Desired Home XV

via Cardboard Antlers

My final letter to the coven I used to attend (sent this time last year)

It's quite funny to look back on my past in this way.  A part of the reason I am posting this is because it was 

(a) Deleted from the forum shortly after and hardly anyone got to read it, including many people I'd spent a great deal of loving and spiritual time with;

(b) Those who did not get to read it were told that it was nasty - when it's anything but;

(c) To show those who are still within that coven my true intentions from that time as I seem to have this odd reputation with them; and

(d) In my own way I'd rather like this to be permanently available on the internet so that others can read this and understand what it's like to be a constrained coven experience.

The background to this forum post

The high priestess had, on many occasions, made me feel as though I knew what I was doing throughout my time with her and a callout had been made to coven members for apprentice high priestesses whereby I didn't require any experience to be one.  Having had many years of magickal practice behind me, I thought I'd be a very suitable candidate.  Sadly, I had bought into this hierarchical system and yearned for so much more from the coven and saw this as a great opportunity to fill that gap...  But I think that that gap would have still existed no matter what.  I had spent some time trying to unite members by suggesting events and rites which would harmonise the coven but those suggestions weren't really taken on.  I had also seen this hierarchy become tighter and tighter, with one girl assisting the 'inner circle' to organise events to be told that she was 'lucky to be this close to the inner circle' - egos started to form.  The energy of the coven was no longer particularly friendly.  Apparently, as I wasn't permitted to become an apprentice high priestess I could take the first degree course - when I was in my personal second degree already and knew exactly how to set up my own ritual space and write a ritual already - which is mostly what the course consisted of.  This course went (from memory) for about 6-8 weeks and cost about $120.....  Yep, it costed money to 'cover the expense of materials.'  Something which this Irish witch I had posted earlier this year is dead against, as am I.  

I was certainly glad to have left when I did.  People who are there now are being told that they are not 'allowed' to practice magick with anyone outside of the coven and are being discouraged from performing traditional Wicca.  Some of those who have left have been terribly harassed by the "high" priestess to the point where it's becoming ridiculous - and I'd have to say that without having stated her name on here whatsoever I am very happy to share this information freely and to the public.  I've become sick and tired of seeing people within that coven being treated badly and actually feeling surprised that it's happening to them.

The forum post

It seems contradictory to say that we didn’t need to have any experience, yet now I’ve been asked to go through the first degree course.  I realise I had agreed to do the first degree course and why you’re trying to assimilate what you’ve learnt about running a coven into that.  I just feel that if I “didn’t need experience” to become an apprentice high priestess that I would at least be recognised as having had great life experience from my teaching, lecturing and (on & off) 12 years of experience as a Wiccan.  I thought I would be taught as an apprentice rather than via a first degree course, if you know what I mean.   It’s hard for me to reconcile that in my solitary practice I’m now at the 2nd degree and I think I’ve realised that I want to concentrate on just that, because it’s a lot of hard work.

Perhaps I came here for the wrong reasons.  I had been yearning to learn from others, teach others, grow, and have a more intimate experience and I’ve wanted that since the minute I walked into the coven, and that energy has not changed.

I’m not doing this to have a go at anyone, it’s just that I have to comply to a system which I don’t naturally work with and therefore I shouldn’t hang around and contribute an ounce of negativity which works against the family feel of this coven which could throw it out of balance.  My negativity could hence be felt by others and if anyone wants to view that as my ego, I don’t mind.  Some things just don’t work for some people.

I had put up ‘ideas’ on the website to bring our coven closer socially and spiritually because I felt that we were fragmented, and to be frank: we have been kept that way.  They were, also, just ideas too, and were in mind for the betterment of the coven and not necessarily for me to perform. I have always been passionate about making sure that everyone feels equal – I’m wildly passionate about that in fact, and have been all of my life.  Whilst I understand that you can’t just let some stranger immediately into the ‘inner circle’ I come back to my first point: if I didn’t need a great deal of experience to become an apprentice high priestess then why am I being asked to do the first degree course?

If we are to be teaching one another, why can we not allow for a format which encourages that, or am I getting the wrong end of the stick?  Perhaps my expectations are wildly unrealistic and idyllic to the point of ridiculous.  That ideal seems to be what I want, and perhaps that is best achieved as a solitary witch or within a very small coven.

You're all beautiful, marvellous and remarkable people, but I think it's important to emphasise that I don't want to ruin the energy of the group with my negativity and thus am obliged to step back for the sake of others more so than myself as to not ruin the enjoyment, love and light that this coven provides for others.  I would be a coward if I were to just walk away from the coven without saying a word.  I think, too, that this coven suffers because no-one feels that they can be open and honest about the structure and the system which is handed down to them.  By keeping our mouths shut we’re spreading a very strange, restrained energy that I believe works against the magickal energy that the coven is trying to achieve.  I don’t particularly enjoy writing this, but I’m an honest person and I respect honest people.

Love and light.  In perfect love and perfect trust.  May your paths be fecund, bountiful and radiant with the power of the Goddess.  Keep on being creative and powerful darlings.

)O( Elspeth.

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.

Desired Home XIV

Reblogged from Drawing Down the Moon

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.

August 13 - the day of Aradia, Diana and Hecate - the maiden, mother and crone

Aah the 13th of August and on the full moon at that! It was said that Aradia, in the form of a physical woman on earth was born on the 13th of August, the day of Diana in the year 1313 who then roamed the earth teaching Witchcraft, aptly named 'La Bella Pellegrina' or 'The Beautiful Pilgrim.'  A great deal more detail on Aradia can be read in my previous post here.  You can also read a brief description about Hecate here.

In the northern hemisphere, Hecate is honored by leaving an offering at the crossroad - the roads between life and death which she represents.  Take a plate you won't mind 'losing' to the crossroads with goods such as honey (lavendar honey is the best), eggs and garlic out once darkness has fallen -  say your invocation to the Goddess of Witchcraft and leave the plate there and do not go back for it - in fact, once you turn around and journey back home, don't look back to that crossroad.  In the home, burn patchouli incense, a black candle and performing divination at midnight.  Hecate observes all activity & assists at night, so perform all of the above at night time.

Seeing as it's a full moon you may feel inspired upon drawing down the moon to repeat the charge of the goddess in its original form from Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches by Charles Leland below (before it was changed by Doreen Valiente and Aleister  Crowley before her) to honor both Aradia and Diana:

Aradia:
When I have departed from this world
Whenever ye have need of anything
Once in the month, and when the moon is full
Ye shall assemble in some desert place,
Or in a forest all together join
To adore the potent spirit of your Queen,
My mother, great Diana. She who fain
Would learn all sorcery yet has not won
Its deepest secrets, them my mother will
Teach her, in truth all things yet unknown.
And ye shall all be freed from slavery,
And so ye shall be free in everything;
And as a sign that ye are truly free,
Ye shall be naked in your rites, both men
And women also: this shall last until
The last of your oppressors shall be dead;
And ye shall make the game of Benevento,
Extinguishing the lights, and after that
Shall hold your supper thus

... I am still alive...

I have no idea when people are looking at this blog, I think the most attention it has received has been from the article on Baphomet - so I do wonder about why people come here!  I've had many new and interesting discoveries with my practice that I would like to share with you soon.  I seem to be forging my own particular path and can't wait to supply the blog with more book reviews, notes on herbology and looking into the science of poltergeists.

Blessed Be,

)O( E.

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

Occult Shop of the Week II - The New Oracle (AUS/NZ)

If you really need to be materialistic (oh, go on!) then this website has a wonderful range and great prices.

I one day would love to have a wooden book of shadows and their wooden book stand... One day...

Go to the website here.