tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17337188355187539182024-03-13T23:50:00.177-07:00The Centre For Pagan Studies BlogIncluding information from the Doreen Valiente FoundationCentre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-4893496206035464082018-08-27T04:43:00.001-07:002018-08-27T04:45:38.949-07:00Witchcraft and the Scots - New Review by T H, Greenmantle Magazine <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "stonehenge regular"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Review; Greenmantle (Samhain 2018)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KGiqCPBeLJY/W201AzLeuzI/AAAAAAAAFRo/LDy4BV1UYNgwRVCLTSN6i3oteOYaSoUJQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/WATS-1000x1000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Witchcraft and the Scots by Arnold Crowther" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KGiqCPBeLJY/W201AzLeuzI/AAAAAAAAFRo/LDy4BV1UYNgwRVCLTSN6i3oteOYaSoUJQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/WATS-1000x1000.png" title="Witchcraft and the Scots by Arnold Crowther" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "stonehenge regular"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Witchcraft and the Scots</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "stonehenge regular"; font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">By Arnold Crowther</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">(Centre For Pagan Studies <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ISBN-13<b>:</b></span> 978-1999639600 Price .<i>
£10.99)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As a brief overview or
introduction to the Scottish witch trials, this is an admirable little book.
Found among his papers after his death in 1974, it sits well alongside the
other witchcraft books by Arnold Crowther, one of the early figures of Wicca.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After putting Scottish witch
law into European context, he gives examples of the full range of victims executed
there: innocent political pawns, beneficial cunning folk, the probably mentally
ill - and in at least one case, the Aberdeen witches, a possible instance of
genuine folk celebrants, whose major crime seems to have been dancing around a
standing stone on Halloween. He also includes a now-quaint chapter on the
coven-leading “Devil” as he was understood by Wiccans of the mid-twentieth
century. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Crowther pulls no punches in
his reporting, and thus I might disagree with Leslie-Anne Brewster’s
description of the book as “enjoyable”; otherwise, however, her Foreword very
accurately sums it up: “An interesting and enjoyable read for anybody curious
about Scottish witches. . . . [And] what gives this book a significance beyond
its content, is how much it confides of the thinking and theorizing of the
well-read occultist and witch who wrote it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As usual, the production by
the Doreen Valiente Foundation makes for a pleasant volume, full of Crowther’s
own charming sketches illustrating the text. Another worthwhile lost classic
brought to light by this dedicated organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">–
TH</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> We thank <a href="http://www.greenmantle.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greenmantle</a> for this review, and you can purchase your copy of this special book direct from us here. http://www.shop.doreenvaliente.org/witchcraft-and-the-scots </b></span></div>
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</style>Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-81063467832879513312018-06-20T21:27:00.000-07:002018-06-21T07:53:01.202-07:00Midsummer Newsletter 2018<html>
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<h1 class="c27" id="h.xjpsgxnh2zbv">
<span class="c18">Midsummer 2018 Newsletter</span></h1>
<h1 class="c27" id="h.ir3rd4dyps2r">
<span class="c18">Centre for Pagan Studies & Doreen Valiente Foundation</span></h1>
<div class="c7">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 647.00px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 494.00px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image5.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 647.00px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 488.63px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c0">“Sun Dance” By Geraldine (Gera) Lambert</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c26">Gera’s website </span><span class="c9 c26"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.geraldinelambert.net/&sa=D&ust=1529324586822000">http://www.geraldinelambert.net/</a></span></div>
<div class="c20">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.xjpsgxnh2zbv">Midsummer 2018 Newsletter</a></span></div>
<div class="c29">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.ir3rd4dyps2r">Centre for Pagan Studies & Doreen Valiente Foundation</a></span></div>
<div class="c29">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.6lx90aghfeje">Introduction</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.ilrflo6faizx">Greetings!</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.helagofpag59">New Book Release</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.f49pfva4sbk8">Upcoming Talks</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.76wuepejl1nh">Speakers and Mini Exhibition</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.x7zqe3nmc3kc">What’s Your Story?</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.7vn9dljzrvl7">Membership and Subscriptions</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.k5fqtp1tye1i">Poem - Summer Solstice by Elaine Hindle</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.9r85vek66jh7">Art from Portugal Triptych - by Filipa Silva</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.hwf6wb7jeaml">Storytelling with Richard Levy</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.6hpaea9dkj8t">Poem from Portugal - Tribute to Witches Memorial<br />
by Isabel Andrade</a></span></div>
<div class="c29">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.de49egfd0w83">Incense Spell (Anonymous donor)</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.fot4iky9w7oo">Reyn til Runa by Filipa Silva</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.dhnze3qmo3an">Poem By Elaine Hindle</a></span></div>
<div class="c33">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.9rfdql672f16">The Midsummer Faerie Rade</a></span></div>
<div class="c10">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.4attqogf2kit">Book Reviews</a></span></div>
<div class="c22">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=3357371214806156061#h.q2hypv82t1j">Stay In Touch!</a></span></div>
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<h1 class="c19" id="h.6lx90aghfeje">
<span class="c36 c37">Introduction</span></h1>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.ilrflo6faizx">
<span class="c24">Greetings!</span></h2>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Midsummers greetings to all, this season's newsletter has taken a different format, with contributions from many artists, writers, storytellers and poets. We hope you enjoy the content herein.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">While we prepare our own rituals and celebrations for the longest day and the warming of the sun towards the harvest, we think of our various projects and relationships strengthening and coming to fruition. We are delighted to share our news with you.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c26">The Doreen Valiente Foundation </span>Trustees have been hard at work and finally we have sifted through all the documentation necessary to become recognised as a Registered Charity - we proudly announce this and our number is 1178528 and the Charity Commission can be found here:<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission&sa=D&ust=1529324586829000"> </a></span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission&sa=D&ust=1529324586830000">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission</a></span><span class="c3"> .</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Since the excellent exhibition we did in 2016 in collaboration with Royal Pavilion and Museums Brighton we have continued to work with them, and have had access to their curatorial experts, who have been looking over our paper archive and helping us to maintain it in a good condition.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Our work continues with them and we are still hoping to collaborate with accredited venues including Brighton on further exhibitions.</span></div>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.helagofpag59">
<span class="c24">New Book Release</span></h2>
<div class="c5">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 314.67px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 602.00px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image9.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 314.67px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 602.00px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">A must-have for your book shelves. A previously unpublished book by Arnold Crowther with original drawings by the author, Witchcraft and the Scots “Using extensive research into witchcraft court cases and folkloric tales, Arnold Crowther takes us on a thought-provoking journey through centuries of Scottish witchcraft and witch belief. From Mary Queen of Scots, who brought witchcraft to the fore in Scotland, right up to Aleister Crowley, notorious magician of the twentieth century, Crowther guides us through the most notable cases of Scottish witchcraft and magic.” </span></div>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.f49pfva4sbk8">
<span class="c24">Upcoming Talks </span></h2>
<div class="c5">
We are delighted to announce the talk “<span class="c26">Narrative Magic And Magical Thinking” by Richard Levy </span>(CFPS speaker)<span class="c26">. </span>The talk, hosted by the Children Of Artemis West Sussex, on August 14 at Sompting Village Hall, West Sussex, promises to be very interesting and inspiring, tickets are free but you have to book. Here’s the link for tickets:- <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/coa-mid-sussex-pagans&sa=D&ust=1529324586831000">https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/coa-mid-sussex-pagans</a></span><span class="c3"> </span></div>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.76wuepejl1nh">
<span class="c24">Speakers and Mini Exhibition</span></h2>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">We now have a good selection of speakers who are available to speak on behalf of the CFPS and the DVF at your function/event. We can provide a mini exhibition of some of Doreen Valiente’s most tiny treasures, to go with it. Please let us know if you are thinking of hosting an event (in the UK for now) and would like our speakers to attend.</span></div>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.x7zqe3nmc3kc">
<span class="c24">What’s Your Story?</span></h2>
<div class="c5">
As you know we have many wonderful people who have been so kind in providing interviews telling their own stories about their spiritual paths. If you would like to do an interview with us to tell YOUR story, please contact us by email <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="mailto:enquiries@centre-for-pagan-studies.com">enquiries@centre-for-pagan-studies.com</a></span> and we will devise a questionnaire tailored just for you. You can see some of the interviews we have published so far here <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/centre_for_pagan_studies-paganism-Blog-17.php%23sthash.Db920GeA.dpbs&sa=D&ust=1529324586833000">http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/centre_for_pagan_studies-paganism-Blog-17.php#sthash.Db920GeA.dpbs</a></span><span class="c3"> </span></div>
<h2 class="c17" id="h.7vn9dljzrvl7">
<span class="c24">Membership and Subscriptions</span></h2>
<div class="c5">
Lastly we would not be able to do all of this without YOU! Thank you for subscribing and stay in touch via our membership scheme - <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.doreenvaliente.org/Doreen-Valiente-Membership-4.php%23sthash.FeZYamxi.dpbs&sa=D&ust=1529324586833000">http://www.doreenvaliente.org/Doreen-Valiente-Membership-4.php#sthash.FeZYamxi.dpbs</a></span><span class="c3"> </span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Best witches!</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Julie Belham-Payne</span></div>
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<h2 class="c17 c14" id="h.si36ezszk2hi">
</h2>
<h2 class="c2" id="h.k5fqtp1tye1i">
<span class="c24">Poem - Summer Solstice by Elaine Hindle</span></h2>
<div class="c34">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 122.13px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 183.50px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image2.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 122.13px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 183.50px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">“The sun has reached its Zenith</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">And Casts a Golden Glow over the fields of ripening corn</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Languid days without a breath of air as the heat rises</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">The sweat trickling down my collar</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Too hot for toil</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Even the birds are silent sheltering under the cool branches</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">The day wears on and the sun in the heavens is relentless</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">We pray for the cool of evening the lengthening shadows</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Of purple hues as the fiery orange ball sinks slowly in the west</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Down in a last glorious hurrah of a sunset painting the sky like a furnace</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">Flickering flames of orange and red dying down into purple deepening embers</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">A farewell to the day as the coolness of the night beckons on and the first pale star is seen beyond the horizon</span></div>
<div class="c6">
<span class="c13">The Solstice has gone the bright days of majesty imperceptibly will wane</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c32">slowly the days will shorten and the blaze of glory will be a pale reflection of its former power.</span><span class="c3"> “</span></div>
<div class="c5">
Elaine is a regular poet for our group, Pagan Poets and Writers and has written an article about Epona, See here <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://centreforpaganstudies.blogspot.com/2018/02/goddess-epona.html&sa=D&ust=1529324586837000">http://centreforpaganstudies.blogspot.com/2018/02/goddess-epona.html</a></span><span class="c3"> </span></div>
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<h2 class="c2 c14" id="h.ndiek0jrdgis">
</h2>
<h2 class="c2" id="h.9r85vek66jh7">
<span class="c24">Art from Portugal Triptych - by Filipa Silva</span></h2>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c21">Details of this artist can be found here </span><span class="c9 c21"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hekainart.wixsite.com/filipasilva/runa&sa=D&ust=1529324586839000">https://hekainart.wixsite.com/filipasilva/runa</a></span><br />
<br />
“<span class="c23">I traveled to a dark forest and the Seal of </span><span class="c23 c40">Runa</span><span class="c23"> appeared in front of me. I uttered "I wish to activate </span><span class="c40 c23">Runa</span><span class="c23 c36"> in my life." </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">The Three Following Pictures can be seen as a Tryptych if laid side by side. </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 341.79px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 256.00px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image3.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 341.79px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 256.00px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 320.16px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 238.50px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image8.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 320.16px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 238.50px;" title="" /></span><span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 317.50px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 233.95px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 317.50px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 233.95px;" title="" /></span></div>
<h2 class="c2" id="h.hwf6wb7jeaml">
<span class="c24">Storytelling with Richard Levy</span></h2>
<div class="c12 subtitle" id="h.ezzxzeaj074f">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 263.96px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 396.50px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image6.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 263.96px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 396.50px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c25 subtitle" id="h.vxf164el3ljw">
<span class="c28">The Water Mage</span></div>
<div class="c5">
(For an audio version of this story you can hear Richard narrating here): - <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://youtu.be/X3Wp9vPIEM8&sa=D&ust=1529324586841000">https://youtu.be/X3Wp9vPIEM8</a></span>)</div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c21">“ ……..</span><span class="c3">Many years ago the in West, mighty Ogres fought with the world of men. Many a great King or Queen fell to these monsters then the day The Ogres attacked the Kingdom of Serret.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The King fought back with the might of his armies and whilst we was able to hold the monsters back, the price of this was the blood of his men and it would only be a matter of time before the Ogres overwhelmed the Kings army.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The king decreed that any who could end this war or fight back with a strength that could hold the Ogres off forever could have half the kingdom.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">In the far west of Serret lived Heneth, the Untroubled. He wore a simple grey robe, old and ragged. He was mostly ignored; people came to him for healing, as his knowledge of herb craft was great.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">He provided for himself, the people who saw him had little and he asked for nothing in return. Though they spared him what they could.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">He lived in a simple cottage where a river ran on one side, the River was known as The Parnak-glen, which meant 'Serpent's eye' in the ancient glyphs of Rhudan. The river provided so much for him and in his gratitude he helped keep it clean and sang to it.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">It was on this day that a young thrush flew to Heneth and told him of the Kings decree. He gave the thrush some seeds and smiled. Standing on a bridge that stretched over the river he said: 'did you hear that my friend? It seems we are at war and our king is desperate. He offer half his kingdom for an answer'</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">For the first time the river spoke back.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Whilst Heneth was somewhat elated he was not overly surprised, for in time and with trust bird, beast and plant had spoken to him. It was thought this he knew how to heal and hunt, it was how he knew the secrets of leaf and root and other philosophies that many would not think a commoner could grasp.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">For someone who spoke little he was able to communicate with more than most.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The river said 'Dear Untroubled one, you who have been so kind to me I am more than happy to show you such kindness. You must walk to the boundary of the Ogres camp and on the hill you will find a standing stone. You must ask the rock to call on me and I will come.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">So it was that Heneth the Untroubled who felt war was pointless and that all such creatures as him and Ogres need only boundaries rather than battles stood at a hilltop where a small standing stone and waited.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">He saw the Ogre camp and that of the King. The King was alerted to a grey figure on the adjacent hill by his men and though Heneth didn't summon them, he had an audience.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Heneth gently placed his hand on the stone and felt its slow pulse and depth; he felt that silence and power that all things have in connection to this power could communicate.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">He gently whispered 'Parnak-glen' and the stone felt like it shuddered. Releasing his hand from the stone water came rushing from the West like a giant serpent of water dividing the valley between the camps.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The King and his men looked in shock and elation, the Ogres was less that pleased but they knew a boundary when they saw it. Such power drove them back to their homes in the Northern Mountains.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The King summoned Heneth and gave him thanks</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">'But you must understand' he said looking at Heneth's modest clothing 'you are not the sort of man who can have half a kingdom'</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">'Majesty' Heneth spoke gently 'you promised that whoever ends the war will get half the kingdom. It was not myself but the river that did it. I was merely part of its current, it is the river you owe and not myself'.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The King smiled at these words, having no intention to give his Kingdom to any body, including a body of water said he would take that up if he needed too and thought himself clever and lucky to not have to fight to maintain his whole kingdom.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Heneth returned home, but the King had made a promise and the River did not wait to be offered half the Kingdom.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">The next day when the King woke he looked outside his Tower to see the castle surrounded by water from all sides, this stretched for miles but had not touched the homes of his people. The river had learned to care for them from Heneth.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">A Raven was sent out to summon Heneth who spent several days walking. He refused to ride a horse and by the ninth day arrived at the water's edge, seeing the castle in the distance.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">He took a step on the water and his boots did not sink, he walked on the deep waters all the way to the castle, ripples forming in his wake.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">'Heneth, you must help' the king insisted</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">'You tried to cheat the tide, which is a great sin for a king' the king had no choice but to stand in silence being chided by this commoner 'but I will see what I can do'.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Smiling Heneth spoke to the waters.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">After an hour the waters shifted and began to twist, they flowed the length of the Kingdom and in time was called The Peneth-shrak (Serpent's tail) which started from the serpents eye (Peneth-glen) on the west near Heneth's cottage and spread.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">Heneth came before the king 'The River was once larger and was made small and redirected by people. In saving you it has a claim to land that was once its own. You have your kingdom back and river that can provide trade and travel and nourishment. You must be thankful for this blessing, one that shifted the tides of war and blood and will continue to be a blessing if it is respected.</span></div>
<div class="c5">
<span class="c3">From that day on the King grew in humility and was known to visit Heneth at times for advise or to sit in silence with him, sometimes joining in when he sung the River.” ……. </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜 〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜</span></div>
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<h2 class="c2" id="h.6hpaea9dkj8t">
<span class="c24">Poem from Portugal - Tribute to Witches Memorial<br />
by Isabel Andrade</span></h2>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c31">Isobel is a Doreen Valiente Foundation Trustee and Director of Pagan Federation International (Pagan Association Portugal) </span><span class="c9 c31"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://pt.paganfederation.org/o-que-e-pfi/pfi-portugal/&sa=D&ust=1529324586848000">http://pt.paganfederation.org/o-que-e-pfi/pfi-portugal/</a></span><span class="c30"> </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">MEMORIAL </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TRIBUTE</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO THE SOULS OF THE SILENCED SCREAMS</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">ACCUSED BY INQUISITION</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">ACCUSED</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">OF NATURE LOVING!</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">OF FOUNTAIN AND CLIFF WORSHIPING!</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">OF STORMS NEVER FEARING!</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">ACCUSED OF BEING A SIN</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO SING TO THE WIND,</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO GROW CROPS WITH SPELLS</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO DISPEL MISERY WITH SONGS</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO LIVE OF WINE AND REVELRY...</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO THOSE WHO PASSED AWAY</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">WITHOUT KNOWING HOW COULD LIVING BE A SIN</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">AND NO MORE COULD READ THE FORTUNE</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">WHO NO MORE COULD CRY OUT TO THE WIND</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">WHO NO MORE COULD KEEP DISMAY AWAY</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">NO MORE DID THE SUN AND THE MOON WORSHIP!</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">I MAKE THIS TRIBUTE </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">TO OUR ANCESTORS</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">WHO PASSED AWAY IN THE GALLOW OR THE FIRE</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">IN THE NAME OF THE ONE GOD</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">NAMELESS AND FACELESS.</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">THE FOUNTAINS WENT SILENT</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">EXTINGUISHED WERE THE CANDLES ON THE ROADS</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">THE MOON GODDESS THEY OVERSHADOWED.</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">AND THE SUN GOD THEY WANTED TO CONCEAL</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">THEY BURNED THE SACRED FORESTS...</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">FROM THE THOUSAND NAMELESS VOICES</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">JUST A FEW STILL REMAIN.</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">THEIR FAITH THEY DID NOT ABANDON,</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">AND IN THE TURN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c11">THEY RISE UP AGAIN...</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c38"> </span><span class="c21">Isobel Andrade 2000 (HPs Lilith) Portugal</span></div>
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<h1 class="c19" id="h.de49egfd0w83">
<span class="c36 c37">Incense Spell (Anonymous donor)</span></h1>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">I wrote this spell some time ago inspired by Doreen Valiente’s candle spell. I doubt I’m the first. The point of this spell is to work work with incense in relation to its power over air, travel, speed and words (incantation / utterance). Your spell and messages can travel on the smoke</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">There is a lot of scope with this you can use your own or various blends of incense or use the one</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">E.g. frankincense (for cleansing); sandalwood (wish granting) etc</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c21">The scope of this is that you are working with herbal powers which you can mix and blends as well as working with flame and air/smoke:</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Light your incense and recite:</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Herbs that burn mix and combine</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Both earthly powers and divine</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Aid my spell and incantation</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Aid this act of my creation</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Fire, smoke and air be free</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">And conjure power now to me</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Spirits of flame and smoke be blessed</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Aid my spell and my behest</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">And thus my wishes come to bear</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">From root and herb and word and air</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">*Blend example*</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">One blend I like to work with: -</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Lemongrass: clearing the way</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Crow feather/feather: air ; carry spell / messages</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Dragons blood: fire, potency</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c4">Willow bark: water and moon magic</span></div>
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<span class="c4">Rosemary: witch herb</span></div>
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<span class="c4">Honeysuckle: earth</span></div>
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<span class="c4">Bay leaf / sandalwood: wish granting</span></div>
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<span class="c4">Obviously use your own and work with what you e got but there is of course a lot of scope.</span></div>
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<span class="c24">Reyn til Runa by Filipa Silva</span><span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 519.50px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 390.20px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image4.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 519.50px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 390.20px;" title="" /></span></h2>
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</h2>
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</h2>
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</h2>
<h2 class="c2" id="h.dhnze3qmo3an">
<span class="c24">Poem By Elaine Hindle</span></h2>
<h3 class="c39" id="h.9rfdql672f16">
<span class="c43">The Midsummer Faerie Rade</span></h3>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Come dance around the faery ring</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Where all is bright and gay</span></div>
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<span class="c3">The music takes you on the wing</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">As sylvan elves do play</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">For they are here but for a night </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Of rapturous reverie</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3"> What wondrous magic they do weave</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">That ere an eye could see</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">The myriad colours they do spin</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Of gossamer cobweb fair</span></div>
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<span class="c3"> As light and pure as thistledown</span></div>
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<span class="c3">Float on the evening air</span></div>
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<span class="c3">The senses reel from nectar sweet</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Collected from flower to flower </span></div>
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<span class="c3">As the Faery Queen so regal Sits</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">within her rosy bower </span></div>
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<span class="c3">And on the merriment doth flow</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">On this Midsummer Eve</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">So caught up in their magic</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">You'll never wish to leave </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">But the sun it is arising</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Upon a brand new day</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">The faery revels over</span></div>
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<span class="c3"> They can no longer stay</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">You catch the last faint echo</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3"> Of laughter as they leave</span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">And you are left wondering </span></div>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">Was that only make believe?</span></div>
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<h2 class="c2" id="h.4attqogf2kit">
<span class="c24">Book Reviews</span></h2>
<div class="c7">
<span style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); border: 0.00px solid #000000; display: inline-block; height: 505.33px; overflow: hidden; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 602.00px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/uploads/images/Midsummer2018/image1.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); height: 505.33px; transform: rotate(0.00rad) translateZ(0px); width: 602.00px;" title="" /></span></div>
<div class="c7">
This can be ordered direct from the Authors’ website - <span class="c9"><a class="c16" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.greenmantle.org.uk/book.html&sa=D&ust=1529324586863000">http://www.greenmantle.org.uk/book.html</a></span></div>
<h2 class="c2" id="h.q2hypv82t1j">
<span class="c24">Stay In Touch!</span></h2>
<div class="c7">
<span class="c3">We hope you have enjoyed the newsletter, if you are on Facebook stay in touch with us by joining our group. </span></div>
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Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-16298038329732102372018-05-14T12:23:00.001-07:002018-05-16T13:06:07.681-07:00Interview with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, by Richard Levy<h1 align="center">
Exclusive<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3357371214806156061" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3357371214806156061" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>
Interview with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone</h1>
<h2 align="center">
For the Centre For Pagan Studies (Compiled by Richard Levy)</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/Janandgavincronin1.jpg" style="height: 399px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 600px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet and Gavin at Home</td></tr>
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<i>1 – Could you tell us a little about how you got started in Wicca and why you were drawn to it? </i><br />
<i>Janet: </i>When I came into the Craft, It was 1970. I was 19 at the time. I’d grown up through the ‘60’s; I was a flower child, I was a hippie, I also, though work knew the Beatles, Eric Clapton and Brian Epstein. But at the same time, I was also a Sunday school teacher. I was from a good Christian background.<br />
I became interested in witchcraft after a friend of mine read June John’s King of the Witches, and wanted to visit Alex and Maxine Sanders. I had ‘heard’ all about witchcraft, I knew it was all about sex and drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll! Well, I went to bail her out of Alex’s coven. Now Sanders was the gentleman who called himself ‘King of the Witches’. I hasten to add that he was not accepted generally as the ‘King of the Witches’. He could be a bit of an old rogue, but was a brilliant showman, and yes, he was a very, very good Ritual Magician.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" id="Janet Farrar initiation" longdesc="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/janetinitiated.jpg" src="https://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/janetinitiated.jpg" style="height: 558px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 399px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet Being Initiated by Alex Sanders</td></tr>
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When I met him I was quite surprised, because I found that under the showmanship was a very genuine spirituality. He started talking about ‘the Goddess’, and I had never heard of ‘the Goddess’. She meant actually nothing to me at this stage, but I rather liked the idea of being involved in the healing aspect, because, although I had never wanted to be a healer, it was the remnants of my hippie attitude ‘Let me heal the whole world’. <br />
<i>Gavin:</i> I have a much more eclectic background than Janet and Stewart did. I first became interested in witchcraft in the early 1980’s. Initially I was going to the local Spiritualist Temple in my hometown of Portsmouth and was interested in the Healing Practises there. I picked up my first book on Wicca about that time. I had always been interested in occult subjects; I brought my first Tarot Pack when I was 16 and use to attend festivals on the unexplained (Surrey Puma, Loch Ness, UFO’s, the paranormal etc.) I had developed my own ‘system’ of beliefs. The book, which changed everything for me, was <a href="http://www.doreenvaliente.org/" target="_blank" title="Doreen Valiente Official Website">Doreen Valiente’s</a><i> ABC of Witchcraft</i>. Well, that’s when I knew what I was – a Wiccan. There in the book was everythin I already believed in.<br />
I joined my first magical group in 1985. This was an eclectic magical group and it’s members consisted of a Ceremonial Ritual Magician, a Norse Shaman, a couple of traditional spiritualist mediums as well as a Sufi practioner. It worked from the back of an Occult Shop in Portsmouth called Fifth Dimension. The group practiced a mixture of magical practises including Earth Magic, the clearing of ley lines etc, and Ceremonial Ritual. It was from one of its members, the Norse Shaman that the Seax-Wica coven was formed. I had been the youngest member of the eclectic group and had started to become a focus for a group of younger people interested in Wicca in my hometown, so in early 1986 these people were all brought together, and were formally initiated into the coven.<br />
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I should point out that although we based our initial coven work on Ray Buckland’s book <i>The Tree: The Complete Book of Anglo-Saxon Witchcraft, </i>we quickly went beyond it. It was a good base to start from, but we wanted more. We started to work more with the material from Janet and Stewart’s books and started to create our own rituals and system of working. Because of this, this group also became quite eclectic in it’s approach. None of us saw anything wrong with this as it worked.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/rayBuckland.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ray Buckland, Seax Wica" id="RayBuckland" longdesc="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/rayBuckland.jpg" name="RayBuckland" src="https://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/rayBuckland.jpg" style="height: 399px; width: 399px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray Buckland (31 August 1934 – 27 September 2017) Museum is set up in his honour - <a href="http://bucklandmuseum.org/" target="_blank">http://bucklandmuseum.org/</a></td></tr>
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<i>2- Is there anything in The Craft you recall seeing more of when you were younger and you would like to see return?</i><br />
<i>Janet and Gavin: </i>To be honest, we don't think there is? People always look back at the past as a “Golden Age”, but the reality is the Craft has actually evolved so much today.<br />
<i>3 – Who in the Craft would you say influenced you the most?</i><br />
<i>Janet and Gavin: </i><a href="http://doreenvaliente.org/" title="Doreen Valiente official website">Doreen Valiente!</a><br />
<i>Janet: </i>I’ve always considered her my spiritual mentor. She was humorous, educated and down to earth. I don’t think Eight Sabbats for Witches and The Witches Way (compiled as A Witches Bible) would have been as successful as they were without the input and support we received from Doreen. She helped us through the maze of writings and contradictory histories of modern wiccan and the Book of Shadows, so that we could produce something which was genuinely of benefit to those out there searching for Wicca.<br />
Do you know, that in all the years I had known Doreen Valiente, I never once heard her say a bad word about any other member of the Craft, and there was some of them she disliked immensely. One of them was Alex Sanders; she didn’t like him at all as a person, but her only comment, with a chuckle was ‘Oh Mr. Sanders, he’s still alive is he?’ It was a joke, and that’s the nearest I have ever heard her say anything nasty about anyone. It was my deepest regret I never managed to get her and Maxine together, although I nearly got a meeting between the two of them. It would have been interesting to see how they got on with each other, but sadly she died before that could ever happen.<br />
<i>4 – Are there any must read books you would always recommend?</i><br />
<i>Janet and Gavin: </i><a href="http://www.shop.doreenvaliente.org/books" target="_blank" title="Books by Doreen Valiente and others">Doreen's books</a> remain some of the ones we recommend the most. There are so many books out there with little substance, many of them repeating the same material over and over again. Unfortunately many coming into the Craft rarely go outside these modern books. We do of course, generally recommend the classics in Wicca, such as Gardner's, Raymond Bucklands, and Pat Crowther's but also suggest people look for real classics which include Andrew Alfoldi's <i>Diana Nemorensis, </i>Iamblichus <i>On the Mysteries, </i>Ogden's <i>Greek and Roman Necromancy </i>and <i>Magic, </i><i>Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds. </i>With a bit of research on the internet you can find some really useful classics full of useful in-depth information.<br />
<i>5 – What other traditions influence your practice? / do you work with?</i><br />
<i>Janet and Gavin: </i>Witchcraft has always been eclectic, so at different times we have worked with other spiritual traditions according to need. Gavin was heavily influenced by the teachings he learnt as a practising Spiritual Healer – Chakras, Aura, and working with spiritual energy. This has become an important part of our understanding of magical energy. As we both have Freya as our patron deity, we also took on aspects of Anglo-Saxon/Northern Tradition in our practise, particularly the practise of Seith/Seidr, Nothern European |Shamanism/Witchcraft.<br />
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<i>6 – Do you have a favourite Sabbat and why? </i><br />
<i>Janet and Gavin: </i>Ah, that’s a difficult one! So many to choose from! Are we supposed to have favourites? Well, we do anyway. We can’t really say that there is just one: Samhain for the partying, Lughnasa for the drama of the ritual and the thanksgiving, and the Equinoxes for the raw energy! At present we have to say it’s Spring Equinox. Our coven is named after the Callaighe and for the last few years the has climbed our local ancient site Slieve na Callaighe (Hill of the Witch), which is part of the Lough Crew range of mountains, to watch the sun rise. On top is a sacred site, an ancient 5,000-year-old burial mound. As the sun rises its rays hit the decorated stone at the back of the chamber illuminating it with golden light. At present, this has to be our favourite experience of the year when it comes to the festivals.<br />
<i>7 – As time has gone on has your approach to magic changed and does it continue to change?</i><br />
<i>Janet: </i>We weren’t really encouraged to look beyond what was being taught within the Alexandrian Tradition at that time. I should point out that it wasn’t that we were discouraged in anyway, just that Alex’s teachings at that time were purely based on High Magic. Stewart and myself wanted to go beyond that.<br />
When we moved to Ireland in 1976 we fully broke from many of the magical Alexandrian Traditions teachings. They were just not appropriate to the ‘Celtic Twilight’ of Ireland; the mythology, the folklore and the landscape. I like to call myself just a ‘witch’. My, and my covens practices are eclectic, but then, if you know anything about the history of Wicca so are all the other traditions. Stewart and myself did keep the basic Alexandrian framework for many years, but had already started to adapt it when Gavin came into our lives.<br />
<i>Gavin: </i>My background in spiritual healing; the use of energy, the connection to divinity (sourcing) was an important part of my practise preceeding my initiation into the Craft. My other influence was the Anglo-Saxon traditions of magic, specifically Seith; a form of shamanism which taught a system of realms or worlds with which you could travel to. This came after researching the old English traditions after my initiation into <a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/centre_for_pagan_studies-paganism-Wicca-53.php#sthash.dMVB6OrV.dpbs" target="_blank">Seax-Wica</a>, a tradition which was really basic in it's approach but a good base to work from.<br />
With my initiation into the Alexandrian Tradition with Janet and Stewart we began to combine what I had learnt and that influenced our system of training. As our new coven grew we realised it wasn’t enough to teach our students ‘to know how to drive the car’ and that it was becomingly increasingly important that they also knew ‘how the engine worked’. The teachings Janet had received on Caballa simply weren’t doing this. It gave no explanation that covered both the simplest and more advanced of magical practises at the same time as any integrated system should. The first component of the system we developed was a base energy system – a development of the vedic Chakra system I had learned and practised with as a Spiritual Healer. We used this because ultimately everything from the point of physics is energy. From one point you can say that we were teaching the purest form of hermetics; it even included aspects of modern chaos and quantum theory. The system encompassed Magical Practise, Drawing Down the Moon and Deity Connection, and of course how to approach The Mysteries. The other component which supported this was drawn from my previously mentioned Anglo-Saxon practises. A mythological Cosmology, a system of mapping the realms of reality; the astral and spiritual levels, which could be used both internally in pathworkings and trance, and as a basis for ritual practise. This was also sadly lacking in mainstream Wicca, which relied purely on a cosmology based around the Circle and the Four elements.<br />
<i>8 – What are some of the lessons training others has taught you over the years?</i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/Tara2003sm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Janet leading procession at Tara Festival in Ireland 2003" id="JanetLeadingTara2003" longdesc="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/Tara2003sm.jpg" src="https://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/Tara2003sm.jpg" style="height: 314px; width: 399px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet Leading the procession at Tara 2003</td></tr>
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<i>Janet and Gavin: </i>Easy! You don't know everything and even after so many years in the Craft collectively we are still learning. We've learnt to be open to new ideas, and to look forward rather than backwards. We've also learnt that sometimes people will come to you that you aren't suppose to train; that the Craft isn't for them. That's not being elitist. The Craft is a vocation and it just doesn't suit some people, but that doesn't mean they can't follow other paths. We've also learnt that everyone has a different path even if they are in the Craft, everyone has a speciality and this should be encouraged.<br />
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<i>9 – What general advice would you give a novice?</i><br />
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<i>Janet and Gavin: </i>When we both came into the Craft, it was a lot more underground. There were no contact networks in the UK, so you joined whatever coven or group you could find. The number of sensible books on witchcraft you could find in an occult bookstore often took up less than one shelf. So much has changed since before the 1990s. There are now contact networks for witches advertising both in magazines and on the world wide web. There was also an explosion of covens and open groups. Anyone interested in the Craft now has a choice of so many books and so much material on the net compared with what we had. Our advice to seeker, don't join the coven you find. Join an open group, work solitary for a while and find a coven or magical group that suits what you practise. Read as much as you can, but be critical of what you read. Now, for every good book on Wicca/Witchcraft out there, there are at least three which aren't so good! Stick to your original vision of what the Craft is, and don't be swayed by those who try to shoe horn you into their form of practise. Most of all be true to yourself and what <u>you</u> believe<br />
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<i>10 – What is the main kind of work you do now? Are you writing or training or trying to be less busy?</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/SangomaSA.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Janet and Gavin at Sangoma South Africa South Africa (2008), where we were with the Lesotho Sangoma (Traditional Healers) and made honorary Elders. " id="SangomaHealers" longdesc="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/SangomaSA.JPG" src="https://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/uploads/images/SangomaSA.JPG" style="height: 399px; width: 532px;" title="Sangoma Healers" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the Healers in Sangoma 2008</td></tr>
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<i>Janet and Gavin:</i> We're continuing to write and do workshops abroad. Janet also does Tarot Readings from home, and Gavin is doing healing work. Craft wise we are at a definite different stage in our lives. We no longer run a coven, but instead do what we call “Elder Support”; we support the existing heads of covens providing our experience and hopefully our wisdom. It's based on our current system of training. When we were approached to do a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2002 we decided that we would adapt and open up our system of teachings around magical energy work and cosmology to everyone. We felt many solitaries and self-initiated covens would benefit from having this system, which gave them grounding in experiential magical practises they could use. From this concept was born <b><i>The Inner Mysteries Intensive.</i></b><br />
<br />
Of course, these workshops have evolved over the years and they have developed considerably since that first tour, so much so, that we found that it became necessary to teach the mechanics of Drawing Down the Moon as a separate one day <b>Trance-Prophesy Workshop. </b> Eventually, the Trance-Prophesy became our major focus and it took on a life of its own. It has had a major impact on the way we view our work. Dealing with deities actually manifesting and talking through people will do that to you, particularly when again and again they make it clear that they want to be heard and want to teach directly. We have had some experiences during these workshops, which go beyond belief. Having a particular goddess say the same things almost word for word through different people on different sides of the world is quite mind blowing! Such experiences have in fact inspired us to put this at the centre of our work. Of course this became the basis of our latest book <i>Lifting The Veil: A Witches' Guide to Trance-prophesy, Drawing Down the Moon and Ecstatic Ritual. </i><br />
<i><a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All rights reserved © Centre For Pagan Studies </a></i>Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-53690811884404035062018-04-10T14:15:00.002-07:002018-04-10T14:17:32.855-07:00Reviews on the Leaping Hare Conference - Richard Levy Talk on Narative MagicChristine & John C,<br />
Tuesday 10th April 2018<br />
<br />
On Saturday 24th March, a group of 4 of us attended at The Leaping Hare Pagan Conference in Colchester. We attend every year and sometimes the talks are OK, sometimes they are not and sometimes they are excellent. Richard’s talk on “Narrative Magic” was excellent. It had a beginning, a middle and an end and each flowed into the next part beautifully. It was a completely different outlook on the subject and very much enjoyed by everyone. Richard has a charming, funny attitude and so his delivery was easy going and really interesting. Every single person I spoke to said they hoped he would come again next year and we all felt that we took a lot away with us that we hadn’t known before. He was charming, well read and delivered exactly what he said he would - “Narrative Magic”. Marks out of 10? Definitely 10.<br />
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Richards talk was here: <br />
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<a href="https://centreforpaganstudies.blogspot.com/2018/03/richard-levy-speaks-at-leaping-hare.html">https://centreforpaganstudies.blogspot.com/2018/03/richard-levy-speaks-at-leaping-hare.html</a></div>
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*We will be adding reviews here as and when we receive them* so watch this space!Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com1Colchester, UK51.895927 0.8918740000000298151.817521 0.73051250000002987 51.974333 1.0532355000000297tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-69361312455482424172018-03-25T09:22:00.002-07:002018-04-10T14:19:22.511-07:00Richard Levy speaks at the Leaping Hare Conference 24 March 2018 Following a very successful conference, where our very own Richard Levy spoke on his specialist subject "Narrative Magic". He addressed a rapt audience at the packed conference. Here he is with the programme of the day. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4FIIb--8yA/WrfK9hwnHbI/AAAAAAAABSI/NRrAza_EBn8JGZOvMNUzwo0jyKoJ9ASpQCLcBGAs/s1600/RichardLeapingHare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4FIIb--8yA/WrfK9hwnHbI/AAAAAAAABSI/NRrAza_EBn8JGZOvMNUzwo0jyKoJ9ASpQCLcBGAs/s320/RichardLeapingHare.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Richard is a Centre For Pagan Studies speaker and is available for talks on various subjects. Richard is a Magician and Consecrated Priest with a background in philosophy and theology, he has given talks in other subjects such as Jewish magic and is a storyteller. For bookings please email to: enquiries@centre-for-pagan-studies.com<br />
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Reviews can be found here: http://centreforpaganstudies.blogspot.com.es/2018/04/reviews-on-leaping-hare-conference.html<br />
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Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com1Colchester, UK51.895927 0.8918740000000298151.817521 0.73051250000002987 51.974333 1.0532355000000297tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-18749186441530580652018-02-28T02:42:00.001-08:002018-02-28T02:43:15.747-08:00Richard Levy of the Centre For Pagan Studies talks to Lora OBrien, Irish Author and Guide to Ireland><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://loraobrien.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Richard-Levy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://loraobrien.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Richard-Levy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RICHARD LEVY BIO: I began my pagan path at a young age but and
magic is something I feel was always a part of my life. But with time I
learned how to nourish this part of myself. I feel today we are
encouraged to ignore these parts of who we are and it is something we
re-learn. It is in many ways learning to do what breeze and river and
bird do naturally. I studied philosophy and theology at university and
whilst I did not have formal training I learned a lot from people I met
along my path from Children to adults. Should people want to contact me
about the interview they can contact me on: <a href="mailto:rlevy285@gmail.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">mailto:rlevy285@gmail.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://loraobrien.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18320637_1331503846902633_8734168364879611308_o-1-225x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" src="https://loraobrien.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18320637_1331503846902633_8734168364879611308_o-1-225x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LORA O'BRIEN BIO: Lora is a traditionally published Author, Teacher, and Guide: native
born Irish, with strong personal and professional experience in our
history, heritage, archaeology, mythology, & Irish Spirituality. She
is a modern Draoí – a practitioner and priest of indigenous Irish magic
and spirituality, in the simplest terms. Lora has been consciously
following a pagan path for 25 years, and dedicated specifically to the
Irish Goddess Mórrígan 14 years ago. She managed one of Ireland's most
important sacred sites - Cruachán/Rathcroghan - for a decade, and is a
co-founder and legal celebrant, a Reverend, with Pagan Life Rites
Ireland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today's Interview:
Richard Levy, admin on the Centre for Pagan Studies FB Group.
When and where did your interest in Pagan/Earth based Spirituality begin?
Whilst my vocabulary and intellectual understanding did not go far
till I was twelve I would say it was present from my earliest memories.
This came through in my interest and love of myths and faerie tales,
which I still have. I give talks on this subject and perform
storytelling to this day.
I talked to everything: trees, toys and animals and loved films that
involved magic, witches and wizards. I always wanted to be one.
With this I also had psychic experiences, some I interpreted as evil
or dangerous which I have learnt as I matured were not. I would see and
speak with faerie and other beings and in some ways it held such a
common place I didn't realise it was magical though I still wanted
magic.
How did you practically go about getting started, and
what resources did you have available to you eg. books, teaching
courses, events, people you met?
I wanted to explore all this more and when I was 12, an esoteric shop
opened in my local high street. I cant recall how but I had funds for
some books and used my local library to take on as many books as I could
on magic, paganism and divination.
I met some pagans early on but they wore glittery robes and to my
mind were more style over substance, this made me keep my distance.
As I got older I tried again and found some intelligent, interesting and wonderful people.
Additionally I joined a spiritualist circle which allowed me to
practice my communication with spirits as well as divination and
healing.
What does being Pagan mean to you? (or your term of choice, please explain!)
Pagan to me today is an umbrella term for those practicing earth
based spirituality, often reinvented or restructured, which is good as a
religion of the earth should evolve, which a religion of the book tends
to struggle with. I am more inclined to use the term witch or magician
as my focus is on magical work. To me these are working titles, I am not
interested in hierarchical titles or being called adept etc (which I am
not) simply I work with various powers and in doing so these terms are
titles of that.
Some see more in them and that is fine and some romanticise the terms
and I am not sure how I feel about that. For me I have simply answered a
calling but I still have to clean the kitchen and iron my clothes.
To me a Pagan path is essentially, a narrative of the earth, within various traditions are its own nuances.
What sort of things do you do on a daily/weekly, monthly or seasonal basis to explore or express your Spirituality?
I do daily meditations and simple rituals of stillness. Seasonally I perform basic rituals to bring in the power of the season to flow
through myself, home and land. Or I just walk among nature and let
myself connect. On Spring Equinox I like to go to Kew Garden for
example. I like to walk in my local woods and see how things are growing
and how it feels.
What advice do you wish someone had given you, that you would like to give people starting out on this path?
I realise that magic is in all things. It is in ritual and
conversation it is in the kabbalah and the sun, the moon and the rain.
It is all around us all the time and in our childhoods. I realised one
day I knew more than I realised and that the bible I was raised in (not
fundamentally) was full of magic, along with the faerie tales I grew up
with.
It may seem obvious that faerie tales are full of magic, but getting
at the patterns within them and the magical messages took me time. When
we mature we think magic isnt faerie tales, we know it as something
practical and powerful. In being mature we let go of Childish things,
but there is a difference being childish and being childlike and being
childlike. Being childlike is a gift.
I think mystery is in that we know more than we are aware of and that awareness comes from experience.
What is the name of the Facebook Group you admin, and how
did you get involved there? (please feel free to provide group details
eg. member numbers or general guidelines, and a link to group)
The Centre of Pagan Studies has been going on for some time. I got
involved last year after reading Philip Heselton's biography of Doreen
Valiente. I had been looking to give back to the Pagan community and
found Doreen to be an inspiration person who had been involved so
decided to offer to help. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/centreforpaganstudies/?ref=group_header" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Centre for Pagan Studies FB Group is Here.</a>
What is the most frustrating thing for you about being involved with that group?
I think it can be frustrating to find the right vocabulary. In magic
and Paganism we do not really have our own language so we have to work
quite philosophically to communicate effectively. I have seen people
essentially agree with each other but end up arguing as their words are
interpreted differently. Ultimately it is not really a problem just a
shame its hard to bypass.
What is the most satisfying thing for you about being involved with that group?
The fact that we remember those who came before us who made strides
for Paganism. We have set up blue plaques for people like Gerald Gardner
and Doreen Valiente. Also people involved are very engaged in the
subject matter and we discuss often some ancient practices which some
people still practice or have come across. We attempt to provide both an
educational resource (giving talks for example) and discussing these
subject matters keeping it organic and shifting.
If you could guarantee that each group member had read AT LEAST one book before joining, what book would that be?
I think it would be hard to pin point one book but I would go back to
faerie tales. To have read some of the Grimm brothers work and look
into the early stories as well as the colour books (The yellow fairy
book, red fairy book etc compiled by Andrew Lang).
There are some great occult books out there and some bad ones, though
I found all of those helped me develop a magical vocabulary.
Further to this I would encourage to read history and anthropology as well as classical texts.
Anything else youd like to share?!
Whilst books are great the essence of magic is doing it and living
it. The essence of paganism is in practicing it and living it. Keep it
simple and embrace the stories you were told growing up and the cartoons
you may have seen (often based on these books). When you have
conversations remember language is insufficient to express magic and
spirituality. So take care. When I talk to magical practitioners of
various traditions if you work to find a common language, we find we
have a lot in common.
would encourage people to tread lightly and to take their time and to listen.
Richard Levy works with the Centre for Pagan Studies and the Doreen Valiente Foundation.
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Centre for Pagan Studies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://doreenvaliente.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Doreen Valiente </a></li>
<li><a href="http://loraobrien.ie/wp/interview-with-richard-levy-centre-for-pagan-studies">Lora O'Brien Interview</a></li>
</ul>
<br />
Richard Levy of the Centre For Pagan Studies talks to Lora OBrien, Irish Author and Guide to IrelandCentre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-24994340207167906382018-02-11T12:38:00.004-08:002018-05-16T13:07:57.286-07:00Interviews with Well known Pagans and Witches Julia Phillips<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2i3vk_D_YI/WoCmdUU-tnI/AAAAAAAABRo/kwnRbAiJ4Rci7DlUJ74zsATVv6MATOBmQCLcBGAs/s1600/Julia%2BRollrights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1134" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2i3vk_D_YI/WoCmdUU-tnI/AAAAAAAABRo/kwnRbAiJ4Rci7DlUJ74zsATVv6MATOBmQCLcBGAs/s320/Julia%2BRollrights.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia Phillips at the Rollright Stones</td></tr>
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This interview was conducted by Richard Levy for the <a href="http://www.centre-for-pagan-studies.com/">Centre For Pagan Studies</a> in February 2018</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1 – Could you tell us a little about how you got started in
Wicca and why you were drawn to it?</b></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grew up in a haunted house with family members who were
both aware of, and interested in, the supernatural. It was therefore no stretch
of the imagination for me to accept that there are many things in this universe
that are not currently explicable. I love mysteries!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my earliest memories though (aged five/six) was of
spending time with my grandparents in very rural Ireland. We stayed with a
friend of my grandmother’s in a small hamlet. The farmhouse had no gas, no
electricity and no running water. It was one of my jobs each morning to carry
billy cans to the spring a couple of fields away to fill with water and carry
back to the farm. I also learned how to milk cows and make butter, and to cook
on an open fire in cast iron cauldrons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Lammas came around and all the work in the fields had
been finished, a céilí was held at the farmhouse where we were living. The
whole community gathered and played, sang and danced into the wee hours. I have
a vivid memory of one of the old farmers taking me outside and, while I was
seated on his shoulders, he told me that the lights we could see flickering in
the distance were the king and queen of the fairies and all their subjects. He
said they were also celebrating Lammas and were in a procession on their way
back to their home in hills. It was my birthday night (at midnight I reached
the grand old age of six!) and his story telling was one of the most magical things
I remember.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like many others of my generation my formal introduction to
practical occultism/paganism came through the Society of Psychical Research in
Kensington. A friend and I frequently attended lectures and made good use of
the extensive library. That led to me studying the tarot and astrology, which
in turn led to me being invited to join a coven and be initiated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wicca turned out to be a great choice for me because it
combines all those things that most appeal to me within one inclusive pathway.
It is magical, spiritual, acknowledges the Mystery, and also provides a core
directive to focus upon self-development: “keep pure your highest ideal, strive
ever towards it, let naught stop you or turn you aside.”</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2- Is there anything in The Craft you recall seeing more of
when you were younger and you would like to see return?</b></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Wicca to remain a relevant, vibrant pathway it has to
reflect the society in which it exists so whilst I might have a sense of
wistful longing for the days when we relied upon personal interaction rather
than Facebook groups, it’s not a realistic option for the 21<sup>st</sup>
century. Indeed, my own branch of the family is so far flung that we rely
heavily upon a private Facebook group for us all to keep in touch with each
other.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The things about Wicca that I have always valued the most
remain a part of my community today; Grand Sabbats, sharing ideas with other
Wiccans, meeting up socially, knowing I have a wonderful family who are always
there for me, no matter what… so for me, there isn’t anything I would like to
see return as it never went away.</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3 – Who I the Craft would you say influenced you the most?</b></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There isn’t any one person. I have learned from a lot of
different people and I continue to learn from them all today. One thing I
treasure about my involvement in Wicca is that it has brought me into contact
with some amazing, talented, and inspiring people I would never otherwise have
met. </div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">4 – Are there any must read books you would always
recommend?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it’s good practice for people to read widely and
then discriminate effectively! There is no replacement for practical experience
and personal growth within a coven, but as a lover of books I am always going
to encourage people to read. The classics are never going to go our of fashion
– Gardner, Valiente, Crowley, Fortune et al. Vivianne Crowley’s books about
Wicca are excellent and for an historical perspective, Ronald Hutton.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a particular interest in traditional witchcraft and
some of the authors I most enjoy are Norman Cohn, Jeffrey Russell, Christina
Larner and Owen Davies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tarot (my original area of study) is overflowing with books
and tarot decks these days. I tend to go back to Wang, Crowley, Nicholls, and
Kaplan, but there are many others I enjoy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am also a firm believer in the value of fiction. Studying
academic (or at least non-fiction) texts is interesting but sometimes it takes
a work of fiction to ignite that spark that leads to revelation. </div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">5 – What other traditions influence your practice? / do you
work with?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I teach a system of magic that we call Hermetics – it has
nothing to do with Wicca or Franz Bardon, but is a system that has its origins
in the ancient Hermetic Schools and developed through the philosophy of
Paracelsus and the Renaissance practice of the Art of Memory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also practise a form of angelic magic based upon Madeline
Montalban’s Order of the Morning Star, with my own interpretation of the Book
of Enoch.</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">6 – Do you have a favourite Sabbat and why?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favourite would be the Hallows, which is the point of the
spiral that encourages Wiccans to explore the Sacred Mystery that is hidden
from view. The Mystery remains but we can get a glimpse behind the veil and in
my experience this will bring new insights, possibly moments of clarity, and
even an epiphany.</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">7 – As time has gone has your approach to magic changed and
dos it continue to change?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gosh, I hope so! I’d be devastated if I thought I was doing
the same things in the same way that I did them 40 years ago. I think a quote
from Dion Fortune expresses my attitude to this very well:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“There are things I wrote of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spiritualism</i> twenty years ago which, in the light of wider
experience, I would not write today, and to cite these as evidence against me
is to deny the possibility of human progress.” (Dion Fortune, December 1942)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do think that the fundamental principles of magic are
consistent though; hard work coupled with persistence and an ability to focus.
What tools or techniques one uses are pretty much down to personal choice, but
those three principles are critical.</div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">8 – What are some of the lessons training others has taught
you over the years?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, the first thing is I don’t train others in Wicca. Our
coven is a group of equals and we all share ideas, knowledge, techniques,
information, and so on. I might have a specific skill to pass on, but then
another coven sibling will have something different to share, so it all works
out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Hermetics, however, I do train others and I encourage (indeed,
insist on!) respect for every member of the group so that no one ever feels shy
or embarrassed about sharing an experience or asking a question. Also, no
matter how abstract it may be, the experience or the learning is what that
particular person needs at that moment and it should be accepted as such. It
can be discussed and dissected but it should never be dismissed just because it
might be something a little out of the ordinary. </div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">9 – What general advice would you give a novice?</span></h4>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Rule One – never ignore your intuition. Rule Two – see Rule
One.</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot count how many times I have read or heard people
complain about a bad experience only to finish with, “he/she always felt
somehow off to me.” Trust your intuition and if something feels off or wrong,
then it is almost certainly something or someone to avoid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would also suggest you consider whether you have anything apart
from Wicca in common with the other coven members. In our coven we share
interests that go way beyond Wicca (theatre, music, good food, wine, books,
movies etc.) and in my experience that’s a very sound basis for an effective
group. </div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">10 – What is the main kind of work you do now? Are you
writing or training or trying to be less busy?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I retired almost a year ago but there is nothing “less busy”
about my life! For the past 25 years I’ve been a CEO in (primarily) sport and I
had thought life might ease off a little after retirement but that proved to be
naïve on my part.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a bit odd within the Wiccan world as my immediate Wiccan
family is in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, USA, and one in Malaysia
(he was a member of my Melbourne coven but then moved back home to Malaysia
after completing his PhD). I am incredibly blessed to be a part of such an
amazing, vibrant family and I love visiting – have wand will travel! During
April and May I will catch up with family in Melbourne, Sydney, British
Columbia, Ontario and Indiana, which is an absolute delight to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other than travelling, my book about the principles of Wicca
(Witches of Oz) was published 25 years ago and I’m currently revising it for a
third edition. I will also be editing magical diaries from the Hermetic Temple
that Rufus Harrington and I ran in London in the 1980s for publication. It’s a
fabulous insight into the magical world of some of the most talented magicians
I have ever met and I’m looking forward to getting on with it when I get back
to England at the end of May.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few people contacted me about Hermetics recently and I
have a couple of workshops in the diary, so that might lead to a regular group.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com1United Kingdom55.378051 -3.4359729999999912.203021 -86.05316049999999 90 79.18121450000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-58015141346066572412018-02-07T08:44:00.004-08:002018-02-07T09:05:14.138-08:00Goddess Epona - <h3 style="text-align: justify;">
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</style>This Article is about the Gaulish Horse Goddess Epona, written for the Centre For Pagan Studies by Elaine Hindle</h3>
<span lang="EN-US">The name Epona comes from Iron Age Gaulish.</span><br />
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The word Epos means horse in Gaulish and derives
from a proto-Indo- European root </span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Gaulish: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">“</span><span lang="EN-US">os</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">is
the male ending and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">a</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">being the female
ending.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Personal names containing the word horse
examples: Epacus, Epasius, Eppia</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN-US">Tribal names also such the Scottish tribe the
Epidii.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1733718835518753918" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Epona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="759" height="640" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Epona.jpg" width="606" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">The name Epona means, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">“</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">
</span><span lang="EN-US">divine mare</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">“</span><span lang="EN-US">she who is like a
mare</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">.</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Epona was worshipped in Western Europe.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-US">She was the only Goddess to be adopted by the
Roman military.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Dedications to her were found on both the
Antonine and Hadrian</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s walls.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although her name is Gaulish, no inscriptions
have been found in Gaulish but only in Latin or Greek.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It is likely that the Emperor</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span lang="EN-US">s Horse guards may have been the main unit
to spread the Epona dedications throughout the Roman Empire.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Flanked
by two horses, Epona is shown sitting on a throne holding a fruit basket on her
lap. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">But it is unclear whether the same applied regarding the
spread of non-military artefacts e.g. sidesaddle Epona.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Depictions of Epona are mainly on bas-relief
clay, some bronze and one wood.</span></div>
<div class="headingtwo" style="text-align: justify;">
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US">Sidesaddle</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Luxembourg_MNHA_265_Epona_provenance_incertaine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Luxembourg_MNHA_265_Epona_provenance_incertaine.jpg" width="257" /></a> </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">The main depiction is of her sitting sideways on
a horse, wearing a long dress, gathered under the bust and sometimes a cloak
around her head. The horse or mare is usually walking to the right, or standing
still. There may be reins. The goddess usually has her hand on the mane, neck
or head, or sometimes carries a cornucopia. The other hand holds a patera (serving
dish) or basket of fruit.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Sometimes there may also be a foal.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="headingtwo" style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US">Imperial</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This depiction shows Epona either seated or
standing facing forward, with two or four horses on either side of her, eating
wheat or apples from her lap. </span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This imperial type was more common outside Gaul.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/The_Gallo-Roman_horse_goddess_Epona%2C_Saalburg_Roman_Fort%2C_Limes_Germanicus%2C_Germania_(Germany)_(7957495588).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="239" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/The_Gallo-Roman_horse_goddess_Epona%2C_Saalburg_Roman_Fort%2C_Limes_Germanicus%2C_Germania_(Germany)_(7957495588).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="headingtwo" style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
<span lang="EN-US">Cart</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Much less common is Epona depicted riding a cart
driven by horses or mules; one such has seven horses pulling the cart.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Epona was a protector of horses and was worshipped
primarily by those whose work involved horses i.e. the cavalry, dispatch
riders, scouts, mule drivers, carters, stable hands and grooms.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">She was worshipped in temples by the Romans by
praying, making vows, erecting altars, sacrificing animals, incense and wine.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Pipe clay figures of her were also found in the
home.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">She was also worshipped in the stables and
altars and paintings have been found which were decorated with roses. She
protected the horses and asses.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The origins of Epona before the Roman Empire are
not well know, she may have been a native Gaulish Goddess, or a fusion Goddess
created of Gaulish, Germanic and Danubian peoples when they formed the Roman
Cavalry. Or perhaps she came from much older deities.</span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This article can be found here: <a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/centre_for_pagan_studies-paganism-Blog-17.php#sthash.GFFqgVHm.dpbs">http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/centre_for_pagan_studies-paganism-Blog-17.php#sthash.GFFqgVHm.dpbs</a></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-2562853844678939582017-07-27T05:52:00.000-07:002017-07-27T05:52:54.483-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fu-N-3BYIE/WXnhCfYAJHI/AAAAAAAABQQ/6YlwtzDxe7cQ0CGrzPFP9D4m-0n4wlu8ACLcBGAs/s1600/charterlogo6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="74" data-original-width="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fu-N-3BYIE/WXnhCfYAJHI/AAAAAAAABQQ/6YlwtzDxe7cQ0CGrzPFP9D4m-0n4wlu8ACLcBGAs/s1600/charterlogo6.png" /></a></div>
<a href="https://treecharter.uk/thank-you/">https://treecharter.uk/thank-you/</a><br />
<b>About the Tree Charter</b><br />
<em>Led by the Woodland Trust, more than 70 organisations from across
multiple sectors are working together to build a future in which trees
and people stand stronger together.</em><br />
<em>On 6 November 2017, the 800th anniversary of the influential 1217
Charter of the Forest, we will launch the Charter for Trees, Woods and
People. More than 50,000 tree stories have been submitted in the last
year and the themes from these stories have informed the ten principles
which underpin the charter. We believe the people of the UK have a right
to the many benefits brought by trees and woods. The new charter will
recognise, celebrate and protect this right.</em><br />
<em>The Tree Charter will draw its strength from the hundreds of thousands of people across the UK that sign.</em><br />
<strong>Sign the Tree Charter Here</strong><br />
<a href="https://sign.treecharter.uk/page/6023/petition/1"><strong>https://sign.treecharter.uk/page/6023/petition/1 </strong></a>Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0United Kingdom55.378051 -3.4359729999999912.203021 -86.05316049999999 90 79.18121450000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-15986714485836359342017-07-25T06:43:00.002-07:002017-07-25T06:43:47.995-07:00Thought for the Day Sunday 23 July 2017<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_1ex">
Thought for the day Sunday.... Music aids me in my meditation and devotions. This is one of my favourites, what is yours? </div>
<div class="lfloat _ohe">
<span class="_3m6-"><div class="_6ks" data-ft="{"tn":"F"}">
<div id="u_jsonp_8_1d">
<a class="_6kt _6l- __c_" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv4LvV4I1_c" rel="nofollow async" target="_blank"><div class="uiScaledImageContainer _6m5 fbStoryAttachmentImage" style="height: 158px; width: 158px;">
<img alt="" class="scaledImageFitWidth img" height="400" src="https://external-mad1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQBzBtmOlXo_1tFL&w=160&h=160&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Ftv4LvV4I1_c%2Fhqdefault.jpg&cfs=1&upscale=1&_nc_hash=AQBAjo3UAmv2FmCV" width="400" /></div>
</a></div>
</div>
</span></div>
<span class="_3c21"><div class="_3ekx _29_4" data-ft="{"tn":"*J"}">
<div class="_6m3 _--6">
<div class="mbs _6m6 _2cnj _5s6c">
<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dtv4LvV4I1_c&h=ATPnLklAfujvfe3jK37FxD-6UXdHt6VahHOmfskEIu5OV889h9rpqmXCcUarmAtU-JtCyQzlPYTX36gnWIde2kzTsKyDcOU0iSPuNMBMmJnWwcgWU_2fKyoGkMc1yHFCdYZVDixabmvtZOweCKs&enc=AZN90NJgbl6vqiiQWuORAXZZWfOESbG6Pc_8UMZqzRUOu-B-9eNUzg8jN8wqLoOgbEJKBIZW4UcZQv7HDMyizpQg62zrMDl28_eEZ6QfysaRS-xGEe62Sbibc4-B2BtfmJ-_YhB6sWs-mIMwDnlMTcD98XBroc3aeb6yMy__8H9e10ObJgjeik066p2qe9POOWY&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Witch's Rune</a></div>
<div class="_6m7 _3bt9">
Song:
Witch's Rune Artist: S.J.Tucker Album: Blessings Darksome night and
shining moon Balance of the dark and light Hearken ye our witch's rune
As we perfor...</div>
</div>
</div>
</span>Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-86773523722990672732016-06-08T15:02:00.003-07:002016-06-08T15:03:49.291-07:00Remembering Gerald Gardner - a day of talks at Preston Manor, Saturday 18th June, 10:30am, Brighton.<a href="http://www.wherewitchcraftlives.org/gerald_gardner-meme-gbg1.php">http://www.wherewitchcraftlives.org/gerald_gardner-meme-gbg1.php</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rrh9dgUJPyk/V1iUMZs4gQI/AAAAAAAAEcY/AmrB6On8ZlksaNx1n6s2MnbWE84v1EEogCLcB/s1600/gbg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rrh9dgUJPyk/V1iUMZs4gQI/AAAAAAAAEcY/AmrB6On8ZlksaNx1n6s2MnbWE84v1EEogCLcB/s320/gbg1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Celebrate Gerald Gardner's 132nd birthday next week. Ashley
Mortimer, Philip Carr-Gomm and Tam Campbell will be at Preston Manor to
discuss Gardner's place in modern pagan history, including a reading of
his historic 1955 talk, believed to be the first legal public talk about
witchcraft since the repeal of the 1735 witchcraft act. <br />
Gardner's original Book of Shadows will be on display with artefacts
from the Doreen Valiente collection. Tickets are included in the
price of entry to Preston Manor, although limited spaces are available
for each talk. Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-16506065083251248982016-01-21T02:40:00.000-08:002016-01-21T02:40:29.485-08:00Its all about the EthicsJust to let you know that the Centre For Pagan Studies is proud to be a member of the Pagan Symposium. here is a little about them - The Pagan Heathen Symposium is a group of Pagan and Heathen
Organisations that actively co-operate on a variety of issues and
projects.<br />
Our latest collaboration is working on a code of ethics, so that people can be safe in the knowledge that members of the Symposium all adhere to the same rules and standards. These standards are applied to all members and will be upheld in their activities at private and public events, and whenever dealing with others.<br />
<br />
See more here <a href="http://pagansymposium.org/">http://pagansymposium.org/</a><br />
<br />
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Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com2London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-20314334683770166832016-01-13T14:32:00.001-08:002016-01-13T14:33:01.368-08:00New Review on Doreen Valiente - Witch<a href="http://wildhunt.org/2016/01/book-review-doreen-valiente-witch.html">http://wildhunt.org/2016/01/book-review-doreen-valiente-witch.html</a><br />
Just to let you know there is a fantastic new review of Doreen Valiente - Witch on the link. <br />
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<br />Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-31721164469708571402015-11-28T09:59:00.001-08:002015-11-28T10:00:33.346-08:00Breaking News on Witchcraft Exhibition in Brighton<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_5659ea36437608695005906">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o3Zt64myHlQ/VlnqwLnlQDI/AAAAAAAAEHc/EBN_mgECcYc/s1600/bos_frontpage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Where Witchcratt Lives Chalice and Book of Shadows" border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o3Zt64myHlQ/VlnqwLnlQDI/AAAAAAAAEHc/EBN_mgECcYc/s400/bos_frontpage.jpg" title="Where Witchcratt Lives Chalice and Book of Shadows" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We've
had to respond to incoming media and press interest and release the
following statement although a proper press release will follow in due
course. This is the fullest information available and will remain so for
a little while as we sort out our planning and marketing . . . we'd be
really happy for anyone in this group to spread the word out there and
direct people to the <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wherewitchcraftlives.org%2F&h=CAQFUd9KPAQEzK9r_b7BMRghpJXUU37srhwiKPEowjTnrXQ&enc=AZPcYg4tZW8CK6rEC71u_iqjcSHFwInYX8qq6yAH8o4Ct_ReYwucA7UjRZEpB7xWPkIhzMpebT6e7JP2igRBttRge8zB1xLQ4bBoHx-BRhSv5DiJFZiWJ7JdYxOq35t-ucX7F6xVu0i5I9EzQ3ZJ-VRkyvXsHIL7Lmpflmc8J-Nu_rRiykYfap99dxf8Z_T5fuXOrX0Kh8gbo2Tbj9HG_XCQ&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.wherewitchcraftlives.org</a> website :</div>
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BREAKING NEWS<br />
Announced at WitchFest on November 14th 2015</div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: justify;">
The Doreen Valiente Foundation, in association with Royal Pavilion
Museums in Brighton and other partners are pleased to announce two
exhibitions in Brighton in 2016 which will be based on the Doreen
Valiente Collection and other related collections.<br />
Firstly an
exhibition entitled "FOLKLORE, MAGIC AND MYSTERIES: MODERN WITCHCRAFT
& FOLK CULTURE IN BRITAIN" which will run at RPM's venue, Preston
Manor, for several months from approximately April to September 2016.<br />
Secondly a special exhibition entitled "WHERE WITCHCRAFT LIVES" will
run later in the year in its own dedicated venue also in Brighton.<br />
Both exhibitions will be supported with a programme of events througout the year.<br />
More information will be released through the website <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wherewitchcraftlives.org%2F&h=cAQErp7pyAQESutXsBwEsoMitZaPdPFezAbEu41_D7K6auw&enc=AZMogehJbWbNvjGlrvcAYUlZS9nAMHgel3GRcVX2buIOELgkMGNBxy0pdP2_817hbjfFnsPZfXWEPqPWORgObdI73t9Ejr8Je6CXEHggDcBXtVGZW6qlth_GGacUAILsrqNjhKmhrMucvSK8LrqoFFI2fXzosUQCHX6SFPmi0wcDnMfX8aDdXyW4XKrn7XC-cjUPYZZIiRLo1IIj6lM9AKEE&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.wherewitchcraftlives.org</a>
as it becomes available and also through the Doreen Valiente Foundation
and Centre For Pagan Studies websites and social media channels.<br />
===============================================================<br />
We are also pleased to announce the forthcoming publication in February
2016 of Doreen Valiente's biography by reknown author Philip Heselton. A
launch event will be held at Treadwell's books in London on Sunday 21st
February 2016. Again, further information will be available from our
websites and through our social media channels as it becomes available.<br />
===============================================================</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBrighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-83252598671831500542015-03-13T02:00:00.002-07:002015-03-13T02:16:46.886-07:00Sir Terry Pratchett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Sir Terry Pratchett</b> has done several great services to the pagan community and the <b>true Craft of the Wica</b>: He helped the wider community see us as more include-able and accepted by poking good-spirited, perceptive, knowledgeable and downright genuine fun at us through his hilarious characters - you know you are widely recognised when the writer trusts the general reader to be familiar enough with you to "get" the in-jokes about you. He also painted witches in a positive light with his witch characters always being the heroines and "good guys" of his stories and, best of all, he reminded us in the pagan and witchcraft community that, by seeing ourselves warmly through the eyes of others, we should never take ourselves too seriously. <b>Terry Pratchett</b> proved that the principles of mirth and reverence are perfect partners in paganism, the Craft and indeed wider human culture. His untimely passing is a great sadness to all of us. One of our favourite quotes of his is:<br />
<br />
<i>"Most witches don't believe in gods. They know that the gods exist, of course. They even deal with them occasionally. But they don't believe in them. They know them too well. It would be like believing in the postman."</i><br />
<br />
<b>R.I.P. Terry Pratchett</b><br />
<br />Centre For Pagan Studieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010875141753479109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-74958846730312775642015-03-12T03:56:00.002-07:002015-03-12T04:03:18.636-07:00Children and the Craft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New Post - Children and the craft. How do we feel about children attending ritual? What about children and magic?Join the discussion on Facebook <a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="http://on.fb.me/1yBHw8D" role="presentation">http://on.fb.me/1yBHw8D</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-51211014444493966882015-03-12T01:06:00.002-07:002015-03-12T01:06:57.707-07:00Thought for the Day - Agnosticism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Centre For Pagan Studies Facebook Group Thought for the day - Agnosticism? Can you be an agnostic Pagan/Wiccan? Could you even be an atheist Pagan/Wiccan? Is a literal deity required?<br />
Thoughts? <a class="twitter-timeline-link" data-expanded-url="http://ow.ly/KelC5" dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/Nq9dvBXuDG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://ow.ly/KelC5"><span class="tco-ellipsis"></span><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="js-display-url">ow.ly/KelC5</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-75291013463792631302015-01-26T02:00:00.001-08:002015-01-26T02:00:17.525-08:00DVF/CFPS talks and events for 2015 already booked... more to come<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are the talks and events that we are attending and speaking at for 2015</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More updates as they are confirmed.</span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Spirit Of Bridget Conference - Cardiff - Saturday 7th February 2015 - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/379662352198001" target="_blank">more info</a> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Pagan Federation Spirit Of Me Conference - London - Saturday 7th March 2015 - <a href="http://london.paganfed.org/spirit-of-me/" target="_blank">more info</a> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Staffordshire Pagan Conference - Rugely, Staffs - Saturday 30th May 2015 - <a href="http://staffordshirepaganconference.weebly.com/" target="_blank">more info</a> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Artemis Gathering - Horley, Oxfordshire - 14-17 August 2015 - <a href="http://witchfest.net/" target="_blank">more info</a></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0United Kingdom55.378051 -3.4359729999999912.1996745 -86.05316049999999 90 79.18121450000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-53901789719700277172014-10-29T05:59:00.003-07:002014-10-29T05:59:57.394-07:00Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat<br />
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<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/10/28/1414519759211/Three-people-dressed-as-g-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/10/28/1414519759211/Three-people-dressed-as-g-011.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/28/halloween-more-than-trick-or-treat-origins" target="_blank">Halloween? It’s more than trick or treat</a><br />
Read the article by Professor Ronald Hutton Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-52723421702316745772014-07-18T06:38:00.004-07:002014-07-18T06:38:56.844-07:00From Ashley Mortimer - Very pleased to be able to say that CFPS / DVF took part in a symposium of Pagan organisations hosted by Mike Stygal, Pagan Federation President.<br />The theme was a discussion about some unity in the Pagan community and some more collaboration and, those who know their history will be aware it was an historic day to get representatives of the various groups together - and we expect to be able to make further announcements ourselves in due course. . . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-89166663888536304552014-07-18T06:37:00.000-07:002014-07-18T06:37:03.669-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New interview with the U.K.'s Ashley Mortimer is now online at TWPT. Be sure to check it out as Ashley went above and beyond with his in depth answers and that is always a good thing in my book. Michael Foster - TWPT<br />
<br />
http://twpt.com/ashleymortimer.htm Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-56899557654513113792014-06-23T08:43:00.001-07:002014-06-23T09:18:48.764-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Artemis Gathering is a 3-day event organised by the <b>Children of Artemis</b> in honour of their patron Goddess. All information can be found here <a href="http://www.witchfest.net/artemis_gathering.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.witchfest.net/artemis_gathering.htm </a><br />
and it is to be held Horley Campsite, Wroxton Lane, Horley, Oxfordshire, OX15 6AU see the map.<br />
<br />
This event is usually booked up very quickly, so get your tickets now from Eventbrite <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artemis-gathering-2014-tickets-9979634355">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artemis-gathering-2014-tickets-9979634355 </a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6AU, UK52.0845991 -1.397979099999929552.0748416 -1.4181490999999296 52.0943566 -1.3778090999999295tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1733718835518753918.post-33950731913331956832014-06-23T05:21:00.001-07:002014-06-23T05:34:32.938-07:00And a grand day was had by all - Plaque Unveiling to Gerald Brosseau Gardner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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