I keep a Wiccan Book of Shadows. It is hand-written and leather bound. I started this book with my initiation into the first degree of Wicca on my birthday, 31 October 1995. I have since progressed to the second degree, to which I was initiated again on my birthday in 2000. In August of that same year I was initiated into the Bard Grade with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (UK).

My Book of Shadows is private, but here I am keeping a more public Grimoire for the purpose of sharing aspects of my spiritual journey with my colleagues and friends. When I first delved into Wicca I learned that there are Priests who keep their Book of Shadows on the computer. On the one hand, this idea seemed attractive to me. The ability to edit with a word processor is but one example. However, there seemed to be something inherently wrong with reliance on these modern contraptions. For one thing, I wanted what I wrote to survive. Computer discs may crash, and the software and hardware quickly become obsolete. Another issue is portability. It is impractical to take a laptop computer on a backpacking trip; and, for me, trips into the wilderness are intimately intertwined with my spiritual progress. Even so, there have been times when I've regretted not having the facility to edit text that computers allow--not to mention the ease with which one may import images.

This here then is my compromise. This Grimoire does not replace, but is an addition to my Book of Shadows. I hope that you will enjoy reading that which I will share here.

Brightest Blessings to you and yours, from the shadow of the Royal Oaks,
Aromas, California,
Breoghan

Initiation to the Second Degree of Wicca To Be Conferred on Ernesto Vicente Pons
García y García Sánchez de Worley a.k.a. by His Current Magickal Name of “Sky
Warrior”

On the New Moon, Freya’s Day, 27 October 2000 in Ben Lomond, California, USA

Preamble
This ritual requires five main participants to take the following parts:

Boudicca: A Warrior Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe whose name means “victory.”
She is famous for having nearly defeated the Roman armies in an uprising to
fight against the injustices done to her by the Romans occupying Britain in her
time.

Cu-Chulainn: Legendary Warrior of Irish myth whose name means “the hound of
Chulainn, Lord of Ulster.”

Scathach: The demi-Goddess who taught Cu-Chulainn his Warrior skills.

Fionn MacCumhail: Another legendary Warrior. Captain of the Irish Fianna. The
possessor of all knowledge after catching and consuming the mythical “salmon of
knowledge.”

The Morrigan: Irish Goddess of war and sexuality.

The candidate will have selected a suitable Warrior name by which he or she
wishes to be known. As part of the Second Degree Initiation, he will take this
new name to supersede his current magickal name of Sky Warrior. The candidate
shall dress in ritual clothing suitable for a Celtic Warrior of ancient times.
He shall produce the following magickal tools for use during this ritual:

The sword
The athame
The staff
The wand
The chalice
The cauldron
The pentacle
The stone

The person chosen to play the role of The Morrigan shall be the High Priestess
for this circle.

As conferring the Second Degree signifies that the candidate has progressed
sufficiently in the knowledge and practice of The Craft that he is now able to
write and lead his own rituals, as well as teach novices, he shall be designated
High Priest for this circle.

Definition of the term “warrior:”

“A Warrior is a person who, through objective and thorough self-examination,
develops and understanding of his talents and limitations. A Warrior then
achieves his goals using a combination of this self-awareness and his will to
overcome weaknesses, fears, and limitations. The Wiccan Warrior’s path is the
Wiccan Rede in action: ‘An’ it harm none, do what thou wilt.’ It is taking
responsibility for your actions. It has nothing to do with being a police
officer or serving in the military. It has nothing to do with being male or
female. It is the process of taking charge of your life.”

Kerr Cuhulain, The Wiccan Warrior, Llewellyn Worldwide, St. Paul, MN (2000).

“In secret societies across the earth, the warrior became the healer, magician,
and medicine man.... The use of swords and daggers throughout the ages has
brought an understanding of the spiritual forces of creation and the individual
knowledge of oneness that cannot be taught in words, but can be experienced
directly by the individual.... What began, over and over again, as weapons of war
and strife, have progressed on the path of the warrior to spiritual tools for
growth, understanding—and peace.”

Michael G. Smith and Lin Westhorp. (Jan/Feb 1993) “The Crystal Warrior.” New
Worlds magazine, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN

Preparation to Enter Sacred Space

As we prepare for the ritual to begin, everyone will sit in a circle. When the
group is assembled time will be taken for everyone present to ground and centre.
As this is a Celtic ritual, we will not be smudging; but rather, the
purification will be done by other means in the Celtic manner (q.v.). While
everyone is being seated and throughout the grounding and centring, the
candidate will be waiting in a separate, secluded place in order that he may
ground, centre and reflect on the approaching initiation. The candidate will
know that its is time to approach the path to receive the initiation when he
hears the sounds of drums.

While the drums play he will enter, bearing his magickal tools and stand at the
entrance. After the drums stop he will be challenged by Boudicca:

Boudicca: “Hold! This is the Circle of the Fianna, an army of Celtic Warriors
who swore their allegiance to the Ard Ri, the High King of Tara. They walked
this earthly path many centuries ago, but their spirit lives on. This is also
the path of the lucht lighe, the Ard Ri’s personal guard, whose honour and
dependability are renowned. None but Warriors may tread this hallowed place.
I, Boudicca, the aire echta, represent the Ard Ri’s personal champion. I am a
champion of the oppressed, guardian of the gate. The lucht lighe, the
embodiment of the Warrior’s spirit, have gathered together in this magickal
place. We are Warriors all. Who approaches this hallowed place?”

The candidate gives his current magickal name (not the new Warrior name, that
comes later).

Boudicca: (holds a sword or athame to the candidate’s throat) “ ‘Sky Warrior’?
What is your purpose here?”

The candidate states his desire to walk the path and have on him conferred the
second degree—in his own words.

Boudicca: “All on this path have faced a challenge or trial to make them worthy
of the title ‘Warrior.’ What trials have you endured to earn your place here?”

The candidate briefly describes what challenges or trials he or she has overcome
to improve his or herself.

Boudicca: “This is good. But all who enter this path are dedicated to something
beyond themselves. Mere heroes are loyal to themselves. They seek to impress
themselves and others. But the Warrior is loyal to a greater cause, and places
this cause before his own interests. This is the first lesson of the Warrior:
the lesson of transpersonal commitment. Have you learned this lesson? If so,
to whom or to what do you pledge your fealty?”

The candidate states what he is loyal to. Boudicca withdraws the point of her
weapon from the candidate’s throat. She hands her sword over to the person
playing the role of Cu-Chulainn, then turns back to the candidate and says:

Boudicca: “This is good. Leave your blades outside this path, for on this path
only Warriors may carry a blade.”

The candidate hands over his sword and athame to Boudicca, who places the athame
on the altar. Boudicca then kneels before the person chosen to be High
Priestess and presents her with the sword. The High Priestess takes the sword
and holds on to it. Boudicca then returns to the candidate.

Boudicca: “If you are truly determined to walk our path, Sky Warrior, then
start upon this path and learn the further mysteries of the True Warrior’s path
in the company of the circle of the Fianna.”

Boudicca sits and Cu-Chulainn (who is still holding the sword that Boudicca
handed him moments earlier) leaps up at the candidate and says:

Cu-Chulainn: “Hold! I am Cu-Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster.”

Cu-Chulainn draws his sword and paces around the candidate as he continues.

Cu-Chulainn: “I am the personification of action. I am the embodiment of
energy. I am motivation made manifest. I am persistence and restlessness in
pursuit of goals. I leap into battle with my full energy, and seize the day.”

Cu-Chulainn stops in front of the candidate and asks:

Cu-Chulainn: “Is it your intention to follow the Warrior’s path?”

The candidate answers appropriately.

Cu-Chulainn: “Then show me something of your magick. Have you learned enough
to prepare this company for the ritual about to take place? If so, show me—show
us all!”

The candidate proceeds to bless and purify the company assembled. This step is
in lieu of the smudge.

Calling of the Quarters

After the blessing and purification the person who is to play Scathach takes the
sword from Cu-Chulainn and approaches the candidate:

Scathach: “Hold! I am Scathach, the tutor of Cu-Chulainn. I am the
disciplinarian. I am the personification of control over mind and attitudes.
Is it your intention to continue on the Warrior’s path?”

The candidate answers appropriately.

Scathach: “Then I give you your second challenge. Transport this company to
the Other Worlds. Use your magick to take us all to another plane of existence,
separate from the World. Have you this power? Is your magick strong enough?
Have you learned anything in your five years as a Witch? Or are you weak and
useless?”

Scathach sits and the candidate calls on the four quarters and the centre.
After the circle is cast the candidate stands at the centre of the circle. The
High Priestess, The Morrigan stands and approaches the candidate with his sword.
The candidate kneels before the High Priestess.

Invocation of the Gods

The High Priestess calls the Goddess unto herself and for the remainder of the
ritual remains the personification of the Goddess. The person of the High
Priestess is now become a vessel in which the Goddess resides during the
remainder of the ritual.

Morrigan: “I am the Morrigan, the Goddess of battle and destruction. I am a
destroyer only of that which needs to be destroyed in order for something new
and fresh, more alive and virtuous to appear. I obliterate corruption, tyranny,
oppression, injustice, obsolete and despotic hierarchies, unfulfilling
lifestyles and job situations, and bad relationships. I do this so that better
civilisations, better ventures, and better relationships may take their place.
A Warrior must have the ability to destroy his negative traits, to destroy
obsolescence, tyranny, corruption, or oppression as needed. Destruction is a
part of your life, or nothing better would ever spring up, new and fresh. As
the darkness of night is necessary to understand the brilliance of the day, so
destruction is to creation. Are you willing to destroy that which traps you?
Are you willing to pull down your limitations and destroy your ignorance? Is it
your intention to continue on the Warrior’s path?”

The candidate answers appropriately.

Morrigan: “Then you must prove to me that you are worthy.” The Goddess turns
to the person who is to play Fionn MacCumhail. “Fionn! I charge you to test
this candidate before my presence!”

Fionn MacCumhail stands and approaches the candidate. The Morrigan takes a
position of prominence where she may regard what transpires as would a Queen, as
would the Goddess.

Fionn: “I am Fionn MacCumhail, Captain of the Fianna. I am the personification
of courage. To achieve courage, one must attain knowledge, judgement, and
clarity of thinking. The Warrior knows what action is appropriate through clear
thinking and discernment. Have you the courage to do as the Goddess has charged
you? Or are you weak and useless? Are you afraid?

The candidate responds appropriately.

Fionn: Fills the chalice with wine and offers it to the candidate, saying:
“Drink then from the cauldron of courage. Learn about your strengths and
weaknesses. The braggart does not know his or her limitations and romanticises
his or her invulnerability. The Warrior realistically assesses his capacities
and limitations in every situation. Warriors know what they want and they know
how to get it. The secret that enables a Warrior to reach clarity of thought is
living with the awareness of his imminent death. Every act counts. This is the
true meaning of courage. Is it your intention to continue on the Warrior’s
path?”

The candidate answers appropriately

Fionn: (Addresses the Goddess) “Dear Lady, I have duly challenged this
candidate as you bade me and find him suitable. I beg you accept him as our
companion before this company and bestow upon him Your blessing.”

The candidate kneels at the centre of the circle. The Morrigan sets the sword
upon the altar and approaches the candidate.

Morrigan: “It would appear my Captain finds you worthy of this company—yet I
see fit to give you a final challenge. Get through this barrier symbolising
that which keeps you from the circle of the Fianna and your Warrior nature. Get
past your limitations. A fool would deny the existence of any barrier. A
conceited person would claim he didn’t need to attain the circle of the Fianna
and would ridicule those Warriors who attained it. But a Warrior would fight
his way through all barriers to the attainment of self-respect. The choice is
yours. Show me then, how you would do me homage.”

The Great Rite

The candidate now becomes High Priest. He calls the God unto himself and for
the remainder of the ritual remains the personification of the God. The person
of the High Priest is now become a vessel in which the God resides during the
remainder of the ritual.

Candidate: “I am become Cernunnos. The name 'Cernunnos' means 'horned' or
'peaked one'. On a Monument dedicated by Parisian sailors in the reign of
Tiberius, my name is inscribed above the head and shoulders of a bearded,
elderly God wearing antlers, from which hand holds a TORC or neck ring. My
name has served to identify numerous other images of an antlered deity which
occur before and during the Romano-Celtic Period in the Celtic World. I appear
in the pre-Roman ,free period on a 4th c. BCE rock-carving at Paspardo in the
Camonica Valley in North Italy, as an antlered god bearing a torc on each arm
and accompanied by a ram-horned snake and a small ithyphallic being. On the
Gundestrup Cauldron, which dates back as early as the 4th-3rd c. BCE,
I appear cross-legged, with two twis name has served to identify numerous other
images of an antlered deity which occur before and during the Romano-Celtic
Period in the Celtic World. I appear in the pre-Roman ,free period on a 4th
c. BCE rock-carving. I am a God of wild and tamed nature ,fecundity and

beneficence. My intimate rapport with the animal world is displayed by my horns,

whereby you see that I am both man, God and beast."

Cernunnos takes the bread and blesses. He then takes the cup of wine and
blesses it, then hands it to The Morrigan who holds it before her with both
hands. Cernunnos then takes the wand from the altar and inserts it into the
chalice of wine with the following words:

Cernunnos: “As the wand is to the male, so is the cup to the female, and when
thus conjoined they bring forth blessings, and delight.”

Cernunnos breaks the bread and hands it to The Morrigan with the words “May you
never hunger.” The Goddess hands the bread to the next person with the same
words, who in turn breaks off a piece and hands it to the next person with the
same words until the bread has made its way all around the circle and is then
place on the altar.

The Morrigan then offers the chalice of wine to Cernunnos with the words “May
you never thirst.” The God takes a sip, then hands the chalice to the next
person with the same words, who in turn takes a sip and hands it to the next
person with the same words until the chalice has made its way all around the
circle and is then placed on the altar.

Investing of the Candidate

The High Priestess become Goddess faces the High Priest become God and asks:

Morrigan: Turns to Cernunnos and says “I bid you return to your domain now, My
Lord, that the candidate whose body you use may speak again. Go now, for I
shall follow you shortly.”

The God leaves the body of the candidate and the candidate becomes aware of
himself again and his surroundings.

Morrigan: “Have you chosen a Warrior’s name for yourself?”

Candidate: “I have, my Lady, I shall henceforward be known as “Breoghan.” For
the name I have chosen is that of Breoghan, father of Mil, born in Galicia,
builder of the Tower, uniter of Spain and Ireland and founder of the town of
Brigantia (now known as the city of A Coruña)”

Morrigan: “Kneel, then and repeat after me: I, Breoghan, will strive to
nobility of cause, honesty of word, and faithfulness of heart. I will live by
the motto of the Fianna: Truth in my heart, strength in my hands, and
consistency in my tongue. I swear by all I hold sacred, that until the heavens
with all its stars fall upon me, and the earth gives way beneath me, and the sea
burst its bounds to drown the land, I will strive to live my life as a Warrior.
If I prove false to my oath, then may my weapons turn against me and leave me at
the mercy of the Goddess. From this day forth, I will seek to live up to the
mighty name of Breoghan.”

The candidate repeats the oath. The Morrigan embraces the candidate on
completion of the oath and says:

Morrigan: “Welcome to this Warrior’s circle. You have learned what it is to be
a Warrior, but be ever mindful that there is more to you than this. Know that
Warriors combine their skills with the skills of the king and queen, and
practice sound leadership. Know that Warriors combine their skills with those
of the Witch, to give them mastery and control over themselves and their powers.
Finally, know that Warriors combine their skills with those of the lover. This
gives the Warrior compassion and a sense of connectedness with all things. A
Warrior knows that there is no greater power in all the world than that of love.
To be a balanced, mature, and effective human, you must combine all four of
these aspects.”

Breoghan, the Second Degree Initiate, now dismisses the quarters and bids
everyone join him in a great celebration.

Outline

I. Introduction
II. The basics
A. The five elements and the five directions
B. The Goddess and the God
C. The ritual tools
III. Creating sacred space
IV. The Book of Shadows

Introduction

To begin, I’d like to say a few words about Wicca and the neo-pagan revival in general. Those who practice Wicca, whether male or female, are called witches. Some people are a bit nervous about the word “witch.” In our society “witch” and “witchcraft” have taken on the connotation of evil. However, there is nothing negative about witchcraft. Witches are practitioners of an earth-centred, non-Christian religion that has its roots in the far distant past. Wicca is modern. It first came into being in the 1930s to 1940s and gained its present form in the 1960s and 1970s. This is why I say that Wicca is a post-modern, deconstructionist religion--one that seeks to establish a contemporary form of spirituality inspired by the past, but ever changing and foward-looking.

Some witches believe that the word Wicca originates from an old word meaning “wise.” Following the etymology, a witch is a “wise one.” The negative associations with these words did not begin until the Christian persecution of pagans during mediæval times.

A witch is not a devil worshipper (we don’t even have a devil in our deity structure), a doer of evil, nor a “bad” person. Neither do we cast malicious spells nor do we seek to do evil or harm. When you call yourself a “witch,” you are calling yourself “wise.” In this context, that means you have certain arcane knowledge not shared by the general populace. This is not too different from the idea of an ordained priest having certain specialised knowledge about his religion.

Just as homosexual people have had to get used to calling themselves “gay” and “queer” and feel good, even proud of who they are; so too must we come to feel comfortable when we apply the word “witch” to ourselves. Both witches and gay people are groups who are misunderstood and discriminated against by the bulk of our mainstream, patriarchal society.

Witchcraft is a sub-set of the more general classification of paganism. All witches are pagan, but not all pagans are witches. Pagans are basically any persons who practice an earth-centred religion. Some use the term neo-pagan—i.e., people who practice a pagan religion in post-modern times—to distinguish us from the Neolithic and Palaeolithic pagans who practised from at least as early as 24,000 BCE (the date of the Goddess statuette known as the “Venus of Willendorf," cf. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfdiscovery.html ) to ca. 300 ACE when Christianity and later Islam spread over most of Europe and the Near East.

Witches worship nature. For this reason, we are universally ecology-minded and many witches are ecology activists. Witches recycle. We do not envision divinity as separate from nature nor God outside of the universe as do the teleological mainstream religions. Everything that exists, exists within the universe, and the universe itself is divine. Therefore we are all divine, as are rocks, trees and animals.

We do use magic (which you will find spelled “magick” to differentiate it from the Las Vegas magician act type of magic). Magick is a way of focusing intent. The use of magick is based on the belief that the universe responds to our conscious intent. We create our own reality. I’ll cover magick in a future lesson.

There are various subgroups within the Witch cult. In essence, what each group practices is the same. What differs are the focus people place on certain things. We refer to these groups as “Traditions.” Originally, each Tradition was the way a certain group of pagan people worshiped. The people of Scandinavia practised a Norse tradition. The pre-Roman Celts had their own peculiar way of worship with the Druids as their priestly class. The Romans and Greeks had their own brand of paganism, as did the Egyptians. Then there are the Native Americans, the Japanese Shinto, and so on. There are many Traditions. Each Tradition has its own pantheon—i.e., the group of gods that we worship—its own peculiar rituals, a specific set of ritual tools (q.v.), and so on. But the similarities are far more prominent than the differences. You will hear witches refer to themselves as a “Celtic-witch” or a “Norse-witch.” Some call themselves “Eclectic,” meaning they borrow from several traditions as it suits them.

Then there is the “natural” witch. That person who comes seeking knowledge about witchcraft, only to discover he had already figured it out on his own, intuitively.

Witchcraft does not have a sacred text nor any central person or group in authority (if anyone claims to be—watch out for these folks). Once initiated, every member is immediately called a “Priest.” The terms “High Priest” and “High Priestess” are commonly used. They signify the persons leading a ritual, not any special type of ordination achieved nor honour bestowed upon an individual.

To become a witch, one goes through an initiation. I will cover that later on, as here I want to focus on the basics. Briefly, I will say that there are three kinds of initiations, or “degrees.” The first degree initiate is someone who has made a commitment to practice witchcraft. A second degree initiate is a person who after sufficient experience and knowledge gained is now ready to teach a novice about witchcraft and to lead his own rituals. A third degree initiate (often a couple in a love relationship) are those who are ready to start a new coven. There is an initiation ritual for each degree of initiation.

A group of people who worship together is called a “coven.” A coven may be any number of people greater than two but less than 13. Some people prefer to worship by themselves or with their love-partner and these are known as “solitary” witches.

Rituals are performed during the full moons. These are called “Esbats.” There are also eight solar holidays in the course of a year and these are called “Sabbats.” Some witches worship on the new moon in addition to the full moon.

Wicca is a sex-positive religion. We worship the fecundity and fertility of nature—the fact that we live in a self-contained ecosystem (Earth) that provides for all our needs. We worship the phallus and the vulva just as a Catholic may worship a statue of St. Anthony. Sex is not dirty nor is abstinence or virginity necessary nor desirable. It is sometimes appropriate to include sex in ritual. When the ritual calls for it, this is usually enacted by a practising couple who are already in a love-relationship. I have also attended rituals that have segued right into an orgy; but, that is not the usual way to worship by any means.

Many witches like to worship naked. This is based on the belief that clothing interferes with the flow of ætheric energy. Others believe that this practice originated from a desire to show “perfect love and perfect trust” with the other members of the coven. I personally like to do ritual in the nude because it makes me feel closer to the animals and to nature. I have been to public rituals where all present—men women and children, were nude. Everyone was quite comfortable, and it was a joy to see the kids jumping in and out of the swimming pool whenever they wanted to after the ritual was over without the encumbrance of clothing and towels.

Other witches like to have special ritual garments or robes that they wear only for ritual purposes. (I like to wear my kilt because it connects me to my Celtic ancestors). Still others worship in their street clothes. And, of course, there are all the possible permutations of the above. For example, naked in summer, robed in winter. In street clothes at a public place.

We are free to do as we please, trusting in our own divinity. We have no concept of sin. The word “sin” means a transgression against religious law. But since we have no sacred texts, there are no laws to break. We have only one “law” and it is this:

“An it harm none, do what ye will.”

There is no celestial Boogey-Man to enforce this, our one law. Witches believe that whatever energy you put out there into the universe comes back at you three-fold. If you perform an act of kindness, you will receive three times the kindness in future. But if you do wrong, so too will you reap three times the consequences. You can see then why casting malificent spells is unwise.

The Basics

The Five Elements and the Five Directions

When witches use the word “element” we do not mean it in the same sense that a chemist would use the word to describe plutonium. The five elements in witchcraft are air, fire, water, earth and the æther. It is better to think of these “elements” as gases, energy, liquids, solids, and the fifth transcendental element, the æther, as “spirit.”

There are also five directions: east, south, west, north and centre. As you have probably already guessed, there is an element associated with each direction, and a colour associated with each as well:

EAST = AIR = YELLOW
SOUTH = FIRE = RED
WEST = WATER = BLUE
NORTH = EARTH = GREEN
CENTRE = ÆTHER = WHITE

Note that I always start at the east and work my way clockwise through the compass directions. This is our usual practice. The clockwise direction is called “deosil” and the anti-clockwise direction is called “widdershins.”

Each element has associations as follows:

Air This is the realm of the mind. Thinking, communication, logic.

Fire The realm of passion and healing. Strength and courage.

Water The realm of emotion, the subconscious and dreams.

Earth The material realm—money, shelter, food, prosperity, stability, abundance.

Æther The fifth element. The “Philosopher’s Stone,” the agent of spiritual transformational alchemy. This is the element which is all of the elements, yet none of them. From the æther all the other elements came.

We often call upon the energies peculiar to each realm, visualising them as “elementals:” entities or spirits of each realm. In my tradition these are:

East: Eurius, Lord of Air
South: Notus, Lord of Fire
West: Zephyrus, Lord of Water
North: Boreas, Lord of Earth

Others visualise the elementals as a sort of mythical animal—e.g., sylphs, salamanders, undines and gnomes. (Remember: we start at the east and go clockwise). Most witches I know simply say “sprits of the east,” “spirits of the south,” and so on.

The Goddess and the God

Witchcraft, and paganism in general, is a polytheistic religion. We believe in many gods. Some are “main gods” others are “minor gods.” Then there are gods specific to a certain place, like the goddess of a certain well, for example. Most witches, however, consolidate their individual pantheons into two main deities: the Goddess and the God.

The Goddess and the God can be thought of as the female and male aspect of divinity. An analogous concept in Eastern religions is Yin and Yang. In the beginning there was The One (Tao), who split and became male and female (yin and yang). Thus, The One became the Goddess and the God.

Most witches form correspondences between the various pagan pantheons. It is therefore not unusual to refer to the Goddess as Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inana, and so on. The same is true of the God. Among some God names are Pan, Lugh, Zeus, Jupiter, and so on.

Do I believe that there is really a God whose name is Zeus who looks like a man with a long flowing white beard and who is watching me at this very moment from Mt. Olympus? Do I really believe that there is a God Thor who dwells in the clouds and hurls thunderbolts from the sky?

Of course not.

My Celtic ancestors did not worship anthropomorphic deities, but rather totemistic and animistic ones. This is hard for the modern mind to understand. For example, the Irish Goddess Danu was thought of as the “waters of life.” Most rivers—e.g., the Danube, were named after her. The idea of the gods is best explained in terms of what Carl Jung termed “archetypes.” This is where things get abstract and hard to pin down, so I would rather save a more in-depth discussion of the gods for a face-to-face conversation. (It’s akin to discussing truth, beauty and the meaning of life).

If you have been reading elsewhere on my website about the Church of Spiritual Humanism where I am ordained you know that we do not believe in anything supernatural.  How is then that I can reconcile all this witchcraft mumbo-jumbo with a purely rational world view?

For the sake of this brief introduction, suffice it to say that the human mind consists of many levels—the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, the anima, the animus, the shadow... And then there is the “collective unconscious.”

If you know anything about Jungian psychology you will recognise some of these terms. There is considerable overlap between Jungian psychology and witchcraft.

The conscious mind, and the left brain specifically, is where speech is processed and concrete thoughts such as these being expressed on this page are formed. But to always dwell in the conscious mind is to neglect our full brain—our full mind. We must “speak” to those other areas of the mind/brain that do not know how to process speech, have no sense of time, nor think in a linear fashion. That is the purpose of ritual and archetypes—a tool to help us fully integrate our mind/organism. Just as we don’t “have” a body— we “are” a body. Just as our emotions have their own language and we must learn to “speak” the language of emotion, so too must we learn to “speak” the language of the other parts of the mind in order to be full human beings.

The Ritual Tools

This is where we get into the practical, tangible part of witchcraft. Different Traditions employ a particular set of ritual tools. The Tradition described in a book I have on Pecti-Witta (Scotch witchcraft) uses only three: the dirk, the scrying glass and the staff.

Most witches rely on the athame (pronounced ah - thah - may), the bolline, the wand, the chalice, a censer, a pentacle, the besom (broom) and a cauldron. Some use a sword in addition to or instead of the athame and a staff in addition to or instead of the wand. A few will use a bell and crystal ball as well.

Over time, if you were to pursue the practice of witchcraft beyond this introduction, you would come to choose a Tradition you identify with. If you have Scandinavian ancestors, you might choose the Norse tradition with the pantheon that names our days of the week: Tiu, Woden, Thor, Frey/Freya and so on. Or if your ancestors include the English, perhaps you will be drawn to those traditions which later became codified as Arthurian Legend, Robin Hood and Herne the Hunter. Since I have Celtic ancestors, I am drawn to Celtic witchcraft and Druidry. Even so, I include certain eclectic elements drawn from Native American Tradition (you can see some of this influence in my painting, for example). However, one is free to choose any tradition with which one feels a connexion, or even combine elements of various Traditions, independent of any consideration other than what works for you.

If you were to choose the Tradition described in the Pecti-Witta book, you’d have it easy. You’d only need three ritual tools. Even so, you would often hear of certain common tools others use; therefore, for reference, I will briefly describe the most common ones:

Athame This one is required in any Tradition and is also known as the “magick knife.” In the Pecti-Witta book it is the dirk. The athame is a double edged knife (a dagger shaped like a small sword) with a black handle. It is not a weapon. Think of it as an energy conduit. It is appropriate to use a sword in place of the athame, but this is at times impractical when doing ritual in confined spaces. (We wouldn’t want to affirm people’s mistaken belief that we practice ritual sacrifice by accidentally decapitating someone, now would we?) The sword/athame is associated with the element of air.

Wand Also known as the “magick wand.” This is basically a phallic symbol and it is common and appropriate for a wand to have a rounded tip, similar to the glans of the penis. It is common to use a staff in place of the wand. The wand/staff is associated with the element of fire.

Besom Which is really an archaic word for broom. It is used to prepare an area to become sacred space by symbolically sweeping away any negative energies or influences. The besom is associated with the element of water.

Pentacle A five-pointed star within a circle, usually made out of metal. This one is associated with the element of earth. Many witches wear a pentacle about their necks just as a Christian would wear a cross. The pentacle has become the symbol of the Wiccan religion.

Chalice This is basically a drinking cup that is set aside for ritual use only. It can have any number of shapes. For example, in the Norse Tradition, it is a drinking horn. For practical reasons, it is best to use an unbreakable chalice, as most witches prefer to worship outdoors and it is necessary to carry it with you to the beach, woods, or other place of worship. The cup can also symbolise water.

Censer Used to burn incense. Anything you can burn incense in will do, so long as you set it aside for ritual use only.

Cauldron According to Cunningham, “The cauldron is the witch’s tool par excellence. It is an ancient vessel of cooking and brew making, steeped in magical tradition and mystery. This is the container in which magickal transformations occur.” We’ll get into this when we discuss magick. It is usually a small wrought iron pot that stands on three legs. It must be fireproof because you’ll use it to burn things in it.

Bolline This is another knife, usually single bladed, and with a white handle to distinguish it from the athame. The Druids use a cycle-shaped knife made of a gold-coloured metal. Unlike the athame, which is used to focus energy, the bolline is a working knife used to gather herbs. Herbology is an important aspect of witchcraft.

Crystal Ball Mine is a solid, rutilated quartz sphere. This is used for scrying. To scry means to divine the future. Other divination tools used by witches include the Tarot, runes, animal oracles and tree oracles. Witches believe that we all have pre-cognitive and psychic abilities. Most people have suppressed these or are unaware of them, but as witches we work to develop and use these abilities.

Bell I have one, but rarely use it. It is a feminine symbol used in certain kinds of spells. Some use it when calling in the directions.

Whenever possible, it is better to make one’s own ritual tools as opposed to buying them. Of course, few of us know how to forge a blade or have the equipment to smelt metal (although I have one Norse-witch friend who actually does this!) Most everyone buys a dagger or sword of some type. But an old kitchen knife would do, if you could set it aside for ritual use only. There are magick stores everywhere now where you can buy ritual tools. Some are made by artists who are witches and are quite exquisite—and expensive. The idea is not to spend a lot of money, but to choose a set of tools that have special significance to you. Most every witch makes his own wand or staff. Others like to find curious items at the flea market or in antique shops. My cauldron is in reality a very large, brass censer that I found at the flea market for $10. It’s not the traditional three-legged cast iron pot, but I rather like it.

It is not uncommon for neophyte yuppie witches to go hog-wild on a ritual tool buying spree, visiting every New Age magick shop they can find. Please try to avoid this. Instead of getting carried away with enthusiasm, it is better to take one’s time. Many feel that their ritual tools “come to them” by one of those synchronistic events that the Celestine Prophecy describes as “meaningful coincidences.”

The tools one makes are always more powerful than the tools one buys because in the process of making them they become infused with your energy. One thing I will add, though, is that as a personal preference, I like to avoid artificial materials. A nature-worship religion ought to rely on the raw materials nature herself provides. A plastic chalice would be very tacky.

Once acquired, each ritual tool in turn is consecrated during ritual. Once consecrated, it is your personal tool and yours alone. No one may even touch it without first asking permission. It is appropriate to specify what you want done with your ritual tools upon your death in your Last Will and Testament.

Creating Sacred Space

When we do our first ritual together, we will start by creating “sacred space.” The term refers to the preparation of the area where the ritual is to take place. This is also referred to as “casting the circle.” Once cast, the circle is a place “between the worlds.” An area between physical reality and ætherial or transcendent reality, which is both and neither. It sounds like a Zen concept, but you will come to understand it in time.

When the weather is fine, most witches prefer to do circle outdoors. Traditionally, a circular space is prepared that is nine feet in diametre; however, I’ve never seen anyone be that precise. An altar is usually set up—whether on a table indoors or a log outdoors. Here is a typical altar layout:

[Source: Conway, D.J. (1996). Celtic Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, p. 28]

Here is a photograph of my personal altar:



This photograph was taken on the Autumnal Equinox, or Mabon, 2003. It is difficult to see from the picture, but the altar contains many of the same elements of the diagram above.

Sacred space is created by symbolically cleaning the area to be used with the magick broom, setting up the altar, calling the five directions (starting in the east and moving clockwise or deosil), and invoking the Goddess and the God. After the ritual is over, you don’t just walk away, but rather time is taken to “open the circle.”

Casting the circle has to do with preparing your subconscious mind for the working of magick. It is an aid to achieving a meditative state—usually a theta brain-wave state of consciousness. Rather than describe it here, I will show you how to cast a circle.

The basic formula for any ritual, whether a full moon (Esbat) or seasonal (Sabbat) ritual, is as follows:

• Ground and centre
• Cleanse the area and yourself
• Call the five directions
• Invoke the Goddess and God
• Raise energy
• Use the energy raised for the working of magick or for celebrating the season
• The Great Rite
• Dismiss the five directions
• Open the circle
• Feast (eat)

To ground and centre means to prepare yourself mentally for ritual. The idea is to dismiss the million petty thoughts and worries that occupy our mind so we can be completely focused on the ritual at hand.

Raising energy can be done by dancing, chanting or by beating on drums and/or rattles.

The Great Rite is the most beautiful part of the ritual. It is also often referred to as “cakes and wine.” A piece of bread and a chalice of wine (or some non-alcoholic alternative) are blessed, then the athame is inserted into the cup of wine (or non-alcoholic drink) with the words:

“As the athame is to the male, so is the cup to the female and when thus conjoined they give forth blessings and delight.”

The bread is then passed around the circle with the words “may you never hunger,” followed by the passing of the cup with the words “may you never thirst.” The athame represents the phallus of the God and the cup the vulva /womb of the Goddess. Thus the Great Rite is a symbolic copulation of the Goddess and God, which results in the fertility of the earth that we consume in the form of the bread and wine/juice (food and drink). Wouldn’t the Christians be horrified to learn how their communion ritual originated?

Feasting after the ritual is over is important, not only for the social well-being of those gathered in a coven, but even after a solitary ritual. Eating grounds us. It brings us back from the ætherial realm to physical reality. It brings us back to an alpha or beta state of consciousness.

The Book of Shadows

Should you decide to pursue your interest in Wicca beyond this introductory text, you will need to complete the following homework assignment.

Find a book—a blank book. This is to become your Book of Shadows. Any book where all the pages are blank will do. It can be one of those fancy books sold for keeping a journal or diary, or a college-type notebook, or even a three-ring binder with blank pages. Many people nowadays keep their Book of Shadows as a Microsoft Word file in their computer. Whatever works for you.

The Book of Shadows is where the witch keeps his acquired knowledge of The Craft. Everything you learn about witchcraft is recorded in this book. You would start out, for example, by writing down how to cast a circle. This would include details concerning how to call the directions, how one invokes the gods, and so on. Every time you learn something new, you record it in your Book of Shadows. Although not a journal per se, it is appropriate to record brief accounts of events related to your experience of spirituality that had special meaning for you. I have an account of the first ritual I ever did in my Book of Shadows, as well as an account of the most powerful ritual I did in 1996, and certain other pivotal events in my spiritual life. The book becomes a sort of reference for your own special and unique spiritual path. It is for you and you alone. No one else may read your book without your permission.

For the moment, please don’t write anything down yet. Your assignment is only to acquire the book. If you have a suitable book already, that is acceptable—provided it is blank and has not been used for any other purpose. That is, don’t use a book in which you’ve already written notes about something else.

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Every Witch chooses a name upon iniation. On my Initiation to the First Degree, which took place on 31 October 1995, I chose the name of Sky Warrior. On my Initiation to the Second Degree, which took place on 31 October 2000, I chose a new name: Breoghan. As soon as one is initiated to the First Degree--whether that initiation is bestowed upon you by a Coven, or whether you perform your own self-initiation, your title is "Priest" or "Priestess," depending on your gender. An initiation is basically a commitment that you will follow this path. After you have studied the Craft for a sufficient length of time that you may now teach others, you are ready for your Initiation to the Second Degree. As part of the test that you have learned enough, you should write your own Second Degree Initiation Liturgy. I have included mine in this log. (My First Degree Initiation is in my Book of Shadows, but it is not included here as I did not write it. I am only including materials I have written in this web-log).

I hope that this information has serverd as a useful introduction to Wicca and Witchcraft. The views expressed here are my own. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Brightest Blessings,
Breoghan