Little Witch Magazine
Mabon Samhain Visiting Castlefest Discovering Hoodoo The Top Ten Neo-pagan Chants
Fall 2011
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,-While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn Among the river sallows, borne aloft Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft; And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
John Keats-Ode to Autumn; stanza 3
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This Little Witch I
I started a new job three weeks ago. The alarm clock rings at 6.45 AM and when I first started, it was completely light out by the time it did. Now I wake in the twilight, accompanied by a single bird, if I’m lucky. The Autumn has undeniably arrived and the world around me changes on a daily basis. I’m raveling in the ability to gather nuts and berries and enjoy the Autumn storms that have already begun to fall. This season is undeniably my favorite. I love the cold of Winter, the hope of Spring and the beauty of the Summer but Fall is my season, the season I am most aware of Mother Nature and her life-sustaining power. This issue of Little Witch magazine celebrates the season, the holy days that are part of it and we delve into the more earthy of traditions. For this I welcome one of two new guest writers; Strata, who has written the first of three parts on the magickal practice of Hoodoo. I also welcome
Gerry Damen, or Hagetessa. She shares with you her views on the Burning Times, something many of us remember during Samhain. In addition to these subjects I talk you through the scientific Gaia Theory and Ragnild shares with you the story of Jack ‘o Lantern who wanders the earth with his ember-lit pumpkin. I have received a lot of feedback, both positive and negative on the article on children in last issue’s Little Witch magazine. I want to take this opportunity to say that I have no evidence for the theories presented in that article, besides the experiences of women I have talked to. Other women might have had very different experiences. I meant no offense, I try to stay as objective and inclusive as possible. My experiences are colored by my Tradition, as yours are by yours. It’s a very real possibility our articles do not speak to your truth and I ask you to take from them what you can and leave the rest for someone else. Brightest Blessings, Elani Temperance
In this issue: 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16
The Goodie Bag Top Ten Neo-pagan Chants Examining the season The Beauty of the Fall Pagan world The Gaia Theory Witchy Things Choosing a Craft name Discussion Predudices on Coven work Mabon Samhain Branching out Hoodoo: Southern Conjure: Part 1 Practical Pagan Honoring the Burning Times By the firelight The Story of Jack ‘o Lantern Visiting: Castlefest
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The Goodie Bag
TOP TEN Neo-Pagan chants - By Elani Temperance
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inging, chanting and making music are large parts of Pagan worship and that’s why this issue’s Goodie Bag is full of them. 1. Earth my Body http://tiny.cc/earthmybody The lines of text in this chant often come back in rituals, describing the Goddess by the four elements; earth Her body, water Her blood, air Her breath and fire Her spirit. 2. May the Circle be Open http://tiny.cc/maythecircle Traditionally sung at the end of a ritual, the text signifies the eternal connection we have to each other and the Divine. 3. Eko, Eko, Azarak http://tiny.cc/ekoeko Gerald Gardner forged the version if this chant that is most used and it’s been adopted in many Neo-pagan practices since then. What it means is unclear but it gets the blood pumping.
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4. The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water, Return http://tiny.cc/theearth The elements are a favoured subject of pagan chants. Of all elemental chants out there this chant is perhaps the most famous and widely used in a variety of celebrations and occasions. 5. We All Come From The Goddess http://tiny.cc/fromgoddess This chant, of which many singing variations exist, is sung to remind us of the influence the Goddess has in our lives and our part in the cycle of our life and that of nature itself. 6. Goddess Chants http://tiny.cc/isisastarte http://tiny.cc/hecatecerridwyn Goddess chants can be easily build yourself. They involve invoking Goddesses with similar attributes to strengthen a ritual. 7. Ancient Mother, I Hear You Calling http://tiny.cc/ancientmother This version of the chant com-
bines a Goddess chant with a dedication to the Goddess and is often used to connect to Her in meditations or ritual. 8. Cauldron of Changes http://tiny.cc/cauldronchanges This chant is wonderful to sing together. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. It’s a beautiful way to connect to past Pagans and any current Neo-Pagan you haven’t met. 9. Circle Within a Circle http://tiny.cc/circlewithinacircle Where ‘May the Circle Be Open’ is often used to end a ritual, this chant is often used to open it. 10. Protection Chant http://tiny.cc/protectionchant Used just for what it says; protection when you need it.
More chants? Add them to our blog post on favorite chants: http://tiny.cc/chantsen
Examining the season the beauty of the fall - By aurelia bellis
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ook at nature zipping by as you ride your bike through the streets. Watch as Summer pulls back from the leaves and branches. The fresh green is disappearing. Mother nature has worked hard to sustain us through warmth and rain. Leaves are falling from the trees. People gather fallen nuts and berries. Beeches and Acorn trees are already sending their nuts tumbling down with no regard for anyone passing through below their branches. The Fall season has started. While we’ve had the first storms of the season, chestnuts are still a little scarce. Rainfall
always makes people a little depressed but fall can be a fantastic season. In the Fall, time seems to slow down. It’s a time to stop and look around, to breath and clean. The slowing down of time can bring you clarity and the ability to assess what you should keep, store or throw away. Even though the Fall can be a stormy season, it can bring you peace if you are open to it. A good, long, walk through the forest van help open your eyes to the slowing of time of the season. Fall brings with it a longing for the cold of winter. Not for the cold in and off itself but the sting of it, so similar yet completely different from the sting of the Summer sun. Fall makes us want to sink into our coats, to
see nature gently shift her color pattern. Days are growing shorter and it gets dark earlier and earlier in the day. It provides the perfect excuse to light as many candles as possible or sit together at a cozy fire while the wind howls around the house. Walking in the forest and scrounging for chestnuts is the very definition of the Fall. Making webs out of wool, chestnuts and party skewers, cooking with sweet chestnut, making your own bread filled to the brim with sunflower seeds and adapting your seasonal altar to the the world outside your house are surefire ways to bring the Fall into your home and reap the many wonderful, seasonal, benefits.
Activities for the fall Taking a hike through the changing world, making decorations with fall-colored leaves and sitting
inside your house while enjoying the wind, the rain and the many thunderstorms that the Fall sea-
son is famous for. Enjoying hot coco around a warm and cozy fire with family and loved ones.
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Pagan World
The Gaia Theory - By Elani Temperance
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hy are we alive? It’s perhaps the most fundamental of questions ever asked by a sentient life form. We all find our own answer to this question, either through religion or by finding a purpose in our life. We leave it to scientists to answer the questions that carry even more weight; how is it that we are alive? Why does Earth sustain life but none of the other planets we have discovered do? What is our place on this Earth? James Ephraim Lovelock (1919), established chemist, asked himself these questions at the end of the 1960’s and, because he was a scientist, he decided to research it. It was Lovelock who came up with the Gaia Hypothesis, later renamed to the Gaia Theory as much of the hypotheses in the actual hypothesis were found to be true. The Gaia Theory states that the Earth is actually a organism in and of itself or, perhaps more accurately, consists of a single and
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self-regulating complex system of organisms and their inorganic surroundings which maintain the conditions for life on the planet. According to Lovelock, life would not exist on Earth at all without the constant balancing act Gaia plays with the tools under her control. Mind you, Lovelock didn’t speak of divinity. Gaia in mythology was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. She is the mother of all; Gods, men, animal and every single mythological creature. Every religion has its own version of Her. She is Oddudua, Privithi, Quetzalcoatl, Huracan and many others. She created all and is represented by the very Earth itself. The closest Lovelock comes to Her is saying that we are all part of Gaia. We have our own part to play in the system she has created. It’s because of this purpose we all feel attracted to her, to various degrees. She should be respected for the work that she does. The Gaia Theory comes down to a variation of Newton’s third law of motion; every action has
an equal and opposite reaction. An example: too much or too little of any chemical substance or biochemical process will kill us. Take oxygen; the oxygen in the air allows birds to fly, allows mammals to breath, run and think and is an essential and life sustaining gas. Should too much of it get in the air, however, fires will erupt at the slightest spark and the very air itself will ignite. Oxygen is balanced out by a mixture of methane, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, ammonia and many other gaseous chemicals. All these balancing gasses have to be maintained at a very specific level or the balance tips and our environment becomes toxic and unable to sustain life. Besides the regulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, Gaia’s influence can be found in the regulation of the salinity in the oceans, the regulation of the global surface temperature, managing the required biodiversity to power other processes and processing the CO2 cycle. It’s important to note that the oxygen, salt and CO2 levels as well as the surface
temperature have remained nearly constant since the Earth solidified so many billion years ago, despite outside influence of the sun and the loss of chemicals to space. So how would a planetary system manage these processes and can there really be a conscious and intelligent entity that manages these? Especially the latter has been a major point of criticism from the scientific community to Lovelock’s work. Lovelock responded to this criticism in 1990 by saying “Nowhere in our writings do we express the idea that planetary self-regulation is purposeful, or involves foresight or planning by the biota”. But how are these processes managed if there isn’t a mastermind behind it? And what is our part in it? Lovelock and those who researched his theories propose that Gaia is a primitive cybernetic system. Cybernetic systems are regulatory systems. A good example is an oven. It heats up, checks the temperature inside itself, switches off when it hits the desired temperature as set by the
user and switches on again when the temperature inside itself falls below the desired point. An oven isn’t sentient nor is it intelligent but regulation does require a certain amount of processing ability, a form of intelligence. What is our part in the Gaia theory? For one, we process chemicals for her. Our intellect allows us to build and potentially allow her to sustain our environment with even greater efficiency. Unfortunately we aren’t helping her. Instead Gaia has had to work twice as hard to contain the mess we are making. Global warming, increasing amounts of devastating earthquakes and typhoons... They can all be coincidences but they can also be the desperate efforts of Gaia, trying to right the disrupted balance our existence has caused. In the end, the best evidence in favor of the Gaia Theory is perhaps the fact that we are alive, eating, breathing and changing our surroundings with every action we make while no other planet that we have yet discovered can claim the same.
J. E. Lovelock James Ephraim Lovelock was born in England on July 26 1919 to a working class family who valued education, getting him as much university education as money permitted. Throughout his career Lovelock stood by his ethical principles, refusing to hurt test animals being amongst them. Lovelock was involved with NASA and became a very successful scientist with many awards to his name. He still resides in England and still writes about Gaia, warning the world of the damage we are doing to her.
More information: Lovelock’s website: http://www.jameslovelock.org Buy Lovelock’s books: http://tiny.cc/lovelock
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Witchy Things
Choosing a craft name - By Elani Temperance
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raft names are a common and almost essential part of the more witchy Traditions. Their use leads back to the romanticized version of the Burning Times and is an integral part of coven work. Choosing a Craft name is a breeze for some and a complete nightmare for others. There is no guide for it. Legend has it that during the Burning Times, groups of witches and worshipers would go out into the forest together or meet in some abandoned building and practice witchCraft. So they wouldn’t be able to tell on each other if one of them would ever be caught and tortured, they would use aliases. This is where the use of Craft names allegedly comes from. Whether groups of witches actually came together during the Burning Times and chose a name to hide behind or not, Craft names are an integral part of witchCraft today. Names matter. Many magickal Traditions tell
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us that names have power. Our childhood books even tell us this; dragons you can control by learning their True Name, universes you can save by naming the empress. Our birth names were given to us; we did not get to choose them. Craft names are either given to us by people who know us or chosen ourselves, leading many to believe they are more honest and more powerful in ritual than our birth names. A Craft name, in short, is a name with which you identify yourself to other Craft practitioners as well as the Gods or other entities you might work with. You can choose it yourself or, if you’re lucky, it’s given to you by an entity you work with. In some covens the High Priestess and High Priest choose a name for you and in some Traditions you are encouraged to choose a new name every time you receive a new degree. Some Craft names reflect spirit animals, Gods or Goddesses or other entities the practitioner identifies with. Some reflect
abstract versions of these entities and some stand for ideals. Elani Temperance, for instance, reflects both my patron Goddesses, one by abstract value and one by actual virtue. The name Elani was send by my Goddess, temperance is my greatest challenge and my other Goddess’ greatest virtue; Her life’s lesson. In many tribal societies, names or nicknames are assigned by the shaman or elder after intense meditation or a right of passage of the name bearer. Often attributes which identify the person become part of a name; a keen eye, a good singing voice or a a kind hard, for instance. Especially if you prefer a more Shamanistic approach, adding these attributes to your Craft name can make you feel closer to your Tradition. Whatever you choose as a Craft name, don’t be bound by it. It’s supposed to liberate you, it should match who you are or who you’d like to become. It’s not supposed to limit you. You can outgrow your Craft name and if you do, that’s okay. As long as it fits you.
Discussion
Prejudices on covenwork - By Lunadea
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n the previous edition of Little Witch Magazine, we spoke about the choice of remaining solitary or joining a coven. In this edition we go deeper into the prejudice that exists around covens. A large part of covenwork, especially in Wicca-based Traditions, is kept a secret and it’s this secrecy that causes any number of wild stories to circulate. Coven witches are said to be authoritarian, said to put themselves above solitary witches, and High Priestesses and High Priests are, of course, the most authoritarian of all. A High Priestess or High Priest is said to put her or himself in the centre of attention at all time. Covens are said to practise High Magick only and you won’t learn a thing because the only thing the coven is about is money; for the High Priestess and High Priest. For most covens, all these prejudices are vehemently untrue. Covens are just groups of Witches who study together.
Yes, a High Priestess or High Priest does oversee the training but they don’t view themselves as standing above the student. A good High Priestess or High Priest respects every individual, whether they are just starting out or have already gone through some degrees, is male or female or works solitary or in a group. The degree system used in covens is only used to show how long someone has been studying. You can only request your first degree, the second and third degrees are given to you. While a symbolic time is set for every degree, it usually takes longer and not everyone makes it to the third degree. The High Priestess and High Priest judge how far you are in your studies. The degrees stand for study levels, just like any other school. About practising High magick only; any coven holds large rites, circle rituals, which might be less potent when done alone. Especially because you’re all together, focus will be on these circle rituals but that doesn’t mean there is no place for smaller rituals and
Low Magick practices because that is a part of Witchcraft as well and thus part of the lessons one needs to learn before you can recieve your third degree. As for money; nothing in life is free. Running a coven costs money and it’s logical all members will be asked to pay a part of that cost. There are undoubtedly High Priestesses and High Priests who ask for more money than what will cover the basic costs but doesn’t it say in the Charge of the Goddess that knowledge should be free? Prejudices are ideas that often aren’t based on facts and hopefully this article has removed some of yours. Should this article only bring you more questions, feel free to ask them so I can write about them in a coming edition of Little Witch magazine. Lunadea is High Priestess of coven Salix, priestess of Diana, practitioner of the Old Religion, herbal healer, reikimaster and most of all: herself! www.lunadea.nl
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Mabon M
abon signifies the astrological turning point from Summer to Fall. It’s the day where light and dark even out and where Persephone rejoins her consort Hades in the Underworld, much to Demeter’s dismay. According to Greek mythology, Demeter will stop carrying out her duties as a fertility Goddess after the harvest and will roam the Earth until her daughter rejoins her in Spring. During the Fall months, the Green Man, the God, parts with us as well. He has fulfilled his job of fertilizing and empowering the Earth, the Goddess, and now rests. Like Demeter he will preside over the Harvest and then, depending on tradition, age and die or rest until the winter months pass. Mabon is named after the Welsh God and mythological hero of the same name. Mabon ap Modron was stolen from his mother when he was just three nights old. Mabon eventually gets rescued by Culhwch, Cai and several other Arthurian knights after which
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he assists them in the Hunting of Twrch Trwyth, a great King who sinned so badly, he was turned into a Boar. Mabon resembles Persephone in many ways; he too is taken from his mother and resides in the Womb of the Earth during his capture. Both Mabon and Persephone bring about major, potent, changes when they are finally freed. Mabon is known by many other names: the Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home, Meán Fómhair and Alban Elfed, amongst others. It is the second harvest festival and is mostly noted for the ripening of the corn. It is a time of gratitude and contemplation, a time where we prepare for winter and revel in the last rays of summer sun. Our ancestors were finally able to take stock of the harvest and assure themselves they had enough reserves to make it through the winter moths or make arrangements to ensure they would. Because of this, Mabon was a much happier and relaxed festival than Lughnasadh and was celebrated merrily despite the waning sun.
Mabon Incense 2 parts Sandalwood 2 parts Frankincense 1 part dried Apple 1 part Juniper berry 1 part Oakleave 1/2 part Oakmoss A few drops of corn oil Crush all ingredients or cut them into tiny pieces. Toss the apple, juniper, oakleaves and oakmoss together and add the Frankincense and Sandlewood. Bind the mixture with a few drops of corrn oil. Burn on a glowing coal.
Elani Temperance, 2010
Samhain - By Elani Temperance
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amhain is traditionally a harvest festival, the final one is a series of three. It signifies the end of the harvest and signals the final stretch before winter. Because of this significance, Samhain is celebrated as the beginning of the new year in many Traditions. Samhain, also spelled Samhuinn or Sauin is also called Oïch Shamhna, Halloween, All Saint’s Day, Calan Gaeaf, Calan Gwaf and All Souls’ Day. In any number of Traditions, Samhain is a Day of the Dead. Deceased loved ones are remembered as well as victimes of violence and war, both this year as well as years previous. Many Neo-Pagan witchcraft Traditions remember those who died during the Burning Times and some honor the dead of World War I and II, the war in Irak and Afganistan, those who fell during terrorist attacks and/or the deathly struggles in Libia. In these Traditions, Samhain deities are often deities of death.
Isis, The Morrigan, Kali, Anubis and Odin will often be invoked to look out for those passed on and often they will be honored in a ritual of their own. Other Traditions mark Samhain as one of the two days of the year, the other being Litha, where the veil between words is at its thinnest. Depending on Tradition, either the dead, demons or the Faery Folk can come through. These should be acknowledged and often warded off. To be on the safe side, Neo-pagans often leave offerings outside for the Faery Folk, a candle burning in the windowsill throughout the night to invite loved ones and repel other spirits and demons and often set the table for an extra person during dinner time. Samhain is one of the most imaginative and important celebrations of the entire wheel and is often a starting point for many magickal endeavors, including Little Witch magazine. It’s on Samhain that the idea of Little Witch magazine was put into action and I am so proud we have now come full circle.
Samhain Poem Blue moon and black nights a figure stands guard at the lake of my thoughts in the dark of the night Dusk will approach will lift the veil lightning will strike the guard and light the sky mist and fog clear and fade for Love Light and those who knew that Fate will go its way Lunadea, 2002
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Branching Out
Hoodoo: Southern Conjure: Part 1 - By Strata
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oodoo is an AfricanAmerican folk magick system, consisting of primarily African folk practices and beliefs brought over by African slaves and then influenced by Native American herbal practices and English folk magick. In this first part of a three part series, we discuss what hoodoo is about and how it relates to Neo-paganism. Hoodoo is also know as conjure, rootwork, witchcraft, and tricking by its practitioners. It makes particularly heavy use of candle magick; sympathetic magick; herbal magick, especially concerning roots; foot-track magick; bibliomancy; and conjuration. A practitioner of hoodoo is also known as a hoodoo, or as a rootworker, root doctor, two-headed doctor, and/or conjure woman/ man. Hoodoo emphasizes personal power in magick, or ‘mojo’. Every person and thing has its own ‘mojo’, and a hoodoo can utilize this power to influence people or
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situations around them. A hoodoo will use their personal mojo, their personal energy or power, to empower their workings. Alternatively, hoodoos utilize the mojo of others. A common practice among hoodoos is the purchasing of graveyard dirt. This carefully selected dirt, paid for by two silver dimes, adds the deceased energy to the workings. Also, a hoodoo will utilize the mojo of their intended target. This is done through personal concerns, artifacts with a personal connection to the target. Some have stronger mojo than others. For instance, bodily fluids are top on the personal concerns list, while name papers and business cards are on the bottom. Without a personal concern, the work has no direction and the work isn’t tied to the target. Hoodoo has already made its way into American Neo-pagan magickal practices through such traditions as candle magick, herbal magick, sympathetic magick, and foot-track magick. But hoodoo still has so much more to offer the Neo-pagan magickal
community, especially in the realm of bibliomancy. Hoodoo makes extensive use of Christian/Judeo texts, through the Psalms and other passages. In hoodoo, the use of these verses is not necessarily about Christian beliefs or practices, but more about tapping into the Christian egregore, an egregore created by millions of people who have read and utilized that psalm. Hoodoo is an intuitive and natural practice, utilizing personal power, the power herbs and roots, sympathetic magick, and ancestral/ spirit work. These are elements that any Neo-pagan practice can benefit from and easily incorporate, especially because it has no religious component. Having a seasoned teacher can greatly help your developing practice but it’s not a requirement. Luckily, due to the ever expanding reach of the internet, they are no longer as hard to find. Strata is a long time practicioner of hoodoo and keeps a blog of her workings: http://tiny.cc/stratablog
Practical Pagan
Honoring the burning times - By Hagetessa
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amhain is the feast of the dead. It’s a special day for not only us but also the Christians who celebrate All Saints followed by All Soul’s Day. For us it’s a one-day celebration and we don’t have saints, or do we? Especially around Samhain Pagans focus on the historic witch trials. The witch trials were very real and must never be forgotten. The one large problem about honoring the Burning Times is that the men and women who lost their lives automatically become ‘one of us’. We often call ourselves witches while they were killed for being one. In the end of the 1970’s it was often assumed that the persecuted were poor old herbal healers, people with gifts, nursemaids or people who were special in some other way. This way it’s easier for the Pagan community to identify with these people and deal with the horror of the Burning Times. The truth is different. The per-
secuted were often accused of magickal crimes and those who accused them were neighbors, villagers or even family. Even at the height of the Burning Times, people weren’t accused randomly. Years of smear campaigns usually preceded these accusations. Good fortune while another had a hard time, a family that stayed healthy while neighbors got sick and even died. These kind of things put people in the eyes of the villagers and when you had this eye on you and other things that could not be explained happened to you or those around you, you would be accused of practicing witchcraft. Especially in times of crop failure or sickness amongst people or cattle, witchcraft was often said to be the cause. People went looking for a scapegoat and the ones who were accused mostly weren’t the nicest of people. When someone was already under watch the smallest things could tip the scales; a fight at the wrong time—when someone was already sick—where things were said in anger could be enough.
And even if you kept your head down, there was often a ‘white witch’ in the village who could point out black magick and who was practicing it. If the accused ‘witch’ was lucky, she fell in the hands of the church where he or she at least had a chance at a fair trial. In these days the law lay with the ‘witch’s’ villagers, often by jury trial, and the judges knew that setting the accused free was never an option. If the ‘witch’ was tried in city court, he or she knew they were dead by the end of it. The witch is an attractive archetype. She has much to teach us Pagans about personal power, darkness and light. But in the majority of the cases the archetypical witch has nothing to do with those who died at the stake. Can we remember these dark times without claiming the victims as belonging to our kind? Hagetessa teaches classes on being a Highly Sensitive Person, spirituality, energy work and Shamanism. http://energiewerk.aanhet.net
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By the firelight
The Story of Jack ’o Lantern - By Ragnild
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ave you ever heard the tale of the man that tricked the Devil? They say there once was a man so cunning and vile he managed to trick none other than the Devil himself. While there are many different versions of this tale, I shall tell you how I first heard it. Once, quite long ago, even before your grandfather’s father was born there was a man called Jack. Now Jack, he was a cunning creature, and none of the locals liked him. He was mean and could be quite petty at times. He also loved to con his fellow villagers and travellers alike and many had fallen for his schemes over time as he was always one step ahead of his victims. If they could rid of Jack they would, but the man was like weed, he always returned. I’ve been told that old Jack wasn’t very fond of the idea that he’d die one day, like most of us. Instead of accepting the inevitable, he schemed and schemed until one day he had a plan. Jack thought
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he was oh so cunning, he thought he had thought of the perfect plan, but you and I know better. Jack did not though so he went ahead and he managed to trick the boss down below, the Devil himself. Nobody knows how he did it; moreover, nobody wants to know how he did it for everybody now knows of old Jack’s faith. But Jack, he did it. The Arch demon, well, he was none too pleased when he saw Jack and found that he had been captured. It wasn’t a regular cage that Jack had used to catch the Devil in, oh no, not by a long shot. It had taken Jack many, many months, bordering on years, of research. But finally he had done it; he had found the proper incantations and runes to ensnare Satan himself. Jack had painted these runes and incantations on the floors and walls of a nearby cave. It wasn’t any old paint either; the blood of a virgin had been a vital ingredient in the brew. It is said the marks can still faintly be seen in the cave the old codger used. Jack cackled with glee at his success and told the Devil his
terms for the demon’s release, namely that Jack’s soul wouldn’t be taken as soon as he died. Now, old Jack again thought he was being clever. He wasn’t though. What do you think happens if your body dies but your spirit doesn’t move from it? Jack thought it would gain him immortality, after all, such a twisted creature as he couldn’t go to Heaven; it simply wouldn’t be permitted. And now, he also wouldn’t be able to go to Hell, thanks to his conniving little ways. Bested, the Devil agreed to Jack’s terms, he simply had no choice if he wanted to oversee the suffering of all the souls down below in Hell. Jack, being who he was, of course didn’t trust the demon, oh no. He wanted his terms written down in a contract. He also didn’t want it to be any old contract, no; it would have to be a magical contract. A contract so powerful that even the Devil himself couldn’t break it without facing the consequences for his actions. Once a magical contract was signed, Jack set the Beast free,
he had made a promise and his end of the stick was the better, or so he thought. Jack lived many years, conning his way through life, being mean and spiteful to almost all that crossed his path. But as with all of us, his end drew near and the time came for him to die. Jack’s assumptions about Heaven had been correct, as Petrus wouldn’t let him pass through the gates as he was a wicked and twisted creature. The Devil couldn’t take his soul either, and at first, Jack was very pleased with his situation. As the years passed however, he couldn’t find a place to call his own. He had been driven from the village by the villagers, such a long life was just unnatural and the villagers didn’t know about his deal with the Devil. Jack wandered from place to place but he couldn’t find rest. One day, he came upon the Devil himself. The Beast smiled when he saw the man, after all, hadn’t he brought it upon himself? Jack, tired of his wanderings, begged the Devil to take his soul. Death
seemed to be a better prospect than the eternal wandering that he was doing now. The Demon smiled and shook his head; had Jack forgotten the contract he had signed all those years ago? His soul couldn’t be taken and Heaven didn’t want him. Laughing, the Devil returned to Hell but he left Jack one last present, an ember from the pits of Hell itself, forever burning. Jack burned his hands when he picked up the ember, but he didn’t have any other way to carry it. Time passed and Jack stumbled upon a pumpkin patch and carved a lantern; it’s madly grinning face keeping everything at bay. With the ember inside of it, it would scare off all that came too near. Since that day people say that the figure of a man can be seen travelling the lands. Yes, only a figure. Why? Well, Jack’s flesh had rotted as he grew older and steadily it had begun falling off his bones. Now, shrouded in a cloak he still wanders the Earth carrying his lantern with the ever burning coal.
Pagan agenda Activities by the Silver Circle (NL) http://tiny.cc/SilverCircle Activities by the Cirkel van de Godin (NL) http://tiny.cc/CirkelvandeGodin Festivals and fairs (NL) http://tiny.cc/MagicalFeeling
(Your Neopagan schedule or acti-vity here? Contact us!)
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Visiting:
Castlefest - By Elani Temperance
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rom 4 to 7 August, castle park ‘De Keukenhof’ in the west of The Netherlands changes from a cozy day park to a four day gathering place for anyone who is interested in returning to the old ways. This four day feast is aptly named ‘Castlefest’ and if you have never been to this gathering or one like it in your local area, you are missing out. Going to a festival like Castlefest is like stepping into an entirely different world. Almost everyone is dressed the part but dressed completely differently. Costumes range from medieval to steampunk, to fantasy, fairies, gothics and live action role play gear. As with all these festivals, not dressing up will gather a lot more attention on you than putting on
More information: http://www.castlefest.com http://damestasjeslezen.nl http://www.a3boeken.nl
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some basics. De Keukenhof is a large terrain and there is more than enough space to build a variety of stages; a craft’s village where smithies, woodworkers and leather workers could work and sell their wares; a a live action roleplay village; a reenactment village; a huge market area full of musical instruments, clothes, statues, swords, knives, cow horns in all sizes, tarps, incense, divination tools, crystals, and anything else you might possibly think of. There is a steampunk garden, a village full of book sellers, many, many places to eat and drink and, for us perhaps of most importance; a temple square. At this square, rituals are held for the Goddess and God as well as chanting circles. As an offshoot of the temple square lays the divination square. Here I meet with Linda Wormhoudt, Adrie of A3Boeken, a publisher of Neo-Pagan and spiritual books and I sit with a dear friend as she gets a reading from the writers of ‘In het Licht van de Maan’. I get a chance to sit with Yoeke
Nagel who has developed her own, speciffic way of divination; by reading what’s in your bag. While I’m never truly skeptical about any method of divination, I must admit I had my doubts about using a medium so random and ill defined as the content of my temporary purse. Sitting with Yoeke showed me that not only is it possible to accurately describe someone by the content of their purse but it’s possible for whichever entity oversees and guides the process of divination to prioritize and deepen the experience. Getting your purse read doesn’t tell you much about the future but it will tell you a lot about the past and present and that is the foundation to any future. Castlefest is a unique experience. The atmosphere is impossible to capture with words but can best be described as homey and accepting. Castlefest is a chance to celebrate your way of life with like minded folks and there is no need to hide yourself from anyone else. It’s a place where you are truly between worlds, if only for a couple of days.
Next in LWM colophon Little Witch magazine was launched in November 2010 as an initiative to bring a personal and universally Neopagan magazine to Neopagans and those interested in the Neopagan paths in both the Dutch and English language. Little Witch magazine intends to be a grounded, modern take on a life with Neopaganism and hopes to inspire and enlighten. Feel free to contact us with any questions, tips, remarks, or to just let us know what you think. CONTACT US AT: www.littlewitchmagazine.com Twitter.com/LWMag Contact@littlewitchmagazine.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Elani Temperance (Elani@littlewitchmagazine.com) Art DIRECTION: Elani Temperance ARTWORK: Maaike Kramer (www.maaikekramer.nl) All images copyrighted WRITERS: Calandriel an Cuiileur (Calandriel@littlewitchmagazine.com) Ragnild (Ragnild@littlewitchmagazine.com) Aurelia Bellis (Aurelia@Littlewitchmagazine.com)
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hat’s it, another Little Witch magazine, put together with a lot of love, dedication and pleasure. It’s always a privilege to work on a project you hold dear and Little Witch magazine is no different. What makes Little Witch truly worth making is your feedback so please, if you have enjoyed the works in this magazine or have found fault in them, tell the writers. Their e-mail addresses can be found to the side here or, in case of guest writers, contact information is found with the article. Little Witch hopes to cross boundaries and speak to as many Traditions as possible. If you feel your Tradition is underrepresented than please, let us know. If you want to write for us, let us know as well. We would love your input. For now, we thank you for reading. Pass on this magazine to those you think would like to read it. It’s the best way you can help a budding magazine; spread its name. We thank you for your
help and we hope you will join us again at Yule when we come full circle and bring you the second Winter issue of Little Witch magazine. In this issue, we again warm your bones with some authentic Southern Hoodoo, we present a portrait of the Father of Wicca, Gerald Gardner and we get your blood pumping with one of the exciting tales of the Wild Hunt. Join us for that and many other exciting articles in the Winter issue 2011 of Little Witch magazine and, until that time, stay safe, stay warm and Brightest Blessings!
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