Imagery and the Occult: Sandman as Articulation of Occult Agency. PART II

As discussed earlier, art and iconography are an essential aspect of occult representation. The career of an occult symbol depends very much on its trajectory as provocateur of meaning. Because it will change. All symbols are born, grow, and are replaced as their need shifts in the network. In this way, each symbolic presentation is incommensurable from any of its past incarnations. They cannot be compared in any way because the entire network has changed. And these changes or shifts in occupation, do not occur gradually or in gradated steps but cataclysmically. Revolution occurs in which a symbol's previous meaning is usurped by a new agenda. An example can be found in 1624 Kotter etching that holds Rosicrucian connotations and motifs. Entitled 'Vision of a Lion with Angels and Roses', three angels sit reverently at a table with roses and a lion. The image of the lion is both a focal point and abstract symbol of the arcane. However, there is more. the form of the lion is an articulate of meaning. In other words, something is encoded or implicitly hidden in its shape. Obviously, the lion sits in the form of the Hebraic letter Alef. A rose-cross image that conceals subtle Judaic mysticism is certainly not surprising given the wealth of cultural traditions that influenced early Rosicrucianism. However, the a ha! moment occurs when realizing the form of the lion is a sudden shift in the viewer's awareness. The image takes on a whole new meaning and cannot even be compared to its previous interpretation. Not because it is so much more profound or esoteric now but because the symbol has re-located. What the symbol means has moved with reference to Judaic mysticism. Now its network comprises of Rosicrucian allegory as well as Gematria. This new location has added a new depth with which to study the etching.
We also see movement occurring in the Sandman 'Season of the Mists' story arc. Although Lucifer leaves and ultimately ends up on a beach thanking god for the beautiful sunset, Hell isn't left vacant for long. Dream holds a conference with all interested parties seeking to occupy the domain. Ultimately, God decrees that Hell must remain a contrast to Heaven because the latter is given definition by the former. Subsequently, the two observer angels that were charged with watching the conference proceedings are tasked with being the new rulers of Hell. Slowly, the demons and the damned file back into Hell to resume their previous roles. However, depth of meaning is also achieved by Gaimon in the narrative. Although our etching is encoded with Judaic mysticism, Sandman explicitly explores the interactions of various pantheons. Gaimon asks: What if Azazel was allowed to mingle at a party with Thor and Fae folk? By allowing a network of various religious traditions to interconnect, Sandman has created a pluriverse of occult thought and illustrated the many locations where meaning can be found. For example, Dream could have given Hell to the Norse and Loki would now be sovereign ruler. Or, he could have bequeathed it to Choronzon and the demons would be running amok. The point being that the many possibilities is indicative of the various epistemological nuances that are implied in the narrative. Each of these possibilities are equally true and equally valid. As Goodman once remarked, "there is no one correct way of describing or picturing or perceiving the world, but rather that there are many equally right but conflicting ways-and thus, in effect, many actual worlds" (14). Although Goodman's Worldmaking goes well beyond comic book narratives, the principle remains the same. the trajectory of an occult symbol must include a re-locating of meaning as it moves from one world or world-version to another.

TO BE CONTINUED......

Quantum Sorcery

Hey Everybody check this introduction to Quantum Sorcery!!! by David Smith





Quantum Sorcery
Vargr
1/30/05
www.spikevision.org
quantum theory
1.A theory in physics based on the principle that matter and energy have the
properties of both particles and waves, used to account for a wide range of
physical phenomena, including the existence of discrete packets of energy and
matter, the uncertainty principle, and the exclusion principle.
sorcery
c.1300, from O.Fr. sorcerie, from sorcier "sorcerer," from V.L. *sortiarius, lit. "one
who influences, fate, fortune," from L. sors (gen. sortis) "lot, fate, fortune".
Introduction
Quantum Sorcery is a magical system which presupposes that an individual can
cause desired effects to be manifest in the physical world via the exertion of will.
This system makes no supposition regarding the existence or influence of any
sort of divine creator; rather it is based upon the premise that the human mind
causes minute changes in the behavior of subatomic particles and energy fields
within space/time. These minute changes in turn cause a cascade of events to
occur, which ultimately result in the desired effect.2
below is like what is above. The miracle of unity is to be attained”. Understanding
the underlying principle of this statement is an essential part of the manifold
magickal processes that comprise Hermeticism, the core of a number of
traditional Western magickal systems.
In addition, quantum sorcery also acknowledges the theory of sensitive
dependence on initial conditions, also known as “The Butterfly Effect”. Edward
Lorenz, a MIT meteorologist, coined the phrase in a 1972 talk based on weather
modeling he had initiated in 1960.
Quantum sorcery can be rightly regarded as a subset of Chaos Magick. Like its
progenitor, the system is anti-dogmatic, result-oriented, and free-form. The
system employs techniques of magick proposed by such authors as Spare,
Carroll, Hine, Morrison, and Pesce, alongside of mathematical and scientific
theories proposed by Dirac, Lorenz, Heisenberg, Bohr, and Mandelbrot.
What is the Reason?
The origin of this project arose from a simple question that I could not answer:
What is the mechanism by which the will can cause physical changes in the
observable universe to be manifest? How does magick work? My belief is that
the force derives from humanity itself. Myriad religions and magical systems with
vastly differing methods are seemingly capable of achieving these results,
whether the process is referred to as prayer or spell craft. This would seem to
indicate that it is not a particular external force which makes these results
possible, or if it is, then it is a force which is universally available to all who seek
to employ it, rather than being an insular deity.
Occam’s Razor
William of Occam, a 14th century logician and Franciscan friar, wrote:
Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate
Which is translated as:
Plurality should not be posited without necessity
This became known as Occam’s Razor. I apply this to mean that the explanation
for a phenomenon which requires the fewest assumptions to be made is most
likely to be correct. In this framework, I theorize that within a physical universe,
composed of particles and waves that any force capable of manifesting an
observable effect on these particles and waves must be of that physical universe
itself, rather than external to it. More plainly stated, there is no need to ascribe
miraculous or supernatural effects to an outside agent, when it is more probable
that the effects originate within the magickian.

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The Psychic Censor
As individuals mature within a culture, they are expected to subscribe, and in fact
contribute to, the consensus reality of that culture. This generally includes
accepting the dominant spiritual paradigm. James Carse, in Finite and Infinite
Games, observes that a society will go to extremes to enforce its world view
upon its members.
The acceptance of external definitions of what constitutes the difference between
real and unreal contribute to the creation and reinforcement of what Austin
Osman Spare referred to as the psychic censor. This is a mechanism of the
conscious mind which determines, based on rules which have been internalized
from consensus reality, what limits are placed on possibility. In general, the
psychic censor tells the conscious mind that magick is a fallacy, and that the
power of the mind is insufficient to cause actual change in the universe.
Fortunately, there a number of ways by which this mechanism can be negated.
One of these methods, and probably the most frequently employed, is to ascribe
magickal power to a higher source, such as a god or demon. This placates the
censor by inactivating the self as the causal agent. The desire is passed to the
erstwhile higher entity via prayer or evocation. Unfortunately, this method is
logically fallible, requiring an even greater suspension of disbelief, and the
adoption of a larger complex of assumptions than simply accepting that the self is
capable of direct action.
Another way in which the psychic censor can be avoided is by allowing the desire
for change to be passed off from the conscious mind to the subconscious. This
can be done via a variety of methods, including sigilization, glossolalia, or other
methods which compress the linguistic construction of the desire into a symbolic
form which can be better actualized by this part of the mind. This method was a
hallmark of Austin Osman Spare’s magickal system, which Peter Carroll adapted
into his system of Chaos Magick. It is generally effective, but relies on the
concept of avoiding a lust for results. If the magickian is unable to expunge the
desire from the conscious mind, then the psychic censor will be activated, and
will counter the desire with disbelief, guilt, or other undesired processes.
This effect can be lessened by conditioning the censor to accept a greater range
of possibilities. There are a number of ways by which this can be attempted,
including John Lilly’s metaprogramming, Bandler and Grinder’s neuro-linguistic
programming, the Silva Method, hypnosis, meditation, and other systems which
attempt to allow direct intervention and control by the self over thought
processes. Many of these methods themselves are simply proxies by which the
conscious mind is empowered to a greater proportion of its already existing
capability.

4
Quantum sorcery uses awareness of scientific principles, specifically quantum
mechanics and chaos theory, to placate the psychic censor. This is
accomplished by realizing that at a quantum level, physical reality itself is
reduced to a field of probabilities which can be manipulated by the mere act of
observation, and that minute changes in momentum and trajectory of subatomic
particles can propagate to cause far greater physical effects in the objective
universe. Reducing the scale at which an influence needs to be applied in order
to produce desired results further helps to convince the conscious mind that such
ends are attainable.
A Multiverse of Possibilities
With the discovery in the first quarter of the 20th century that subatomic particles
such as the electron possessed the qualities of waves as well as physical matter,
an entirely new system of models and theories had to be created to describe the
new understanding of reality. One of these was the Heisenberg uncertainty
principle. This principle stated that on a subatomic level, that the position and
momentum of a particle could not both be measured with a high degree of
precision. The best degree of accuracy that can be obtained if one property was
measured with a high degree of precision is a probability range for the other
property.
One theory that has been proposed as an explanation for this principle is known
as the many-worlds hypothesis. This theory posits that the state of a particle is
not uncertain, rather that all possible realizations of position and energy for every
existing particle actually exist, each one having its own separate and unique
universe. This condition is also known as quantum superposition. Based on
theories of how many particles there are in the known universe, as well as the
estimated size and shape of the universe, the total number of possible universes
has been surmised to be approximately 10500. This collective set is also referred
to by some physicists as the multiverse.
Watch the butterfly flutter by
Beginning in 1960, meteorologist Edward Lorenz began a series of weather
system simulations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his
modeling, he discovered that very small variations in the initial state of a complex
system result in large differences in the end result. He detailed these findings in a
paper titled Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow, which was published in 1963. In
1972, Lorenz gave a talk in which he asked the question: Can a butterfly flapping
its wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas? This gave rise to the more
commonly known name for the initial conditions phenomenon, “The Butterfly
Effect.”
With regard to magickal practice, this bears close scrutiny. The impetus to
change the outcome of a situation can depend on a myriad of factors which



5
would seem at first examination to be irrelevant. Alan Turing, a mathematician
renowned for his theories on machine intelligence encapsulated this
phenomenon:
“The system of the Universe as a whole is such that quite small errors in the
initial conditions can have an overwhelming effect at a later time. The
displacement of a single electron by a billionth of a centimeter at one moment
might make the difference between a man being killed by an avalanche a year
later, or escaping”
In this framework, the question is how to effect the displacement of that single
electron, so that the result is the one desired.
Fractal forms reveal infinite scale
“The number of distinct scales of length of natural patterns is for practical
purposes infinite” – Benoit Mandelbrot
Benoit Mandelbrot, a mathematician employed at the time at IBM, investigated a
seemingly simple problem in the 1970’s: “How long is the coast of Britain?” What
he found was that as the degree of scale employed in the measurement was
taken to finer levels, the longer the coastline appeared to be. This was a result of
smaller and smaller features appearing as the perspective was magnified.
Features which appear to be straight lines on a small scale map are revealed to
be complicated and jagged on a large scale map. He referred to these forms as
fractal, from the Latin for “broken”. When fractal functions are graphed, the
results can be viewed at any level of magnification, and they will appear similar.
What does this mean to the quantum sorcerer? It means that there is no lower
limit to the degree of visualization that can be employed when attempting to
influence physical reality. In business language, the phrase “drill down” is often
used to indicate a focus on the minutia of a given situation. Appropriating the
terminology for this instance, the quantum sorcerer must drill down to the
subatomic level in order to apply Will where it will be the most effective.
Holographic Universe
In Paris in 1982, a research team led by physicist Alain Aspect was able to verify
the theory that particles which have previously interacted with one another will
from that interaction forward be connected with regard to the phase of their
waveforms. What was particularly of interest about this confirmation was that the
exchange of information between these particles occurred at a speed greater
than the speed of light. This has led to the theory, espoused by University of
London physicist David Bohm, among others, that the universe is in fact a
massive and intricate hologram.

6
A hologram is an image created by reflecting a laser off of an object, and
subjecting the reflected light to the light of a second laser. The resulting
interference pattern is then captured. This results in a three-dimensional image of
the original object. What is most noteworthy is that if a fragment of the image is
torn off of the whole, that fragment will still contain a smaller but intact version of
the original image. No intelligence is lost in the fragmentation.
Those who espouse the holographic paradigm have suggested that the contact
between particles so observed is not due to a signal sent between them, but is
due to the fact that it is only our inaccurate perception which interprets the
particles as separate, discrete entities. In this theoretical system, such particles
are considered to be manifestations of the same underlying fundamental
phenomenon. Extracted to its conclusion, the theory suggests that all objects in
the universe are infinitely interconnected.
Whether or not this theory has any validity has yet to be hammered out among
theoretical physicists, but in any case, it is a useful model for visualizing
manipulation of matter and energy for the magickian. As Michael Talbot states in
his article on this paradigm, “In a holographic universe there are no limits to the
extent to which we can alter the fabric of reality.”
Mechanism
Thus far, I have discussed the nature of reality, and posited that it is subject to
manipulation by an individual, but I have not yet addressed how an individual
might go about doing such a thing.
Fundamental Forces
There are four fundamental forces in the universe which effect matter. These are
gravitation, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear
force. If the momentum or position of a particle of matter is to be modified, it is
most likely to be done via one of these forces. It is possible that there are other
forces, as of yet undiscovered and unobserved, but these four are capable of
explaining the behavior of matter in the current state of the universe. In a
younger universe, closer in time to the “Big Bang”, it is thought at that all four
forces become one, so it is theoretically feasible to suggest that as the universe
continues to cool and expand, that other forces might yet be brought to bear.
Gravity is the attractive force between all particles with mass. Electromagnetic
force affects charged particles, as well as particles which possess magnetic
attributes. The nuclear forces are those which operate within the atomic nucleus.
It is the second of these, electromagnetism, that I believe must be the
mechanism by which a human can physically influence reality on a subatomic
level.

7
In quantum theory, the exchange of energy between particles is modeled by the
use of force carriers called bosons. In the case of electromagnetism, this force
carrier has zero mass, and is known as a photon. Collisions between photons
and other particles are fairly frequent events in nature. An example of this is the
photoelectric effect, which is the result of a photon colliding with an atom with
sufficient force to discharge an electron from its orbit, ejecting it from the atom.
Biophotons
In a 2004 study involving bio-energy healers, who were asked to focus their
mental energy, the median increase in the energy output of the volunteers in the
experimental group was found to be 8.3 volts, and lasted a median of 3.6
seconds. This was a test of the phenomenon known as biophotonic emission.
Still considered a pseudo-science by most of the scientific community, this
process has been studied by researchers such as Fritz Albert Popp of the
International Institute of Biophysics in Neuss, Germany since the late 1970’s.
Biophotons themselves were first documented in 1923 by Russian medical
scientist Alexander Gurvich, who named them "mitogenetic rays".
Assuming that biophotonic emission is an actual phenomenon, and that the
intensity of emission can be controlled with adequate training, this would provide
the physical mechanism by which a human could physically alter the behavior of
subatomic particles. If this mechanism in turn can be combined with the
visualization of an intended outcome, then the probability of actually causing that
desired result to manifest could physically exist.
Conclusion
I have proposed that the phenomenon of magick derives its source not from a
supernatural or higher being, but through the process of human bio-energy
effecting subatomic particles. I realize that this is a stretch. Practitioners of
magickal systems which presume that results are the purview of extradimensional
entities would no doubt find this theory to be rubbish, as would most
traditional physicists. I myself am not certain that this effect is factual or probable.
I do believe however, that it is possible, and that is the key. Even if magickal
results are obtained through an as of yet completely unknown mechanism, and
this theory serves only as the basis of visualization, it is still an effective
mnemonic device. Quantum sorcery provides a possible explanation to the
psychic censor, and loosens the parameters of what the censor will permit to be
manifest in the personal reality of the magickian.


8
References
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse
Etymology Online - www.etymonline.com
Carse, James – Finite and Infinite Games
Carroll, Peter – Liber Null
Ferris, Timothy (ed.) – The World Treasury of Physics, Astronomy, and
Mathematics
- Ferris, Timothy: “Unified Theories of Physics”
- Mandelbrot, Benoit: “How Long is the Coast of Britain?”
- Turing, Alan: “Can a Machine Think?”
- Von Neumann, John: “The Computer and the Brain”
Joines, William T., Baumann, Stephen B., Kim, Jeremy et al. - Measurement of
charge accumulation and EM emissions from bioenergy healers, 2004
Lilly, John - Programming And Metaprogramming In The Human Biocomputer
Lorenz, Edward - Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow. Journal of Atmospheric
Sciences, Vol. 20, March 1963.
Markey, Sean – “The Universe is Finite” National Geographic News, October 8,
2003
Pesce, Mark- Memes to an End - presentation at Mindstates 2003
Schombert, James – Lecture Notes for Astronomy 123: zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/
Spare, Austin Osman – The Book of Pleasure
Talbot, Michael – “The Universe as Hologram” The Village Voice, September 22,
1987, pp. 31-34.

The Girl in the Goddess

The Girl in the Goddess

by Kassie Nic Sionnach

Today the trees show new shades of bright greens and the spring blossoms gently perfume the air. The world around us awakens with new life and new opportunities. When one stands quietly under the body of the deep night sky with the stars covering the heavens like a warm blanket -clear and gentle - we begin to expand our awareness: the vastness and  beauty of the world on which we experience this mortal life.

For many today, this beauty is personified in the God and Goddesses of old. Yes the gods of lore and myth. Aphrodite and Thor roam the world of spirit with devout followers of the ancient paths. The illumination of Hecate and Diana shine through the eyes of so many. The world cries out for champions of the old spirit and many answer in their own unique ways.

These people are the pagans and they are born wild and free, with minds and hearts that embrace ancient goddesses and gods with great love. Their eyes see the trees as relatives and the rivers of the earth as their blood. These are the ancient practices revived from european stone circles and folk practices, the bones of the ancient priests and priestesses call to us to remember the song of the soul.

To them, the seasons are more than just the yearly change. To them, during the spring the mother Earth shows her wedding clothes off proudly and joins with the wild God in creating the new life all around us, and celebrating it with passionate love and song. Within the wheel of the year the great lovers play is mimicked in the seasons from conception, pregnancy, birth, life and death.

For many, the Divine Feminine is focus of worship. It is she who calls the Pagan souls to remember their birthright in the sacred and wild places of the world. She is director, the nurturer of all within and without, above and below.

I tend to see the Divine as an example, a personification that we all can relate with and understand. Her different incarnations around the cultures of world are facets of the same jewel. Her stories remind us not to be one-faced, but to have many skills, many outlooks calmly rooted in truth and tempered with wisdom. Am I saying that the gods aren’t real? I just honored and praised their influence in this world? What am I doing?  This seemingly contradictory statement is explained by Gerald Gardner:

“The Gods are real, not as persons, but as vehicles of power. Briefly, it may be explained that the personification of a particular type of cosmic power in the form of a God or Goddess, carried out by believers and worshipers over many centuries, builds that God-form or Magical Image into a potent reality on the Inner Planes, and makes it a means by which that type of cosmic power may be contacted.”

To me, the Goddess Brighid brings strength, vulnerability and healing. Her Fire, forge and well stand to remind me of my own passions, creativity and abilities. To me, the Goddess Epona brings wisdom of alertness, the power of the herd and a maternal knowledge that continues to escape me. The great Mare reminds me to be sure of my footing, strong in my expression and accepting of life's cycles. To me, the Mór Rígan brings No-fear, sacred rage and sovereignty. Her strong sword, watchful ravens and definitive, defiant grace and knowledge reminds to never back down, to fight for the sacred- to battle-cry the injustices and never let my power be given to others.

Artistic interpretations of the Goddesses Brighid, Epona and the Mór Rígan

These women of myth, these goddesses of the soul often reside unknown in the books of history and there is a very strong movement around the world of women and men, eager to offer their time and talents to gain the spiritual light of our ancestors, our Pagan Ancestors.

Many adhere to Wicca, a very popular branch of Neo-paganism (“Neo” meaning new). This branch was (re)created by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. He is considered by many to be the “Father of Wicca”. Wicca started to become very popular in the 1950's and 60's but the ideas of a revived ancient spirituality started to be known to the public earlier. Wikipedia reports:

“In the 1920s and 30s, the Egyptologist Dr Margaret Murray published several books detailing her theories that those persecuted as witches during the Early Modern period in Europe were not, as the persecutors had claimed, followers of Satanism, but adherents of a surviving pre-Christian pagan religion - the Witch-Cult. Despite now being discredited by further historical research, her theories were widely accepted and supported at the time.”

I believe that the romantic revival period has a strong connection the quick growth  of paganism/occultism. Many individuals participated and the growing popularity of  gentlemen archeologists/historians and fraternal orders seemed to greatly influence many important individuals at the time. The ideas from Dr. Murray still  permeate several pagan philosophies and continued to spur on the new found possibilities of a spirituality that didn't seem possible before. Again Wikipedia sources say:

“It was during the 1930s that the first evidence appears for the practice of a pagan Witchcraft religion (what would be recognizable now as Wicca) in England. It seems that several groups around the country, … set themselves up as continuing in the tradition of Murray's Witch-Cult, albeit with influences coming from disparate sources such as ceremonial magic, folk magic, Freemasonry, Theosophy, Romanticism, Druidry, classical mythology and Asian religions.”

We know now that Wicca was not and is not a continuation of a whole, old spiritual system but a conglomeration of many parts and markedly modern in its practices.Even so, there was and is a great need for a spiritual path that puts the power of life and personal sovereignty back into the hands of individuals.

I believe that this is the draw of Wicca. How can we not want to become an integral part of the cosmic system of existence? For all its interesting history, multiple theological positions too numerous to outline here, and controversial initiation processes-Wicca does hold an illuminating candle to the mystery of self and challenges old mechanisms for touching the divine, which should be the goal of any spiritual path.

            Pictured above are(left) Gerald Gardner and (right) Doreen Valiente

Wicca is largely the first pagan religion most people encounter and it paved the path for many other mystery cults to become more open and in 1964 one of Gardner's initiates became a prolific interpreter of the core ideas and spirit of Wicca. She composed the first set of written guidelines, in the form a 'rede'. Without Doreen Valiente's writing I don't think Wicca would have quite the same color as it does today. Valiente put down the initial corner stone of Wiccan belief in the “Wiccan Rede”. It outlines the basics for nearly every ritual and practice simply.Below is a portion of it:

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect love and perfect trust. Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.For tread the circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out. To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme. Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much. Honor the old ones in deed and name, let love and light be our guides again...Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you’ll be. Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you’ll know. When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.Merry meet and merry part bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good. When misfortune is now wear the star upon your brow. Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you. These Eight words the Rede fulfill: An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will!

Valiente's and Gardner's advice and influence are still very much felt and Ms. Valiente seems to be more the “Mother of Wicca” than Gardner is the “Father”. The story that follows is from Valiente's personal writings.

Shortly after she was initiated Gardner claimed the material was taken directly from the New Forest Coven and was the remnants of the Old Religion, which had been passed down through the ages. His astute student Ameth (the name given to Doreen) noticed that one passage read out by Gardner was taken from Aleister Crowley’s Gnostic Mass. On this point, Doreen took Gardner to task and he replied that the Wicca rites he had received were fragmentary and he had filled them in the best he could. He gave Doreen his Book of Shadows saying “Can you do any better?” She did, replacing much of the Crowley and Masonic material with her own verse. She reconstructed the documents into a logical, practical and workable system, leaving us with what we know today as “Wicca”.

Wicca is without a doubt the fore runner for nearly all current neo-pagan practices and helped make it easier for those modern day practitioners to openly participate.

It wasn't easy for the pagans of the 1960's. Faced with the judgement of satanism and general misunderstanding of nature worship. History wasn't terribly kind to non-christian practitioners but the call of the sacred winds could not be ignored no matter how hard our spiritual ancestors tried. Powerful works of the spirit continued to pour from Valiente and her contemporaries. The practices of Wicca continued to be a very closed and closely guarded for some time, until about 1975-80 ( note to self: my guess). Then publishing houses and private magazines began to really embrace the need for distribution Pagan writing. Many traditionalist were encouraged to become more open with the publication of ‘Solitary practitioner’ guidebooks. Covens became more open and slowly tip-toed into the spotlight.

Once again, Doreen Valiente’s work brings us a fantastic example of Wiccan ritual workings in the “Charge of the Goddess” which I’ve included in part to be an example of ritual poetry and work. To showcase the beauty of how Wiccans invison the world and its soul

This is an invocation used in many instances in Modern Wicca or witchcraft. It can be used at the start of a ritual to facilitate sacred mindfulness of the energy one is about to bring into the space or in the closure of a ritual as a reminder of the divine words/intuition you’ve received. It can also be used as a mantra of sorts in daily meditation, to help attune the practitioner to the Goddess energy.

.Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men

Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine,Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod,

Isis, Dana, Bride and by many other names:

Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all the witches.

…

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the Universe. I who am the beauty of the green earth,

and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return;

and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;

for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus by John William Waterhouse

And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not

unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

We have thirsted after something substantial and powerful in the realms of natural spirituality for some time and now we’ve been able to find it within the many strains of Paganism there were hiding in the midst of folk practices and histor. Some examples are Wicca, Druidry, Witchcraft traditions and Re-constructionist Traditions such as Ásatrú (Norse), Kemetism (Egyptian), Celtic and Hellenistic(greek/roman) Reconstruction. These are not all the Pagan faiths; there are many other groups calling themselves Pagan who participate in the Pagan community today.

Within Wicca and through poetic, authentic ritual and personal exploration we can begin to find the divine within ourselves and that’s really the goal of any pagan path.