CC Newsletter Spring 02 - iiNetmembers.iinet.net.au/~catfive/comcov/ezine april 2003.pdfCombined Covens Social Club Summer Newsletter 2002 2 ... Raymond Bucklands Complete book of

Combined Covens Social Club Summer Newsletter 20021

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Merry meet all

Sorry the mag is a little late, but ya get that. The autumn equinoxmeet went well, Wolfie did a fantastic job of the ritual. At the AGM wedecided to scrap membership costs and everybody was enthusiasticabout the magazine growing into a hard copy edition even if it meantit costing a couple of bucks, but we will keep you posted on that one.This aint gonna happen overnight, but it will happen!

The social club wants to thank and acknowledge all the hard workKundra has put in the last couple of years, and we welcome Talei asthe new club secretary.

The next big event is the midwinter concert. This year the theme isfamous people, so get your costumes sorted! It will again be held at theBentley hotel. We will post out the invites mid may.

We are looking for anybody that is interested in holding a workshopat the Spring camp. Please contact us if you can offer your services.Spring camp will be at Bickley brook this year, the facilities lookgroovy, and I just know it will be the best year yet.

If anybody is interested in having a stall at the Summer fete please letus know. We are particularly interested in stalls with handmade goods.Costs will be minimal.

Merry PartTree

From the Editor........

✥❑�❃❊❏❆❅✄✥❑❘❆❏❖✄✵❑❄❊❂❍✄✥❍◗❃✥❑�❃❊❏❆❅✄✥❑❘❆❏❖✄✵❑❄❊❂❍✄✥❍◗❃✥❑�❃❊❏❆❅✄✥❑❘❆❏❖✄✵❑❄❊❂❍✄✥❍◗❃Autumn NewsletterAutumn Newsletter

Nick - the Indominable Spirit. By Noni

A rowdy friend, a quiet aquaintance. Genuine and true.

Wise and aware of his own spirit, the capacity of the love of his heart and hisown mortality.

Some thought him odd, others found comfort in his oddeties - they found apiece of themselves within him, as I did. I cherish the glimpses of his soulwhich he shared, the protection and care he offered and the quidance heshows me still. A spirit so true and strong was mistaken to be housed in a bodyso fragile.

In his passing, he leaves with each of us the memory of laughter (no matterhow daft or crude), the unconditional acceptance of all beings, to stand trueto ourselves and allow our spirits to be governed by love, to never takeanything for granted and breathe each day in...

Blessed Be Nick.

CONTENTSThe Sylvan Theory . . . . . 2-4

Events, Happenings & Goss . 4

The Temple of Anuket . . . .5-6

Uncle Nostril Darmus’ Problem Page . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Pagan Culture Never Died . 8-9

Pagan Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . 10

For there be Dragons Dancing . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13

Secrets from the Witch’sCauldron . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The escapades of Bandit &Tramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Empedocles explained thatthere are two great livingforces in the universe,

which he called Love (Philot’s)and Strife (Neikos) and assignedto Aphrodite and Ares.

According to Hesiod, theGoddess Love and the GodStrife, offspring of Night (Nux),were ancient deities, predatingthe Olympians. The originalgolden age was the Reign ofAphrodite, when all things wereunited and Love permeated thelength and breadth of the well-rounded cosmic sphere.

But Strife, as the River Styxsurrounding the Sphere, brokeits Unity, and cleaved the Oneinto Many. It divided the fourelements, which ever sincecombine and separate underthe opposing actions of Loveand Strife to produce thechanging world with itsmanifold objects and qualities.

As Heraclitus said, “ThroughStrife all things come intobeing.” Empedocles said that

Strife also divided the oneimmortal soul of Love intomany individual souls, eachcomprising both Love andStrife in some proportion; theseimmortal souls are reborn timeand again into mortal bodies,which are animated by mortalsouls compounded from thefour elements. from Exercise for Unity byApollonius Sophisteshttp://www.geocities.com/tmartiac/thalassa/elemental.htm

This is a recurring theme inmany cultures. Magically webelieve this, and to control these“building blocks” is to havecontrol over the act of creation.By ritualistically utilizing themwe can manifest such things asour circle, a spell, or a new life.

Although all of theinformation cannot beexplained in a single shortessay, if you’re a begginner it issomething you can study sothat you can slowly add theseconcepts into your knowledge.


The ancients believed that everything in theuniverse was formed of the five elements theyare air, fire, water, earth and spirit. They arethe building blocks of creation.According to Greek philosopher Empedocles (5th C B.C.E Greekphilosopher, scientist and healer) this is how the story goes.

The Sylvan Theory A short essay by Tree

The more we know about the elements the more we can harness them ritualistically. We realize that likemany aspects in our religion, they form cycles. For us in the Sylvan circle the cycle is this.In the EAST, as it is the place that the sun rises, it is the dawning of he day. We use this dawning asthe dawning of our cycle. It is AIR, it is thought. Moving clockwise (or deosil) around the circle (doing so because this is the way the earth revolvesaround the sun, the way the moon revolves around the earth) we come to the SOUTH. We see this asFIRE, passion and conception.Next is the WEST and WATER. For us this is the gestation. It is the element of the emotions.NORTH is the element of the EARTH and the part of the cycle that gives us birth. SPIRIT (Ether, Akasha) is in the CENTER of the circle; it is the element for us that are the spark of life.However it is more, it would be the “force” in star wars. It is time and space. It separates into themasculine and feminine to become the Goddess and God.

I believe that the elementalsare vibrations of that oneparticular element plus spirit.On this plane of existenceeverything is made up of all ofthe elements, perhaps indifferent measure.

http://www.maxpages.com/gypsiefire/Elements

This point of view may (will)differ from coven to coven.Elemental directions mayrotate or they may use adifferent system altogether. Asyou experience different

systems, give them a go anddecide what works for youpersonally. A good example ofthis is that alter placement. Wehave ours in the North, so thatwhen our spells culminate theyare brought to fruition here, on

the alter with thecelebration ofGoddess and Godto give themfertility. Our sistercoven Ki have therealter in the centerto celebrate their

magical spark here (we have abale fire in the center,confusingly enough this alsorepresents spirit). The circle ofthe four winds had there alterin the east to celebrate thebeginning of the cycle,

knowing this to be the pointwhere the sun rises. They alsoworked anti clock wise as thesun can be seen as to be going inan *anti- clockwise way in thishemisphere (widdershins) noneof theses are right or wrong, youneed to find a method andelemental cycle that works foryou. Follow the path of creationin your circle as you see it.

*In our hemisphere, thesouthern, the sun rises in theeast of course and sets in thewest, but it arches to a morenortherly direction on itsjourney. In the northernhemisphere it arches moretowards the south. Hence sunwise can be seen as different.Water also goes down the drainin these directions.


ELEMENTAL CHARTThis chart does not contain the

element of spirit because it is thelife force behind them all. Thischart is to begin to learn thenature of the elements. Look forcycles within it. Look for things inthe elements that you can

connect to and feel like you canunderstand. Do some research ofyour own and keep adding to thischart, for example do the fivesenses fit in this? Deliberatelythere are blank spaces to do someof your own research. I alwaysfeel like I have earned the right to

use information if I work at it.Remember also that this chart

works in the sylvan circle. Circlesdiffer, or you may use a differentsystem, for example earth maybe in the south in some circles.Whatever system you use, makesure it makes sense to you.

A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THIS:A mountain is predominantly made up of

earth element. A mountain also containswater, fire, air and ether. But theseelements are very small compared to theearth. So, the classification as the earth.

AIR FIRE WATER EARTHElementals Sylphides Salamanders Undines GnomesMasculine or Feminine Male Male Female FemaleTime of day Morning Noon Sunset MidnightSeason Spring Summer Autumn WinterMoon cycle First quarter Full moon Last quarter Dark moonDirections EAST SOUTH WEST NORTHPart in the cycle of Life Thought Conception Gestation BirthColorsElemental lordsCrystalsHerbsTotem animalsGoddesses and/or GodsWindsToolsAngelsOilsEmotionsZodiac signsSymbolsTattwasChakas

Events , Happenings & Goss ��

Book Review


RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECTOF ELEMENTS

Raymond Bucklands Complete book of Witchcraft(Known as the big blue book,)

What Witches do, by Stewart Farrar

Spells and how they work, by Janet and StewartFarrar.

A Witches bible, by Janet & Stewart Farrar.

Spells, Ceremonies & Magic by MigeneGonzaalez-Wippler.

To stir a magic cauldron, by Silver RavenWolf.

WEB PAGES

Earth, air fire, water, ether. By Eternalhttp://www.maxpages.com/gypsiefire/Elements

The Four elements. Astrology-numerlogy.com,Michael McClain 1996, 2001. †http://www.astrology-numerology.com/elements.html

Elementary wisdom, The witches of Herderwich.http://www.zuss.com/witches/elem.html

Very recommended

Elemental: The Four Elements. Copyright 1998 byTracy Marks (Torrey Philemon)http://www.geocities.com/tmartiac/thalassa/elemental.htm

CAR ENVYBranwyn got a new car with airconditioning (and Kundra isjealous).

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PUPPIES!Kundras Jack Russels Tish & Finn

- proud parents of 4gorgeous puppies.

SPRINGBLOSSOMTaleis &RichardsKirra is now6 months old.

She’s gettingher firsttooth.Kirra

The bundle of Joy

Theodorik

VIKINGBABY

Theodorik isgrowing up.ParentsThomas andJerry plan toget marriedsoon.Congratulations

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NETLouise is now on the net, thankgoodness!

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RAG PARTYWe raised seventy three dollarsthirty with the last Rag Party.

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CONGRATULATIONSto Tarius who was initiated to thethird degree on the 1st of Feb.Tarius and Aviaan have justfound out that they are going tobe grandparents again.Fantastic!

I must admit that symbolgyfacinates me and i use it alot inmy magical practices.I found thisbook well presented andcontains a feast for the eyes aswell as the mind.

The language of symbolsexplaind how to read symbology,the history of symbology , thecultural significances and the

phycological reasoning behindsymbology.Facinating stuff!

It would be a great guide in spellcraft to understand and utalize

symbols. It is also full of littlepeals of wisdom and great tit bitof information.

Duncan Baird publishers ltd,2003. ISBN; 1-9044292-25-9

THE LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLS, BY DAVID FONTANA.

by Tree


The Temple ofA n u k e t

By Jennifer

Although the Temple ofAnuket has been inexistence and working

ritual for the past seven years,we are only just now becominga working, training group. Ourtemple premises are inWoodlands, although we alsowork in several semi ruralvenues, located within about anhour’s drive of the central city.

We are a modern day pagantemple emphasising personalchoice, responsibility andawareness, in harmony withthe natural Universe. We teachthat there is one Universal LifeForce, or Energy, which iswithin all and links all, andthat all expressions oracknowledgement of thisenergy are equally valid, aslong as they do not profess tobe the only true path.

Although we see ourselves as aneclectic temple in many ways,we have structured ourprogramme around thepractices of the ancient templesof Egypt. We believe that thiswas where Judaism, theQaballah, Christianity, and theWestern Magical Tradition (toname a few) originated.

This does not mean that we arean exclusively Egyptian Temple,or that we practise ancientEgyptian ritual. We do workwith the Egyptian God formswhich represent some of theenergies or principles of nature.However our quarter guardiansare local animals named inNungah, and we also work withGod forms or energies frommany other traditions.

As did the ancient Egyptians,we focus first on self awarenessand empowerment inconjunction with the naturalworld, leading on to othermagical and mysticalexploration.

We have an introductory OuterCircle and a three degreesystem within the Inner Circle.The requirements andmysteries of the initiations arebased on traditional Wicca,although we write our ownrituals, and structure each tothe individual concerned.

At the moment we have 10initiate members, and 9 outercourters. The Temple is led by aHigh Priestess but all initiatesare expected to participate in

group decisions,and the writingand facilitating ofrituals andworkshops. Wedo not have aHigh Priest,however we dohave two thirddegree priestswithin thetemple.

Our members come from manydifferent walks of life. We havemothers, fathers, husbands,wives, grandparents, singleparents, those in relationships,those going through thetraumas of separation, thosepreparing for marriage, andthose who are totally selfsufficient. Two are statemanagers, two others in sales,three nurses, one carer, oneteacher, a beautician, a casemanager, a plant operator, areiki practitioner, a househusband, and a variety ofdifferent students( two ofnursing, one of teaching, one ofhorticulture, and one of caring).But in our temple we are afamily, and our energy is one.

The Outer and Inner Circlesmeet fortnightly on alternateweeks.

Outer Circle workshops focuson self, earth and energyawareness while also offeringindepth instruction inmeditation, visualisation andself empowerment. They alsoprovide an overview of a varietyof esoteric topics which areresearched, and then treated indiscussion group format.

As well as the regularfortnightly meetings, full and

new moon gatherings, andfestivals, elemental and naturetuning in days or weekends areheld from time to time. Thesemay include such things assweat lodges, indigenous orbush awareness weekends,ocean or river tuning in days,vision quests, retreats etc.

The Outer Court lasts forapproximately 40 weeks, andduring this time students areable to develop a relationshipwith other members of thegroup and an understanding ofhow the Temple operates. Thisallows all to decide whethereach participant shouldcontinue to become part of theInner Circle of the Temple.

The Inner Circle providesfurther workshopping inenergy awareness andimplementation, harmony andunity with the naturalUniverse, ritual competence,deep trance work, and theexploration of the energies ofseveral magical systems as theyrelate to the Self in the “hereand now”.

As we believe was the practiceof the ancient temples of Egypt,we encourage initiates tofurther explore the Self through

• Knowledge of the natural laws (cycles of nature, Gods or Natural Principles)

• The understanding of symbolism (we cover the Qabalistic, Western Astronomical, local indigenous, and early/pre-Egyptian stellar systemsspecifically and also encourage members to createtheir own symbolic system.)

• The pursuit of mysticism, or the surrender of the me intothe total fusion of Self and Unity.

We celebrate Full and NewMoon rituals, as well asfestivals, which work thenatural energies of our ownWheel of the Year. Theseinclude the solstices and theequinoxes, traditional Wiccanfestivals, some rituals whichwe have created to celebrateour harmony with the Universehere and now, and various

rituals which we feel work theenergies of ancient Egypt.

Some Rituals are for initiatesonly. Others are also open to theOuter Court. We also hold“open” festivals at least quarterlyto which we invite other groups,friends, family and interestedparties in general.

Our contact details are:

PO Box 249, Innaloo CityWA, 6918Tel [email protected]


I stood and watched the rain, The lightning flashed and thundercrashed. I marvelled at the magnificence ofNature unleashed, And the thundering voice said, "I Am."

I saw the green trees basking in thesunlight, Through the clear air bird songs rang, Proclaiming delight at being alive onsuch a day. And the musical voice said, "I Am."

I listened as the water babbled overthe rocks, In the brook rushing ever onward, Their destination not yet known. And the quiet voice said, "I Am."

I watched the happy children at play, Running, jumping, laughing, yelling. I rejoiced in their joy, And the happy voice said, "I Am."

I watched the hawk circling overhead, Scanning the ground for prey, I admired his graceful flight. And the far voice said, "I Am."

"Who are you?" I asked of the voice, "To speak to me in a thousanddifferent voices, "And to add to my perplexity, "with but a cryptic 'I AM'?"

And the loving voice answered mesaying, "I Am the Earth Mother that gives lifeto all, "I Am Nature that nourishes that life. "I Am the freedom of flight."

"And I Am the joy of children at play, "I Am the majesty of the storm, "I Am the waters questing everonward, "I Am the power of the ocean."

"I Am Ra and Isis, Odin and Thor, "I Am the God and Goddess of thePagan,"I Am God of the Christian, "I Am the Great Spirit, I Am Allah."

"I Am the smallest ant and the largestwhale, "I Am your neighbour, your brother,your sister, "I AM your mother, father, friend andfoe, "I Am your children, your lover."

"I Am all that you have ever seen andknown, "I Am all that you have ever been orwill be, "I Am everything that is or will be,I Am you, "And ultimately, I AM Life."

by Charles H. Grooms 1999

The Voice


Dear U.N.D.,I have discovered my pet feline,named Darkgod, is really a dominantevil entity. For many months now Ihave watched in awe as my petcanine, named Vesta, has bowed insubmission whenever in Darkgod'spresence, especially when he gives herthe 'evil eye', plus Vesta often stepsback to allow Darkgod to consume herfood whenever he so desires.More recently I feel that Darkgod isnow controlling my mind to someextent and manipulating me to do hisbidding, like getting him a drink ofmilk every time he requests one, andsometimes he insists I beat up rawegg for his Sunday breakfast, I alsofind myself unconsciously patting himwhen he takes a catnap on my lap,whilst I am sitting at the computerand lately he has taken to jumping uponto the bed at night andcommanding me to awaken so that Ican pat him to sleep.I can feel myself succumbing to hispowers more and more and amasking, pleading for help before I amovercome completely. What can I doto stop his control over me, also can Isave Vesta or is it already too late forher? TabithaDear TabithaI am currently acting as a medium forCreature, a 22 year old black four-legged furry identity with whiskers,tail, sharp claws and teeth. He isspeaking through me at this verymoment.“Hiss hiss, growl. Beware, Tabitha, offailing to please Darkgod as he haspowers beyond imagination. He is themaster of all things. You must obeyhim and make him happy at all timesto prevent his wrath destroying theuniverse. Your role in this live is to behis slave, fulfilling his every command.You are already getting used to yourkarmic role.

So as long as you obey Darkgod, youhave nothing to worry about. Give upevery other part of your life, eg, job,social life, family so you can fullyconcentrate on your duties, just bethere for Him. Darkgods life is eternal,when his current body is getting tooold, his spirit will shift to the body of ayoung kitten, which will be broughtinto your care once again. So you see,as long as you live, you cannot escapeHim. Creature has spoken. Hiss hisspurr purr.”Whew, what a smelly breath Creaturehad, I’m off to brush my teeth. Goodluck to you, Tabitha. Uncle Nostril**********************************Dear Uncle Nostrils,Could you please advise me what todo about a problem I am havingwith my husband. He has thisobsession with all things African,which started when we cared for anAfrican exchange student for a year,which he had treated just like hisown daughter. This was followed bya holiday to Africa shortly after herreturn to her homeland.We stayed in contact by letter withher, and now my husband hasworked out that we can sell up allour possessions here and set uphome and business there. I don'tknow how much longer I canoppose his plans, he is so hell benton migrating there. He says he justloves everything about Africa andthe bonus would be to visit our'second' daughter regularly. Anguished Ann

Dear Anguished Ann,My crystal balls (shiny and polished ohso beautiful..) are showing me apicture of a lion. What this meansexactly I don’t know. Now the lion isturning green. His stomach is notagreeing with the last tourist he ate.Too much fat and additives. I think I’mgetting distracted here.

Now, focus, Nostril Darmus, focus.Ah, now I can see a young girl. Shemust be the exchange student thatwas staying with you. She has foundnew love and forgotten your mancompletely. Her stunning looks havewon the attention of a rich Americanman who will take her back to a bigcity in his home country. As thedirector of a famous film studio he willmould her into an Afrian version ofPamela Anderson. She will gaininternational recognition and fameespecially in her break through role asAgent QQQ’s ultra sexy partner.Your husbands obsession with Africawill turn into a compulsion disorder ofnonstop video watching of “AgentQQQ’s adventures”.Cheers, Your Nostril**********************************Dear Nostril Darmus,My partner recently inherited acomfortable sum of money from arelative, so she immediately retiredfrom her employment and hasturned into lazy couch-lizard. She nolonger takes care of her appearance,saying that she no longer has toimpress anyone because she canafford to do as she so wishes. Herwhole life has become centredaround how she can spend themoney on herself. She has graduallyturned away all our friends with herselfish attitude, and now she is eventurning me away. At the rate she isgoing, she will end up a very poorand lonely human being. How can Imake her see what she is doing toherself? Distraught DebDear Distraught Deb,You will have to let go of your partneras there will be nothing that canchange her attitude. She has fallen inlove with her new lifestyle.You will find love with someone newon the day you see red roses in a vase.I hear wedding bells soon after. - U.N.D

Known as U.N.D., his mission is to causeconfusion amongst problem stricken people.Here’s another example of his crystal ball visions...

Disclaimer: The author takes no legal responsibility for any advice given. Characters fictional only.

Uncle Nostril Darmus’ Problem page

A personal favourite is the"candle magic ritual"that we all do once a

year. Celebrating one'sincarnation with the chant"Happy Birthday to You".

A wish is made, the candlesblown out and gifts are given.This custom dates back toworship of Artemis, GreekGoddess of the Moon. On Herday, cakes were baked in theshape of a crescent moon anddecorated with candles. Ifworshippers could blow out thecandles in a single breath, theGoddess would look upon themwith favour. Whether ancientGreek myth, or a modern dayspell, the way we celebrate ourbirthday is truly magic!

-"AH-CHOO!"..."Bless You". (Ifyou lived during the time ofTiberius Caesar, you would haveneeded it) Ancient Rome circa150 A.D. was stricken with adeadly disease and the firstsymptom was sneezing. People,including Caesar, believed thatthe more blessings you receivedfrom others, the more likely youwould be to survive. Perhapstoday's common courtesy wasyesterday's healing spell??

The myth of Prometheusincludes him sneezing, havingcaught a cold from stealing thefire of the Gods (not a goodthing to do!).

-Perhaps the richest remnantof Pagan culture still survives inthe wedding ceremony. Termslike "giving your hand inmarriage" and "tying the knot"

certainly refer to handfasting.It doesn't take a Celtic scholarto recognize the word "bride" asan old name for the Goddess.And Groom? In matriarchallife, the man came to work inthe wife's family home. Agroom is a term used todescribe a labourer who caresfor the horses. The termhusband, meaning "bound tothe house", or housebound,also dates back to suchcustoms. The word matrimonyrefers to the custom ofinheritances being passeddown through maternal bloodlines. "Matri" means mother;"mony" or monium meansmoney. But, in ancientGermany carrying the brideover the threshold welcomesher into the groom's family,since his ancestors were onceburied below the home! Thewedding cake was baked by thecouple, as a symbol of theingredients of their livescoming together as one, (abinding idea and a form ofsympathetic magick). And thekiss at the altar? Well, in timesof old the union wasconsummated right there infront of witnesses (don't knowbout that idea!). Even today, amarriage can often beconsidered legally void if it wasnever consummated. The term"honeymoon" refers to thelunar cycle immediatelyfollowing the wedding. For thefull lunar cycle, the couple atehoney each day believing it tobe a sweet aphrodisiac! Of


Pagan Culture Never DiedUnknown author

course, some couples still usehoney in their bedroom, just inother more creative ways! Juneweddings are still a fashionperhaps dating back to thedays where a festive Beltanecelebration resulted inconception!! Brides, notgrooms, were also showered inwheat so that they could bearchildren like wheat bringsbread. The wedding ring beingplaced on the third finger wasbelieved to be a directconnection to the heart. Thiswas even called the MedicalFinger, which doctors used tostir medicines. If poison werepresent, the doctors heartwould skip a beat! But of allplaces to wear weddingjewellery, the ring is likelyrelated to Pagan handfasting.Why not a wedding brooch,necklace or tiara? Also, theaction of the finger penetratingthe circular ring is not all thatdifferent from other Pagansymbols of union. Likewise,wearing and throwing thegarter seems not so distant.

-What about giving flowers toa loved one? Flowers arebrightly colour heavily scentedreproductive organs. Anagricultural society might seethis. So might our deeply rooted

The Pagan culture never really died. We can seethat many of the Old ways are still part ofeveryday life. Here are a few examples. Whatothers can you see in your own surroundings?

animal instinctswhich relate colorand scent to thecourting rituals ofnearly everyspecies, includinghomo sapiens.

-Knock on wood?This probably datesback to the Druids.

-Opening anumbrella indoors?Umbrella comesfrom the Latinword for "shade".

The parasol wasused "stop thesun" before it wasused forprotection fromrain. Not openingit indoors showedrespect for therealm of the solar deities.

-Tie a string on your finger toremember something? Soundslike cord magic to me! I wonderwhy sailors put so much skillinto tying knots. Fishermen andwomen, even today, have specialwords they say when throwingtheir lines into the water.

-Naming things seems rich inmagic. Look at the names offarms, race horses, and evenpets. Notice that boats are alwaysreferred to as "she", probablylinked to She of the Sea.

-Even the Greek and Latinlanguages that descended fromPagan Europe assign gender toevery person, place or thing.Perhaps all things were linkedto a God or Goddess. Days ofthe week, months of the year-some are still named after theOld Ones.

- Friday the 13th?? (Can youget more linked to Goddessworship than that? and awitches coven?) Perhaps it wasfairly new beliefs, from culturesthat did not worship theGoddess or note her lunar


✶❉❆✄✰❊❏❆✄✹❑❑❅❖Birch in the fire goesTo represent what the Lady knows

Oak in the forest towers withmightIn the fire it brings the Godsinsight

Rowan is a tree of powerCausing liege and magick toflower

Willows at the waterside standReady to help us to theSummerland

Hawthorn is burned to purityAnd to draw faerie to your eye

Hazel-the tree of wisdom andlearningAdds its strength to the bright fireburning

White are the flowers of AppletreeThat brings us fruits of fertility

Grapes grow upon the vineGiving us both joy and wine

Fir does mark the evergreenTo represent immortality seen

Elder is the Lady’s treeBurn it not or cursed you'll be.

Anon.

cycles, which gaveFriday the 13thsuch an unluckyconnotation.

-We all knowwhere the traditionsof Easter andChristmas and othercelebrated holidayscome from.

We can findPagan traces inmany practices ofthe newerreligions. But,more importantly,we can make ourown newtraditions everyday. We arecatalysts of the

future, not mere conduits tothe past! We are the ancestorsof tomorrow. See the magic ineveryday events; like knotting aneck tie, leashing your pet, oreven fastening your seat belt.Feel the sacred union when youshare any event with a lovedone, whether sharing a hamperor sharing a bath. Feel suddenrelease of stored up energy asyou uncork that special bottleof wine or open that pricelessphoto album. See all cycles ofmagic; use the monthly rentpayment as a blessing for thehome! Doing so is thedifference between a culturewhich has never died...and aculture which is truly broughtback to life.

✹❊❍❅✄✹❑❑❅❖✄I Stood Alone Or So I Thought,Amidst The Green Woods AndThe Wind,Alone With My Thoughts, My Doubts and My Fears,Subtle Senses Prickled My Skin.

This Way Silent And Softly YouCame,With Ancient Majesty and Pride,You Came To Me From The WildWoods,My Lover, My Teacher, My Guide.

You Circled My Mind, You Warmed My Sad Heart,That Day You Embraced My Soul.

With No Sign Of Your Passing,Except For My Smile, You And I Know, I Am No Longer Alone.


A Pagan in HellA Pagan dies and, to his great surprise, he finds himselfstanding before some pearly gates.St. Peter asks him, "May I help you?"The Pagan asks, "Where am I?"Peter says, "You're at the gates of heaven."The Pagan says, "But I don't believe in heaven."Peter frowns at him. "You're one of those Pagans, aren't you?""Yes. I believe I'm in the wrong place; I'm supposed togo to Summerland."Peter says, "Sorry. We took over Summerland, and it'stemporarily closed for remodeling.""What should I do now?"Peter says, "Well, since we don't allow Pagans inheaven, you have to go to hell. Sorry. Just follow thatpath that leads downward and to the left."The Pagan walks down to hell, where the gates arestanding open. He walks in and finds beautiful

meadows, happy animals, and clear streams of water.He walks on in and begins exploring, and after a fewminutes a courtly gentleman walks up to him andbows politely. "Hello, I'm Satan. You must be the guythat St. Peter phoned me about. Are you a Pagan?""Yes, I am. What's going to happen now?"Satan says, "Well, the fishing's pretty good, if you enjoythat sort of thing. There's a little refreshment standdown the road. And I believe the Pagan meetinggrounds are right over the next hill."Suddenly, a hole opens up in the sky above, and ayawning chasm opens directly underneath it. Thestench of sulphur fills the air. Hundreds of screaming,tortured souls drop down into the flaming pit, whichimmediately closes up with a thud.The Pagan, hardly believing what he just saw, asksSatan, "And what was THAT ???"Satan rolls his eyes. "Oh, just ignore them. They'reChristians; they wouldn't have it any other way."

I’d love to, but...- I want to spend more time with my blender- The man on the TV told me to stay tuned- I did my own thing, and now I've got undo it- I have to check the freshness dates on my dairy products- I'm attending the opening of my garage door

- My plot to take over the world is - thickening- I have some real hard words to look - up in the dictionary- I changed the lock on my door, and - now I can't get out- I promised to help friends fold road - maps- I'm trying to be less popular- I have to study for a blood test- I'm building a pig from a kit- There's a disturbance in the force- I'm trying to see how long I can go - without saying yes.

1. When you are sworn into court you bring your ownGrimoire

2. You've been talking to the cats. They talk back to you and you understand what they are saying.

3. When asked if you believe in god you reply, "which one?"4. You know what "widdershins" means and you apply it.5. You have an entire spice cabinet and you don't

cook. You know what Laurel and bay leaves are andthat they are the same thing.

6. You have a frequent buyers care at your local antique bookstore. The owner picks out anything to do with Celts and holds it for you.

7. You know there are exceptions to the laws of physics. You know cause you have caused them.

8. The first thing your guests say to go is, "My, That's a nice..ummm.altar you have there!"

9. You have friends who say they are elves and you believe them.

10. You commit Blasphemy in the plural.

11. Upon dying you think, "damn it, not AGAIN"12. You think the Mists of Avalon should be a religious

text. You use it as such.13. In religion 101 you were disappointed they didn't

cover YOUR gods.14. You have spent the last year and a half looking for

a familiar.15. You talk to the tress and they talk back.16. You know dragons and Fae exist. You have seen them.17. Painting yourself blue, spiking your hair and dancing

naked around a bonfire sounds like a good time.18. You understand the symbolism behind the maypole.19. You have ended a phone call with "So mote it be."20. You feel there is no such thing as having too many cats.21. Someone asks you what your doing wandering

around the bush in a robe/naked and you answer cheerfully "Going to church!"

22. You are reading this and understand what it is talking about.

You might be Pagan if:

ObservationalThere are 11 human faces in the picture below.

Can you find them all?Normal people find 4 or 5 of them.

If you find 8 of them, you have an extraordinarysense of observation.

Dragons have existedsince the birth ofCreation. Dragons are

far more than imaginarycreatures depicted in fairytales.They are as real as what we are,but they exist on the AstralPlane, which co-exists with,and intersects our PhysicalPlane. Their bodies vibrate at adifferent rate to which physicalmatter does, as is true of allAstral entities.

In some cultures, Dragons arebelieved to be the messenger’sbetween Heaven and Earth, andthat they assist in forming thebasis of Spiritual existence.Dragons have control of thedeeper currents of elementalenergies than are usually felt byhumans, and once befriended,Dragons make excellentprotectors and powerful fellowMagicians. Dragons can beeverywhere and, in a manner ofspeaking, in all things. Everyelemental action and reactionhas the possibility of being anextension of Dragon Power.Usually Dragons take little noticeof ordinary human existence,deeming them beneath theirnotice. There are however tworeasons why a Dragon mightbecome involved with us mortalsand our problems.

Firstly, if there appeared to bean immediate danger to the

Dragons area itself, andsecondly, if a Magician orWitch knows how to properlycontact and communicate withDragon Power, and if she/hecan persuade the Dragon tohelp them.

The only exception to this arethose Dragons who showthemselves to small children.Some Dragons take great delightin conversing with children,especially those who havePsychic ability, (which mostchildren are born with).Unfortunately, some parentsand society take a dim view ofsuch ability, of Dragon sight andtalk, causing the little ones toshut off their insight to Dragons.Subconscious, negativeprogramming begins in earlychildhood, so by the time thatthey are mindful again ofDragons, many years later, theyfind their inner door to Dragonworlds closed off to them.

It then takes many years ofconscious retraining andexperience to again understandhow to call upon these beingsand use their Majikal Energies.

Many cultures of this andpast worlds have stories ofthese unique creatures. Theyhave been described in everyconceivable colour, shape, sizeand posture. Some have heavybodies with wings, others with

horns or long antennae, someare even described as havingarrow-head shaped or spikedknobs on the end of their tails.

Ancient teachings say thatDragons can have two or fourlegs, or none at all. They canhave a pair of either small wingsor a large set, or none at all.They can breathe fire or smoke,acid or poison, and generallyhave scales covering theirbodies. The number of scalesvaries from 81 from one culture,to another that claims 117, andfurther beliefs state that someDragons in other cultures havefeathers or tough skin likeReptiles covering their bodies.

Chinese experts were said tobe able to tell the age of theirDragons from their differentcolours, their origin was toldthis way also. Yellow Dragonswere believed to have been bornfrom yellow gold a thousandyears old; blue Dragons fromblue gold, eight hundred yearsold; red, white and black allfrom gold of the same colour.

Dragons can be either male orfemale, they lay eggs, some ofwhich do not hatch for onethousand years. Whenhatching did occur, it wasknown because of greatmeteor showers, violentthunderstorms and greatshowers of hail.

For thousands of years the imagination of humankind has been captured by the visionof the mythical Dragon, an archetype that resonates deeply within the human psyche,as a symbol of knowledge, time and wisdom, beyond the reach of mortal humans.


For There BeDragonsDancing

The Elemental Dragon createsa telepathic link with a chosenhuman at the time of theirhatching, and this bond existsas long as the human does. ThisDragon is from then on, thatmortal Guardian andcompanion for life.

The Dragon, in whateverform, appears in thousands offolk stories regardless of thedescription attached to it.Human kind has a subconsciousknowledge of the Dragon andits powers, that even theassumed thin veneer of so-called‘civilisation’, cannot remove.

SO WHAT AREDRAGONS? ARE THEYREAL OR IMAGINARY?The word Dragon comes from

the Greek “Drakon”, and theLatin “draco”. Drakon comesfrom the verb meaning to see, tolook at, or possibly to flash.Dragons in most legends spendtheir time watching, wether itbe treasure, territory, the land,or the supposedly capturedmaidens. The word “Dragon”, isused in many different fields, asdiverse as Astrology, Astronomy,Alchemy, Majik, Heraldry,Psychology, and the study ofDreams. From the time thathumans began to record things,Dragons have been mentioned.

In Astrology, the ancientConstellation of Draco issituated in the northernheavens and curves in awinding path between the Bigand Little Dippers. It then endsin the Dragons head, atrapezium of four stars. The starDraconis is a brilliant doublestar. The constellation hasprobably shifted over themillennia, and may have oncebeen the pole star to which thePyramid of Cheops was aligned.

The Royal Court of theDragon was established inEgypt in 2170 BCE, to provide

an institution for the pursuit ofthe work of the Dragon of al-Khem, otherwise known asThoth or Hermes. From al-Khem we have Alchemy, whichis the great works of theDragon. The most famousbooks accredited to him ate“The Emerald Tablets”, and“The Pymander” Part ofthe book “The EmeraldTablets”, talks about Reptiles,expressly shape shifters.Reptile’s were/are able to shapeshift between the forms ofhumans and Dragons.

In many cultures, Dragonshave a close affinity with Snakes.Some serpentine Dragons appearto be similar to giant snakes, orlikened to Lizards. They are saidto be able to spit venom or acid ifupset or irritated. It is believed bysome cultures also, that Dragonscan control the weather,especially storms, rain, wind, andthunder. It is also said thatDragons hold a high position ofpower, in some cultures, as beingclose protectors or servants to theGods themselves.

In Babylonian Myth, the firstDragon was named Tiamat, andShe was said to be the Motherof all Dragons and theDaughter of Chaos.

In Alchemy, the Dragon wasconsidered tobe matter,

metal ,and

physical body. Often mentionedin conjunction with theDragon, was the Dragons Sister,spirit, metallic Mercury, and theSoul. Ancient Alchemy used thepicture of a Dragon or a Serpentas one of its many secretsymbols. A common symbol ofSpiritual Alchemical work wasthe Dragon holding its tail in itsmouth, an unending circle ofLife. This ancient Dragonsymbol of Uroboros, swallowingHis own tail, depicts the eternalcycle, the Creation and re-Creation of all existence.

Everywhere the legged Dragonis associated with Creation of Lifegiving. Through out the Worldthe Goddess or Great Mother isconnected with Serpents,Dragons and Spirals. Asthe Great Whale Dragon, Ishtarbrought catastrophic flood,which made it possible for a neworder of humans to develop.

World wide, Dragons andSerpents are symbolic of theenergy source of Life healing,oracular powers, fertility andmaternal blessings. Most ofmodern mankind has lost theirlink with the cycles of Nature,and the ability to make Majik andManifestation. Today, truepractical Dragon Majik andpower are almost a forgotten Art.Generally speaking, only thosepractitioners and believers in theFaerie Tradition, speak of theexistence and validity of Dragons.Early mapmakers drew Dragonsat the edge of their maps todenote unknown territory. Someexplorers ventured no fartherthan what was known, but otherslooked upon this venture intothe realms of Dragon Territory asan opportunity of amazing

discovery.In Heraldry, a Dragon with

two legs is called Wyvern, aDragon without wings is calleda Worm, a serpentine Dragonwith wings, but no legs is an


Amphiphere, and a Dragonwith wings and legs is knownas a Guiver. Further meaningsof these Draconic images wasdetermined by their postureand of course their colour.

Most Dragons tend to be subtlein their first few contacts withhumans. Mentally inviting themto make their presence known,by thought or deed. Be sensitiveand extra aware of what ishappening aroundyou. They maychoose to makethemselves knownto you in dreams orin flashes ofmovement in yourperipheral vision.They may alsochoose to simplytouch you in yourpsychic feelings.

Faerie Dragonsand Draconic householdEnergies are generally found tobe very small, around the sizeof a domestic cat, which ismuch smaller than the usualtraditional Guardian Dragon.Guardian Dragons seem to bethe easiest to attract, and canappear as little voices, or facesand forms in your mind,showing up any timeunannounced, but especiallyduring meditation or MajikRitual. They love the PowerFlow of Ritual, and will makeappearances just to bathe in theEnergy flow. They may havewell been there the whole timeand you just didn’t noticethem. Since Dragons are themasters of concealment, this isnot surprising. Small Dragonsdelight in sharing in thevibration of Tarot and Runereadings, and other similarpsychic practices. Some havebeen known to take specialamusement in mischief and play.One thing they do enjoy, is givinga crystal pendulum that you

might be using at the time, a patwith their tail or claw, whilst youare intent on serious workings.

The only solution to this, if itdoes happen, is to let them havetheir fun until they tire of thegame, before trying again foryour own purpose. She/ He andtheir companions love to peerover your shoulder, during aTarot reading, muttering theirown interpretations, one can

butt only be patient with them.In there own way they aretrying to help you out. Ho Hum!Dragons tend to speak in riddlesand symbology most of thetime, avoiding giving straightanswers when ever possible.

The only weapon a Dragonrespects (not fears) is a sword,but only if wielded by aconfident Majician who isprepared to stand Her / Hisground. DO NOT EVER makethe mistake of trying tophysically attack a Dragon,with or without a sword. In thefirst place, a Dragon wouldmelt your sword as though itwas ice in a flame, andsecondly, a Dragon is an AstralBeing, incapable of beingactually harmed by a physicalweapon. If you feeluncomfortable with a Dragonspresence, set aside some quiettime for a meditation, thenhave a mental conversationwith the creature.

Carefully and politely aspossible explain your wishes

and desires concerning them.Project as much good will asyou can. The Dragon willunderstand you and eitherwork along with you or simplyleave you be. Dragons will nothang around where they arenot wanted. The type ofDragon who will be attracted toyou will be the one’s who havethe most to offer you at thepresent moment in time

Before rejecting aDragons help orpresence, firstly findout what they have toshow or teach you.These creatures loveto play games,especially hide andseek with smallchildren, adoreanything bright andsparkly, brightlycoloured objects, gem

stones and crystals, tinklingbells, wind chimes, fingercymbals and of course theirfavourites are singing, dancing,chants and drumming. Thestories I could tell, but that’s foranother time.

Through reverence and passionfor this World, and for all Life,might we be able to connect withSpiritual World, here in thisEarthly realm, and out in theCosmic soup of time and space.

Like the mapmakers whowrote,” Here there beDragons”, on the edges of theirmaps, I wish you all a very safejourney into Dragon country.Go prepared for a fantasticvoyage on which you will makewonderful new friends andMajikal working partners, andyou will be pleasantly surprisedI am sure, at the experience andthe wisdom you will learn.

Dance with the Dragons intheir endless round ofenergy, and feel all areas ofyour life lifted into new andpowerful realms.


DRAGON LAWArise, O Spirit of Dragon, Fill This Land With Delight.Bless Me And Mine With Your Mystical Energies, And Repel All Mortals Who Wish Us Harm In Any Way.I Welcome All Ye Dragons Who Fly To This Place of Learning.May We Work Together Always In Love And Harmony.May This Sacred Space Be A Haven Of Peace And Tranquillity,A Refuge That Revitalizes, A Door To Otherworld Knowledge.May Your Wisdom And Strength Become One With Mine,As I Stand Strong Before You, To Touch Your Beautiful Face.


5 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons brown sugar6 tablespoons golden syrup1-tablespoon water2 teaspoons ginger7 tablespoons self-rising flour1 teaspoon grated lemon rind2 eggs

Put butter, syrup, water into apan and heat gently until allmelted.

Sieve all dry ingredients.

Pour melted ingredients into

dry mix, beat hard untiltoughly mixed.

Add lemon rind and eggs Bakein a moderate oven for 1 to 11/4 hours.

Press top of cake, if noimpression is left cake is ready.Cool for at least 30 minutesbefore attempting to get it outof the tin.

This cake improves with beingkept a couple of days. Servebuttered or with cream.

Ginger Bread* * * * * * * * * * * *

Pumpkin Pie* * * * * * * * * * * *

Secrets From The Witch’s Couldron

185 g butter1/2 cup icing sugar.1 1/2 cups self-raising flour1/3 cup custard powder

Cream butter and icing sugartogether.

Chuck in the rest and mix well.

Spoon Walnut sized piecesonto a greased biscuit tray.

Moderate oven for ten tofifteen minutes, don’t overbake.

Custard Biscuits* * * * * * * * * * * *

Rich short crust pastry.2 cups plain flourPinch salt1-teaspoon sugar125 g butter 1 egg yolk1/2 cup iced water

Or cheat and use frozencommercial pastry, but it tastesnicer if u make it yourself.

Rub the fat into the flour withsalt.

Add sugar

Add egg yolk.

Mix in enough iced water tomix to a firm consistency (mixwith a knife.)

Let it rest in fridge for half anhour before rolling it out andlining a greased pie dish with it.

Bake pasty shell for tenminutes in a moderate oven

the put aside to cool.

Filling2 cups cooked pumpkin.2/3 cups brown sugar.2 teaspoons cinnamon.1/2 teaspoon ginger.Pinch salt.1/2 cup milk.3 eggs beaten,1 cup cream.2 tablespoons brandy.

In a large bowl well mashpumpkin and sugar, spices andsalt.

Beat continually as you addmilk, eggs, cream, and brandy.Pour into cooled pastry shell.

Bake in a moderate oven for45-50 minutes or until fillinghas set.

Serve warm or cold. Deliciouswith cream, maple syrup, icecream.

YummyCheese Soup

* * * * * * * *

5 tables spoons olive oil.1 clove garlic.Five tablespoons flour.

4stock cubes2 cups water2 cups milk.2 cups grated cheese.2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fry onions in oil, in largesaucepan.

When nearly cooked addgarlic. Garlic tastes bitter ifburnt, try not to burn it!

Two minutes later add flourand stir really well and keepstirring as you add water, milk,and stock cubes.

When thickening, add cheeseand parsley.

Do not stop stirring in casesoup burns. It it’s ruined if itburns even slightly.


T hey arrived together on ahot Sunday afternoon,together on a big black

motor bike. They sort ofresembled the two fat ladies,only in a Laurel and Hardy kindof way. Everybody knew thesetwo women, they had the kindof reputation that not onlypreceded them, it reserved thema seat half an hour earlier. Itsurprised many how two peopleso different could be such goodfriends. Bandit, was a very wellfed woman in her mid 50's, whonever seemed to be withoutfood. She was a blonde, andeven though it was onlyperoxide, the stereotype fit herwell. Tramp on the other hand,who despite her age, lived up toher name remarkably well, wasan extremely short sighted, darkhaired woman, who was soskinny you'd think the onlything she ever ate was the oliveout of the martini glass. Peoplefound it quite amazing to learnthat Tramp did in fact eat asmuch as Bandit. When askedhow she stayed so thin, Trampalways replied 'I do step aerobicsevery morning'. Not wantingthe mental picture of a 65-yearold in a leotard, the generalpopulation instead chose tobelieve that the amount ofalcohol she drank must sort ofcounteract the food in someweird and abnormal way.

The two sat side by side on alittle couch. Bandit took upmost of the seat, and it almostlooked like Tramp's end wasbeing lifted off the ground, butin truth, it was just that Bandit'send had sunk into the ground.Bandit then added to her weightby putting a huge picnichamper (goddess knows howshe managed to hold that onthe bike) on her lap, and then

proceeded to rummage for food.Tramp meanwhile made eyes atwhat she probably thought wasa male, but was in fact awheelbarrow full of wood.

The meeting began with thequestion 'Should we botherhaving meetings anymore, asthe turnouts are getting worseand worse?' Everyone agreedthat the meetings wereworthwhile and should becontinued. But how to get thenumbers, that was the problem.Someone suggested that wehave a barbecue afterwards, itwas then that Bandit chippedin, saying through a mouthfulof what seemed to be crackers,'Any excuse to sit down andhave a good feed with friends'.She then suggested 'Why don'twe call it a gathering instead,that way we can lure people inwith a false sense of security'.The general response fromeveryone else, was shock. Butnot shock at the idea, just shockthat it was Bandit who hadthought of it. It was a generalassumption, that the only thingbetween Bandit's ears, was thechocolate biscuit she left therelast week in case she gothungry! But never the less it waswritten that from now on allmeetings shall be known as'gatherings', 'and will involvelots of eating' added Bandithalfway through a BLTsandwich.

In the mean time, Tramp hadcome to the conclusion that herwheelbarrow man was notinterested. How she came tothis conclusion is quite a storyin itself, you see Tramp neverwore her glasses, because shethought they made her lookintelligent, and in Tramp'sexperience, men preferredstupid women. Without her

glasses of course she was asblind as a bat, and the only wayshe could tell male from femalewas to go up and sniff them!Tramp had been a pretty good-looking woman in her youngerdays, and even though heryounger days had been 40 oddyears ago, she still tried her bestto get the attention of a good-looking male, or as of late, anymale!

With the meeting now calledto an end, there was only onething left for Bandit to do. Thatwas finish off the rest of herpicnic hamper. Also Bandit'shabit of picking someone else'splums up and taste-testingthem, ensured that she wouldbe offered a fruit basket to takehome. It was commonknowledge that Bandit was thetype of person who, when sheran out of food, started to chewon little twigs and sticks, to hintto everyone around that shewas hungry. If she didn't getoffered any food, she would beforced to go and sit on theperson with the nearest icecream.

Everything was over, andpeople started to leave.Eventually the only two stillsitting were Bandit, who wasjust polishing off a lemonmeringue pie, and Tramp, whodespite all her sniffing had notmanaged to locate a male, andin the end had given up and satback down.

When their black motor bikefinally drove off into the sunsetpeople commented on howfunny it looked. The silhouetteof Hardy driving a bike, withLaurel on the back, hanging onto a picnic hamper (out ofwhich, the odd plum was seenfalling out)!

✶❉❆✄✧❖❄❂�❂❅❆❖✄❑❇✄✤❂❏❅❊�✄✞✄✶�❂��Off to the WA Pagans Community Meeting: By Jordy Leavesley

All characters in thisstory are ficticious,

and any resemblanceto actual persons,living or dead, is

purely coincidental.

Documents

CC Newsletter Spring 02 - iiNetmembers.iinet.net.au/~catfive/comcov/ezine april 2003.pdfCombined Covens Social Club Summer Newsletter 2002 2 ... Raymond Bucklands Complete book of