practicum
excerpts from the workshop
Participants in the workshops are provided with a manual of reference material in class. The following are excerpts from that manual however please keep in mind these instructions are designed to be used in conjunction with the various taught practices.
This
manual is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private
study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright
Act, no part may reproduced by any process without written permission.
Inquiries
should be addressed to:
PO Box 179 Newtown 2042 Australia.
Tim Hartridge©1999
• circle of the goddess – gateway between worlds
• occult darshan – the magickal experience
• wiccan ritual – a basic ritual formula
• reading material – before attending the workshop
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Tim Hartridge, the workshop leader, is a contributing author to "Practising the Witch's Craft"
circle
of the goddess:
gateway between
worlds
The Witchcraft traditions tell us that the Circle was given to us by the Goddess as a means of passage in-between worlds. It is both the personal symbol of the Goddess as the gateway to life, as well as a powerful magickal working tool. It is also the 'workshop' where occult experiments are performed.
Circe, the Homeric witch, gave her name to the 'Circus' (a ring of animals) and the 'Circle' was her place of operation. By her bewitchment she was able to transform all who landed on her isle into animals. This island resided in the west and was identified with the Moon, all symbols of the Unconscious. In a similar way the Circle is a place of access to the unconscious powers within us. Those who successfully enter the magick Circle may be transformed, either temporally or permanently through possession of these non-ordinary powers.
Construction of the Circle is achieved through ritual and visualisation. Whether the witch traces the Circle by hand, uses a ceremonial knife, or dances the round, the area thus marked out becomes a sacred space and gateway. By using the symbol of Circle in this way the witch invokes the Moon Goddess who endows trance and transformation. A Circle is therefore always cast by the Witch before the performance of any sacred or magickal rite.
Immersion into the nightsea of the Unconscious brings us to the first stage where the connection with the shadow realm of primitive consciousness is to be made. In this way the Circle plays a role much like that of an Alchemical Crucible, a container in which are produced the transformations. Typically this was depicted in the medieval texts as the witch cavorting with her familiar spirits or becoming an animal. Such images have their mythic origin with the stories about the goddess Circe and other goddesses of the beasts.
occult
darshan:
the magickal experience
The strong attraction to the Occult many feel may be centered around the prospect of having an experience of a psychic nature. This is certainly the main focus, almost a driving urge, for those who explore the many different expressions of the Occult. One of the means by which we may explore this very individual experience is through the practice of Magick.
The Occult and Occultism is a broad based collection of studies, these range from the folk lore traditions of Gipsies and practices of witchcraft to such mystical traditions of the Qabalah, Astrology, Tarot and Alchemy. The study of the Occult involves learning a sort of mystical and symbolic language, the same language of symbols experienced in visions and dreams.
(In the workshop) Our starting point commences with the use of the Middle Pillar ritual. This is an occult ritual used to open an experience of the subtle energy flows in the psychic anatomy. Using this practice in conjunction with other rituals may assist us in awakening consciously the psychic dimension within us.
Such experiences are referred to as 'Occult Darshan', that is, the direct and personal experience of a mystical state of consciousness. Those who learn to use these practices, have then the means of access to the Unconscious, the repository of the whole Self. The merit of such experiences is in their validation for yourself that there is something beyond the mundane reality. These experiences are a vital expression of our own psychic dimension to life, your psychic reality.
wiccan
ritual:
a
basic ritual formula
Within modern Wicca certain ritual forms are held in common. The following description is a basic ritual formula as used by many contemporary Wiccans.
The Witch robes him/herself or else works skyclad (i.e. naked). A Circle is cast with the ritual sword or knife (athame) and then is consecrated with the four elements (earth, air, fire and water). Then stellar or nature deities are invoked at the cardinal points of the Circle. An invocation is then incanted to a specific God or Goddess to imbue the Witch with the god's qualities. At Full Moon and Dark of the Moon there are also specific rites which are used to manifest the Lunar goddess (psychic consciousness).
Whether working alone or within a Coven, the Witch might perform a whirling dance within the Circle to raise a 'Cone of Power'. This is a stepping, pacing dance done faster and faster until a powerful psychic tourbillion or 'Cone of Power' is raised. When executed correctly the energy raised charges the Witch's subtle and physical bodies, producing an ecstasis of psychic currents and experiences. This may manifest through the Witch in acts of psychic projection (e.g. spell casting, divination, evocation of Familiar Spirits, etc.).
Ritual and dance represent two of the Eight Paths of magickal practices used by contemporary witches. The other practices include: herbal knowledge; the ability to concentrate the Will; experience of trance states; the control of psychic (vital) forces earthed in the body; the invocation of the gods; and the application of sexual magick.
reading
material
before
you attend the workshop
If you are thinking of attending the workshop, there are several books which I recommend you read as subject primers. The first is a book which and another coven member have contributed a chapter each to - "Practising the Witch's Craft" edit by Doughlas Ezzy. This book is generally available at bookshops or may be ordered directly through us. (Book Orders). The others are: "What Witches Do" by Stewart Farrar and/or "Wicca, the old religion in the New Age" by Vivien Crowley – two classic texts when it comes to the study of contemporary witchcraft. Other good books are "Witchcrafting" by Phyllis Currot and "The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk.
Hope to see
you at the workshops.
Vinum Sabbati, Tim Hartridge