Interview with a hedge witch: Cat La Fura talks about her practice and grove

Elspeth: Cat and I have only met recently having been in the same coven last year but at different times.   I had left this coven quite some time before Cat and she has also since left that group, inciting her to form her own grove and take on a leadership role in the Craft.  In this interview, Cat tells us all about how she formed her path and career, how she practices her craft, what the difference is between a grove and coven and what advice she has for those just beginning to discover Wicca.  With many years of experience, I hope that readers can benefit from what she has to say and enjoy her great history and experience in pathworking.

How would you explain your path in general terms?  You incorporate so much into your craft – what is the broad picture?

Cat: Being on a solitary exploration of the craft is a personal journey that is unique, potent and often natural. For me to explain my definition I have to describe the path that was laid before my feet and basically, how the goddess has guided me to where I am now. That is a long, organic story. For me being a teacher is drawing on these stories and teachings I’ve been so blessed to receive from the gods.

I had a haunted childhood and my first memories are of seeing the dead. Despite a haunted childhood with time I came to accept that I could see between the worlds. I’ve returned to the occult time and time again, reading and thirsting for knowledge, as a young witch I was starting witch clubs at school and reading gypsy cards before puberty. I later met with like minded brothers and sisters, some experimenting in shamanism, others in ceremonial magick and others still in witchcraft. I discovered Carlos Castaneda, Eliphas Levi, Budapest, Starhawk and Cunningham to name but a few, as well as experimenting in shamanic trance, magic mushrooms and sex magic. It was a potent time, and I was devoted to Aphrodite and Dionysus.

I then heard the calling to walk the life of a healer. I left art school and replaced paint brushes with acupuncture needles.  I left the wild drugs behind and I discovered Taoism, yoga and eastern philosophy. I kept growing on my path and the goddess came to me frequently, in dream, in vision and in child birth in her different faces. But the face she showed me the most was that of Hekate.  I started to focus on women’s health, pre and post natal care as well as supporting women through labour, and once again I found myself at the gates.  I am honoured to be asked to be teacher, but I can only teach that which I know.

E: Indeed, there is always so much to learn!  You’re not just a regular witch, you’re a hedge witch .  For the purpose of education our readers, what does it mean to be a hedge witch and do you have your own way of practising these old ways?

C: In times gone by a hedge witch was the old solitary woman who lived at the very edge of the village, just at the boundary between the village and the forest.  This is considered an ‘in-between place’ and holds great power.  She would know the teachings of the nearby animal and plant kingdom and pass this learning down her lineage.  These were the women you would consult for hexing and for healing.    

As a witch, I follow the wiccan reed of ‘harm none’.  Therefore I am a healer, not a curse or hex maker.  Having said that, I have known hedge witches who wouldn’t think twice about using a hex or curse, but personally this is not my cup of tea.  I believe everything we put out into the universe will return to us, it’s the natural law.   

I am a hedge witch because I walk ‘between the worlds’.   I use trance and sacred dreaming to walk between the veil retrieving information, speaking to the old ones or other such things that can be used on my earth walk or for others.  I also have many teachers among the plant kingdom, making me a herbalist, which I pass onto my charge.  My practice is very traditional in some ways.  For instance, I believe a degree should be a year and a day and to rush forward before you are ready can be foolish.  Also, I work within the cosmic law, following the course of moon and sun for my spell crafting. However, there are always exceptions to the rule.   I believe that following the wheel opens you up to the Old Ones, and it is they who reveal their mysteries and offer true initiation.  I think all hedge witches practice in their own ways, and its something I encourage everyone to do.  Follow the path that has already been laid at your feet.  Keep to the traditions and when you are ready and know your stuff, follow your intuition and find your own expression of the Craft.

E: I see on Facebook that you’re very ecologically minded, tell us about that.

C: I’m very much a green witch, I believe we need to reconnect with our microcosmic orbit and through this we are able with the macrocosmic orbit. I help my sisters reconnect with mother earth, recycle their waste, keep their impact to a minimum, raise pagans, celebrate the old holidays and remember the old gods. Grow their food & herbs... and give thanks for that which they take. I teach simple, old forgotten ways, but things that need to be remembered.

My work and my spirituality are heavily linked. I live the way of my craft; everything I do is in accordance with these rules. I care about this planet we live on, I grow my herbs, I rescue animals, I birth my children at home. My husband and I have been together 18 years, I performed our first hand fasting after six months, and last year we got married, and the high priestess Seline performed our hand fasting ritual at home, during Beltane, in front of our family and very close friends.

As a healer I am of service to my patient. As a witch I am of service to my family and mother earth. Now as a teacher I am of service to my sisters. Dion Fortune has influenced me greatly.

E: I’m overjoyed at how much you are caring both for the earth and others – if you could coin a Wiccan phrase or a sentence of your own to guide you through that kind of work, what would it be?

C: “To be of service” to be of service to your gods and your family, be of service to the earth and her myriad of creatures.   ‘To honour your work’, practice, be dedicated and patient, for this is the Great Work.   

E: What is the gender balance like in your grove?  What kind of work are you doing?

C: These days I attract more sisters than brothers who want to learn from me. I am currently working on a workshop about ‘esoteric acupuncture’. A way of activating meridians, chakras, qabbalsitic tree of life and sacred geometry as well as helping people’s ascension process. I teach my sisters the basics, but what I feel is the important stuff. How to break things down to their basic parts, their elements, how these elements affect you and your body and our planet. I also show them how I have raised my three pagan children, the oldest being 17. These are all crucial to saving our mother earth.

On a personal level to silence my mind I utilize yoga, pranayama breathing, diet and fasting, and treat the body as the ultimate tool in spiritual practice and magic. I have strong Taoist roots. And Chinese medicine with its use of elements and energetic systems of the body works in great harmony with magic.

For me being a hedge witch at the present time, is just walking my path and balancing my mundane world with my magical one. It doesn’t always have to blend; at times it needs to be kept separate. That is what I am trying to master in my life now....

The Goddess has come to me in vision and dreams many times during this journey. She calls my name. At times the journeys she takes me on are long, hard and involve much shadow work. I also work with the dying; I am honoured to be part of the passages of birth and death.  I am now devoted to the goddess Hekate and have always felt her by my side. I connect with her as midwife, cutter of the cords, keeper of the keys, shadow work and her canines.

E: I’ve always felt that the Requiem (or Wiccan funeral) is the least talked about matter in the Craft.  Why do you think that is?

C: Personally, thus far,  I have not encountered this issue.  What I have found is the witches I've spoken to  have no fear of death and hold clear vision on how they wish their Requiem to take place. We understand the cycle of life, and that life continues after the body has died.  We know the art of giving birth, the art of living life and the art of dying. In my home we get the opportunity to discuss and explore these issues in more depth, when the year wanes and we approach the harvest festivals.  Samhain offers the perfect opportunity to discuss such things.  A wonderful book I recommend on the subject is Starhawk’s The Pagan Book of Living and Dying.

E: You were also a part of the coven that I had left last year – can you tell us some more about that experience and how that’s lead you to create your own grove?

C: I perform magick, but it’s something I keep to myself and keep hidden.  I was friendly with the sisters that followed me out, but I was closer to others within the coven. Their leaving was a complete surprise to me, in my mind I had left alone, and that is how I stood for a week, but then it became a domino effect. I was actually quite mortified, and this created a very messy ending unfortunately.  I ended up leaving with several other sisters from that coven and soon found myself with  sisters asking me to teach them!


 I had a good long hard think about it and after talking with some wise council decided I could do it as I was at a stage where I needed to share the knowledge I had. I teach them to live the wheel of the year, celebrate the changing of the seasons, celebrate each Sabbat, full moon and dark moon and through this learn about the gods, their dance and their lessons.  I also teach them about their bodies, magical cooking, fasting and detoxing, how to raise pagan kids and basically just share what my life has taught me so far.  And at 42 I do have some wisdom and knowledge worth sharing. Luckily I have some wise elders who offer me good advice when I don’t have all the answers.

Soon after this, I got an email stating that the hedge witches site on Meetup was going to close down if someone didn’t take over as organizer. After consulting my sisters I decided to take it on but only with their input and support, and so our grove was born and we decided to keep our little coven closed between the three of us.  To be honest, I couldn’t take on any more into my home and life - it’s a big commitment I have made to these 2 sisters, and I want to honour it and give them my best. It’s a commitment I’ve made for one turn of the wheel.

E: That sounds both wise and realistic, I like your approach.

C: Now the grove has an interesting twist to things, but I also had three wise witches separately council me that my path was that of teacher: it was time.  So I thought I would conduct open courses to the general public, introducing them to green witchcraft ideals would be good for us, the community and mother earth. So far we do an intro to witchcraft, candle making, tarot courses, gardening bee, esoteric acupuncture, magickal food workshops and lots of fun projects to bring paganism and hedgewitchery to the general public. I hope to make contacts with those of the old traditions so that I may be able to direct seekers interested in ceremonial magick, Gardnerian or Alexandrian traditions to the right paths. I hope to network with the wider pagan community.

E: What advice would I give inexperienced witches and those first starting out?

C: Firstly, you should always be empowered by the process, if you are left feeling disempowered then move on.  The craft attracts a lot of people looking for answers.  These answers are found within yourself.  A good teacher should facilitate that sort of learning in an empowering way.

I think the most valuable guidance IS the one you receive in the very beginning: it sets you on your path and life’s journey.  Having said that, I am always grateful to learn new things and am very blessed to have some wonderful teachers appear recently from friends, old and new but the impressionable beginnings can shape a practitioner for the rest of their lives.

Don’t always believe what people tell you.  There are many pitfalls within this practice, and some can be quite dangerous.  If someone offers you an energetic diagnosis, make sure your reach out and get another, and another.  But if in the end none of it sits right with you, then trust your intuition above all else.

A high priest or priestess from a coven should not charge her initiates.  This is not how a coven should function.  A grove is a different matter entirely as students are paying for a service.  A high priest/priestess may ask support with ingredients, food, or others, but money should not exchange hands. Our belief is that it is not ethical to derive an income or profit from what is to us part of our service in the names of the Old Ones.

Enjoy the journey and not the final outcome.  Just like food, there are many different types of spiritual practice. Ask yourself: which do you prefer? The get there quick programs that have you initiated within 8 weeks? Programs that lack all substance but give you titles without the work? Kind of like fast food chains? Or would you prefer to sit to a three course meal with just a few special friends, enjoying and savouring every moment? Dining in some fine restaurant where there may be a waiting time to get in, but the food is divine? Of course you pay a higher price for this type of learning, for the challenges are greater? Sometimes, fast and easy isn’t what is needed to help fill your spiritual belly.

In this society we live, we want everything fast, we want it now and we don’t want to work hard to get it. Now spiritual and magical practices are treated in the same way. Homogenized and watered down to suit everyone’s palate. Let me make something clear: if you decide to dedicate yourself to the easy path, don’t expect much in return. It’s the hard path, the one that requires hard work and honest dedication that gives the greatest rewards. It’s not meant to be easy, it requires patience and practice. There is a reason that a single degree usually takes a year and a day! Some things just take time to learn.  Enjoy the journey and do not worry about the destination or the titles.

This easy style of initiations are usually run by those with no direct experience with the divine, so when that connection is missing: what is the driving force? Also, if you have not crossed that river how are you to show others how to cross it? A high priestess is a connection with the divine, a human face of the goddess... Not a facilitator, or an organizer or other mundane meaning you wish to use. If you do not have the knowledge or experience it takes to be a high priestess then do not take that title and instead call yourself an organizer or just plain witch.

E: I agree, it’s a huge title to take on.  I really enjoy organising for our sisters to meet up without all of the responsibility of being a high priestess (for readers: our sisterhood is a general gathering of friends rather than a coven and is completely separate to the grove).  Just personally, I’m not interesting in a hierarchy, however, in your situation you’re a leader and a teacher and I think you’re marvellously brave for taking that on.  That takes real guts!  There are so many teachers out there who seem to skim information off the surface – teaching is a hard thing to do.

C: Unfortunately it’s a reflection of the society we live in: people skimming the surface of things, unaware of what is driving them, looking to gratify their ego and titles... power trips and all sorts of traps any beginner would fall into... to teach is a service... teachers are of service to the seeker... and that act of generosity... the one where teacher gives freely, is an act that reaps great rewards.  But it can only reap the rewards when given freely, both monetarily and spiritually... the bond between teacher and student is karmically connected ... how can you get the very best out of it and utilize it to its full potential without trust? Love? Surrender? Can these be given after 8 weeks? How can a high priestess connect with 15 neophytes and give the guidance they deserve, with minimal interaction?  Before joining any coven ask yourself all these questions.  Traditionally you would spend a few months working and learning with the group making sure your dynamic is right.  This is imperative before taking any vow before the Old Ones.

That’s some really sound advice there.  It’s hard for people to have that outer perspective to make sure that that dynamic is right before they settle on a coven.  So many people feel that they ought to be loyal to a coven the minute that they walk into it, but you have to take a step back and think about whether that coven really suits you or not – it’s a relationship of its own.  Just like when you enter a romantic relationship you have to ask yourself: does this serve me?  If I have misgivings, what are they and why?  Be really honest with yourself about whether you have a healthy relationship with the coven that you’re entering.  Cat your guidance here is wonderful for those starting out in a coven and your path is fascinating.   I hope our readers learn a lot and find new inspiration from this interview.

You can find out more about Cat's grove here and connect on Facebook here.

Blessed Be,

)O( Elspeth.

Should teenagers be allowed to dabble with the Craft?

When I started with the Craft when I was about 13/14 I had no idea about how to maturely deal with the ethics of the Craft and what kinds of ramifications could come from my actions.  I started out with some very average books which were not (I believe) taking the ethics of the Craft seriously at all, especially when they actively encouraged you to work spells for love and did nothing to prevent you from doing something against someone's will.  It was much later into my working that I considered doing divinations in order to see where a spell could take me - and as a teenager, you rush into spellworking so quickly, you would never consider setting about using divination to see where your spell could lead you.  Nor did any of those books in my early years teach me about the difference between low magick (i.e: spells to get you what you want, which is often what these books were about) and high magick which helps you to truly develop as a practitioner.

I started thinking about this recently and wondered what everyone's opinions were.  A friend of mine has a long line of Witches in her family and her mother actively discouraged her from experimenting with the Craft as a teenager because teenagers still had to mature into their responsibilities.  I'd have hated it if someone had told me not to do what I found most fascinating, but then I picked up and put down the Craft until I felt truly able to handle it and also see how it could take me out of some bad times as a mature person on a genuine spiritual journey.  I guess if I were the mother to a child who wanted to experiment with the Craft I would have to guide them very carefully myself...  If they told me everything - and would they?  Teenagers can hold burden to so many secrets in their day-to-day living - how could this be managed?

Of course in watching the film The Craft, it's plain to see how magick can get out of hand in the hands of teenagers: they yearn and lust for things which they don't need and just about knock it out of each other's hands to get what they want or what their ego wants.

I would say - as brief as this writing is - that I would not take back the awkward attempts and mistakes of my teenager Crafting years.  They taught me a great deal about my parameters on so many levels and have eventually lead me to a place of balance which I'm proud of.

I would like to know what everyone else thinks - the forum is very much open...

)O( Elspeth

Style and Sustainability

Read more on how to reduce your carbon footprint from the clothes that you wear...


If fashion's eco-warriors had their way, we'd all be wearing our environmentally aware hearts on our organic-fibre, ethically made sleeves. But in between hankering for the latest fad and worrying about its ugly carbon footprint, the conscientious consumer wonders why going green costs the earth...

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/style-and-sustainability-20111028-1mnks.html#ixzz1c9jjtvgF

Remember to be grateful

Being conscious of what you ought to be grateful for without attachment
I realise that for some people this post won't apply to them - life can be hard and we all go through periods of our lives we'd rather forget.  I feel that for every good piece of fortune that is thrown my way or I have manifested through the Craft ought to have a moment dedicated to its arrival.  That may mean thanking the diety called upon to manifest the support or needs that I had at the time or just being grateful for coincidences which turn your life around.  I feel that I really ought to gather my sisters soon and have a rite especially dedicated to this.  I think that I feel more like this the more that I meditate - my mind is clearer and sharper and I tend to be more grateful about the positive things that happen in my life.  It's too easy to look at the downside of life and accumulate a list of 'if only' statements from one day to the next.

As you will know, I am very fond of Buddhist thought and have learnt a great deal about their concept of attachment.  My attachment to 'if only' thoughts and my attachment to 'I should feel grateful for' thoughts should in no way define who I am, I just feel as though some more conscious thought towards what we ought to be grateful for will provide a better balance for a calm mind & way of being.

Contributing in hard times - more on ethical living and how I'm changing my lifestyle
A very sharp change of subject here, but I am wanting to air these concerns all the same.  At the same time as making sure I am aware of what I ought to be grateful for, I do feel that I have more work to contribute to Gaia by trying to live the most ethical life that a meat eater can possibly live in this day and age.  There is so much information out there to take in!  With every step I am coming closer to living a more biocentric lifestyle rather than one which is anthropocentric.  I have put some extra cash forward to buy some cloth pads from Wise Woman Pads which I've tried and tested, and they wash incredibly well.  They don't make your menstrual flow smell either, it just smells like blood.  They're also the most reasonably priced ones on the market and come in the best patterns.  Whilst the economy is also suffering a major blow - yet again - it's a great time to set aside money especially to support local businesses if you can manage.  The smaller, locally owned organic stores who are more likely to sell ethical, wholesome and natural products ought to be sustained during this time if only for the cosmetics that they sell if you are to buy everything else from the supermarket.  That way we are supporting locally owned businesses and will be helping to keep our local community members employed, selling products which are often hard to find otherwise.  As you know I'm a non-materialistic witch and have been cutting down on buying new candles, props or any oils which are not ethically sourced.  Instead of buying a variety of coloured candles I'm buying Australian made plain beeswax candles which have a beautiful natural smell and feel to them.  If I buy furniture in the near future I aim to buy second hand furniture to avoid cutting down more trees, and have considered buying more second hand clothing to cut down on carbon emissions created from the manufacturing of new clothes - the more second hand, the better in many ways!  Fewer new trees will get cut down and less energy is put towards the product.

Show your gratitude to your deity by thanking them for their support & give Gaia as much of your support as you can for everything that she has ever given you.

Really do check out Wise Woman Pads - Judith does an amazing job.

Blessed Be,
)O( E.

The Ethical Consumer Guide (Global)

"Keep pure your highest ideals, strive ever toward them." - Charge of the Goddess

Since having started working in environmental conservation, I feel much more inspired to take on more ethical challenges to make sure that I take care of Gaia and honor the concept of the Gaia Hypothesis.

• General Groceries/ Supermarket Shopping: For an all-round guide go to the Ethical Consumer Guide which you can view online - it really is wonderful for all kinds of consumerism as to whether each product is ethically sound environmentally, in regards to animal cruelty, fair trade and how they treat their workers.
• Animal cruelty - a concise list of information: The above is more helpful because it talks about ethical consumerism in general, and if for some reason you are more passionate about/want to know more about which products test on animals go to PETA's Caring Consumer website.
• Aromatherapy products - as mentioned in this previous article, it's incredible what goes on when you're not paying close attention!  I'm letting quite a few of my aromatherapy oils and resins run out because they are unethical to have in my home.  For more info, go to Crop Watch and I will post updates on here for new information/discoveries.

Great companies to purchase from:

• Sanitary products - Wise Woman Pads (Victoria, Australia) and Moon Pads (Tasmania, Australia) - The wonderful makers of cloth sanitary pads to help save the environment.  So long as you wash your moon pads well by soaking them overnight in a bucket then putting them in a laundry bag to wash, they will last up to five years.  Also, if you buy yourself a rubber menstrual cup to replace tampons you'll save even more money over the years from buying additional packets of tampons which absorb moisture away from your body and can cause toxic shock syndrome.  Put your soaking water back onto the garden so that the garden can benefit from your blood.
• Skin and Hair Care - Sukin (Australia) -Skin and Hair Care with no animal testing, a carbon neutral product range and recyclable packaging.  They smell beautiful and provide products that really last.

Cropwatch.org

For more independent research on buying ethical aromatherapy products please go to
www.cropwatch.org


Cropwatch...

• Is an Independent Watchdog for Natural Aromatic Products used in the aroma (: fragrance/cosmetics, flavour, aromatherapy), traditional herbal medicine & phytochemical industries. Many of these natural commodities are under threat via their over-exploitation in the wild (see articles inCropwatch Files section), or their continued use & availability faces uncertainty via the imposition of restrictive & over-precautionary legislation.
   
• Cropwatch's independent stance & expressed opinions can counter-balance information about natural aromatic products obtained from commercial sources, trade magazines & (even) learned journals. The reports & policies of governmental/non-governmental bodies & authorities can often show bias towards corporate concerns, against the wider public interest.
   
• Information provided to Cropwatch is derived from a number of sources e.g. from academics, researchers, aroma industry employees, health industry professionals, ethnobotanists, ethnic peoples and others, all of whom  have primary concerns for natural products & the environment.

Endangered species of plants and their essential oils & resins to boycott - Rosewood, Sandalwood and Frankincense

Yet again I provide another update for the New Age industry to pay serious attention to, and I sadly look at these oils in my collection and feel a sense of sadness over my materialism - another reason not to worry about buying products to affirm your faith.


ROSEWOOD - An endangered species with a violent & corrupt industry history
Apparently rosewood has been an endangered species for decades now, and some articles I've read on the internet state that due to the demand from aromatherapists, this product is still being supplied.  Dalbergia nigra or Brazilian Rosewood, is listed as an endangered species which has a strong, sweet and long lasting smell.


The following information is from a website which begins to talk about the blind demand for Rosewood oil and the roots of its corrupt industry in Brazil:

In mid December 2003 the body of a 27 year old Greenpeace activist was found floating in the Amazon. Emily Craddock was investigating the activities of the illegal loggers operating throughout the Amazon basin. It is believed that she may have fallen overboard. However, as it is believed that loggers had threatened this expedition, investigations are ongoing. It is known that Brazilian campaigners against illegal logging have been threatened with their lives. My respects to Emily and her family, a sad loss to the world at such a young age.

I would just ask those who insist on selling and using rosewood oil to consider this: What you have done is indirectly contribute to the death of the young lady mentioned above. All the excuses the trade come up with about "we only use the sawdust" "we only use the leaves" "we are only tiny users compared to other trades" etc. are hogwash to cover them continuing to trade in endangered species and helping support criminals.

SANDALWOOD AND FRANKINCENSE

Rather than copy and paste the information about the over-harvesting of these plants, I'll direct you straight to the source: 
Aromatherapy School

Please: if you find any articles like this to alert other members of the Wiccan and New Age community, please respond with a link in my comments so that I can do further research.  I'll continue to dig through to see whether there are any more products we ought to look out for.


Love, light & responsibility,
)O( Elspeth.

Rosewood information sources:
Scientific Rosewood names from Wikipedia
Article on Greenpeace activist from Aroma Medical

Healing is a psychological journey, not a physiological cure-all - a great video about the money maker called Theta healing

So I'm not really typical as a Wiccan when it comes to these sorts of things.  Sometimes I find there are grey areas, and then there are moments like these where I see things as being much more black and white.

My position on any form of healing is that, whilst it can physically make the endorphins run wild, it is best reserved for psychological work rather than physiological.  Even then, when you feel that unwell by the activity of your mind and you can't bear it any longer, see a psychologist: that is what they are for.  New Age healing, which I have experienced myself, is wonderful for the psychology and can be incredibly uplifting and invigorating, and if you receive images or feelings from it, you still have to be proactive about what you have discovered.  I am saddened to see people attempting to use it to physically heal people with their hands or their minds, particularly when they are terminally ill.  It is sad to see that the potential for healing is abused by people who:

• Charge a lot of money for it 
• Are so convinced that their healing works that they may disregard crucial symptoms of a serious illness (not that they're trained to really detect them)
• Have no actual scientific qualifications of any kind yet charge more than a doctor and probably as much as a psychologist.
• Make claims that HIV can be reversed when it's impossible, which is completely revolting and misguiding and again, draws in people to believe that if they spend their money with these people that they will be healed

This kind of thing racks my brain, like healers who claim that their practice will alter your DNA... which as we all know is impossible.  At this particular event that I went to, it was proposed to me that I would be so fortunate as to have my DNA altered - but what for was not clear.  It was thrown out there just to make the event seem incredible when all we were ultimately doing was allowing ourselves a group psychological healing - is that not enough?  Is it not joyous enough to share that moment with others at the end of a working week by letting go together, singing together and just having a nice time?

Meditation, however, can help to prevent a range of things happening to your body by reducing stress and the chemicals your body then produces which can affect your mind, heart and general wellbeing.  It reduces your risk of heart disease by half if you meditate two times a day for twenty minutes and there is certainly no harm in connecting with your truth.  Go here to read my article on how to achieve a sincere balance from your practice, which is really common sense for any lay person (well, except for the more religious parts anyway!).

It is interesting to see how people cross the line within spirituality like this, like those who practice cold reading if you remember the post I put up about that featuring the fantastic episode of Bullshit by Penn and Teller.  Don't you think it is interesting how when that line is crossed, there is a lot of money to be found on the other side?

)O(
E

video via Derren Brown Blog

Recent thoughts & things I believe that Wiccans ought to consider

A lot of people might not like this particular post, but I am constantly questioning Wicca.  Whilst there are parts of Wicca which I love, I think I have become particularly jaded of late from having experienced a variety of circles where it only takes one character to mess with everyone else's heads in what usually turns out to be a petty power game.  I do have close sisters whom I cherish and love, and I wouldn't take any of it back.

Within every religion I've found that there are several kinds of people: the empowered who actually want to create positive change rather than being obsessed with power over others; the cowards who stand behind their religion to excuse their messed up games and bizarre actions and of course the pathetic power-hungry people who are compensating for the hole in their heart, never satisfied with healthy empowerment alone - they are greedy for more, more and more power and love to play with your sense of self worth.  Then often when you have problems with one another you can either choose to talk about them partly in Wiccan/New Age terms or like normal people - and the conversations are rarely 'normal' and as mentioned before, some people love to stand behind their faith & twist their intentions.  It's a difficult game.

You might have previously read my post about why a hierarchy doesn't work & why you ought to avoid it at all costs.   If you do choose to enter a circle, I'd highly recommend that you read up on the Buddhist concept of attachment so that you are able to retain a sense of reality & realistic distance from any situations which arise.  I'd highly recommend that - if you can all manage to be organised enough - that you have a mediation process set up in advance for when things start to fall apart.

Issues I believe that other Wiccans ought to consider:

• Materialism, altruism and true spirituality: Other religions are setting up charities such as The Salvation Army & The Red Cross - are you donating to a cause or (if you have no money) actively making a difference within society?  Being spiritual ought to always inherently involve some altruism outside of its own faith.  Put back to the earth, clean up your streets and get involved in your community.  I get sick of seeing neophytes feeling like they can't practice magick and hence be a spiritual person because they need to buy 'stuff' for their altar - props which are beautiful (and I can't talk, I own so many!) but you can do without.  Do you think that the gods will punish you for not buying the $50 bottle of liquor to put on your altar as an offering?  Isn't your love and dedication enough?  This is something I fail to understand - it's beautiful when someone gives an offering, but it's hard when you judge others because they can't afford it or just don't really see that it's that necessary.  I like to offer incense, fruit & prayers if I can (depending on who it is) but would I get hit by lightning & have the Threefold Law beat me down with an iron hammer if I didn't do that?  I don't think so.  Clearly not everyone would agree with me on that.  It's more important to make a contribution to society than it is to make sure that you can somehow obtain a rare ornament/talisman within two weeks of an upcoming ritual then feel like a failure for not having obtained it.  I have started to meet gods and goddesses during deep meditations, see whether I can work with them (upon asking their name), work with them and then have another ritual especially to thank them.  
• Honesty gains respect:  Reassess your values regularly and be honest about them - so many people hide behind their faith & its dogma.  What do you truly believe and what would you like the world to be like?  They are often two separate things.  What can you do as a Wiccan to obtain the world that you desire?  Remember that light & darkness, negativity & positivity and the rest make up for the natural balance of life - so would you really change all that much?  Just as Thelemites attempt to find their True Will by being completely and unabashedly honest about who they are - who are you outside of your faith?  Would you have more respect for a bluntly spoken Thelemite or the Wiccan who insists that everything is beautiful and amazing 100% of the time?  There needs to be a balance of who you are along with your beliefs or you have lost yourself.

I hope that wasn't too painful for anyone - it was almost like me venting some things which get on my nerves!

)O( Elspeth

A community taught not to be superstitious

This is very interesting.  I take my 'healing' with a grain of salt.  I don't go to a healing session for a sinus infection - I go to the doctor!  What healing I do get done is for psychological benefit, and it's rare that I part with money to receive it, spending $10-$25 at a time for such thing.  If I choose to pay money for someone else to heal me it's more for the learning experience & to see whether something like Reiki really has a different effect to Pranic healing or the Egyptian Emotional Clearing Technique.  It's all relative.

It's hard to see people paying money for this sort of thing when they live in a third world country and I'm glad that there are people actively educating these communities in such a way.

Enjoy, it's quite funny in parts!

Why I'm against 'talking to the dead' psychic readings - cold reading fraud

This is a very contentious subject, especially coming from someone like myself.  I really do feel that it has to be put out there, and some people I know might not like it, but that's life.

There may be some people who can genuinely 'talk to the dead', but if you can tell it's cold reading then you know that they're a fake straight away.  If they don't ask you any questions then they're more believable.  Having said that I love my tarot, I'm free to make whatever I want out of it without someone else pulling at my heartstrings.

Traditionally there are two types of reading: cold reading & hot reading.  Cold reading is where you throw small pieces of information at the participant to 'hook' them in, and they're so enthusiastic to believe that they will start to (unintentionally) give answers from which the psychic can then add more general information to.  They feed each other energy and excitement towards a delusional experience.  Many people come away from the experience days later thinking "But they really weren't that accurate, they had very few hits."  There are usually more misses than hits.  More often than not if they don't have 30 people in a room to choose from they will have one person "I'm sensing someone in your family who's passed away, I see some letters A...N" then the readee jumps in "Allan, my uncle Allan!" then another handful of hooks are put out for the readee to latch onto.

The other type of reading is hot reading.  This is less likely as it relies on the psychic having already had straightforward information from the readee, such as recorded information of the people speaking before they enter another room or, as per an experience of my own, having the reader stand off at a distance before her next reading listening in on our conversations about our beliefs etc... that's when I turned around and saw her standing in the vestibule listening to us talking on the balcony.  I still wanted to believe too - it took me months to admit to my boyfriend that I'd caught her out in the act.

Some of these people might genuinely believe that they are capable and have had people bolster their 'talent' for many years.  One in particular amazed me - a man who met my mother and pointed out some weakness points in her body: a bad knee & shoulder... which could later become sore thanks to the power of suggestion, but I still remain dubious.  He also managed to be able to 'read' everything about her work situation at the time & how she could overcome it.  Sometimes this kind of thing can be helpful, but when it comes to 'talking to the dead' I really draw the line.  Some people are so desperate to be able to have that last chance that they will allow themselves to believe the psychic, then weeks later feel the emptiness of realising the ultimately there was too much cold reading involved for it to have been really that 'amazing.'

It has to be said aswell: why aren't these psychics able to see into the future so that we can help people?  If they're so keen on helping people be at terms with their losses, why aren't they just counsillors?  Why are they only looking back into the past and reading about people who have already gone - or do I not know enough about the nature of these kinds of abilities?

I just feel that I have a responsibility to draw the line with Wicca.  It needs to be more practical & realistic with the most healthy approaches to thinking & practice.  It is so easy for the Wiccan faith to become tied up in the fluffy arena of self help books & spiritual mumbo jumbo which gives it less gravitas.  We are in a faith which since the Pagan Renaissance in the mid 20th century needs to be more grounded.  It's great to be open-minded, to look at the possibilities and allow for the fact that science still has questions to answer as we explore the 'doors of perception' in our minds & work with Nature.

Please, if you have enjoyed what you've read so far, please advocate this cause because it is wasting people's money, time and emotions.  Also, please watch the Penn & Teller episode of 'Bullshit' below which gives you a much more detailed picture than myself & Derren Brown's video also tells you how cold reading works.

Blessed Be,
)O( Elspeth.

Why a hierarchical structure doesn't work in Wicca

Terminology has been changed within this article and no names have been provided to retain respect towards this coven and their members, sisters who I send my love to. 

You would think that in the 21st century that archaic heirarchical structures would go anywhere near a New Age faith.  You would be wrong.  Unfortunately, even in this day and age as there is no set way for a Wiccan coven to set up their circle of kin. You can be left in the hands of someone who doesn't leave the forum open for discussion and slowly introduces a restrictive structure which the circle do not naturally question.  It makes it harder for the leader because if they're not being open with their coven members to ascertain how the boundaries are formed and why.

I recently left a coven for this reason.  It was one of the hardest decisions I'd ever made.  We weren't all equal within a tiered system where some were left feeling left out because they weren't being accepted into the 'central ring' of witches.  This saddened me a great deal.  When you know that others aren't getting the same treatment and aren't made to feel as special as those within the 'central ring' it makes it hard to concentrate and thus the experience is dulled and the rituals aren't powerful for you.  It's stilted the whole way along.

I had read of many solitary witches who practiced on their own but attended pagan events regularly so that they would remain in the community and in a way I wish that I'd done that, but I still loved meeting everyone aswell.  Someone like Wendy Rule doesn't even like the term High Priestess (as she was made an honorary one) as it denotes simply that someone is at a higher ranking than you.  Often these people are simply left in charge as leaders, to form the coven rituals and be the social 'glue', but sometimes their sense of power becomes too much and it's destructive.  They want to become selective about who they want there as the 'central ring' which apparently had the 'priestesses with the strongest bond' which was only founded by the High Priestess. I don't regret having met these people at all, the events that I went to were wonderful, but the underlying strain caused by the politics was unfortunate to say the least.  In a sense, I can understand why the High Priestess wanted to have some control over who came so that you had the most dedicated people, but it didn't always work that way - loyalty did not equal being allowed into the 'central ring.'  The 'central ring' had remained closed for so long that the minute that someone else was let inside, the foundations of the coven started to fall apart - despite how lovely the new member was.  Other witches who wanted to be in the 'central ring' who had been in the coven for just as long started to question why they weren't permitted into the 'central ring.'  The High Priestess wanted the most dedicated women with the closest connection within the 'central ring' and 'regular attendees' to attend ('casuals' were the outer ring and were thus not always invited to events also) - but it ended up having the opposite effect.

Then things became messy: 'central ring' members were doing their own thing and not turning up to as many events with the 'regulars' and occasionally only went to exclusive 'central ring' events.  Eventually this dissapated even more, and gossip ensued from all sides... less so from those who were not in the 'central ring' who did not want to risk being kicked out. 

It just seems that if you want to organise that, you need to have everyone informed and involved every step of the way.  In the Catholic church, for example, paritioners are given the right to attend Parish meetings once a week where they can talk openly about the proceedings of their congregation and air concerns.  Many Wiccans would hate the idea of taking anything from the Catholic church, but this is definitely something that could at least help towards groups such as this.  Without unity you can only have fragmentation.

Without wanting to go into any more detail, you get the picture.  I had hoped that it would be an experience of 'let's learn from each other and grow together' but it wasn't really what ensued.  It may still happen within this coven, and I hope that it does.

It's been a very strange experience but also a great learning experience aswell.  Sadly, I had aired why I was leaving the coven openly with the rest of the coven and it was taken very well by other coven members - but not so by the High Priestess...  That is another story - too soon to tell and this is a very public forum where it will be kept this simple.

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
)O( Elspeth.

Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair - a warning to not hex nor conjure love spells

 

I'd seen this on Witch Mountain weeks ago and have thought about the phrase 'Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair' for some time now, especially given that I'd come across a quote (I believe also from Witch Mountain) which said something like "Those who cannot hex cannot heal." Of course I can't take the latter seriously, it sounds like a whimsical passing statement but at the same time I don't encourage anyone to hex just as I don't encourage anyone to conjure love spells - they are at both ends of a person's will as love and hate are just as strong as the other. All of the love spells I have performed have turned out incredibly badly, almost into hexing myself. I went down each stage, from taking an image of someone I wanted, to the next time where I drew my ideal man without giving him any of the personality traits which would make him a great love... I ended up briefly with this person who loooked exactly like my drawing, even the badly drawn long torso and long jade pendant - and it was a disaster for my soul... he floated from woman to woman anyway! I warn anyone who practices magick: do not hex or cast a love spell as it's essentially Black Magick, commanding the will of the other to be overtaken by your power which you have no right in doing. I am adamant about this for a reason: to help others and to prevent the negative outcomes that they will have placed themselves in.

'Fair is foul and foul is fair' comes close to the dualities in life which Wicca encapsulates: light vs. dark, negative vs. positive, man and woman which create the balance of life itself. These witches state that fair play is as powerful and justified as foul play and are in themselves an inherent part of witchcraft... and yes I realise they're fictional characters - I don't completely live on the web!

Those who feel the need to hex justify in doing so when the other person has done something so bad that they need to be taught a lesson, but why wouldn't karma take care of that for you? If we believe that whatever we sends out comes back times three, why would we need to control the punishment of others?

I am sincere in my warnings... and will only say it once! And watch the clip too, it is fantastic.

)0( Elspeth