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A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.php
With a little help from The Witches' Thicket
website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/
message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start
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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #18 -- December 2001
A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.php
delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
With a little help from The Witches' Thicket
website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/
delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start
In this Issue:
[01] Editorial: Giving From The Heart
[02] Poem: A Winter's Night
[03] Feature Article: The Granny Phenomena
[04] Review: Solar Arcs
[05] Review: Write Your Own Magic
[06] Review: The Craft
[07] Review: Palmistry Quick and Easy
[08] Review: Wiccan Roots
[09] Recipes for Holiday Treats
[10] Finnish Holiday Dishes
[11] Humor: Martha Stewart's Pagan Yule
[12] New Articles on The Cauldron's Site
[13] New Web Polls
[14] Support The Cauldron When You Buy at Amazon.com
[15] Newsletter and Forum Info
(Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)
+++ Submission Deadline for next issue: December 20, 2001 +++
Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php
[01]
=========
========= EDITORIAL: GIVING FROM THE HEART
========= by Elspeth Sapphire
=========
[I wrote this on one of my Christmas lists and thought it could
stand to be said here also. I realize that some Pagans don't
want to do anything that has any connection to Christmas, but I
believe that giving has no real season....]
One of the list members said: "I got to know the other patients
there and wanted very much to do something for them. I was told
that some of them have no visitors and get nothing for Christmas
unless the home provides it. It about broke my heart."
I have felt that way several times. That is why we try to go to
one of the agencies that do gifts for seniors, as well as doing
something for a child. I remember one year we took two names.
The cards had a practical gift and a dream gift. I almost cried
when I read that one of the dream gifts was a flannel nightie
because the woman was always cold. We got in hold of the people
running the gift drive and found out that she loved to draw and
paint, but could rarely afford the supplies. Luckily, Hobby
Lobby had a sale going on and we were able to find the money to
buy a set that included chalks and paints and all the supplies to
use them and was in a case that folded up.
I will never know, but I like to think we made her holidays
worthwhile. :)
They aren't as widely advertised, but here in the Denver area,
during the holidays there are gift drives for seniors, for those
mentally challenged, for the homeless, for those with aids, and
for taking a whole family. And pets.... must not forget them. :)
I know a lot of people are short of money this time of year -- our
family is shorter than normal ourselves. My husband is working
two jobs and our housemate just changed jobs and the new
paychecks won't come in until just before the holidays. However,
most people don't understand the importance of even a package of
hair decorations to a little girl. Or her own hair brush. You
have to have worn shoes with holes in the bottom to appreciate
how good a pair of warm socks feels or how nice it is to have
=real= shampoo to clean your hair.
I grew up in an area where Christmas was time off from school to
play and maybe a couple of pieces of candy. My parents did their
best, but for a long time, their best meant keeping food on the
table. Still, when they heard of a family spending Christmas on
the side of the road, they encouraged us to go through our few
toys and pack up some for the kids of the family. I had gotten a
new dress for Christmas that year [my granny had made it out of
scraps], so I took my old dress. We packed up what would have
been our dinner and took that also. I was only eight at the
time, but I still remember the looks on the faces of the
family.....
For many years, I only had shoes and coats due to holiday drives
like what is going on. I was lucky ... and I never forget it. :)
My kids have been picking a Christmas 'angel' every year of their
lives. Those cards with the names of those we have secretly
helped go on our tree along with the ornaments to remind us that
the season is about giving more than receiving.
This is something that should be remembered year round. The
homeless shelters, the battered women shelters, food banks, and
aids projects need help all year. I tend to buy at BOGO sales
and put the extra into a box to give away to the shelters and
food banks. My daughter is currently making doggie 'blankets'
for the pet shelter out of my scrap material and yarn. Once you
get into the habit, it is easy to keep going. And people do
appreciate the help...
And if you can't give material things, then give your time....
your strength.
Sorry... I didn't mean this to turn into a rant. :) I do feel
strongly on this issue and wish I had the time and money to do
more. :)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[02]
=========
========= A WINTER'S NIGHT
========= A Poem by Seraphina
=========
Sleep Sleep O Holy Mother
Slumber Slumber so deep
On this cold winter's night
May your dreams take flight
Snow Snow everywhere
On the ground so deep
May your Yuletide be
wondrous and carefree
Lights Lights shining bright
over the land so far and wide
From me to you and back again
Have a merry winter's night.
[03]
=========
========= THE GRANNY PHENOMENA!
========= written by Faerie K.
========= Originally published in Finnish in Vox Paganorum 2/01
========= translated from the Finnish by Faerie K.
=========
Grannies are in and popular, especially among many a Pagan.
Preferring grannies already has a venerably long tradition, which
seem to be still continuing.
===
=== Some Characteristics of the Granny Phenomena
===
One of the most important characteristics of the Granny Phenomena
is, of course, a granny. This "granny" isn't necessarily always a
grandmother. "She" can also be a grandfather or some other (old
or elderly) relative. Grandmothers are the most common relative
in question, so in this article the words "granny" and
"grandmother" are used to denote other possible relatives popping
up in the Granny Phenomena.
The Granny is usually left unnamed. She isn't "my grandmother
Mathilda Smith from the Pineside house in the village of
Millwither", but simply just "Granny". The reasoning behind
leaving the Granny unnamed is often said to be duty to keep
certain things secret/oaths of secrecy, responsibilities of not
revealing an elderly person to witch hunters, and "this is how
it's always been". The better known the location and the person in
question, the more likely it is that the Granny is said to be
long dead. There are practical reasons for leaving the Granny
unnamed and/or declaring her dead: if the name isn't known or the
person in question is no longer among the living, nobody can go
and check with her the truth behind the claims. Nobody can
possibly reveal the person riding on the Granny Phenomena to be a
fraud, either. You can't, of course, ask the friends of the said
Granny - the family secrets weren't revealed to any outsider at
all.
This secretive Granny has either taught the family traditions to
her grandchild, or even initiated her to the family mysteries.
For some strange reason, one generation is always skipped.
Furthermore, the one being taught or getting initiated is, most
often than not, the only one in her generation deemed fit enough
to carry on the traditions. If you ask any details about the
actual initiation or training, you won't easily get any kind of
answers. Furthermore, you won't be told about the details of the
teachings. For goodness' sake, these are things that are part of
the family tradition and therefore no outsider has any business
knowing them at all! However, for some strange reason, it seems
to be rather common that teachings and mysteries which actually
get published are misleadingly similar to material published
earlier. The Books of Shadows of those "Family Tradition Witches"
who came out of the woodwork after Gardner went public contained
teachings interestingly resembling those of Gerald Gardner, while
the secrets of "countryside Witchery" can be read in folklorists'
books dealing with folk traditions. Sometimes including the
folklorists' possible misinterpretations and/or with the
geographical area of the traditions described in the books being
different from where the famtrad claims to originate.
The Granny story is used to build up a personal history: to
stretch the roots of one's Paganism to way back to the beginnings
of history and at the same time, to something that is a "better,
more genuine" Paganism than the versions "everybody else" are
practicing.
The actual motives vary from one representative of the Granny
Phenomena to another. For an ordinary everyday Pagan a Granny
story brings along a feeling of belonging to something and of
having a long history - instead of having been converted to
Paganism and learned from books. At the same time, somebody with
a Granny can look down on everybody else, building her ego.
"Anybody can read books and learn from them, anybody can log on
to the Net and download information. Anybody can claim to be a
Witch/Pagan after doing the reading. I am not `anybody'. I have
Family Tradition background and skills I've inherited from my
lineage. I'm special and better than all the others." Or, to put
it shortly: having a Granny gives some a reason to belittle all
those poor souls without a Granny of their own.
For Pagan authors and those striving to teach others, the initial
reason for riding on the wake of the Granny Phenomena may be more
driven by plain old monetary reasons. Advertising yourself and
your teachings as "the unbroken continuum of ancient traditions
kept secret for decades and countless of generations - and with
my help you will be now able to tap into these mysteries" can win
much more interested seekers (and bread on the author's and/or
teacher's table) than another type of approach, albeit a more
honest one: "I took bits of teaching from here, bits from there,
smaller portions from many other sources, cooked it all up to a
whole I spiced with some of my very own ideas", or even: "I
copied this so called tradition from group X, but as I don't want
to be just one of the many teachers of said tradition and instead
want to have my name written down in Pagan history with a much
bigger font size, I put a `Family Tradition' label on everything
I copied and elevated myself as the highest teacher of my very
own tradition."
To put it in other words: it is quite possible to sell a greater
number of books and/or to get larger amounts of students with a
Granny story. The most appropriate target for people spreading
Granny stories are relatively new or naive Pagans, who haven't as
yet read enough Pagan literature (or interacted with other
Pagans) to notice that there could be something fishy with
certain claims of ancient traditions, or who are under the
illusion that somebody being Pagan somehow makes her
automatically more ethical than the rest of humanity and
therefore incapable of committing fraud.
Yet another reason for assuming a Granny is wishing to get status
within the Pagan community - a status you otherwise wouldn't be
able to get. It may be quite difficult for a beginner to get
appreciation among fellow Pagans - depending on the Pagan
community, of course - when you're still in the phase of
relatively little knowledge, skills or practice. By utilizing the
Granny Phenomena, you can try to gain admiring looks and at the
same time cover your own greenness. After all, somebody carrying
on a Family Tradition is not allowed to share her information
with outsider. However, hinting about possessing secrets nobody
else can get their hands on isn't forbidden at all.
===
=== Very Short Pseudo-History of the Granny Phenomena
=== (And Some Famous Granny Owners)
===
The history of the Granny Phenomena within Neo-Paganism is rather
Wiccan influenced, or at least inspired by what went on during
the early phases of Wiccan history. After some quite successful
Granny stories within the Wiccan community, other Family
Traditions including non-Wiccan ones emerged. Some were more and
some less truthful with their origins.
Back when it was said that "the only real Witch is a Wiccan
Witch", "only Witch can make a Witch" and "Wiccan and Witch are
synonymous", the Granny story served as something to get a (good)
reputation with, a way gaining followers, and other similar
purposes. When you didn't have Gardnerian initiation(s) under
your belt (or didn't want to "use" one you had), but still very
much wanted to get a part of all the interest people were showing
towards a new religion on the rise, there still was another
option: a Granny. By claiming to be a representative of a more
genuine, real Family Tradition Witchcraft and having been
initiated to this way, you could get followers. Especially, if
you were also telling that "all the others" had learned their
ways only through books/covens/otherwise "indirectly". This is
the way the term "Gardnerian" was born. Robert Cochrane,
self-proclaimed Witch Magister of a Family Tradition developed
the term as an insult: they aren't Witches, they are Gardnerians.
The originator of the Granny Phenomena is often said to have been
Alex Sanders. Having tried to actually get into a Gardnerian
coven, but not quite making it, Sanders didn't get disheartened.
He got a hold of (stories exactly how this happened vary, but
there usually is a Gardnerian priestess involved) Gardnerian
texts. Sanders wanted credibility for himself, so he told that he
got initiated by his grandmother. The story involved being
responsible for a number of Witches and getting crowned as "King
of the Witches" by the covens he led. Sanders was quite
successful with his granny story. The media was interested and
there were many interested students. When it came to the
Gardnerians, well. they couldn't say much of the origins of
Sanders' texts without breaking their oaths.
Robert Cochrane (Roy Bowers), mentioned earlier, claimed at the
early 1960's: "I come from an old family of Witches. My mother
told be things told to her by her grandmother, who was told them
by her grandmother." (paraphrased) However, it is also said that
Cochrane was earlier initiated into Gardnerian Wicca, which would
make his tradition originating from the same source that that of
Sanders.
To give an example of a more present day "very old tradition",
there's the family tradition called "Order of the Royal Oak",
calling itself an Orthodox Celtic Church dating from the 1660's
and led by "Lady Amythyst". However, the tradition's website
manages to talk about the founder of the trad and that she's
Wiccan.
What about Gardner himself? You could actually say that Gardner
had a granny story as well. When he came back to England from the
Far East, Gerald Gardner was already elderly and had spent too
much time abroad to present a granny of his own. His "Granny" was
old Dorothy Clutterbuck who initiated him to her coven and taught
him Wicca dating back from times long past. These days, the
history of Wicca is known better.
Of the non-Wiccans, one could mention Raven Grimassi, who doesn't
name the relative he claims was teaching him. However, he does
tell that he was the only one being taught Italian traditions of
his family of three brothers. Interestingly, it took years of
previous studies of Wicca and Occultism, before Grimassi brought
forward his first "Strega tradition" called Aridian. Aridian
tradition includes (which the author these days admits) Wiccan
influences. The authenticity of Grimassi's family tradition is
being questioned by Italian Witches and Pagans actually living in
Italy, pointing out inconsistencies and downright faults in
Grimassi's texts. Grimassi, on the other hand, says this is due
to jealousy instead of any faults in his books.
===
=== The Finnish Granny
===
The granny phenomena among Finnish Neo-Pagans could be, in part,
explained with the fast urbanization of the 1960-1970's. The
parents of many a Neo-Pagan were born on the countryside, but
left the agrarian life with its agrarian customs, moving to a
town. For many a new town dweller, the countryside represented
suffocating insularity, very harsh discipline within the family,
continuous heavy work and living in the past. Once out of the
agrarian life, they weren't that interested in old ways or
traditional folk beliefs. To them they held no "exoticness", but
were a part of everything they wanted to leave behind.
With the descendants of new town dwellers, the situation is
different. They don't have the same "burden" on their shoulders
as their parents do, so they're able to view the agrarian ways of
life quite differently. To them, the countryside represents
something romantic and the old folkways are new and exotic
instead of being "it's just the way it has always been". To them,
farming traditions are represented by nice holiday memories, not
the harder day-to-day toil.
===
=== The Portrait of an Imaginary Rider on the Granny Phenomena
===
Let us have an imaginary example of somebody utilizing the granny
phenomena. We'll have her be a relatively young woman called
Lisa. (Of course, our example could be elderly, male and called
Matt - but stereotyping is quite permitted when one is creating a
caricature!) Lisa has found Paganism, one way or another. She
might have bumped into it through a newspaper article, while
surfing the net, via a friend, or by reading an interesting book.
Taking into consideration the amount of information available on
different Pagan religions, it's most likely that the first
religion she encountered was Wicca due to the large amount of
information (albeit varied in quality) available on Wicca.
With deepening interest, Lisa reads more on the subject and gets
familiar with for example the worldviews of Pagans and Witches,
their ways and skills. Part of what she reads starts to sound
suspiciously familiar - for example healing with hands or using
herbs, seeing things before they happen, giving small gifts to
the earth, talks of elves and fairies, or beliefs connected to
food.
Lisa starts to ponder the familiarity and thinks back to her
stays at her grandparents. Then it hits - the insight. "Oh my
goodness, it was my granny who was talking about things like this
and she taught a little about it to me as well! My granny is a
Pagan and a Witch! It's as clear as day!" Lisa's heart is
pounding and filled with pride and happiness. She isn't just
another ordinary everyday Pagan newbie or a beginner Witch. She's
one of the rare and admirable people, one in a family tradition!
Lisa's mother (or father) isn't at all aware of this wonderful
fact, but this just has to mean that granny didn't consider her
(or him) worthy of being taught the family ways so the tradition
skipped a generation like it traditionally does. There's nothing
new in that, Lisa has been reading about things like that. "My
granny has hidden her being a Witch quite well," ponders Lisa,
but continues to herself: "Not that it's surprising. All the
other neighbors are so bigoted, they'd burn my poor granny if
they found out she's a Witch."
When meeting other Pagans Lisa explains her background with
pride, feeling at least a little (if not more) superior. She's
got a Granny, others don't. They are just book-learned, or at the
very best been taught by somebody belonging to a tradition that
has been founded by somebody. Her situation is different. Hers is
a family tradition and whatever she can learn from books (and
over the net, and reading lists) is just more butter on her
family tradition bread.
But who am I to say that Lisa's granny isn't really a Pagan and
a Witch? I can't, of course. There have been people skillful with
the Witch's ways and/or having reputation of being a Witch around
the countryside in different parts of the world since times
begun. However, it's much more probable that Lisa is one of the
riders on the Granny Phenomena and that her grandmother might be
quite upset for being considered a Witch or - goodness gracious -
a Pagan. If asked, she would quite likely call herself an
ordinary, devout, proper Christian and everything her silly
granddaughter is thinking about being "witchery" is just part of
the old customs that have always been practiced in the village.
And that's that. ("However, the late old Esther in my home
village. People were talking about her a bit. I think she was a
Witch. Once she gave an evil eye to my poor mother's cow and what
do you know, she never gave that much milk after that than
before! But I'm not one of them, no.")
Being so excited about her "tradition", Lisa has overlooked a
number of facts. Unlike what many sources claim, all Paganism
wasn't "rooted out" or "driven underground to be guarded by
highly secretive family traditions" long ago. Part of the
traditions lived on in one form or another, changing for with
time and blending into the ordinary life getting Christian
influences and/or otherwise becoming "folk traditions" without
being associated with Witchcraft of Paganism. The existence of
traditions among the eldest of the family doesn't necessarily
mean that the family is any more Pagan than the next one, or give
proper cause to claim the existence of a family tradition. It's
quite likely that granny's next-door neighbor could tell about
quite similar old ways and teach quite similar skills if somebody
went over and asked her as well. For example foreseeing things
before they happen, like knowing when there will be visitors
coming over, can be considered by the granny (and other
villagers) quite normal and handy in the world of long distances
and poor communication. Elves, brownies and fairies are part of
traditions, which have always just been there. Knowing the
healing properties of herbs and learning spells or incantations
to help has been important in the areas where you just couldn't
pop into the doctor's office when feeling like it. Healing with
hands can be considered a gift from the Christian God etc. To put
it shortly: in most cases the material is of more wide-spread (as
opposed to family-kept) traditions that aren't necessarily
considered Pagan at all by their practitioners.
Don't mistakenly think that all this would mean that Lisa should
throw everything she learned from her granny away due to the
non-Paganism of the traditions and feel depressed. Not at all!
What she could throw away is the idea of belonging to a family
tradition unless it truly is the case. In case of uncertainty,
one can always ask the granny in question. Passing traditions on
to the next generation is important - whether the traditions are
"truly Pagan" or not. Otherwise they will be lost with time. So,
let us be proud of our grannies, but not stupid and proud.
Even paths that started off with a granny story can become
something worthwhile and important to many people. Not because of
the granny story, but by their own merits.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CAULDRON AND CANDLE WEB SITE
The Cauldron and Candle now has its own web site
where we store our back issues for easy reading.
http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[04]
=========
========= REVIEW: SOLAR ARCS
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
Solar Arcs: Astrology's Most Successful Predictive System
Author: Noel Tyl
Trade Paperback, 460 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: September 2001
ISBN: 0738700541
US Retail Price: $19.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738700541/thecauldron
With the advent of computer programs able to calculate and draw
astrological charts, anyone can hang out their shingle and claim
to be an astrologer. Unfortunately, the true art of astrology is
not in the mathematics of chart making, but in the interpretation
of that chart once made. Noel Tyl's newest book, Solar Arcs:
Astrology's Most Successful Predictive System clearly
demonstrates this often forgotten fact. All one really needs to
know about the calculation of the Solar Arcs is described in
about one page of text in the first chapter of this book. The
majority of the rest of the book is devoted to how to interpret
the results of those calculations.
This is where Tyl's book really shines. He teaches interpretation
by example. First he uses the charts of famous people (Queen
Victoria, Ted Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, and others) to
demonstrate both how Solar Arcs work and the fact that they do
work. Later examples are from some of the author's own
consultations which show how Solar Arcs are interpreted for
normal people. Some of these include transcripts of the author's
consultations with the client. These are nice not only for seeing
how Solar Arcs work but also as an example of how an experienced
professional astrologer interacts with his clients.
There is quite a bit more to this book, however. Later in the
book, Tyl covers Tertiary Progressions which use the moon to
focus in on predictive timing. The last chapter is a detailed
examination, with examples, of the process of rectification.
Rectification is the process of determining an individual's birth
time when such is not known or is not known accurately. Two
useful appendixes follow. The first is a set of "Quick Glance
Transit Tables" which give the positions of the planets Mars
through Pluto on the first day of every month from 1940 to 2040.
These tables are designed to allow one to find key Solar Arc
transits quickly without having to wait for computer printouts.
The second appendix provides interpretive guidelines for all
possible Natal and Solar Arc Midpoint pictures (over 1,100
combinations).
Solar Arcs is definitely not a book for a beginning student of
astrology. The advanced student, however, will find the
techniques in this book a very useful addition to her
astrological tool chest.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bksa.php
[05]
=========
========= REVIEW: WRITE YOUR OWN MAGIC
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
Write Your Own Magic: The Hidden Power In Your Words
Author: Richard Webster
Hardback, 254 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: June 2001
ISBN: 0738700010
US Retail Price: $9.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738700010/thecauldron
Richard Webster has written a large number of popular books on
occult subjects generally aimed at the complete beginner. I've
always ignored them. However, the title of his latest book, Write
Your Own Magic: The Hidden Power in Your Words, intrigued me. The
market hype made this book sound like a book on magick for the
complete beginner that wasn't just a grimoire of prewritten
spells. I decided to give it a try.
While I will not be putting this book on my most recommended
list, I was pleasantly surprised by it. The author covers "word
magick" for the beginner in a friendly and understandable manner.
There is a good mixture of design your own magick and prewritten
spells. A wide variety of types of word-related magickal methods
are described, albeit usually briefly and without a lot of
background or theory. Write Your Own Magic has more of a "New
Age" feel to it than it does a "Pagan" feel. While this may
bother some Neo-Pagans, it does not affect the overall usefulness
of the book to the novice.
The first five chapters of this book are general background
material. The author accompanies this material with anecdotes
from his own experiences. Magickal ethics in covered in the third
chapter. This is the only place I have a major problem with this
book. The author believes that one should never do magick for
another without their permission. Unfortunately, the example he
gives of why someone might refuse magick sounds like someone who
was willing herself to die because she was depressed after the
death of her husband. While a depressed person may claim not to
want help, that's usually the disease talking (and should not be
listened to) from what I've read.
The seventh chapter gives magical methods from around the world
for sending a wish out to the universe. The next chapter covers
making written amulets and talismans. Next is a brief chapter on
using crystals and gemstones. The tenth chapter talks about
mandalas. This is followed by a short chapter on group work. The
last chapter of the book discusses more formal spells, with a
good number of prewritten examples.
Overall, this is a good magickal cookbook for complete beginners.
It stands above many of the others on the market by providing
general methods for doing magick as well as prewritten spells.
While this requires a bit more of the reader than a collection of
prewritten spells does, it gives the reader the tools he needs to
use magick for his own needs -- even if those needs were not
directly covered in the book. If you know someone who just wants
to be able to use simple magick to improve his life, this is a
good book to recommend.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwyom.php
[06]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE CRAFT
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows
Author: Dorothy Morrison
Trade Paperback, 213 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: June 2001
ISBN: 1567184464
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567184464/thecauldron
Dorothy Morrison is one of Llewellyn's best authors on Wicca and
Wiccan magick. The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows is another
well-written Morrison book. From its title and cover, it's
obviously a Wicca 101 book designed to attract those whose
interest in the subject may have come from television and film.
The foreword by Raymond Buckland annoys me as it seems to
perpetuate the myths that Wicca and Witchcraft are the same thing
and that the witch cult theories of Margaret Murray have been
confirmed. While I respect Buckland as a Wiccan elder, this book
would have been better off without his introduction.
Unlike many Wicca 101 books, The Craft is light on theory and
heavy on practice. The only chapter that is more theory than
application is the first chapter, "Walking the Path" which covers
the basic beliefs of Wicca. From there, the reader moves quickly
on to learning about the Wiccan deities and the elements in the
second chapter and about things like timing, candles, colors,
herbs, and stones that can boost the effectiveness of magick in
the third chapter. These two chapters introduce the main feature
that sets this Wicca 101 book apart from the many others on the
shelves, a large number of short, practical exercises to help the
reader grasp and learn to actually use the material presented.
These chapters (like the entire book) are filled with Morrison's
poetry, ready to be used in magick or ritual.
The second part of this book talks about the tools of Wicca. The
wand, the cup, the athame, and the pentacle each get a chapter of
their own. Each chapter explains the purpose of the tool, how to
obtain or make it, how to consecrate it, and provides several
weeks' worth of exercises that show the reader how to actually
work with the tool. The Cauldron, the besom, the black mirror,
and the white-handled knife are covered briefly in a single
chapter. The final chapter in this part of the book discusses
what the author calls the ultimate magical tool, the human mind.
After a couple of pages on meditation, this chapter gives 22
weeks worth of progressive exercises for the mind designed to
improve its ability to work with magick and ritual.
The third section of The Craft is a single chapter on casting a
circle. The author provides a complete poetic ritual for opening
and closing a circle, and leads the reader through it step by
step.
The final portion of this book covers celebrating the esbats and
the sabbats of the Wiccan year. In the esbat chapter, Morrison
provides celebration ideas (but not complete rituals) for each of
the thirteen full moons in the year. The chapter on sabbats does
the same for each of the eight festivals of the Wiccan Wheel of
the Year. While this book presents many ideas and ritual pieces
for esbat and sabbat celebrations, it does not present complete
rituals.
A number of appendixes (dream symbols, magickal uses of plants
and stones, deity associations, a version of the Wiccan "Book of
Law", and a listing of places to obtain supplies) and a suggested
reading list round out this book.
The Craft is "yet another Wicca 101 book." There are a large
number of such books available in bookstores today. Morrison's
entry in the field is strong in the practical "how to" material
but weak in the area of theory and background. In my opinion,
that weakness really hurts this otherwise good book. There are
far too many Wiccans in the world today who only have a very
superficial knowledge of beliefs and background of the religion
they profess to follow. Unfortunately, this book is likely to
increase those numbers. If there is ever a second edition, I hope
the author will add 20 or 30 pages of Wiccan theory and
background. Done well, that would turn this average Wicca 101
book into an excellent Wicca 101 book.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bktcawbos.php
[07]
=========
========= REVIEW: PALMISTRY QUICK & EASY
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
Palmistry Quick & Easy
Author: Peter Hazel
Trade Paperback, 223 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: September 2001
ISBN: 1567184103
US Retail Price: $9.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567184103/thecauldron
In the late 1960s, I spent most of my allowance one week to get a
thick paperback book entitled The Complete Illustrated Book of
the Psychic Sciences. One of the chapters in this book was on
palmistry. I found the subject fascinating. Unfortunately, while
there were some illustrations, there were not nearly enough for
such a visual subject, so I never could actually learn palmistry
from this book. If I could have had Peter Hazel's new Palmistry
Quick & Easy thirty years ago, I might have grown up to be a palm
reader.
The major part of Hazel's book is a step-by-step guide to reading
a hand, complete with enough illustrations to make the text clear
and usable. This guide consists of 300 or so things to look for
on the hand, presented as questions like "Is the thumb...
...Long? ...Medium? ...Short? ...Quite stiff, inflexible, and
unyielding? ...Rather supple and flexible?" Each question is
accompanied by a paragraph or two of interpretation for when the
answer is "yes." The illustrations usually make exactly what you
are looking for very clear. There are about 165 pages of these
questions, answers and illustrations to work through when
examining a hand. With practice, the author claims that one will
need to refer to the book less and less. I can't personally
attest to that claim, but I can say that I found actually reading
a hand to be a relatively easy, if time-consuming, task with this
book.
There is a bit of history, theory, and methodology at the
beginning of this book in a section entitled "Notes." There's
also an interesting section at the end of the book explaining how
palmistry can be used by astrologers, parents, personnel
managers, and marriage counselors. This is followed by a brief
description of other methods of viewing the hand, including the
traditional one from medieval texts.
Palmistry Quick & Easy is an excellent book for anyone interested
in learning how to read hands. If you are interested in palmistry
but, like me, have found other books lacking because you need
good illustrations -- and lots of them -- to be able to tell a
life line from a bee line, this book definitely deserves a place
on your shelves.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkpqae.php
[08]
=========
========= REVIEW: WICCAN ROOTS
========= Reviewed by Brock
=========
Wiccan Roots: Gerald Gardner and the Modern Witchcraft Revival
Author: Philip Heselton
Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Capall Bann Publishing
Publication date: December 2000
ISBN: 1861631103
US Retail Price: Order from UK
Wiccan Roots represents an attempt by Philip Heselton to examine
in great detail the setting, circumstances, and people
surrounding Gerald B. Gardner's initiation as a witch in 1939,
and the events which followed therefrom. It is the result of a
significant amount of original research, and includes information
which, insofar as I am aware, has not until now been available to
many of the people who have an interest in this subject. In his
Introduction to the book, Heselton says:
I wanted to draw together what had already been published
about the modern witchcraft revival, including vital books
such as Gerald Gardner: Witch and obscure articles in
defunct magazines, which could nevertheless reveal some
unusual aspects of the subject.
It would be safe to say that Heselton has been successful in that
aim, at least. Whether the conclusions he draws from the
information he has unearthed are justified is another question.
Wiccan Roots begins with a fairly detailed examination of Gerald
Gardner's life up to his retirement to England in 1936,
establishing Gardner as a gentleman of independent means with a
complaisant wife, and an active interest in esoteric subjects.
After setting the scene by discussing the geography of the New
Forest area, including the village of Highcliffe where Gardner
eventually settled, Heselton examines the Rosicrucian Order
Crotona Fellowship, which established the Garden Theatre in the
village of Somerford, between Christchurch and Highcliffe. It was
among the membership of the Crotona Fellowship, and the casts and
crews of the various plays produced by the Fellowship in the
Garden Theater that Gardner is supposed to have found "a small
group of people apart from the rest." It is this smaller group
which is supposed to have been made up of members of the New
Forest Coven, and which eventually initiated him into "the Craft
of the Wica." Heselton identifies several of these persons by
name, and provides some details of their lives. Among these is
the woman known as "Dafo," who became Gardner's initiator and
first magical partner, and who later broke with him over the
question of publicizing witchcraft.
Heselton then spends several chapters addressing the issue of
"Old Dorothy," more properly known as Dorothy St. Quintin Fordham
(nee Clutterbuck,) and the nature of her involvement (if any,) in
witchcraft and the New Forest Coven. He includes several excerpts
from her "diaries" (which might be more properly characterized as
journals or daybooks,) and while he admits that the evidence is
far from conclusive, Heselton makes it clear that he believes her
to have been both pagan and a practicing witch. The remainder of
the book discusses the nature of the New Forest Coven, the
legendary gathering of witches in the New Forest on Lammas Eve of
1940 to perform a great working to prevent an invasion of Britain
by the Germans, and finally, some related issues, such as the
possible influence of the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry on the
modern witchcraft revival, and the possibility of a connection of
some sort between the New Forest Coven and Sybil Leek's Horsa
Coven. In his final chapter, Heselton outlines a scenario which
is consistent with the information developed in his research, and
which he believes provides a plausible explanation for the
mystery that has always surrounded Gerald Gardner's account of
his initiation.
The book itself left me feeling ambivalent. Philip Heselton has
clearly performed a great deal of original research, at no little
cost to him in time and trouble. He presents the information
developed out of his research in a clear and reasonably
straightforward manner. It is, I suppose, the conclusions that
Heselton draws from his information, and the manner in which he
draws them, that trouble me. Heselton has a bad habit of
suggesting in one chapter that the available evidence may
indicate that such-and-such is true, and then beginning his
reasoning in the next chapter as if the such-and-such mentioned
in the previous chapter was an established fact. One sees this
all too often in the popular press, (Holy Blood, Holy Grail being
but one horrible example of this sort of reasoning,) but it is
disturbing to find it in a work intended to be a piece of serious
scholarship. Heselton also makes what I view to be a serious
error in his interpretations of the various entries in Dorothy
Fordham's "diaries." He clearly views her allusions to a number
of common images from classical mythology in those diary entries
as evidence that Dorothy was pagan. In doing so, he, ignores the
fact that Dorothy, who was born in 1880, received the sort of
private, classical education traditional for a young woman of
Britain's upper classes during the late Victorian and early
Edwardian periods. Flowery allusions to classical themes were
common features in formal writing (particularly of poetry), in
the society in which Dorothy was raised, without being accorded
any special meaning beyond being decorative. Such things were, in
essence, evidence that the author had been properly educated. The
inclusion of such things in a piece of verse would only be
considered significant of something else when viewed from the
context of a society where such ornate forms of writing have
fallen wholly out of favor.
It is in large part because I feel that Heselton has not proved
his arguments regarding Dorothy Fordham that I have problems
accepting his conclusions in their entirety. That having been
said, I must also state that I think that Wiccan Roots ought to
be read by anyone with a serious interest in the history of the
modern witchcraft revival. It makes a useful companion piece to
Professor Ronald Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon, and Professor
Hutton has in fact contributed a short forward to Wiccan Roots.
In the long run, I think that Wiccan Roots' greatest value will
be as an encouragement to further research and debate, rather
than as a definitive resolution of the issues Philip Heselton has
explored in its pages.
Wiccan Roots is footnoted, and contains an index. It was
published by Capall Bann, which unfortunately means that it has
had only very limited distribution in North America. However, I
was able to obtain a copy with little difficulty (albeit after a
wait of several weeks) from the UK branch of Amazon.com.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwr.php
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
UPCOMING REVIEWS
Here are a few of the books we'll be reviewing in
future issues: SISTERS OF THE DARK MOON, RUNIC
PALMISTRY, ASTROLOGY & RELATIONSHIPS, CELESTIAL
GODDESSES, THE MAGICIAN'S WORKBOOK, INVOKE THE
GODS, MAGIC OF QABALAH, CIRCLE ROUND, THE CRAFT
COMPANION. Reviews often appear on our web site
first, so check there for new reviews if you can't
wait for the next issue of the newsletter.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[09]
=========
========= RECIPES FOR HOLIDAY TREATS
========= Collected by Elspeth Sapphire
=========
===
=== Cherry-Chocolate Blossoms
===
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry liquid
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 drops red food coloring
2 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST all Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maraschino cherries -- drained and chopped
48 milk chocolate candy drops or pieces
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine powdered sugar,
butter, cherry liquid, almond extract and food color; blend well.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour and
salt; mix well. Stir in cherries. If necessary for easier
handling, cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased
cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light
golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with candy; press down
firmly. Remove from cookie sheets.
Yield: about 4 dozen
===
=== Irish Mist Brownies
===
Brownie:
1/2 cup butter
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops green food color
Drizzle:
1/2 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Oven at 350 degrees.
Melt 1/2 cup butter and 2 squares chocolate in 2-quarter saucepan
over very low heat, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn
the chocolate mixture. Stir constantly until smooth. Remove pan
from heat. stir in all remaining brownie ingredients until well
mixed.
Spread batter into greased 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Bake
for 30 to 35 minutes or until brown begins to pull away from
sides of pan. Cool completely.
Combine all frosting ingredients in small mixer bowl. Beat at
medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Spread over cooled
brownie bars. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips. Cool
completely, cut into bars. Store in refrigerator, tightly
covered.
===
=== Chocolate Malt Cheesecake
===
Graham Cracker Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-oz. blocks) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup chocolate malted milk powder
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
Oven 325 degrees.
For the crust, in a large mixing bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs,
sugar and butter. Press mixture onto the bottom of an 8-inch
springform pan. Bake crust in oven for 6 minutes, then cool.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla together in a large mixing bowl
for about 5 minutes.
Mix malted milk powder and milk, stir and pour into cream cheese,
sugar and vanilla mixture. Mix well.
Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each egg.
Bake cheesecake at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven,
let cool for a few hours. Remove from pan. Garnish with freshly
whipped cream, crushed malted milk balls and drizzle cheesecake
with 1 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Variation: Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels to batter.
Cover cheesecake tightly, refrigerate at least 24 hours.
===
=== Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
===
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375F. In large bowl with electric mixer at medium
speed, beat butter, sugars and vanilla about 2 minutes or until
well blended. Add eggs; beat well.
In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa,baking
soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to
the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in
chocolate chips and nuts. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto
ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 7 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool on cookie sheets
1minute. Remove from sheet to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 3 dozen.
===
=== Zesty Cheese Twists from Potato Bread
===
Basic Potato Bread Dough
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 cups scalded, then cooled milk
3 heaping teaspoons yeast, dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
10 - 12 cups white flour
Mix , knead and set in large greased bowl until doubled in size.
The Zesty Cheese Twists
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, set one aside and knead all
the rest. Roll dough into rectangular shape 12 x 18". Spread with
1/2 cup of melted butter and sprinkle with the following spices:
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 heaping tablespoon of Cheesoning (found in popcorn aisle)
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of cheddar cheese
Optional - sprinkle with oregano.
Slide left hand under the left side and right hand under the
right side. Flip right side over to middle of dough then flip
left side over the top. Cut whole long rectangle in half or into
1" strips and pull and twist bread strips and press onto greased
pan. Rise until double in size.
Bake at 350ø for 20 - 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Use the remaining dough for second pan of Zesty Cheese Twists or
for Cinnamon Rolls.
===
=== Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
===
[This is our traditional holiday cake and my grandmother's
recipe. I have been known to put chocolate chips or other fruit
instead of the dates, but I like it best with the dates.
-- Elspeth]
1 cup nuts [I normally use walnuts]
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons baking cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour boiling water over fruit, nuts, and soda; let cool. Mix in
mayo and sugar and salt. Combine dry ingredients and mix into
the mayo mixture. Add vanilla. Pour into a greased pan. Bake
for 55 minutes at 350 degrees.
Note: Since all ovens are different, the cooking time will vary.
This cake is supposed to be on the moist side, so the standard
sticking it with a skewer and seeing if it comes out dry won't
work. I look for moist crumb on the skewer vs wet batter. Also,
it should be a bit springy to the touch when done.
===
=== Grandma's Divinity
===
[I will confess upfront that I have a love/hate relationship
with this recipe. Like many candies, if it is too humid, it
will not work. -- Elspeth]
2 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup white corn syrup
2 egg whites
2/3 cup nuts, chopped
Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water over low heat until sugar is
dissolved. Cook without stirring until it reaches the hard ball
stage. Beat egg whites until stiff. Continue beating while
pouring hot syrup in a thin stream. Add vanilla, beat until it
thickens and becomes dull looking. Fold in nuts, and drop by
spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cool.
[10]
=========
========= FINNISH HOLIDAY DISHES
========= Collected by Faerie K.
=========
For those who fancy something "exotic"
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