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Temple of the Sacred Spiral
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In its most general sense, initiation denotes a body of rites and oral teachings arranged to bring about a very definite change in both the religious and social status of the person undergoing the ritual. There is a catharsis which is a spiritual cleansing. The person becomes, in effect, another person. The central theme of any initiation is what is termed a palingenesis, a rebirth. You are ending life as you have known it at this point and being 'born again' and reborn with new knowledge.
It is a rite of passage that transforms each person who experiences it. It marks acceptance into a coven and a deep personal commitment to the God and Goddess. It is a gift of power and love that coveners give each other: the experience of those inner secrets that cannot be told because they go beyond words.
Initiation consists of various stages. The first stage is self-awareness of different levels of consciousness, growing, feeling that your past is about to turn down a new avenue and a desire to pursue this new path. The second part of initiation is death, death to the old way of thinking, death to the old way of life, a 'leaving behind' of detritus, emotional and physical as well as spiritual, that has kept us back from this new path. And the third stage is a rebirth into the new way of life, the new level of consciousness, the new spiritual and emotional contract, and is often accompanied by pledges to continue on this path. At the end of the initiatory process, the initiate is changed forever and the mark of the initiation is on him or her.
Initiation can be received voluntarily or involuntarily, depending on whether a candidate seeks to enter the circle (the quest), or is called to enter by higher spirit forces (the calling).
In the 'quest' the candidate recognizes consciously the value, material or spiritual, of the hidden wisdom that the members of the circle posses and resolutely sets out to attain the benefit of that wisdom or power for his or her own personal use.
In the 'calling' the candidate has no wish to enter the circle, often just the opposite, but the secret currents of his or her life conspire to lead the candidate continually to the gates of the temple. No matter how hard he or she strives against them, there is no rest or happiness until the candidate accepts his or her destiny and submits to the initiation.
"As everybody who has been involved with initiations knows, there are some who are naturally gifted. Here initiation is not making these into a Pagan but rather it is a two way gesture of recognition and acknowledgement of somebody who already has developed the required attributes. At the other end there are people who often have a long way to go before being able to say that they have the attributes required for initiation into the level required, particularly a first initiation into Witchcraft or Paganism. However a 'formal' initiation is not necessarily empty for these people. It can give them "a sense of belonging, a feeling that an important milestone has been passed and just by giving a sincere postulant, however apparently ungifted, the right to call himself or herself a Witch, you are encouraging him/her to work hard to live up to the name and some presumed 'slow starters' can take you by surprise with a sudden acceleration of development after initiation, then you know it has taken" (The Witches Way by Farrar).
The actual Rite of Initiation into a magickal group occurs when the candidate is without great knowledge of occult matters - usually the actions and symbolism in the Rite are a complete mystery. If the candidate has imagination, he or she may see a hidden spiritual meaning - the glow of the sun through a veil of clouds. On the other hand, if the candidate is a fool, he or she will see only empty words and gestures and will soon repudiate the circle they formerly sought to enter with such passion. Since these disillusioned candidates remain convinced that they have learned nothing and that there is nothing to learn, they can do no harm.
The heart of magickal initiation is death and re-birth. The symbolism of mystical re-birth is found throughout the literature of mankind. The story of 'Jonah and the Whale' is an example of re-birth through calling. Another ancient symbol of initiation is the maze or labyrinth. Pursuing his quest, the Theseus enters the twisting darkness where lurks the monster of his bodily fears and desires waiting to devour him. Yet with courage he overcomes the Minotaur and follows the threads of Ariadne, his faith, into the light of day and is thus transformed and elevated from the man who was.
These legends bear on the initiation into a modern magickal school. No seeker can enter a true secret lodge so long as he or she lives in the material world of conceits and delusions. The philosophy of the world is material, the philosophy of magick is mystical. Whereas before their occupations were their reality and the concerns of their spirit were the delusions, now the work they do to maintain themselves physically is the 'dream' and the matters pertaining to their spiritual development are the 'true reality'. Therefore the old personality of the initiate must die before a new self can be born, he must be wiped clean of all graffiti that has been scrawled and scratched on the slate of the soul over the years in order that a new name may be written on it.
The purpose of a formal initiation ritual is to mark the initiatory process with a richness of symbolism that will speak to the unconscious, helping the initiate to maintain his path onwards. It aids the initiate in discarding the baggage and keeping his pledge. It also signifies to others who have been initiated before him that a new spiritual 'babe' has been born, that they must care for and encourage upon an ever higher spiralling path upward toward the goal of Godhead. As a mark of this welcoming into the group of like-minded people who are traversing the same way of life, various secrets and signs, various objects, are given to the initiate by those who have gone before to mark him or her as truly one of the chosen.
The timing of initiation is important. Magickal training cannot take place over night. It is a process of neurological re-patterning which requires time and an initiate must be able to channel energy and move into altered states of awareness, at least to some extent. There is another aspect to timing. Initiation means beginning and what is begun is the process of a confronting of that guardian of the threshold. The initiate must be willing, in spite of fear, to face psychological defenses even though the process may be painful and to confront the shadow that exists in us all. When the initiate is able to confront other people in the group, take responsibilities for feelings and actions and expects and desires to influence the course of the group, the initiate is ready for initiation.
Death and re-birth are the theme of initiation. Death is the root of our deepest fears and the true face of the shadow. It is the terror behind vulnerability, the horror of annihilation that we fear our anger or power will provoke. What pulls us to risk that confrontation is desire and longing, for these parts of ourselves lie on the other side of the abyss and we seek to be completed to enable us to be free to love. For where there is no courage there is no love, love to man's honesty which is frightening for it is only pretence, it demands a vulnerability or it is hollow and it engages our deepest power where it lacks force. It brings us to confront sorrow, loss and death. And so we learn the mystery: the feared shadow, the guardian of the threshold is non other than the God in his aspect of death. We must strip ourselves of our defenses, pretensions, masks, roles, of our clothing and jewels which we assume and put on in order to cross that threshold and enter the inner kingdom. The door opens only to the naked body of truth, bound by the cords a recognition of mortality. Death is seductive for once the frightening threshold is crossed there is no more fear, all that is left is rest, repose, relief, blessed nothingness and the void. But as the void is the 'mother state' so the crown of death becomes the circlet of re-birth and the cords of binding become the umbilical link to life. Death is subsumed to life and we learn the great mystery, not as a doctrine, not as a philosophy but as an experience: there is no final annihilation.
The first step in the initiatory process is a growing awareness of the path to be taken. This involves a 'seeking out' by the candidate for the information and experiences required. It involves meditation and contemplation, it involves reading and gaining of knowledge, it involves practising in the ordinary way of life the features of the path he wishes to take and it involves seeking a teacher or teachers who can serve as 'signposts' to lead the, initiate from the dangers and pitfalls that he otherwise would have encountered endlessly. And so for most people seeking initiation into a Pagan path there is involved often a period of some years of 'thinking ' about the subject, reading, going to various groups and rituals before finally wishing to make a commitment to a total Pagan 'way of life'. For those who seek a solitary path the teacher may be nothing less than the Goddess herself as revealed through nature or the God in dreams and visions, or both via books and practical experience. In Paganism teachers are 'guides', not gurus, and therefore in the course of one's Pagan quest for knowledge and self development the teachers will come and go as needed.
This seeking period which in most witch initiations lasts traditionally for a year and a day. This time is necessary to sort out those who are truly interested in making the step into this new way of life and those who are not. This is not a step to be undertaken lightly and the candidate should realise the seriousness of his decision.
The next step is spiritual death. The snake which sheds its old skin before emerging renewed, symbolises this. The snake brought death and thus enabled one to pass over to the summerlands to be reborn. The wrench leaving behind the excess baggage of one's past life is extremely painful for most urbanised people and yet it is something that we must consciously do. The more serious the initiation the greater the ordeal must be to simulate a spiritual and physical death before rebirth. In the 'old times' an initiate would spend two to three days in a dark cave with only water and would need to trust his fellows to extricate him from his underground prison.
With many people there is a literal separation from friends and especially from the family, from all they have known so far. Often there is a special hut, cave or building of some sort where novices are taken and there they begin their training.
Next is a cleansing, externally and internally. This may include complete removal of body hair or scarification, periods of fasting, sexual abstinence and various dietary taboos.
Symbolic death is the next phase. This may include actual dismemberment, circumcision, scarification as with Aboriginal boys, tattooing, amputation of a finger, knocking out of a tooth, piercing with bone, ritual scourging or a form of a monster swallowing the initiate, and where one is forced to come face to face with the inner self and thereby learn new knowledge. After his death the initiate can find himself in a womb waiting new birth. The initiate is in the Great Mother herself. Within this Earth womb they find great knowledge. It is the home of the dead who can see into the future and therefore know all things. Therefore the initiates, by virtue of being in this womb, will learn the new knowledge.
Most initiations now involve a cleansing or purification, binding and a blindfolding, and a stripping off of all garments, physical, emotional and spiritual. These are symbolic of removing all of that which is no longer required prior to entering the new life. As part of the process of purification one often spends some days fasting and certainly refraining from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, to enable the mind to be 'alert' and yet 'free'. Meditation for long periods of time is often undertaken for the same purpose. There may be tests to be passed, both practical and theoretical. There may be a quest or a task that must first be completed. So there is discomfort in an initiation whether this be physical or emotional or spiritual. It is therefore apt that most initiations involve cleansing, involve binding, blindfolding and stripping away of all the garments, to enter before one's new peers totally vulnerable, requiring total trust in the peers.
Sight deprivation is a common tool of initiation rituals for there is perhaps nothing other than darkness which may take one so completely to the womb of inner re-birth. To the re-born sight the observation of tools upon an altar, or the setting of the temple creates a profound and lasting visual impression.
The removal of sight merely deprives one sense. It also produces a fascinating change in awareness: other senses are greatly enhanced. Each word of a well spoken ritual sounds clear as a bell, the sense of incense is amplified in power, the sound of footsteps communicates more than one imagines. The novice therefore develops access to many perceptions and insights through greatly expanded sensory awareness consequent upon the deprivation of one of these senses - sight. One tool in initiation often stirs controversy. There are those traditions in which the novice is to have intercourse with the Goddess or God, in which the magick of the Great Rite is learned experientially. The Great Rite, on of the Mysteries common to nearly all craft traditions, is present in some form in most initiatory traditions but frequently only in symbolic form. A sexual encounter with the Goddess may be a profound ritual experience but only under those circumstances where it is truly a transcendent experience and is not reduced to human emotions and judgements.
Because sexuality remains a powerful tool which may be incorporated into initiation, there are other techniques available - for example a novice may practice total abstinence for a period of time leading up to the initiation, turning that desire and energy to the forthcoming transformation and later returning home to experience sexual ecstasy in private.
Ignorance of the exact process of the initiation is a universal feature of any initiation and promotes, as intended, a sense of excitement, fear and the awsomeness of the occasion. Fear of the unknown is enhanced by the feeling of helplessness. All appropriate sentiments prior to an initiation as they produce a psychological state which arouses the emotions, enhancing the intensity of all the senses and making the initiate's experience highly significant. Because of this vulnerable position an initiate is placed in it is crucial that a potential witch chooses a reputable group whose leaders have both displayed, through character and actions, worthiness of the trust they expect. Hence the dictum "I come in perfect love and perfect trust". Herein lies a paradox and potential danger. The novice is in a vulnerable position and an unscrupulous leader could take advantage of the situation easily. Yet a sense of mystery still needs to be conveyed. It is most important for anyone contemplating becoming Pagan to build up trust with other members of the coven, most particularly the leaders. Any reputable teacher would at least warn the initiate of what might occur such as possible nudity, the pricking of a finger etc. In general a person of the opposite sex is the initiator and is also the primary teacher. However this is now breaking down with the development of new traditions, particularly Dianic and Gay groups. However the polarity must be maintained with people being able to develop the opposite sex polarity within themselves to acknowledge that both sides are needed to be whole. For the third degree one needs to have an extensive knowledge of the principals of witchcraft with practical insight rather than book knowledge being emphasized. It also entails being adept at creating rituals as well as being highly developed in the art of magick and a practical test of such knowledge may be required. In addition the final test is done from above, that is from non-human entities. It is therefore important to be adequately prepared, trained and balanced.
The third part is that of rebirth into the new group, and self-realization. The initiate may need to crawl out of a tunnel or through the legs of the group into which he is being initiated. The final act of the initiate before being fully welcomed into the group is then to renounce the old and to voluntarily and willingly take on the new, with a pledge to persist in the path and to aid others on that path, and to walk with honour and with honest intention to keep the oaths uttered and in full consideration of the whole group. The candidate is brought into the group out of his ordeal. He is unbound, he is welcomed with kiss and embraced by all there. He is often given his witch name, perhaps told some secret peculiar to the group he is entering. He is anointed and is given sacred objects, most usually his athame, which he will take and inscribe with secret sigils. And then to mark the initiate as one of the group he is presented to each of the four Quarters, then leads the coven in consecrating the food and drink and the union between God and Goddess, male and female, dark and light, life and death.
The final part of the welcoming is that of celebration and feasting and loving at the end of the initiatory ritual. It is in this phase that one learns that there are two sides to magick. There are the general principals and common wisdom that should be freely given to all that seek them. This is the common coin of the art which is both used and abused. But the other hidden side of magick lies in the personal Rites and Symbols and Secret Names that are intimately bound to the individual and are part of his or her innermost subconscious being. To reveal the first to anyone who is genuinely interested is the duty of every seeker after the light. To betray the latter is both foolish and dangerous. Remember the hermetic maxim of the French occultist Eliphas Levi "Know dare, will and keep silent". An added element of a group initiation is not merely the giving to the new initiate of secrets, signs and sacred tools such as an athame but also the giving by the initiate of something of themselves to the Coven. Often this is the so-called 'measure'. This is usually taken with red thread from crown to heel and sometimes also from crown to neck, crown to heart, crown to hips. Hair and nail clippings are sometimes also taken and the Coven keeps the measure and clippings. Some groups however give them back either to keep as mementos or to put into lockets and present them to their work partners. Personally I feel that the measure should remain with the group and that anybody who has difficulty with trusting the group should not in fact be a member of it. In the end though the validity of an initiation does not depend upon the details but rather on the sincerity and magickal consciousness of both initiate and group. As the Goddess says in The Charge: "And thou who thinkest to seek for me know that thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery: that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee then 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."
Self initiation is dedication of oneself to the service of the Gods. It is not an initiation into a group, obviously if you want to be part of a particular tradition and that tradition has a set initiation rite then you must go through that particular rite to join that tradition. But if you do not wish to become part of a group one can still have a valid initiation into the mysteries. The steps of self initiation will still include many of the steps of a group initiation, that is: there will be a separation following the seeking period. Many would seek to camp out for a day or two alone or spend a weekend alone with meditating and ruminating on the Pagan way. The next step would be a ritual bath or a dip in the sea or river, generally naked, to emphasize personal vulnerability, there would be a period of fasting and sexual abstinence and perhaps anointing yourself with oils of purification such as Frankincense and Myrrh.
Symbolic death would then occur with perhaps some shedding of blood with a needle prick or a burning of an item of clothing or the burying in the ground of something that has been precious to you as a sacrifice of your old self. You may go through a period of meditation and visualization. of descending down into the womb and being re-born. Following this period you would then declare yourself as bound to the service of the Pagan way by a specially crafted oath and by presenting yourself to the Four Quarters as an act of consecration. You would take upon the new name and perhaps inscribe, at that time, magick symbols upon your athame.
Solitary initiation is seldom as beneficial for the development of the initiate as group initiation because (i) group initiation partakes of the dramatic effect of pageant, (ii) groups support the individual over difficult passages giving advice and examples and (iii) an established group Rite with a solid tradition and years of practice is almost certain to be more complete and better structured than any Rite created by an individual in the early stages of attainment. However if the solitary initiate is resourceful and possessed of a strong artistic sense a Rite of his or her own composing can be of greater personal meaning to that initiate than any public ritual. This only happens when the elements of the personal Rite have been inspired by the light, then it is of extreme potency for it strikes a resonance in the deepest core of the subconscious mind of the initiate. Each person must seek into the secret depths of his or her being for the initiatory ritual, bearing in mind the necessary components of segregation, purification, death, re-birth and christening with a new name and motto.
At the time of the Initiation Rite, the re-birth is more in word than deed. As yet the initiate is much unchanged. The new name means little or nothing, however the initiate may reverence it. The elements of the Rite are confusing and seemingly without meaning. In effect, the ritual of initiation compresses into a short span of time a process of 'becoming' that takes years to bear fruit. Thus the initiate grows in wisdom and acquires the basics of the arts magick while the real re-birth takes place. It is a slow miracle like the growth of a tree, so slow that it is barely discernable in the short run but is readily apparent over a large stretch of time. If the would-be initiate is utterly alone, learning the elements of the art from books and guided tuition and nature, his or her task is more difficult than those joining an established circle where they are told what to do and have guidance in the form of teachers.
The primary tool which effects the initiatory transformation and empowerment is the actual power and magick of a working tradition. Developing as experience grows, this is cumulative by nature. Typically for a serious working group the nature of a transformation increases in intensity over the passage of time, which often results in increasing requirements and expanded preparation and education.
Witches make a practice of consecrating their working tools and ritual substances, such as water, wine, cakes and biscuits.
Consecration has two basic purposes. The first is psychological to set the tool or substance aside as something special and thus to modify the users attitude to it, which in turn strengthens his or her confidence, creative imagination and willpower for any ritual in which it is used.
The second purpose is magickal. Every material body has "bodies" on the other levels and that, just as the material body, can be altered, rendered harmless or actively beneficial and so forth by human action, whether deliberate or involuntary. Deliberate action of this kind includes consecration, exorcism, the making of talismen and many other steps, even the conscious love or resentment with which a gift is presented. Involuntary action includes a long or short but intensive use by a particular person, the involvement of the object in some emotionally charged situation or the spontaneous love or resentment which may accompany a gift. All these affect the invisible but very powerful astral and spiritual charge carried by a material object.
It is not always easy to separate these two effects into watertight compartments, in fact they overlap a good deal. Most people start off being certain of the psychological effectiveness of consecration but experience convinces them later of the reality of the 'psychic charge' effect which, of course, grows stronger as the consecrated object continues in ritual use. It is for this reason that most Pagans do not like others handling their ritual tools as they wish to imbue these tools with their own personal aura.
In Paganism there are two notable differences compared to other religions.
(i) Consecration is usually done by man and woman together because of the emphasis on male/female polarity.
(ii) The right to consecrate is not confined to priesthood as a separate class.
The power to consecrate is regarded as inherent in every human being and as being effective if sincerely carried out.
Group objects such as altars and ceremonial swords and the like are best consecrated by the group as a whole and used by the group as a whole. There is also a tendency to use the consecrated item only for its consecrated purpose. However, in days of old witches had to be careful to hide their sacred objects from the witchfinders and so the ordinary broom, the kitchen knife, the wooden spoon, the cooking bowl, doubled as ordinary kitchen items as well as consecrated ritual tools.
Everything is made up of the four basic elements, plus spirit. It is therefore important to combine into your consecration ritual the invocation of the four elements and spirit into the item to be charged. For example - putting the item in water, sprinkling it with salt or dirt or thrusting it into the ground, waving it over incense and passing it through flame (or over flame if it would otherwise burn), and then bringing it close to your own heart and bringing down the cosmic energy through your crown Chakra and out through your heart Chakra into the item.
Consecrated items can be either consecrated for a short purpose use, for example the salt and water during the use of a ritual, or long-term permanent use such as an athame or robe or altar. Even the drawing of a circle for a sabbat or spell is the act of consecrating sacred ground. Initiation is a special form of consecration: that of the individual to a sacred purpose - a way of life.
The preparation and consecration of the space and tools and persons allows freer flow of energy into the object, place or person for positive purposes. It also assists in strengthening and calming your mental attitude towards yourself and your work, allowing you to focus your energy without constraint.
Consecration of space will often involve a physical cleaning up and sweeping as well as a psychical cleaning of the area and setting around the area various representations of the elements. It is best to sweep the circle in a deosil manner only. At the end of the sweeping the Pagan banishing rite Pentagram should be performed and incense burned and the area sprinkled with the holy salt water that has been previously consecrated. The more often this is done in the same place, the more permanent this place will remain sacred to the purpose.
If possible the item should remain close to the person who performed the consecration for a period of time - for example - pressing it close to the body to get the aura, to keep close connection to the naked body for at least a month (or putting it under your pillow) and do not allow others to handle your tools until thoroughly impregnated with your aura. Note that a pair working together may both own the same tools which can be impregnated with the aura of both. A very simple ritual is as follows:
Man and woman place the object on the pentacle and lay their hands on it and say:
"We consecrate thee in the element of earth".
They sprinkle the object with water saying:
"We consecrate thee in the element of water".
They pass the object through the smoke of incense saying:
"We consecrate thee in the element of air".
They pass it towards the flame saying:
"We consecrate thee in the element of fire in the names of the Goddess and God".
They kiss with the object between their breasts. If the object is something which can be worn immediately, the one who is not the owner will then place it round the owner's neck, wrist, finger or whatever.
Holy Water can be used for a variety of magickal work, things from cleansing a wound to assisting in a healing. It can be saved in glass vials or other small glass containers (plastic is not recommended because it is porous when compared to glass - the process used in mixing and forming the plastic is often harmful to the Earth Mother).
Equipment:
Cleanse and sterilize the bowl and glass container and call upon the presence of the God and Goddess to bless the water.
Feel the energy of the Earth Mother and the Sky Father move about your feet and head. Feel energy expand around your naval and then unite with divinity.
Add the rosewater to the spring water.
Pick up the bowl of water. Hold it towards the light of the moon and say:
"In my hands I hold the essence of God and Goddess. I hereby cleanse and consecrate this water to divinity that it may be used for positive acts only and may aid me in my magickal work".
Feel the energy of the moon pulsate down into the water and impregnate it with its power, then hold the bowl in your left hand and the mirror in your right hand. Reflect the light of the moon into the bowl, after a few moments say:
"This liquid is now pure and dedicated to the God and Goddess. It is free from all negativity in any time or space."
Set the bowl and mirror down and hold both your hands, palms down, over the bowl one inch above the water, open your third eye Chakra and imagine golden glowing light emanating from it, projecting it into the water. Feel the power and energy flow from your head down through your arms and up from your feet and out to your arms simultaneously and then lower your arms slowly as the energy dissipates and say:
"As I will so mote it be with the free will of all and harm to none, this formula is done".
Transfer the water to the glass vial and store it away until you are ready to cleanse or consecrate your space, person or tools.
When you take your first step into the craft you choose to follow a life of service. The promise you make is the Oath which honours the lineage of those who have gone before. You promise to do what is within your power, within the boundaries of ethical behaviour, for yourself and for others seeking the path of divine mystery. This is by far the most important combination of words that you will say in this lifetime. The individual should not call themselves Pagan if they have not taken a ritual Oath of some kind. It is a binding process between yourself and divinity.
When a traditional Pagan or Wiccan refuses to answer a question saying they do not wish to break the Oath. Their statement does not normally mean the information will break the person's commitment to the God and Goddess but rather that if would breach the confidence entrusted to him or her by the group.
Sometimes we move away from the Oath in our daily life when it infringes on our spirituality and this is quite human. However we try to be ever mindful of the covenant between ourselves and divinity and the covenant between ourselves and the group, regardless of whether we work solitary or as a group the oath is a personal commitment.
Should anyone violate the 'code of honour' or break his or her Oath the Gods will know. They condemn those who choose to use others for their own gain and will act to destroy those who pretend secrets over others and will condemn the oath breaker for many lives to come.
There are five different kinds of traditions in the craft. The word 'tradition' in Pagan parlance is like the word 'love', it means different things to different people. Solitaries often feel that they are less than traditional witches but this should not be the case, in the end we are all following the same spiritual path, just in different ways. There are five groups of traditions:
1. Family traditional - these are craft teachings handed down generation through generation by the parent or grandparent where the adult teaches and initiates the child. If the child is not taught and initiated by a family member then he or she cannot claim to be a family traditional witch.
2. Lineaged Groups - these are groups which have been founded by various people and who initiate people into these groups who in turn may then initiate further people. For example, I was initiated by Lilla of the Cauldron of Cerridwen who in turn was initiated by Robert of the Silver Serpent who was initiated by Alex Sanders.
3. A melding of lineaged witches of two different lineages to form a new name for a combined group, for example British Traditional Witch.
4. Eclectic open circles, formed by people who are either solitaries or traditional witches who have separated from their traditions or individuals who have no traditional background but feel they are strong enough to form a group. If this group then splits into other groups which keep a very similar book of shadows and group guidelines and codes of honour, they will function much like the older traditions and in time develop their own lineage.
5. Lineaged witches who have completed training in an old tradition, who leave their training group with the permission of their old coven to form a new group which then can grow into a tradition of their own producing their own lineage, but with some ties with the older traditions.
In many traditions there are three levels of initiation, the first is witch and priestess, the second is high priest and high priestess and the third level high priest or high priestess who then has the ability to found new groups. However this old system of degrees is rapidly giving way to a more flexible, and perhaps more realistic, viewpoint that puts the burden of development squarely on to the individual and the group rather than promoting a system where too many people have sought to gain degrees and hence claim to a degree of power and spirituality which they have not yet attained. As in all spiritual paths, the path of self-deception is the most dangerous.
The degree system practised by traditional witches and pagans varies between traditions. The most usual is as follows:-
1. A seeker. This enables the group and the individual time to check each other out and also for the individual to decide as to whether they wish to become initiated or not and to learn the material required for initiation.
2. First degree initiate resulting in elevation to priest or priestess and witch. This period of time usually lasts a further year and involves basic traditional material. The decisions made at this time are to walk along the Pagan path; to meld body, mind, spirit to raising the level of consciousness; to work towards balance and harmony in your life; to act rather than to react but also to set aside time to study, learn, to experiment and to help yourself and others and to work especially with female Goddess energy.
An expected degree of knowledge required to be obtained before receiving further initiation would be for the 'would be' first degree initiate to know three types of circle casting by heart, to know three quarter calls by heart, to know an altar devotion, to pass an examination on lessons given, to meet a challenge particularly designed for the initiate, to demonstrate that the initiate can raise power, to keep a magickal diary, to show that one are a responsible individual who can be trusted by all members of the craft and to be willing to take an Oath Of Initiation.
3. Second degree. The time period spent in this time is indeterminate. The individual is very active in training seekers and first year witches and is involved in ritual crafting and in all levels of ritual, including that of officiating priest and priestess. Second degree priests may actually hive off within several months and begin a daughter group which functions under the supervision of the mother group until the second degree priest is initiated into third degree or elder.
The second degree initiation represents another set of choices for the individual. The tasks for a second degree witch are to deal with both the positive and the negative sides of the self and in many traditions the symbol for this ceremony is the inverted Pentagram as you are moving or descending into the self (the inverted Pentagram does not represent devil worship here but because of its unfortunate publicity few second degree witches wear them).
Further tasks involve 'letting go' of grief and guilt, rebuilding the self to move closer to divinity, bringing balance to the conscious and subconscious self, teaching others Paganism at their request, affirming that one will consistently work towards helping mankind and repair the damage done to earth, a decision to move to a higher, more difficult level of study and to continue training for clergy and group responsibilities and to work with God and masculine energy as well as Goddess and female energy. An expectation of somebody being initiated into second degree is that they must first be able to perform circle casting without error; to have collected the tools necessary for use; to be able to write Moon rituals for group and solitary use; to write a lesson to share with your colleagues in the craft; to complete all lessons given to you by your instructor; to pass the challenge designed specifically for you and to be able to draw down the divine powers on to yourself or others. In addition one should have joined a community service project and logged at least ten hours of personal time; to have been involved in the dedication of at least one individual; to continue with the magickal journal and to choose an aspect of the craft in which you choose to specialize.
4. Third degree high priests and priestesses have been recognised as active leaders of the group and responsible to serve in a priestly function throughout a wider community. In addition they can hive off and form a separate group without retaining ties to the parent coven.
The third degree initiation represents the choice of the individual to be responsible for spiritual lives other than his or her own. The decisions to be made are to live in the most spiritual way possible, to leave immature and wasteful thought forms behind, to counsel other individuals on their spiritual paths, to teach individuals inside and outside of the traditional path at their request, to perform ministerial functions such as the rites of passage (wiccanings, hand fastings, requiems), to be involved in serious religious and philosophical study, to work with the unified energies of God and Goddess.
To be initiated as a third degree one would have had to have proven your dedication to the craft by random acts of service and kindness; to know one type of divinitary tool in which you are qualified to counsel other individuals and have logged at least 200 hours in such counseling; to know how to prepare lessons and design testing procedures; to have been able to keep all holidays in a solitary or group fashion; to have trained at least two individuals for a full year and to have written or performed at least one requiem, wiccaning ceremony and all the Sabbats and a hand fasting ceremony. In addition one should have written and tested twenty spells that can be shared with other members of the craft; written meditations; overcome hostile verbal attack without losing your temper; to have performed at least thirty rituals alone and ten rituals with a group - not counting those previously listed; to have logged considerable time in magickal community service and general community service; to be able to know the basic ritual of the tradition by heart including the charge of the Goddess and an initiation ritual; to be willing to take the third degree oath; to have become proficient in the specialization chosen at the second level and to meet a challenge designed especially for yourself.
After the third degree one draws energy all the time and if not properly prepared and balanced one could become ill. The important aspects of the third degree initiation are the transformation of consciousness, the passing on of power and the validation by other witches. This process of initiation requires primarily upon the will of the person to make the journey towards the Mystery. One can go through the format of the third degree but still not have the power. Any individual who boasts to others that they have passed through a third degree has probably not experienced a real transformation.
However the degree system has changed lately over the last decades, mainly due to the great increase in solitary witches and the overwhelming demand from people in seeking initiation. Although training and status among groups may vary from tradition to tradition, the degree system also functions as a benchmark in individual spiritual progress. Today the degree system has broken down in many groups and there is a feeling that solitary self-initiation is all that is required to be able to perform adequately as a leader in the Pagan community. Although in rare specific cases certain individuals may, in fact, have the innate abilities, virtually everyone else benefits greatly from the training, the discipline and the ceremony itself in being elevated up a spiral of personal growth.
Blessing of The Holy Water
(Scarborough Beach 24th April 1998)
Ingredients:
Step 1: Cast circle and call the elemental guardians.
Step 2: Perform the Pagan banishing rite of the Pentagram around the bottle.
Step 3: Cut a gate in the circle and go down to the sea and fill the glass bottle with sea water. Face east and meditate on the powers of the water. Thank the element for its gift of life. Meditate on the vastness of the ocean. Hold the glass bottle up to the heavens out over the sea and let the sea wash up against your feet. Feel the energy of the water go into the water of the bottle. Then hold the bottle close to your heart and let the energy from your heart chakra fill the water in the bottle. Finally re-enter the circle and close the gate.
Step 4: Go to the west, put in a shell or some sand (preferably) or some dirt, or just leave the water as it is as it already has salt - the element of earth - in it. Once more meditate upon the element of earth. Thank the earth for its gifts. Feel the earths energy flow up through your feet into the water in the bottle as it is held up to the heavens above and then once more bring the bottle close to your heart and fill it with the purifying love from your heart chakra.
Step 5: Go to the southern quarter, put three drops of rose otto in the water, or other appropriate essential oil, for love and purification. Once more, holding the bottle up to the heavens above to the south and if possible sight the southern cross - the guardian of the southern portals - meditate upon the power of the element of air, give it thanks for its part in life and feel the energy from the air enter into the water in the bottle. Finally bring the bottle close to your heart and fill it with the love from your heart chakra again.
Step 6: Go to the northern quarter and pass your bottle over a group of candles there. Feel the heat and the spark enter into the water of the bottle, then hold the bottle up to the heavens and meditate upon the energy, the element of fire, give it thanks for its part in our life and then once more bring the bottle close to your heart and fill it with the love from your heart chakra.
Step 7: Then place the bottle in the middle of the circle and perform a dance around the bottle, raising more and more energy - the use of a drum or a rattle may also help raise the energy - and when you feel that the energy has been raised enough, drop to the ground and focus that purifying energy into the bottle, nullifying any psychic impurities that are present in the water.
Step 8: Bless the gem, such as an amethyst, with an invoking Pentagram and put it into the water. You can now, silently or aloud, say words of dedication of the water such as "I dedicate this water to be an instrument of good and purification for my use in noble Pagan work, for the good of all and to the harm of none. This is my will. I call the God and Goddess to witness it. So mote it be". Once more raise the bottle up to the heavens above and feel the power of the spirit and divinity enter into the water. Hold it once more to your heart chakra and fill it with your own spirit and love. The Holy Water has now been made and been consecrated.
Step 9: It is now important to use the water as soon as possible. If there is no-one else in the circle then bless yourself with an invoking Pentagram, using the water, otherwise perform it on the other person.
Step 10: Dismiss the guardians and close the circle. Inscribe the bottle with some magickal symbols and, preferably once a month, put it outside so that it can gain energy from the cosmos. The times that are particularly auspicious are at full moon or at dawn.
Blessed be and Never Thirst from Kim and Quenten.
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