Introduction to Witchcraft

Lesson 4 - Rites of Passage, Craft Greetings and Traditions

Rites of Passage

A"Rite of Passage" is a transition from one state of life to another.  Birth, death and marriage are examples.  The main Rite of passage we will look at is Initiation, the different parts of the ritual and its symbolism.

Generally, initiaion denotes a body of rites and teachings arranged to bring about a very definate change in both the religious nad the social status of the person undergoing the ritual.  There is a cartharsis: a spiritual cleansing.  The person, actually becomes another person.  The central theme of initiation is rebirthing.  You are ending life as you have known and are being born again with new knowledge.

All initiaion rituals follow the same basic pattern, this is as follows:

  • Separation
  • Cleansing
  • Symbolic Death
  • Rebirth

Types of Initiations into Witchcraft

Self Dedication - performed when studying the ways of the Craft prior to being fully initaited.  It symbolises your dedication to your new path.

Coven Initiaion - Upon learning the ways of the Craft and when the High Priestess feels your ready to be fully initiated as a Witch.

Self Initiaion - Much like Coven Initiaion except it is performed alone.
 

Craft Greetings

Blessed Be
This greeting comes from the Garderian tradition and is sums up the following:

"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the Sacred Altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, erected in beauty and in strength.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."

Merry Meet
This is an older, common Pagan greeting.  In full it is "(May we) merry meet; merry part; merry meet again".

Both of these greetings are usually accompanied by a hug and a kiss.
 
 

Traditions

Alexandrian: Founded in England during the 1960s, Alex Sanders referred to himself as the "King" of his Witches. The rituals are said to be modified Gardenarian.

British: A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs. Most famous organization at this time is the International Red Garters. British Traditionals move mostly from within the Farrar studies (the famous Witch husband and wife from England.) They too are fairly structured in their beliefs, and train through the degree process. Their covens are also co-ed.

Celtic Wicca: The use of a Celtic/Druidic pantheon mixed with a little ritual Gardnerian, and heavily stressing the elements, nature and the Ancient Ones. They had a vast knowledge of and respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little people, gnomes and fairies.

Caledonii: Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition, this denomination of the Craft is Scottish in origin, and still preserves the unique festivals of the Scots.

Ceremonial Witchcraft: Followers of this Tradition uses a great deal of ceremonial magick in their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavor of Egyptian magick are sometimes a favorite, or they may use the Qabbalistic magick.

Dianic: First pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe," this term appears to include a mixture of various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft.

Eclectic Witch: Look in any personals column in a Craft-oriented newsletter or journal and you will see this catch-all phrase. Basically, it indicates that the individual does not follow any particular Tradition, demonimation, sect, or magickal practice. They learn and study from many magickal systems and spply to themselves what appears to work best.

Gardnerian: Organized by Gerald Gardner in England in the 1950s. Just why is this fellow so darned important? Gerald was one of the few people so determined that the Old Religion should not die that he took the risk of publicizing it through the media. Under all the hype, I truly believe he understood that the young needed the Craft as much as the Craft needed a new generation to survive.

Hereditary Witch: One who can trace the Craft through their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was living at the same time. Channeling doesn't count. How far one has to go back on the family tree to meet the conditions of the first part of this definition is debatable. Family Trades (another name for Hereditary Witches) occasionally adopt individuals into their dynasty. This decision is never a light one, and usually stems from the lack of offspring to carry on the line, or the high regard they hold for the person in question. The ceremony is intricate and important. After all, it is not every day you can pick your relatives! It is much like the marriage of an individual into a family.

Kitchen Witch: You will hear this term every once in a while. Basically, this type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the practical side of religion, magick, the earth and the elements. There are some who groan loudly at this type of terminology, viewing it as degrading or simply inappropriate. Just remember that the Old Religion started somewhere, and most likely the kitchen (or cookfire) was the hub of many charms, spells, healings, and celebrations. After all, where does everyone congregate during the holidays? Grandma's kitchen has always produced magickal memories for humanity; visions of Mother making that something special for a sick child still holds true today for many of us.

Pictish Witchcraft: Scottish Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature; animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary from of the Craft and mainly magickal in nature with little religion.

Pow-Wow: Indigenous to South Central Pennsylvania. This is a system, not a religion, based on 400 year old Elite German magick. Pow-Wow has deteriorated to a great degree into simple faith healing. Although Pow-Wow finds its roots in German Witchcraft, few practicing Pow-Wows today in Pennsylvania follow the Craft or even know the nature of its true birth.

Satanic Witch: One cannot be a satanic Witch because Witches do not believe in satan. This had to be mentioned here, because, there are some people out there that label themselves as such... and the two together is impossible if you know anything about the Wiccan religion. The people that call themselves Satanic Witches are NOT real Witches at all!

Seax-Wica: Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973. Although of Saxon basis, it was authored by Raymond himself without breaking his original Gardnerian oath. Raymond Buckland's contribution to the Craft is a significant one. Not only did he develop a Tradition that is more than acceptable to many individuals, he also has written a large volume of textbooks on different magickal aspects and practices of the Craft, thereby enhancing many lives in a positive direction.

Solitary Witch: One who practices alone, regardless of Tradition, demonination, or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some were at one time initiated into a coven and eventually chose to extricate themselves from that environment and continue practicing a particular Tradition or sect by themselves. A solitary can also be an individual who has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven structure, but still may adhere to a specific Tradition or sect through the teachings of another. And finally, a solitary Witch can be a person who has decided to tough it out on their own, learning from books, networking, and fellow Witches of different Traditions. These people have the ability to pick themselves up and brush themselves off, and live to try again. More and more individuals are selecting the solitary path rather than that of group interaction. Another name for a solitary Witch is "Natural Witch." You may hear this word from time to time as well.

Strega Witches: Follows a tradition seated in Italy that began around 1353 with a woman called Aradia. Of all the traditional Witches, this group appears to be the smallest in number in the U.S.; however, their teachings are beautiful and should not be missed.

Teutonic Witch: From ancient time the Teutons have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages. Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish peoples. This is also known as the Nordic Tradition.

You have now been shown the basics surrounding Witchcraft, you should understand its history, the meaning and purpose of the Sabbats, the differences between solitary and coven witches and the many different traditions.  It is now up to you to decide if this path is for you.

The Order of Rhiamon, is lead by Lady Phoebe Storme and is a wonderful combination of both coven and solitary witchcraft.  You have the support of a coven but are able to live the life of a solitary.  Feel free to send me any questions.

If you wish to become a Witch, I suggest you enrol in the Witchcraft Course at the University of Witchcraft - http://witchcraft.20m.com

Good luck and blessed be.
Venus Silvernight