#seax-wicca

[ye-spirits]

Raymond Buckland: Sensory deprivation is a useful tool for producing extrasensory perception

Me: ok, cool! I think so too! you're probably going to suggest putting earplugs in and wearing a sleep mask or something right? I can see how that works!

raymond buckland:...

me: right?

raymond buckland: behold... the witches cradle :)

[tarotdeana]

Sabbat menor: Yule

Este fin de semana sucederá el solsticio de invierno; la inclinación de la tierra hace que el hemisferio norte esté más alejado del sol y reciba menos luz y calor. A través del tiempo y dada su enorme influencia en la vida cotidiana, este evento astronómico ha sido celebrado de muchas maneras y traducido a muchos lenguajes, como el mitológico, el mágico y el religioso.

Hace miles de años, las culturas más septentrionales dividieron el año en dos grandes partes: la parte cálida y fértil, y la parte fría e infértil. Durante la primavera y el verano se llevaban a cabo rituales para favorecer el crecimiento de las plantas, con el fin de obtener tallos, hojas, raíces, frutos y semillas. De la fertilidad de la tierra dependía la vida (como lo es ahora, aunque la humanidad lo haya olvidado). El otoño es la temporada de cosecha y las personas almacenaban los frutos y semillas que podían, y preparaban conservas previendo el periodo de infertilidad de la tierra. Es en el invierno cuando las plantas mueren y el sol parece ‘detenerse’; por lo tanto, la supervivencia de las personas dependía de la cacería y de los animales que habían criado en la temporada cálida. Era el tiempo de despedir el año, agradecer a la naturaleza por todas sus bondades y esperar el renacimiento del sol.

Los pueblos nórdicos y germánicos celebraban el solsticio de invierno con una serie de rituales englobados en la gran festividad de Yule. Con el tiempo, esta fue asimilada por otras culturas, como la celta, por lo que es posible encontrar costumbres y tradiciones relativas en muchos países europeos. Con el advenimiento del Cristianismo, ni Yule ni ninguna festividad antigua desapareció; los dioses y los rituales perviven, bajo otros nombres y otros rostros, pero perviven. Debido a la dificultad de despojar a las personas de sus costumbres y tradiciones, el Cristianismo vio conveniente explicar sus fundamentos utilizando como base los principios de los sistemas de creencias ya establecidos. Así, por ejemplo, el sol y su ciclo se equiparó a la figura de Jesucristo y las deidades y genios de la naturaleza se hicieron santas y santos (otros tantos terminaron habitando el ‘infierno’).

Para celebrar Yule, agradecer por el tiempo que termina y recibir al tiempo que está por venir, en las siguientes entradas se exploran algunos rituales propios de Yule.

¡Que pronto regrese la luz a nuestras vidas colmada de abundancia y prosperidad!

¡Feliz yule!

Entradas:

Árbol de Yule

Yule log

Julbocken y Julebukking

Oración y rituales para Yule

¿Te gustaría conocer el origen precristiano de otras tradiciones de Navidad? Envía un mensaje con tu pregunta.

www.tarotdeana.tumblr.com

Lee mitos griegos aquí

Lee mitos japoneses aquí

Lee mitos coreanos aquí

[samuelcernunnos]

Análise da Obra: O Livro Completo de Bruxaria de Raymond Buckland

“O Livro Completo de Bruxaria de Raymond Buckland” é amplamente considerado um verdadeiro clássico no mundo da Bruxaria e da Wicca. Fruto de um bem-sucedido curso por correspondência, esta obra continua sendo um excelente instrumento para estudo autodidata. É recomendado por praticantes experientes por apresentar os conceitos que definem a Bruxaria de forma clara e direta. Hans Holzer, escritor e…

[thefrozenbelle]

Happy Beltane, everyone! May the Gods bless you with joy and life! 🩷 💛 💚 🤍

[silverthornwitchery]

Starting With Wicca: A primer

(This is a repost of a community post I made over on my main blog @wolfgirl coven)

This is a repost from a post I made on TherianGuide as a response to someone inquiring about getting started with Wicca. I have been a witch for 13 years, and really started delving fully into NeoWicca around 2021/2022-ish, and am in the process of crafting my own NeoWiccan tradition which draws influence from Stregheria, Heathenry, Druidry, and American Folkloric Witchcraft's non-oathbound materials.

Wicca tends to come in two forms: Traditional Wicca, and NeoWicca. Traditional Wicca is an initiatory mystery tradition, whereas NeoWicca is built off of the available materials that Traditional Wiccans have made public.

Traditional Wicca: Traditional Wicca has many different traditions, but the most well known are Gardnerian and Alexandrian. Alexandrian being an offshoot of Gardnerian. There's other traditions such as Blue Star, Corellian, Seax-Wica, and so on. (Fun Fact, Seax-Wica is actually self-initiatory, and does not require a coven structure like other traditions do. It's inspired by Anglo-Saxon paganism, but is still strictly Wiccan and not reconstructionist Heathenry.) With Trad Wicca, especially British Traditional Wicca (which I will refer to as BTW from here on), you will most often find that they operate in a coven based structure, and the covens can trace back their lineages to BTW in most cases. These covens will more often than not have an age requirement, as many practice skyclad (aka nude). In all honesty, I'd steer away from any coven that DOESNT have an age requirement.

NeoWicca - NeoWicca is what most people know as Wicca. Unnfortunately NeoWicca gets a bad reputation due to the 90s witch craze and new age boom blending the two, and certainly misinformed witchtokers do not help. True NeoWicca (and not NewAge Fluff repackaged) is heavily influcenced by authors such as Raymond Buckland, Scott Cunningham, Vivianne Crowley, etc. Silver Ravenwolf, as controversial as she is, also is responsible for the growth of solitary neo-wicca. (Unpopular opinion but I do think her books have merit if you read them from a standpoint of acknowledging it as HER tradition and not the end-all/be-all of Wicca, like many do. I'm quite fond of her book Solitary witch, even if I don't personally agree with everything in it. I certainly would NOT start with her though, and not use her work for a path-foundation.)

Core Aspects of Wicca: Both Neo and Traditonal Wicca will have some shared core aspects.

1. Belief in the God and Goddess. The God and Goddess are the gods of Wicca. How one approaches them may vary, but it's common to take the approach of what I like to call Pluriform Duotheism(this is the approach I take myself). This is the belief that the gods and goddesses seen in the many cultures and mythologies around the world are various manifestations of the God and Goddess. All gods are one god, all goddesses are one goddess. This is controversial as many take this to mean you can call whoever you want for whatever you want. I would disagree. Names are energetic calling cards/titles that people have bestowed upon the divine. For example, if you were to worship Diana and Pan as your Goddess and God, you would indeed want to look into how they were worshipped in the cultures that gave them those names. Studying the mythos and cultural beliefs around the forms of the gods you worship can help you deepen your understanding of them. It's also good to study various deific archetypes, such as the Queen of Heaven, Earth Mother, Sky Father, Horned God, Triple Goddess, etc. There is no right or wrong way to worship the gods in Wicca so long as you are worshipping them in good faith.

2. The Wiccan Rede. The Wiccan Rede serves as a code of conduct to live by. The word Rede means advice, not commandment. Many people take the "an it harm none, do what you will" part of the Rede to mean no baneful magick ever. This is ahistorical to traditional Wicca. While it is certainly good to strive to harm none, if someone hurts you, is abusive, etc. it is ok to use magick to strike back and defend yourself. Think of it as not throwing the first punch, or as a firearm used in self-defense. The Rede itself may not be used in all forms of Wicca, ironically enough, but today it is very commonly seen. I think of "An it harm none, do as ye will" as moreso "if it isn't hurting anyone, let em be".

Of course, nowdays Wicca is a bit of a loaded word. You've likely seen a lot of anti-wicca posts in the witchcraft community. This is mostly because people are ill-informed on the religion, and only know Wicca from the 90s-2000s New Ager stuff dubbed "Wicca". So, below, let's play mythbusters and bust some myths:

1. Wicca is Built off of Appropriation - wrong. Wicca, at its conception, is an attempt to reconstruct the Witch-Cult as theorized by Margaret Murray. Though the idea of a pan-european witch cult is basically debunked, at the time of Wicca's founding, it was indeed believed. Wicca also incorporates a lot from various Western Esoteric traditions, which were part of the backbone of the occult movement. There's nothing wrong with practicing wicca, and there is indeed merit in the concepts of the god and goddess of the hunt & fertility being the oldest gods worshipped, as those were essential to the survival of early humans. Cultural appropriation in Wicca comes from the New Age boom of the 90s and 2000s throwing everything non-christian under the wicca label to get money.

2. Wicca is gender essentialist - somewhat true, as it does indeed focus on Male and Female as a creative dual force in the universe. Wiccans today are aware of this, but the idea of Masculine & Feminine being the forces of creation DOESN'T have to exclude queer. It's not mutually exclusive. When we look at the Goddess Inanna, the Queen of Heaven herself, she describes herself as both male and female, and was known to turn men into women, and women into men. Though some Wiccan covens may still hold antiquated ideas of gender and sexuality, most don't. In my personal Wiccan path, I view The God and Goddess as simply being the polar ends of the gender spectrum, and the universe as a whole (which is joining of the god and goddess/the all) as the divine androgyne, existent beyond gender. Anyone who falls betwixt, between, or outside of the spectrum are all equally divine, as the divine is in everything.

3. Gerald Gardner was a creep/homophobe/etc. therefore Wicca is bad - Gerald Gardner was a man born in the 1800s. Obviously, he is going to be a product of the time. Whether you love him, hate him, or don't really care too much about him, we would not have modern paganism and witchcraft if not for him. You cannot believe everything you hear on witchtok, because people will say things that are blatantly untrue. Yes, Gardner was not a good man by today's standards, because no one is perfect. Even Gardnerians will acknowledge this.

Ok with that out of the way, we're onto resources for Wicca. I'll start with books.

WICCA SPECIFIC: Wicca, a guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft- Raymond Buckland Wicca for One - Raymond Buckland The Craft - Dorothy Morrison The Witches Bible - Janet and Stewart Farrar Wicca: a comprehensive guide to the old religion in the modern world - Vivianne Crowley The Truth About Witchcraft - Scott Cunningham The Book of Shadows - Gerald Gardner Witchcraft Today - Gerald Gardner

THE GODS OF WICCA: The Witches God & The Witches Goddess - Janet and Stewart Farrar (two separate books, i put em together for the sake of ease) Queen of all Witcheries - Jack Chanek The Horned God of the Witches - Jason Mankey

WICCA-ADJACENT: Italian Witchcraft - Raven Grimassi The Spiral Dance - Starhawk Druidcraft - Phillip Carr Gomm Triumph of the Moon - Ronald Hutton

PROTO-WICCA: (aka Wicca draws a lot from this) Aradia, Gospel of the Witches - Charles Godfrey Leland

There's a LOT more books out there about Witchcraft and Paganism, so this is only a little sample platter lol.

Next up, let's delver further into the gods of Wicca:

When getting into Wicca, you will quickly learn that the names of the God and Goddess used in Traditional Wicca are often Oathbound, as in you cannot know them unless you are initiated into a coven. Different Covens may use different names for the God and Goddess. When talking with a good friend of mine (idk if eir on this site yet but shoutout to em) we have come to a theory as to why the names are oathbound: From a meta standpoint, knowing the oathbound/coven names of the gods marks you as an insider. Like it or not, insider vs outsider type mentality has always been a key part of humanity's survival.

Many people will say that the reason the names are oathbound is because they are the true names of the gods, but i personally disagree. My reasoning for disagreement is as follows: if the gods only had one set of true names, they wouldn't be responding to the prayers of non-initiated wiccans, neowiccans, etc. Worry less about names of the gods, and focus more on building a relationship with them. ALL names are true names, so long as you approach the god and goddess genuinely and with respect. Use the names and imagery of the divine that resonates with your soul. If it's Zeus and Hera, Cernunnos and Aradia, Lucifer and Diana, Ba'al and Astarte, etc. it doesn't matter, use what calls your soul. And be aware that the names you use for the gods may change over time, or you may even use multiple names for them, and that's ok.

I know some of the names listed may be scary, especially to those who were raised christian like me, and that's ok too. The main thing is to unlearn christian teachings and biases. Lucifer is originally a roman personification of the morning star, and an Italian god of the sun & light, akin to Apollo. Ba'al is a title that simply means "Lord" and was used to refer to a good number of near-eastern gods such as Hadad (who can be equated to Zeus and Thor), Hammon (who can be equated to Jupiter-Amun, as well as Saturn), and so forth. This is why studying the names of the gods is important, as it helps you unlearn that which you were taught to fear.

I'll link some videos that go into detail on understanding just who the God and Goddess are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTbnsIcYvc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bInWOUyMLQI

both of these videos I really enjoy! The first video I absolutely adore as it's simple and straight to the point, (also the altar Icons he uses are just GORGEOUS)

there will also be talk of the Goddess as Maiden-Mother-Crone, as this is one of the primary ways many see the Goddess, though many may not use the triple goddess archetype in their path, and that's ok! I personally experience the triple goddess as Crescent, Full, and Dark moons, as well as Earth, Sea, and Sky, rather than Maiden, Mother, and Crone.

Starting Out:

In all honesty, the best way to start your Wiccan path is to reach out to the Lady and Lord themselves, you don't need to use specific names for them, you can simply call them by any of their titles, or even just God/Goddess, or Lord/Lady, etc. Speak to them, ask them to guide you on your journey, give an offering if you can - even just pouring out some water is good enough. So long as what you offer is done in genuine faith, it will suffice.

[pagan-essentials]

🌜Unpacking Witchcraft, Paganism, and Wicca: A Brief Introduction🌛

There's often a lot of confusion and misinformation surrounding terms like "Witchcraft," "Paganism," and "Wicca." Let's break them down to understand what they truly represent.

Paganism: The Broad Umbrella

At its core, Paganism is an umbrella term encompassing a diverse range of spiritual and religious beliefs and practices that are typically polytheistic or animistic, and often nature-centric. Historically, "Pagan" was used to describe those who did not adhere to Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism).

Key characteristics of Paganism often include:

* Reverence for nature: Seeing divinity in the natural world, cycles, and elements.

* Polytheism or Pantheism: Belief in multiple deities, or that divinity is inherent in everything.

* Emphasis on the divine feminine: Goddesses often play a prominent role.

* Seasonal celebrations: Observing solstices, equinoxes, and other natural cycles.

* Ancestral traditions: Drawing inspiration from pre-Christian European or indigenous spiritual paths.

Paganism is incredibly diverse, with many different traditions and paths within it, such as Heathenry, Druidry, Hellenic Reconstructionism, and many more.

Wicca: A Modern Pagan Religion

Wicca is a modern, nature-based, duotheistic (or sometimes polytheistic) religion that emerged in the mid-20th century. It is a type of Paganism, but not all Pagans are Wiccans.

Key aspects of Wicca often include:

* Reverence for a God and a Goddess: Often seen as complementary divine principles.

* The Wiccan Rede: A central ethical guideline often stated as "An it harm none, do what ye will."

* Ritual practice: Often involving circles, altars, tools, and spells for various purposes (healing, protection, manifestation, etc.).

* Emphasis on personal responsibility and ethical living.

* Celebration of the Wheel of the Year: Eight sabbats (seasonal festivals) marking the solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days.

Wicca itself has many different traditions and lineages, including Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Seax-Wica, and eclectic practices.

Witchcraft: A Practice, Not Necessarily a Religion

Witchcraft, unlike Paganism or Wicca, is primarily a practice or a skill set, rather than a religion in itself. While many Wiccans practice Witchcraft, and many Pagans incorporate Witchcraft into their spiritual path, one does not have

to be Pagan or Wiccan to practice Witchcraft.

Witchcraft often involves:

* Working with energy: Directing and manipulating energy for specific intentions.

* Magical practices: Spells, rituals, divination (tarot, scrying), herbalism, charm-making, etc.

* Connecting with intuition and personal power.

* Understanding natural cycles and correspondences.

* A focus on practical application: Bringing about change in one's life or the world around them.

A Christian, an atheist, or someone of any other religious background could theoretically practice Witchcraft. They might not invoke deities, but they could still engage in magical practices. Some Witches identify as "secular Witches."

In Summary:

* Paganism: The broad category of diverse, often nature-based, non-Abrahamic spiritual paths.

* Wicca: A specific, modern, duotheistic Pagan religion with a focus on the God and Goddess and the Wiccan Rede.

* Witchcraft: A set of practices and skills, often involving magic and energy work, which can be incorporated into various spiritual paths (including Paganism and Wicca) or practiced independently.

Hopefully, this clarifies some of the distinctions between these fascinating and often misunderstood concepts!

https://www.PaganEssentials.Wordpress.com

[lybrasastar]

Hi everyone, here is a master post of witchcraft authors to avoid, as well as some reasons why. (May be edited in future.) This will continue on multiple posts to make it easier on me. Also, although some is in my own words, admittedly a lot of it isn’t, and a lot of it is the same words found in the links. I apologize, but sometimes I can’t explain it as good as other people did. 

Aidan Kelly: was a sworn to secrecy oath bound Wiccan, although there is a debate to this day with traditional Wiccan community on whether or not he did in fact break the oath. However, he published the real names and addresses of other initiates without their permission, which is a direct violation to the oath he took. For more reading: https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/12pr8wu/why_dont_wiccans_like_aiden_kelly/?rdt=50360

Aleister Crowley: his dictum “do what thou wilt thou shall be the whole of the law“ could be misinterpreted as endorsing selfish/immoral behavior. Self identified as “the great beast 666“ and has been dubbed “the wickedness man in the world“ by the British press. Someone on my witchcraft discord server also said this “feedback on crowley! he wrote what most people consider to be *the* writings on kabbalah. the issue is that kabbalah is a jewish practice thats so closed that most jews dont even practice it. beyond that, he was also a *raging* antisemite. one of his closest friends openly and vehemently rejected his jewish heritage and crowly still called him slurs in letters to him. so his work on kabbalah is about the same amount of respectable as an oil baron writing about how to build solar panels” but to be fair, I have not seen more sources regard to this. If anybody has any, please send them.

Arundell Overman: quoting from a Reddit post “though his historical sources seem solid— he himself is a bit egotistic and has openly supported the Muskrat on social media. Well that doesn’t automatically turn me off to his occult writings as a potential source, it does speak about his personal ethics, and that is something that won’t support.” (Muskrat refers to Elon, but you’re political beliefs are none of my business. I’m just putting it here because it was recommended to me.)

Raymond Buckland: created the Seax-Wica tradition because when his wife wanted a divorce, he asked Gardner for her to be kicked out of the Gardnain tradition, which Gardner refused. makes claims that have no historical evidence, absolutely none. Told initiatory secrets of Wicca, and use the G slur against the Romani people. https://michipeachiii.wordpress.com/2018/11/16/witchcraft-authors-to-avoid/

Christian day: claimed to have given Charlie Sheen cancer for referring to him as “warlock”. Claims to have destroyed Raven G’s house and then claims to have killed Raven. Has stopped and doxxed other witches.

DJ Conway: Jason Mankey, in his article “5 Worst Witch Books Ever (Possibly)” on Patheos, critiques Conway’s Celtic Magic and Norse Magic for presenting romanticized and historically inaccurate views of Celtic and Norse traditions. He notes that these books are essentially Wicca 101 texts with superficial nods to the respective cultures. “Her book on Norse magick don’t even mention seiðr, its just neo-pagan and neo-wiccan rites with norse deities names in it. Conway is famous for her book on dragon magick, yet from what I can tell, she leaves out all the info of living traditions of dragons; people still worship dragons, dragons are still religious entities in parts of the world. I could go on and on about how her books are full of blatant misinfo and ignore the actual traditions she claims to write about. Besides the crap content of her books DJ Conway makes it very obvious that she has a deep hatred of men, she talks about trying out spells on shitty men, talks about her first marriage and how much of a “living hell” it was, and also how controlling her mother was.” https://michipeachiii.wordpress.com/2018/11/16/witchcraft-authors-to-avoid/

EA Koetting: Rips off Order of the Nines, and his information in his books are BS. He claims to be at war with Haitian Vodou Houngans on his YT (could not find specific video, it seems it was removed).

[ghouljoy]

graphics from the journal "Seax Wicca Voys" based in Charlottesville, Virginia, starting in 1979. Scans pulled from the Internet Archive

link: https://archive.org/search?query=Seax-Wica+Voys&sort=-date

[greenpanda-basicfakewitch]

The Founders of Wicca as we know it.

The list of most known contributers of what we currently know about Wicca.

Maragaret Murray

1921: “Witch Cult in Western Europe.”

The Rituals of Modern Wiccan Practice can be traced to famed first wave feminism, egyptologist, anthropologist and Folklorist Margaret Murray. She wrote several books on mediaeval religion centred around Witch cults in mediaeval Europe that inspired British seekers to create their own Covens and Structure worship around her description. Later scholarship disputed Murrays claims about Witch cults but her influence could not be erased within Wicca.

Gerald Gardner

1954: Witchcraft today, Wicca used to be “Wica” before the added the extra ‘C’ in 1960’s according to Gardner the world derived from Scots- english meant, “Wise People.”

 He first heard the word Wica in 1930’s when he became involved with a coven in Highcliffe, England. He was initiated into the group in 1939.

 In 1846 he bought land in the village of Brickett Wood to establish a center for Folkloric Study that would serve as a headquarters for a coven of his own.1940-1950 Book of Shadows, a collection of Spells and rituals, is central to Wiccan Practice. Initiates were required to make their own copy by hand. The Origin of the title is unknown. Others believe he borrowed it from the work of Scottish children's author Helen Douglas Adams [aha sure he borrowed.]

_________________________________________________ Alester Crowley

1912: Crowley wrote a Wiccan Rituals and Gardner strongly took inspiration from Aleister Crowley, an occultist whom he met in 1947. The two men had similar ideas and proposed forming a new religion that would pull from old pagan traditions worshipping the Earth. Celebrating Equinoxes and Solstices other hallmarks of nature-based worship.

__________________________________________________________

Doreen Valiente

1952: Future Wiccan Leader, Doreen met Gardner when she contacted him following an illustrated magazine that presented to their readers the reality of Covens. As well as their practices in a context of normal, educated people.

So with Gardners direction both had revised the Book of Shadows for popular consumption and thus tons of rival covens with Valiente becoming a prominent advocate and Scholar.

____________________________________________________________

Raymond Buckland

1936: Was in the US with Gardner, in 1970 to New Hampshire and developed Seax-Wica. Which invoked Anglo-Saxon mythology into Wiccan Practice.

Image: N/A

Sybil Leek A hereditary witch, a popularizer Wiccan in American, Leek became involved with the new forest coven in the late 1940’s, continuing her practice through several covens in England before moving to the US and settling in LA.   Leek transferred her Wiccan Practice into celebrity status centred around astrology, Writing numerous books and regular columns in Ladies Home Journal.

Image: N/A

[Source]

PSA:

Link To Further 'practioners' including Gardner/Allistar etc and their problematic history: [Source/Tumblr]

[nordseehexe]

Zum Britisch Traditionellen Wicca werden auch noch einige weitere Pfade gezählt, die im Grund genommen auch dem Gardenischen, Alexandrischen, oder Algard Wicca zugerechnet werden können, aber diese Traditionen leicht abgewandelt haben. Dazu zählen vor allem:

Blue Star Wicca

Im Blue Star Wicca werden, ähnlich wie beim Algard Wicca, die Traditionen des Gardenischen und Alexandrischen Wicca kombiniert. Außerdem fließen Einflüsse der walisischen Volksmagie mit ein.

Central Valley Wicca

Das Central Valley Wicca orientiert sich vor allem an den Traditionen des Gardenischen Wicca und war die erste eigenständige Tradition in Kalifornien. Besonders viel ist über diesen Pfad nicht bekannt, auch nicht, ob er heute noch fortbesteht.

Mohsian

Die Mohsian Tradition wird nicht immer mit zum Britisch Traditionellen Wicca gezählt, sie ist aber stark vom Gardenischen Wicca inspiriert und die Begründer von Mohsian, Hellen und Bill Mohs, waren beide ins Britisch Traditionelle Wicca initiiert. Mohsian beinhaltet außerdem mehrere volksmagische Traditionen aus Nordamerika.

Odyssean Wicca

Das Odyssean Wicca ist eine kanadische Tradition des Wicca, welche sowohl auf dem Gardenischen, als auch dem Alexandrischen Wicca basiert. Besonders an dieser Tradition ist, dass die Priester und Hohepriester dieser Tradition darauf vorbereitet werden, allgemeinen Gemeindedienst zu leisten und nicht nur innerhalb eines Coven zu arbeiten.

Schottisches Wicca und Seax Wicca

Das schottische Wicca ist eine Abspaltung der Gardenischen Tradition und wurde von Charles Clark gegründet. In diese Tradition wurde auch Raymond Buckland initiiert, welcher das Schottische Wicca unter der Bezeichnung „Seax Wicca“ mit nach Amerika brachte. Ebenso wie im Algard Wicca sind im Seax Wicca Konzile üblich und innerhalb eines Coven wird optisch nicht zwischen den verschiedenen Graden unterschieden, denn jeder trägt dieselbe Bekleidung.

Whitecroft

Die Whitecroft Linie ist eine der größten weltweit. Ursprünglich war „Whitecroft“ nur die Bezeichnung für einen Coven in Südlondon, welcher von Madge und Arthur Worthington gegründet wurde, welche von Eleanor Bone, einer der engsten Vertrauen Gardners, initiiert wurden. Durch die hohe Anzahl an Initiationen sicherte der Whitecroft Coven das Fortbestehen des Gardenischen Wicca und hat sich im Lauf der Zeit zu einer eigenen Linie des Britisch Traditionellen Wicca entwickelt, die auch oft dem Algard Wicca zugerechnet wird. Die meisten Coven in Deutschland können auf die Whitecroft Linie zurückgeführt werden.

[adhd-worlds]

I'm very excited to read "Wicca" by Harmony Nice and "Everyday Magic" by Semra Haksever and properly begin learning Wicca

[tarotdeana]

Oración y rituales para Yule

Lee sobre Yule, Sabbat menor, y otras tradiciones del solsticio de invierno aquí.

Entre el 21 y el 22 de diciembre será el solsticio de invierno, celebrado por las culturas precristianas del norte de Europa con el nombre de Yule. En la actualidad, Yule forma parte del calendario ritual de las tradiciones wiccanas. Se trata de uno de los ocho sabbats. A continuación, conoce algunas formas de celebrar Yule:

Llamar al sol

El solsticio de invierno es el evento astronómico en el que la posición de la tierra hace que el hermisferio norte esté alejado del sol, por lo tanto, esta parte del planeta recibe menos luz. En la Antigüedad, se creía que el sol estaba 'detenido'. Para llamarlo a moverse o renacer, muchos rituales incluían el fuego o la generación de luz y calor.

Este fin de semana, enciende velas en tu hogar. Su llama será la manifestación de la luz que traerá calor, armonía y vida. Si deseas añadir otra intención a la llama, selecciona velas del color que corresponda a esta:

Verde -> Salud, descanso, relajación, amor.

Rojo -> Motivación, pasión, tener energía y coraje para hacer las cosas.

Blanco -> Paz, pureza, clalridad mental.

Además de velas, o en caso de que no te gusten, puedes colocar luces o imágenes del sol en diferentes partes de tu hogar.

Agradecer a la tierra

Durante todo el año, la tierra permitió cultivar plantas que nos dieron raíces, tallos, hojas y frutos para nutrinos. Ahora, en este periodo en el que permanece infértil, podemos aprovechar los productos de las últimas cosechas, semillas y frutos secos, para hacer dulces, galletas, panes y conservas para regalas a nuestros seres queridos. En la acción de dar y nutrir a las demás personas, está implícito el agradecimiento que hacemos a la Naturaleza por sus bondades. Es muy importante preparar estos alimentos con productos de temporada y cultivados de manera respetuosa con la tierra.

Aromas de Yule

Un año nuevo está por comenzar y el sol regresará invicto a generar la vida y darle continuidad. Este es el periodo ideal para terminar aquello inconcluso y limpiar nuestro entorno para recibir lo nuevo y venidero.

Una excelente forma de limpiar el entorno es por medio de los aromas: usar velas e inciensos, cremas y pomadas, beber tés e infusiones son formas variadas de purificar el ambiente por medio de los aromas. Aquellos propios de esta temporada son: muérdago, flor de nochebuena, cáscara de naranja, canela, jazmín de invierno, romero, menta, muérdago, clavo de olor, mirra, pino, cedro, enebro, laurel y milenrama.

Bebidas calientes

El solsticio de invierno implica menos calor y menos luz. Para mantener el cuerpo caliente y hacer un llamado al sol, prepara tés, infusiones, ponches y bebidas que te hagan sentir calor y serenidad. Prepáralas con frutas de temporada, endúlzalas con miel y aumenta el calor que te darán con especias como la canela y la cúrcuma.

Árbol de Yule

El árbol de Yule simboliza la vida misma; sus raíces alcanzan las profunidades de nuestro propio ser, el tronco se extiende en nuestra vida y la copa trasciende en el espacio como el espíritu mismo. Tener un árbol de Yule es agradecer a la Naturaleza y celebrar la vida.

Si cerca de tu hogar hay un árbol de hojas perennes, decóralo con los siguientes elementos:

Esferas: simbolizan los frutos que esperas que los árboles te den el próximo año.

Figuras de animales con cuernos: representan al dios o dioses astados que traerán proesperidad y abundancia.

Luces: solicitan al sol que regrese y emane de nueva cuenta luz y calor al mundo.

Añade los adornos que más te gusten y te hagan pensar en paz, bienestar, regeneración y vida. Si no hay un árbol cerca, puedes usar alguna rama caída o comprar una planta de hojas perennes que puedas tener dentro del hogar. Cualquier alternativa es buena, siempre que no implique cortar o lastimar un árbol.

Oración de Yule

Este sábado 21 de diciembre, día del solsticio de invierno, haz el siguiente ritual:

Con tu dedo o una vara de algún árbol de hojas perennes, dibuja un círculo a tu alrededor o en el piso. En el centro del círculo enciente una vela blanca. Obsérvala y medita sobre el año que termina e imagina el año que está por venir. Cuando estés listo, dirige tu mirada al cielo y di:

En este solsticio de invierno, en este tiempo de frío y oscuridad, en ausencia de la luz y el calor, enciendo esta vela como símbolo del renacimiento del Sol y agradezco este tiempo de recogimiento y reflexión. Honro el equilibrio entre la luz y la sombra; honro los ciclos naturales y humildemente llamo al sol a renacer y generar la vida. Agradezco el tiempo pasado y me preparo para recibir el tiempo que vendrá.

¡Feliz Yule, y que el renacimiento del sol inunde nuestras vidas de luz, calor, alegría, amor y abundancia! ¡Que así sea, que así sea, que así sea!

www.tarotdeana.tumblr.com

Lee mitos griegos aquí

Lee mitos japoneses aquí

Lee mitos coreanos aquí

[divinum-pacis]

Seax Wicca

Seax-Wica was founded in the U.S. in the 1970s, by a British-born witch named Raymond Buckland. Buckland had been a High Priest in the Gardnerian Tradition and started the first Gardnerian coven after moving to New York in the early 1960s. However, he found that the hierarchical structure of Gardnerianism resulted in ego-battles among American initiates, so he founded Seax-Wica as a way of continuing what was useful about Gardnerianism but in a fashion that was more suited to American culture.

Seax-Wica is inspired by Anglo-Saxon Witchcraft as it was practiced in Anglo-Saxon England between the 5th and 11thcenturies. Its main deities are Woden and Freya, who represent the God and Goddess as found in the original Gardnerian Tradition. There is an emphasis on studying herbal lore and several forms of divination, including Tarot and runes.

There are many differences between Seax-Wica and the more orthodox forms of Wicca. The biggest may be the lack of secrecy. There is no oath of secrecy for coven members, so it’s not such a challenge to find out what goes on in covens, how they approach their rituals, etc. In fact, rituals and Sabbat celebrations can be open, if the coven so chooses. There is also no Book of Shadows in this tradition, and adding new material to rituals, magic, etc. is welcomed if practitioners see fit.

There are no degrees of advancement within covens as there are in other traditions, and coven leaders are democratically elected, serving a term of one lunar year (13 full moons). There is also no emphasis on lineage—in other words, being initiated by another Seax-Wica witch is not necessary. Self-dedication is recognized as a perfectly acceptable entry point to this form of the Craft.

Raymond Buckland’s Book of Saxon Witchcraft (originally called The Tree) was written to serve as a guide to the Seax-Wica tradition for any who would like to explore it. If you’re not already fairly familiar with Wicca, however, you may want to read it in tandem with Buckland’s The Complete Book of Witchcraft for a more well-rounded picture of his form of Wicca.

Source

[thefrozenbelle]

Happy Yule, everyone! Here's to the rebirth of the sun and resurrection of Odin! ☀️ 🩷

[merry-wanderer-of-the-night]

A High Priestess holding the High Priestess 🖤

[eglentyne-morven]

Remembering Ray Buckland

So old Buckie passed the Veil yesterday, at the impressive age of 83. I can’t say I’m in mourning, for I had never met him personally, but he’s an important figure for any of us who have a claim to Witchcraft, to whatever degree, particularly in the United States. For many of us, Buckie’s Big Blue Book was the introduction to our path. Some of us can claim lineage through him. Like Gardner, he was fervent in his love for the Art and wanted to see it prosper. And now that he is gone, his work fulfilled and may he find peace and respite beyond, I have to ask, what is the legacy that has been left to us? I am not so much sad for the man who is gone, but rather what his passing represents; Our elders are dying.

Those who have done their time and made their contributions should be permitted to go into retirement, and leave it up to their successors to carry the torch. But who can we say is influential to such a level as Raymond Buckland? Who are the Starhalks and Janet Farrars of our generation? A lot of people I personally look up to for spiritual guidance, they came into Neo-Paganism when it was at its Renaissance in this country, when festivals like Stones Rising, Pagan Spirit Gathering and Starwood where coming into their own and attendance numbered in the thousands. There was such a verve to advance the Craft, to share ideas and experiences, to collaborate, to build community. It wasn’t about people practicing in secret, something apart from day-to-day, but a movement to incorporate magick into every facet of life, from how we work, raise our families, serve our country, volunteer our time, and establish our neighborhoods.

But something happened along the way. Maybe we got too big for our britches. I hear of a lot of in-fighting, the witch wars. A lot of the books say it’s frowned upon to claim some high-falutin status just because you’ve read a lot, but goodness knows I see enough of it. In the exuberance for many of our forebearers to get the word out there, they’ve gone and created this problem of diluting the culture of Witchcraft. And I’m not just talking about tradition, I got a slightly different take on that ball of wax. I’m speaking more to the activism of Neo-Pagan community, the integrity of those who would consider themselves experts. I know of individuals who are leaders in their own communities, who are making positive contributions to the world, and consider that part of their priesthood. Then I know individuals who just want to claim some authority without having any basis. They do it to stroke their own egos, and I consider their practices fraudulent.

I think our elders are tired. They have made their best efforts to build community, to teach and priestess, to serve and volunteer, and more often they are met with apathy, criticism, ungratefulness, for all their hard work. A priestess may bring a dozen or more into her inner circle and a decade later only one has made anything of her instruction. When pagan leaders try to coordinate an event for a larger community it will only ever be three or four who do most of the legwork. When things fall short the ones who make the least contribution are the first to complain. I’ve seen quite a few leaders who’ve gotten fed up and said essentially, “Want in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fills faster.” They end up passing the baton to no one, either because there’s no one worthy of it, or they wouldn’t wish the burden on anyone. Can’t say I blame them.

And I ask myself where I fit into all of this. What kind of magickal/spiritual authority am I building myself into? For what purpose? What is my hope for the future of the Art? Is it in line with the hopes of those who have laid those foundations? Can I make a contribution that those previous to me would be proud of? Or will any seeds I sow take hold if the climate in our community has become so arid? What adaptations can be made that do not compromise the integrity of the Craft? Do I have what it takes to inspire others? Or will I fall victim to apathy as I have seen of so many? I sometimes ponder how Ray must have felt, how his enthusiasm declined in response to the drama that has sprung from American Gardnerian “Orthodoxy,” (don’t get me fucking started) or the mixed opinions to Seax-Wica, something that was near and dear to his heart. Are we all destined to go this way, to give it our all in heartfelt exuberance only to be plagued by bitterness for the larger community?

So I’m teetering between hope and cynicism. I hope that the Neo-Pagan community has the strength to endure, that we have values that tie us together, that we can build ourselves to something greater, that we continue this aim of positive transformation for every individual, no matter the path. I’m cynical because I see laziness. I see outrageous claims from people who ain’t got a pot to piss in. I see Neo-Paganism appealing to the outcast and broken because it’s a crutch for their own problems in handling reality. I see ego-stroking, charlatans out to prey on the impressionable. I see equal parts good and bad. I’m not so idealistic as I used to be. But I recognize that I can do something about it. I would be doing a disservice to my Craft if I didn’t.

To Uncle Buckie, thanks for all the seeds you’ve sown, for good or ill. We’ll take it from here. And ere ye depart to those lovely realms we bid thee hail and farewell