notice of impending death,
This book should be destroyed by fire,
As well as other things of the Craft,
Which one may posses.
But the wise man will have nothing around
Which has only a Craft use or meaning,
But only things which can be used in daily
affairs.
If there is no reason to own a sword,
Then do not own one;
The white wand is just as powerful,
And less distinctive in the minds of the
infidels.
If a white wand is too distinctive,
Then any old wand will do for the purpose
Of the ceremonies.

993
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
Have no names written and signs drawn

On anything permanently,
When necessary these can be written
In charcoal or chalk
And erased immediately without the
telling of tales.
Let the knife have the shape of,
And be stored with the kitchen knives;
Let the cord be seen around the house,
And be used for a vulgar purpose,
In order to fool the infidels.
Never boast, never threaten, never brag
Of your powers; not even to the Craft,
Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward
another
For the power may make it happen for harm;
And never wish ill to anyone.
As it will Occur.
If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it,
Remember: the Craft needs no defense,
For it has the Father and
All things will be as He wishes
In the end.
THE COVEN
And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft,
Finding himself in a place where he knows of no
Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Shall have the right, nay, even the duty,
To seek out such a Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Without censure.
Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize
His former Coven or the members of it,
Or the Craft itself.
And two or three Fellows shall have the right
To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
And to help each other along
On the Way to Perfection,
Except that Craft ceremonies
Must be done by the Priesthood.
Any five fellows who shall desire
To form a Coven may do so,
And they shall apply for a charter
To any High Priest or Priestess,
And they shall then select and choose
A man and a woman to lead them.
And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High
Priest,
And they shall choose two more,
A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a
priestess,
And a Scribe for their Coven.

994
THE COVEN (continued)
But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood,
Unless also qualified for another reason.
And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest,
And shall be answerable to him in all their doings,
Because they did owe their Priesthood to him,
And he shall act at all times in their
interest
As their Spiritual Father in the Craft
So that he may lead them as they
walk
The way to perfection.
But the newly appointed Priesthood,
Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom
needed,
For the positions to which they have been set
apart
Then it shall be his responsibility as
their High Priest,
To lead and instruct them,
Or cause it to be done by
another.
But should the new Coven refuse to follow
The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual
Father,
Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement,
Recall their charter, and their right to
work as a Coven.
For that which one can give he may
also retrieve,
And they shall not again meet,
Unless they can find another
High Priest,
Who will assume
responsibility over them.
It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside,
For all things must be presided over by the High
Priesthood;
And should any Coven desire to change,
Their allegiance from one High Priest to another,
For any reason, even the loss of harmony,
Or if, in their considered opinion, their
Spiritual Father
Is no longer spiritual, or serving the
Father
Then they shall be reordained in
the Priesthood
By the New High Priest, and
this shall then

Have superceded the

original ordinations,
for them

And there shall be

A new Spiritual

Father.
And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the
Priesthood,
Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven
for them to lead,
Then it is their bounden duly to try to the
extent of their Power
To find Fellows of the Craft
And organize them into a Coven.
And should they find that there are no other Fellows of
the Craft,
In that place, but there are some of the same good
bend of mind,
It is then their duty to teach them by word and
deed,
Until there be sufficient to form a Coven,
And this shall be done under the
supervision,
And with the knowledge of their
High Priest,
Through which they received
their ordination
And their Powers.

995
THE COVEN (continued)
And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the
members of their Coven,
And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them
As elder brothers and sisters,
And shall care for them in all their
affairs,
And not just at meetings,
For it is in this that the Craft
differs
From all man-made
institutions.
Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is
such

That she shall continue to contact them in any manner

And by any method possible,
To tender them her loving care
At all times of sickness or stress.
And should any member move to a far city
The Priestess will continue to care for them
In love, by whatever method is available,
Until such time as they shall,

Priestess.

Of their own free will,

Obligate themselves to another

And the Priestess shall at all times remember

That she is the direct representative of the Goddess
to her Coven,
And the Priest is the direct representative of
The unknown God, the Father,
And both must act as such at all
times.

be,

Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose

As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to
Or else another Fellow, who shall be called
her Magister.

And she must remember at all times that the man provides
the power,
For the woman to direct, and so it is,
That the Priest resigns all his power over to
her,
Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep,
It is the power of God to use in the
performance
Of the Work.
The Power of God is only
lent to be used,
Wisely and Justly.
Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their
Spiritual Father,
At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and
cooperation,
keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him
in utmost harmony,
For they must always remember that the power
And wisdom which they use,
Comes to them through him.

Gods

In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom,

The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies,
And entire states and nations worshipped the
Freely and without restraint;

996
THE COVEN (continued)
But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret,
And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret,
And there are those who will talk, even without
torture,
Which loosens any tongue.
Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all

That no Coven shall know wherein

The next Coven shall abide, or who its members

be,

Except only the Priestess, Magister and

Deputy,

And even they shall not remember

Except for good and sufficient
reason.
But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet
In some safe place for festivals, and while there,
None may say whence they came, nor give their true
names,
Or tell of where or when their meetings are,
and
No secret things shall be spoken of
At these festivals for fear of Cowans and
Eavesdroppers.
Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and

love,

Priest.

Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High

She will ever heed the complaints of the

brethren

And strive to settle all differences

between them with love.
But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive
To force their will upon others
But these are not necessarily evil
And will think that they do rightly.
Oft they have good ideas and such
ideas

Should be discussed in council with

their brethren.
But if they will not agree with their brethren,
Or if they say "I will not work under this
Priestess",
Then they shall have the right to withdraw from
that Coven,
And work Solitary.
Or if five or more of them shall
withdraw,
They shall have the right
To
form
another
Coven
under
another
Priestess.
Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons
of a Coven
To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason
whatever,
But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven
In all things, as it shall then have ceased to
exist for them.

997

THE BOOK OF SHADOWS

Let every Coven of whatever rank
Keep a record in a book of black and silver,
And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and
Tenets,
Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft,
The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven
As well as the History of the
Coven,
And its charter empowering
it to work.
And a record of every meeting shall be written therein,
Together with a record of the doings of any member
thereof
With the other side, or the Father, or
Any other thing which is for the teaching
of all,
Even unto the listing of herbs and
medicines
Spells and incantations and Rites
Which contain power for the
use of man.
This book shall be kept by the Scribe,
And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood
And also the High Priesthood, when it shall

come,

written therein

But no names or Craft secrets shall be

That he Craft should not be betrayed
Should the book be taken by

force,

Or slyness, by the infidels.

And when the coven shall disband,

It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood
To secure this book and make suitable
disposition
That it might not endanger the Craft
Or any brother within it
As if the Coven were a person or
Fellow
And the book were his book,
So let it be burned.
THE PRIESTHOOD
The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds,
Draw their power from the Father.
But the children of the Father are like the sands of the
sea,

And He has ordained and set apart certain of his

older children,
To help and assist Him in caring for the younger
children,

And has given them the Power and the Wisdom

to do so,

And these children constitute the

Priesthood.
The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and
none may say him
"Nay"
Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and
helpers
And shall share their power with them,
And this is called ordination.
The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father
And it is love unfeigned and sincere,
Compassion and gentleness and meekness,
Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness,
And there is no authority over the
free will of men
Inherent in the Priesthood,
Nor to be assumed by the
members of it.

998
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God,
And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly
man,

Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving

man;

And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is

withdrawn from him.
Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive,
For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the
Father,
And this man's priesthood shall depart from him
At the end of a year and a day,
For it is truth eternal,
That the thing which is unused
will be taken away.
So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood,
First let him learn to be a leader of men,
For a Priest with no following is no Priest,
And his Priesthood is in vain.
So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest
First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the
new appointment,
Then let him learn to lead men, and
When he shall either have been selected
As leader for his Coven,
Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his
own,
Then let him apply for ordination.

And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written

That only the higher can ordain the lesser,
That there shall be an unbroken line
Of power and authority extending
Back through the line of ordination,
To the Father Himself.
And no man can ordain his peers,
For the Lord's House is not a house of confusion,
So let not the line be broken
For it is the cable tow by which
Men are drawn from the lower
Up to the greater;-An impossibility without it.
And each must work within their line of ordination
In perfect love and perfect trust,
With perfect harmony in all things,
But should they find that they fall out of
harmony
With their line of ordination,
Then let him seek another, to be
ordained of him
To be their new spiritual
Father.
Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy,
For those who have no following to lead,
Why are they in the Priesthood?

999
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And so it is that they who lose or give away their
following,
Or they who through inactivity have lost their power,
Or they who are not in harmony and love with their
Spiritual Father;
Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled
Other than by leadership of men.
But this can only be done by he who ordained them,
For only those who give can take away,
Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is

done.

Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely

and well,
The Gods have decreed that those who serve them
Shall prosper and grow in this life,
And shall gain eternal perfection
To be freed from the Wheel of Life,
And to become like unto the
angels
In that they should be
perfect.

For perfection is to be gained by love,

And there is no greater love than to
Lay down one's life for his brethren
In their service and for their sake,
And the Father will reward them for
Their labor of love, because
He is not unjust.
FINIS