Posts Tagged ‘Elders’

This question has come to me either through email, PM, Facebook or on the forum so I thought it was time for a quick post.

How do I train in Hedgewitchery? How does one learn Hedgewitchery?

As Hedgewitchery is such a personal Path it is hard to tell someone how to find formal training. After all everyone is going to practice somewhat differently.

First, you might be lucky enough to find a teacher or another Hedgewitch to train and/or practice with. Of course we are all, always, students. For example I can only teach what I know, share what I have experienced and explain the mistakes I have made. My personal tailoring of Hedgewitchery may not be exactly what you are looking for either, just as if I met another Hedgewitch who has more experienced than I, there might be much of her Path that does not resonate with me. Some Hedgewitches are more interested in herbalism and botany, while I am more interested in animal healing and animal husbandry than others. Quite the conundrum eh?

This is one reason why I set up the website and forum, so folks can share what they have learned, what they are experimenting with, as well as what they are hoping to learn. So we can all help each other along the way. You can join the forum (The Wild Geek Hang) at my website and there are a few yahoo groups and such kicking around as well.

Well of course if you are lucky enough to meet another Hedgewitch or someone who follows a similar Path then you can learn a great deal from each other.

There are books than you can read. Some are better than others of course. Some may be more or less along the lines of what you are looking for. There are some great recommended reading lists on the Hedge that myself and others have posted, go to the “A Witch’s Studies” section and then into the “Reading Lists and Recommendations” category.

You don’t have to go to another Hedgewitch to study hedgewitchery. This may sound a little odd but hear me out. Hedgewitchery is a jack-of-many-trades Path, the main ones being: Some type of shamanism or seership, some form of healing, working with Nature in some way and folk magick. So decide which types of these subjects interest you and study them. For example you could take shamanism workshops or study under a seer or sied worker. You could take a course on herbalism or reiki; I am going back to school to study to be a Vet Tech (not only as a career path but also as part of my hedgewitchery).

It also doesn’t hurt to study other forms of Witchcraft and Paganism. You can learn a lot from a Wicca 101 course, or taking a course through a Druid organization. Many Hedgewitches study the Feri Tradition, Faery Seership or heathen traditions such as Asatru.

Don’t forget to read/study up on wise woman, cunning folk, conjure practitioners and folk healers throughout history. Also mythology and any other subjects that interest you and you wish to incorporate into your Path.

How else it this Path learned? From your spirits of course. One place all Walkers Between Worlds gain knowledge from are the gods, ancestors and other spiritual helpers and guides they meet along the way and build a relationship with.

I see them and it makes me shiver

Teenagers teaching workshops

With confidence and skill

Children who had magick sung

To them each night

Over their cradles

As the Moon rose in the window

I know it sounds cliché

But the future is in their hands

*

Grey haired Elders

Who bitch and complain

Certainly they have the right

To say they’d never do it again

They talk and rant about things

Out dated by twenty years

Embittered by drama and gossip

They walk away tired and disillusioned

I know it sounds cliché

But the future is leaving their hands

*

I hear the whispers from people who know

Things are changing in a quiet sort of way

Some folks are scared and worried

What does the future hold?

I see children run by at the Gathering

I smile and I say

I know it sounds cliché

But expect to be similarly surpassed

In ways we can’t even imagine

I see them and it makes me shiver

With anticipation

I will be away for about a week as Bren and I are off to Kaleidoscope Gathering. Bren has a couple of workshops, a ritual drama to run and a concert and i am also involved in a couple of workshops. Plus there’s volunteering and vending to be done!

Crash the dog will be coming with us as part of a pilot project for allowing dogs at the fest. So please folks, don’t pet the dogs without permission and keep your puppies on leash

We will be bringing our recording device for the podcast with us and hope to get lots of content for the podcast.

I won’t be around to post on the forum but moderators will be lurking. People are always so well behaved at the Wild Geek Hang anyways!

In the mean time, here are some articles, essays, blog posts and even videos worth checking out:

Channeling Deity vs. Regressive Trance

Archaeologists have discovered a second henge at Stonehenge

Land Spirits, Ancestors and Gods, Oh My!

Practice Practice Practice Daily or Regularly

When The Drummers Were Women

Sacred Weeds

An American Witch Bottle

HedgeCrossing

Care for the caregivers

The Private Life of Plants

Zen: The Best of Alan Watts

Pagan Roots in the West

No, I don’t consider myself to be leader (see my about blurb to the right) this was written for friends and loved ones.

*

Build you up to tear you down

Spitting on their heroes

Tearing you part

Then holding their hands out

What the hell do they

Think that they doing anyway?

*

They say toughen up and deal

If you want to be a leader

Then harden up your heart

And don’t take it oh so hard

Do they not understand?

Can they not comprehend?

It is that very soft spot

That giant loving heart

That makes you willing and able

To be a Pagan leader

*

They say it’s all trade off

Part and parcel for the fame

As if you were Madonna

Riding around in a private plane

*

Why do they do it?

What could be their reasons?

Do they think that they are

Doing the community a service?

Are they stroking their own egos?

Riding on your coat tails?

Or do they just want to see you suffer?

*

Making two whole dollars

For each and every book sale

Speaking at the festival

And getting paid with peanuts

Isn’t all that easy

When you have mouths to feed

*

Buying up a property

Organizing a gathering

Taking out a second mortgage

Promoting and volunteering

Working when you could be

Spending time with the kids

*

And then the people show up

And they have so much fun

Then toss a bag of chips

Out the window on their way out

Leaving you to clean the litter

*

They say you can take it

Even if you hate it

Take the heat and love it

Or get your Pagan ass

Out of the kitchen

*

I can’t help but wonder

How long they could do it?

Would they last a week running fest?

Or teaching a class?

Could they handle all the slander?

From those they are serving?

I know that I am dying

To see them dying inside

And know how it feels

To be hand that’s feeding

Only to be bitten

*

They pick and they snipe

Argue and criticize

Gossip and spread rumours

Then expect you to give them

Everything for nothing

*

They only want what they want

Never mind what they need

Tow the party line

And you must tell them only

What they want to hear

Remember to always cater

To the lowest common denominator

*

Don’t expect them to think

Don’t ask them to examine

Their very own beliefs

Just spout New Age bullshit

That’s all they want anyways

*

And then some day they wonder

Where did all our leaders

Disappear to?

Where have they gone?

What caused the burnout?

Why did they leave us

Hanging in the wind?

*

So why even bother?

What’s the point of doing it?

Why spend back breaking hours?

And waste hard earned money?

And take time off from work?

*

They obviously

Do not deserve it

Respect it or want it

Anyways!

*

Do it for the father

Who hands his teenager

A book on Pagan ethics

*

Do it for the girl who

Is learning about the Goddess

And how to love the body in the mirror

*

Do it for the baby

Sitting in the Circle

Nawing on an acorn

*

Do it for the gods

Who want only to be

A part of our lives

*

Do it for a culture

Steeped in hate and ignorance

Arrogant and proud

Do it

To turn it into something

Worth living in

*

Do it for the planet

Our most sacred Mother

The rocks and the trees

The animals and bees

*

Do it to spite

Those narrow-minded idiots

Who never think to say

Thank you

Or please

*

So be a Pagan leader

Work your fingers to the bone

Expose your bleeding heart

Protect and serve

Give everything you’ve got

Give them all that you are

*

And when they bitch and moan

Just smile and tell them

Congratulations!

You just volunteered!

Links:

Wild Hunt Blog

Dr. Brendan Myer’s website

The statement thus far:

Part 1

(Short version for print distribution.)

We are here –

– A circle of spiritual people from many traditions, groves, hearths, and circles. We are young and old, from many walks of life, and many parts of the world. We are Pagans of the modern era, Druids, Heathens, Wiccans, Witches, Shamans, practitioners of magical lore, and many more paths besides these. We walk the paths of the sacred Earth, in the footsteps of the Goddesses and Gods of the Land, the Sea, the Sky, and the Tribe.

2. We have learned of recent incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by individuals claiming to be religious teachers, some of whom claimed to be members of our community. In response to these incidents, we have crafted this statement.

3. We hereby categorically reject, disavow, oppose, and repudiate any and all coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts, especially when claimed to be part of our ways and traditions. We identify all such acts as sexual abuse, and we refuse to tolerate them in our community.

4. Many of us believe the human body is profoundly sacred. Many of us believe that the presence of the Divine dwells within in the body. We therefore find that human sexuality, and acts of love and pleasure between consenting, informed, and mature people, have great religious significance. We affirm the goodness of human sexuality, and the goodness of celebrating sexual identity.

5. Because of these beliefs, we also find that coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts are extraordinary affronts to the Divine presence which dwells within every human body. These acts grievously harm the victim, and inflict deep wounds upon the sense of bodily identity which all of us hold so dear.

6. A sexual predator who exploits the relationship of trust that exists between teacher and seeker harms the whole religious community, and undermines the good work of the honourable teachers in our midst. Similarly, acts of sexual abuse between seekers in the same circle, whether one party is a teacher or not, also harm the whole community.

7. An accusation of sexual exploitation is a very serious matter. The accusation alone, even in the absence of evidence, can damage the reputation and the self esteem of good people. We therefore find that a false or vindictive accusation of sexual misconduct is but another form of sexual abuse.

8. Yet we also recognize that real sexual abuse victims experience deep feelings of guilt and shame, and that they often struggle to admit that they have been abused. Their condition should not be made worse by a predisposition to doubt the validity of their claims. Nor should they be automatically counter-accused of having a vindictive intention, or of lying. We hold that anyone alleging sexual abuse should always be treated with compassion as a primary response, and that claims of sexual abuse should be handled with intelligence and concern for all.

9. We voluntarily commit ourselves to this declaration, and we encourage others to commit themselves to it, whatever their path.

Part 2

(for internet distribution, which includes part 1 as well as the following discussion.)

1. Our movement has many principles of moral thought, not just one singular monolithic principle. As there are many gods in the world, so there are many models of the good and worthwhile life for humankind. Some of us practice Heroic Virtue, others Classical virtue, others a Utilitarian principle such as the Wiccan Rede. There are also many among us who find that ethical principles are revealed through the intuition of a Divine presence that dwells within the human heart and mind. This presence unites us with the Earth, with each other, and with the cosmos.

2. Among our many traditions, groves, hearths, circles, and communities, there are broad areas of moral agreement. For the purpose of this statement, we (the authors and the undersigned) wish to emphasize the matter of sexual abuse. We agree to the broad and general principle that the human body is a sacred temple, a work of art, and a good home for the self and the soul. Many of us believe that the body is the dwelling-place of the Divine, and the seat of a deeply integrated web of relations which ultimately includes the whole of life on Earth. The human body is thus among the first of all things that deserve our care and respect. On this principle, the differences between our various circles tend to be only a matter of emphasis. Indeed, on this principle, we may share some moral agreement with the dominant religious traditions of our dominant culture: the view that the body is made in the image of the Divine.

3. In our circles, the sacredness of the body, as a religious truth, leads to positive conclusions about human sexuality. Our view is that sexuality, sexual identity, sexual expression, and acts of love and pleasure, between consenting, informed, and mature people, have great religious significance. Indeed such acts can take on the significance of ritual. We hold that our sexual identities are worthy of celebration. And for many of us, an occasion of shared sexual pleasure and lovemaking is a most spiritually meaningful event: a communion with the Divine which dwells within ourselves and within each other.

4. Indeed, there are some traditions in which a sexual act is performed as part of some rituals, such as higher-level initiations. Various names designate these rituals: Heiros Gamos, the Great Marriage, or the Great Rite, to name a few. In most cases, the Great Marriage is performed “in token”: for instance, a priest touches the tip of a wand or a blade to the bottom of a chalice held by a priestess. This is an ancient gesture, with precedents in the ancient cultures of the Greeks, the Romans, the Hindus, and other great civilizations of the distant past.

5. Naturally, given our perspective on the sacredness of the body, our view is that all coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts, are seriously morally wrong. We find that sexual exploitation and violence are particularly worse than other forms of criminality, such as property offences, because sexual offences invade the body. Sexual abuse ignores the sacredness of the body, and ignores the privacy, the dignity, and the freedom of the victim to use and delight in his or her own body. It is an extraordinary affront to the Divine presence which dwells within every human body and which animates the body with goodness. It severely harms the victim, and degrades the dignity of both victim and offender. Sexual abuse also inflicts deep wounds upon the precious sense of bodily identity which all of us hold so dear. No exceptions or relativist interpretations can alter the basic moral wrongness of sexual exploitation and violence. We identify all such acts as sexual abuse, and we refuse to tolerate them in our community.

6. Thus in our contemporary circles, the rite of the Great Marriage, if it is not performed in token,  is held privately and by invitation only. The participants come in full knowledge of what they have been invited to. If there are any initiatory “surprises”, they are never intended to violate the sacredness of the seeker’s body. Ideally, the invitees already know, love, and trust one another. They have already given their informed consent, and retain the right to withdraw from the event without prejudice at any time. When we mix sexuality with religion, there is no space for deception or coercion. Religious sexuality is always consensual and never obligatory. No one should enter a circle with eyes covered when sexuality, sexual identity, and the sanctity of his or her own body is put to a test. This remains true even when the ritual participants are not strangers to each other. Initiatory surprises, tests, and ordeals are intended to help a seeker find the sacred within him or her self. If they threaten or invade that self, then the initiators are harming, and not helping, the seeker.

7. If someone finds a private group’s practices uncomfortable, he or she is always free to find another group to join. It is wrong to hold someone back from spiritual progress or knowledge for refusing to participate in a sexual act. We are always right to doubt the sincerity, honour, and spirituality of someone who claims that a sexual act is a mandatory requirement for initiation, or for any kind of relationship with the gods, goddesses, or deities.

8. An accusation of sexual exploitation is a very serious matter. The accusation alone, even in the absence of evidence, can damage the reputation and the self esteem of good people. We therefore find that a false or vindictive accusation of sexual misconduct is another form of sexual abuse.

9. Yet we also recognize that real sexual abuse victims experience deep feelings of guilt and shame, and that they often struggle to admit that they have been abused. Their condition should not be made worse by a predisposition doubt the validity of their claims. Nor should they be automatically counter-accused of having a vindictive intention, or of lying. We hold that anyone alleging sexual abuse should always be treated with compassion as a primary response, and that claims of sexual abuse should be handled with intelligence and concern for all.

10. It is clear that one need not be a spiritual person to recognize the wrongness of sexual abuse. Yet we are especially outraged when the perpetrator is a leader or a teacher in a religious community. In our circles, religious teachers are held in high esteem. A seeker who approaches a teacher in search of spiritual guidance and comfort offers a special kind of trust to the teacher. Teachers and seekers often open their hearts and minds to each other, and thus they becomes very vulnerable. It is for this reason many of our traditions require teachers to possess not only great knowledge, but also great integrity and honour. It is also for this reason that sexual predators will pose as religious teacher: in that way, they may find more victims for their gratification. There are also some teachers who, exploiting the trust given them, become sexual predators as well.

11. Furthermore, a person who uses this relationship of trust to exploit people thus harms the whole social environment in which teaching and seeking take place. For the sexual predator’s harm touches more than just the victim. It affects all the victim’s friends, family members, fellow seekers in the same circle, colleagues at work, and anyone to whom the victim may turn for help. The harm of sexual abuse thus affects numerous other people who the predator may not know, nor ever meet. Moreover, sexual abuse also casts suspicion and doubt on the intentions of the honourable teachers in our midst, undermining the good work that they do.

12. Finally a sexual predator can sometimes exploit the relations of trust that grow between fellow seekers in the same tradition, hearth, or circle, even when he or she does not pose as a teacher. This kind of exploitation also harms the whole community. In all cases, we maintain our condemnation of unwanted sexual acts.

Therefore –

We, the authors and signatories of this statement, commit ourselves to:

• Demonstrate by example a fully moral sexual spirituality;

• Vigorously entreat others to agree to the principles of this statement;

• Handle all accusations of sexual exploitation and misconduct with intelligence and compassion, for victims of real sexual harm, and for victims of false or vindictive accusations;

• Cooperate with the police when an incident of sexual abuse in our circles is under investigation;

• Help bring comfort, medical assistance, legal aid, and spiritual healing, to victims, as far as ability and opportunity may allow; and

• Help seekers find groups, circles, traditions, or individual teachers, whose practice involves as much or as little sexuality as the seeker feels comfortable exploring.

We voluntarily commit ourselves to this declaration, and we encourage others to commit themselves to it, whatever their path.

We remain, respectfully,

A community of Pagans.

From Fire Lyte, over at Inciting a Riot:

So, Project Pagan Enough is a movement, a cause, a Harmonious Riot that includes bloggers, podcasters, pagans, non-pagans, me, you, and the whole pagan community. It is my hope that the Project Pagan Enough logo becomes a beacon of progress and change for those of us living a magical life. By putting the Project Pagan Enough icon on your podcast’s site, blog, or other website, you’re making a set of promises:

1. You are pagan enough, despite how you look, act, smell, dress, believe, or are.
2. You recognize that others are pagan enough despite their appearance, smell, manner of dress, belief, practice, or other aspect.
3. You recognize that you can have an academic debate on the finer points of belief or practice, but that it does not take away from someone else’s level of being pagan.
4. You welcome, befriend, and encourage others in the pagan community despite their appearance, dress, or other physical or superficial characteristic.
5. You promise to treat members of other faiths, despite the faith, with honest-to-goodness fairness, equality, and grace, not judging them or their faith based on the actions of fringe members of their same faith.

Like the points of the pentacle, these 5 tenets of Project Pagan Enough work together and will, I hope, launch our community into a new era of tolerance, love, and all of the qualities we like to think we have.

You may copy the Project Pagan Enough logo for your own website – below – but please make sure to link back to the original blog page to allow others to know what promise you’ve made to the community at large.