Wicca Behind Bars: Guide to the Craft in Prison
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![Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O’Gaea energies to produce needed effects” In practical terms, magic is doing @ thing on the “inner” or “astral” planes so that it will also happen on the material plane. Let’s go over the ground rules. In magic - and everything clse we do - we are guided by two rules. The first is to do no harm in the expression of our will, and the second is that what we put into the world will come back to us “three-fold." Because we believe in reincarnation, and expect to come back, we like to leave our karma cleancr than we find it The Wiccan Rede The Wiccan Rede is short and sweet. “An [if] you harm none, do as you will™ (There are longer versions, but they are Tradition-specific, and this is the unembellished original) But there are three tricky words in the Rede: harm, none, and will. Let’s take a quick look at how Wiceans are likely to interpret them. Harm? If what you’re doing puts somebody elsc in a position you wouldn’t want to be in, don’t do it. Apart from a few obvious basics, which the penal code pretty well covers, there s no single definition. Certainly if you leave somebody without options, you harm them. But ... them? This brings us to the second tricky word, none. On the whole, this is not taken to mean that we shouldn’t kill mosquitocs, for instance. The individual mosquito invading your veins and draining your blood has forfeited its rights .. but mosquitoes as aspecies have as much right to make aliving as you do. So yes, one on one, you can kill a mosquito, but it would be wrong to try to kill them dll In those species where individuality is substantial and meaningful, though, we are hound to respect individual lives as well as the right of the species to exist. Harming none doesn’t mean we shouldnt ever cut any trees. It docs mean we shouldn’t cut down all of one kind, or all the ones in one place. “Life feeds on life,” we say, and that includes not just the literal meat and grain and fruit we actually cat, but also the way we use the environment - from cutting trees or quarrying blocks of stone for buildings to polluting, Respect for Others and a sense of personal responsibility is behind everything we do, every decision we make. There are other more comprehensive discussions of “harm,” of course, but ultimately, cach of s has to think about all these things and develop our own understanding. (This is one aspect of taking personal B](wicca-behind-bars-guide-to-the-craft-in-prison-heather-awen-mother-earth-ministries 15.png)
![Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O’Gaca the mountains, sometimes on the beach, the prairic or in a forest clearing, AThink of your own energy as a hearch fire. Think about ways to control your energies, so that the hearth fire is never too big (so as to destroy the house) or too small (to let the house get cold, and the food go uncooked). WATER (West) Think of cleansing rains; think of your frustrations as dusty, roc] littered sidewalks, and let a downpour of rain, which stands for the waters of birth and rebirch, wash them clean. Vln the shower (or washing hands or even flushing the toilet) visualize your built-up annoyances and bad moods washing off you and down the drain. When you fecl low and like weeping, have compassion for yourself. EARTH (North) ’See yourself in a vast, dark and cool forest. Hear and smell everything around you - the dark, fertile carth beneath your feet, the scent of pines, the rustle of deer and other forest creatures. Sit down with your back against a tree and let the patience of its long years flow into you Visualize lying on the ground, your arms and legs outstretched, and letting the soft carth cradle you. Let your angers and fears drain out of your body into the carth, to be recycled. Know and trust that the carth will Support you. Part Four: WICCAN TOOLS AND ALTARS Anwich’s first, best and most important tool i, of course, his or her mind and the control s/he develops over t. Our lore (stories, not history) tells us that in the Burning Times, it was not safe to keep or use any tools that could be identified with witcheraft. (It is true that the peasants of Britain and Europe were lliterate, and therefore had o Books of Shadaws.) Restricted as your collection and use of tools may be, we know that we can get along with even le You will read about a number of witches’ tools that you will not be permitted to keep or use. THATS OKAY! The power is in you, not in your tools. We’ll talk about these tools anyway, so that you know what they’re for when you can use them; and yourll learn what you can use instead in the meantime. (In some books, tools are called “weapons,” but they are not ever 20](wicca-behind-bars-guide-to-the-craft-in-prison-heather-awen-mother-earth-ministries 22.png)
![Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O’Gaea Part Six: BEING and BECOMING WICCAN To be Wiccan, you only need to accept the belicfs and start getting comfortable with the world-view and practices described in this booklet No one has to give you permission to have a relationship with the Goddes and God, or to celebrate the Sabbats as your holy days When you are out in the world and telling people you are Wiccan, you will be expected to understand the basics, and to be able to conduct yourself appropriately in a Circle. (If you claim to be initiated or to be following a particular Tradition, you may be expected to name your teachers, and to show members of your claimed “Trad" a certificate or other token.) If your behavior is not consistent with the knowledge you chaim to have, you may not be well accepted; and if you are unwilling to learn more, you may be dismissed as a “wannabe” or a “fraud! In the meantime, before your release, you may decide that Wicca (or another Neo-Pagan religion) is your personal path, and wish this to be recognized as your official religious preference. Check with your chaplain about the forms you need to fill out and/or submit. You may need a letter from a pricst/ess confirming that you now follow this faith. Ideally, you’d get this letter from a volunteer or contractor who leads services on the Unit Lacking that, you can contact MEM’s writing priestess. When you have satisfied her (likely not before you’ve exchanged two or thre letters) that you understand the basic belicfs of your chosen path well enough to be making an informed choice to follow it a supporting letter can be provided. (Please note that our writing priestess needs to hear about the tenets [belicfs] of the religion, not about your love of Nature or your psychic powers.) References and Resources If you read more about Wicca and other Pagan faiths, and talk with other Pagans, you may sce or hear some of these terms. Here’s a basic primer, not comprehensive, but a stat. GLOSSARY altar The space where you use your articles of worship. Everybody wants to have a permanent one, but not everybody does. It’s usually a table of some sort, but shelves and niches work just fine; in a pinch, so does a lap. 3](wicca-behind-bars-guide-to-the-craft-in-prison-heather-awen-mother-earth-ministries 37.png)
![Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O’Gaea direction of movement is usually pronounced “day-o-sill” and is also called “sun-wise” or “clockwise.” (See also widdershins.) Five-fold Kiss A ritual kiss to these or similar words: “Blesséd be thy feet, that walk the sacred paths. Blesséd be thy knces, that kneel at sacred altars. Blesséd be thy [womb or phallus], without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in strength and beauty. Blesséd be thy lips, that speak the sacred Names.” GreatRite The sacred marriage (heiros gamos) of the Goddess and the God, sometimes represented sexually and most often represented by an athame dipping into a wine-filled chalice to bless the Ale Guardians of the Watchtowers The Watch Spirits of the Elemental Realms. They’re also known as “the Quarters,” and we invoke them when we cast a Circle guided meditation Read aloud, played from a tape or €D, or memorized and recited “in your head.” a “guided med is a narration or description of a meditative journey or contemplation. Initiation A ritual quest through death (to your former life) and rebirth (intolife as a witch and Priest/ess). Initiations are generally into a coven or other coherent group, although self-Initiations are recognized in some eclectic Traditions. inner planes People are multi-dimensional - we’re physical, we’re emotional, we’re intellectual, we’re - psychological, and we are spiritual. The inner planes (or “realms,” or “landscapes”) are the deep places in our minds and hearts where our true selves live. The inner planes are where we go to confront fears and prejudices and scary things about ourselves, and also where we go to be renewed by our own strengths and joys. leylines Lines of magnetism that cross the planet’s crust and scem to conneet ancient Pagan sites inseveral local regions around the world magic Magic (some spell it with *k” on the end) is both a form of energy, a natural force like gravity, and the act of sing this energy to achicve your goals. (Se also spell.) libation Pouring of sacred drink into a bowl, or onto the ground, wherefrom the Gods can partake of it. Technically, food we sharc Ed](wicca-behind-bars-guide-to-the-craft-in-prison-heather-awen-mother-earth-ministries 39.png)
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
Wicca
Behind Bars
aguide to practicing the Crat in prison
by Carol Garr and Ashleen 0'Gaea
Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
Part One: AN OVERVIEW OF THE CRAFT
Wicea is a 20%-century interpretive revival of paleo-European
Paganism. Wicea's modern roots can be documented from the kate 18
century, and the religion took its present name and form in the middle of
the twentieth century, from Gerald Gardner.
Today's Wicca - sometimes called the Craft and the Old Religion -
is both enriched and prejudiced by stories, until recently accepted as fact,
about persccution and survival through the Inquisition. Tales of medieval
witches' survival by-sccrecy are not literally truc; but even today, in the era
of civil liberties, some Wiceans must stay in the broom-closct. Slowly.
modern witches are coming out of hiding to let the truth be known. (All
Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan.)
is not the only Western Pagan religion, but it is the best
include the Norse Asatra and other Northern faiths (who
call themselves Heathen), Greco-Roman and Egyptian traditions and
Druidism, Native North and South American paths and Afro-Caribbean
faiths. (Many incarcerated Asatrtiar practice legitimately, but some forms
of Asatrat or Odinism found in prison front for aggressive, racist/sexist
white supremacy, and that's unwelcome in most American Pagan/Heathen
communitics.)
Gerald Gardner introduced modern Wicca to the public when the
last of England's anti-witcheraft laws were repealed in 1951, In the carly
19605, Raymond Buckland brought a modificd version of Gardnerian
Wicea from England to the U.S. The Craft has been growing world-wide
ever sing
Witcheraft? or Wicca? or ... both?
Some people use the terms interchangeably, while others
distinguish between the practice of witcheraft and the religion of Wicca
Mother Earth Ministries’ volunteers like to recognize a difference.
Witcheraft is as old as humanity, and still uses spells, charms,
talismans, potions, invocations, chants, and meditation to meet both daily
and extraordinary needs with the magic of the universe. Witcheraft can be
pat of any religion, but it can also work non-religiously. Wicea is a religion
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Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
and a life path. All Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are Wicean.
And though it's uncommon, the religion of Wicca can be practiced without
working magic. Wicca is initiatory, decentralized and non-hierarchical,in
keeping with the Pagan quest for unity with Nature. Initiation rites open
us to realizations about the universe that cannot be fully shared with
words. There is no central registry for Wiccans or other Pagan worshipers:
but its said that for every witch who belongs to a coven, there are at least
10 more solitaries (witches practicing alone),
We know cach other through networks, newsletters and
gatherings. And except in agreed-upon situations, we have no hierarchy
There is no administrative Queen or King of the Witches. (In Circle, yes,
the priestess is in charge; but in the mundane business of the coven, her
vote is no weightier than anybody elsc's, though her influence may be
strong.)
‘Although Wiccans in many states (and around the world) are still
working to establish and protect our civil rights, we have already achieved
much. For instance, Wicea is an officially recognized *dog tag” religion as
far as the United States' armed services are concerned. The Federal
government, at least, has accepted that it is a “real” religion. Your right to
practice Wicca, even in prison, is protected under the First Amendment
(That doesn't mean it will be casy. If it were always casy, we wouldn't call
it exercising our rights!)
Neo-Paganism
Wicca, Asatrtt and other Heathen faiths, and Druidry are often all
classified as Neo-Pagan religions. Although cach is distinct in theology and
practice, they have much in common, and followers recognize their kinship
2s modern Pagans. Neo means “new,” and the term Neo-Pagan lets us know
we're talking about modern-day religions rather than classical Paganism ~
like ancient Greek and Roman and Egyptian - and even carlier practices
(Asatrtt and Druidry are older than Wicea, but no religion survives over
centuries without change) Neo-Paganism is a broad term that refers not
only to Wicea, Druidry, and Asatr but also to a number of lesser-known.
forms of non-Abrahamic spiritual beliefs and practices, like Goddess
worship and Neo-Shamanism, along with a varicty of solitary (individual)
Nature-based practices.
“Neo-Paganism” is a religious catcgory, similar to “Christianity” in
that it encompasses a fairly wide variety of faiths, different in some ways
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
and alike in others. Thus, it appropriate to recognize Neo-Pagan religions
individually, and also appropriate to acknowledge that they are related.
The differences among them justify providing separate Wiccan,
Asatrt, and Druidic services when this is possible: and their similarities
make it reasonable to allow Neo-Pagan inmates, when they wish to do so,
toattend services of any Neo-Pagan path when those of their own faith are
not offered
There is a (slowly) growing number of Pagan prison ministrie
many of which serve followers of all these religions. In each faith, some
priest/esses may be “cross-trained.” which means they may be competent
to conduct services for more than one Neo-Pagan faith. In many
communities, services open to the public are attended by members of many
faiths, and some community rites combine Wiccan and/or Druid and/or
Asatrt clements. We appreciate the differences among our religions, but
still feel 2 kinship and solidarity as Neo-Pagans.
Part Two: WICCAN BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
The Goddess and the God
We worship differently than our ancestors did - and we will never
know exactly how our ancestors worshiped -~ but
| theidea thatthe Godsare partof the universe and
a not separate from it has come down to us intact
| Ritual seill arrunes witches to natural cycles. The
oF cight Sabbats we've come to recognize re-cnact
| the Gods lfe cycle on the Wheel of the Year
cles, called Esbats (pronounced “c
jfi’_‘ bats") honor the Goddess' triple aspect
The atie! mages of cur Our primary image of deity is female. In
Goddes, the Great Nober, nature, the female of the species produces the off-
o 8000 years a. The
e e o s Gog,spring, so we concludle that we are the children of
the Homed Hunter, are a Mother Goddess. Our God is also Her child. The
35000 years od. We may Goddess is all that is generative and eternal, and
undesiang e dferent
e s oy the God is all that dies and is reborn.
these moges are st Sheis Everything; the creative void, the grave
meaning andsecredodsy. and womb together. Her Maiden, Mother and
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Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
Crone aspects are represented by the waxing, full and waning Moon. She is
the “soulof nature that gives life to the universe.” as the Chargeof the Goddess
puts it
He s the grain we harvest in the Autumn and replant in the Spring
He s the buck we hunt to cat this winter, reborn in next year's fawns. He
is our experience and our inheritance, physical, psychological and spiritual
We sce Him in the Sun's annual waxing and waning, in the greening and
fading vines and grains, and in wild animals with horns or antlers. The Sun
and the Stag are His most common symbols. (He has nothing to do, by the
way, with the Christian Satan - Wicca does not recognize “the devil")
One of Wicea's most beautiful picces of liturgy is The Charge of the
Goddess. It's a poetic explanation of our relationship to deity. Originally
written by the late Dorcen Valiente for Gerald Gardner, the Charge has been
modified by many of the Traditions that use it. The version below was
modified by Lady Garr
Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
Who of old was known as Artemis, Astarte, lss, Cerriduwen, Diana, Brigid
and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and
better it be when the Moon is ful, you shall gather together in some sacred
place, and adore the spirit of Me, queen of all the witches. You who would
learn magic, but have not yet gained the deepest secrets, there | will teach
you. There you shall be truly free.
Sing! Feast! Dance! Make music and love, all in My honor, for
Mine is the spirit of ecstasy, and Mine also is joy on Earth. Love unto all
beings is My law. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it, and
let nothing turn you aside. For Mine s the secret door that opens upon the
Land of Youth, and Mine is the cup of the wine of life, that is the Cauldron
of Cerridwen and the holy Grail of immortality. On Earth, | give
knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond death, I give peace, freedom
and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do | ask aught of
sacrifice, for behold, | am the Mother of all things, and My love is poured
forth upon the Earth.
Now hear the words of the Star Godldess,
the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and Whose body
encircles the universe:
1, who am the beauty of the green Earth, and the white Moon
amongst the stars, and the mystery of the Waters, and the desire in all
f
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
hearts, call upon your soul. Arise and come unto Me, for | am the soul of
Nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed, and
unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices,
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and
reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your
seeking and yearning shall avail you not, unless you know the Mystery:
that if that which you seek you find not within yourself, you shall never
find it without. For behold, | have been with you from the beginning, and
I am that wh is attained at the end of desire.
The Grear Mother and the Horned Hunter have many aspects
Various cultures emphasize various *faces” of the Gods. Many Wiccans say
“all Goddesses are one Goddess; all Gods are one God." Others believe that
cach named deity is a distinct entity. What deities or aspects of deity -
what forces of nature ~ are most important to people? That depends on
where they live - what the land and the weather are like, who the neighbors
are, what grows wild and what game s available. This is why there are so
many pantheons, and so many names for the Gods.
The Elements
A A v V We consider the Elements - Earth,
Air, Fire, and Water, as well as Spirit -
to be holy, and we accord the essent
or spirit of these Elements the same
courtesy we show the Gods. Many of
us address them as “Guardians of the Watchtowers” of the four Directions
(North, East, South and West), or as “Old Ones” or “Powers” of their
Directions. We also address the; s as “Guardians” of the Elements
- Guardians of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. We call upon the Elements or
Guardians to strengthen and guard our Circles and to bless and consecrate
our Tools. Most of us use the symbols illustrated here to represent the
Directions and Elements.
East South Wet Noah
Air Fiw Water Tanth
essen
Other Beliefs
Wiccans say that lfe, the universe and everything is holy. V
personify this concept of immanent deity as Goddess(es) and God(s). They
are not in opposition, They're dancing; and Wicea's basic belicfs begin with
Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
this idea: life here and now is sacred, and the “dance of life” - the Spiral
Dance - is holy,
@Humanity's natural state is harmonious and “at one” with Nature
@There's plenty of ignorance, fear, and chemical imbalance, but no
organized presence of “evil.”
@This world and the spirit worlds (matter and encrgy) are equally
wonderful and “good.”
@Magic is a natural force, just like gravity. How you use it is your
responsibility.
Sexual Attitudes
Because there's no conflict between the physical world and the
spiritual world, there’s no condemnation of our bodies and their functions
or pleasures. The human body is beautiful, and sacred, not dirty or nasty or
“bad”
In Wicea, sexuality is an affirmation of life, and therefore sacred
Expressions of love between consenting adults are blesséd acts. The skills
of witcherat do not depend on gender or on sexual orientation. Male or
female, gay or straight, you can learn to ground and center, shield yourself,
visualize, and meditate. You can commune with the God/dess. Study and
mastery of other Craft skills and lessons should be unaffected too.
On the whole, Wicea has no problem with homosexuality, being
transgender, or with alternative lifestyles. Of course, you don't have to be
non-binary to be a Wiccan, nor does being Wiccan mean that a person is
gay or lesbian (or bi-sexual or transgendered)
Some Traditions believe that magic is best powered by the polarity
of male and female working partners; not all covens/Traditions are
comfortable with LGBTQ energy. However, most witches agre that there
is a little of both Goddess and God in all of us. Jungian psychology has
asserted this for decades now, so the public is not tnfamiliar with the idea
In cveryday terms, this means women can change tires and men can
change babies without bending our genders. In Wiccan terms, it means
that both men and women can raise and work with masculine and feminine
energy. That's because when we talk about “feminine” energy, we mean
“receptive” energy; what we call “masculine” energy is “projective.” A
practiced witch should be able to draw upon whichever is needed. As a
battery needs both its poles to function, so do we. We don't have to be
typecast in our Circles,
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
Even Traditions with very strict rules about gender balance are less
exclusive now than they were ten or even five years ago, and are beginning
to tolerate varying sexual orientations. There is nothing in the liturgical
material to suggest any condemnation or prohibition. The cclectic Pagan
community has never had a problem with gay and lesbian witches, and if
you run into prejudice, it's probably that other person's personal problem.
Sin and Evil
As mentioned above, there is no place in Wicea's cooperative
universe for a conscious, supernatural, capital E Evil. There's ignorance,
there's fear - and greed and selfishness -~ and there’s unbalanced brain
chemistry, but there's no sentient source or reservoir of Evil. In fact, there’
nothing supernatural because “Nature” is everything, Everything. is
connected to everything else. Harmony is humanity’s natural state.
There is no concept of “original sin” in Wicca. There is no idea that
mortal lfe s dirty or *bad.” You can do things wrong, and do wrong things,
but the God/dess is not watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake
50 $/he can punish you. We learn from our and make up for mistakes in this
life, and in future lives.
The Goddess and God are cooperative partners, not adversaries. We
do not see mortality as a separation or a punishment, but as an experience
that expands and enhances the eternal. Wiccan thealogy! is organized
around the complementary principles of Individuality and Wholeness.
Reincarnation
Wiccans believe in reincarnation. We don't aim to escape the
mortal cycle, we aim to explore and enjoy it
How does it work? Well, there are lots of answers to that question.
Some folks think you always come back on Earth, as human; some say your
gender switches every time. Some say you can come back as an animal, or
to another planet. Some say yourll always be with your same core group,
and some say you meet new souls all the time.
Now, in the natural world we know, there’s lots of ways that life
reproduces and returns after death. One way or another, new life springs
e spell “thealogy” wih an “s" sothat it means “study of e Goddess and Her reltionship to s
and the rest of e The spelling s actributed (by Starhawk) to Naomi Goldberg
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Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
from the compost of death — and it scems likely that reincarnation works
in more than one way, too. What matters is that when we expect to come
back, we try to get the work of each life - inner and outer - done before we
g0. 50 it's not waiting for us when we come back.
Environmental Issues
By mecting at the Moons and celcbrating the Sabbats we keep
ourselves attuned to natural cycles, including our own and cach other'
Living in tune with our environment and our companions is one purpose in
life
Varied though the forms of ife on this planet are, we have more in
common with them than we have differences from them. We believe that
our ancestors in faith, “cave men,” felt a decp kinship with Nature, and
Wicca offers us a chance to reestablish that deep kinship now. As part of
this, many witches are committed to environmental issues and participate
in recycling and other ecologically conservative programs, as well as animal
advocacy programs and civil/human rights cfforts.
‘There's no Official Wiccan Position on any of th
Wiccan's responsibility to think them through, and base our opinions and
actions at least in part on our religious belicfs.
WICCAN HOLY DAYS: Sabbats and Esbats
Each of the cight points on the Wheel of the Year s called a Sabbat.
At each Sabbat, witches celebrate the appropriate aspect of the God's lfe
Whether He is being born at Yule, marrying the Goddess at Beltane or
dying in the Mabon harvest, we celebrate the eycle of His lfe. Different
Traditions have different ways of symbolizing these, but such celebration
is always the focus of a Sabbat.
When we gather at a particular phase of the Moon (usually full or
new), our meetings are called Esbats (pronounced “ess-bat”). The Esbat
focuses on and honors the Goddess. In Her Charge She tells us that
whenever we have need of anything, we should call upon Her, and that in
our Moon Circles She will teach us. She also reminds us that if we don't
find power within ourselves, we won't find it “out there” cither.
When magic is needed, it's done at an Esbat. Just as often, though,
we practice meditation and related skills, chant, drum - re-attunc ourselves
to the natural cycles and to our own thoughts and feclings and goals.
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Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
The Wheel of the Year
Witches observe lunar (Moon- related) and solar (Sun-related) holy
days, and several rites of passage, with ritual designed to evoke the Crat's
spiritual and ethnic (Anglo-Celtic) heritage. Thirteen full or new Moons
and eight solar Sabbat lebrated every year.
Witcheraft was originally an agricultural religion. The liturgical
calendar was first based on the farmers' cycle of planting, growing, harvest
and fallow scasons. Two seasons, Winter and Summer, were recognized,
and holy days were designated and observed from that perspective., Later,
the astronomical holy days, the Solstices and Equinoxes, were added to the
Wheel. The result is a paradoxical Wheel of the Year, which we accept as
symbolic of the Mystery of Life, which is immortal and mortal at the same
time
ar
Thus the Wheel of the Year, the calendar - illustrated below - can
be a subject of meditation and study as well as a chronicle of Sabbats.
Wicea's liturgical calendar starts at SAMHAIN. (On the
illustration, look for the Jack o'Lantern. Yule is at the top because it
corresponds to North, not because it's the beginning of the year.)
. )
10/31 nfl,
Yule i
Bridemes
SPESamhain
Ostara
LY n
Beltane,
Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
Samhain s from Gaelic words for “end of summer,” and usually
pronounced “saw-wan” or “saw-wayne.” 1t's the most important Sabbat on
the Wheel: Samhain is the final harvest festival, the witches’ New Year, and
it's a sort of family reunion. We remember and communicate with our
beloved dead, and symbolically share our harvest feast with them. They
witness our New Year's resolutions, too. In addition, Samhain is the time
we ritually unburden ourselves of grudges, attitudes, sorrows, guilts, bad
habits and other such things no longer welcome in our lves.
At YULE, we say the Sun, symbolizing the God, is reborn. Yule is
celebrated at the Winter's Solstice, the shortest day/longest night of the
year. Though it's imperceptible at first,the days do start getting longer after
Yule. Customs like decoratinga tree, garlanding the house, stringing lights,
caroling, and giving presents, go back at least to Roman times; Christians
didn't start celebrating Christmas that way til the mid-1800
BRIDE (say it “brecd"), also known as “Imbole,” “Candlemas,”
“Lady Day” and “Brigid,” is celcbrated around the first of February - when
the days are obviously getting longer. “Imbolc” is Gaclic for “in the belly,”
for this is the time when lambs are born. We honor the growing light and
celebrate lifes potential. Lighting candles encourages the young Sun to
grow ever brighter through the weeks of planting and growing.
Bride is followed by OSTARA. Called after Fostara, an Anglo-
Saxon goddess of Spring, this Sabbat is celebrated on the Vernal Equinox
(about March 21). Coloring eggs to strengthen the Sun and encourage
fertility is a Pagan custom, too, and bunnies were sacred to the Goddess
Balancing our own energy along with the Earth's is the customary focus of
‘Wiccan Ostara rituals.
Most everyone has heard of May Day; we call it BELTANE (look
out for various spellings) and yes, Wiccans really do dance the Maypole. (If
you can't dance with real ribbons, try it with energy ribbons that you
Visualize as you circle the ‘pole and imagine the braid they're making)” At
this Sabbat we're celebrating fertility of all sorts, from making babics to
coming up with brilliant ideas. We are also acknowledging our sheer joy at
being alive and part of such a marvelous universe. Many Traditions
cclebrate Beltane as the wedding of the Goddess and God
Mid-Summer is called LITHA (usually pronounced “lec-ha’), and
marks the Summer Solstice, about June 2lst. The Sun s at His height now.
After this day, though, the hours of daylight will begin to diminish. So we
celebrate strength and abundance, not forgetting that the God has now
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begun to dic.
The first harvest festival of the year is LAMMAS, celebrated around
the first of August. Traditionally, we feast on “first fruits,” such as
strawberries. A bounty awaits us, both of crops to gather and personal
goals and projects coming to maturity,
The second and main harvest festival is the Autumn Equinox, called
MABON (most often pronounced may-bahn). At this festival, harvested
stalks of grain symbolize death and rebirth -- death of the stalk that is cu,
but rebirth through its seed. This is Wicca's Thanksgiving. We honor the
gifts that the Earth has given us through the Grain (and Game) God's
willing sacrifice
Part Three: PRACTICING WICCA IN PRISON
Practicing the Craft is very different in prison than on the outside.
However, the adjustments you need to make while you're incarcerated will
sharpen your “energy skills” and those skills wil serve you well for the rest
of your life. And while you'll learn some new ways of practice if you follow
Wicea after your release, there are some things that are constant, no matter
where or when or with whom you Circle.
Etiquette
One consequence of practicing Wicea in prison is that it's hard to
anticipate moving into Wiccan groups on the outside. You have to make a
ot of compromises inside, and it can he hard to know how to act in other
Circles. But there are some common-sensi s you'll always be safe
observing, Here's the text of a flyer Lady Garr's been distributing for some
time now; it will work just as well for outside Circles as for those you can
cast now,
Are you new to a Wiccan ritual Circle? Are you unsure of proper
manners, yet don't want to chance offending others? It's really easy to
participate, if your mind is open. The clergy conducting the rites would be
happy to answer questions, either before the casting of the Circle or after
its conclusion. Honest curiosity is welcomed.
Enter the Circle with a spirit of love, trust, and an open mind. This
is a religious ceremony, and casting the Circle creates our sacred space.
Followers of other paths are welcome, providing they can bring a positive
attitude to the experience. It's like going to a service at another church or
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synagogue, but this ceremony is a Wiccan one, honoring both Goddess
and God.
When you come to Circle, be prepared to stay for the duration.
Use the rest room, or get a drink if you need to beforehand. Purify yourself
s much as possible before coming to the Circle. Take a shower and
change clothes if possible. Clear your mind of the stresses of the day. Deep
breaths are helpful. Once the Circle s cast, do NOT leave the Circle
without asking the Priest/ess to open a Door. That would be like walking
through the wall of a church, and is disrespectful and disruptive to the
energy.
In general, ALL activities in Circle progress deosil (which is usually
pronounced “day-o-sll,” and means clockwise, or turning toward your
right), with the possible exception of closing the Circle. Synchronizing
motion keeps the energy flowing smoothly, so take your cues from the
clergy conducting the ritual. If in doubt, turn clockwise.
Often, a part of the ritual includes sharing blessed cakes and drink
among the participants. At public Circles, the beverage is always non-
alcoholic. If you cannot share, take a tiny piece of cake and sprinkle it on
the ground or in the libation bowl. A small offering may be poured from
the cup as well. Ours is a nature religion. As the Gods share with us, somay
we share with the Gods.
We often conclude “prayers” by repeating “Blesséd be,” or “So
mote it be,” etc. Please join in.
DO NOT, at any time, touch anyone’s personal ritual tools or
jewelry without permission of the owner. This includes articles on the altar,
as well as any ious items a witch is wearing. We put a lot of our own
psychic energy into these things, the focus of which may be scattered by
the vibrations of another's touch. If in doubt, sk first.
ETHICS
Many people are initially attracted to Wicca by the idea of doing
magic. Well, magic is real, but it's not like what youve seen on TV or in
Hollywood movies. No flashes of fire or puffs of smoke, and no monstrous
creatures forming out of thin air. No getting other people to “do your
bidding, “cither, no matter what you sce in the backs of some magazines.
Magic's been defined in many ways: as “the art of changing
consciousness at will” as *foll parapsychology, an art and science designed
to enable people to make effective use of their psychic talents.” as “the art
of sensing and shaping the subtle,” and as “the projection of natural
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energies to produce needed effects” In practical terms, magic is doing @
thing on the “inner” or “astral” planes so that it will also happen on the
material plane.
Let's go over the ground rules. In magic - and everything clse we do
- we are guided by two rules. The first is to do no harm in the expression
of our will, and the second is that what we put into the world will come
back to us “three-fold." Because we believe in reincarnation, and expect to
come back, we like to leave our karma cleancr than we find it
The Wiccan Rede
The Wiccan Rede is short and sweet. “An [if] you harm none, do as
you will™ (There are longer versions, but they are Tradition-specific, and
this is the unembellished original) But there are three tricky words in the
Rede: harm, none, and will. Let's take a quick look at how Wiceans are likely
to interpret them.
Harm? If what you're doing puts somebody elsc in a position you
wouldn't want to be in, don't do it. Apart from a few obvious basics, which
the penal code pretty well covers, there s no single definition. Certainly if
you leave somebody without options, you harm them. But ... them?
This brings us to the second tricky word, none. On the whole, this is
not taken to mean that we shouldn't kill mosquitocs, for instance. The
individual mosquito invading your veins and draining your blood has
forfeited its rights .. but mosquitoes as aspecies have as much right to make
aliving as you do. So yes, one on one, you can kill a mosquito, but it would
be wrong to try to kill them dll
In those species where individuality is substantial and meaningful,
though, we are hound to respect individual lives as well as the right of the
species to exist. Harming none doesn't mean we shouldnt ever cut any
trees. It docs mean we shouldn't cut down all of one kind, or all the ones in
one place. “Life feeds on life,” we say, and that includes not just the literal
meat and grain and fruit we actually cat, but also the way we use the
environment - from cutting trees or quarrying blocks of stone for buildings
to polluting, Respect for Others and a sense of personal responsibility is
behind everything we do, every decision we make.
There are other more comprehensive discussions of “harm,” of
course, but ultimately, cach of s has to think about all these things and
develop our own understanding. (This is one aspect of taking personal
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responsibility.)
What about willz What does that mean? It means more than “really
want.” Our “true will” is our decpest calling, our purpose in life. Sometimes
people have an idea early on, and sometimes it takes years, even a whole
lifetime, to discover our true wills. It's like being enrolled in college and
not knowing what you want to major in
What you do then is take classes that will make a good foundation
for any major ficld you might choose. So i is with Wicca, too. If you haven't
found your vocation yet, you start with the basics, and open yourself to
inspiration.
The Three-fold Law
We dll answer to the Three-Fold Law: what we put into the world
is what we get back, multiplied. The only slightly tricky word here s threc.
Lots of people think the Three-fold Law means that if you do something
wrong, then three similar bad things will happen to you. If you spill coffee
on somebody, three people will spill some on you
‘That interpretation forgets that three is a magical number, and
must be taken more than literally. There's the trio of the physical, psycho
emotional and spiritual or astral planes, and everything that happens,
happens in these three areas for all of us. So it's reasonable to expect
repercussions from all these “realms,” not just the physical. That literal
interpretation also forgets that the Threc-fold Law is not a threat of
punishment. The good stuff you do comes back, too
The Three-fold Law reminds us that the universe is wider and
deeper than we can imagine from this physical perspective, and that what
we individuals do in this physical state actually has an effect everywhe
and forever. The Three-fold Law is a promise that we're important and we
matter.
Although the Rede and the Law apply to every aspect of our lives,
not just the magic we do, we like to make i clear that the Rede and the Law
doguide our practice of magic, very strictly.
You do magic for your own life, for your needs and for personal
growth. You do magic without malice to anyone else. You don’t do
‘magic on somebody else’s life - not even “good” magic - unless you have
their permission. (No fudging or bending: not without permission.)
You don't do magic “against” anyone.
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Initiation
Initiations are ritual dramas that make a persons membership in a
coven official, and/or mark a step toward the Pagan clergy. Can you initiate
yourself? Many people fecl that you can dedicate yourself to the Craft, but
that someone clsc has to initiate you.
The thinking behind this is that a person has to be initiated into
something, such as a coven or other group. If you are on your own, you have
nothing to initiate yourself into. Even so, Wiccan “sclf-initiation” is
accepted by many eclectic witches, but generally not past the First Degree.
Where dedications may be done by carnest but not yet well-educated
followers, initiations mark commitment to the God/dess after a period of
study and practice.
Most (but not all) initiatory Wiccan Traditions use a three degree
system. Very generally, a First Degree indicates full membership in the
coven, and a basic knowledge of belicfs and practices. Second is an
authorization to teach and to lead a coven under supervision, and Third is
full ordination to any and all privileges, responsibilitics and authority of the
coven and/or Tradition. If you are a solitary witch or following a non-
initiatory Tradition of Wicca, you'll find other ways of measuring your
progess.
Responsible priest/esses do not initiate people they don't know and
consider ready. Many Traditions require at least a year and a day of study
and practice before the First Degree, and that long again before any further
degrees are given. This is to protect the coven and the student. When you
take initiation into a coven or a Tradition, you are creating very strong
bonds between yoursclf and your initiators. Your encrgies are co-mingling
and everyone involved is accepting some very serious responsibilities. You
do not want to rush into this psychic intimacy too quickly. Take your time
exploring the local Pagan community when you get out, and take the time
to get to know people before you ask anyone to be your teacher.
Do not get involved with a priest/ess or teacher who does not allow
questions and/or discourages you from reading on your own or visiting
other Circles. A good teacher will always be willing to explain (at least
partially) why things are done in a particular way, and a teacher who
resents being asked is either ego-bound or doesn't know the answer.
(Teachers can't know all the answers, but good ones are always ready to
Took for the answers with you.)
You don't have to be initiated to be a witch, but you do have to be
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initiated to clim to be a member of an established Tradition; and some
covens require members to be initiated into their group. Being initiated
doesnt make you a better witch than somebody who isn't nitiated. It only
means you are a full-fledged member of an initiatory coven or Tradition.
It's casy to think that people will think more of you if you claim
high Degree, but out in the world, people worth impressing will judge you
more by your character, your attitudes and behavior in the world, than by
any formal Degrees. (Everybody will think less of you if they find out you've
claimed an initiation you haven't taken! And reading a ook by someone
who follows 2 particular Tradition doesn't make you a member of that
Tradition, even if you follow the practices the book describes.) If you end
up in an initiatory group, fine; but dont go after initiation just to be able to
say you have a Degree. That's an unworthy approach.
BASIC SKILLS
We all begin by mastering our own cnergy. (“Energy” in this sense
includes all your emotions and all your thoughts and attitudes.) Start by
learning how to sense and control your own energy. This is especially
important in prison, where you can personally control almost nothing but
your own energy
Grounding and Centering
Grounding connects you to the energy of Earth. You can let excess
stresses drain away to be transformed by the Mother, and learn to draw
from that source at need. Grounding and centering involves paying
attention to your breathing, calming your thoughts, remembering your
natural dignity and not letting yourself be st off by what is happening
around you.
OPractice breathing to the rhythm of your heartheat. Inhale for four
beats, hold your breath for two, and exhale for six. Learn to slow your
breath down, to fill your lungs completely ... and be careful not to
hyperventilate.
Olmagine yourself as a tree with roots that go deep into the carth,
and branches that disappear into the sky. Through your roots, pull up the
safe and strong energy of the carth and feel it rise through your body
Release it through your branches, and feel it flow back to earth around you
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Coordinate this cnergy flow to your decp, slow breathing and find yourself
calm and peaceful. Gradually scttle this energy within you and withdraw
your roots and branches slowly back to your center, letting any extra
energy drain back into the carth.
OPay attention to the seasonal cyele. Notice different stars in the sky
at different times of the year. Notice that the sun slants differently acros:
the yard as the seasons change. Sec if there are any changes in the way you
feel that are linked to the Moon's cycle. As your attention to these natural
details increases, you will find it easier to center yourself in Nature
0¥ou can also work to find your own physical center of balance,
usually near your belly. Finding this center point and focusing on it before
beginning any energy work will help you stay balanced as you proceed.
Shielding
Many people drawn to Wicca find that they have a significantly
above-average amount of psychic sensitivity. Plainly stated, they are quick
to pick up the feelings around them, and, when untrained, may be unable
todistinguish their own emotions from those received from others. Because
many feclings in a prison setting are of anger, resentment, hostility and
depression, this is undesirable and unpleasant. It may foster acting out,
causing discipline problems. An inmate once confided that a period in “the
hole” was welcome as a quict break from all the psychic babble of the dorm
room.
The cure for this problem is to learn how to shield yourself from
unwanted input. With practice it is not difficult, and can become
automatic. This will allow you to build a safe and quiet place in your mind.
The degree of filtering can be controlled as well,for times of extreme stress
o when reception of others' feclings is desired. This can also be used to
protect others if you find yourself in a rotten mood that you don't want to
inflict on those around you. Two separate methods, of the many available,
are presented here.
In all cases, ground and center beforc doing these exercises. This
provides energy for the shicld and insures that it is properly anchored
within,
The Ball of Light
At your center, picture a tiny bubble start to form of glowing light
It can be any color that scems right to you. Feel it glowing brightly within
you with warmth and strength. Using encrgy from the carth, fecd the
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bubble and let it grow. It expands slowly, as you feed it more and more
light. Picture it expanding, glowing brightly, until it grows larger than your
body and surrounds you wih brilliant light. You are safe and secure within
your fortress of protection.
Now slowly pull this bubble back toward you, letting it cling to
your form like a second skin. It fits perfectly and still glows brightly. Your
body might tingle a bit. Program your shield to filter out all negative and
hurtful thoughts, letting them drain away to the Earth for cleansing
However, tell it to let through the positive and healing energies, for to block
all input s sterile and unhealthy. Now focus your mind on the shicld,
commanding it to stay with you always
When you feel the shield is securely in place, take a decp breath,
and reach down to touch the ground. This anchors the shicld in Earch, as
well as within you, leaving a source of power for it even when your
attention is elsewhere. Let any excess energy drain into the ground as well,
and return your attention to the everyday world. This technique can be
repeated at future times to reinforce and strengthen the protection.
The Aura Condom
“This technique uses a graphic image that works especially well for
men. After grounding and centering, picture a giant condo of energy that
you hold in your hand. Raise it above your head, and slowly pull it down
over your entire hody. As it stretches over you, focus on it filtering out all
the negative energies but letting the “good stuff” through. Pull i all the way
to the ground, either by stretching to touch the floor, or just visualizing
that in your mind. This shield is casily taken on or off at will, and can be
done quickly after a bit of practice.
Release of Anger and Stress
It is important to get rid of anger and stress for several reasons
First, it is generally unhealthy to hold grudges, and wasteful to organize
your life around getting even. Stress not only contributes to many health
problems, but actually is a health problem all by itself. For people with
hypertension or other “nervous” problems, it's even worse. Therefore, it's
important to develop ways of releasing your stress and anger safely.
For this exercise you can use a tissue or one o two sheets of toilet
paper. Holding the paper flat in your hand, focus your anger and stress into
it. Visualize your anger. Does it have a shape? a color? Does it appear as a
stain or spill on your tissue? Practice your visualization skills (sce below)
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to sce your bad feelings materialize on the paper. Then fold the paper up,
and as you make each fold, let yourself fecl less and less anger and stress
Flush the folded paper the next time you go to the bathraom.
Every shower is an opportunity for psychic bathing, too. Remember
the power of Water to cleanse and create. Sce the water glowing with light
As you shower, brush left-over angers and annoances off you with long,
sure strokes. Sce them going right down the drain.
Visualization
Visualization is the art of creating and holding an image in your
head. Most exercises and many rituals require basic visualization skills
Practice remembering and holding a detailed image in your mind.
Look carefully at a real object for two minutes. Then take some time to
pictureit exactly in your mind. As your skills improve, you'll be able to hold
the image longer, and you'll be able to turn it around in your mind to see all
sides of it
Involve all your senses in visualization, not just sight. Fecl coolness
or heat in the air, hear birds or waves lapping or animals moving through
the woods. Smell a rose-garden or the sca or a great meal. Feel the sand
between your toes and the roughness of a mountainside. Taste salt and
honey. If visualization moves you to laughter or tears, let it
Elemental Meditations
AIR (East)
Asitting comfortably in your Circle, ground and center. Imagine
yourself on a windswept hillside; feel the wind in your face. Smell the
mountain chill in the air, the scent of snow o grass or wildflowers. Imagine
yourself in other environments and feel the difference in the wind, in the
currents of the air.
AVisualize your mind as an attic with some neat stuff and some
junk stored in it, everything covered in thick, thick cobwehs. See a window
at one end of the attic, and open it. Watch a seasonal wind blow in and
begin to ripple the cobwebs. Let the wind blow until the cobwebs have
been cleared out.
FIRE (South)
Avisualize a campfire in a safe circle of stones. Sce it burning
strongly, and watch the flames. See the delicate turns and leaps the flames
make. See what shapes emerge for you. Light this campfire sometimes in
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the mountains, sometimes on the beach, the prairic or in a forest clearing,
AThink of your own energy as a hearch fire. Think about ways to
control your energies, so that the hearth fire is never too big (so as to
destroy the house) or too small (to let the house get cold, and the food go
uncooked).
WATER (West)
Think of cleansing rains; think of your frustrations as dusty, roc]
littered sidewalks, and let a downpour of rain, which stands for the waters
of birth and rebirch, wash them clean.
Vln the shower (or washing hands or even flushing the toilet)
visualize your built-up annoyances and bad moods washing off you and
down the drain. When you fecl low and like weeping, have compassion for
yourself.
EARTH (North)
'See yourself in a vast, dark and cool forest. Hear and smell
everything around you - the dark, fertile carth beneath your feet, the scent
of pines, the rustle of deer and other forest creatures. Sit down with your
back against a tree and let the patience of its long years flow into you
Visualize lying on the ground, your arms and legs outstretched,
and letting the soft carth cradle you. Let your angers and fears drain out of
your body into the carth, to be recycled. Know and trust that the carth will
Support you.
Part Four: WICCAN TOOLS AND ALTARS
Anwich's first, best and most important tool i, of course, his or her
mind and the control s/he develops over t. Our lore (stories, not history)
tells us that in the Burning Times, it was not safe to keep or use any tools
that could be identified with witcheraft. (It is true that the peasants of
Britain and Europe were lliterate, and therefore had o Books of Shadaws.)
Restricted as your collection and use of tools may be, we know that we can
get along with even le
You will read about a number of witches' tools that you will not be
permitted to keep or use. THATS OKAY! The power is in you, not in your
tools. We'll talk about these tools anyway, so that you know what they're
for when you can use them; and yourll learn what you can use instead in the
meantime. (In some books, tools are called “weapons,” but they are not ever
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used as mundane weapons.)
First: hefore you use a tool in your Circle, you need o conscerate it
~ dedicate it to religious usc only. Youll be doing this with your hands and
breath, so wash your hands and cleanse your mouth before you begin. As
youdo'so, understand that you are using your body as a tool, and must move
and breathe and act as an agent of holiness while you are working in your
Circle
Consecration
In the names of each Element in turn, and in the names of the Great
Mother and the Horned God, declare that this tool will never be used for
harm. Touch your tools, and bless them, with each clement as you
consecrate them. If your tools are used for mundane purposes between
Circles, reconsecrate them before each ritual,
Some Tools
athame A ritual blade used to project personal energy on the
material and astral planes. It s not used to cut material
objects. Hands and fingers serve the same purpose. Wands
(natural twigs or hand-made) can also be substituted.
bell Can represent East and substitute for incense if necessary
(for health or other reasons)
bowls Used to represent West, to hold Water, to hold Salt and as
alibation bowl, in which to share Cakes and Ale with the
Gods. A paper cup is fine for all of these purposes.
candles Used to mark the compass Quarters of the Circle, and burn
for the Goddess and God on altars, as well as supplyinglight
and being burned for specific magical purposes. Objects or
drawings can substitute as Quarter markers and in spells.
censer (or thurible) Something to burn incense in. Anything practical
will work: it's better if it something you can pick
upand carry.
chalice orgoblet Represents the Goddess, represents West, and is
used during Cakes and Ale. A paper cup is fine
cord Used as a belt for your robe. (Color can be used to signify
initiatory degree.) Traditionally four-and-a-half o nine fect
long to be uscful in drawing a nine-foot Circle, its alsoa tool
for knot-tying magic. For magical purposes, a strand of hair
can be substituted: socan short lengths of string or even the
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gazing ball
‘mirror
oils
pentagram
Salt or Earth
wand
for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
sleeve or leg of a garment.
Usually between an inch and three inches in diameter if
natural and from three inches up if industrially produced,
these are sometimes dark and sometimes clear, with or
without color. Used to scry - see “Mirror” below. (Scrying
is gazing, with a question or concern in mind, at a ball, a
mirror or a bowl of water to sce what images form. The hope
is always that the images will suggest or inspire some
resolution to the question or concern you have in mind.)
Used to sery, not to check the hair. A dark bowl of water or
any dark, reflective surface will work
Used to consecrate tools and worshipers and to catalyze or
seal spells. Sun screen is oil. Mineral oil can be substituted
for any other oil. You can also use the oil on your skin to seal
aspell
The five-pointed star, points connected, with a circle
around it. There are some very claborate models, but a
drawing on a picce of paper will work just as well. D0 This is
a protective symbol. A medallion with this symbol, also
called a pentacle, is worn by most Wiccans.
Used to represent the Element of Earth on the altar; used for
consecration and for protection.
Traditionally the length of your forcarm, of some propitious
waod, cut at the right phase of the Moon. A found twig, or
wand of rolled paper, can work too. A wand channels energy
like an athame does, but is more inviting than commanding,
Prison Altar Gear
Altars
An arrangement of tools on an altar is a representation of the
universe. The altar is usually oriented toward the Norch or the East. On it
are items representing the Goddess and the God. and the four Elements. In
prison, you'll have to do without some tools, and others will have to do
double duty: it's likely that something elsc will have to do double-duty as
your altar. It is a hardship, but you can work with this
1f you can, keep a picce of cloth or a bandana for an altar cloth. You
can also fold your tools up in it before you put them in any other container
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you have for them. You might decorate your altar cloth with signs of the
Directions, using pen or colored markers
The Directions
Keep a feather to symbolize East and Air. The qualities associated
with this Direction include new beginnings, freedom (flight) and
intellect/ideas (quill-pen). A bell may also represent East, and ringing it can
substitute for incense
Use anything small and fire-colored (heart-shaped?) for South and
Fire. The qualities of this Direction and Element include” passion for a
cause, courage, activity, protection, etc. You can also use a picture of the
Sun.
At West and to represent Water, you can use a cup, bowl, or
tumbler. The qualities associated with this Dircction and Element include
the love of friendship, feclings, dreams, and empathy.
Keep a stone or crystal for North and to represent the Earth. The
qualities of this Element and Direction include strength, patience, loyalty,
and confidence
I you are permitted to have stones, look for yellow, red/orange,
blue, and green colors. Small picces of gravel from the prison yard, in
yellowish, reddish, greenish and black colors can suffice. Use them at East,
South, West and North, respectively.
Ilustrations that you draw, color or paint on paper can stand for
the Quarters too. If you are worricd that you can't draw well, remember
that for the magical purposc of Circle, what your drawings mean matters
more than what they actually look like. If you are still shy, you can use the
Quarter symbols illustrated in a previous section of this handbook
Tools in Context
‘We all like to have a lovely collection, and to use our tools when we
can, but we are all capable of working without them. Our bodies provide
everything we need. So are tools really necessary? No, in fact they are not.
Does this mean that no Wiccan or other Pagan inmate should be
allowed to keep any tools? Certainly not! They help to focus the mind, and
are reservoirs of personal energy. When we say they are not necessary, we
mean that not having them should never keep someone from practicing
However, we hold strongly that tools which do not violate rules or threaten
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security must be allowed
You could practice Wicea your whole life, and be quite successful
at it, without ever owning a single tool or picce of jewelry. You could also
walk to do all your errands ~ to the grocery store, to the doctor, to work,
going out to dinner. Walking would get you there, and it's good cx
but you could do your errands and enjoy your life even more if you had a
car. Tools are like that.
And, like cars, tools are double-cdged. Theyll work the way you
want them to ifyou use them properly. Improperly used - without respect,
without attention to protocol ~ tools can get you in trouble just like driving
acar without paying attention can.
Should you get yourself some proper tools when you get out? Yes,
if you can. But colleet them slowly. Don't go out to some occult shop and
buy the whole kit right away. (Some say that all tools should be given to
you, but for solitary practitioners, this is not likely practical) If you find
Yourself a teacher outside, ask what tools you should get first. And when
You decide, shop around
“There's no hurry. It's important to have tools that really “speal” to
you - that feel right in your hand. A tool is something you use to extend
Your own energy, and so, like clothing, it needs to fit you. You won't find
“your” tools all at once, right away. Don't expect to, and do not feel
pressured
In prison, you're learning to work with your body as a tool, and
these techniques of directing energy will always serve you well. It is better
to use your finger to cast a Circle than to use an athame that isn't right for
you. Tools are a convenience for the practicing Pagan, and not a measure of
his or her worth, or of the success of her or his magic. Beware of people who
are more interested in accessories than work
“Tools are more than convenient, of course. They do accumulate the
power we project into and through them, and this power becomes part of
our own reserves. Using tools bonds us to other Wiccans and Pagans,
through time and space; using them properly honors our Gods and our
religion. Our ability to work without tools should never be an excuse
for denying them; and not having them should never be an excuse not
to obscrve and celebrate Sabbats and Esbats or other rites.
Isa picce of jewelry a tool? Yes, it should be. In most Traditions it's
customary for the priestess always to wear a necklace, bracelet, and/or a
ring. This harks back to various mythologies in which the gods of magic
rcise,
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wear such picces. For many of us, certain picces of jewelry - conseerated,
of course - are signs of our faith, and can even work as altar tools when
they're needed to.
You should understand the symbolism of anything you wear, and
even if you have lots of things, you shouldn't wear them all at once. It gives
people the impression you're in it for shock value and not for really making
something of your lfe. I you arc n it just to get people’s attention, stop now
and find another hobby.
Book of Shadows
The number of books you can keep is limited. Make one of them
your personal journal, which can double as your Bookof Shadows. (This may
well be your second most important tool - your mind being the first.) A
Book of Shadows is the hand-written journal most Wiccans and other
witches keep.
In it, you record the rituals and exercises you do (when, how you
prepared, what you used on the altar, what you did and said, what you
intend to accomplish, how you feel about the rite), ideas, hopes, fears,
poems, sketches, questions, notes about the books you've read and so forth.
Write down your dreams. When you think about religion on your own,
when you talk about it with other people, when you read anything, make a
note of what you fecl and think about it. (If you copy passages from other
books into your Book, be sure to note the name of the other book, and its
author.)
There are published Books of Shadows, containing liturgical material
that the book's author has chosen to share. (One such is Enchantment
Encumbered, by Mother Earth Ministries' priestesses, and it's the only one
written especially for inmates.) There's nothing wrong with having onc of
these, but no published “BOS” can substitute for the one in which you keep
your own religious and magical records
Witches’ Bibles
Several books about Wicca have the word *bible” in the title, and
though many of them are worthwhile, none of them are essential. This is
because the Wiccan religion doesn't have a bible equivalent to the one
Christianity uses. Wicea is “experiential.” which means that each of us
experiences rites in our own way, even if we'e in a Circle with others and
Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
all participating in the same ritual. Thus, what all of us need is a book in
which to record the rituals we do, the spells we cast, and the results of our
magic, along with other related material.
CASTING A SIMPLE CIRCLE
Casting a Circle equates to building a church. You are creating
sacred space. You need to be grounded and centered before you begin. You
should never do magic in anger or when you are depressed, because those
feelings will corrupt your work.
A Wicean Circle represents the world, so you will use all the
clements to cast it. Stand in the middle of the space you are using. Know
where the Dircctions are (North, East, South and West). Begin at North or
at East.
(If you are angry or depressed, do one of the exerciscs to release
anger and stress. If you are depressed, try some meditation to put your
concerns in perspective. If possible, ery ~ because erying actually purges
your body of some of the chemicals that are affecting your mood. There have
been studics analyzing tears that come from anger, sorrow, fear and
depression, and the chemical make-up of each of those kinds of tears is
different. Tears carry *bad chemicals™ out of our bodies. Women have
known forever that “a good ery makes you feel better,” and we know how
that works. Its still hard for a lot of people, especially men, to cry; and it
may be especially risky in prison. Nevertheless, if you feel like crying and
you can, without sctting yourself up for a lot of hassles, do it.)
Drawing (Casting) the Circle
Outside, this is usually done with a sword or an athame. To draw
the Circle without a blade, extend your “power” arm (right if you're right-
handed, left if you're left) and point your index finger at the floor in front of
you. Now, moving clockwise, visualize drawing an electric blue line of Fire
on the floor, in a circle around you. You can do this in silence, or you can
say that you're drawing the Circle to make it a safe and strong place to
worship. When you get back to your starting point, the circle of blue light
is closed. Now you need to purify the space.
Purifying the Space
Purify the space to break down and recyele any negative energy so
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it won't get in the way. Make this holy water with a mixture of Salt and
Water, charging it with your energy. Sprinkle it around your sacred space.
I you cannot use Salt, use a bit of dirt to represent Earth
Incense or a smudge stick combines Fire and Air. Use your own
breath or voice, or a bell, as Air if you must (and your energy as Fire)
Charge the Circle with that as well, instructing it to hold the energy you'll
raise until you are ready to release it to your magical goal. Now you are
ready to “call the Quarters™ These are the compass dircctions and the
Elements and powers they symbolize.
Calling the Quarters
Face each Quarter in turn, beginning where you started to draw
the Circle. Most WiccanTraditions start in the East, the Direction of new
heginnings, symbolizing birth. Some begin at North, the Direction of
mystery and the womb. At each Direction in turn, visualize a pentagram
in front of you so you can look at the middle part.
For each Quarter, visualize an appropriate
scene. Skies, birds, and clouds are common symbols
for East, which stands for Air. (An example for Fast
s at left )
Adesert, tropical scene, or erupting voleano
works for South, which symbolizes Fire. A stream,
lake, waterfall or sea is appropriate to West, which
represents Water. Mountains and forests are
typical for North, which corresponds to Earth
As you hold the image of each Dircction, invite its energy into
yourself and your Circle. From East, invite clarity of thought, wit and
Creativity. From South, draw in enthusiasm and bravery. From West, you
want to bring in compassion, empathy, an awareness of your own feelings
And from North, strength, fitness, patience
Writing your own Quarter Calls is a good way to begin your
relationship with the Elements. Most people say something like, “Hail,
Guardians of the East! Welcome to my Circle! Protect and strengthen my
work with your clear vision” You might refer to the South’s “noble
passion,” the West's “love and intuition” and the North's “strength and
heauty.” Include images that bring the Quarters to lfe for you
Now you have a suitably prepared Circle. You have cleared the space
of any negative “vibes™ and you have drawn a circle of energy to define a
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place of worship and keep it safe. You have acknowledged the Directions
and Elements and brought Their energy and influence in. You have created
amicro-universe. Take a moment now to prepare yoursclf.
Anoint yourself with water and/or kiss the fingertips of your
“power hand” (right if you're right-handed. lft if you're left-handed) and
then touch your forchead. Clear your mind of any left-over cares and
bothers. When you are calm, invoke the Mother Goddess and the Horned
God
Invoking the Gods
In' coven, the Goddess is often invoked into the Priestess. This is
called “drawing down the Moon," and means that she temporarily becomcs
the Goddess. (The God can b invoked into the Priest, too. Called “drawing
down the Sun,” this is usually reserved for Sabbats.) However, the Gods
can also be invoked as the Circle's guests of honor, with the Priestess
serving as hostess (and sometimes as interpreter)
“The Great Mother and the Horned God have many names. Each
‘Tradition of the Craft has its favorites, and you may already know Them by
particular names. f not, invoke Them by Their oldest names:
“Oh, Great Mother, eternal Source, You who are Grave and Womb,
be with me now in my Circle and bless my work”
“Mighty Horned God, Hunter and Hunted, like us you dic and are
reborn! Be with me now in my Circle and bless my work ™
Celebration or Magic
Whatever the “work” of a Circle is, it's done at this point. The
Circle's been cast, fully constructed, and the Quarters and Gods have been
invoked. Everything is ready. Take a moment or two to steady your own
breathing and then you can begin your Work. (“Work,” with a capital W,
is what we call any magical projects we're doing, even if we work on them
outside the Circle too.)
1f you're doing magic, begin with a simple statement of your intent
You might say, “l am going to work now for »and then do whatever
spell you have in mind. While you are doing the work, keep your mind
focused on the intended end result. (Remember that your goal must never
be to hurt or deprive anyone clsc.)
‘When you have finished, say somethinglike, T have done this Work
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toaccomplish AsTwill, so mote it be” When you're done, give
yourself another couple of minutes to steady your breathing again, and then
you can close your Circle:
If you're celebrating a Sabbat, you can begin by saying, “I am here in
this Circle to celebrate . and then go on with your celebration
~ your singing or dancing or whatever clse you have devised. While you are
celebrating, keep your mind on the occasion. When you are finished, you
can say something like, “T've celcbrated and will keep this joy in
my heart.” Take a couple of minutes to steady your breathing,
If at any time you fecl your energy level is too high, put your hands
on the ground or floor, palms down flat, fingers spread, and visualize the
extra energy pouring from your palms back into the ground, like a hose
soaking the carth. Breathe decply and slowly until you feel alert but calm.
Cakes and Ale
An important part of a ritual Circle is called “Cakes and Ale” We
share food and drink with each other and with the Elements and Gods as
well, Both cakes and ale are consccrated: and this ritual meal is called “Cakes
and Ale” (sometimes “Cakes and Wine,” or even “Wine and Cakes™) no
matter what food and drink we're using. It's Cakes and Ale whether it's
gourmet cookies and white wine, rye bread and Guinness, cookics and
milk, or crackers and water.
Some Traditions share a feast with the Gods before the work of the
Circle is done, and some wait until the celebration or the magic is finished.
In some Traditions, members fast several hours before coming to Circle and
sharing that symbolic communal meal.
The elements of the meal represent the Horned God's willing death
to sustain our life. The “cake” is made from grains, and the “ale” is made
from the vines, both symbols of the God and the cycle of life. The Goddess'
hand is in the transformation of His life - grain and vine -- to ours.
On the outside, the ritual knife, representing the God, s plunged
into the chalice holding the ale, representing the womb of the Goddess
This is symbolic of the Great Rite, the sacred marriage, the universe's dance
of fertility that keeps lfe alive Consecrate the “ale” without an
athame by holding your hands over the “chalice” and projecting your own
vitality into the liquid. Visualize it glowing with life. Say, “Blessed is this
ale,that gives us lfe from death.™ If you are sharing the “ale” with someone,
pass the cup with the words, “May you never thirst.” and if you are alone,
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sip from the cup and say, “I will never thirst.”
If you have “cakes.” consecrate them by holding your hands over
them (everyone celebrating should do this) and say “Blessed are these
cakes, that give us life from death.” If there are others in your Circle, cach
of you may take a bite of the cake for yourself, symbolizing our
simultancous togetherness and individuality.
A small portion of both Cakes and Ale is offered to the Gods, by
pouring or crumbling alittle of each onto the ground or into libation bowl
As we do this, we say, “As the Gods share with us, so we share with the
Gods.” (Materially is not the only way the Gods sustain us; sharing Cakes
and Aleis not the only way we nourish them. Our libations and offerings in
Circle arejust tokens. We have a continuing obligation to the God/dess to
repay our lives in everything we do.)
Thanking the Gods
When you are finished with the work of your Circle, thank the
Gods for Their protection and Their participation. Most people say
something like, “Thank you, Great Mother, for entering my Circle and
blessing my work. Go in peace and blesséd be.” and “Thank you, Horned
One, for entering my Circle and blessing my work. Go in peace and blesséd
ber
Dismissing the Quarters
Dismiss the Quarters as you called them, with respect. Beginning
where you started to cast the Circle, move clock-wise (deosil, usually
pronounced “day-o-sill") to each Quarter. Let the image of the pentagram
that you visualized there fade away. As the image fades, thank the
Guardians for their protection and contribution to your Circle and your
work.
Some Traditions do this widdershins (counter-clockwise), ending
on the Quarter where they started the Circle call, because they are
“undoing” their creation. Others dismiss deosil (clockwise)
Opening the Circle
Now is the time to remove the Circle houndaries. Some Traditions
do this deosil (clockwise), while others use the widdershins (counter-
clockuwise) motion for this. With your power hand (or athame), point at
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the floor or ground in front of you. Move around the Circle, visualizing the
line of blue fire being drawn up into your arm. Say something like, “ return
the energy of this Circle back to the Earth, with thanks for its help and
protection.” Keep the energy you need, and channel the rest back to the
ground.
When you come back to your starting place, lay your hands on the
floor (or on your altar, if you have one). Breathe decply and slowly and let
the energy of the ritual drain back tothe carth. When you feel relaxed again,
say that “the Circle is open, but unbroken.” Groups often add, in unison,
“Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.”
Part Five: MAGIC
We're going to repeat ourselves here; this is important. Many
people are attracted to Wicea by the idea of doing magic. Magic is real, but
it's not what you see on TV or in Hollywood movies. No puffs of smoke, no
twitching of noses;: no getting other people to “do your bidding,” no matter
what it says in the back of some magazines.
What is magic? I's been defined in many ways: as “changing
consciousness at will,” as “folk parapsychology.” and ctc. Wiccan writers
and scholars have different takes on exactly how magic works, but there is
general agreement that magic is an intuitive capacity, an evolved
characteristic like an opposable thumb, and just as natural to use.
Just as we learn there are some ways we'd better not use our
opposable thumbs (ot in car doors or under hammers, for instance), we
know there are some ways we'd better not use magic. Let's review: You do
magic for your own life, for your needs and for personal growth. You do
magic without malice to anyone clse. You don't do magic on somebody
clse’s life unless you have their permission. (No fudging or bending: not
without permission) You don't do magic “against” anyonc.
Thus, modern witches do not curse peaple, or do any other magic
to manipulate somebody clse. Even when it comes to healing, we ask
permission before we start casting health-spells! The power of any magic you
do will come back at you harder than you send it out. From thoughtlessly
manipulative magic to deliberately harmful spells, the intent and intensity
will rebound. If you are interested in Wicca or any other witcheraft to get
emotional, psychological or magical power over other people, you will be
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disappointed (or worse)
Every magical endeavor must meet certain criteria. First, you must
not intend to hurt anyone, and you must not intend to help anyone without
their permission. You must need, not merely want, what you are working
for, and what you wish to accomplish must be clear in your mind. Preparing
for a ritual usually takes longer than doing one.
Some Simple Spells
It is always alright to work magically to improve your own life, to
change your own perspective or attitude. These ceremonies will give you
practice in the fundamental techniques of magic, and ease you into the
discipline that witcheraft both requires and develops.
Spells can take many forms. Rhyming couplets are popular: Il finda
jobwhenl amfrec/as | dowill,somote it be is an example. Spells can take the form
of action (planting something, for instance, or dancing). Spells can be
spoken or written, sung, thought, drawn. No matter what form it takes, a
spell is an intention expressed magically. Before you begin, your intent
(healing, protection, personal growth are examples) must be clear in your
mind, and it must be “clean,” which s to say, with no malice toward anyone.
You should do your *housccleaning” ~ grounding and centering,
clearing away any left-over negative encrgies, and cast a basic “blue light™
Circle to meditate. Call the Quarters and invoke the Gods to do any rites or
magic
Protection
@ The simplest method of protection is to “scal” all your entrances
(doors, windows, drains, outlets, vents, cte)) by drawing a line or
sprinkling a grain or two of salt or carth over them. As you do this, ask for
Elemental protections and the blessings of the Gods.
@ Another casy protection spell is to charge a small stone to st
beside cach threshold. Charge it saying, “Stone of strength and vigilance,
keep me safe from malice and accident.”
@ small signs of protection can be drawn on a wall or a floor (in
chalk or salt water), or on a paper kept under one’s pillow or in a pocket
When writing these, and when folding the paper on which you draw a
symbol representing (to you) safety, say, “By this sign and by my faith in
the Gods I call protection from malice and accident ..
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@ You can always, anywhere and at a moment's notice visualize a
globe of energy (a shicld) surrounding you and protecting you from any
dangers you face: Like most magics, these spells need to be recharged at
least monthly (and there’s no harm in recharging them more often)
Healing
30 you are not well, visualize yourself in a bubble of blue orgreen
light. (If another color more strongly represents healing to you, use that
color in your visualization.) As much as you understand what the problem
is, visualize its reversal. Sce yourself standing up and fully recovered.
30C You may also sce yourself being soothed and comforted by
someone close and important to you. It is okay to imagine your mother
stroking your temples, if that's a soothing memory. With the power of your
mind you can trigger your own body's healing respons:
30 For this ritual, you need some water. Two glasscs, one ful,
would be best. One glass and your cupped hand will work. Pour a lttle of
the water into the empty glass or your hand. Project your illness into that
water. (If you have the flu, cough into it, stomach cramps, hold a fist over
it, and so forth) Pour that water out (onto the carth or down a drain)
saying “Back to the Earth with illness.™
s.
Hold the rest of the water up to light or sunshine, and imagine
“vibes” of good health flowing from the light into the water. Drink this
water, first saying, “Into my body with health”” Visualize sunshine and
other images of health flowing into your body as you drink the water.
(The YOC in front of these paragraphs is called the triple Moon. It
represents the waxing, full, and waning phases of the Moon, which is a
symbol of the Goddess.)
Personal Growth
Set a realistic goal. Let's say you want to get in the habit of keeping
ajournal. You can get the paper and pencil, you have the time. So on the full
Moon, when you're in your Circle, visualize that you are walking down a
path in a beautiful garden, full of roses and other flowers, butterflies, a
perfect day. Walking along this path you come to litle cabin, and thei
a woman there. She i old, but her eyes are lively. When you hear the splash
of salmon in the nearby stream, and you see the cauldron steaming heside
the door, you realize that this is the Goddess.
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She asks you why you have come, and you say you have come to
make a vow. Promise the Goddess that you will keep a journal for ... One
weel? Twice or three times a weel? Every day for a month? Three months?
Make a promise you can keep.
When you have kept your promise, visualize going back to the
Goddess' cottage. Let Her tell you that you did a good job, and commit to
your goal for another period of time. Remember to record your experience
in the journal portion of your Book of Shadows
Correspondences
When you do magic, i's like wearing your favorite shirt. You want
it to look great, so you coordinate the rest of your outfit around it. When
we want magic to work, we coordinate all kinds of things to go with it, and
strengthen it
Let's say you want to do magic for a new start in life. Your magic is
about beginnings, so work facing the East, where new days dawn. Do your
magic as close to the hour of dawn as you can, tostrengthen the association
with new starts. Use a white o yellow or other “East-colored” candle. If
you write or draw something, use a new picce of paper and a nw pencil or
marker. Sce how this works? Here's a chart of some associations. (As
additional ones occur to you, make notes in your journal)
As you learn more about Paganism, other ways of doing these (and
other) rituals will occur to you. Keep notes on all your thoughts and ideas
SOME CORRESPONDENCES
EARTH AR FIRE WATER
DIRECTION North East Souch West
color brown, green white, yellow red, orange, biue, green
bizck. gold
SEASON Winter Spring Summer Fall
TIME OF DAY midnighe dawn noon sunset, dusk
ANMAL® st eagle fion salmon
TooL pentacte wande= athames= chalice
ATTRIBUTES physical thought passion, incicion
screngch courage
« Some Tradiors cortespond diferentarimal o the Dirctons, but thes ae typicl.
« Some Traddons pu th athame in A and the vand in Fir. Al he explanaions make sense.
Gor vt your s Jsc be comttent.
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
Part Six: BEING and BECOMING WICCAN
To be Wiccan, you only need to accept the belicfs and start getting
comfortable with the world-view and practices described in this booklet
No one has to give you permission to have a relationship with the Goddes
and God, or to celebrate the Sabbats as your holy days
When you are out in the world and telling people you are Wiccan,
you will be expected to understand the basics, and to be able to conduct
yourself appropriately in a Circle. (If you claim to be initiated or to be
following a particular Tradition, you may be expected to name your
teachers, and to show members of your claimed “Trad" a certificate or other
token.) If your behavior is not consistent with the knowledge you chaim to
have, you may not be well accepted; and if you are unwilling to learn more,
you may be dismissed as a “wannabe” or a “fraud!
In the meantime, before your release, you may decide that Wicca (or
another Neo-Pagan religion) is your personal path, and wish this to be
recognized as your official religious preference. Check with your chaplain
about the forms you need to fill out and/or submit. You may need a letter
from a pricst/ess confirming that you now follow this faith. Ideally, you'd
get this letter from a volunteer or contractor who leads services on the Unit
Lacking that, you can contact MEM's writing priestess. When you
have satisfied her (likely not before you've exchanged two or thre letters)
that you understand the basic belicfs of your chosen path well enough to
be making an informed choice to follow it a supporting letter can be
provided. (Please note that our writing priestess needs to hear about the
tenets [belicfs] of the religion, not about your love of Nature or your psychic
powers.)
References and Resources
If you read more about Wicca and other Pagan faiths, and talk with
other Pagans, you may sce or hear some of these terms. Here's a basic
primer, not comprehensive, but a stat.
GLOSSARY
altar The space where you use your articles of worship.
Everybody wants to have a permanent one, but not
everybody does. It's usually a table of some sort, but shelves
and niches work just fine; in a pinch, so does a lap.
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“as above, so below”
astral
athame
A way of saying that everything is more like everything else
than different from it, and that every world is a metaphor
for all the other worlds.
‘The planes beyond ordinary sound and sight. For example
the afterlife is “on the astral” and so is Jung's collective
unconsciousness. We live on the “material plane.”
A ritual blade used to project personal energy on the
material and astral planes. It is never used to cut material
objects. Hands and fingers can serve the same purpose.
between the Worlds
“blesséd be.”
“There's the World we live in, the “material plane,” also
called the “physical realm.” and then there are the other
Worlds, the astral plancs, the other dimensions, which go
by many names. In our Circles, we are partly in this World,
partly in the Others: hetween the Worlds.
A traditional greeting (coming and going, like “aloha”) that
refers to a ritual blessing. (It's pronounced *bless-cd be)
“The sense s not only of blessing the person you greet, but
also of recognizing that person as a sacred being, naturally
blessed. (Sec also Five-fold Kiss, below.)
Book of Shadows
charm
Dedication
deosil
Your personal collection of rituals, spells, dreams, poems,
meditations, sketches, etc. A person's Book of Shadows is on
the lst of religious items not to touch without the owner's
permission.
Combines material and spoken clements to charge an object
(usually a box or pouch) toward general protection, health
and good fortunc.
Ritual acknowledgment that you're prepared to make a
commitment to study and learn your chosen path
Sometimes a person dedicates themselves to Goddess and
God
A direction of movement, to your right. When we're in a
Circle, we have to move around - go from Quarter to
Quarter, back to the alar, and so forth. When we move
inside our Circle, whether we're walking from one place to
another or just turning in place, we move to the right. This
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direction of movement is usually pronounced “day-o-sill”
and is also called “sun-wise” or “clockwise.” (See also
widdershins.)
Five-fold Kiss
A ritual kiss to these or similar words: “Blesséd be thy feet, that
walk the sacred paths. Blesséd be thy knces, that kneel at sacred
altars. Blesséd be thy [womb or phallus], without which we would
not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in strength and beauty.
Blesséd be thy lips, that speak the sacred Names.”
GreatRite The sacred marriage (heiros gamos) of the Goddess and the
God, sometimes represented sexually and most often represented
by an athame dipping into a wine-filled chalice to bless the Ale
Guardians of the Watchtowers
The Watch Spirits of the Elemental Realms. They're also known as
“the Quarters,” and we invoke them when we cast a Circle
guided meditation
Read aloud, played from a tape or €D, or memorized and recited
“in your head.” a “guided med is a narration or description of a
meditative journey or contemplation.
Initiation A ritual quest through death (to your former life) and
rebirth (intolife as a witch and Priest/ess). Initiations are generally
into a coven or other coherent group, although self-Initiations are
recognized in some eclectic Traditions.
inner planes People are multi-dimensional - we're physical, we're
emotional, we're intellectual, we're - psychological, and we are
spiritual. The inner planes (or “realms,” or “landscapes”) are the
deep places in our minds and hearts where our true selves live. The
inner planes are where we go to confront fears and prejudices and
scary things about ourselves, and also where we go to be renewed
by our own strengths and joys.
leylines Lines of magnetism that cross the planet’s crust and scem to
conneet ancient Pagan sites inseveral local regions around
the world
magic Magic (some spell it with *k” on the end) is both a form of energy, a
natural force like gravity, and the act of sing this energy to achicve
your goals. (Se also spell.)
libation Pouring of sacred drink into a bowl, or onto the ground,
wherefrom the Gods can partake of it. Technically, food we sharc
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Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
with the Gods s an “offering” but we tend to call it a “libation” too
At the Cakes and Ale part of the Circle, many groups pour a bit of
the drink and leave a pinch of the food for the Gods, symbolizing
that they “feed” us and we *feed” them
“merry meet” Another common grecting, short for “Merry meet, merry
part,and merry met again,” which i the closing line of most rituals,
“Merry part” s also used as a conversational farewell
offering A bit of the ritual meal left on the ground or in a container
on the altar, to share with the Gods. (We also pour out a bit of our
“ale” for the Gods, and this s called a libation.)
pentacle/pentagram Both are five-pointed stars with the points
connected. The pentacle is on something ~ carved or painted on
waod or stone, drawn on paper. The pentagram is a dimensional
object in and of itself. Sometimes the plate on which Cakes are
served, often decorated with the five-pointed star, is called the
pentacle, too,
perfect love and perfect trust “The Passwords,” the condition in
which you promise to enter your Initiation Circle in most
Traditions of Wicca. Of course you must love and trust the people
you circle with, but it's also about loving and trusting yourself and
the God\dess
Runes Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon alphabets devised for inscribing on
stone and wood. Today they are used for magic and ritual. Runes
are still used mostly by the Asatra, but the New Age has
popularized them more widely.
skyclad Clad (dressed) only in the sky (naked) Skyclad rituals, like
those conducted in robes or street clothes, are focused on the
purpose of the ritc: there are no orgies in Wicca
spell A spell is an intention expressed magically. Don't cast one you
wouldn't want landing on yourself. (Sec also magic.)
Spiral Dance The name of an excellent book by Starhawk, and also a real
dance. It works like this: everybody stands in acircle, holding hands
at arm's length. Slowly at first, the leader begins to move the circle
around, and when everybody's moving, the leader speeds up a lictle.
When everybody is half-running around the outside of the circle,
the leader begins to spiral in toward the center, creating as many
“Ioops™ as possible. When the leader reaches the center, s/he does
not stop, but right away turns and starts spiraling back toward the
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Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
outer edge of the circle again. Like a giant snake, the line of people
follows the leader ~ and if there are enough people, there will be
people passing each other, going in opposite dircctions. Done
properly. it is a spectacular event to see or be part of. The Spiral
Dance represents the birth-death-rebirth journey we all take, and
we start it heading widdershins (to our left) - this takes us todeath
in the center, and then back the other way, circling right through
rebirch to the outside world again. The Spiral Dance is most often
used to raise energy or to ground it at the end of a ritual
talisman Similar to a charm, but more formally and ceremonially
created and used to attract rather than toact
Traditions Spelled with a capital T, the denominations of Wicca
“Traditional Witcheraft™ sometimes refers to pre-Gardnerian
practices, which are ot widely written about, and sometimes to
Gardnerian, Alexandrian and related Traditions. New Traditions
are introduced often. A Tradition has to offer a complete
philosophy, thealogy and liturgy, and most people agree that a *real”
Tradition has to be practiced by more than one coven, and for five
or more years
Widdershins Adircction of movement - to your left, or counter-
cloclwise. Usually the only time we move widdershins in a Circle
is to undo it. Some Traditions move widdershins to dismiss the
Quarters, or to “undraw” the Circle itsclf. Some groups only move
widdershins in the Samhain (Halloween) Circle. (See also deosil.)
Wise Ones Ancestors, cultural heroes, aspects of Gods and Guardians
archetypes of experience, style and wisdom.
Work ~ “Work.” with a capital W, is what we call any magic or
meditation we do in a magic Circle. The term comes from alchemy,
where the Work is the always-in-progress cffort toward s
improvement
SOME RECOMMENDED BOOKS
As you read books about Wicca and other Neo-Pagan paths, keep
in mind that most authors are sharing what they were taught or what they
have experienced. Whether or not s/he says so, no author can tell you every
true thing about Wicea, Asatrg, Druidry, or any other Neo-Pagan religion.
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Wicea Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaca
Although there are many legitimate variations, there is no one and
only right way to practice Wicea (or any other Pagan path), so when you
read about different ways of doing things, see those as expanding your
options.
Be aware that lists of herbs, oils, and other accessories are items you
can choose among; you don't have to have every single one. When you
cannot follow instructions for rituals and spells exactly, it usually okay to
substitute something you have on hand; you'll find some suggestions for
substitutions throughout this booklet
New books come out all the time. It's impossible to st them all
here. Make notes of the titles and authors you like. Be sure to credit them
when you quote them or write their ideas down in your Book of Shadows
By the way, in alphabetical-by-author book lists like this one, a
blank ( ) on the line underneath an author's name, followed by
another baok title, means that this book was written by the same author
named in the line above. And in notes that youll see crediting quotes, the
word “Ihid.” means tha the quote comes from the same source as the one
previously mentioned.
Adler, Margor, Drawing Down the Moon. Beacon Press, Boston, Mass.,
1979,
Bucldand, Raymond, Complete Book of witcheraft. Llewellyn, 1991
Budapest, Zsuzsanna, The Holy Book of Women's Mysterics. Wingbow
Press, 1989.
Campanelli, Pauline, Ancient Ways. Llewellyn, 1991
The Wheelof the Year. Llewellyn, 1991
Campbell,_Joseph, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Bollington
Foundation, Inc., New York, 1049.
Cunningham, Scott, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.
Llewellyn, 1989.
. Living Wicea: a Further Guide to the Solitary Practitioner.
Llewellyn, 1093,
Farrar, Janet and Stewart, The witches Bible Compleat. New York,
Magical Childe, 1984. (Note: this ticle is not misspelled. The publisher
chose that old-fashioned spelling on purpose.)
Fortune, Dion, Psychic Sclf Defensc. Distributed by Samuel Weiser.
O'Gaea, Ashleen, Celchrating the Seasons of Lifc: Samhain to Ostara. New
Page, 2004,
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Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
. Celebrating the Seasons of Lift: Beltanc to Mabon. New Page,
2004
Family Wicca. New Page, 2006.
. Inthe Service of Life, Create Space, 2013
RavenWalf, Silver, To Ridea Silver Broomstick. Llewellyn, 1993,
Starhawk, The Spiral Dance, a Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of te Great
Goddess. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 179 (or the revised
edition).
Stone, Merlin, When God Was « Woman. Barnes&sNoble, 1976
RESOURCES
Remember that when you're requesting information or materials
from any outside source, a self-address, stamped return envelope isn't
always required, but it is always appreciated. Address and sign request
letters respectfully, and include your return address in the body of your
letter in case it's separated from the envelope.
Remember too that many groups are run by just a few people, many
of whom have day jobs and obligations beyond their voluntcer work. Stores
g0 out of business and groups’ membership and addresses can change. It
may take time to get a reply to your inquiries
Indeed, in some cascs, you may not hear back at alll Don't take this
personally, and don't judge the entire Pagan community by that experience
You won't make things any better by taking out your frustrations on the
hext person you write to, either.
Upon your release, a good way to find out about resources in your
area is on line at www. Witchvox.com. They have state-by-state listings
of groups, individual clergy and teachers, and stores.
We do not specifically recommend any correspondence courses for
several reasons: we haven't been able preview them to know whether we
want to vouch for them; we can't guarantee how long any of them will be
available:; and though you can learn much from them, no certificate or
Degree you get from any of them will “prove” anything to anybody who
hasnit taken the same course. We think your best bet s to learn for your
own satisfaction, and, when you get out, see what classes and open ritual
opportunities there are in your locality.
4
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
As we revise this edition of Wicca Behind Bars (August, 2017), we
don't know of any sources of free books or other religious items. Mother
Earth Ministries doesn't sell or provide any religious items; we don't even
sell (or give away) this booklet. We do sell Enchantment Encumbered (sce
below). MEM docs offer a few introductory brochures and flyers, though,
and our writing priestess does answer all ltters - but it may take her some
time
A few years ago, our list of resources was longer, but these days,
almost everythings offered online, and finding printed issues and catalogs
s difficult. We're sorry there’s nothing we can do about that
AZURE GREEN
Post Office Box 48
Middlefield, Massachusetts 01234
As of August, 2017, you can send §5 and get a black-and-white paper
catalog. However, in some institutions, this catalog is contrabanded because it
offers some items inmates are not allawed to have.
CIRCLE SANCTUARY
Post Office Box 9, Barneveld, Wisconsin 53572
Circle Magazine, s of 2016, only offers back issues.
LLEWELLYN PUBLICATIONS
2143 Wooddale Drive. Woodbury, Minnesora
Llewellyn publishes New Age books, including some about Wicea, Asatra, and
Druidry. We can't vouch for all their books, but the ones by Scott Cunningham are fine
Asof August of 2017, printed catalogs are fee.
WITCHESS: PAGANS MAGAZINE
Post Office Box 687, Forest Grove, Oregon, 97116
‘As of August, 2017, subscriptions arc §23/year for four approx. 96-page issus
and we're told that a lat book of stamps is accepted as payment - as long as the value of
the stamps totals at least $23.
ENCHANTMENT ENCUMBEREDIs, as far as we know, the only
book written for inmates about mainstream Wicca. MEM
makes no attempt to teach specific Traditions. There are
several reasons for this; a main one is that most of them
cannot be fully practiced in prison. MEM's mission is to
help inmates adapt to their institution’s restrictions, while
at the same time preparing them for participation in
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Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
outside groups
Enchantment is a wide expansion of this booklet, going into greater
depth about everything covered here, and including a lot more information.
You can ask for a brochure o flyer about the Table of Contents if you want
more information before you buy a copy.
MEM sells it by snailmail for $20 (which includes
shipping/handling), and we will accept stamps as payment. It is also
available online through MEM's website, Amazon and CreateSpace.
Chaplains and Pagan prison ministries who can order from CreateSpace
can contact MEM for a discount code.
‘The resources available in the nationwide Pagan community grow
and vary by the week, this booklet can't include them all or keep up with
the changes! If you're looking for something not in this booklet and not in
any of our brochures, please write to ask; if we know, we'll tell you!
Mother Earth Ministries is affiliated with the Aquarian Tabernacle
Church, an internationally-recognized Wiccan Church. They don't have an
outreach program and refer inmate inquiries to MEM.
“Thisbooklet may he capied forpersonal sz only inisentirety and without changes,additions,
or deletons,and aslong asduthorship iscedited. Neiher Mother Earth Ministries noris volunteers are
responsible for any problems you may experience with any of the resources lstd in this bookiet. Al
information isoffeed in good faith,and to the best of our knnledge scorrect s of August, 2017.
P
Wicca Behind Bars for MEM by Garr and O'Gaea
Mother Earth Ministries-ATC
Affiliated with the internationally-recognized Aquarian Tabernacle
Church based in Index, Washington, Mother Earth Ministries is a small, informal
group of Wiccan/Pagan clergy working to facilitaze the study and practice of
Wicca (and other Pagan rligions) in county, state and federal prisons. Currenly,
oone MEM volunteer visits inmates in some Tucson units of Arizona's state prison
system. Another writes - as a consulting priestess - o inmates throughout Arizona
and in most other states.
Mother Earth Ministries offers literature abour Wicea, Asatrt, and
Druidry, and about various aspects of Wiccan and Neo-Pagan belief and practicc.
We do nt offer correspondence courses, sell or provide books (other than our
own) or other religious icems, or match inmates with pen-pals.
Chaplains and other prison ministries may copy Wicca Behind Bars for unic
libraries and for distribution among inmates and colleagues, provided the copies
are full and complete, without changes, addlitions, or deletions, and eredit s given
to MEM.
For more information about Wicea or about prison ministry, write to us
at Post Office Box 35906, Tucson, Arizona, 85740-5906, e-mail us at
OGacadMEM@Comeastnet o get in touch cthrough our website,
‘www.MotherEarthMinistrics.org, Please inclue your recurn address in the
body of your letter, and include an SASE if you can.
Brave heart and blessed be!
About the Authors
Carol Garr is a Third Degree Wiccan priestess, and was for seven years
the coordinator of the Tucson Area Wiccan-Pagan Network (TAWN). A witch
for aver three decades, she s 2 Pagan counselor, teacher, and mediator; she has also
been a coven leader. Trained and authorized by the State of Arizona, Lady Garr is
a member of the Arizona Department of Corrections Religious Advisory
Committee, and has been guiding and leading prisoners in ritual since 1998,
Ashleen O'Gaca is a Third Degree Wiccan priestess and a founding
member and Board member emerita of TAWN. A witch since the mid-1980s and
coven leader from 1991-2004, she is the author of several books about Wicca and
has written and lectured about Wicea for over thirty years.
Mother Earth Ministries-ATC
Post Office Box 35006
Tucson, Arizona 85740-5006
44