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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #1 -- November 2000 formerly Cauldron News A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.html With a little help from The Witches' Thicket website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/ message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start In this Issue: [01] Changing Names [02] Study Guide: A Witches Bible, Part Two, Chapter XI [03] Review: Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft [04] Review: On the Trail of the Women Warriors [05] Review: The Triumph of the Moon [06] Magick: Candle, Crystal & Oil Combinations [07] Magick: A Spell to Find a Job [08] Wiccan Incense Recipes [09] Software: Powerdesk 4 [10] New Articles on The Cauldron's Site [11] New Web Poll [12] Support The Cauldron When You Buy at Amazon.com [13] Cauldron Chats: Tuesdays, 10-11pm CDT [14] Newsletter and Forum Info (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) [01] ========= ========= CHANGING NAMES ========= by Randall Sapphire ========= This newsletter was originally intended to be a short monthly update of news on The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Our planned content was nothing more than lists of new articles on our web site and interesting discussions on our message board. As you probably noticed, especially over the past few issues, we've grown beyond this. This email newsletter now includes book reviews from our web site as well short articles on herbs, magick, holidays, and ritual. As we intend to keep doing this, the Cauldron News name just didn't fit any more. So we've selected a new name for our new, expanded newsletter: Cauldron and Candle. You'll still find news about The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum in this newsletter. However, you'll usually find it near the end of the each issue instead of mixed in, helter skelter, among our articles and book reviews. We'll soon add coverage of our sister forum, The Witches' Thicket as well. Soraya and LyricFox are interested. We will also plan to experiment a bit with our format over the next few issues. We are looking for something less bland than our previous format, but still something simple that will look okay on most platforms. We hope you'll enjoy Cauldron and Candle as much as we enjoy bringing it to you! [02] ========= ========= STUDY GUIDE: A WITCHES BIBLE, PART TWO, CHAPTER XI: ========= THE RATIONALE OF WITCHCRAFT ========= by Randall Sapphire ========= [We are discussing chapters in the latter part of Janet and Steward Farrar's A Witches Bible on The Cauldron's message board/mailing list, about one chapter every two weeks. See http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwbible.html for a review and ordering info if you don't already have a copy of this excellent book. This first chapter we discussed in early September was chapter XI in the second half of the book entitled "The Rationale of Witchcraft." Here is the "study guide" I posted to start off the discussion.] In this chapter, the Farrars present their view of Wicca's rational basis. In fact they go further, claiming that "the rationale of Wicca is a philosophical framework into which every known phenomenon, from chemistry to clairvoyance, from logarithms to love, can reasonably be fitted." That's quite a claim. It's the reader's task to see if they manage it. The Farrars say that the rationale of Wicca is found in two basic principles: * The Theory of Levels * The Theory of Polarity (Neither of these are new to esoteric thought, BTW.) The Theory of Levels states that there are different, but interrelated levels to reality. Each level has it's own "scientific" laws governing the way it works. While these laws are different in each level. They are compatible enough that they can interact allowing the different levels of reality to affect each other under certain conditions. Some of these levels are the physical universe, and the astral, the mental, and the spiritual "planes." The Farrars say this theory describes the structure of reality. The Theory of Polarity states that activity/manifestation with these levels arises from (and could not exist without) the interaction of paired opposites: positive/negative, light/dark, male/female, yin/yang, order/chaos, etc. They point out that the interaction between pairs is not conflict but more of a "creative tension." They also say that good and evil apparently aren't a polarity, but "only arise with the constructive or destructive _application_ of that polarity's output." The Farrars say that this theory describes the activity of reality. The rest of the chapter is an attempt to trace these theories through history and demonstrate them at the same time. Unfortunately, this part of the chapter doesn't really work for me, so I'll be interested in hearing what others think of it. Some questions to consider on the first part (feel free to ask some of your own): 1) Do you believe the Theory of Levels and the Theory of Polarity are a complete description of reality -- at least from an esoteric point-of-view? 2) Do you believe the Theory of Polarity covers everything? Can all activity truly be seen as interaction between opposites? 3) Should the good/evil duality really be considered somehow different from other dualities? 4) Is this rationale actually helpful toward understanding Wicca and Witchcraft for you? I don't have specific questions for the second part of the chapter, but I am very interested on your opinion of it. I consider it one of the less well-done parts of the book, but I'm probably too picky. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SEND A PAGAN POSTCARD You can send a Pagan Postcard from the menu of any of our web pages at http://www.ecauldron.com/. If you haven't tried our postcard site, give it a try. It has quite a few nice features. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [03] ========= ========= BOOK REVIEW: BUCKLAND'S COMPLETE BOOK OF WITCHCRAFT ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft Author: Raymond Buckland Publisher: Llewellyn Publication Date: December 1986 ISBN: 0875420508 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875420508/thecauldron When Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft first appeared on bookstore shelves in the middle of the 1980s, it was snapped up by eager newbies and long time Pagans alike. At the time, it quickly became a staple: a book that everyone recommended to those new to Wicca. Unfortunately, this book lost some of its luster in the 1990s. The more traditional forms of Wicca (which Buckland teaches in this book) went out of style and were replaced by a more sanitized and politically correct form of Wicca. Worse, while Neo-Wiccan authors of the 1990s often sound like they are trying to be a cross between the reader's kindly mother and the reader's best friend and confidant, Raymond Buckland's reserved and slightly superior writing style makes it sound at times like the reader should be ever so grateful to him for writing this book. If you read the customer reviews on this book's page at Amazon.com (see the link above), you will see that its more traditional Wiccan teachings are apparently offensive to many readers accustomed to the more sanitized and politically correct Neo-Wicca of the 1990s. Many reviewers there take the book and its author to task for talking about traditional Wiccan things like skyclad rituals or the binding and symbolic scourging of initiates, and for including just over a page on sex magick. Admittedly, this book is not perfect. It tries to cover far too much and therefore often ends up spending a few pages on material that deserves a book or two of its own -- in a few cases without taking the trouble to refer you to those extra books. The history of Wicca information in the first lesson is woefully out of date. Buckland gives the now pretty much discredited idea that modern Wicca is a direct survival a pre-Christian "Old Religion" instead of being mostly the invention of Gerald Gardner. Also, Buckland suggests using Culpeper's Herbal for herbal medicine. I don't know what Buckland was thinking on this point. While Culpeper can be an excellent source of info on the magickal uses of herbs, it is hundreds of years out of date on the safe medical uses of herbs. Nevertheless, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft is an excellent beginner book for someone interested in traditional Wicca, especially if they are interested in practicing their religion as part of a circle or coven. There is information in here that is often not covered at all in today's more popular Neo-Wiccan beginner books. The wide variety of material covered in fifteen lessons is about would would be covered in a good traditional coven's first degree training program. This book also gives you a complete set of generic, but written along traditional Wiccan lines, coven rituals. While they aren't specifically for Buckland's Seax-Wica tradition, they are obviously designed to fit it with simple changes anyone who has a copy of the Seax-Wica Book of Shadows, The Tree, could make. This volume has one feature which might make it it worthwhile even for Neo-Wiccans who find traditional Wicca not to their taste. Those interested in making their own Wiccan-style working tools will find well-illustrated, clearly-written instructions in Lesson Three. Buckland is an excellent craft writer. I'd love to see a Pagan crafts book by Mr. Buckland. He writes this material well. In summary, if you are looking for a good beginner book on more traditional Wicca and are willing to put up with Buckland's slightly reserved and superior attitude, you'll probably want to snap up Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. If you do not find traditional Wicca (with its emphasis on birth, sex, death, and both the light and dark side of the universe and life) to be your cup of tea, you'll probably want to pass on this volume. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bkcbow.html [04] ========= ========= BOOK REVIEW: ON THE TRAIL OF THE WOMEN WARRIORS ========= Reviewed by Deirdre ========= On the Trail of the Women Warriors: The Amazons in Myth and History Author: Lyn Webster Wilde Publisher: Saint Martins Press Publication Date: July 2000 ISBN: 0312262132 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312262132/thecauldron This is an interesting look at some of the stories of women warriors. It started out as a journalists attempt to find out some of the truths behind the legends of Amazons. It asks more questions than it answers but puts some interesting points forward about these elusive people. She also argues somewhat against Matriarchal and for what she terms matri-potestal - i.e. 'mother-powered' where mother goddess worship is central to the society but where women don't necessarily have political power. I found it interesting if a little light and well put together. An easy read on the topic and there is a glossary which might be useful for other readings in the area. There is no bibliography per say but there are interesting citations in the notes. Overall: Worth at least taking out of the library for a peruse. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwomenwar.html [05] ========= ========= BOOK REVIEW: THE TRIUMPH OF THE MOON ========= Reviewed by Stryder ========= The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft Author: Ronald Hutton Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication Date: May 2000 ISBN: 0198207441 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198207441/thecauldron This is an outstanding and readable scholarly book on the history of Wicca (Modern Pagan Witchcraft) by a professional historian. Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at Bristol University, has previously authored two rather successful books on the pagan religions of the British Isles (The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles) and the origins of the English folk festival cycle ( The Stations of the Sun). If you are familiar with Dr. Hutton's previous books, you know that he argues rather convincingly that there was no unbroken survival of the pre-Christian religions of the British Isles up to modern times (17th -18th century). From this, he follows the various intellectual and artistic developments that formed the fertile ground that would spring forth Modern Pagan Witchcraft. The book is divided into two halves. The first half traces various threads that led to the formation of Wicca and other neo-Pagan religions in the twentieth century. The major groups that Dr. Hutton focuses on are Freemasonry (and other fraternal organizations spilt from or inspired by them), the pastoral language and poetry of the Romantic literary movement, 19th century study of folklore (Golden Bough, and theories of Great Neolithic Goddess Cult - note that Marija Gimbutas was hardly revolutionary in this area), and the predecessors of Leland and Murray who proposed that the early modern Witch Trials were related to a real religion of the witches. From there he looks more closely at authors that most likely directly influenced Gardner. These include Margaret Murray, Robert Graves, Charles Leland, Aleister Crowley, and Dion Fortune. Dr. Hutton's training in methodology for studying history really comes through in his section on Gerald Gardner. Hutton had access to a number of private documents (The Toronto papers made infamous in Aiden Kelly's book Crafting The Art Of Magic and numerous other personal collections in Great Britain) that made his analysis even more convincing. Hutton's premise is that Gardner entered retirement and quickly began looking for an outlet to his creative energies. After growing tired of archaeology (his amateur work on the history and religion of Malaysia are still rather highly regarded by scholars) and volunteering for the war effort, he began studying the occult in earnest. After a failed attempt to revive the OTO in England (with Crowley's blessings) he began working on recreating the Witch religion outlined in Murray's books. The early work involved a lot of syncretism of existing materials from Freemasonry, the Golden Dawn, the OTO, medieval grimoires, Romantic poetry, etc., but with a new twist. From there, the inspiration of Gardner and his followers soon took the new religion in totally new directions. From here, Hutton traces Wicca's jump "across the pond." He notes that a "new and improved" Wicca made the jump back across the pond to England in the early 1980's. Hutton notes that what was essentially a politically conservative religious movement (stressing a pre-Industrial "golden age," resistance to modernity, and a hint of nature conservation) came back as a liberal/progressive movement of feminist issues, progressive social policy, and self-help/group therapy. He freely admits that he doesn't have the resources or the knowledge to adequately catalog the development of Wicca and Paganism in the US, (and hints that he hopes scholars in the US will fill in the gaps), but he does chart some of the cross-pollination of Wicca with the feminist and ecology movements. He also looks at some of the work seminal writers in these areas such as Starhawk and Z. Budapest and examines their innovations to Wicca. Dr. Hutton also describes the work of other that have preceded him into this field, from Aiden Kelly and Margot Adler to Tanya Luhrmann and others, as well as their influences and the influences of their material on neo-Paganism as a whole. All in all, Hutton maintains a balanced and objective view of the history of Wicca, and always remains respectful of neo-Pagan beliefs. While I don't completely agree with all of his conclusions, I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in the actual history of Wicca and the underlying philosophical and artistic movements that are the parents of neo-Paganism in all its forms. Where Margot Adler simply reported on the state and direction of the neo-Pagan movement in the US as a journalist, Ronald Hutton offers a thoughtful and critical analysis of the origins of the neo-Pagan movement from a historian's perspective. This book is a definite four stars. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bkthetriumph.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UPCOMING REVIEWS Reviews of the following are planned for our next issue: YULE (Dorothy Morrison), ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WICCA & WITCHCRAFT (Raven Grimassi), 2001 TAROT CALENDAR (Wall), 2001 SPELL-A-DAY CALENDAR (Desk). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [06] ========= ========= MAGICK: CANDLE, CRYSTAL & OIL COMBINATIONS ========= Author Unknown ========= 1) Candle = White-For peace and spirituality. Crystal = Clear quartz-For balance and to bring about peacefulness and spirituality. Oil = Jasmine or Lily oil. Chant = "I dedicate this candle to the peace essential to my spiritual nourishment." 2) Candle = Red-For passion, love and compassion. Crystal = Rose quartz-To aid in the development of self love and compassion. Oil = Rose oil. Chant = "May my wish of a passionate, loving life be taken up in the light of this candle." 3) Candle = Yellow-For joy and friendship. Crystal = Citrine-To bring about cheerfulness, hope, light heartedness. Oil = Bergamot oil. Chant = "I dedicate this candle to emotional balance in all my friendships." 4) Candle = Green-For abundance, luck, harmony. Crystal = Jade-For abundance, prosperity, luck. Oil = Lemon oil. Chant = "May my wish to open to universal support be taken up in the light of this candle." 5) Candle = Blue-For healing and protection. Crystal = Sodalite-To help maintain clarity, truth, creative expression. Oil = Sage oil. Chant = "I dedicate this candle to the healing rays of the angels." 6) Candle = Purple-For spiritual and material wealth. Crystal = Amethyst-For calming, healing and protection. Oil = Cinnamon oil. Chant = "May my wish to allow my needs to be met be taken up in the light of this candle." [07] ========= ========= A SPELL TO FIND A JOB ========= ========= Take one black candle (large enough to burn for nine sessions), and write on it everything that opposes you in getting the job you desire (this could be fear, lack of experience, lack of contacts, whatever). Also take one piece of parchment paper and write the same things on it. Dress the black candle with a banishing oil (Begone, for example). Every night for nine nights, at 9 PM or midnight, burn the black candle while visualizing the obstacles disappearing. On the ninth night, burn the parchment also. (Try to burn the candle so there is only about one hour or less left to burn out on the last night.) Then at 10 PM after the black candle has burned out, light a green candle that has been dressed with money drawing or success oil. (Prior to this you will have focused on everything you want this new job to be - hours, days, location, salary, benefits, etc. Be very specific. Write these things on a second piece of parchment.) The green candle will be burned for four nights, visualizing everything you wrote. On the fourth night also burn the second piece of parchment. On the fifth night burn a "thank you" candle -- yellow, white, or orange, or the color that is significant to your favorite goddess. Timing: If possible, part one (the black candle banishment) should end on the night before the New Moon. The second part (getting the job) should then start on the New Moon. [08] ========= ========= WICCAN INCENSE RECIPES ========= ========= CIRCLE INCENSE 4 Parts Frankincense 2 Parts Myrrh 2 Parts Benzoin 1 Part Sandalwood 1/2 Part Cinnamon 1/2 Part Rose Petals 1/4 Part Vervain 1/4 part Rosemary 1/4 Part Bay Use for general workings in the circle, the ritual working space of Wiccans & Magicians & as a general ritual incense. ESBAT INCENSE 4 Parts Frankincense 3 Parts Myrrh 2 Parts benzoin 1 Part sandalwood 1 Part Gardenia petals 1/2 Part Orris 1/2 Part thyme 1/2 part Poppy Seed 1/2 part Rose petals Burn during rituals & spells on the Full Moon, or at any Wiccan gathering other than the Sabbats. GODDESS INCENSE 1/2 dram Cypress oil 1/2 dram Olive oil 1/2 oz dried rose petals 1/2 oz White willow bark 3 dried Rowan berries 1 tsp anise seeds Burn to honor the Goddess. HORNED GOD INCENSE 2 Parts Benzoin 1 Part Cedar 1 part Pine 1 Part Juniper berries few drops Patchouly oil Burn to honor Him in His many guises, especially during Wiccan rituals. SABBAT INCENSE 4 parts frankincense 2 parts Myrrh 2 parts Benzoin 1/2 part Fennel 1/2 part Bay 1/2 part thyme 1/2 part Pennyroyal 1/2 part Solomn's Seal 1/4 part Rue 1/4 part wormwood 1/4 part Camomile 1/4 part Rose petals Burn at Wiccan Sabbats. [09] ========= ========= FREE SOFTWARE: POWERDESK 4 ========= by Randall Sapphire ========= PowerDesk is a replacement for Windows Explorer (the file manager, not the web browser). It's far more powerful that Windows Explorer, with "many powerful tools such as a toolbar, drivebar, launchbar, Zip compression support, and support for many other compression formats." Ontrack Software offers PowerDesk 4 as a freeware "demo" of their even for powerful PowerDesk Pro software. PowerDesk displays a picture of the PowerDesk Pro box briefly the first time you quit the program each day and about once a month it asks you if you really don't want the more full-featured version. Other than that, it just does its thing many times better than Windows Explorer does. The Pro version is cheap, but chances are this regular free version will do everything you'll need. It does everything I need it to. You'll find this FREE Windows 9X program at: http://www.ontrack.com/powerdesk/ [10] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= NEW ARTICLES ON THE CAULDRON'S SITE ========= Since our second October issue, we've added a few new articles to The Cauldron's web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/: * "Temples, Covens, and Groves -- Oh My!" discusses the possible organization and purpose of Pagan Temple with particular attention of the needs of groups in countries which, unlike the US, have government requirements for clergy. http://www.ecauldron.com/templeideas.html * A British view of common Christmas and Yule customs http://www.ecauldron.com/yulecustoms.html * A coven Yule ritual written by Julia Phillips for Yule 1984. http://www.ecauldron.com/yule1984.html * Another sample Wiccan Samhain ritual http://www.ecauldron.com/samhaincircle.html [11] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= NEW WEB POLL ========= Our new polls are working nicely and without all the problems we had when they were hosted offsite. You'll find them on their own web page at: http://www.ecauldron.com/pollindex.php Our newest poll, opened November 1, asks: * Is being Pagan more or less acceptable in your area than it was 10 years ago? http://www.ecauldron.com/cldpoll9.php Make your opinion known, take this poll today! [12] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON WHEN YOU BUY BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM ========= If you wish to purchase books or other items at Amazon.com, you can help fund The Cauldron's web site by using this link to access Amazon.com when you make your purchases: http://www.ecauldron.com/fradambooks.html Just use this link to go to Amazon.com via our web site and almost every purchase you make that visit will earn The Cauldron a small amount to help pay for our web page -- at no extra charge to you. You can also use the Amazon link on the menu of every Cauldron web page and not have to remember this long link. Unlike the Amazon link listed in some prior issues of this newsletter, you can simply visit this site and save the link in your bookmark list. If you then use this bookmarked link every time you wish to visit Amazon.com, any purchases you make while there will help fund The Cauldron's web site. [13] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= CAULDRON CHATS: TUESDAYS, 10-11PM CDT ========= Cauldron Co-Host Randall Sapphire hosts a one hour general chat almost every Tuesday evening from 10pm to 11pm Central (Daylight) Time in our channel (#thecauldron) on the PaganPaths IRC server. We usually have a pretty good turnout. Discussions cover a wide range of topics, depending on what the folks present want to discuss. You'll find all the information you need to connect to our chats either with your own IRC client or via the Java IRC client (including images of the various Java windows which pop up) on our Chats web page at: http://www.ecauldron.com/cmchats.html You can open a Java chat client directly to #thecauldron by clicking on the "IRC Chat" link in the menu of any of our web pages, but we strongly suggest you visit the above page first and read a few paragraphs on how to use it. This page is also available from the "[Info]" link right next to the "IRC Chat" link on our web page menus. If you have your own IRC client program, the address of the main PaganPaths server is: madison.wi.us.paganpaths.org (port 6667) If you'd like to host a chat for members of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum on a regular, weekly schedule, please let us know. If "Central Time" doesn't mean anything to you, this an online time converter at http://sandbox.xerox.com/stewart/tzconvert.cgi might help. I think Central Time is listed as something like "US - Central" in the drop down box. [14] ========= ========= NEWSLETTER AND FORUM INFO ========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe) ========= Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum with assistance from our sister form, The Witches' Thicket. The Cauldron and The Thicket aim to publish this newsletter twice a month and often actually succeed in doing so. Copyrights on individual items in this newsletter are retained by their author, please contact the editors if you need to contact an author for permission to reprint an article and the editors will do their best to put you in touch with him or her. No one involved in producing this newsletter has any money to speak of so suing us if you don't like something we do is a waste of time and money. ++++ ++++ HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE ++++ You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter and read previous issues at: http://cauldronnews.listbot.com/ ++++ ++++ PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE ++++ If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information. ++++ ++++ LINK TO THE CAULDRON: A PAGAN FORUM ++++ If you like The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum please invite your friends to visit. If you have a web page, we'd really appreciate it if you put a link to The Cauldron's web site on your web pages. If you'd like some graphic buttons to use to link to our web site, check the following URL: http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.html Thanks in advance. ++++ ++++ SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME ++++ Don't forget that your suggestions for the forum are always welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to Elspeth Sapphire (elspeth.sapphire@worldnet.att.net) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire@ecauldron.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris. Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet again!

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